Mobile Phone Reviews

Archive for the ‘Android’ Category

The Sony Ericsson Arc, also known as the Experia Arc, is an Android smartphone. After a disappointing model in the X10, Sony Ericsson has gone back to the drawing board and returned with this new handset.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the Arc is its thinness, measuring just 8.7mm with a curved back. The touchscreen is larger than many other smartphones around, with a size of 4.2 inches. It has small white bulbs between the bottom keys, which light up whenever a key is pressed.

Unlike many other Android phones around at the moment, it does not come with a dual-core processor. However, running Android 2.3 and coming with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor it copes easily with all the demands made by modern smartphones. It incorporates Sony’s Mobile Bravia engine to produce sharp images with vibrant colours. 

It has an 8.1 megapixel camera, which comes with a CMOS sensor as well as Sony Exmor R technology. This all combines to give some great images and HD video. The 4.2 inch screen has a resolution of 480 by 854 pixels, with 16 million colours as well. The interface is based on Android but with Sony Ericsson’s own Timescape technology to enhance it. It is responsive and very intuitive to use. There is a GPS with Google Maps and Google Latitude, which shares where you are with your friends. If you want a stylish smartphone with lots of functionality, then look around for some Sony Ericcson Arc deals. 

Motorola originally started life as a manufacturer of car radios in 1930. In the early 1980s it began developing a range of Motorola mobile phones. Recently it has been struggling to make an impression in the marketplace. However, it has recently released some smartphones that have received favourable reviews.

The Motorola Atrix is one of the first dual-core smartphones to be released. It runs on Android 2.2 and has its own enhancements as well. Moto Blur keeps you up-to-date with Twitter and Facebook feeds. It weighs around 135g and feels solidly made. The screen is 4 inches with a resolution of 540 by 960 pixels. The camera has good specifications, with 5 megapixels and an LED flash. It can also shoot video in 720p HD. The GPS integrates well with Google Maps and other android sat nav apps. Its unusual feature is that it comes with a fingerprint scanner, and once set up you need to use this to unlock the phone.

The Motorola Defy is another Android smartphone. Its 3.7-inch screen has a high colour display. It weighs 118g and is 134mm in depth. It is also equipped with a GPS, which combined with Google Maps turns it into a reasonable sat nav device. The music player is capable of playing a variety of files such as MP3, WAV and AAC.

Motorola has also started producing some lower end phones with the Motorola Wilder about to come onto the market. This phone is designed to be tough and has a resistive touchscreen. It rounds out the current range of Motorola mobile phones. 

The LG Optimus Black is an Android smartphone. It is slim and light but doesn’t feature a dual-core processor like the Optimus 2X. However, you will be able to find much better LG Optimus Black deals available.

It is a nice phone to hold and look at, with tapered sides on the back. It measures 9.2mm and weighs just 109g. It has a matt finish, which doesn’t mark so easily as other glossy phones. The screen is 4 inches and looks similar to an iPhone. The resolution of 480 by 800 compares favourably with similarly priced phones. The NOVA display technology provides for a crisp image, which is particularly bright.

Although it doesn’t have the dual-core processor, the phone seems capable of running apps and games well. It also comes with an FM radio tuner, which provides a good signal. The amount of apps for Android phones is a strong feature of this phone. 

It has some innovative interface enhancements. If you shake the phone while holding the ‘g-button’, it will answer incoming calls. Turning the phone over will mute it or stop the alarm as well. 

There are two cameras on the phone, a front-facing camera for video calls and a 5 megapixel camera which is rear-facing. This comes with an LED flash and an autofocus system. Battery life is good for this type of smartphone, probably lasting around 2 days before needing another charge. 

When making the Optimus 2X, LG decided to introduce a dual-core processor.  For a home computer this is standard, but for a mobile phone this is anything but.  Only a couple of phones are powered by dual-core processors and this ensures that such models are most definitely regarded as ‘premium’.  The introduction of such a processor means that smartphones can now perform tasks that were only dreamt of 12 months ago.  Take HD video recording as an example.  Most smartphones of today are capable of such recording, although at 720p resolution, you can’t help but notice the difference in quality between ‘real’ HD recordings and mobile HD.  The LG Optimus 2X is different.  Due to the powerful processing capabilities, LG is now able to offer full 1080p HD video recording and, coupled with the HDMI connectivity of the device, recordings can be streamed to any HD-ready TV with superb results.

The LG Optimus 2X comes installed with Android 2.2, although by following on-screen prompts the 2.3 version is easily installable.  Bizarrely, LG has decided to fit the LG Optimus 2X with a TFT screen instead of an AMOLED display.  This is especially surprising given the processing capabilities of the device, and the TFT resolution unfortunately takes away some of the sharpness and clarity of the display.

This phone is surely a sign of things to come.  With new smartphones being released almost daily, it will not be long before a dual-core processor is the norm, along with full 1080p HD video recording.

A phone without a sat nav application nowadays seems quite unimpressive.  Virtually every new smartphone is fitted with a GPS receiver and thus the ability to use sat nav apps is nearly universal.  Before Android, there was Apple’s iPhone operating system and the iPhone became one of the first smartphone models able to receive a GPS signal.  The Android Sat Nav system works in exactly the same way as its predecessors; the GPS receiver in the phone picks up various satellite signals to pinpoint the user’s location and this location is then synchronised with the navigational app.

Satellite navigational applications are an area which Google has moved into in recent years, following the huge success of its mapping and route-planning features.  Google Maps is now a standard feature of most new smartphones, a trend which has continued from its inclusion on the iPhone 3G.  More recently, Google Maps Navigation has been launched, in order to keep up with other competitors offering both free and paid-for sat nav apps.

Android Sat Nav apps are changing.  Recently the supermarket chain Tesco announced plans to introduce an in-store navigational system for consumers.  Customers simply compile a shopping list on their mobile, and when the user enters the store Tesco’s app will guide the shopper around quickly and efficiently.

While Tesco’s app does not use a GPS system (Wi-Fi is preferred due to an inability to pick up GPS signals indoors), this is surely a sign of things to come, as app developers constantly battle to persuade smartphone owners that their apps are superior to the competition.

The Google Nexus S is like Marmite; some love it, while others hate it.  One example of this is the slightly curved screen that Google has employed for the Nexus S, its newest venture into the smartphone world.  Critics of the phone would say that the curvature of the screen is annoying and unnecessary, while fans would argue that it brings a touch of individuality to the sometimes monotonous aestheticism of the smartphone world.

In a time where Apple and HTC dominate the smartphone business it is only natural that any competitors will be compared to these giants.  Google has decided to team up with Samsung to try and break the dominance of these two and the Nexus S actually stands up well upon closer inspection.  The 4-inch super AMOLED display can be most obviously compared to the HTC Desire S and the 5-megapixel rear-facing camera is undeniably similar to the iPhone 4.

The 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor and the massive 16GB inbuilt memory mean the Nexus S is superior to many of its rivals with regards to memory, although by not including a MicroSD™ expansion slot the Nexus S seems rather inferior to the big smartphone powerhouses.

In regards to the look of the phone, one cannot help noticing the similarities between the Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy S.  Furthermore, the plastic chassis of the phone means it lacks a certain classy feel that its metallic counterparts possess.

While the Nexus S may not be the world’s best smartphone, Google’s foray into the market is still young and it surely won’t be long until the Google smartphone is perfected.

The Motorola Atrix comes with a dual core processor and runs on Android 2.2.  The 4 inch qHD touchscreen gives sharp displays and responds easily.  Everything is easy to view or read and the zoom feature works wonderfully.  Things like browsing, gaming and using apps are all noticeably fast.

Additional Features
The device carries a 5mp led flash camera, video camera, video and audio players, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB, Bluetooth, 16GB internal memory, memory card (microSD) and video calling.  There is a multi-touch keypad with Swype as an added perk for avid texters.

The multiple pages (four to eight) can be open at any given time without freezing.  People who love spy gadgets may love that the fingerprint scanner along with the traditional four character pin as unlocking options.  Activate this feature by scanning both index fingers during the first setup, after three proper print readings the feature will start working.

Battery life is remarkable in comparison to other phones with android.  Some users found no need to recharge it at the end of the day even with excessive use.  There is also a Standard dock that turns the phone into a bedside alarm clock while charging.

Shortcomings
Motoblur may make setting up shortcuts a headache because it may bring up the main homescreen shortcut a few seconds between screens (scrolling left to right), so users may accidentally select the wrong option.  The camera lacks some basic settings and its quality is average. Also, the print unlocking can be painful if a user swipes their fingers too quickly.  These aside, the Motorola Atrix is a good phone.

Most providers and resellers are offering a lot of deals on LG mobile phones.  The LG Optimus Black is one of the devices offered in a number of deals from T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone, and Orange, both directly and through resellers.

Network Offerings:

The majority of plans offered are on 24 months tariffs and the phone for free (with some exceptions).   Also, not all offer data as a part of the basic package.

Vodafone:  this network is currently giving £25 auto cash back as free gift, along with unlimited text, 300 minutes and 500 MB of data.

T-Mobile: an equal amount of minutes and text (300 each), 500 MB and a gift of free line rental for a period of 7 months is being offered at a cost of £15.32 monthly.

O2: at £21.50 monthly, customers can enjoy 100 minutes, 500 text messages, 500 MB and, as an added perk, £50 auto cash back.

Orange: individuals can pay as little as £15 per month to get 300 minutes, unlimited texts and only pay half price for six months.  No data is given with this offer.

Most packages being offered by each network have striking similarities both to each other and to those by other networks. Some packages may be lower, but caution should be taken when choosing any offer. In some cases what seems like a steal is really just an “ok” price because the phone is not new. In fact, refurbished LG Optimus Black offerings from the networks are popular.

The HTC Wildfire is a nice phone for customers who simply want a low-end phone that packs some of the fun of higher end smart phones.  By comparison to others it is simple, but it packs a lot for a phone within its price range.  Take a look at a few 24-month tariffs from T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone, Orange, Three and Virgin Mobiles.

Packages Deals:

Unless otherwise stated, the phone is offered for free for the networks mentioned.

The Three network offers 500 minutes, 5000 text messages and 1 GB of internet data for only £25 monthly.  There is a £160 auto cash back give being offered with the packaged.  For £25.54 T-Mobile customers can receive 300 minutes, a Nintendo WII black console plus £26 cash through redemption, with a free phone.  The deal also comes with unlimited texting.

O2 is offering 100 minutes, 500 texts, their 100 internet all rounder, free gifts (which include a 19-inch HD ready TV and a cash back redemption of £105.  Virgin Mobile is currently charging £10.21 for 50 minutes, 250 text messages and 500 MB of data.  There are no free gifts with this offer.

People who acquire their phone via Vodafone can get 300 minutes, unlimited text and a Nintendo WII plus four months free line rental all for £40.  Orange customers can pay as little as £25 for 500 minutes, unlimited texting, 500 MB of data and, as a free gift, half price on line rental for 15 months (redemption necessary).

The Sony Ericsson Arc (also called the Xperia Arc) offers far more than most would expect from Sony Ericsson mobile phones running Android.  Speed, precision display, great camera quality and good battery life are also included.

What it offers
The phone carries a 4.2 screen with the quality of a top ranked flat screen television, making pictures; videos, site or essentially anything loaded look stunning.  The 8.1 mp camera offers some cool options, both videos and still shots will amaze. 

It was built with Android 2.3 that combined with its 1GHz MSM8255 CPU doesn’t leave anything lacking in terms of speed.  Overall it comes with a great package that includes an 8GB microSD card and surprisingly good earbuds.  Other features include FM radio, 3.5mm headphone jack, audio and visual player, HMDI out, video calling, USB and Bluetooth.

The phone’s curved back, slim fit, two toned effect, the position of the Android buttons and the light up section between them all add to its sleek, highly appealing look.  Additionally preset shortcuts, like the media button, make some of functions easier to access especially during first use.

Where if fails
The main issue is the location of some items.  The heaphone jack, HMDI out and charging port are just some of the features that are unfortunately placed, causing users to either unplug something to use them or risk damaging attachments.

Verdict
Placement quirks aside, the Sony Ericsson Arc is definitely worth the hype surrounding it.