Motorola Grasp – Review

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Motorola Grasp

Release Date: September 15, 2010
Price: $39.95, no contract

Battery:

Battery life, when measured in terms of talk time, is somewhat below average at 318 minutes of talk time. Since this is being advertised as a serious messaging phone, you will need to make sure that you aren’t trying to do a lot of heavy talking.

Multimedia:

Even though this phone does have drawbacks, there are some advantages that should be addressed. Take the multimedia options for example — you have a full multimedia player at your disposal, giving you plenty of options to watch movies or even your favorite videos. Speaking of videos, there are video capture as well as playback capabilities, giving you one more way to really explore your world.

There is a 1.3MP camera on board, which again isn’t the best type of camera out there. However, if you’re more concerned with texting and sending picture messages back and forth with ease, the Grasp is definitely for you.

For additional connectivity options, there is both Bluetooth as well as USB 2.0 for your convenience.

Memory:

There is up to 8GB of user available memory, although Motorola is being very coy about how that actually breaks down into internal memory and flash card memory. If you’re really into the Grasp, you’re better off assuming that you will need to pick up a memory card.

Screen:

Lets get one thing straight — you’re definitely not purchasing this phone because you need a sharp display. The Grasp simply doesn’t have it. However the display is adequate enough for all of the messaging and email capabilities Motorola is promoting, which is the entire point.

The screen is 2.2 inches, with a standard resolution of 220×176. The color palette isn’t as rich as what you’ll find with other phones, making the display one of the lowest selling points of the phone. Still, as mentioned before, the

Summary:

The Motorola Grasp is something that definitely comes in as “mid-range”. Sorry super-high-end smartphone fans, you aren’t going to find a megaton’s worth of power within the Grasp. However, for people that are on U.S Cellular looking for some good Android action, they can definitely find it.

The design is a little off, and some might find it a bit too chunky for their needs. The weight is decently solid at 3.7 ounces, which means that you won’t have too many problems getting this However, the camera is solid and most initial reports indicate that call quality isn’t too bad. If you have to choose between this is your standard cheap candy bar phone, you’ll definitely want to go with the Grasp. It’s completely up to you, of course, but you really can’t go wrong with the Motorola Grasp as a starting phone.

Some people will even be interested in the Motorola Grasp because it’s an environmentally friendly phone. Motorola has promised that 100% of the phone’s composition will be recyclable — it remains to be seen whether or not that will really be the case.

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HTC Desire Z – Review

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HTC Desire Z

Release Date: October 2010 (exact date to be disclosed later)
Price: $550 no contract

Talk Time: 9.8 hours
Standby Time: 17.9 days

Battery:

Battery life for the HTC Desire Z is definitely good, with a talk time of 9.8 hours. Of course, there are other features and factors that can affect battery life. For example, this phone also has an MP3 player, as well as Wi-Fi — you will definitely see some performance snags occur if you decide to use the camera and the Wi-Fi frequently. When you’re truly concerned about battery life, you will want to make sure that you turn off the extra stuff — it will completely change your battery life for the better.

Memory and Processor Speed:

Memory is not an issue with the Desire Z — with 1.5GB of internal space, you’re pretty much covered. However, for those that have to walk around with a complete archive of everything they’ve owned in the photo, video, and music departments, you’re still covered — the device supports a massive 32GB microSD card. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with the card — you’ll still have to purchase that separately. Still, having the potential for so much on-board space is always a good thing and a memory card should be the first thing you purchase to go with the HTC Desire Z.

The processor is also decently fast at 800 MHz — not as much as some phones, but definitely noticeable in the speed department.

Camera:

The camera is a 2-for-1 deal, with 720p video recording as well as 5-megapixel-cool pictures. Most of the reports surrounding first use of the camera have been positive — for a phone, the pictures are pretty superb. If you’re looking to take professional photographs, well…you’re still going to need a digital camera for that.

Screen:

Screen size is 3.7 inches with a native 480×800 resolution. This gives quite a bit of screen space for movies, pictures, and Web browsing. Since this device is Wi-Fi enabled, browsing will be a joy on such a large screen. While it’s not as massive as some of the other Android phones, 3.7 inches is still nothing to sneeze at.

Form:

What’s interesting about the form factor of the HTC Desire Z is that it’s on a special “Z” hinge that allows for a full keyboard to hide against a touchscreen. This gives you the ability to travel in a compact fashion without losing the features that you love most.  The phone slides up to reveal the keyboard whenever you get the urge to do some heavy texting. Of course, you can always keep the phone closed and use the touchscreen to get around.

Other Features:

* GPS
* Bluetooth 2.1
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

Summary:

While this is still a phone earmarked for the international market first, it goes without saying that US customers will be able to purchase it soon afterwards. HTC is changing things up a bit by aiming for the European market first, but they’re on to something — the European market loves being beta testers in their own right, and their reaction to the Desire Z will make a difference when they get ready to launch a US-version of the phone.

Is this phone for you? Well, the big touch screen may turn off the hardcore physical QWERTY fans, but the reality is that touchscreen is where it’s at, and where it’s going to stay for a long time. Android 2.1 is what’s on the device natively, but a fast upgrade to Android 2.2 (Froyo) is definitely in the works.

This is a phone with a moderate amount of power and plenty of goodies for anyone really looking for something compact that will impress just about anyone they come across.

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LG Optimus One – Review

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LG Optimus One

Release Date: October 2010 (exact date to be disclosed)
Price – to be disclosed at a later date

Battery:

Battery life for the LG Optimus One is a massive 8 hours of talk time and nearly 2 weeks of standby time. Of course, these are still the average numbers that will vary depending on how you actually use the phone. These days, phones include some pretty heavy battery draining components, such as Wi-Fi and 3G. It means that you will definitely need to make sure that you either turn off these elements or that you keep a second charger handy if you plan to do a lot of traveling.

Memory and Processor Speed:

If you’ve been looking at some of the higher end phones, you might think that the memory and processor specs for the Optimus One are a little weak. However, you’re talking about a phone for a completely different market that isn’t trying to carry their entire life with them. It’s much more important to Optimus One fans to be able to have enough space to carry their pictures without having to carry along a massive memory card just to do so.  There is capability for microSD expansion, up to 2GB. That’s plenty of space for music and photos, but you may want to upgrade after it becomes clear that you need more space than what you’ll find in this phone.

As far as the processor speed goes, there is a 600 MHz chip in the phone powering things. The initial usage reports indicate that the chip is fast enough to get things done, but you’re not going to see the same performance as you might with a much faster processor.

Screen:

Just like many of the new Android phones out, the LG Optimus One sports a very roomy screen, at 3.2 inches. This translates to a resolution of 320×480. It’s not going to be as big as some of the other superphones, but the LG Optimus One still deserves a look. The colors are vibrant enough to make using the phone a pleasure, and first-time smartphone users will definitely see what the fuss is all about.

Camera:

Since this is a phone aimed at first-time smartphone users, you will need to keep your expectations at bay. This is not an 8MP camera capable of taking highly detailed photographs. Instead, this is a 3MP camera that will have no trouble taking pictures of your friends and family, as well as the world around you.

Summary:

If you’ve noticed the theme already, you’re in good company: Android is on the move, and it’s moving in a big way. The LG Optimus One isn’t the top of the line when it comes to the Android line up, but its’ one that will definitely appeal to people that are looking to experience Android without the hefty price tag. Even though the price hasn’t been disclosed, the price wont’ be as high as say, the Sprint EVO 4G or the Samsung Galaxy series.  This means that if you’re just someone that wants a nice phone without a lot of hassles, this is a great phone to look into.

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HTC Droid Incredible – Review

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HTC Droid Incredible

Release Date: April 29th, 2010
$199 w/ 2 year agreement
$599 no contract

Battery:

The first thing that most cell phone shoppers want to know about is how long the battery will hold without needing another trip to the phone charger. It’s a hard thing to determine, considering the fact that everyone uses their phone differently. Therefore, any numbers that are given in mobile phone guides are average numbers — your talk time and standby numbers could vary depending on how you use your phone. Generally speaking, you can expect an average of 312 minutes of talk time, and 146 hours of standby time — that’s nearly a week of standby time.

Memory and Processor Speed:

The HTC Droid Incredible has some “incredible” specs in this department — like the 1 Ghz processor, which will practically ensure that everything moves as fast as possible on the phone. However, it doesn’t stop there — there is also 8GB of internal memory. In addition, there’s potential for 32GB of space, microSD style. Yes, you will have to purchase an extra memory card if you want to really ensure that

Camera:

Is it really all about the megapixels when it comes to the on-board camera that most mobile phones sport? Not exactly, but the megapixel count on a camera phone is a great place to start. The HTC Droid Incredible has a great 8MP camera, giving you the potential for some high quality photos.

Screen:

Like other Android phone son the market, the HTC Droid Incredible has a 3.7 inch screen with a resolution of 480×800 pixels. However, the phone’s AMOLED display puts it a bit ahead of other phones. Since the phone supports video recording as well as playback, you’ll be glad to have such a big screen to enjoy on the go.

Other Features:

* GPS
* Bluetooth
* TTY (for the hard of hearing)
* Email

Summary:

A phone that calls itself “Incredible” has to be just that — and more. Does the HTC Droid Incredible live up to the name, or is it just marketing spin? Well, in a nutshell, the phone is definitely impressive. However, with other phones quickly gaining on the Droid Incredible, it goes without saying that you definitely have quite a few options. Still, the Incredible is truly a great phone, and will definitely maintain the top spot for a long time.

Is this a phone for everyone? Well, that depends. Considering that it’s $599 for no contract and $199 with a 2 year agreement, it goes without saying that this phone is a little pricier than you might be used to. In addition, you will also want to think about whether or not you wan tot switch to a virtual keyboard. There’s no physical QWERTY to be found, but some people actually like that feature. Still, if you’re used to a hardwired QWERTY, it can take some getting used to. The user interface is crisp and well worth it for people that are both used to the Android system and new to the platform as a group. Overall, this is a phone that will delight most phone users, but leave some advanced tech fans wanting a little more — especially from a phone that’s supposed to be “Incredible”.

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Blackberry Curve 3G Review

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Blackberry Curve 3G

Release Date: August 2010

Battery Life:

Battery life is one of the biggest factors most people look at when they’re thinking about picking up a Blackberry, and the good news is that you’ll find some decent battery life in this phone. Talk time is an average of 5.5 hours, while standby is about 14 days. Of course, like most phones, using the “heavy” aspects of the phone such as 3G will definitely decrease your battery life, but that’s what travel chargers are for!

Battery life is a little short compared to other phones out there, but for people that are used to the BlackBerry line, they’ll most likely find themselves still picking up a Curve 9300 3G.

Memory and Processor Speed:

Right off the bat, you might think that the 624 MHz processor isn’t going to be enough to handle all of your cell phone needs. However, the reality is that the processor is more than fast enough to handle Web browsing, applications, and music — without slowing down a bit. The only time you’re really going to notice the processor lag is during heavy multitasking use, so make sure that you close applications that you’re completely finished with.

There is an expansion for microSD use — you can actually add up to 32GB of storage with a microSD memory card. The internal memory is a bit low at 256MB, but so many applications automatically use the SD card that you won’t really notice the lack of heavy internal memory.

Camera:

Since the Curve isn’t aimed towards the social set, the camera isn’t as high end as what you might find in other phone lines. The camera is 2MP but it’s a camera that focuses on capturing the world around you. The integration of the camera into the main operating system is actually quite slick — you push one button and you’re automatically taken to the camera element of the phone. You can then view pictures or take new ones — it’s always up to you.

Screen:

The screen on the BlackBerry is one of the biggest advantages the device has — people that are used to the BlackBerry form factor will find the screen space more than ample.

The resolution for the new Curve 9300 is 320×240 pixels, at QVGA quality.

Other Features:

* GPS
* HSPDA
* Bluetooth
* Music Player
* Wi-Fi

Summary:

Is this a major upgrade? Well, that depends on how you look at it. First and foremost, you have to totally be a member of the BlackBerry tribe to really appreciate this phone. That will ultimately determine how you really feel about the phone. Most BlackBerries are designed for the business market, but more social people are beginning to get on the bandwagon. Adding in 3G capabilities is a good play for Research in Motion, and this will bring a lot of people into the Blackberry tree.

Speaking of BlackBerry’s new crowd, the newly rebuilt Curve 9300 is perfect for new cell phone users that are intrigued by picking up a smartphone, but aren’t sure where they want to actually go in the mobile phone world.

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Samsung Vibrant – Review

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Samsung Vibrant

Release Date: July 21st, 2010
$199.99 w/ 2 year agreement
$599.99 – no contract

Battery:

Battery life is tricky anything you’re talking about Android phones. Even though the manufacturer will quote a certain number, the reality is that mot hardcore Android fans are going to be doing a lot more with their phones than just talking. The Samsung Vibrant T459 is loaded with Wi-FI, GPS & 3G — three battery draining phone features. To top it off, there’s also music and video capabilities. This adds even more strain on the battery, making it smart to carry a travel charger. When you’re really trying to get things done, being able to recharge as necessary is the key here. Still, initial testers have found that the phone holds up well through a day of heavy usage — though at the end of the day you will most likely need to put it on the charger.

If you want to go by the “average” numbers being quoted directly from Samsung, it’s going to be 2 days of standby time, and roughly 6-8 hours of talk time.

Memory and Processor Speed:

With a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, the Samsung Vibrant is definitely fast — web browsing, games, and applications should all run pretty smoothly on the phone. Considering the screen space as well as the potential for heavy application use, a 1 GHz processor isn’t just nice to have — it’s practically required.

As far as the memory goes, you’re in for a few surprises with the Vibrant. First off, T-Mobile has made sure that the phone ships with a 2GB memory card that’s already pre-loaded with James Cameron’s Avatar, a movie that’s sure to become a classic.

Camera:

The camera on this phone is a decent 5MP — it isn’t the whopping 8MP that some of the high-end Android phones have, but 5MP is more than enough to let you capture everything you experience on you way around town or on trips. The camera also supports 720p video recording — HD quality. Since sites like YouTube now have mobile uploading, this means that your phone is social right out of the box — always a good thing.

Screen:

The screen on the Vibrant is pretty much the main reason for the phone’s name — and it definitely lives up to the title well. The screen is part of the Super AMOLED family, which definitely makes colors pop and really stand out. What also makes the screen appealing is that it’s a touchscreen, giving the user the ability to do everything — including text — directly from the screen. The resolution is 480×800, giving you plenty of reasons to use that movie-watching functionality to the fullest.

Other Features:

* Wi-Fi
* GPS
* Kindle for Android
* Comes with James Cameron’s Avatar
* Available currently on T-Mobile

Summary:

Not everyone will love this phone — the business set will still most likely stick with classic favorites like the BlackBerry, but for the social butterflies in the audience, this is a rocking phone that will definitely keep you connected in style.

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Gumtree Publishes iPad Data

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Published on: 2011-06-19

After the iPad 2 launch in March Gumtree.com have been trawling their site to compile data for technology savvy iPad fans. They found some surprising things, including that the prices of the second-hand tablets varied greatly between areas.

The online listings company found that the cheapest iPads were found in the north of the United Kingdom. That Belfast had iPads listed at the lowest price and that London was the most expensive place to buy the gadget. The best thing about this handy information is that anyone can take advantage of the price differences.

The company also noted that most of the iPads listed on their website came from London, taking up over 40 per cent of the iPad listings. However the iPads for sale in London were also some of the most expensive.

The company also noted that the number of iPads listed on their website increased dramatically when the iPad 2 was launched.

So have a look at the second-hand iPads on offer and join the Apple fan club. There are lots of great features on the original iPad including, being able to download and read entire books and periodicals. You can catch up on the latest movies or listen to your music. There are so many apps for the iPad, that most of us have lost count. You can also download and play games on long journeys. Most importantly though you can view web content.

The infographic is shown below, so why wait, join the iPad generation.

iPad Price Infographic
Via:
iPad D

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Samsung Epic 4G

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Samsung Epic 4G

Release Date: August 31st, 2010

$249.99 w/ 2 year contract
$499.99 – no contract price

Battery:

The Samsung Epic 4G is an Android phone with a very good battery life, which is something that most cell phone fans are looking for. Android is one of the hottest platforms on the market, and the Samsung Epic 4G doesn’t disappoint in this area at all.

However, there are things that can cause you to lose some battery life very quickly. The Epic 4G is WiMAX capable, but this is something that drains battery life very quickly. In addition, if you decide to use the Epic 4G as a wireless hotspot, battery life will also suffer. Like other smartphones, you will want to make sure that you turn off the most battery draining features if you want to preserve battery life. Wi-Fi, 3G, and WiMAX will indeed drain the battery, but these features offer so much functionality to the phone that you shouldn’t just skip over them.

Memory and Processor Speed:

Compared to other smartphones, the Epic 4G doesn’t offer as much on-board memory. However, there are plenty of opportunities to add expandable memory. A 16GB microSD card comes with the phone, so smartphone fans should have more than enough memory to store important applications as well as the usual audio, video, and pictures.

As far as the processor speed goes, this is really where the Epic 4G shines — there’s a 1 GHz processor supported by Android 2.1 — there may be an update to Android 2.2 (Froyo) in the works, but news is still vague on this note.

Screen:

There’s one word to describe the screen — massive. At 4.3-inches, you are definitely get a lot of real estate for the money. Even though the price tag might throw you off the Epic 4G, the screen’s vibrancy and size should be more than enough to keep you interested. It’s something that can definitely pay off in spades, especially when you’re really trying to browse the best that the Web has to offer or even just viewing pictures from friends and family.

Form:

Like many other smartphones on the market, the Samsung Epic 4G is a full keyboard phone. The QWERTY keyboard factor is hidden by a slide-out feature. When you don’t need to use the pull out keyboard, you can simply keep it closed and save space. The phone is a big chunkier than other smartphones, but when you’re a heavy text messaging user, this type of bulk is actually a good thing. After all, how many times have you had a phone slip out of your hands while you’re trying to send that very important text message?

Camera:

What’s a smartphone without a camera? On top of getting all the goodies from the Android platform, you get to round out a fantastic phone with a fantastic camera. What’s interesting is that you get not just one camera, but two — you get a very sharp 5 megapixel camera in the back, and a low-resolution camera in the front. Why would you want two different cameras? Well, everyone’s taken at least one self-portrait of themselves in the mirror. This actually helps you take better self-portraits — use the front-camera for those pictures and the back camera for the “real” shots of everything else.

Other Features:

* Android 2.1 OS
* Email, Text Messaging
* Speech-to-text messaging
* Music Player

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Motorola Droid X

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Motorola Droid X

Release Date: July 15, 2010

Battery:

When you really want to dig into the guts of a great smartphone like the Motorola Droid X, you must start with the battery. After all, all the other features of such a phone still depend on having a great battery to work with, and one that will last long enough for you to really experience everything that the Droid X does so well.

Battery life for the Droid X is actually quite decent, giving you a full day of heavy use without having to constantly go back to the charging station. However, if you’re using the hotspot functionality on the Droid X, you may have to charge up more times than someone that is just making a few phone calls here and there. The standby time for the Droid X is roughly three days, but since everyone uses their phone differently, it’s important to realize that your mileage might vary.

Memory and Processor Speed:

With specs as impressive as the Motorola Droid X brings to the table, you have to lead with performance and processor speed. Instead of dealing with a ho-hum processor, the Droid X speeds forward with a cutting edge TI OMAP3630 processor. In the OMAP line, it’s one of the best out there.

Memory is something that also gets your attention when it comes to the Motorola Droid X, as the phone comes with over 8GB of internal memory, as well as the ability to support a massive 16GB microSD card. That’s pretty impressive, considering some phones only have 500MB of internal memory and only take a 4GB microSD card.

Screen:

Most smartphone fans these days are going to be pretty interested in the screen size of any phone that they have their eyes on. Since there has been so much hype on the Droid X, it goes without saying that Motorola really had to step up their game — especially with the Sprint HTC EVO 4G right on its heels.

The screen on the Droid X sports a nice 854×480 resolution — as you might imagine, this leads to a much narrower and even “skinny” screen than the standard formula.  As far as inchhes go, you’re still dealing with a 4.3-inch screen. Real estate as far as this phone goes isn’t going to be a problem at all — you’ll definitely be able to see what you’re doing.

Form:

When you first look at the Motorola Droid X, you think “slim” more than anything else. Is it paper-thin? Absolute not — we haven’t gotten to that point yet. However, there’s a beautiful display that takes center stage. When you hold the Droid X in your hand, you’ll definitely notice that you’re holding something solid. Unlike other smartphones on the market, there are very few curves here — it’s more of a “square” look. However, with the features of this phone, you’ll find that it’s actually quite hip to be square, indeed.

Camera:

Rounding out the features of this phone is a very strong camera that produced amazing results right from the box. Instead of dealing with a low-resolution camera, you’ll actually be working with an 8 megapixel camera. However, it’s not just megapixels that you’ll be working with — you’ll also have a strong flash and auto-focus.

Other Features:

* Mobile Hotspot
* Custom UI interface
* Customizable Skins

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BlackBerry Torch 9800

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BlackBerry Torch 9800

Release Date: August 12, 2010

$199 w/ a 2 year contract
$499 no contract

Battery:

If there was one component of a cell phone that people think about first, it would definitely have to be battery life. The Blackberry Torch 9800 definitely has its upsides and downsides, but battery life is definitely an upside. The battery life is rated at about 5.5 hours of actual talk time, standby time of about 17 days. If you’re using your Torch for audio and video use, then you can expect 29.8 hours and 6 hours for audio and video usage, respectively.

Initial reviews of the Torch 9800 report that heavy usage is not a problem, but it generally only lasts for a single day on a single charge.

Memory and Processor Speed:

Internal flash memory is something that most users don’t think about, but Research in Motion has made it easy to walk the balance between the internal memory a phone needs to be very functional, and expandable memory. Most smartphones are now designed to let you play audio and video, as well as have more space for pictures. The expandable memory slot accepts up to a 32GB microSD card, but the nice part about the Torch is that it comes with a 4GB microSD card. Many smartphones forget to include a memory card with your purchase, leaving you to have to take time out of your day just to pick one up.

Processor speed is decent, though not as good as other smartphones on the market. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t have the best experience around — the 624MHz processor will be able to handle just about anything you can throw at it.

Screen:

The screen on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is a touchscreen, which is the primary feature that Research in Motion is pushing. The screen is fairly roomy at about 3.2 inches and has a resolution of 360×480.

Form:

One of the biggest criticisms of the BlackBerry line is that the phones are not stylish. However, true BlackBerry fans will really appreciate the fact that the form of the phone as a whole is very solid and non-assuming. You will not be sorry by checking out the Torch 9800, as the size of the phone gives you plenty of room to grip the phone and hold it securely. Although the phone is not as thin as other smartphones, the solid feel is something that BlackBerry users have been used to over the years.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is a slider phone with a touchscreen element, which is all the more reason why the phone has been structured with solid design in mind rather than flashy looks.

Controls:

From the moment that you pick up the Torch, you’ll have no trouble using it right away. This is due to Research in Motion (RIM) focusing more on fluid design and controls than anything else. You slide the phone up and expose the full keyboard as well as the standard phone controls.

Camera:

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 has plenty of fantastic features, but it’s the 5 megapixel camera that will definitely get your attention. In a nutshell, the camera on the 9800 has some superior features that should be noted. The biggest is autofocus, which means that you won’t have to do much to get a great shot of everyday life. In the past, camera phones meant dealing with fuzzy, grainy photos. However, RIM is trying to get regular people into the BlackBerry line, which means making sure that the camera is as effortless as possible.

Other Features:

* GPS
* Wi-Fi
* Bluetooth
* Web browsing

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