Mobile Phone Blog – Mobile phone reviews and news

Microsoft announced that they will be showing off the new version of Windows Mobile 6 during the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona, Spain. And while this early release has obviously reduced some of the updates, it looks like it is still a significant update in terms of fixing all the interface problems that plagued the older versions. While MS has yet to explain why the original 6.6 designation has been adjusted to 6.5.3, we will get to see the OS in action in an actual device this Feb.

The biggest problem with the WinMo OS before was its reliance on stylus input. There were plenty of buttons and icons that were too small to be pressed with a finger. Anyone who has tried the old Windows Mobile versions would remember the difficulty of using the media player without the aid of a stylus.

Maldives will support multi touch, gestures and all the other finger input commands that WinMo users have been deprived of (unless you count the HTC HD2 with its Sense user interface).

Anyway, the first mobile phone to be featuring the new WinMo OS will be the Sony Ericsson Aspen. This impressive little Greenheart phone is a business edition device that delivers all your work needs, a little fun factor and a lot of earth loving green engineering. It has yet to be determined if the touch screen on the Aspen is a resistive or capacitive screen, but chances are, it will be a capacitive touch screen to highlight the new features of the OS.

The decision from MS and SE to debut the Maldives on an eco friendly phone is a very smart move as it promotes the concept of fully functional green phones.

For more details and info about Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Maldives, go to Tech Radar.

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For those who are wondering why they have not heard much about the Symbian operating system in the past few weeks, it is because the mobile platform has been sitting deep in the sidelines ever since the news about the Bada and the Maemo came out.

Originally, Finnish manufacturer Nokia is the foremost supporter of the Symbian Foundation (they are a part of it), but despite the manufacturer’s close ties to the developers, it did not stop them from adapting a completely new and different OS for their main N-series line. While Nokia’s sales are not dependent on the N-series, that line of mobile phones does represent the company’s best achievements in terms of mobile innovation and technology –these phones are the face of Nokia’s brand.

Last year, rumors about Nokia and Samsung dropping the Symbian OS spread like wildfire when it was announced that the N-series would be using only the Maemo OS from then on.

Nokia was quick to deny the allegations that they would be dropping their long time partner and announced that they will continue to use the Symbian OS. Another major phone manufacturer, Sony Ericsson, continues to produce high end Symbian devices such as the Vizaz and the Kanna.

Now, it has been announced that the Symbian will become an open source platform and will be offering developers so much more access to the system code and specifications. Originally, the Symbian was to shift to open source in four month’s time. It appears that financial and marketing factors have forced the foundation to play their hand earlier. Statistics show that the Symbian is continuously losing its market share in the mobile phone industry while its main competitor, the Google Android, is continuously growing.

Read more about the Symbian OS and the market analysis of the Android and Symbian’s market shares at the Times Online UK.

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The LG GT540 is quite an interesting phone. It’s a fairly new cell phone from LG due to be released in the European market on April, 2010. The LG GT540 is a touch screen phone, similar to an Apple iPhone. The LG GT540’s operating system is based on an Android platform, which has a lot of features to offer. Looking at the LG GT540 closely, you will see that the LG GT540 mobile phone also has various types of applications, which can be launched simply by touching an icon on the screen, these applications are definitely a must have for someone who needs to be connected at all times. These applications include Google Talk for instant messaging, Gmail email checker, for when you need to check your email and it also has Google Maps to help you find areas of interest, or you can just simply use it for basic navigation.

It also has the ever popular MSN windows live messenger to stay in touch with your friends, A YouTube shortcut button, which takes you to YouTube at a simple touch of a button. On the bottom of the screen, you see basic shortcut touch buttons, which include the SMS button, Call receive button, Phone book button, and a menu button, which directs you to other applications. The camera on this phone has a resolution of 3 megapixels, which produces decent photographs; in addition, the camera is also integrated with photo tagging technology. This phone has rounded edges, which looks like quite an organic design. It fits well into the hand, and the curves around the edges feel smooth and natural. The edges on this phone are also lined with a chrome accent, which gives it an expensive look. Overall this is an amazing phone, which has to offer the latest in mobile phone technology. This phone is a must have for someone who loves Google applications, and needs to stay connected. In addition, this phone will also allow developers to develop customized applications in the near future.

• LG GT540 Deals
• LG GT540 Reviews

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It was not so long ago that Google was just a mere search engine.  Today, they have upgraded their prospects to various other ventures, including the world of mobile phones.  The Google Nexus One: a Smartphone where the population meets the web.  It is one of the most well-designed phones on the markets of modern times.  Of course, Google has topped the charts against the rival, iPhone.  With striking similarities to the iPhone, the Google Nexus One is much thinner, and lighter.

With a removable battery, the internal storage can be enlarged to 32 GB from 4 GB microSD.  The functionality of the phone relies on the bottom with the back, menu, home, and search buttons.  The Nexus One has one of the most vivid and fluid designs in terms of the touch-screen displays.   The Nexus One is power-driven by a Snapdragon 1GHz processor.  This allows an easier handling on the 3-D graphics and will permit many apps to run concurrently.  Contrasting with preceding Androids, there is no slowdown or lagging present when the phones limitations are pushed.  The gadget will maintain to bustle no matter how many apps there are in succession at the same time.

The phone’s battery life is relatively diminutive when in performance with video games and other highly intensive activities.  If you are an avid game player, be prepared to keep the charger close-by.   Otherwise, the phone has 7 hours of talk time, 250 hours for stand-by time, 5 hours of 3G Web use, 7 hours for video time, and 20 hours for audio time.  Not a bad deal for the world’s best super phone.  The upside to the short life span of a charged battery is that users can easily view the battery usage and availability of usage.

• Google Nexus One Reviews
• Google Nexus One Deals

The Nexus One will be readily available to meet the consumer demand for the phone.  Google is offering another version of the phone through T-Mobile for around €130.  Google offers a plan for service; unlimited SMS, unlimited data and 500 minutes.  The plan will cost around €57 a month in the US.  There can be ways to avoid the full costs of the phone by terminating a plan immediately and paying only €275 for the phone.  Google will be shipping the unlocked versions of the phone to markets in US, Hong Kong, UK, and Singapore.  The UK will see the Nexus One released via Vodafone in the coming months.

The Android 2.1 operating system is employed on the Nexus One and has a range of software features that will please customers.  Google Voice can be used to command the phone features by speaking into the phone.  Keyboard by Google is similar to the voice commanding, and users will be able to activate the microphone.  When the microphone is activated, it will convert speech into texts and commands.   Background noise is reduced by 90% and drops around 70% in a moving vehicle.  Even if the voice commands and text are submitted with error, it is easy to edit the errors at a later time.  The microphone benefit is definitely a time saver and users will progress with daily tasks with easy and satisfaction.

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Web cameras are some of the oddest pieces of technology. In some cases, they can really help a lot if you tend to be on voice conferences a lot –whether for business or personal. On the other hand, if you are the type who does not bother with the device, it is nothing more than a novelty.

Considering that the iPad is meant for enabling easier access to digital information and internet access, it makes perfect sense for the device to have a camera. Though the big fact is, the initial spec sheet of the iPad says nothing about a camera.

Some images of the iPad are showing that Apple is very much capable of making really nice surprises. The folks at Engadget have gathered visual evidence that the device might just have a camera module, though it is also possible that it has been scrapped on the iPad but may appear on a later incarnation of the device. Anyway, the iPad’s known specs are already impressive, with or without the cam.

The device itself can work as a net book, allowing instant access to the internet. Users can also use the iPad to play games as the device has shown it can handle 3D games easily. It also serves an EBook reader –making it Kindle’s biggest threat.

The tablet itself is already capable of running applications for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, giving it a vast library of apps to download and use according to the user’s needs. Still, the device has its limitations. At the moment, the iPad is not capable of multi tasking and it currently does not support Flash (and it might not ever support Flash).

Get more details about the possibility of a camera module on the new Apple iPad and check out the images on Engadget.

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If you have been keeping tabs on the news, you would already know by now that the Apple iPad tablet has been formally unveiled and that Steve Jobs is a very happy man.

The man who made Apple the giant that it is today went onstage last January 27 and sat in a small set that looked like a comfortable reading corner in a house library complete with a couch and a coffee table. Then the man went on to introduce what would probably be the pioneering device that would change the way we live.

That, of course, is an opinion not shared by all. Considering the fact that the iPad is a new product with limited capabilities and what could possibly be an expensive price tag, many people would rather stick to their net books and smart phones instead. It is, by far a wise choice. No sense to buy the new iPad actually, not until the bugs have been figured out and more features are enabled.

Still this little gadget earned the attention and praise of the well known tech-blogger, Stephen Fry.

Stephen makes a great point that right now; many people are saying that the iPad has no functions that other devices cannot do, or that the tablet is disappointing. But there is more to this than just a gadget’s current features, it is also because the iPad has plenty of potential.

Looking at the iPhone, it is easy to see what Apple might have in mind. The device is pretty much future proof, and with its compatibility with many applications and the fact that Apple can upgrade the firmware later on, there is certainly a lot more to look forward to in terms of the Tablet’s potential.

Go to source to learn more about the iPad and Fry’s blog.

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If there is one thing that is proportionately wrong about technology, it is how the relation of technological advances ratios out to the actual benefit of the technology for the environment. This last decade saw a continuous rise of technological advancements in the field of portable electronics. In just the past few months we have seen dozens (if not hundreds) of mobile phones being released and re-released.

While we all do need mobile phones, we most commonly only need one. But what really happens to mobile devices when they are no longer meant to be used? Some might prefer selling their old models (there is always eBay), but a time will come when a device, with not collector’s value, cannot be sold any more simply because it is too old. There are millions of mobile phones that fall under this category, but that is just a portion of what comprises the total amount of junk phones we have today.

Properly disposing and recycling mobile phones may be a daunting task, but it is not impossible. Just take Scope for instance. Scope is a charity for people with cerebral palsy; recently, they run a quick mobile phone recycling drive that would earn the charity 3 Pounds for every mobile phone recycled.

In a single week, Scope reportedly managed to get over a thousand mobile devices, which means they have surpassed the original record for most phones recycled in a week (which was 954; according to the Guinness Book of Records).

Charities are not the only ones doing their part. Mobile network operator Orange also has its own recycle and rewards program which offers incentives for people who bring in their old phones for recycling.

For more info on Scope and the recycling drive, head straight to the source.

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Samsung have always tried to keep a good image by promoting their mobile phones to be Eco friendly and helpful to the environment. Up until this date however we haven’t been able to see physical proof. That is until Samsung announced the release of their new phone, appropriately titled the Samsung Blue Earth. This new phone combines many different elements to make it Eco friendly, and is probably the most environmentally friendly phone ever made.

The Blue Earth looks normal from the front until you take a look at its back. The back of the phone is one big solar panel, allowing you to charge your mobile phone just by laying it upwards outside. This will not only save you money on your electricity bill, but also mean if you are ever caught out with your mobile phone running out of battery whilst on the go, you can simply lie it down and it will recharge.

The new Samsung eco-phone is largely made from recycled household plastic, saving factories creating new plastic which gives off poisonous fumes into the atmosphere. The phone itself is not half bad either. It features 3.2 megapixel camera, ideal for taking photos when you are out and about. You can then upload the photos directly onto websites such as Facebook and MySpace from the phone, saving you having to transfer them to a computer to upload. Even the box that the phone arrives in is reusable, with it being able to be turned into a photo frame or pen holder rather than just throwing it out. Expected in Sweden this month, the Blue Earth is due to make its way to the rest of Europe and Asia shortly afterward.

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When it comes to good and reliable mobile phones, Sony Ericsson definitely lead the game with many of their phones being sell out models. They are renowned for managing to combine the element of a business phone and a social fun phone, meaning their phones are geared towards many different people.

The Xperia Purness features all the gizmos you need to enjoy a music phone. It features the famous program called track ID/ this basically allows you to find the name and artist of any song even if you do not know it. When a song is playing on the radio or TV and you don’t know the name of it, you hold the phone up to the speaker and after a few seconds it will have come up with the artist and song name, great for helping you to find out the songs you wish you knew.

The new Sony Ericsson phone features a built in video player that lets you download movies and TV shows and watch them in high defoliation. Perfect if you’re on a long trip or just want to relax at home. The phone comes with built in Bluetooth so that you can share whatever you want with your friends and family who also use Bluetooth. This gives you great freedom when it comes to sharing photos and videos you have made, as it saves you transferring them to your computer first then emailing them across.

The Mega Bass section allows you to pump up copious amounts of Bass from the phone, perfect for those of you that like to power up the Bass. You can have a look online to see what deals are available for the Xperia Pureness on contract or pay as you go.

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Well, not really. But Apple is certainly proud of their latest gizmo. What many people are calling as the iPod Touch on steroids is one seriously menacing portable gadget. The Apple iPad is literally the closest one can get to bridge the technological gap between a mobile phone and a net book. Apple says so and by looking at this device’s specs, we would have to agree.

Speaking of specs, if there is one thing that is disappointing about the iPad, it is the fact that this tablet only uses a 1 GHz processor. For browsing the net, handling emails and the usual flash games, you will not need a good processor. But Apple has been firm about getting plenty of game support for their tablet. Not that all games need a faster processor (as proven by the PSP and the NDS), but considering the fact that the tablet is more of a home use device, it will have to compete with games for desktop computers and console systems.

For e-book readers, the iPad is significantly a vast improvement over existing readers. This one gives full net access. No longer are readers limited to RSS feeds and small screens. It was also recently confirmed that McGraw-Hill has been working closely with Apple to bring materials (particularly textbooks) into the iPad.

As some of you may already know, the device comes in 3G and non-3G variants. Obviously, the 3G version of the iPad comes with plenty of extras. One of which is GPS support. Combined with the Google Maps application, this turns the iPad into an excellent navigation tool; though you might want your passenger to hold on to the device while you drive as the iPad is pretty big for a normal dashboard.

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