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Archive for February, 2010

The HTC Touch 2 is equipped with the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, which has limitations but these are helped a great deal with the installation of HTC’s TouchFLO interface.  This improves the usability of the system and helps the user to navigate through the menus. 

Windows 6.5 does offer an Internet Explorer browser which can display full web pages with a zoom in function to make viewing easier.  The operating system also gives access to My Phone.  This is a service from Microsoft which can back up all your data via a remote server.  This ensures that if the phone is lost, the information on it is not.

Users can make use of applications which allow instant messaging for keeping in touch on the move and GPS navigation for helping you to keep on the move.  Additional applications can be added if required.  There is a 3.2 megapixel camera and a 2.8 inch screen, though some may find this restrictive when viewing videos.  Extra memory function can be added with a removable memory card and a USB connection allows for easy data transfer. 

The touch screen requires more than a gentle pressure from the user and the phone has no feature to allow the screen to adapt to the way it is being held, unlike some handsets that will rotate the screen if the phone is turned.

The phone is a compact smart phone which is a good choice for those looking for a smaller alternative to the iPhone, but it does have a few limitations.

There are many website based companies offering cash for mobile phones. The process of cashing in on your old phones is pretty much the same whichever site you use.

First of all you search for your phone on the website of your choice, or use one of the comparison sites which are also available (mobilephonerecycling.co.uk seems to be the most comprehensive of these). Then once you’ve found the best price for your old phone you let the company know through their website and they will usually send packaging to your address for you to send the phone back to them.

Before sending your phone you should make sure that it is fully charged, has had the SIM and any memory cards removed, and has had any security features disabled, such as a PIN or other password. You should also make sure that your phone is switched off before you seal the package, there is no point making sure its charged if the battery runs out before it get there.

When posting your phone (depending on the value) it is generally a good idea to take out some sort of insurance, as none of the phone recycling firms takes responsibility for lost packages. For lower value phones this is as simple as sending it via “Recorded and Signed-For”. Higher value phones should be sent using Royal Mail’s Special delivery service.

Once the company receives your phone they will assess it and send your payment using either a cheque or bank transfer, depending on which option you selected on the website.

The i8510 was launched late in 2008 and became the first 8-megapixel camera phone in Europe.  It is extremely similar to the Nokia N95, with almost identical features, and using the same Symbian operating system Series 60 user interface.  It also has the same Symbian problems – freezing/software errors and slow IU.  The battery life of the i8510 is also an issue and lets the phone down.

The phone’s camera is excellent as a dedicated camera, which is not surprising from one of the world’s leaders in digital camera design and manufacturing.  A dedicated button activates the camera, opens the lens and toggles between video and camera.  For the serious photographer there are enhanced options such as panorama for landscape shots, smile and blink detection and auto focus.

The i8510 has a 9x digital zoom but no optical zoom and a dual power LED flash.  The flash is only really good at close range and doesn’t quite come up to the standard of the Sony Ericsson K850i that comes with a bright xenon flash.  The video is of equal high quality and can be replayed in slow motion as it records at 120 frames per second.

The phone is a heavier phone than others and this may put buyers off.  It’s also quite large but this means that it has a large LCD screen – 2.8 inches, displaying 16 million colours.

The phone comes with a good music player that supports standard formats and an FM radio.

The Samsung i8510 Innov8 is great for accessing the internet and also has an A-GPS satellite navigation feature.

Blackberry mobile phones are ‘love them’ or ‘hate them’ technologies, however, one of the latest mobile phone deals on offer is the new Blackberry Storm 9520 that is a definite break from the traditional designs that we are used to seeing from this manufacturer.  Gone is the full QWERTY keyboard and in its place a full touch screen that allows you to select with ease.  This is possibly the best looking Blackberry currently on offer, and certainly doesn’t fall into the cheap mobile phones category.  When this baby hits the shelves properly it is going to be a popular contract mobile phone as the price on the pay as you go, or SIM free, is going to put it out of most people’s price range.

The Blackberry Storm 2 9520 looks like being one of the most promising mobiles on release at the moment, however in order to really know, the market is waiting with baited breath for the mobile phone reviews to start circulating so that we can find out what the critics really think. 

One feature that sounds really impressive is the fact that this handset has built in Wi-Fi technology, which means that this mobile can hop easily onto the wireless network system.  This provides an easy way to update your software or download the latest tunes, and with the built in memory card slot you can download as many tunes as the card will store. All these features make this potentially the best Blackberry mobile phone on the market today.

The Apple iPhone 3GS is a tweaked version of the iPhone 3G, with Apple engineering the internal workings rather than completely redesigning the handset. The result is a faster phone available with either an 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB hardrive. Its faster data speeds mean that the camera and video functions give excellent photo and video rendering.

Greater speed is the main improvement on the 32GB; this has been one of the main criticisms of all the smart phones and was particularly true of the iPhone. The system and applications now boot up more quickly and game players will certainly notice the difference when playing on the 3GS.

They have also increased the specification of the camera to three mega pixels. Though it is not top of the range it works well when used with its other features such as auto focus, macro shooting and an easily adjustable on-screen focusing system. The inbuilt video is also an excellent improvement, which is simple to use, with a built in editing facility making downloading to sites like YouTube fast and painless.

While things like the on board compass may seem a bit pointless, when used with the maps application its rotating direction finder will make getting lost difficult for even the most hard pressed of directionally challenged people.

Although they have included a better battery and power system, the Apple iPhone still uses a lot of battery power and heavy apps users may find this frustrating. You can close off 3G to save power, but that then defeats the point of having it in the first place. This is a good phone for first time iPhone users but it is debatable whether it is worth the upgrade quite yet.  If you are interested look for some Apple iPhone 3GS deals, they are around.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is Nokia’s first full touchscreen device and is one of the high-end phones in the XpressMusic range. This is a 3G smartphone made to compete with the iPhone. As you would expect from Nokia the handset is a sleek, stylish design with a clear, large, high-resolution 640 x 360 pixels screen. The screen makes using the interface a whole lot easier and is responsive to finger touch, stylus or plectrum. It also has a full virtual QWERTY keyboard and a handwriting recognition system to make communication simple.

Where the Nokia excels is with its camera and music system. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic uses proper camera technology and incorporates a Carl Zeiss lens, auto focus and LED flash. The video camera produces 30 frames per second and has full stereo sound, and the front mounted camera makes video conferencing possible.

It also includes an excellent music player with an easy to use interface, 8-band graphic EQ and headphone jack. Along with this comes an 8GB memory card, which can hold up to 2,000 mp3 tunes, with the option of upgrading to a 16GB if necessary.

Its superior download capacity means that using the browser you can easily watch clips from YouTube or MySpace without any jerky movements, and its Wi-Fi capacity makes logging on at the nearest hot spot simple.

Utilising all the positives from iPhone technology without being another hybrid clone, Nokia have included all the things you have come to expect from them and put them to good use with their latest model.

Recycling your old mobile phone has become a simple matter with the arrival of websites such as Envirofone and Mazuma. These services and others allow you to reclaim some of the value of your old mobiles by reconditioning them and selling them on. The process is straightforward and can be completed in as little as a week.

First of all you enter your phone’s make and model in one of the several websites available, or use mobilephonerecycling.co.uk to get a comparison of what all the major services will offer for your phone. You then let your selected firm know that you’d like to sell them your phone and they will send you packaging and freepost labels with which you can send your phone to them.

When your phone reaches them they will test and grade it to ensure that it meets their standards for reconditioning and you will be sent an email confirming the price that they are willing to pay, depending on the phone’s condition. Once you agree to this cash for mobile service, your payment will be sent immediately using one of a variety of methods from which you can select when first placing your order.

Considering how easy it really is, it makes a lot of sense to find out how much you could get for your old mobile phones. Another advantage is that by using one of these services you prevent the phone from ending up in a landfill site where the harmful materials it contains can escape into the environment.

BlackBerry 8520 mobile phone reviews conclude that this is the beginner BlackBerry.  It comes with the new trackpad system, full QWERTY keyboard, mobile email, camera, and multi-media player. It has a good connectivity and makes an excellent introduction to the brand.

Opinions do differ between the new trackpad and the trackball system, with some commentators preferring the older style trackpad, while others find the trackball really responsive and easy to use.

While its screen and camera are not as high spec as higher end models, its not a G3, so there’s no GPS, but it more than makes up for that in other areas, with good memory, and ease of use for emails and text. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, mini USB and a 3.5mm jack point, which is ideal for attaching headphones, hands free kit or car stereo.

Not the most sophisticated social networking smart phone but it does give you reasonable access to the likes of Twitter and Facebook, with decent email functionality.

The Curve is more robust, when compared to the BlackBerry Pearl with a good clear screen and sharp sounding speakers. The screen is a little small, but they have also included dedicated multimedia keys for audio track play, selection and advancing. There is criticism of the quality of the camera as it is only two megapixels and has no flash, and the keyboard is not as comfortable as on other models.

Although there are drawbacks in certain areas with budget BlackBerry mobile phones, the Curve is a good buy.

The LG Chocolate BL40 shows that LG have come up with a novel piece of technology, the Chocolate’s first incarnation was back in 2006 but this one takes the design to a whole new level. In a world of sameness when you compare mobile phones, LG designers have approached the problem from a whole new angle.

If this phone couldn’t give you excellent video coverage with its panoramic screen, you would have the right to be disappointed. The technicians at LG have not let you down here. The multimedia system, camera and virtual QWERTY keyboard are all excellent. It has excellent connectivity offering Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio, mini USB, Bluetooth and a 32GB memory, which go together to make this so much more than just a phone.

The Chocolate BL40 is an expensive phone but you are buying more than just a fashion icon here, as it delivers on the functionality front as well. It features a 5-megapixel camera, with LED flash, the video camera produces excellent clips and it includes a built in film editor. The sound quality is good too and includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. The video playback supports DivX and Xvid movies. The BL40 is a cinema in your pocket.

The 1.1GB memory gives the phone all the support it needs to run the programs and its battery life is also surprisingly good. The Chocolate looks dark and sensual, it has that feel of style about it. Despite the price tag, you will know you have something special.

Do you have an old mobile phone lying neglected in a drawer at home? Would you like to find out if it is worth a little cash? Thankfully you can, by using one of the many mobile phone recycling services which are available online.

Services such as Mazooma offer you cash for mobiles and will even take broken phones off your hands for recycling, free of charge. Using one of these services is simple. Simply select your phone model on their website, agree to the price offered, and send it off to them in the freepost packaging which they will provide. If the phone meets their quality standards the price offered will be confirmed by email and you will be sent your cash.

Obviously the newer the phone the more money you will get for it. The latest iPhone for example can net you over £200, whilst an older Sony Ericsson K800i will realise just over £20. The price will also depend on the condition of the phone. When your phone is received it will be extensively tested and graded and you will be informed by email of any difference with the original price offered.  You will be given the option to accept the new price or have the phone returned to you. If the phone turns out to be broken or unusable the company will generally offer to recycle the phone for no charge.

So if you have an old mobile phone it makes sense to get a little cash for it, and with these free services you’ve nothing to lose.