The Palm Pre 2 measuring 3.1” has a relatively smaller touchscreen than the 4” smartphone norm, the slider device and small keyboard make this phone easier to store and hold. The Palm Pre 2 dimensions are 100.7 x 59.6 x 16.9mm making it a little less svelte than its contemporaries but it is very easy on both hand and ear due to the soft touch plastic finish. The Palm Pre 2 is endowed with the fantastic WebOS2.0 operating system, which has been described as possibly the best mobile phone operating system ever.
A refreshing piece of
Palm Pre 2 kit is its clever backing plate which houses not only the usual SIM and battery but also a clever wireless device which, when used along with the Palm Touchstone charger, allows the phone to be placed flat on the charger where it immediately takes on a charge, no plugs or wires necessary and the phone is kept in place by a magnet housed inside the charger. Once the phone is placed on the charger the integral WebOS software enables the phone to operate in Touchstone mode and this allows for useful information displays e.g. email, time, date, calendar etc.
The Palm Pre 2 takes multitasking very seriously, so if there are a few webpages open at once the phone groups then like a hand of cards and similarly with email. The Palm Pre 2 has remained simple to operate and user friendly, resisting the complications arising in Android devices.
Android is an operating system for mobile phones and tablet computers. A company called Android, which was subsequently purchased by Google, initially developed it. Google in conjunction with the Open Handset Alliance have continued with its development. The Alliance is a consortium of telecommunication, hardware and software companies. It is an attempt to create an open standard for mobile devices. By the end of 2010, Android phones had become the best-selling in the smartphone market.
There have been a number of updates to the operating system. Each version has been developed under a name based on various types of dessert. They have included Cupcake, Donut, Gingerbread and the forthcoming Ice Cream Sandwich, which will be version 4.0 of the operating system.
The system helps in a number of areas such as connectivity, messaging, web browsing, Java support, media support, streaming media support, touchscreen interface support, database storage, video calling and more. It has allowed manufacturers such as Samsung and LG to concentrate on other aspects of smartphone production.
There are a wide range of Android phones now available, such as the Samsung Omnia 7 and the LG Optimus One. These phones come with a GPS system in-built combined. When combined with the Google Maps app it has turned these phones into an android sat nav device. Some phones come equipped with cradles to use while driving around, or they can just be used while walking around.
The HTC Incredible S is unashamedly designed for imaging and communication. With an amazing 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, as well as HD video-recording capabilities and SRS WOW HD™ Surround Sound, the
HTC Incredible S really does live up to its name.
As well as the superb rear-facing camera, the phone comes with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, which is perfect for video calling. Out of the box, the phone comes equipped with the 2.2 version of Android’s operating system, although this is easily upgradable. The HTC Incredible S has been compared to both the HTC Desire S and the HTC Wildfire S, and, judging by looks alone, it is easy to see why. However, technologically speaking, the Incredible S lends itself much more to the Desire HD, with its massive 4-inch capacitive screen and its wonderful 8-megapixel camera. Like the Desire S, the Incredible S comes equipped with 1.1GB of internal memory, 768MB of RAM and the option to increase the memory to 32GB with the insertion of a MicroSD™ card.
One criticism of HTC in the past is its failure to address poor battery-life issues. While various software updates have been rolled out by the firm in order to correct the issue, none have really worked. However, HTC now feels that it has addressed this issue by fitting the Incredible S with a high-powered battery (1450mAh) and boasts that the phone will produce 9.7 hours of talk time from a fully charged battery. Due to this, the Incredible S should definitely be a consideration for a consumer wanting a reliable, feature-filled smartphone.
The
LG Optimus One is a reasonably priced smartphone that has Android 2.2 installed. It has not got the same specifications as the higher end Android phones, but you can get good LG Optimus One deals that make it good value for money.
It is easy to use, with access to all of the main screens such as the dial screen, text messages and the web browser via the launcher menu located at the bottom of the phone. The phone comes with an in-car cradle, so when it is combined with one of the latest android sat nav apps it operates as your own sat nav. GPS signals are acquired easily and with Google Maps pre-installed this is a great feature.
Music support for the phone is great as well, with a variety of files supported such as MP3, WMA and M4A. A 3.5mm jack also means you can use your favourite headphones.
Compared to some of the latest phones, it is not the most attractive mobile. The camera is also only three megapixels and is not equipped with a flash. Sound quality can also be problematic occasionally, but the price means this phone remains good value for money. The battery life is reasonable, being equipped with a 1500 mAh battery. If you are in need of a sat nav device and a music player then you can’t go wrong with this phone.
When they first launched in the 1980s, mobiles were the size of a brick, cost several thousand pounds and were the preserve of businessmen who considered themselves the height of sophistication. Today you can pick up a mobile for less than the cost of a loaf bread.
The 99 pence mobile is being sold by Carphone Warehouse and it is claimed to be the cheapest ever mobile ‘phone. The mobile is a pre-pay Alcatel OT-209 which went on sale nationwide on Friday, or at least it is the cheapest ever sold by Carphone Warehouse, which could put a different aspect on the statement. We are not sure who will rush out to get one of these ‘phones as it is now possible to pick up a state of the art Smartphone on a monthly contract for as little as £10 with more texts than most people would use and plenty of talk time. But you can be sure that people will!
The Motorola Atrix is an Android smartphone powered by a dual-core processor, and is the first Motorola phone to have these specifications. It has a lot of functionality and is aimed at the high end of the current market.
The Atrix comes with fingerprint technology. On its initial setup you have it so you can use both left and right index fingers. Unlocking the phone is then achieved through swiping an index finger on the phone. The screen is 4 inches, has a crisp and sharp definition, and is also highly responsive. Typing and correcting mistakes is made easier by this capability.
The qHD screen provides good detail on web pages and images. The Zinio app allows you to download magazines and even fully zoomed out words remain legible. Browsing the internet is easy due to the responsiveness of the screen.
The phone is equipped with a GPS device and Google Maps, so you can use it is a sat nav. There is a good 5 megapixel camera available, which is also capable of shooting HD video. It has all the kinds of connectivity you could wish for, such as Wi-Fi and DNLA. It comes with 16GB of internal memory, enabling you to take lots of pictures and cope with the memory demands of various apps easily.
At the moment you can get some good
Motorola Atrix deals from Orange. Battery life is good for this type of Android phone and you will be able to get over a day’s use from one full charge.
Samsung have emerged during the last decade as the second largest producer of mobile phones in the world. They have focused on being at the forefront of technology and coupled this with stylishly designed phones. Android smartphones have been a significant factor behind their current success. The Galaxy range of Samsung mobile phones have been a big hit. The South Korean company only started producing phones in 1991.
The Galaxy S2 is the latest in the line of Samsung smartphones. It is the thinnest phone around, measuring just 8.49mm. It has a dual-core processor and comes with the Android operating system. The screen is 4.3 inches in size, and has the Super AMOLED technology to display crisp images. Its 8-megapixel camera can also record full HD video. Its power means that it can even display the BBC iPlayer without significant problems.
The Samsung Tocco Iconis is aimed at people who love their social networks. It doesn’t come with Android but instead is powered by Samsung’s UI combined with TouchWiz 3.0. It has all the basic apps you need such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The resolution is fairly low at 240 by 400 pixels, which makes images look somewhat blocky. However, it costs much less than the current generation of smartphones.
Samsung have also got a tough, water-resistant phone available, the Samsung Solid Immerse. It can withstand water and knocks easily, which some people may find very useful. It doesn’t have touchscreen technology and its 3G connection is not great, but it complements the range of Samsung mobile phones that are currently available.
‘What is HTC Sense?’ is a question that even HTC seem to struggle to answer at times. HTC are a Taiwanese company who produce smartphones. Many of these smartphones run on the Android operating system and some also have HTC Sense installed as well.
HTC Sense is a graphical user interface that adds extra functionality to Android. The home screen consists of seven different screens. These include the HTC clock, date and weather is the central screen. There are also four shortcuts to the main functions, Messages, Internet, Mail and Camera. You can cycle through the screens by moving your finger either to the left or the right. You can pinch your fingers to zoom out and see all the main home screens and then select the one you want to use next. You can effectively build your own home screen, or screens, to suit your needs at different times.
The latest feature in Sense is the ‘Friend Stream’. This combines social networking websites Facebook, Twitter and Flickr into one feed. Icons differentiate which account information is being viewed from. The Status tab sorts things to just Facebook and Twitter but apps dedicated to these are probably more suitable if you have many friends or follow lots of people. The Friend Stream app also transfers Flickr and Facebook photos to your phone. There are tabs for your own photos, your Facebook photos and one for your Flickr photos.
HTC Sense also enables Flash support on your browser. There are other small interface enhancements that make HTC Sense a great addition to the basic Android functionality.
A variety of mobile phone manufacturers are now making Android powered smartphones. These include Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and HTC, some of the largest phone giants in the world. Android smartphones are powered on either Android 2.2 or its most recent, fastest and efficient version Android 2.3, also known as Gingerbread. This facilitates fast browsing, easy and efficient access to a variety of apps including Android sat nav apps, and high connectivity levels.
Owned by Google, the Android platform is compatible with a number of new, highly rated smartphones. These include the Samsung Omnia 7, made by Samsung mobile phones, the LG Optimus 2X, and the HTC Desire S, which scores highly in all departments. Sony Ericsson mobile phones have recently brought to the marketplace their Sony Ericsson Arc model, powered by Android 2.3, an extremely stylish handset showcasing a superb touch screen enhanced by Sony BRAVIA technology, giving a fabulously bright appearance. Similarly, the HTC Desire S, incorporating HTC Sense, is another extremely well received model that has a superb 5-megapixel camera and high quality HD video recording. What is HTC Sense exactly? It is an innovative, user-friendly experience that allows your HTC handset to anticipate all kinds of activities and aims to give the phone user the fastest and best possible experience.
Competing with Android smartphones are the latest models from BlackBerry. What is BlackBerry? It is the premier choice of business users throughout the UK, combining traditional and classic aspects such as the QWERTY keyboard with excellent hardware, sharp text and high resolution.