A whole new standard has been set with the Dell Streak that is certainly capable of matching the functionality of a laptop, with the added benefit of phone calling, and surpassing the experience given by smartphones with its 5 inch capacitive touch-screen and super slim 10mm design. Four customisable home screens, multi-touch capabilities, a 1Ghz processor and pinch and zoom ensure that all the applications and features run smoothly.
The graphical qualities are amazing with a resolution of 800×480 pixels providing high-definition video playback. Your own videos can be uploaded to YouTube within a few easy clicks and social networking integration makes uploading pictures a breeze. The 5 megapixel camera has the functionality of a dedicated device with auto-focus, dual LED flash, geo-tagging, an editor and face/smile detection. A secondary camera is also provided to allow video calling.
Access to the Internet is granted with a 3G HSDPA connection that rivals the experience obtained via broadband and with portrait or landscape viewing web pages can be enjoyed with ease. The Android OS v1.6 can be upgraded to v2.2. The connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, quad-band roaming and a HDMI port is provided for connecting to a TV. The Dell Streak offers the best of both worlds and with a GPS receiver, digital compass and Google Maps the package is rounded off nicely.
A nexus is a link or means of connecting things; it can also mean the core or centre of something. So the first significant mobile event of the new decade: the launch of Google’s initial Android phone - the eagerly awaited Nexus One - pieces together almost all that is great and good in the mobile device world. This is undoubtedly a superb piece of engineering. The bar gets raised yet again and we’re hardly out of the starting blocks for the year!
Ergonomically, the Google Phone as it is being called, just slips naturally into the hand with its all-round soft curves rather than the hard edges of, say the Motorola Milestone. At 130g the Nexus One is lighter than an iPhone (136g) and Milestone (170g) as well as being narrower and thinner (at 11.5mm) than these two most striking competitors.
All the boxes of a futuristic smartphone are ticked - albeit with a few compromises and zigs where some people would prefer to zag. Not least is the fantastic 3.7 inch widescreen, AMOLED screen, delivering 720×480 pixels resolution. Arguably crisper and clearer than any other display on the market, it delivers touchscreen responsiveness definitely in the ballpark of the iPhone and, moreover, it is fast.
The combination of Android 2.1 sitting above a Snapdragon CPU clocked at 1GHz with 512Mb RAM and ROM really does enable you to zap through opening up applications and then moving between them, even on EDGE, where 3G is unavailable.
Its multimedia credentials, are quietly competent rather than superb - such as the 5 megapixel, autofocus camera with LED flash and its 32GB memory card capacity. Among the bells and whistles is an interesting Android application called Google Goggles: it tries to recognize what is in photos then generates search results about them. Goggles can currently recognize landmarks, books, contact information, artwork, places, wine and logos at the moment and Google is apparently aiming to add other types of objects, such as plants!
A lively little feature that has certainly captured the blogosphere’s attention is what are called “live wallpapers”, already featured on Motorola’s Droid. Nexus One has a choice of 10 such animated images that can evolve throughout the day, for example. Probably more significantly, it offers excellent noise cancelling, a proximity sensor (so you don’t accidentally press buttons when it is up to your ear) and a highly effective speakerphone.
Where the Nexus One really impresses, though, is in what could be called its charisma – if it could walk into a crowded room, heads would most definitely turn. Its Teflon-coated back and sides are simultaneously rubbery and tough yet soft and almost sensuous – a strangely compelling tactile experience.
The Nexus One has scrambled up to the top of the greasy pole for now. We await what Samsung’s new Bada operating system will deliver in the Spring or early Summer. So 2010 looks set to be, if not exactly a space odyssey, then a fascinating journey though all that is faster, snappier and wow-ier in the mobile device world.
Our best selling phone this week. The BlackBerry 8900 has some new deals on T-Mobile with £100 cash back. Line rental is just £20 per month on an 18 month contract or £30 per month on a 12 month contract.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 looks similar to the BlackBerry Bold but it is smaller, measuring just 109×60×13.5mm. It promises the sharpest BlackBerry display to date, a 2.4 inch widescreen with a resolution of 480×360 pixels.
All of the usual BlackBerry applications are on board including BlackBerry Maps, phone, messaging and a good web browser. The new baby BlackBerry has a 3.2 megapixel camera, a full QWERTY keyboard and trackball navigation. There’s also a microSD card slot supporting up to 16GB.
12 month contract on T-Mobile Combi 30. Line rental is £29.36 per month and gives you 300 minutes and 200 texts per month. You’ll receive £150 cash back from Phones 4U, which can be claimed by sending off your bills in four stages at months 6, 8, 10 and 12.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has a 3.2 inch touchscreen and the latest S60 interface, especially adapted for touch control. As the XpressMusic name suggests, this is a fantastic music phone. Supporting microSD cards up to 16GB there’s plenty of storage for music and video files. There’s an accelerometer, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio and a TV out port for viewing videos or playing the built-in games on your big screen.
The camera on the Nokia 5800 has 3.2 megapixels and a dual LED flash. This might not sound impressive but it has a high quality Carl Zeiss and that makes all the difference. Photographs are noticeably better compared to those taken with an iPhone or with an older generation cameraphone. The built-in web browser is excellent. The screen renders quickly and web pages can be dragged with a finger swipe or zoomed with a double tap on the screen. The Nokia 5800 has 3G, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. There’s also a built-in GPS receiver and a special touchscreen version of Nokia Maps is pre-installed. Don’t forget it’s also a phone! The on-screen numeric keypad makes dialling easy and there’s a choice of on-screen QWERTY keyboards or handwriting recognition for text input.
Our best selling deal, the free HTC Touch HD on Orange Dolphin 40 (12m), is now even better. It comes with £40 cash back. Line rental is £39.15 and for that you get 600 minutes and 500 texts per month. Also available on an 18 month contract with £170 cash back, unlimited texts and lower line rental.
The HTC Touch HD sits at the top of the HTC Windows Mobile range alongside the Touch Pro. The 3.8 inch WVGA display (480x800 pixels) hint at this phones superior multimedia capabilities. This amazingly large screen alongside a 5 megapixel camera, standard 3.5mm headphone jack, integrated GPS, FM Radio and HSDPA internet capabilities gives the Touch HD a compelling list of multimedia specifications.
The intuitive TouchFLO 3D interface makes browsing the web a joy. Double tap the screen and the Opera browser zooms in smoothly to your chosen web page. Then simply swipe across the screen with your finger to scroll around web pages quickly and effortlessly.
Free Sony PS3 delivered instantly when you take a new 12 month contract on Vodafone. The deal comes with a Samsung J700 and is available only online from Phones 4u. Line rental is just £39.15 with 700 minutes and 250 texts per month.
Best of all your Sony PS3 will be delivered with your new mobile phone!
The Samsung J700 isn’t a bad phone either, it’s one of our best-selling slider phones. It has a glossy, mirror like surface and comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera so you will always be able to catch those unexpected moments. It also has basic video capture and playback facility, Bluetooth an FM radio and MP3 player. Up to 2GB of music can be stored on a microSD card. Weighing just 92g it’s one of the lightest slider phones available, and at 14.7mm slim it will fit comfortably into your pocket.
If you’re looking for an attention grabber in the music phone market then the Sony Ericsson W715 is certainly for you. This is a slick, sleek and stylish Walkman phone with an elegant slider to cover the keypad.
As it is marketed as a Walkman phone it is hardly surprising that it comes bundled with all the latest music software that Sony Ericsson provides. This includes a highly functional music player, intelligent Track ID, SenseMe and shake control. There’s also Bluetooth A2DP support for stereo headphones. Connectivity options are good too, with HSPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi for fast data transfer. It’s also Quad-band, which means it can be used almost anywhere in the world.
The Sony Ericsson W715 also has GPS and photos taken with the 3.2 megapixel camera can be tagged with their exact location. Although the camera isn’t in competition with the high end camera phones, it doesn’t disappoint. With a weight of just 98g and a look of sophistication, it’s no wonder this Walkman phone is a major player in its field.
The Nokia N96 is now free on Orange Dolphin 40 (12m). 600 xnet mins and 500 texts for less then £40 per month. Mobile internet can be added for an extra £5 per month.
When you first pick up the Nokia N96 you know it’s something special. The 2.8 inch screen dominates the front of the phone and is great for browsing the web or using the Nokia maps application. The N96 has 16GB of internal memory which can be expanded to a huge 24GB.
With the BBC iPlayer you can watch all the top BBC programmes on your mobile for free. Your N96 can sit on your desk while you catch up with the latest EastEnders or Holby City.
The 5 megapixel camera has a top spec and takes brilliant photos. It has a Carl Zeiss lens, autofocus, digital zoom, LED flash, macro mode for close-ups, light exposure adjustment and a range of timers. Don’t be bedazzled by the marketing hype surrounding the 8 megapixel war. The camera on the N96 is absolutely brilliant, you won’t be disappointed.
Free Sony Vaio when you a new mobile phone contract on Orange or O2. Line rental starts at just £44 per month for 1200 minutes plus loads of texts. You’ll also receive a free mobile phone, choose from a Sony Ericsson W302, Samsung J700 pink or black, Sony Ericsson T303 pink or black, or a Nokia 2630.
The Sony Vaio NS20E is a powerful Laptop that will perform all your daily computing tasks with ease. Featuring a powerful Intel Pentium Dual Core processor, vivid 15.4 inch display, 250GB hard drive and DVD burning and playback, the Sony Vaio is the perfect multimedia laptop for watching movies and music on the go.
Extremely portable at less than 3kg, the Vaio runs on Windows Vista Home Premium, features Wi-Fi connectivity and a 1.3 Megapixel webcam for an excellent online experience with Internet Explorer putting the internet at your finger tips. The Vaio combines good looks with great features to create an ultra stylish portable Laptop.
12 month contract on T-Mobile Combi 30. Line rental is £29.36 per month and gives you 300 minutes and 200 texts per month. You’ll receive £176 cash back, which is equal to 6 months free line rental. Cash back needs to be claimed by sending off your bills in four stages at months 5, 7, 9 and 12. Or, there’s a similar deal available with £140 automatic cash back, which you don’t have to claim.
Also available with Web’n’Walk. Get unlimited web browsing on your Nokia 5800 for an extra £4.90 per month - and that comes with 6 months free too.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has a 3.2 inch touchscreen and the latest S60 interface, especially adapted for touch control. As the XpressMusic name suggests, this is a fantastic music phone. Supporting microSD cards up to 16GB there’s plenty of storage for music and video files. There’s an accelerometer, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio and a TV out port for viewing videos or playing the built-in games on your big screen.
The camera on the Nokia 5800 has 3.2 megapixels and a dual LED flash. This might not sound impressive but it has a high quality Carl Zeiss and that makes all the difference. Photographs are noticeably better compared to those taken with an iPhone or with an older generation cameraphone. The built-in web browser is excellent. The screen renders quickly and web pages can be dragged with a finger swipe or zoomed with a double tap on the screen. The Nokia 5800 has 3G, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. There’s also a built-in GPS receiver and a special touchscreen version of Nokia Maps is pre-installed. Don’t forget it’s also a phone! The on-screen numeric keypad makes dialling easy and there’s a choice of on-screen QWERTY keyboards or handwriting recognition for text input.
Great price for one of Nokia’s most stylish and functional 3G phones. You’ll need to buy a £10 airtime voucher but delivery is free. Available while stocks last at Mobiles2YourDoor, who are actually Phones 4U only under a different name. The offer is available only online, you can’t get this in Phones 4U stores.
The Nokia 6500 classic is just 9.5mm thick and weighs 95g, which is relatively light for a 3G phone. Similar in size to the more advanced Nokia 6120 classic smartphone, the 6500 classic is the more attractive of the two. It’s rounded edges, chrome trim and clean lines pitch it as a 3G fashion phone. It has a 2 megapixel camera and a built-in MP3 player. The 6500 classic comes with a generous 1GB of internal memory.
Fantastic new deals with the Samsung Pixon on 12 month contracts. You can get a free Samsung Pixon on T-Mobile Combi 30 (12m), with 300 minutes and 200 texts per month for £29.36 line rental. You can then choose either £55 automatic cash back, an iPod shuffle plus £30 auto cash back, or a digital photoframe plus £15 auto cash back. Free gifts are sent within a few days and cash back paid automatically to your account after you’ve paid your first bill.
The Samsung M8800 Pixon is a full touchscreen cameraphone with a built-in GPS receiver. The 8 megapixel autofocus camera can take photos with a resolution of 3264×2448 pixels. It can capture high resolution video at 30 frames per second and it has auto-panarama, image stalisation, smile detection and blink detection. There’s also a secondary video call camera. The Samsung Pixon is a 3G phone with HSDPA support. It has a GPS receiver for geotagging photos but unfortunately there is no Wi-Fi. The 3.2 inch touchscreen uses Samsung’s TouchWiz interface, sensitivity is good and the screen provides haptic feedback.
The Touch HD is currently the UK’s favourite and most impressive touchscreen mobile phone. It’s now free on Orange Dolphin 40 (12m contract). For £39.15 you get 600 minutes and 500 texts per month.
The HTC Touch HD sits at the top of the HTC Windows Mobile range alongside the Touch Pro. The 3.8 inch WVGA display (480×800 pixels) hint at this phones superior multimedia capabilities. This amazingly large screen alongside a 5 megapixel camera, standard 3.5mm headphone jack, integrated GPS, FM Radio and HSDPA internet capabilities gives the Touch HD a compelling list of multimedia specifications.
The intuitive TouchFLO 3D interface makes browsing the web a joy. Double tap the screen and the Opera browser zooms in smoothly to your chosen web page. Then simply swipe across the screen with your finger to scroll around web pages quickly and effortlessly.
The Nokia 5800 touchscreen mediaphone is now available on Vodafone and it’s free on a 12 month contract. Line rental is less than £25 p/m and you can claim £70 cash back.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has a 3.2 inch touchscreen and the latest S60 interface, especially adapted for touch control. As the XpressMusic name suggests, this is a fantastic music phone. Supporting microSD cards up to 16GB there’s plenty of storage for music and video files. There’s an accelerometer, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio and a TV out port for viewing videos or playing the built-in games on your big screen.
The camera on the Nokia 5800 has 3.2 megapixels and a dual LED flash. This might not sound impressive but it has a high quality Carl Zeiss and that makes all the difference. Photographs are noticeably better compared to those taken with an iPhone or with an older generation cameraphone. The built-in web browser is excellent. The screen renders quickly and web pages can be dragged with a finger swipe or zoomed with a double tap on the screen. The Nokia 5800 has 3G, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. There’s also a built-in GPS receiver and a special touchscreen version of Nokia Maps is pre-installed. Don’t forget it’s also a phone! The on-screen numeric keypad makes dialling easy and there’s a choice of on-screen QWERTY keyboards or handwriting recognition for text input.
T-Mobile’s latest MDA is their most powerful to date. The new Vario IV takes T-Mobile’s MDA Compact IV and adds a slide out QWERTY keyboard and an improved battery.
The MDA Vario IV is a 3G device with HSDPA. With Web’n’Walk it has fast internet access and it can be connected to your laptop for mobile broadband. The Vario IV is relatively slim when compared to older Vario devices, measuring 18mm. But it still weighs 158g, mainly due to the powerful 1340 mAh battery.
Powered by the highly customisable Windows Mobile 6.1 OS the MDA Vario IV has a clever TouchFLO 3D interface. This allows your photos and music to be searched as you rotate the phone, or via finger gestures on its impressive screen. The screen itself is a 2.8 inch touchscreen TFT LCD with full VGA resolution. There’s a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, video calling, TV on your phone, FM radio and Windows Media Player. Built-in GPS completes the impressive feature list and CoPilot Sat Nav can be added as an optional extra.
