Review: Nokia Lumia 920

February 7th, 2013

Nokia-Lumia-920-hero-jpgAre you wondering if the Nokia Lumia 920 is a good reason to switch to a Windows Phone or is it another so-so device from the Finnish company? We put on spotlight one of the latest smartphones from Nokia, which has been struggling to compete with today’s market giants. The older Lumias have failed to make an impact but will the Lumia 920 change the fate of this brand?

Design

The Nokia Lumia 920 comes in various exciting colors from matte black, glossy red, glossy yellow, matte cyan, and glossy white. In terms of size, the Lumia 920 is on the bigger side of the spectrum and tips the scale at 185 grams. You will notice its weight when you pick the phone up but it will not be a major issue.

The Lumia 920 has four buttons that you can use to control the power, volume and camera located on the its right side. You have the headphone jack on top while the bottom features the USB port and speakers.

Operating System

The latest iteration of the Windows Phone is a good improvement from its last versions. Although it is good to take note that the Windows Phone 8 experience does not differ much from the user experience with the Windows Phone 7. You will notice differences like the Start Screeen that has been made to fit into the screen and the Live Tiles are more customizable.

The big tiles update in real time to notify you of missed calls, social media profile updates, or messages. One disappointment is the Windows Phone Store that cannot yet match the offerings of the iOS or the Android market.

Hardware

The Lumia 920 boasts of a 4.5-inch IPS display with 1280 x769 pixels making use of ClearBlack technology. Inside the case, you will find a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Qualcomm processor that works in tandem with 1GB RAM. It has an internal storage of 32 GB. The Lumia 920 comes with an 8.7MP rear camera and a fair counterpart in front.

Verdict

The Lumia 920 is a decent piece of hardware. It is solid, tough, and quite good looking. The hardware is topnotch but the software somehow holds back the potential of this smartphone. It is perfect if you want to try a Windows Phone and it will surely not disappoint you.

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Review of the HTC One X+

November 23rd, 2012

As the HTC One X gets an upgrade in the form of the One X+, will the refresh be enough to be at par or surpass the Galaxy S3 of its rival brand Samsung?

Build

The One X+ is a revamped version of its older sibling the One X. It is basically a halfway house between the bigger Galaxy S3 of Samsung and the iPhone 5. The One X+ sports a 4.7-inch display with 312ppi. Instead of the hard plastic housing, this version from the Korean manufacturer gets a rubberized surround.

HTC-One-X-PlusThe charging port is placed a bit awkward on the top left. The same is true for the SIM slot and the camera that protrudes a bit. The overall look is pretty slick with discreet elements such as the volume rocker and the speaker. The red and black theme also suits the Beats Solo you want to boom on your ears.

Features

The HTC One X+ runs on Jelly Bean that is designed to run on pack-leading smartphones. Under the unibody casing is a quad-core chip working hand in hand with a Tegra 3 NVIDIA chip and a gig of RAM. There is no slot for a MicroSD but the storage is ample at 64GB. It also comes with an 8MP camera. No 4G capabilities for those who are hoping.

Performance

The HTC One X+ is perfect for those who love games and need a quick machine to handle the graphics. The processing power makes the One X+ among the fastest mobile phones at the moment. It might be hard to find a rival that can outperform the One X+. The call quality is very clear and the battery life with some room for improvement.

Verdict

The HTC One X+ is a beautiful Android smartphone that has all the specs on paper to outclass the Galaxy S3.

HTC

RAZR MAXX by Motorola

September 27th, 2012

The Motorola RAZR MAXX is a big achievement for the brand. The very slim 9-mm chassis houses a battery with a n impressive 3,330 mAh capacity. This can be compared to the RAZR XT910 with 1780 mAh, the HTC One X with 1800 mAh, or the Samsung Galaxy S III with 2100 mAh. These smartphones all have power hungry CPUs so the battery of the RAZR MAXX will also be put into test.

The RAZR MAXX might not be the flagship unit of the brand but it is also not just a powerhouse glued to a nice looking display. It is not among the most advanced of the bunch but it still packs quite an oomph with a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, a Super AMOLED crystal-clear display, and an 8MP camera capable of shooting 1080p videos.

Here are some of the key features of the RAZR MAXX:

  • Splash resistant chassis
  • Quad-band with 3G, HSDPA, HSUPA
  • SuperAMOLED display with a 960 x 540 resolution
  • Dual-core ARM 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU with 1GB of RAM
  • Ice Cream Sandwich OS
  • 8 MP camera with autofocus and LED Flash
  • 16 GB storage

Consumers will also like how you can stretch the capabilities of the phone by using some available accessories. Users will be able to tap into the phones webtop functionality via selected docks that will unravel its PC-like features. There is even an accessory that can practically turn the hone into a full-fledged Android Netbook just like the Padfone of Asus.

Downside

While the Motorola RAZR MAXX is packed with features you will love. It is still not a perfect phone. User have to deal with the fact that it is a bigger and bulkier phone compared to other smartphoens in the market offering the same screen real estate. The screen which utilizes a matrix called PenTile is a bit dim by today’s standard. It also has no FM radio and a dedicated shutter key. A lot of users will also not like a battery that they cannor replace in cases it bugs down.

Check out Phones4u for the best possible deals on this (and many more!) phones!

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Budget phone reviews: Nokia Lumia 610

June 25th, 2012

lumia-610The Nokia Lumia 610 is the fourth in the series rolled out by the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer. Its older siblings, the 900, the 800, and the 710 have a good reputation of providing a fluid experience despite some weakness in their specs.

Build and Design

The Nokia Lumia 610 is a budget phone, and for its price in different markets, you cannot expect the best of designs to come with it. The look is descent enough and comes in white and other colorful variations. The looks do not come any close to the posh 900 or 800 but is closer to the size and shape of the Lumia 710.

The edges and the corners of the phone are rounded to offset its 12 millimeter midriff. The design is quite solid though and can definitely withstand the daily abuse of a heavy user. There can be some creaking noises due some flex in its body. The earpiece on top may also accumulate some dust and fluff. The buttons are near the chrome edge. It has a 1300mAh battery and a slot for a micro SIM. The storage of the 610 is not expandable.

The display panel is far from being great and can be compared with phones back in 2010. The size is 3.7 inches with a resolution of 480×800.

Performance

The 800MHz processor does well as the brain of the Lumia 610. It is particularly slower than the previous Lumias but handles the OS quite smoothly. You will feel the hardware problem when you go to the apps and find out that you cannot run a lot of apps due to insufficient memory.

You also cannot expect a lot from its camera which loads slowly and performs subpar.

Verdict

It has a solid built but is outweighed by its low specs. You can live with the downsides but why waste your money if you can get something better.

Check out lg.com for their brand new touch phone, it's one of the hottest on the market today!

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Smartphone Review: BlackBerry P’9881 by Porsche Design

March 26th, 2012

Research in Motion has been trying to regain its momentum by releasing new devices which makes use of its new operating system. So comes the BlackBerry 7OS and then the Bold 9900 series with ists cousin the 9930 series which both received quite an attention from consumers. These smartphones though are just not cool and flashy enough for executives who want to use it while on the golf course. Enter to the picture Porsche Design and the BlackBerry P’9981 for around $2,300.

The P’9981 has rolled out in the United Kingdom and the Middle East and is expected to be launched in the United States this Spring.

Hardware

The collaboration between RIM and Porsch Design resulted to the production of the BlackBerry P’9881. This targets competitions like the Motorola Aura, Vertu phones, or Nokia Oro which are also over the two grand mark. And with Porsche Design we know that only the finest materials were used.

The cost does not cover much on the function aspects but more on the eye candy aspect. The P’9881 was excellently crafted. The body of the phone is forged from stainless steel except for the plastic used on its bottom to avoid interference on its antenna. The cover of the battery is wrapped in leather while the keyboard is fashioned from metal plus glass for the navigation buttons. But when you look at it, there is a big resemblance to the 9900.

The brain of the Posrche Design phone is a 1.2GHz MSM8655 Qualcomm CPU with a RAM of 768 MB. The touch screen is good enough at 2.8 inches with a 286 ppi pixel density. It has a 5 megapixel camera that is capable of capturing HD video and works well with its LED flash. The keyboard though is the best feature of this phone.

Software

No doubt that the new BlackBerry 7.0 OS gives the flashy hardware a good tandem. One thing to point our spotlight to is the custom theme for the BlackBerry P’9981. The new theme is said to be exclusive for the high end phone.

Conclusion

The Posrche Design BlackBerry P’9981 will not change how we live but it is a good smartphone for someone who can afford it and is looking for a flashy BlackBerry. For normal beings, we see this phone as a Bold 9900 wearing a fancy costume.

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Review of the Nokia 700: A small phone packed with character

November 15th, 2011

Nokia 700 reviewThe Nokia 700 has a lot of reasons to just chill. Not much is expected of this mobile phone but it might surprise you when you get a hold of it. This is a small pone that is ready for the big things. It has a nice slim 9.7 mm body design with an eye catching ClearBlack AMOLED crisp 3.2-inch screen. It has a 1 GHz CPU working in tandem with a 512 MB of RAM. It works pretty neat for those who want their phones on Symbian Belle OS.

The Nokia 700 also comes with a 5 megapixel camera with face detection, geo tagging, and LED flash; 2gig of inbuilt storage which you can expand with a microSD; FM radio; Bluetooth and WiFi functions; proximity sensor; and accelerometer.

Design

The Nokia 700 will be a supermini if it is car at 110×50.7×9.7 mm in dimension and weighing only 96 grams. According to the phonemaker, this is among their greenest phone so far. The internals are crafted from recycled materials and they used bio-based paint to give the Nokia 700 its nice finish. \

The body of this mobile phone is a good blend of plastic and metal components. It is pretty small but it does not feel too delicate or too plasticky. You might want a bigger screen to come with it though but somehow the ClearBlack technology of Nokia makes looking at the small screen hassle free even outdoors. The keys below the screen do not protrude as much as you expect too but they can still be pressed easily. The same is true for the rest of the buttons like the volume rocker and the lock key.

User Interface

The Symbian Belle is perfect for the functionality the Nokia 700 wants to have. The Belle got a makeover and we can say the polished features like its native apps, menu, and homescreen serve it well. It ticks good, very fluid, and efficient.

Here’s a nice video to give you a peek:

Conclusion

The Nokia 700 is a good phone rolling off the production line of Nokia. It is a good alternative if you do not have the budget for an Android phone. It can be at par in beauty and will not lag much in terms of function.

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iPhone 5 This Fall?

July 15th, 2011

CNET discusses the possibility of an iPhone 5 (and a new iPad) faster than we were expecting….

YouTube Preview Image

Oh and they also show how to operate your home PC with your iPad. Pretty cool! :)

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Finding the best Cell Phone Deals Online

August 14th, 2010

These days you can buy almost anything online, and that includes a cell phone. If you know what you are doing buying your cell phone online can be an excellent way to get a good deal, unfortunately it can also be a good way to end up with an overpriced cell phone that doesn’t meet your needs. Thinking about how you intend to use your cell phone will make it easier to find the best cell phone deal online.

phone illustrationThe first thing that you are going to need to think about when you are choosing a cell phone deal is why you need a cell phone and how you intend to use it. The best plan for a teenager is completely different from the type of plan that a businessman who travels a lot would require. You may want a pay as you go plan so that you don’t find yourself overusing minutes and wind up owing more money than you thought you would. Or you may find that a family plan is a better option. Everybody has different needs and you have to assess what yours are in order to make sure that you make the right choice.

The great thing about being able to buy a cell phones online is that it is easy to make comparisons, this is something you definitely want to take advantage of. Compare everything, compare rates, coverage, contract length and make sure to check out the phone deals at phones4u. There are a lot of options available when it comes to cell phones and the price differences can be huge so it is important that you do your comparison shopping. Not only will this help you to get the best deal it will allow you to see what options are available so they you can make the right choice.

It is important to keep in mind that it isn’t a good cell phone deal if your phone doesn’t work. Not all cell phones work in all areas and some work better in some areas than in others. Obviously you are going to want to make sure that you get a phone that is going to work in the area in which you intend to use it. You will also want to make sure that any contract you sign isn’t committing you to pay for things that you don’t need. A lot of cell phone companies slip in things that will cost you money, watch out for them.

Cell Phones

Google Nexus One Car Dock — The Next Level In Car Docks!

April 3rd, 2010

Google Nexus One Car DockFinally, Google has gotten their head on straight and they have finally released one of the best car docking stations out there for the Nexus One smartphone.  The Google Nexus One Car Dock actually allows you to mount your handset on the car’s dashboard or even the windshield so that you can use the GPS system.

What makes this particular car docking station one of the best is because it actually provides quick and easy access to the voice commands and to Google maps navigation.

This mounting station also has built-in speakers and volume controls so that you can actually hear the GPS as it is telling you where to go!

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Samsung Diva S7070 — All That Glitters Is Gold!

March 20th, 2010

Samsung Diva S7070Samsung has been doing some different and unique things and I have to say that I have been impressed with this company.  Especially since it is coming out with the brand new Samsung Diva S7070 in luxury gold – which makes it just one of the luxury phones on the market right now but definitely the best.

The beautiful color, the breathtaking detail and of course the fact that the Samsung Diva S7070 is designed specifically for women makes the Samsung Diva S7070 the best phone on the market.  This phone is jam-packed with everything that a woman needs and honestly … it looks sweet.

Ladies, you want an awesome phone that is designed specifically for you?  Samsung Diva S7070 is it!

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