Archive for April 30th, 2010
For those looking into moving light in this high-tech world, AT&T together with HTC America Inc. has introduced a 6-ounce smartphone that has all that anyone can wish for within its 2.3 in x 0.7 in x 4.4 in black frame.
The AT&T Tilt is a smartphone that can outdo the PDAs that are out in the market and practically replace your laptop. Owners can use it to make documents; send, receive and check voice, text, data and email (POP3 and IMAP4) messages; update personal web pages; browse photos; watch videos; listen to music or satellite radio; download music; take pictures and videos; including help in finding locations anywhere on earth.
As a wireless phone, it has an instant Push to Talk communication feature and the usual voice command and dialing. Users can bring it when traveling abroad because of its 3.6 Mbps tri-band (UMTS/HSDPA) and quad-band (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) features.
Owners can use voice and data functions as well as accessories all at the same time because this smartphone’s connection can combine up to six wireless pairings. Its 3rd party applications are over the top.
It comes with AOL®, Windows Live(TM) and Yahoo!® instant messaging. YouTube can be enjoyed by just downloading the streaming media player of HTC.
The operating system used is Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional that is Vista-compatible and uses a QUALCOMM 400 MHzMSM7200 processor enabling fast 3G wireless broadband connection. Aside from Microsoft Office Mobile that one needs to use Excel, Powerpoint and Word files and Outlook, it also has Active Sync to synchronize the AT&T Tilt with one’s PC.
For memory, it has an installed 128 MB of SRAM and 256 MB of Flash ROM. Memory can be expanded to its 2 GB potential with microSD. You can use this smartphone as an integrated, high-speed, wireless modem for your laptop. Aside from Bluetooth 2.0 it also uses IrDA and IEEE 802.11b as well as IEEE 802.11g integrated Wi-Fi. It has a USB port, expansion slot, and comes with a USB cable.
You can use AT&T Tilt’s features with ease because of it’s tilting colored touch screen (28” with 64K colors) complemented with a QWERTY keyboard that slides out. A scrolling or track wheel on the left side, five-way navigation button and stylus gives users choices by which one can comfortably manipulate the device. Users can customize the screen which has a maximum resolution of 240×320. For the audiophile, AT&T Tilt supports AAC, AMR, MP3, WAV, WMA, MIDI, AAC+ audio standards. It also has a built-in microphone and speakers.
Its three megapixel camera can take excellent pictures and videos with its autofocus capabilities and 10x zooming function. Although owners will have to make do without a flash.
AT&T Navigator is used by the built-in GPS to assist when traveling in unfamiliar area. AT&T Tilt lets you make use of other GPS applications like Garmin Mobile XT and Google Map, too. You can even geo-tag photos.
Its power is the only downside that can be said of this smartphone. But most people are willing to bear with its Lithium polymer battery’s need to be recharged almost daily for three hours. They know all the features they enjoy requires a lot of power.
An AT&T Tilt smartphone also comes with an AC wall charger, 1350 mAh battery and extra stylus.
The Apple iPhone, which combined regular mobile phone capabilities with Apple’s iPod high quality MP3 player, has created hype in the world of smartphone fanatics with its sophisticated and sleek design. Yes, it looks a bit broad in its candy bar style and QWERTY keyboard layout. And looking bulky at 2.4 in x 4.6 in x 0.7 in and heavy at 4.8 oz. However, it surprisingly fits just perfectly nice in the hand. It is antenna integrated. It boasts of a whopping 3.5-inch glass touchscreen, which has a resolution of 480×320 pixels and 32-bit (128 colors) that gives a stunningly vibrant user interface.
As a full iPod Nano, it contains all the 5G iPod features, such as high-quality videos, iTunes music and podcasts. Moreover, it allows you to browse music from album to album, with cover in pretty artworks as you choose the song you want to listen to. It uses 4gb or 8gb flash memory for bigger audio and video storage capacity.
As a phone, it asserts to have 8hrs talk time and 250 battery hours on standby. It has all the essentials of a mobile phone such as automatic redial, call divert, call hold, call timer, caller ID, call waiting, volume control, ringer control, conference call capability, computer link, call transfer, speakerphone, polyphonic ringer, voice mail capability, multimedia messaging service (MMS) and short messaging service (SMS). Of course, it also has a digital camera and digital player.
As for connectivity options, iPhone features WiFi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0. It also offers full internet browsing and push email options, which include IMAP and POP3 exchange services of Microsoft, and Push-IMAP or Push extensions for Internet Message Access Protocol. It uses GSM (Global System for Mobile communications, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) for cellular enhancement protocol.
iPhone operates on Darwin, a Mac OS X version open source linux computer operating system; and is also quad band calling supported, with GSM) 850, 900, 1800 and 1900, taking you to more places around the world.
On top of all these a new, and rather ingenious feature called accelerometer, would surely impress you with its capability to recognize which way up the phone is, automatically reorienting itself when you flip the unit from portrait to landscape. The same feature, which uses motion/proximity sensor, also switches the screen off during a call to avoid accidentally pressing the buttons on the screen.
The iPhone services are provided by AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless.
It has been dubbed that this is the best BlackBerry Pearl in the market to date, and RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 or Pearl 2 has caused a number of mobile phone aficionados waiting and it was proven that the extra wait is worth it. The BlackBerry Pearl’s CDMA version has able to retain its compact design while adding up some features, like the built-in GPS, video recorder and support for high-speed data networks.
The Blackberry Pearl 2 retains its slim, sleek look, with a dimension of 4.2 x 1.9 x 0.5 inches and a weight of 3.4 ounces, making it a very comfortable device to hold during phone calls and text messaging and to keep in pockets. Its silver casing makes it a very elegant gadget to possess. The 2.25 inch screen displays 65K colors at a 260 x 240 pixel resolution causing text and images look bright and vibrant.
The upper-right portion of Pearl 2 includes a small LED that indicates different status alerts for new messages, low battery and others. Below the display is where the navigation keys are located: the Talk and End, main menu short cut, back button, and the pearl-like trackball navigator.
Below the navigation keys are the SureType keyboard is the QWERTY like keyboard, only that two letters are assigned in one key. The left spine of the phone is where the 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD expansion slot, mini USB port and a customizable quick-launch button are located. The right spine is where the volume control is located. The top portion is where the Mute button is located. Located on the back side of the phone is the camera lens, the flash, and mirror.
Aside from being the first CDMA Pearl, Pearl 2 is also the first device from RIM BlackBerry with video-recording capabilities, built-in GPS and EV-DO support. Pearl 2′s voice features include speakerphone, voice dialing, conference calling and text and multimedia messaging. There is also an option to enhance the audio of calls. Although Pearl 2 doesn’t include 3G,its work with Verizon’s EV-DO network helped in bringing up data speed to 300Kbps to 600Kbps for faster web surfing. Other connectivity options with Pearl 2 are Bluetooth 2.0 for connecting to Bluetooth headsets, hands-free kits and dial-up networking. Pearl 2 can also be used as modem for laptops, only if purchased with a Broadband Access Plan. It also retained the original Pearl’s WiFi.
The other new feature – the camera can be upgraded from the 1.3 megapixel to 2.0 megapixels. Features include 5x zoom and flash plus white balance settings and several color affects that can be added to the photo. Video recording options are only limited to two video formats and three color effects. The video quality can still improve, probably in later models.
Among the features that were retained from the original BlackBerry Pearl are e-mail, an attachment viewer for opening popular file formats like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, JPEG and more and media player for playing music and video of different formats.
AT&T finally got its hold of RIM BlackBerry smartphones with its introduction to the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120. This small smartphone magnificently embedded Wi-Fi and a 2.0 Megapixel camera. Who said that BlackBerry can’t be that stylish and trendy and would be trapped in the world of feature-deprivation? The BlackBerry Pearl proved the speculations otherwise.
The candy bar-like design of BlackBerry Pearl 8120 makes the whole world talking trying to analyze how the functions of a smartphone could be embedded inside such tiny component. The Pearl 8120 has a dimension of 4.2 x 1.9 x 0.5 inches and a weight of 3.2 ounces. The phone looks very attractive and sleek with its deep sapphire blue color.
The 2.25 inch screen displays 65K color on a 260 x 20 pixel resolution. It has a light-sensing technology that adjusts backlighting in relation to the environment which helps attain a crisp, bright and well-readable text, video and images. New themes, graphics, fonts and colors were also added. Navigation keys are located below the display. These keys include Talk and End keys, menu shortcut, back button, pearl trackball and the SureType keyboard, which is the QWERTY-like keyboard that cramps out two letters in a single key.
The left side of the phone is where the 3.5mm headphone jack, mini-USB port. microSD memory card slot and push-to-talk button are located. The right side is where the camera activation button and volume controls are located. The mute button is on the top of the unit while the 2 Megapixel camera, mirror and flash are located on the back side.
Pearl 8120′s greatest contribution in the features section is the inclusion of WiFi on its offerings. It includes a setup wizard that helps in the configuration of the device although it automatically scans for networks and hotspots. It only supports AT&T’s EDGE network. 8120 also has an improved web browser. Other connectivity options include the Bluetooth 2.0 which supports Bluetooth wireless headsets, hands-free kits and serial ports. Although 8120 doesn’t include a GPS radio, there is an option to a Bluetooth GPS receiver.
Pearl 8120 is a quad-band world phone and offers these voice features: speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling and speed dialing. Of course, it has real-time e-mail support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino or Novell GroupWise. It also includes an attachment viewer that opens famous file formats like Microsoft Word, Excel, JPEG, GIF and a lot more.
Multimedia lovers will also have fun with Pearl 8120. It has a built-in media player that can play a number of music files like MP3, WMA, AAC and MIDI files and H.263 video files. The 2.0-megapixel camera has 5x zoom, flash, white-balance setting and color effects that can enhance the photos.
RIM’s Blackberry Pearl 8110, which is based on the recent Pearl 8120, is no doubt consumer-oriented with this petite physique and good looks. It is sleek at 107 x 50 x 15 mm and just light at 91 g including its battery weight. It comes in three different colors. You can choose from black, blue or pink casing, depending on your attitude and personality. It also has an impressive large screen with 65,000 colors and 240 x 260 pixels resolution.
The device sports a SureType QWERTY keyboard system, which allows word completion, editing of misspelled words with is built-in spell checker. It also comes with a backlight for the trackball and the keyboard, making the keys stand out especially in dim places.
The Pearl 8110, like its other Blackberry siblings, is heavily supported with email functionalities. This beauty can access up to 10 Blackberry Internet Service supported accounts and Blackberry Enterprise Server supported corporate email and data systems. However, RIM still has not improved in web browsing capability in this phone. The 8110 web browsing is only acceptable in rudimentary web page navigation. It also comes with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing wireless connection to your personal computer, laptop or printer.
This quadband (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900) smartphone’s major key feature is its built-in GPS receiver and WayFinder Navigation, which replaced Wi-Fi connectivity. Through this technology, the Pearl 8110 can tell the user’s location and help him plan trips, reserve accommodation on their destinations and share routes and maps with others through email.
To make tech savvy people happy, RIM exerted effort on adding camera to this smartphone, breaking away from its usual camera-less models. The Pearl 8110 sports a 2 Megapixel Camera with Flash and 5x Zoom, which also has a video-recording function. It also has a built-in media player for the user’s listening pleasure, through headset or over loud speaker.
A rather surprising addition in this beauty is the Facebook application, clearly emphasizing RIM’s intention to target the consumer market. This add-on feature would surely delight people who love sharing their experiences with their friends all the time. Now, they don’t need a computer to update their friends with their latest whereabouts and escapades. All they need is to click that tiny F button in this smart Blackberry phone.
Lastly, RIM promises the consumers four hours of talk time and 360 hours of standby time for the 8110. The phone also comes with a 64 Mb Flash Memory plus a MicroSD memory card.
Just debuted at the CES 2009, RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 with no details on pricing and availability date, it is now finally out! Considered as the company’s top offering, the Curve 8900 replaced the 8300, with a parade of improvements: a sleek design, sharp display, a faster processor, a full HTML Web browser, and a 3.2MP camera. With the integration of Wi-Fi caused the omission of 3G-support, which actually didn’t demote the handset’s greatness.
A QWERTY Blackberry is supposedly robust, not with the Curve 8900 that sports a dimension of 4.2 x 2.3 x 0.5 inches and weight of 3.8 ounces, making it the slimmest and lightest Blackberry to date. This is the dream phone and messaging device, compact and very comfortable to hold. It has a solid construction, despite made from plastic.
Design-wise, the Curve 8900 kicks ass. It borrows the BlackBerry Storm’s tapered edges and painted it in metallic hues that gave it a fresh and modern, less masculine look, making it appeal to different users. The 2.4-inch LCD supporting 65,536 colors at a 480×360-pixel resolution offers an impressive sharpness and brightness and its user interface is very aesthetically pleasing.
A navigation array, consisting of Talk and End keys, a menu shortcut, a back button, and the trackball navigator, sits below the display. The buttons are laid out sensibly simple and spacious, so using the controls and navigating the phone are easy. The layout is simple and spacious, even the side controls, so there are no problems using the controls or navigating the phone.
The keyboard is similar to the BlackBerry Bold although smaller to fit the size, meaning the keys aren’t as roomy yet are still easy to type with. Press the buttons and they will provide tactile feedback. The buttons are also well backlit in red.
Curve 8900’s operating system is the BlackBerry OS 4.6.1.114, which provides applications like DataViz’s Documents to Go Suite for editing Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and other personal information management tools like Calendar, task list, memo pad, voice recorder, calculator, password keeper, and more.
Web browsing is a feat in the Curve 8900 by offering full HTML Web browser that support RSS feeds and streaming media, including YouTube clips and presents easier browsing and navigation. There are zoom in/out functions as well. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi or T-Mobile’s EDGE network.
Voice features include quad-band world roaming, a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, and text and multimedia messaging. It has built-in GPS and media player as well.
An addition to the BlackBerry Curve series is the 8830, and it is released for Sprint and Verizon Wireless. This silver-colored smartphone boasts its 3G and EV-DO connectivity. There’s a sacrifice to pay though, since unlike the 8320, the 8330 lacks Wi-Fi. Setting this aside, BlackBerry Curve 8830 remains a promising gadget for corporate users and casual users alike.
The design of Sprint Curve 8330 is relatively similar with other Curve models, despite the fact that it is slightly thicker and heavier due to the inclusion of the 3G chip. It measures 4.2″ x 2.4″ x 0.6″ inches and weighs 4.2 ounces. The QWERTY keyboard and the 2.5-inch 65K color screen at a 320×240 pixel resolution are compacted in the gadget. It still includes the light-sensing technology that makes reading texts and images not a problem. It conditions the screen according to environmental conditions. Below the display are the controls for navigation: Talk and End buttons, Menu shortcut, back Button and trackball navigator.
The right portion of the BlackBerry Curve 8830 is where the volume control and a user-programmable shortcut key are placed, whereas the default option was camera activation. The left portion is where the mini-USB port, convenience key and 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.
The back side of the phone is where the 2-Megapixel camera and mirror lens are placed. The top side is where the mute button is. Accessing the microSD slot may be a painful one since it is located behind the battery. The lack of Wi-Fi doesn’t really appear to be a problem Curve 8330 because of the EV-DO that allows data speeds of around 300Kbps to 600Kbps which make surfing the Net via the mobile much faster.
Among the loads of features of the 8330, the GPS and 3G are its remarkable treats. The integrated GPS support Sprint Navigation, an add-on service that offers turn-by-turn text- and voice-guided directions complete with text-to-speech functionality, local search, traffic updates, and other navigation tools. The 3G, on the other hand, offers support in a vast array of multimedia services including Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store. Sprint TV’s channels include CNN and Comedy Central while the Sprint Music Store features live music streaming from MTV Mobile, VH1 Mobile and Sirius. Downloading is also possible with the Sprint Music Store at a little cost.
It’s imperative that Curve 8830’s multimedia capabilities include a built-in media player that can play music in MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, and MIDI formats, and video in MPEG4, WMV, and H.263 formats. Multimedia files should be stored in a microSD card. The expansion slot can accept up to 8GB cards.
Voice, messaging and e-mail capabilities with 8330 just retain the earlier models and its performance remains to be at its best. Other connectivity options with 8330 is the Bluetooth possibly acting itself as modem for laptops.
Continuing the tradition of the BlackBerry Curve series is the Curve 8320. The Curve, which started with the release of Curve 8300 in June 2007, has given birth to a new set of strong smartphones. Released by T-Mobile, the BlackBerry Curve 8320 merged up Wi-Fi and UMA with the other functions, setting a trend of standard in mobile technology.
The design of the Curve 8320 is based on its predecessors namely the 8300 and 8310. Compacted inside the 3.9 ounces, 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches body is the new improved QWERTY keyboard and a 2.5-inch 65K color screen at a 320×240 pixel resolution. Reading the contents isn’t a problem, regardless of the environmental conditions as the light sensing technology automatically adjusts the light. Navigation is done via the controls located below the screen: Talk and End buttons, Menu shortcut, Escape key and trackball navigator.
Located on the right side is the volume control and a launch button that may be redefined, although the default option was that of the camera activation. The left side of the unit is where the mini-USB port, convenience key and 3.5 millimeter headset jack are located. This jack allows any Walkman-style headphones.
The back side of the phone is where the 2-Megapixel camera and mirror are placed while the mute button is on top. The microSD slot behind the battery may be inconvenient for users. Marking one of the biggest additions in Curve 8320 is the Wi-Fi which supports 802.11b/g on any Wi-Fi hot spot. It also includes UMA, the technology that enables users to make and receive voice calls using both wireless networks and cellular networks over WiFi. Calls done in this method is non-chargeable in cellular plans, although a monthly charge of 10 can make the possibility of unlimited calls inside a Wi-Fi hotspot attainable. Users should be reminded though that UMA works only with GSM and it’s technically not VoIP as are SIP services. Call quality is not of question with UMA remained excellent.
Other connectivity options are the EDGE and Bluetooth. Bluetooth profiles supported by 8320 are wireless headsets, hands-free kits, dial-up networking and Bluetooth headsets. There are no 3G support and GPS radio. E-mail over EDGE is quick enough with 8320. It also has the same web browser with the 8300 that can also open table, Javascript and CSS. T-Mobile has a number of Instant Messaging applications that support Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live, Google Talk and BlackBerry Messenger. It still supports SMS and MMS.
8320′s multimedia capabilities include the Media Player application that can play music formats (MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ and WMA files) and video. It also includes the image viewer. The camera can only takes photos and the camera isn’t equally great as compared to the cameras of other phone models, but 8320 is at least, commendable. The bottom line, 8320 is a very promising device and many will really get excited with the addition of UMA among its features.
The BlackBerry Curve definitely served as an evolution to the handset, merging in business functionalities with the latest multimedia aspects like the camera. The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310, is among the offerings of the Curve series, retaining the usability of the BlackBerry with an additional twist: the inclusion of a built-in GPS.
The 8310 sports a dimension of 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and a weight of 3.9 ounces, reminiscent the same dimensions and design of the Curve 8300. It is available in red, titanium and grey and black colors. Below the 2.5 inch screen is clickable trackball and four navigation buttons. At the backside of the phone is where the microSD card is buried beneath the battery. The 3.5mm headphone jack and the Push-To-Talk button are on the left side. The mute button is on the top brim. The volume controls and 2-Megapixel camera launcher are on the right side. The signature QWERTY-keypad remains the same and has been boasted to more thumb-friendly this time. The fact that the camera is included in the BlackBerry Curve series is a sign of BlackBerry’s taking over the ordinary users’ delight. The 2-Megapxel camera of Curve 8310 has built-in flash and 5X digital zoom.
Pictures taken by the camera look decently and indoor shots taken even with a flash still looked flesh-toned and outdoor shots remained clear. Provided the camera can also record video, then this phone is definitely a multimedia treat. Watching videos with 8310 is possible with the presence of a 2GB miscroSD card, although the video files must be converted first to MP4 format. Listening to music doesn’t have qualms with 8310 as it can play MP3, WAV, MIDI, AAC, and WMA files and has enjoyable sound quality. It is also the first RIM phone that supports AT&T Mobile Music that offers services such as XM Radio Mobile and eMusic Mobile and Napster Mobile.
The addition of GPS is what separates 810 from other BlackBerrys. This feature enables the phone to act as a handheld navigation device. Navigation software like Google Maps for Mobile and TeleNav are software that includes color maps and guides, driving directions and local search.
Connectivity features in 8310 includes Bluetooth and EDGE. The former allows its users to connect to wireless headsets, Bluetooth stereo headsets, and hands-free kits. There’s also a support for object exchange and dial-up networking, transforming the smartphone into a wireless modem for laptop. A probable disappoint with this version is that Wi-Fi is not included. Surfing the Web is greatly on AT&T’s EDGE network’s hand. E-mail capabilities of 8310 basically remained the same, and it’s still one of the best and leading features of BlackBerry phones. The 8310 is also a quad-band world phone and it also includes a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing and speed dialing on its features.
Calling and receiving messages around the world is now possible with Verizon Wireless’ release of the RIM BlackBerry 8830. The bland BlackBerry smartphone is now out with this phone’s integration of EV-DO support and multimedia capabilities but there is still no camera for this unit.
The BlackBerry 8830 has a dimension of 4.9 x 2.6 x 0.55 inches and a weight of 4.73 ounces. Although the unit is slim, it is one of the larger BlackBerry because of its taller and wider body, probably to give room to its spacious QWERTY keyboard and trackball that are reminiscent of the 8800. The 2.5 inch screen features a 65k color display at a 320 x 240 pixel resolution. Texts and pictures are sharp and bright and are still viewable even in darker environments, thanks to the automatic backlighting adjustment of the screen.
The volume controls are located on the right portion of the phone while the 2.5 mm headset jack, mini USB port and a predefined key for launching voice dial on the right side. The power and mute buttons are located on the top of the unit. One disappointment in this phone is the location of the miniSD expansion slot behind the battery cover.
The biggest feature of the BlackBerry 8830 is the dual-mode functionality that automatically switches between CDMA and GSM networks for international roaming, without changing the phone number. This means that users can get voice coverage in 157 countries and e-mail coverage in 2 countries, but these services of course, incur charges. Additional features include speakerphone, smart dialing, speed dialing and conference calling.
Connectivity options with 880 include Bluetooth 2.0 for wireless headsets and hand-free kits. The unit can also be used as a wireless modem for laptops. The unit’s support with EV-DO means that users can experience data speeds of 300Kbps to 600Kbps which makes web browsing seamless. The phone also has not only one, but two available GPS programs for driving directions
8830′s e-mail capabilities fared well with other BlackBerry models, especially with the retaining of the Push technology in sending and receiving e-mails real tim and synching with BlackBerry Enterprise server that support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise. Messaging options include SMS and MMS. Instant messaging is only limited to the BlackBerry Messenger client.
Voice dialing is easy with 8830 and the quality of sound during calls is always excellent. Talk time can reach to five and a half hours. Multimedia features in 8830 include music and video players, although the lack of camera still results to a mixed reaction among corporate users and pure mobile enthusiasts.
read comments (0)
