It’s another one of those days, the ones where your heart skips a beat and your wallet sheds tears because a company just gave official pricing and availability for a much anticipated gadget. Today, ASUS will be doing the honors as the company is finally coming forward with official pricing for two of their most hotly anticipated devices this summer, the Eee Slate EP121 and the Eee Pad Transformer.
Starting with the unique Eee Transformer, the ASUS Honeycomb sporting tablet will receive an official release date of April 6th and will be priced at just £379 for the 16GB version and £429 for the 32GB version. If you’re interested in getting the docking keyboard for the 16GB version as well, you can get the entire package for the price of the standalone 32GB version (£429).
Those who cannot do without the thought of Windows 7 following them around whethersoever they goeth, can drop a cool £999 on the Core i7 powered tablet that is bound to blow you away in terms of performance on a Windows 7 powered slate. The device we speak of is the Eee Slate EP121 which will be landing on the 1st of May and those looking to pre-order the device will be limited to Amazon UK through until the launch date as they have secured the exclusive pre-ordering rights for said device.
To bring things into perspective, the Eee Transformer is a cool £20-50 less than its iPad competition so those looking for value might want to look here. A lot better than Motorola’s Xoom pricing we’ll say. Good enough to lure customers from a bright glowing half bitten fruit? Well we’ll just have to wait and see.
Source Slashgear
Tags: ASUS-Eee-Pad-Transformer
The new Motorola Milestone 2 is Motorola’s replacement to the very successful Motorola Milestone and it surely looks set to be a worthy successor as it comes with a whole host of features that will not only match its predecessor, but also surpass it.
The phone comes with 3.7 inch touch screen that appears to be the best possible choice for displaying the Android 2.2 operating system that is the latest in the line of the now, very popular Android operating systems. The phone comes with Motoblur, an option that lets you resize widget so that they would fit your needs and offers great levels of customization. The phone manages to pack all these in a slim 13.7 mm frame that makes the phone highly portable.
The Motorola Milestone 2 offers a 5 megapixel camera that has autofocus and Flash options to further enhance the images that it produces. One of the best features of the camera though, is the new HD video recording option that was not seen in the phone’s predecessor. Another incredible feature is the ability to set up a mobile hotspot, using which you can connect up to five devices. The phone has 8 GB of available internal memory that allows you store more HD videos than you can imagine.
The phone features the same 1 GHZ processor as seen in the Motorola Droid. The processor along with the huge 512 MB RAM, is more than enough to run the Android 2.2 operating system. The new operating system has Flash 10.1 support and a number of Google applications like Maps and YouTube built-in. Motorola has only announced the phone. The only details with regards to the availability are that the phone will be available in the fourth quarter of this year in Europe.
Tags: Motorola, Motorola-Droid, Motorola-Milestone-2
The new LG Optimus 7 is the new phone that comes from LG’s long list of great phones over the years. However, it is one of the most special phones in that list because it is the first phone from the LG stable to be featuring the latest operating system from Microsoft, Windows Phone 7.
The new Windows Phone 7 operating system is a revolutionary OS from Microsoft and the 3.8 inch touch screen of the new LG Optimus 7 makes it a delight to use it. This is because the touch screen is capacitive in nature and brings the best out of multi-touch functions like pinching to zoom. The phone is well-made and is great to hold in your hand. The phone feels solid and does not feel plasticky. The LG Optimus 7 comes with a 5 megapixel camera, with HD video recording facility that makes the best use of the great social networking connectivity that the new operating system offers.
The camera in this phone has a brilliant LED flash and other intelligent scene and picture modes that is sure to make the whole experience, incredible fun. The phone has 16 GB memory internally to store the various photos and HD films that you might have shot with the camera. There is 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity that also let you download more if you have not done so. The presence of DLNA connectivity is one of the phone’s party pieces. The DLNA is a technology that lets you connect two devices wirelessly. The phone has a 1 GHZ processor that runs the OS and all other applications with ease.
The LG Optimus 7 has been launched in the UK. It is now available for purchase with various contract options. Vodafone are offering the phone on a two year £20 a month deal.
Tags: 5-megapixel, LG, LG-Optimus-7, Wi-Fi, Windows-Phone-7
2010 will be remembered by mobile gadget geeks as the year when two tablet computers slugged it out in the emerging tablet markets. The Apple iPad came out first and delighted even the harshest critics. But it had its shortcomings – no USB, no camera, no 3G video camera, no HDMI and no real multitasking OS.
Enter the Samsung Galaxy Tab, inheriting just about all the flagship features that made its Galaxy S smartphone the most popular Android handset todate but bringing it closer to tablet size without giving up on portable ease and pocketability. It’s the largest mobile phone in the market with a foot on the tablet genre.
Shaming the iPad
Better in many areas than the iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab enjoys a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU with PowerVR SGX540 graphics accelerator and 512 MB RAM running the Android running the v2.2 Froyo. This puts it processing prowess at par with the Apple iPad. With a choice of 16GB or 32GB model, it has a microSD slot for up to 32GB to give it parity with the 64GB model of the iPad. Then there’s a 3.2 megapixel autofocus shooter with LED flash and D1 video recording at 30fps and a front-facing 1.3 camera for 2G videos calls the iPad does not have. Lastly, it has true multitasking support with the Android v2.2 Froyo OS.
Other Features
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is your quad band GSM with 3G/HSDPA/HSUPA handset with WiFi 802.11 b/g/n support, Bluetooth v3 with A2DP and microUSB v2.0. Its gorgeous display is a 7-inch TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with multitouch and Swype, an accelerometer with 3-axis gyro sensor and a proximity sensor.
Other feature includes in-built GPS receiver with A-GPS and digital compass and a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack that’s also a TV-out jack. It comes bundled with Adobe Flash 10.1, Thinkfree Office and Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Picasa and Google talk integration. The best part is that Samsung Galaxy Tab contracts are available right now!
Tags: 3.2-megapixel, 7-inch-TFT, Android-2.2-Froyo, ARM-Cortex, Google-Android, Samsung, Samsung-Galaxy-Tab, tablets, Wi-Fi
The first Android full-QWERTY slider from the Taiwanese leader in smartphones was the HTC Dream released back in June 2009. Now you have a successor in the HTC Desire Z. A closer look and it’s really the HTC Desire that just grew a sliding QWERTY keyboard from the outside. Inside, it’s another story, though close.
Familiar Features
Like the earlier Desire, the Z comes with the same 3.7-inch Super LCD capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 800 resolution and 16 million colors, plus accelerometer and proximity sensors and the multitouch input feature. It could have been AMOLED just like the first batch of HTC Desire handsets, but HTC has already shifted to S-LCD in the later batches as Samsung failed to deliver the needed quantities of the screens.
Then there’s the same 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, geo tagging and face detection. But the HTC Desire Z one-ups the Desire with 720p video recording courtesy of its higher Android v2.2 Froyo. But an upgrade on the older Éclair in the Desire should fix that.
Other Desirable Features
Powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7230 CPU clocked at 800 MHz, a bit less endowed than the 1GHz Snapdragon on the first Desire, the HTC Desire Z enjoys the same plethora of radio and data connectivity options, starting with a quad band GMS/GPRS/EDGE on 2G and a dual band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA on 3G.
It comes with hotspot support from an upgraded WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA and local data connectivity like Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and microUSB v2.0. Other features include a stereo FM receiver with RDS, a 3.5mm audio jack, SatNav support with GPS, A-GPS and Digital Compass.
There’s a 1.5 GB onboard user memory with 512 MB RAM and up to 32GB microSD support. Its 1300 mAh Li-ion battery delivers 9.8 hours of call time on 2G, 6.6 hours on 3G with 430 hours on standby.  Some very attractive HTC Desire Z contracts have already emerged and the handset is expected to hit shelves in late October.
Tags: 5-megapixel, Android-2.2-Froyo, Google-Android, HTC, HTC-Desire-Z, qualcomm, QWERTY, social-networking, Wi-Fi
We just came across a neat little site called archive.org, also known as The Way Back Machine. This site allows you to check out cached versions of websites from the past. What’s really interesting about this is it can give us a little snapshot of the state of the mobile industry in years past. For instance, we did a search for mobile phone comparison site best-mobile-contracts.co.uk and discovered that at the earliest archived date (May 2007), the Nokia E61 was the front page phone to own. You could get your hands on one for as little as £20 per month with 50 minutes of talk time and 75 text messages.
Three years is a long time in the mobile industry and the old Nokia E61 hasn’t really stood the test of time, sadly. No touchscreen, no camera and a 220 MHz processor that would be laughed at in the high end market today. It did have a full QWERTY keyboard and WiFi support, though, which is nice. Still, we think you’d expect a little more power for your twenty quid a month these days… We’ve come a long, long way.
Tags: Nokia, Nokia-E61, QWERTY, Wifi
Open source mobile platforms are taking a solid cue from the Android operating system. And with smart phones like the HTC Desire placing a new benchmark for the technology, it is hard to deny the fact that other handsets being released are simply following the example that has been set.
Understanding what makes this smart phone so special is not just looking at one simple facet of the device as both the hardware and software are equally impressive.
Android Operating System
On the software side, the Android operating system delivers a mobile phone experience unlike any other. It allows for the easy access of a wide variety of Google’s web features such as email, Maps, augmented reality, search, as well as access to file hosting and media sharing sites such as Picasa and YouTube.
The Android Market also provides users with a wide array of apps to choose from –apps that would allow users to customize battery usage, better screen brightness controls along with other practical add-ons.
Even better is the fact that the HTC Desire is upgradeable to the Android 2.2 Froyo. This version of the Android platform provides better performance thanks to better resource management capabilities (Google boasts of an outstanding speed boost of up to three times faster than version 2.1 Éclair). Naturally, the improved performance makes this the version of choice and you can expect future handsets like the HTC Desire HD to come pre-loaded with it.
Web browsing using the Android WebKit is also a lot faster with the new Java API.
Specs and More
In terms of hardware features, the HTC Desire is the first mobile phone to place the Android operating system on a Snapdragon CPU aside from the Google Nexus One. Speaking of the Google branded Android, the two phones are so similar to each other that choosing one over the other is a simple matter of wanting to have the Sense user interface or not.
While some Android purists might not like having a custom UI, HTC’s newly launched Sense UI features not only makes the custom interface look better, it also provides plenty of new security features not originally available in the OS such as remote device access.
Tags: 5-mega-pixel, AMOLED, Android-2.2-Froyo, Google-Android, HTC, HTC-Desire, Qualcomm-Snapdragon
The Android OS is definitely one of the most talked about operating systems in Smartphone devices. It has gained popularity and has a healthy following due to remarkable features it has introduced to the market.
However Korea’s leading manufacturer, Samsung, has launched its own operating system a few months ago called the Bada OS. It debuted on the original Samsung Wave and then later on followed by the Samsung Wave 2 and Samsung Wave 2 Pro.
One addition to the Wave family that uses the same Bada OS is the Samsung Wave 723. It is packed with essential features needed to have an excellent Smartphone experience.
Wonderful Features
The Samsung Wave 723 is the perfect mobile to carry anywhere and will never leave you unsatisfied with your mobile needs. It is compatible with the 2G and 3G network. This means that making a mobile call wherever you are won’t be a problem since it can connect anywhere in the world. Also, GPRS and EDGE are both in Class 10 for better internet connection. It is Wifi capable to enhance your internet experience too. Bluetooth and USB can be used for easier file sharing.
It offers a 5MP camera that has a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. It has a built in LED flash to brighten the subject when more light is needed. Do you love the smile detection feature found in other digital cameras? Well, it is present in Samsung Wave 723 as well.
The internal memory is 90MB but if this is not enough then it can still be expanded up to 16GB with a MiroSD card.
Competitive Device
Though the Smartphone market is dominated by other manufacturers like the Blackberry and the iPhone, it is possible that Samsung may make it all the way to the top as well. With continuous effort to improve on its craft, expect more releases such as the feature packed Samsung Wave 723.
Tags: 5-mega-pixel, Bada-OS, microSD, Samsung, Samsung-Wave-723, TFT-touch-screen, Wifi
HTC, a Taiwanese mobile manufacturer, has been known to provide exceptional and unforgettable Smartphones. Some of their previously successful releases are the HTC Legend and HTC Wildfire.
Anyone can agree that HTC is doing a great job in satisfying the needs of their consumers. Their mobiles are well praised and much appreciated. No wonder HTC seems to be a tough competitor of iPhone and the BlackBerry. The HTC Desire is another mobile that Smartphone enthusiasts are sure to look forward to having. Let us talk more about it.
Looking Good
If you are looking for a mobile that will stand out because of its design and functionality, then the HTC Desire smartphone should be number one on your list. The design is very pleasing and attractive to the eye. The main highlight of the HTC Desire is its humungous touch screen that measures 3.7 inches.
You can just imagine how big that is. The screen is AMOLED capacitive which is compatible with 16M colours. You would enjoy viewing pictures more because of its high resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It has an accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate, multi-touch capability, a proximity sensor and a highly functional optical trackpad as well.
This kind of touch screen is surely one of kind. Once you have this mobile, you are sure to be the envy of many.
More to Beauty
When looking for a mobile to purchase, don’t just go for the most beautiful mobile available in the market without knowing the kind of features it offers. Good thing is that the HTC Desire is more than just a pretty face, it comes loaded with great features that you would surely need.
The most basic feature it offers is its compatibility with the 2G or 3G network. This means it will perfectly work with GSM 850 /1800 / 900 / 1900 and HSDPA 2100 / 900. With data connectivity it brags that it offers GPRS, EDGE, WIFI, WLAN and Bluetooth. Therefore you will be able to access the internet freely and share files as well.
Tags: AMOLED, EDGE, GPRS, HTC, HTC-Desire, HTC-Legend, HTC-Wildfire, Wifi
Electronic digital keys are a very interesting solution to a lot of problems about having bulky key chains and a too many key to sort around with when one is trying to open a door while carrying some hefty luggage. It is a lot easier to use too, simply pressing the touch screen with a few commands will be enough to open the door.
However, the convenience is not the only factor that one has to consider –electronically locking doors and relying on wireless technology to open the lock also has its own set of security drawbacks.
Anyway, it seems that there are plenty of rumors pointing to the use of NFC technology on the upcoming iPhone 5. With the iPhone 4 just having recently, been launched, it seems odd that the next device in the series would be brought up so early. But with the issues with the Apple antenna brings up the possibility that Apple is planning to move on to the next model as soon as possible.
So what is the deal with NFC?
NFC, or near field communication, is an old technology that has yet to be fully utilized by mobile phones. There are pros and cons to the issue, but the biggest con lies in the fact that the phone is a security hazard. Having the device getting lost is already a big problem. Unlike credit cards and keys that are often kept in the bag, pockets, purse or what not, most people walk around using their mobile phones.
It is likely that during the course of a dinner outside, a person would pull out a mobile phone and use it rather to fish out the car keys and play around with it mindlessly. In any case, it will be interesting to see how Apple is able to twist the technology around to get more people to support it.
Tags: Apple, Apple-iPhone, Apple-iPhone-4, Apple-iPhone-5, NFC
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It’s another one of those days, the ones where your heart skips a beat and your wallet sheds tears because a company just gave official pricing and availability for a much anticipated gadget. Today, ASUS will be doing the honors as the company is finally coming forward with official pricing for two of their most hotly anticipated devices this summer, the Eee Slate EP121 and the Eee Pad Transformer.
