LG KT610
By admin | January 7, 2009
KT610 is LG’s way of saying the communicator class isn’t reserved for insanely expensive high end devices. Packing a large full-QWERTY keyboard and neat and simple looks, the S60 Symbian handset spells business. It might have a few features missing but a frown at the spec sheet may as well melt into a smile at the price tag. Economy class is good enough as long as it gets you there. One particularly exciting thing about LG KT610 is the stark contrast between the touchingly old-school front and the serious stuff inside. So let’s open it up and see what we say.
LG KT610 official photos
Key features:
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- 2.4″ 262K-color QVGA display inside
- 1.45″ 262K-color secondary display
- Symbian OS v9.2 with S60 rel. 3.1 UI
- 3G with HSDPA
- Compact dimensions for a communicator
- 2 megapixel fixed-focus camera
- Built-in GPS receiver with excellent sensitivity
- More affordable than other communicators
- Bluetooth and USB v2.0
- 64MB of internal memory and microSD card slot
Main disadvantages:
- No Wi-Fi
- Mediocre camera
- No image geotagging
- Tiny external display of little usability
- Unimpressive battery life
- No A-GPS
- No document editor out-of-the-box
- No PDF reader or ZIP manager preinstalled
LG KT610 is a blessing for heavy texters who do appreciate the Symbian way of handling messaging. The dream texting skills however come at a price - the multimedia handling has suffered. In addition, cutting corners on cost has affected the preloaded content, which is rather scarce.
LG KT610 in our office
As this stage it should have become obvious that the KT610 is a niche model. It still makes a nice alternative in the full QWERTY Symbian segment, where supply isn’t exactly profuse. LG KT610 is rubbing shoulders with a few Eseries handsets and Communicators, and a couple of Sony Ericsson P-line phones. All right, a fact’s a fact: the Nokia E90 secondary display is almost the size of the KT610 main screen and the difference in price is hard to swallow. But still, plunging head first in the shark pond sure takes some cojones.
Another tough question is how the lack of Wi-Fi would affect a communicator, no matter how affordable. Well, we are to see about that when the phone spends some more time on the market. As for now let’s cut to the chase and start inspecting the LG KT610 exterior.
Before we jump to the next page though, a fair warning is due. We are reviewing a beta unit, so improvements and bug-fixes are quite likely.
Topics: GSM | No Comments »
Samsung i8510
By admin | August 5, 2008
Just when you thought they can hardly squeeze much more features in a single mobile phone here come Samsung to disprove that. The Samsung i8510 Primera is the next multimedia powerhouse that is to be announced in the nearest future. It will be a Symbian-powered smartphone, sporting more features than any other handset we have ever seen (yeah – more than Nokia N96, too).
Samsung i8510 Primera
Coming with a design inspired by the Samsung U900 Soul and the Samsung G810 the Samsung i8510 Primera will come with an 8 megapixel auto focus camera. We wonder whether the rumor Samsung are manufacturing the camera sensor of the Sony Ericsson C905 is correct - may be the Primera will feature the same camera unit then. There is a LED flash on the Samsung i8510 - pity since a xenon one is highly appreciated in any cameraphone.
The 8 megapixel snapper
Other exciting features of the Samsung i8510 include Wi-Fi and GPS, which also comes with assisted-GPS functionality for better cold start performance of the navigation services.
The display of the Primera will be a 16M color 2.8-inch QVGA one and the handset utilizes the Symbian 9.3 OS with S60 UI. The amount of RAM is 128 MB and there will be a dedicated 3D graphics accelerator. Unfortunately there is no information regarding the CPU used in this multimedia monster.
Much like the Samsung i900 Omnia and the Apple iPhone there will be an 8GB and a 16GB version of the i8510 Primera. There will also be a microSD card slot for expanding it and improving the connectivity. Other connectivity options include USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 2.0. The network data transfers are good to go via 3G with HSDPA support.
For the music lovers Samsung i8510 will offer a 3.5mm standard audio jack which should also be capable of transferring 5.1 surround audio (unprecedented yet on a mobile phone). We wonder how it’s going to do that with a single analogue jack - maybe it’s SPDIF.
The Primera will also be capable of recording slow-motion videos in QVGA resolution at 120 fps which matches the capabilities of the LG KU990 Viewty and KF750 Secret. Another common thing with these two LG devices is the DivX playback support on the i8510.
Samsung i8510 will be powered by a 1200 mAh battery and will measure 106.5 x 53.9 x 16.9mm, which is close to Samsung’s previous Symbian-powered flagship – the G810, meaning it’s a bulky fella. The official announcement of this multimedia monster is expected to come somewhere around mid-August and the price tag is rumored to be about 780 euro.
You don’t really think this leak is accidental, do you? With all the iPhone fuss and excitement in the air, Samsung are obviously trying to cool things a bit by throwing those scrapes of information out in the open.
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T-Mobile MDA Vario IV and Compact IV
By admin | June 8, 2008
Two new devices were revealed by T-Mobile at a press conference held in Germany - the MDA Compact IV and MDA Vario IV, both close relatives to the recently announced HTC Touch Diamond.
Actually, the MDA Compact IV is the T-Mobile version of the HTC Touch Diamond with a revamped design - a bit larger, more rounded edges, and most importantly - a lot lighter at 98 g as compared to 110 g of the HTC Touch Diamond. The proprietary 3D TouchFLO menu is also changed - now it turns up in white and magenta colors. The system RAM however has shrunk to 128MB as opposed to 192MB in the HTC Touch Diamond.
MDA Compact IV
By the way O2 also have their own incarnation of the HTC Diamond platform called quite expectedly the O2 XDA Diamond.
MDA Compact IV vs. HTC Touch Diamond: the differences are only cosmetic
All the other specifications of the MDA Compact IV remain the same as those of the Touch Diamond so users can enjoy a GPS receiver, Wi-Fi and a 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera. Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, the T-Mobile MDA Compact IV packs a 2.8-inch VGA display and is extremely thin at 12mm. It has a built-in accelerometer which allows screen auto rotation. Additionally, it would have the sweet 4GB of storage memory (no memory card slot though). FM radio with RDS and a proprietary HTC mini-USB port are also on board along with Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR.
The T-Mobile MDA Compact IV will be available in July at currently unknown price.
The T-Mobile MDA Vario IV is the other device which was revealed at the conference. It’s based on the rumored and yet unannounced HTC Raphael platform. HTC themselves haven’t announced a commercial device based on that platform, so the MDA Vario IV in a way gives a glimpse of a future HTC handset too.
MDA Vario IV
The T-Mobile MDA Vario IV will obviously hit on the HTC TyTN II since its main accent is the full sliding QWERTY keyboard - surprisingly the thickness of the device however has been kept to 18mm.
The MDA Vario IV is a communication expert, offering a tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS support and full HSDPA 7.2Mbps. On top of this are the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, and GPS connectivity.
The device runs on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS and is powered by the same Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 Mhz processor. The memory department has also got a boost to 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM, this time expandable via a microSD card slot.
The display remains the same as in Touch Diamond - 2.8″ 65K TFT touchscreen, with a VGA resolution (480 x 640 pixels). Keeping the same 3.2 MP camera, the MDA Vario IV has got a major boost in the battery performance, thanks to the 1340 mAh battery as opposed to the 900 mAh one in the Touch Diamond.
The actual dimensions of the new QWERTY communicator are 103 x 52 x 18 mm and weight 158 g. The MDA Vario IV is due for release in the autumn, yet its pricing is still unknown.
Hands on MDA Compact IV and Vario IV
Now that we’ve introduced the players, hit the jump for more live impressions and some camera samples.
Topics: PDA | No Comments »
Sony Ericsson W980 Walkman
By admin | June 6, 2008
It’s no news any more that we’ve been playing with one of the hotties of the season for some time now. Sony Ericsson W980 made a glorious entrance but we’re yet to see about the exit. Set to top the Walkman feature phone lineup, W980 carries along 8 GB worth of storage, a 3 megapixel camera and a built-in accelerometer. The touch-sensitive keys and the latest Sony Ericsson feature phone interface add to the excitement. Still not interested? Then try to think of another music phone with a built-in FM transmitter!
Sony Ericsson W980 official photos
Key features:
- 2.2″ 262K-color TFT LCD display of QVGA resolution
- 3 megapixel camera
- 8 gigs of onboard memory
- FM transmitter
- Great user interface
- 3G with HSDPA
- External 262K-color display with a resolution of 176 x 176 pixels
- Walkman 3.0 music player
- Shake control
- Light effects
- Touch-sensitive keys
- Ambient light sensor
- Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP profile support
- USB 2.0 connectivity
- FM radio with RDS
- Good battery life
- Comfortable keypad
Main disadvantages:
- No auto focus nor flash for the camera
- Inconvenient camera lens location
- Shiny surface a fingerprint nightmare
- Display kinda small for a high-end phone
- Awkward context keys
- Camera interface not user-friendly
Aiming to meet some high-end demand, Sony Ericsson W980 brings the cream of the music centered niceties of the house. The clamshell form factor and the quite eccentric features such as FM transmitter and light effects make it hard to point a finger at its main market rivals.
Sony Ericsson W980
One suspect that comes to mind is Samsung G400 Soul. Featuring the same flip-up bodywork, it trades the FM transmitter and the large storage space for a 5 megapixel camera. You figure if it’s a square deal or else. If the G400 Soul has some of those good Samsung audio quality genes, it’s in for a match with Sony Ericsson W980. With no information about the cost of either at this stage, the two devices might actually end up running in different lanes pricewise.
Anyway, we think the odds with W980 are towards a hefty price tag, which opens the door to some serious smartphone competition.
Now, one last thing before we get to the point. We should warn you that ours is a pre-release unit, so some minor changes are likely before D-day. Our units was rock solid and gave us no problems at all. So, significant changes to the overall user experience are quite unlikely.
Sony Ericsson W980
Now then, hit the jump for a thorough body inspection of the Sony Ericsson W980.
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Nokia N78
By admin | June 6, 2008
The Nokia N78 boasts a 3 megapixel autofocus camera, Symbian OS with the latest S60 Feature pack 2, built-in GPS receiver, Wi-Fi, the intriguing Navi wheel navigation and an FM transmitter. All those features are enough to make it a worthy successor of the highly popular and capable Nokia N73. Of course, with a similar feature set, Nokia N82 will rival the Nokia N78.
Nokia N78 official photos
We are already working on an in-depth review of Nokia N78 but while it’s still in the works we share some of our first impressions. Those should give you an idea of the most obvious (and probably some of the most important) pros and cons of the phone.
Editorial: We do realize that this preview might be coming a bit late. After all, Nokia presented a bunch of highly interesting devices such as N96, N78, 6210 Navigator, and 6220 classic way back in February. Unfortunately, Nokia doesn’t provide us with test units for reviewing and we have to wait for them to become available on the market to get our hands on them.
For starters, check out some photos of the new Nokia N78 we made in the comfort of our office. Hard to call it a beauty, with all that Nokia N81 design, which is not really popular with our team. The fact that all Nseries have to share the dull and unimpressive N81 looks is a real disappointment, but maybe it’s just us.
Nokia N78 follows the Nokia N81 unimpressive design
The newest Nseries handset lands just below the top of the company multimedia portfolio. Except for the lack of a 5 megapixel camera and the motion sensor, it has very similar functionality to the flagship Nokia N82.
Nokia N78 however comes with the Feature Pack 2 preinstalled, which won our appreciation in Barcelona back in February. The Navi wheel is also a welcome bonus, and it is now usable across the board and not limited to the multimedia menu only, as in N81. The FM transmitter is another exciting feature, that we enjoyed in the recently reviewed Sony Ericsson W980.
Nokia N78 views
But enough small talk - let’s move on and check what the N78 hardware configuration has to offer. Join us after the jump for the 360-degree spin of the Nokia N78.
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