Blackberry bold review
Let battle commence. Round two of the summer’s smartphone war is joined this Saturday when the first Blackberry Bolds go on sale in the UK. Times Online has got hold of one of the eagerly-awaited handsets from makers Research in Motion to bring you one of the first hands-on reviews.
Business users have always been the core BlackBerry customers, but most recent converts have been consumers. RIM wants to attract more of them with the Bold, while keeping the core corporate market happy.
But the competition is fierce. The launch of Apple’s 3G iPhone, designed to link up more easily with corporate e-mail systems, set a new standard for the smartphones and eroded some of BlackBerry’s business advantages. The iPhone is undoubtedly the design force in the land at the moment - and it seems very likely that Apple will easily beat its target of selling ten million units in 2008.
The Blackberry Bold is the new flagship smartphone for BlackBerry. But is it an iPhone killer?
Looks
The Bold is handsome. It is bigger than the Curve, chunkier and wider. In fact it weighs 136g, enough to feel heavy in your shirt pocket. But it still feels comfortable in the palm and during thumb-typing.
The clean black finish of the front screen and keyboard is bounded by a chrome metal rim. It feels and looks like a serious piece of kit - unlike some of the more recent BlackBerry models, which have been a bit plasticky. The design excellence of the iPhone has clearly put the RIM guys back on their game. The styling of the Bold is a big winner.
Keyboard
The keyboard is a big improvement. The basic querty layout is the one that BlackBerry users know and appreciate but the rows of keys are separated horizontally by metals frets which not only look great but space out the keys making them easier to hit. The individual keys are also bevelled to improve the ergonomics of typing. I am not quite sure I understand why this tactile shaping works but it certainly helped for me.
Screen and multimedia
The screen is another big plus and, for me, the stand-out feature of the Bold. The 480×320 LCD screen delivers a fantastic quality of deep blacks and vibrant pin-sharp colours. The Bold uses the screen to good effect with a complete update in the icons layout which make navigation round the functions and features of the handset a richer experience. The basic functions like the trademark BlackBerry instant e-mail are simple, clear and, dare I say, elegant.
Comparing the Bold’s display side by side with the iPhone, I thought the Bold was just as crisp and clean. Playing film clips was certainly a revelation on the Bold after the poverty of my Curve display. As the man from RIM said “the multi-media experience is a key part of our offering”, which translates as “you don’t need to buy an iPhone when everything looks and sounds this good with the Bold”. Key to this are the music-playing features, where the iPhone has ruled pretty much supreme. But now loading music onto the Bold is much easier using the free Media Sync software, which will pull music and playlists from your music library, even from iTunes (but it won’t work with iTunes-bought tracks).
Storage
All this new multimedia stuff needs some good storage and the Bold comes loaded with 1GB of memory which can be increased by using a microSD card. The slot is at the side and this increases the capacity to a respectable (but not huge) 8GB.
Camera
The Bold’s camera with built-in flash is only two megapixels, but for most corporate users that is perfectly adequate. You can also take video and there is a 3x zoom. With its new consumer-friendly focus, the Bold allows you to upload your pictures to Facebook at the push of a button. Using the in-built GPS and BlackBerry maps, you can also Geotag your pictures. Additional software will turn your handset into a turn-by-turn GPS sat-nav device.
Speed and connectivity
The Bold comes loaded with all the connectivity you could want. This is the first quad-band BlackBerry with 3G and HSDPA, which means that wherever you are in the world you will be able to connect to a mobile network and receive e-mail and browse the web. The powerful processor enabled me to browse and play music tracks quite comfortably.
Battery
The 1500 mAhr battery is again the biggest yet in a BlackBerry and while RIM says it has a respectable standby time of 9 days and a talk time of 4.3 hours on GSM, the new multimedia functions, especially video, will eat the battery pretty quickly.
Browser
Surfing the net on the BlackBerry is much better than on previous models but I still don’t like it as much as the iPhone. You view full-size web pages and use the trackball to move around and zoom in. It’s good but I wouldn’t want to do it for hours at a time.
Business use
Here is where the Bold excels, as you would expect. You can edit Microsoft Word and Excel documents and PowerPoint slides on the move, copy and paste, the lot. For many business users this will be a deal-maker. As usual, BlackBerry offers a host of corporate services to please the tech purchasing teams of businesses.
Other stuff
The Bold does all the other things you would expect a smartphone to do. It has wi-fi, Bluetooth, a USB port, games, a weather application and a great clock.
Availability
The Bold will be in Orange shops and on their website from Saturday, August 16. The handset is free with a contract of £40 per month over 18 months. The Carphone Warehouse is expected to stock it and it will also be available from T-Mobile from September. No word yet on O2.
Verdict
Bold is beautiful - even if not quite as beautiful as the iPhone. For business users and those who like thumb-typing this is the best smartphone in the market. But the browser and the iPhone’s bigger touchscreen will mean that Apple addicts will probably not be converted.
Add comment August 16, 2008
Nokia Mobile Phones
Nokia mobile phones. Who hasn’t heard of them? Who doesn’t own one? They are some of the most popular mobile phones in the world and this is mainly down to the fact that they are known for their excellent performance and stability.
In my opinion these will probably give you the best phone purchase that you could make - they are compatible with several different sizes of memory card, they are the easiest to unlock as they are the most popular phones, and they have just about the biggest range of software, accessories and cables available.
Mind you, Nokia phones are the most stolen mobiles in the UK which of course speaks volumes of just how sought after they really are. I mean, as concerns technology and design, these phones are some of the most fashionable, sleek and up to the minute gadgets in the market place plus they are designed to work throughout different parts of the globe.
Take the Nokia N95 for example. It has a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss & Tessar optics which gives crystal clear photographs and superb DVD quality video’s. How do I know? I’ve got one and it is just superb. The display is a huge 2.6 inches with 16 million colours. And don’t forget that it also has GPS on it.
Overall, Nokia phones are simply top of the list. The more recent ones are packed with features and are so incredibly easy to use, so much so, that you don’t really need to read the manual.
If you’re in doubt as to just how good these little gems are, then tap the name Nokia into a search engine and get some unbiased information on it’s background and sales performance. You’ll find just what I found - they are the people’s favourite mobile phone.
Add comment August 16, 2008
Vodafone UK FREE pay as you go minutes
It seems that the vodafone network in the UK is dishing out free minutes to all their pay as you go customers.
Some of our readers said that they received a message saying: “As a thank you from vodafone you now have 100 FREE minutes to enjoy over the next 30 days - you do not need to do anything.”
If you are in doubt check your balance on your pay as you go on *#1345# or call 2345 free from your vodafone mobile
Please do comment if you are in the UK and that was your case.
13 comments July 24, 2008
Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot C902 review
Sony Ericsson has managed to deliver some impressively equipped sharp shooting mobiles in its Cyber-shot range. Its recently announced 8-megapixel Sony Ericsson C905 is set to seriously up the ante for cameraphones when it hits stores towards the end of 2008, but in the meantime the C902 offers an attractive here-and-now package, featuring a quality 5-megapixel camera in a lovely slimline design.
Following on from the K850i, the C902 is another HSDPA high-speed 3G mobile, with stacks of multimedia functionality inside. But it also delivers some stylish design touches on the outside, including a 10.5mm thin profile, refined touch sensitive camera controls on either side of its display, plus a clever slide-out lens cover mechanism.
Naturally, the Sony Ericsson C902’s 5-megapixel camera, with its Cyber-shot pedigree, is the biggest draw, offering a sophisticated set of shooting controls and features consistent with the Sony digital camera brand. These include autofocus, face detection and image stabiliser technology, plus a range of image enhancement and editing software.
But the Sony Ericsson C902 contract is also equipped with Sony Ericsson’s latest music and video players, a full web browser, and while it doesn’t have in-built GPS it does support the excellent Google Maps location-based services application that can map your approximate position and provide near-instant directions.
Design and handling
Unlike some of the tricksy button layout that made the K850i’s handling sometimes fiddly, Sony Ericsson has developed the C902 with clean lines, thoughtfully laid out touch controls, and a more conventional, easy to use keypad layout. It’s a classy candybar design, lightweight with a glossy black (or red) finish set off with subtle chrome detailing.
Some 5-megapixel cameraphones might be hefty, but the camera here adds no extra bulk to the C902’s back panel - in fact, you can’t see it at all until you slip open a small sliding section near the top of the phone. This 1.3cm wide old-school spy camera-style slide mechanism is a very neat and tidy solution; it keeps the lens dust-and damage-free in your pocket, maintains the smooth, stylish look of the phone, and also activates the camera automatically when opened.
Closed, the phone measures a pocketable 108(h) x 49(w) x 10.5(d)mm, and fully loaded it weighs 107g - not bad for a 5-megapixel shooter.
The C902 contract deal’s keypad is better than the K850i’s too; it has large, nicely defined and responsive buttons that making texting a breeze. The control panel is the more conventional navigation D-pad, softkey and call end key set-up that Sony Ericsson is now implementing across its handset.
There’s also the usual Sony Ericsson Activity menu button, which propels you straight into a handy menu of useful application shortcuts, functions and information (from Bluetooth and Google Maps to internet access and application management).
A secondary video calling camera is perched above the phone’s display for face-to-face chatting. The screen itself is a 2-inch 262K-colour QVGA (240×320 pixels) display - smaller than you might expect from an image-conscious shooter (the K850i’s screen is a 2.2-incher). Though it’s a bright, clear screen it does feel like the full space available hasn’t been fully utilised for the display.
The main reason is revealed when you activate the camera; slip open the lens cover and in a couple of seconds the camera fires up automatically in landscape mode, with two rows of four small glowing icons appearing above and below the screen. These are the C902’s touch sensitive control buttons, offering access to camera and feature settings you’re likely to use most frequently.
Camera quality
While some phones use touch controls in a gimmicky way, the ones here are actually useful and uncomplicated - intuitive to use while straightforwardly enhancing the camera’s functionality. The touch icon buttons, which use gentle haptic feedback to let you know they’ve been pressed, work in conjunction with the navigation pad and softkeys. You can press to pull up flash options, set the photo-timer, choose exposure settings (scenes) and shooting modes, switch between camera, video and photo gallery, and to select focus option - either autofocus, face recognition, macro mode or infinity.
As you’d expect from a Cyber-shot class cameraphone, there are plenty of other settings adjustments you can make to optimise your shooting results - such as white balance and exposure settings - or to add picture effects. There’s a digital image stabiliser option too, plus the regular Sony Ericsson multi-burst BestPic function that allows you to take select from captured shots taken a fraction before and after you’ve pressed the shutter - useful for taking moving images.
There’s a dedicated camera button on the side, using a 2-step autofocus system. You can easily switch to macro mode for close ups, or face detection if you want to get good people shots in a busy picture - the camera automatically identifies and locks focus on to faces as the main subject.
The results from the camera are pretty impressive, with plenty of detail plus excellent colour rendition. The fine auto metering system adjusts swiftly and accurately to varying lighting conditions, and the autofocus options all work well. The slimline dimensions of the phone do entail some compromises though; disappointingly, there’s an LED photo light rather than the more powerful and effective Xenon flash used on the K850i.
This means close ups in darker conditions can look a bit washed out and at mid distances, under-illuminated. There are a few non-flash low-light exposure settings for longer range shots, but it’s a shame Sony Ericsson didn’t include a Xenon flash too
Shooting extras
Post-shot editing, including a simple picture Photo fix option, is standard issue Cyber-shot stuff, but still good quality for a cameraphone. You can blog shots or video clips too quickly after you’ve taken them (using the pre-loaded Blogger app).
In addition, you can get location metadata attached to pics - so you can see the approximate location where the photo was taken on Google Maps or other GPS compatible services. This is achieved using the application’s default cellsite triangulation software, but if you attach an optional GPS module to the phone, that info naturally becomes pin-point precise. It’s a nice touch.
(You can see more detailed information on the phone’s camera plus a selection of photo samples taken with it in our related article Sony Ericsson C902 camera samples here.)
Video footage shot with the camera isn’t quite as high quality, although it does produce reasonably smooth 30 frames per second QVGA quality images that look good on the phone’s screen and acceptable in a YouTube way on a PC screen.Video playback from over-the-air downloaded clips or files transfered from a PC looks good on the C902, though the screen size is limiting.
Another plus point though is the accelerometer inside the phone. This adjusts the screen between landscape and portrait mode automatically, depending on how the phone is being held. It works for both the media functionality and full web browsing applications, providing a smooth way to flick to full page widescreen views when required.
Music player
The media player software on the C902 is essentially the same as used on most recent mid- to high-end Sony Ericsson models, slick and user-friendly with a good graphical user interface. Though not Walkman-branded, the tune player is similarly high quality and uses a not too different UI. Its multi-format player is organised into the usual array of categories - tracks, albums, artists, playlists - as well as sections for podcasts and audiobooks.
The phone comes with a reasonable stereo earphones, but thankfully, like with Walkman mobiles, you can plug in your own better quality standard headphones. The C902’s headset is a two-piece affair, with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack socket you can can plug standard earwear into. While the supplied set are fine, a set of our reference Sennheiser headphones revealed the sort of high quality performance of which the phone’s music player is capable.
Stereo Bluetooth offers a futher wireless option for headphones, but while the C902’s loudspeaker is admirably clear, in typical mobile fashion it lacks any real bass oomph.
The C902 has 160MB of internal storage, plus Memory Stick Micro (M2) card expansion. Unlike the K850i, however, it doesn’t have dual support for MicroSD cards as well as M2s - a feature we thought was a welcome development on that model.
Loading up tunes requires Sony Ericsson’s usual procedures, using the PC Media Manager software and USB cable provided, or copying over with the phone in mass storage mode. Naturally, you can download over the air - the phone’s HSDPA data connectivity enables downloads at up to 3.6Mbps on appropriately equipped mobile networks, speedily delivering tracks or video clips in just a few seconds.
As well as your own mobile network’s content, you can try third party services including the pre-loaded links to Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow portal - just make sure you have an inclusive data deal to cover the cost of off-network downloads.
High-speed browsing
HSDPA high-speed data connectivity cranks up the phone’s web browsing capabilities too, although there’s no Wi-Fi for non-mobile network connectivity. The full web browser here is again standard issue for higher Sony Ericsson models, and provides a very usable and intuitive user interface, including some tidily arranged pan and zoom options.
It’s quick at rendering pages too, and with its cursor-style pointer, it’s good to navigate and browse. There’s a Smart-Fit option for mobile-tailored versions of full web pages, if required. There’s also support for RSS feeds, so you don’t have to fire up the browser and search each time you want to check up on your favourite web pages or blogs.
Riding on the HSDPA-boosted data speeds, Google Maps for mobile software is becoming another Sony Ericsson regular. And welcome it is too, giving a pseudo GPS navigation option, using cellsite triangulation info and maps sent over the air to locate your position to within a few hundred metres. While this is made more precise with an optional GPS module attached to the phone, getting a map of the rough area you’re in can be extremely useful if you’re somewhere you don’t know.
The location is usually centred within a block or two from where you are, allowing you to zoom in or out to get a fix on your position or find where you’re heading. You can get excellent navigation instructions too, handy information about nearby services and points of interest, plus satellite images of areas. It’s a feature that’s well worth exploring if you’re travelling, as it covers the world.
The C902 is also loaded with a now familiar Sony Ericsson rundown of useful features and applications, from extensive organiser functionality and voice recorder to email client and three games, plus various video, image and music editing apps. Usefully, an FM radio is included in the spec too.
Performance
The battery performance of the Sony Ericsson C902 impressed us. The manufacturer quotes optimum figures of up to 3.5 hours talktime on 3G networks, or 9 hours on GSM, while standby time is measured at 350 hours on 3G and 400 hours on GSM. With our average usage, including much snapping, we got over four days of life between charges - though this will be reduced if you hit the music or browser functions regularly.
The audio performance for making and taking calls was first rate - sound quality was excellent and network holding reliable.
Compared to the K850i, the C902’s design means there are some some trade-offs required to accommodate the slimline profile and touch screen controls - notably the disappointing absence of a Xenon flash and the smaller screen size. These are compromises we’d prefer not to see on an image-orientated Cyber-shot phone.
Otherwise, the C902 offers improved, if more conventional, layout of controls, aiding handling, while its slim lines make it more pocket-friendly than its bulkier predecessor.
It may not have integrated GPS or Wi-Fi, but the C902 is still a very attractive handset, offering a fine set of mid-range Sony Ericsson 3G phone features in a stylish design. Combined with quality imaging from that inconspicuous 5-megapixel Cyber-shot camera, we reckon it will have great appeal for many buyers.
Add comment July 21, 2008
Blackberry Pearl 8110 review
The RIM Blackberry Pearl 8110 brings the traditionally elegant Blackberry email experience to a candybar-sized smartphone
The BlackBerry is not just for suited and briefcased business bods. Oh no. That might be where the BlackBerry made its first home, but maker Research In Motion (RIM) wants to widen its reach, and with that in mind has launched the neat and tidy Blackberry Pearl range of devices.
The Blackberry Pearl is a candybar smartphone that currently comes in three flavours. RIM seems to like bringing out a device in several slightly tweaked versions with different specifications. It can get a bit confusing, so let’s clarify the Pearl situation right here and now.
As we said, there are three versions. The 8100, 8110 and 8120. Their specifications are pretty similar.
Some of the key differences are that the 8100 has no GPS or Wi-Fi while the 8110 has GPS but no Wi Fi and the 8120 adds in Wi-Fi but not GPS. Got that?
Our review sample was the 8110 variation, and it came from Vodafone where you can get it from free up to £102 depending on the contract you opt for. The contract price includes a year’s free use of Vodafone’s satnav software. This is an off-board system, which means it downloads information over the network when you want to use it. Blackberry Pearl 8110 contract
The good news as far as that is concerned is that information ought to be up-to-date and accurate. With on-board satnav systems where all the data is stored on the device, periodic updates take care of things like the opening of new roads, shifting locations of safety cameras and alterations to Points of Interest. Off-board systems like Vodafone’s can have their centralised info updated on a rolling basis, so when you download it you are, in theory at least, getting the most accurate info available.
The downside is precisely that you have to download the info to your mobile. If you find yourself somewhere without a mobile phone signal and want to plan a route, well, then the service is about as useful as the proverbial chocolate teapot.
Blackberry Pearl 8110 business contract
The key thing about a BlackBerry is that it can pick up your POP email from up to 10 different accounts automatically. It can work with corporate networks too, of course, but private individuals can choose the BlackBerry Internet Solution which lets you set up the service via a Web site. There is an extra monthly fee on top of your contract price for this.
During testing we found the email system worked very well. Email whangs into your inbox automatically. There are separate inboxes for each account which you can set up with different alert tones. A collective inbox for everything is also on hand if you don’t differentiate between email addresses that much.
The Blackberry Pearl line of smartphones is small and tidy – they look like neat candy bar mobile phones and the 8110 is just 107mm tall, 50mm wide and 14.5mm thick. It weighs 88g.
This size makes the Pearl 8110 great for the pocket, but 50mm of width is not a lot of space for a qwerty keyboard. So in most cases two qwerty characters share one key. A system called SureType means you tap a key once for each letter you want regardless of whether it is first or second on the key. A dictionary takes a look at what you are typing and makes sure the net result is a real world and not gobbledygook. Alternatively you can choose a multi-tap T9-ish system, but after a little practice we found SureType to be intuitive.
There is no touchscreen as there is on some other smartphones, so you need to use the small mini trackball that sits under the screen to get around. This not only looks quite cute, it works really well. You roll it under the thumb and press to select. To its left is a button which calls up a menu that varies depending on what you are doing at the time, and to its right is a back button.
Apart from mobile email the BlackBerry Pearl has some other neat features. As a smartphone you would expect it to have a diary and to do list on board, and indeed it does. It can synchronise these applications with your PC and the software you need comes with it. The PC connection is via a USB cable, and you get this too.
None of the BlackBerry Pearl range manages 3G. Instead the 8110 is Tri-band with GPRS. To be honest, the data operations didn’t seem to suffer for the lack of 3G during testing. It is probably only those who hanker for video calling that will rue its absence.
The Blackberry Pearl will play music and has a 3.5mm headset connector so you can use your favourite earphones. With 64MB of on board memory you can’t store a great many tunes inside the Pearl, but there is a microSD card slot on the left side and so it is easy to add more.
There is a Web browser. The screen isn’t the greatest for viewing Web pages – we measured it at 2.2 inches corner to corner and 33mm wide x 40mm tall. But at least the browser is there if you need it.
There is the obligatory camera too, but it is a bit disappointing. It can shoot stills at resolutions up to 2 megapixels and video at 240 x 180 and 176 x 144. It has a self-portrait mirror and flash. It shoots images at reasonable quality as long as the subject is still, but if they are moving you get a bit of blurring. There is some shutter lag too, which means you have to hold the Pearl quite steady after you’ve pressed the shutter button.
On the hardware side one of the things we really like are the two ‘convenience keys’ on the left and right edges of the smartphone. You can configure these to do the things that suit you most, for example launching the camera application, composing an SMS or set up an alarm.
It is safe to say that on the multimedia front, the Pearl (like BlackBerry devices in general) is a way behind the versatile S60 as implemented in some of Nokia’s leading edge handsets and that RIM will have to work hard to catch up. We can’t for example, imagine a 5 megapixel camera in a RIM device for some time to come.
But on the other hand, the Blackberry Pearl 8110 is a neat and compact candybar phonewith mobile email at its core, a strong range of smartphone features and some consumer-friendly extras.
Add comment July 13, 2008
Nokia 3600
The Nokia 3600 is an upcoming slide mobile phone from nokia coming in stores soon.
Below are some important features of the Nokia 3600
Key features
* A compact design and voluptuous, with a smooth and pleasant sliding mechanism.
* Capture and sharing of digital images optimized, with a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto focus
* Recording and sharing video with VGA quality
* Technology for Elimination of noise, providing an extraordinary performance of sound, and calls with uninterrupted sound
* See the world with other eyes, with the Nokia Maps, with maps of the region pre-installed
* Implementation Nokia Search allows you easy access to everything you need to find, online or on your phone
* Functionality of sync, using a compatible PC and Nokia PC Suite software, for a precise control of your calendar, contacts and tasks
* Music player and reader of digital video, compatible with multiple formats
* Headset stereo interface with direct connection, to listen to his music
* Tune in your favorite frequency in stereo FM radio
* Slot for microSD cards, compatible with cards up to 4GB; 512MB card included in the pack of sale
Frequencies of operation
* EGSM Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900MHz
Dimensions
* Volume: 59.7 cc
* Weight: 97.3 g
* Length: 97.8 mm
* Width: 47.2 mm
* Thickness: 14.5 mm
Screen
* Main screen: QVGA, 2 “(240 x 320) with 16M of colors
User Interface
* Series 40 3rd Edition
* Tecl NaviTM of five directorates, two configurable buttons, keys to call / and send off
* The active standby mode gives you direct access to major applications and data from the screen of your phone in standby mode
Messaging and email
* Multimedia messaging (MMS) for the creation, delivery, editing and transmission of videos and photos
* Text messaging (SMS)
* Audio messaging service (AMS) for transmission of voice clips in order OTA (over-the-air)
* Software e-mail client, compatible with the protocols IMAP4, POP3 and SMTP, with a setup wizard easy to use
Image and Video
* Board of 3.2 megapixel with auto focus, 8x digital zoom, and dual LED flash
* Capture of quality video with up to VGA
* Video play on the device: up to 30fps in VGA to files in MPEG-4 and H263, with a data rate of 2048 kbps
* Video in connection with foreign TV: up to 15fps QVGA in quality with the cable for Foreign Liaison Video Nokia CA-92U (not included)
* Static picture in connection with foreign TV: VGA quality with the Cape for Foreign Liaison Video Nokia CA-92U (not included)
* Manage your videos with the Nokia Video Manager
Music
* Music player compatible with stereo audio formats MP3, AAC, AAC +, eAAC +, and WMA
* Play up to 10 hours of music
* Stereo Headset included, with automatic silencing of music, for receiving calls
* Radio FM stereo
* Manage your music on your PC compatible with the Nokia Music Manager or with Windows Media Player 10 or 11
Offline mode and method of demonstration
* Flight mode, for safe use of your music player, in-flight
Applications
Nokia 3600 pay as you go
Nokia Maps * *
* Nokia Search
* Opera browser
* Yahoo! Go
* WidSets
* Calculator
* Mobile services’ Plug and play ‘
* Compatible with Java applications ™ MIDP 2.0
* Includes data for maps pre-installed on the memory card of 512MB
Functions of memory
* 64MB of internal memory, with 30MB available for their data and content
* MicroSD card slot for up to 4GB
* MicroSD memory cards of 512B included in the pack of sale *
* With the map data pre-installed
Connectivity
* Interface microUSB
* Interface AV of 2.5mm
* Interface of 2mm to load the battery
* High-speed USB 2.0 for fast transfer of music
* Bluetooth 2.0 with profiles of audio in stereo, listening to the music in order to control and wireless features of music
* Interface for connecting to the Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W (not included) for GPS location by using the Nokia Maps
* OMA DRM 2.0 and Windows Media DRM, to protect digital content
* Updates of software of the device in order FOTA (firmware over the air)
Browsing
* XHTML browser for surfing the internet
* Pasco Opera Mini 4
* Browsing in WAP 2.0
* Compatible with the protocols HTTP / TCP / IP
Data transfer
* EDGE multi-slot class 32, up to 296 kbps
* GPRS multi-slot class 32, up to 100 kbps
* Transfer HSCSD up by 28.8 kbps in use as a modem for data
Personal Information Management (PIM)
* Organizer with calendar and tasks
* Address, with up to 2000 entries
* Use the Nokia PC Suite software for synchronization of contacts, calendar and tasks, with MS-Outlook, with a compatible PC
Management of energy
Battery capacity time in conversation with Time standby
BL-4S 860 mAh to 5.5 hours to 280 hours
The operating time will vary depending on the characteristics of network, the network setting by the operator, and the use of mobile phone
Tons of touch and themes
* Ringing tones, video, MP3, AAC, eAAC +
* Polyphonic ringing tones to 64 voices (MIDI)
* Compatibility Issues 3.0 and download OTA (over-the-air) of tones, wallpapers and themes
Content Pack of sale
* Nokia 3600 slide
* Nokia Stereo Headset HS-47
* Battery Nokia BL-4S
* Nokia Travel Charger AC-4
* Data Cable Nokia CA-101
* Card microSd of 512MB Nokia MU-28
* User’s Guide
Related Documents
* Information Certification (SAR)
* Eco Declaration
* Declaration of Conformity
The availability of this product and its characteristics, depending on your country / region and its service provider. Please contact your service provider and its dealer Nokia for additional information. The specifications submitted are subject to change without notice.
Add comment July 12, 2008
Nokia N96
Nokia N96 is an upcoming Nokia smartphone in the Nseries. It is the official successor to Nokia N95.
The Nokia N96 features the following:
* Quad band GSM / GPRS / EDGE: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
* Dual band UMTS / HSDPA: UMTS 900 / 2100
* 3G and WLAN access.
* Mobile TV (network-dependent feature).
* GPS Navigation.
* Access to Ovi
* Instant upload to Flickr, Vox, Yahoo! and Google.
* Full-HTML browser.
* Symbian OS v9.3 S60 3.2 Edition, user interface.
* Up to 16 GB of internal flash memory.
* 2-way slide, as in Nokia N95.
* Expandable memory currently up to 24 GB courtesy of MicroSD cards.
* 5-megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss optics.
* High quality VGA camera in front of the phone, for video calling and self-portrait use.
* Double LED flash for the camera.
* Plays music files, and lets you download easily via Nokia Web.
* Allows high-quality video calling using 3G
* A built-in motion sensor that automatically rotates the screen when tilted as on the Nokia N82.
Major differences between N95 and Nokia n96
* 16GB of integrated memory (as opposed to 8GB for N95 8GB), plus further extensibility via microSD memory card
* 2.8 inch display with 16 million colours (same as N95 8GB, versus 2.6″ display for original N95)
* USB speed changed from USB 2.0 full speed to high-speed (40x faster)
* Camera flash is a dual-LED in the N96 while it is only a single LED in the N95
* New audio DSP for improved audio quality and longer playback time
* New version of Nokia Video Centre
* Longer music playback time (14 hrs) and video playback time (5 hrs)
* Windows Media WMV9 video codec is added
* Hardware acceleration for video codecs for H.264 and WMV (as well as MPEG4 as before)
* Location tagging (geotagging) of pictures, using the integrated GPS
* Mobile TV DVB-H receiver is built into N96
* New release of Nokia Experience Software
o Maps 2.0 with satellite images, upgrade to pedestrian mode and voice-guided car navigation
o Internet Radio pre-installed
o Home Media Solution (sync with DLNA / UPnP devices over WLAN)
o Online sharing of pictures with plugins for Flickr, Ovi Share and other services (Can be added on N95 with newer version of Share Online Application)
* S60 3rd Edition is upgraded from Feature Pack 1 to Feature Pack 2
o Symbian OS is upgraded from version 9.2 to 9.3
o The J2ME engine is upgraded from MIDP 2.0 to MIDP 2.1
o User data is preserved when upgrading firmware (This feature is also present on the N95-2 as v21 installs UDP base files)
* The FM radio is upgraded with RDS
* Limited graphics acceleration (only for internal apps)
* N96 is a dual-band HSDPA (900 and 2100 MHz) while N95 was a single band (2100)
* MicroSD memory card slot (as in original N95, while N95 8GB has no card slot)
* Same battery as original N95 (950 mAh), but the N96 reportedly has a much better battery life.
* No need to open the slide for optimal GPS reception
* Naviwheel (rocker has touch sensitive mode to scroll through music collection etc)
* New design
o Landscape-oriented design (landscape oriented speakers, connectors and buttons located optimally for landscape use)
o Flip-out kickstand
o Media keys available in all modes (even when slide is closed, for background control of music)
o Media keys on short side can transform into gaming keys
o Lockswitch (enables quick lock / unlock of keypad)
o Thinner and lighter than N95 8GB
* No infra-red port on N96
Add comment July 12, 2008
Blackberry bold
Blackberry Bold
On May the 12th RIM announced the latest Blackberry smart phone, the Blackberry 9000 or Blackberry Bold. Here is a summary of the phone’s features.
Design
The Bold is created out of premium materials. The phone is taller and wider than traditional BlackBerries with a black exterior, satin chrome-finished frame and interchangeable colour back plates. The removable back plate come in a variety of colours letting users customise their phones. The latest BlackBerry comes with a newly designed QWERTY keyboard.
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Display
The Bold comes equipped with a half VGA colour LCD (480×320), making its display the most vivid ever seen on a BlackBerry. The high resolution, ultra bright display gives the BlackBerry Bold an unparalleled web browsing experience.
Improved Performance
The Bold is the first Blackberry smart phone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world. The HSDPA combined with a next generation 624MHz mobile processor, the phone effortlessly downloads email attachments, streams video and renders web pages
Wi-Fi
The Bold comes enterprise-grade Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g) perfect for many Wi-Fi environments. A new ‘Push Button Setup’ speeds up accessing protected networks that require a sign-in process.
GPS
The phone comes with integrated GPS allowing the Bold to pinpoint its exact location and gives access to applications like BlackBerry Maps and other location based software.
Multimedia
The Bold includes a rich set of multi-media tools never before seen on a Blackberry. The Bold comes with a 2 megapixel camera with a built-in flash and a 5x digital zoom and video recording capabilities.
The Bold has an enhanced media player which can display pictures, slideshows and films in full screen mode. To manage music on the phone, the Bold comes with the BlackBerry desktop manager. For iTunes users, the new BlackBerry Media sync application allows the phone to sync the Bold with iTunes music collections. Download music onto the Bold from a computer, with High Speed USB 2.0 which allows files to be transferred quickly. For listening to music, the Bold includes two built-in speakers with rich stereo sound. The phone supports polyphonic, mp3 and MIDI ring tones
Other features
The Bold comes with a range of accessories including a stereo head set, travel charger, carry case and USB cable. Other novel features include a 1GB on-board memory, voice recognition software, voice activated dialing, speaker phone and Bluetooth that supports hands free sets and car kits.
The Bold lets gives users a variety of call features such as smart dialing, speed dialing, conference calling and call forwarding. To improve the calling experience, the Bold features noise cancellation technology which offsets background noise.
Add comment July 10, 2008
Nokia 6030 Review
Key Features
* Made In Finland
* Ring tones - Polyphonic And Real
* Messaging
o Text
o Multimedia
o Approx 150 Messages
* Vibrating Alert
* Speaker Phone
* Battery (Li-ion 850 mAh) Life
o Talk Time 2-3 Hours
o Standby Mode 320 Hours
* GSM/GPRS 850/1900 MHz
* FM Radio
* 500 Entry Phonebook
* 65000 Color Display 128×128 pixels
* Weight: 90 Grams
* Dimensions:104 x 44 x 18
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Review
The Nokia 6030 is a basic cell phone that is easy to use yet has a touch of style and class that can. There are many phones out there where advancing technology and features are what it is all about, this is great I have a phone like this myself and I love it. However many people out there just want a basic phone to make calls, send messages and still be stylish, The Nokia 6030 does this.
This 104 x 44 x 18mm phone is quite thick however it does weigh only 90 grams which means that it is excessively light compared to its competitors. The Nokia 6030 comes with an x-press cover which gives it a metallic feel even though it is made from plastic, however it can leave fingerprint smudges easy. The phone also comes in 2 other colors, champagne and silver.
All though the Nokia 6030 lacks many features on of its key features is its fm radio. It can only receive mono reception however you can preset 12 radio stations and it comes with a set of earphones (including microphone).
As this is a basic phone it has basic connectivity features too the phone only uses GMS, GMRS or WAP. Also the GMRS is limited to class 6 and the WAP is only capable of WAP 2.0. If you wish to connect the phone to a computer you will have to buy a data cable since it does not have Bluetooth or infrared.
This phone comes with the standard polyphonic and real ring tones, which is great. This along with the look of it, makes it so classy and stylish. It also has a SAR value of .70W/kg which meets the international guidelines for radio wave exposure.
Overall this is a great simple mobile phone that fits a person that does not want all the hassles of a “super” phone. In my opinion this phone has little wrong with it and all right about it. It has class and style with no hassles, which is great for non-tech and older people.
Add comment July 10, 2008
