Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 review: A new experience


There's a lot to fall for in Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Possibly the hottest looker of a PocketPC is also heavy on skill. Heavy enough to not just scratch out a living as a one-hit-wonder but aim for the WinMo top.
The extra solid metal looks, gorgeous screen and the right pinch of novelty called XPERIA panels look to us as good enough reasons for the X1 to be hyped and romanticized. By the way, romance or not, Sony Ericsson and HTC have hit their perfect shape with that one.
The XPERIA X1 is surely the most eagerly anticipated device in the world of Windows Mobile. Getting our review out was surely quite a wait too, we know. Better late than ever, as some folks say. We'll still have our say 'cause for the XPERIA it's a load of high expectations to live up to

Key features:
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus HSDPA 7.2Mbps
3-inch 65K-color WVGA touchscreen
Qualcomm MSM7200 528 Mhz CPU and 256 MB DDR SDRAM
3.15 MP auto focus camera with VGA video recording
Four-row full QWERTY slide-out keyboard
Wi-Fi and built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS
X-Panels interface
Optical trackpad
Exquisite and solid metallic body
Standard miniUSB port and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
microSD memory expansion
FM radio with RDS
3.5mm standard audio jack
MS Office Mobile document editor
Opera 9.5 web browser
Excellent video playback performance
Superb audio quality

Nokia N97


General


2G Network
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network
HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
Announced
2008, November
Status
Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, Q2

Size


Dimensions
117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9-18.3 mm

Display


Type
TFT touchscreen, 16M colors
Size
360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches

- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate- Full QWERTY keyboard- Handwriting recognition


Ringtones
Type
Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Customization
Download
Vibration
Yes

- Stereo speakers
Memory
Phonebook
Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records
Detailed, max 30 days
Card slot
microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB

- 32 GB internal memory


Data
GPRS
Class 32
HSCSD
Yes
EDGE
Class 32
3G
HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port
No
USB
Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Features
OS
Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
Messaging
SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Games
Yes + downloadable
Colors
White, Brown
Camera
5 MP, 2584x1938 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video(VGA@30fps), flash; secondary videocall camera

- Built-in GPS receiver- A-GPS support- Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch- Digital compass- Java MIDP 2.0- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ player- MPEG4/WMV/3gp video player- Stereo FM radio with RDS- FM transmitter- TV out- 3.5 mm audio output jack- Voice command/dial- Document viewer- T9- Flash Lite 3- Built-in handsfree

Nokia 5220 XpressMusic review: Funky-shape jukebox


Nokia 5220 XpressMusic is set to play for it all in the mass market segment. A bunch of music niceties, slim waistline and novel design are crowned with the XpressMusic logo, and that's enough of a commitment to cool sonic experience. The gentle price tag only makes things all the sweeter.
But the new XpressMusic mid-ranger needs to make an epic run. It follows in the wake of Nokia 5310, which the house claims to be the best selling music phone in the world with more than 10 million units sold globally. So, no wonder we start this review with a bag full of mixed feelings.
Nokia 5220 is priced quite close to Nokia 5310 and, while obviously positioned below (model designation), it manages to outperform it in quite a few tasks. Well then, besides exploring the newcomer today, we will also be trying to resolve a rather challenging XpressMusic dilemma for all music-loving fans out there.

Nokia 5220 XpressMusic is breaking free of the traditional bar form factor and that's a nice attempt to spice up the XpressMusic portfolio and turn up the youthful appeal of the lineup. It's a lower midrange handset alright, but it's a style statement in its own right.
If it's megapixel count and ample touchscreen that gets you excited, you are bound to look elsewhere. But the Nokia 5220 offers a truly music-rich experience at an attractive price tag. If that's your game, hop on and let's see how cool is saying no to symmetry.

Key features
10.6 mm slim and lightweight body
Exciting asymmetrical design
Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
S40 5th edition user interface, FP1
2" 256K-color display of QVGA resolution
Ambient light sensor
Hot-swappable microSD card slot, 512MB included
Snappy 2 megapixel camera (with NIPS low light optimization)
Decent keypad
Nokia Maps
Yahoo! integration
Nice set of enjoyable games
Music features:
Dedicated music keys
Music light effects
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Dedicated music chip
Stereo loudspeakers
Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Large capacity battery
Main disadvantages
Cheapo plastic build
Tri-band only
No 3G support
No smart dialing
No multi-tasking
No office document viewer
QCIF video recording (only good for MMS)
Nokia 5220 XpressMusic is a nice music-centric offering that stays on the path of the most popular music handset by Nokia - 5310 XpressMusic. What could've been an utterly unassuming handset was it not a tad askew, surprisingly manages to address many of the issues of the higher-spec'd 5310. So much so that making the choice between the two seems a tough call now that their price tags are pretty similar.

Samsung i7110 preview: First look, first scoop


Samsung i7110 puts the latest Symbian in proper attire courtesy of the Soul. Last time we checked, metal still scored high in the fashion stakes, while 5MP camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and the latest Symbian OS promise a lot of action. The large display, the FM transmitter and optical trackpad sure round off a great spec sheet. It seems that we have quite an interesting package in our hands so let's get going - we bet there's plenty to see.

Samsung i7110 at a glance:
Symbian 9.3 OS, S60 3.2 UI (FP 2)
5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash
Camera wide dynamic range, anti-shake, geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection
VGA video recording at 30 fps and two slow motion video recording modes
Wi-Fi connectivity with DLNA support
GPS receiver with A-GPS
2.6" 262K-color display of QVGA resolution
FM transmitter
Optical trackpad navigation
microSD card slot
Dimensions: 118 x 52 x 12.9mm
Weight: 125g
1200 mAh Li-Ion battery
3G with HSDPA support
DivX and XviD playback out of the box
Samsung i7110 is taking the plunge in the swarming pool of all-in-one Symbian monsters. There are virtually no gaps in the spec sheet but the mere count of similar handsets puts the i7110 up against a daunting task. Picking up where the i550 left off and staking on multimedia, the new Samsung Symbian totes up FP 2, 5 megapixel camera, better video recording and much, much better looks. Those seem to give it a good enough chance but the performance has to be there or all effort will be in vain

Sony Ericsson C905 review: Cyber shot, cyber hot


High megapixel count is the rage these days and Sony Ericsson C905 is adding fuel to the fire. The first 8 megapixel GSM cameraphone to make headlines is shipping as we speak. On top of geotagging, Smart Contrast, face detection, and xenon flash, the elaborate camera-centric outfit hides the extra sweet Wi-Fi, GPS and turn-by-turn voice guided navigation. Is it us, or are cameraphones and smartphones alike lining up to negotiate a truce with Sony Ericsson C905?
The Cyber-shot squad has its trustworthy captain and its job is to keep spirits high in the face of cut-throat competition by Samsung and LG. Is it just us, or isn't Nokia missing quite some action here?

Key features:
8.1 MP autofocus camera with Xenon flash and active lens cover
Dedicated camera mode switch, two camera/gaming keys over the display
Face and Smile detection, smart contrast, image stabilizer, geotagging, red-eye reduction
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSDPA (3.6 Mb) / tri-band HSDPA for US version
Scratch resistant mineral glass 2.4" TFT 256K-color display
Built-in GPS with A-GPS function, Wayfinder Navigator software
Wi-Fi b/g with DLNA and SIP VoIP support, Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB v2.0
Enhanced user interface with basic multi-tasking
Media Center, Smart search, Manage Messages, extended TrackID
FM radio with RDS and TrackID
160 MB built-in memory, M2 card support, 2GB included

Samsung M8800 Pixon review: Touch'n'shoot


Samsung M8800 Pixon gets its kick from touchscreen and imaging and hopes to be the definitive cameraphone. The inspired TouchWiz interface and massive screen are the right gateway to getting the 8 megapixel camera and real high-end video unleashed. The Pixon obviously plays second fiddle to the INNOV8 in the Samsung portfolio but dares to challenge it in the imaging department. Picture this.

Key features:
3.2" 256K-color TFT LCD touchscreen display of WQVGA resolution
8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and lens protection
Camera geo-tagging, auto-panorama shot, face, smile and blink detection, digital image stabilization
WVGA video recording at 30fps
Slimmest 8MP phone
3G with HSDPA support
Quad-band GSM support
GPS receiver
microSD card slot
DivX, XviD and MP4 video player
SRS (Surround Sound System) Virtual 5.1CH
TV out functionality
FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth and USB v2.0
200 MB internal memory
Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard
Accelerometer sensor
Multitasking
Office document viewer
ShoZu integration (direct image and video uploads)