Review HTC is currently balancing its prodigious smart phone output between its long-established Windows Mobile series of handsets and those running Google’s Android operating system. The Hero follows the G1 and the Magic in HTC’s Android line-up and comes with a fistful of updates. These include a new user interface, multi-touch screen, 5Mp Camera and enhanced social networking functions, as well as the usual Wi-Fi, A-GPS and the ever-growing Android Market app store.
HTC’s Hero
The 3.2in, 480 x 320-pixel touch screen takes up most of the front of the HTC Hero, with a thin strip of a speaker grille above and two rows of buttons – call start and stop, menu and home – immediately beneath the screen. Further down are the trackball and two additional buttons for search and back. There’s no obvious reason why the bottom keys should be crammed over on the right hand side – where they’re awkward for right-handers to reach – rather than being spaced evenly around the trackball.
The screen is the same as that on the earlier HTC Magic but it’s now acquired an oil-resistant coating, similar to the iPhone’s, which is supposed to cut down on fingerprints. It works too, but like the iPhone, you’ll still have to wipe it occasionally. Read the rest of this entry »
Review The LG GD900 Crystal wouldn’t be the first mobile to sell itself on a gimmick. But in today’s increasingly competitive market, a gimmick just isn’t enough. The new Crystal’s schtick is that it has a see-through keypad – as in, transparent.
LG’s GD900 Crystal
It’s not completely transparent of course, the numbers are displayed as grey etchings, which light up when the keypad is touched. And it’s not just a keypad either, since it also doubles as a multi-function trackpad.
Also on board is a 3in touch screen, 8Mp Camera, HSDPA 3G (7.2Mbps), quad-band GSM, Wi-Fi, the Symbian S60 operating system and LG’s very cool S-Class user interface. So it’s clearly more than just a pretty keypad.
The LG GD900 Crystal isn’t the slimmest or lightest slider at 105 x 53 x 14mm and 120g but it’s perfectly pocketable, nonetheless. The front is dominated by the 3in, 800 x 480 pixel, capacitive touch screen and above it are loudspeaker, VGA Camera and light sensor. Below the screen are three touch-sensitive keys: call start and stop, plus a shortcut to the spinning cube version of LG’s S-Class interface, which we last saw on the Viewty Smart. Read the rest of this entry »
Review It seems like it’s been a long time coming, but the TG01 is finally here. Toshiba’s latest venture into the smart phone market is a Windows Mobile device but, in terms of size, looks unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Toshiba’s TG01
It’s bigger, thinner and, according to Toshiba, faster any other phone out there, thanks to its 1GHz processor. The TG01 also has HSDPA 3G (7.2Mbps), Wi-Fi, A-GPS and a 3.2Mp Camera, which ought to put it in the front running with the best of the latest rash of high-end smart phones. It ought to, but appearances can be deceiving.
Yes indeed, the Toshiba TG01 is certainly bigger than the rest, and thinner too, at 130x70x9.9mm, just a whisker under the magic 1cm line. It’s no heavyweight either at 129g, which makes it surprisingly pocketable. Admittedly, it’s a bit awkward for a jeans pocket perhaps, but its slimness means that it will fit very nicely into the inside breast pocket of a suit. Read the rest of this entry »
Review LG’s latest cam phone is an extremely sleek and suave looking device with a feature-packed 8Mp Camera, multi-touch screen, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and motion sensor. Despite the name, this isn’t a smart phone, and isn’t intended to be all things to everyone – it’s focus (sorry) is very clearly on photography.
LG’s Viewty Smart
At first glance the Viewty Smart cuts a dashing figure. It measures 109 x 56 x 12mm and weighs 102g, which makes it an exceptionally slim and fairly lightweight handful for an 8Mp camphone. The front is dominated by the 3in touchscreen and has but a single button – the silver or gold-coloured bar that stretches across the phone beneath the screen. In most situations, this acts as a home key.
Around the sides are a Camera button, volume rocker, power/headphone socket (LG’s own), microSD card slot and shortcuts button, with a power/phone lock button on top. From the back the Viewty Smart looks very much like a standard LG digital Camera, with its brushed chrome finish, Schneider-Kreuznach lens and LED flash. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Another week, another handset from HTC, or so it seems. The Taiwanese manufacturer has been churning out new Windows Mobile smart phones with indecent haste of late, and seems to be showing no signs of flagging.
HTC’s Snap: keep up with your inner retinue
The latest is a break from the firm’s Touch series and instead more closely resembles the classic BlackBerry look, with front-mounted Qwerty keyboard and trackball. Inside, it’s all Windows Mobile, though of a slightly more basic stripe than much of HTC’s Touch series, but it also packs in HSDPA 3G, A-GPS, Wi-Fi and a 2Mp Camera.
Looks-wise, the Snap is all puritan business black, though the austere effect is leavened a little by the rubberised plastic of the casing, which feels warm and welcoming to the touch. It’s a slimline, fairly lightweight device at 117 x 62 x 12mm and 120g, and nestles comfortably in the hand. The sides are uncluttered, with only a volume rocker and mini USB power/headphone socket covered by a sturdy grommet to break up the smooth lines. Read the rest of this entry »
