February 4th, 2010 | Posted in Blackberry, Sony Ericsson
Following in the footsteps of the Xperia X1 and X2, Sony Ericsson have announced the forthcoming release of the Aspen, the third Windows Mobile powered device from the Swedish/Japanese manufacturer. The device is expected to release during Q2 2010, and in some markets will also be known as the Sony Ericsson Faith. Aimed at the business market, the Aspen packs in a whole host of top end features designed to keep you in touch on the go.
The Aspen comes under the now familiar Greenheart banner, a range of handsets from Sony Ericsson that deliver top end mobile technology utilising eco friendly materials. This means the majority of the device is constructed from recycled material, whilst the packaging itself is kept to an absolute minimum. Also, you will not find a manual in the box; this will be stored on the phone in .pdf format. A useful tip for this is when you get your phone, copy the .pdf file to your PC, because if you need to access the manual and your phone is not working, it can be a bit of a pain having to hunt for the manual online. Another element of the Greenheart ethos is using waterborne paint on the handset, which has better environmental credentials.
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The Sony Ericsson Aspen is a candybar style device, looking similar in design to a traditional BlackBerry, or Nokia E71. There is a full, four row, QWERTY keyboard on the handset, above which sit the menu Navi Key, soft option keys and call send/end keys. The display on the device is a resistive touchscreen, TFT, measuring 2.4 inches across and supporting up to 16 million colours. The fact that the QVGA display is touchscreen is a real bonus, allowing you to interact with the device either via the keypad or directly through the screen, and as the screen is a resistive display, it will work with a stylus and there is support for handwriting recognition included. As with most modern phones, the display has an auto rotate feature, which comes into its own when using the device for web browsing, and the user interface includes support for the Sony Ericsson panels, found previously on the X1 and X2.
The Aspen is a well connected phone, with quad band GSM support for solid worldwide coverage. Data transfer on the phone is handled via HSPA, for mobile broadband speed downloads and uploads on the phone, plus there is also support for WiFi 802.11b/g. This is all backed up with Class 10 EDGE and GPRS, and the device also supports Bluetooth 2.1, with A2DP. For connecting to a PC, the handset uses a Micro USB connector, and onboard storage sits at 100MB. This can be expanded via MicroSD memory cards, with the Aspen able to handle up to 16GB. The basic retail package ships with a 4GB memory card.
All the major messaging suites are supported on the Aspen, to further enhance the business credentials of this device. As well as email and push email, there is support for instant messaging, as well as onboard applications for Skype, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The Aspen also includes Pocket Office, allowing you to view a variety of office documents on the phone, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and .pdf files. But the Aspen isn’t all work, and as we’d hope for on a high spec handset, there is a full media player included, with support for WMA, MP3 and AAC audio files, plus WMV, MP4, H.264 and H.263 video files, and Sony Ericsson have also included a stereo FM radio with RDS support.
Imaging on the handset is capably managed by a point ‘n’ shoot 3.2 Megapixel camera, which has support for smart contrast, and is also enabled for video recording. A GPS receiver is built into the phone, with support for aGPS included, and the device will ship with Google Maps pre-installed.
All round the Sony Ericsson Aspen is a solid device, and has a lot to offer the business user on the move. But more than that, the device would be equally comfortable for someone who likes to keep in touch via social networking and email, all services well supported on the device. Whether the Aspen has enough to hold some of the limelight for itself against some of the handset we expect to be announced this month, though, remains to be seen.
February 4th, 2010 | Posted in Nokia
Thumbs up to Nokia, really creative, getting everyone involved, great idea.
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January 24th, 2010 | Posted in Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson need to produce some amazing handsets during 2010, because truth be told, over the last few years the handsets delivered under the Sony Ericsson name have usually been one of two things, either uninspiring or unreliable! Which is a shame, because handsets like the Sony Ericsson Satio deserve to be premium products with a loyal fanbase, and quite frankly the market needs Sony Ericsson, inspiring and pushing the competition, the same way the market needs the rejuvenated Motorola to do well, keeping the likes of Nokia and HTC, LG and Samsung on their toes. The end result will be we the consumer benefit.
One of the new range of handsets coming in 2010 from Sony Ericsson is the Vivaz. This is another handset running on the S60 v5 platform, similar to the Satio. The main focus of the Vivaz is enabling the easy production and sharing of user generated content, high quality images and video, which can be shared via messaging and the web with family, friends, and anyone else that happens to pass by in Cyberspace. The Vivaz will be available in a range of striking colours, including Silver Moon, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby. The handset has a large, 3.2 inch TFT touchscreen, supporting up to 16 million colours and with a pixel resolution of 360 x 640. The device itself isn’t overly large, measuring 107 x 52 x 12.5mm, and weighing in at 97g. This compares well with the Satio, which was a rather large device. The Vivaz is shorter, narrower, slightly slimmer and almost 30g lighter, making it much easier on a trouser or jacket pocket.
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The device is equipped with an 8.0 Megapixel camera, supporting autofocus, with touch focus, face and smile detection and geotagging. There is a flash, but it is only an LED flash, not Xenon. Past experience with Sony Ericsson devices suggests that the image quality should be optimal, but imaging is only half the story with the Vivaz. For a while now manufacturers have been pushing the still imaging functionality of their phones, and it is about time the same emphasis was put on video capture. To this end the Vivaz will offer the option to capture video clips in HD quality, with a resolution of 1280 x 720, and the video recorder supports continuous auto focus for the perfect video clip every time.
The connectivity options on the Vivaz leave nothing to be desired, as everything you could want in a modern mobile device is included. The device is a quad band GSM phone for complete roaming coverage in all GSM countries and for data the Vivaz utilises HSPA, with uploads at up to 2Mbps and downloads at up to 10.2Mbps supported on the phone. Class 10 GPRS and EDGE support backs this up when outside 3G coverage, and the handset also includes WiFi 802.11 b/g with support for DLNA which should mean integrating your device into an already existing WLAN should be a simple process. For local connectivity the Vivaz supports Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, and there is, almost uniquely for a Sony Ericsson device, a MicroUSB port for connecting to a PC.
Of course, all of this connectivity serves to enable the easy sharing of content with all the main social networking and imaging sites, so expect full support for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, and so on. The Vivaz has a full messaging suite on the phone, allowing you to access push email on the device, with support for multiple accounts. Very often these days email is the forgotten communication option on a phone, with the focus so much on social networking sites, but devices like the Vivaz utilise a simple email setup so within minutes you can record video or take a picture and be emailing it to friends and family in an instant.
As much as it is a functional tool, the Vivaz is also a pocket entertainment device. Naturally full web access is available on the phone, so you can browse your favourite websites on the move, plus the Vivaz boasts a complete media package to make the hours pass quicker on long journeys. The music player on the handset has support for multiple audio formats, and visually presents well on the large screen with support for album art. There is ample storage available for music, as well as video and captured content, with the Vivaz using MicroSD memory cards, and supporting up to 16GB, with an 8GB card included in the final retail package (network operator differences may apply) The video player is also well featured, supporting many video codecs, the only real disappointment here is the lack of support for DivX and XviD files.
Being a S60 handset, all the benefits of that operating system are included, allowing you to add additional features to the device by installing third party software, such as the excellent Opera browser or Google maps. The Vivaz includes a GPS receiver, and supports aGPS for location based services, and the device ships with Wisepilot SatNav software, offering a free trial to the full package for a selected period.
So the Sony Ericsson Vivaz stacks up to be a really excellent device, utilising all the best that is available in mobile technology, and pushing forward with excellent HD video capture. But so many times in the past we have come to expect so much from Sony Ericsson devices, which only ends in disappointment with poor software, and embarrassing moments when networks and retailers remove devices from sale. I truly hope that Sony Ericsson has learnt from past mistakes and that the Vivaz is able to deliver on what it promises, because what it promises is very appealing indeed.
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January 24th, 2010 | Posted in Review, Samsung
Samsung are showing the love to low end prepay users with the launch of the Samsung C3510 Genoa. The C3510 is squarely aimed at the youth market, for young people moving onto their first prepay phone. Part of the colourful Corby/Genio range (The Corby Moniker is an abbreviation of Colour By, as in Colour By Samsung) the C3510 comes with a few surprising features as Samsung look to distinguish themselves from other manufacturers in the cut-throat budget prepay market.
The C3510 Genoa has a familiar look, in line with many other recent Genio devices; kind of oval in shape, with a smooth, rounded look, the C3510 has a 2.8 inch TFT touchscreen, with a resolution of 240 x 320, which supports up to 256,000 colours. It is a measure of the way the industry has progressed in recent months, that a ‘low end’ device ships with a 2.8 inch display; 18 months ago such large screens were the preserve of mighty smartphones like the Nokia N95 8GB. A nice touch on the C3510 is the inclusion of the Samsung Smart Unlock feature. This allows for the phone to be both unlocked and a pre-determined menu item or application opened, just by tracing a letter on the screen.
The C3510 is compact and lightweight, measuring 104 x 55 x 13mm, and weighing little more than 92g. An ideal device to have around as a ‘going out phone’, the handset has some nice options including a 3.5mm audio jack for using your own headset, plus the Genoa supports DNSe (Digital Natural Sound Engine) for excellent music audio quality. There isn’t a great deal of internal memory on the device, just 30MB, which is to be expected on a handset in this price range, but there is a memory card slot allowing the capacity to be expanded up to 8GB with the addition of a MicroSD Memory Card, offering ample storage for hundreds of music tracks. Multiple file formats are supported, including MP3, WMA and AAC, plus the media player can also play MP4, H.263 and H.264 video files. In addition the C3510 offers an inclusive Stereo FM Radio with RDS support, as well as an FM recorder, which allows you to record straight to the handset from the radio.
To give the phone further credibility with the youth market, the C3510 Genoa is a capable messaging device, with tight integration for the popular social networking sites, with live updates sent to the device. So far so good, the C3510 is shaping up to be a really decent handset, but keeping in mind the low entry price point it is only natural to look at where the cost savings have been made, and with the C3510 this is in the imaging capabilities and connectivity. The C3510 does have an integrated 1.3 Megapixel digital camera, however image quality isn’t great. Fine as a point n shoot camera, or for sending as MMS, but little more than that. The camera is capable of recording video, QCIF resolution at 15fps. Hardly YouTube quality, but again, for recording clips and sending via MMS it gets the job done.
The connectivity options for data are restricted to Class 10 GPRS and EDGE; there is neither HSDPA nor 3G here. Bluetooth 2.1 is included, and this also supports A2DP for stereo Bluetooth transmission, which is a welcome bonus.
As Samsung battle for market share, it is the success of handsets like the C3510 that will see them raise their status towards number one, rather than the headline grabbing smartphones. The Genoa C3510 is well set with a competent range of features, and is set to be popular among a wide range of consumers when it launches, which is expected to be during Q1 2010.
January 21st, 2010 | Posted in LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson
It has been a tough period for Nokia over the last 12 – 18 months. Although still the market leader in mobile phones, very slowly the lead they have over the competition has been eroded away as manufacturers like Samsung flood the market with capable devices that compare favourably with price and functionality to Nokia devices in similar market segments.
Then there are HTC, providing amazing smartphones running Windows Mobile and Android, manufactured either under their own name or rebranded for others. Then LG, the re-emerging Motorola, and Sony Ericsson, who despite problems of their own with unreliable software still produce some promising devices. And that’s not to mention the hype driven Apple machine, the iPhone with its super smooth user interface making everything else seem old and clunky by comparison.
Old and clunky are two words that rather fit the S60 user interface found on N Series and E Series handsets, as well as some more mid range devices. If Nokia are going to remain number one, then changes are required. We know that they are looking at a fresh UI for the S60 devices, but they still need something else, something that will help further differentiate them from the competition, something uniquely offered by Nokia.
And it may be they have just delivered that ‘something’.
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GPS is nothing new on a mobile phone, many a mid range device includes GPS these days, and it really is a required feature for any top of the range smartphone. GPS is available on a wide selection of Nokia devices, N Series, E Series, and others like some Xpress Music devices and mid range 6xxx handsets, and Nokia also provide their own mapping solution for SatNav. Nokia Maps, now rebranded as OVI Maps, offers something that others can’t, a complete mapping solution on a mobile device. Sure, other manufacturers can offer devices with a third party mapping solution, and there is always the excellent Google Maps, but with these there are issues, such as licensing costs after free trials or data costs.
Nokia OVI Maps has always had an edge in offering a complete package, which can be downloaded to a PC and side-loaded onto the device, giving complete access to maps without incurring charges for streaming data. I always despaired at people who would sign up to a new Nokia device, only to subscribe to some sub standard network offering that generally incurred a recurring monthly charge, when Nokia Maps offered a much better solution.
Pretty much the only charge involved with Nokia Maps was the license for utilising voice activated turn by turn navigation, and traffic alerts or city guides. Well, now even *that* is free. For ever. Not a special promotion, not a limited time deal, Nokia are going to be giving access to customers with compatible devices, free maps, free traffic alerts, free navigation, free city guides, free now, and free forever.
This really is a big deal. Now on your handheld device you can use navigation, and it won’t cost. I think this will really take well with people who like to travel. Just download a map for the country or city you are travelling to and that’s it. You are ready to go. To start off with the new OVI Maps is compatible with the Nokia X6, N97 Mini, E72, E55, E52, 6730 Classic, 6710 Navigator, 5800 Xpress Music and 5230. More devices are expected to be added over the coming weeks and months, as for some products the installer needs to be optimised for available internal memory. Included in the free package are free drive navigation, free walk navigation, free maps and map updates, free event guides, free Lonely Planet guides and free Michelin guides. With such a complete offering, not only will it give Nokia a huge competitive advantage over rival manufacturers, it will also impact on sales of bespoke SatNav units, and all of a sudden, the money you pay to SatNav companies to get their software on your phone seems very expensive indeed.
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As someone with an interest in the mobile industry, the coming months are going to be interesting to observe, as the large manufacturers manoeuvre their position to gain a competitive advantage within the industry. As a consumer, I take delight in being able to enjoy the fruits of competition. Now my ‘mobile phone’ is not just my alarm clock, and my music player, and my camera, it is a full SatNav package, too. And all for free.
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