Archive for the ‘Mobile Phone Reviews’ Category

HTC Wildfire Smartphone Review

A slimmed-down version of the HTC Desire, the HTC Wildfire is a stylish phone that offers a wide variety of features.  If you are looking for an Android phone that offers all of the latest in smartphone technology, the HTC Wildfire is the perfect choice.  Although the HTC Wildfire’s specifications are not as impressive as the HTC Desire, the phone is still packed with plenty of great features, including a 5 megapixel camera, video recorder, MP3 player, GPS, Android™ V2.1 Operating System, WiFi and 3G.

The HTC Wildfire is the perfect choice for those looking for a phone that is user-friendly.  The phone offers a wide variety of widgets and the Android Market, where you can download the latest apps, including the Android versions of Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Yahoo Mail.  The HTC Wildfire is the most social-network-friendly HTC mobile phone.  This phone offers Friend Stream, a Facebook feature that enables you to easily stay up-to-date with your friends and family. 

One of the main advantages of the HTC Wildfire is that it offers users an easy-to-use internet browser.  Users are provided with Google search engine, a tool that enables them to easily browse the internet.  You can also play Youtube videos and upload your own videos to your Youtube channel or Facebook. 

The HTC Wildfire’s home screen is easily customisable, allowing you to add your favourite widgets, such as Facebook and Twitter, for quicker access.  The phone is available in a wide variety of HTC Wildfire deals, allowing you to find a plan that suits your budget. 

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc Review

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is not only stylish and light, but it is also an Android phone that offers plenty of impressive features.  Boasting a 4.2 inch screen and an 8.1 megapixel camera with flash, face detection and touch focus, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is the perfect choice for those who want an Android phone that produces sharper pictures and excellent graphics.

In addition to high quality photos, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc also offers HD video recording and an HDMI port to view pictures and videos on a larger screen.  The phone’s camera even produces decent quality photos in low-light environments.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, giving you access to all of the latest Android features.  The phone comes with a number of apps and you can download more from the Android Market.  For those who wish to add extra storage space, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc offers a microSD card for up to 32 GB, providing more room for photos, videos and apps.

Other features offered by the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc include WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G.  The phone’s home screen is customisable and you can easily add your favourite widgets.  Those who are looking for a phone that offers social networking features will not be disappointed, as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc offers Facebook and Twitter widgets.

There are a number of Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc deals available, allowing you to compare offers and find a deal that is right for you.

Samsung Google Nexus S Overview

While there are many high-spec smart phones on the market, many people need to think about their budgets and look at cheap mobile phones.  One that is very affordable is the Samsung Google Nexus S.  This is the second of Google’s ‘branded’ phones and uses the very latest version of Android.

The handset features a slightly curved display and the shape of the base helps it to fit neatly into the hand.  The clarity of the screen makes viewing messages, websites, images, and videos very easy and a handy screen lock switches it off if you do not need it.  The keyboard is a virtual one and it is easy to use.

One of the main features of the phone is the speed with which apps load and websites with a great deal of content are no problem for the phone, even if it does fall into the category of cheap mobile phones.  Those who use the internet regularly will appreciate the speed with which features load.  Adding new apps is a breeze and Google Maps is a strong feature of the phone, with cached maps that allow you to check directions and locations even if you are unable to get online.

Battery life is good and so is the call quality, with the handset offering noise-reducing technology from Google, so you can make calls even in a noisy environment.  The lightweight handset is perfect for carrying around in a bag or pocket.

Orange San Francisco Smartphone Review

If you are looking for a new handset then it may be worth reading an Orange San Francisco review.  This is one of the cheapest Android handsets available on the market but despite the small price tag, this does not feel like a budget phone.  It has a range of features that will satisfy most smartphone users, including 3G and Wi-Fi internet access, the Android 2.1 operating system and a GPS function.

The handset is slim, is made from quality materials, and gives the handset the feel of a much more expensive smartphone.  The touchscreen is very responsive and the display is clear and bright.  The phone is equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack so that you can choose which headphones to use and you are not limited to Orange headphones. 

As with any Orange San Francisco review, there is much to be said for the home screens.  There are plenty to use and these can be easily customised.  Apps can be easily added from the Android Market, although as the phone does not use the latest version of Android some of the more recent apps may not be available.  It should also be noted that apps can only be downloaded when the phone is using a 3G connection.

Using the phone to send text messages is also quite easy, as the interface is basic.  The phone can also be used in portrait or landscape mode.

Mobile Phone Reviews – LG Optimus Black

All mobile phone reviews suggest that the LG Optimus Black is a mid-range smartphone with sleek modern looks and decent performance.  It meets users’ needs for communication, browsing and access to social networks at a good price for a device of this type.

The phone has an interesting design that is eye-catching, but also practical.  Its rounded corners on the bottom and top give the LG Optimus Black a modern look.  Its dimensions of 109 x 54.4 x 12.9mm and weight of 115.5 grams mean the handset fits nicely into the hand for easy use.

Under the display controls are allocated to the “Menu” and “Back” buttons and below them are buttons for starting and terminating calls, and the “Home” button.  On the left side of the phone are buttons that control the volume, and on the right side are buttons that activate the camera, browser and microUSB port.

The screen on the LG OPtimus Black is three inches (7.6 cm) with a HVGA resolution of 320 x 480 pixels.  Mobile phone reviews report that the screen is clear, but difficult to read when exposed to sunlight.  Another plus for the LG Optimus Black, according to LG Optimus Black reviews, is that the display shows excellent colour reproduction.

The LG Optimus Black is the ideal choice for smart phone beginners because it contains all of the features of a smartphone and is not complicated to use.  The device is designed for users who do not have much experience with smartphones and do not want the headaches of learning how to use smartphones.

BlackBerry 3G 9105 Review

Blackberry mobile phones were originally marketed as a phone for business use but now they are considered suitable for all users, and the BlackBerry 3G 9105 is no exception.  Deals are available at a number of levels and to suit all budgets.  This is a smaller phone than other BlackBerry models but the phone is still a good buy for those who need to text and email on the move. 

This phone has an alphanumeric keypad with good spacing, so helps to avoid typing errors.  Setting up an email account on the BlackBerry mobile phones is easy and even though the screen is small, viewing does not feel at all cramped.  There is an integrated inbox, so if you have more than one email account you can view them all at the same time, as well as setting up the inbox to take messages from social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. 

The Blackberry 3G 9105 has a media player which will appeal to most users which is simple to use but is perhaps not comparable with phones that are being aimed at the younger market.  The controls are accessed easily and the camera is also very simple to use.  There are features such as a flash and autofocus option and the 3.2 megapixels mean that you can take a good quality image.

One of the best features of the phone is call quality, with a clarity that is missing on a number of similar handsets.

Sony Ericsson Zylo – an affordable mobile phone

If you are considering purchasing one of the Sony Ericsson mobile phones that are on the market, then the Sony Ericsson Zylo should be on your list.  This particular handset is being marketed as a Walkman phone with a number of enhanced audio features that will please those who use their mobile for listening to music.  The music player has a five-band equaliser and has pre-installed presets and the option to fully customise the feature.  Headphones are supplied with a handset that is comfortable to use, although users do not have the option of using their own. 

The handset, like other Sony Ericsson mobile phones, is a compact one that fits neatly into a pocket and has a slide out keyboard, which makes emailing, and texting easy.  Text messages can be viewed as threaded conversations and you can add images and other files to messages without too much trouble.  Files can be easily organised to create playlists so that you can access quickly the songs that you wish to hear. 

The camera is 3-megapixels and has all the basic effects that you need for taking images of reasonable quality, although there is no flash for images taken in poorer light.  Images are easily uploaded to Facebook and other social networking sites and there are two modes on the Facebook app.  These are advanced and basic, so you can choose the one that matches your usage.  Other apps for social networking include Twitter and the internet can be easily accessed using 3G.

HTC Desire HD Smartphone Review

When it comes to the latest mobile phones, you want to be sure you are getting plenty for your money, and the HTC Desire HD offers many features that users will not be able to resist. 

The handset has a 4.3 inch screen that has a sharp image and is very responsive.  The phone makes use of the latest Android operating system.  The handset itself has a sleek look with a metal casing, which makes it feel as though the phone is far more resilient than many other mobile handsets. 

As with many of the latest mobile phones, the HTC Desire HD is equipped with an 8 megapixel camera.  The images are clear and the camera works well in poor lighting.  The quality of video recordings is also good and there is an easy to use menu. 

The user-friendly features are the main attraction with this handset.  The interfaces are easy to use and will suit even a mobile phone novice.  You can customise your home page so that you can directly access features such as Twitter, and the latest weather reports.  Users also have access to an online hub through which you can find new apps, and download at the touch of a button.  In the event that your phone is lost or stolen, you can track it and wipe data from it, so that it cannot be used by anybody else.  Using apps such as Facebook and sat-nav can really help you to get your money’s worth from the HTC Desire HD.

Samsung Omnia 7 Smartphone Review

The Samsung Omnia 7 is a mobile phone that uses the Windows 7 operating system.  The 4-inch screen compares well with rivals, HTC HD7 and the Galaxy S in particular.  The phone is a worthy competitor of the Android phones in terms of design but it is functionality that is most important.

Windows phones do not support removable memory so you have to be content with the supplied 8GB of internal memory.  However, you can avoid cluttering up your phone by smart use of the SkyDrive, which comes with your Windows Live account, in the same way that Android phones support virtual expansion through using your Google account.  It is a solution to lack of memory, but not an ideal one.

Integration of the Samsung Omnia 7 with Facebook works well and you can also import your Google contacts, diary, and emails.  It supports the use of Exchange and Outlook since they are also Microsoft applications.  These mobile phones operate through the Orange network so they come with the Orange Wednesday’s application pre-installed, through which you can watch movie trailers and discover cinema ticket deals.  A few other Orange applications are available free but the company have thankfully avoided adding too many other unnecessary applications, probably due to the memory limitations.

The reception and GPS solution on the Samsung Omnia 7 works well.  You can also easily use the provided headphones to listen to the built-in Zune player.  The phone is also voice enabled for handsfree usage.

The 5-megapixel autofocus camera has an LED, but not a flash, and is also capable of recording video.  The camera software allows you to implement a range of effects such as sepia, negative or mono.  Video quality is not great and the fixed focus causes some issues on playback.

Overall, a quality phone but with memory limitations that may discourage power users or those who want more from the camera.

Motorola Atrix

The Motorola Atrix has not even been released yet but it is already perceived as a rival for your PC.  It is compatible with several different docks so it can be an alarm clock, netbook, media centre, or sat-nav.  It looks like these latest mobile phones may be expensive.

The Motorola Atrix looks like a sleek, black, smartphone, but with the Android Froyo 2.2 operating system incorporated, and a planned update to Android Gingerbread 2.3, it is so much more than that.  It offers fingerprint recognition to unlock your phone and you can integrate your address book with Google.

The Motorola Atrix has a high quality 4-inch screen that, at 960×540 pixels, exceeds most smartphones.  Not too many mobile phones offer you the power and functionality of these particular Motorola mobile phones.  It has a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, great for multitasking without depleting the battery power.  Its 1GB of RAM is also twice the capacity of most smartphones.

Downloading is fast and the separate uploading and downloading antennae promise to make the service even faster. 

What really makes these new mobile phones really stand out is the range of accessories that they come with.  Use the charging dock beside your bed and the phone becomes an alarm clock.  Different profiles can be set so that the mobile phone display different widgets according to where they are docked.  All without even mentioning the multi-media dock!  You can also surf the Web with Firefox in the same way you use a PC or laptop and the Android phone applications will still operate in the background.