Mobile Phone Reviews : The Regulars

When you look at the Sony Ericsson Arc, it is easy to see the inspiration for the phone.  When the Sony Ericsson X10 was launched in 2010, reviews were mixed. Some found it to be too slow and cumbersome to be considered a high-end smartphone and Sony Ericsson listened to this feedback.  The Arc is basically the revamped version of the X10 and it has been widely lauded as not only the best Sony Ericsson phone ever, but possibly the best smartphone yet.

The Sony Ericsson Arc is amazingly thin given the power inside the phone.  Measuring just 8.7mm at its thinnest point, this phone is by far the skinniest around.  Out of the box, the Arc comes with Android’s latest 2.3 operating system and boasts a stunning 8.1-megapixel rear-facing camera that ensures the Arc is capable of taking photos and video which leave many other manufacturers behind.  HD video recording is available on the Arc at 720p resolution.  While the quality is not quite as high as the LG Optimus 2X, Sony Ericsson has fitted the Arc with Sony’s BRAVIA TV technology to enable faultless video playback through HDMI connectivity.

Internal memory, however, is a problem for the Arc, with a mere 320MB of onboard memory.  A MicroSD™ slot enables a possible 32GB of extra room, although with many Android apps not supporting SD movement, this could prove a problem for consumers.

There is no doubting that the Sony Ericsson Arc is a beautiful device and its size means it puts many other competitors to shame.  The processing capabilities and huge 1500mAh battery also means it will not disappoint.

The Motorola Atrix is one of the most innovative smartphones on the market today, acting more as a hub for a person’s technological life than as a traditional mobile phone. While performing admirably as a mobile in its own right, combining sleek design, video calling capability, a powerful processor, up to 46GB internal memory and a 5 megapixel camera, the Motorola Atrix also doubles as a web book and media centre thanks to a number of accessories. The Motorola Atrix can be plugged into a special laptop containing just a keyboard and monitor and operate as a web book, allowing users to surf the web, watch movies and work on documents, while a media hub allows users to export an HDMI cable to a TV, has 3 USB ports and a headphone socket. However these accessories are expensive, with the laptop dock alone costing another £250 on top of the handset’s £500 price.

There are a huge variety of contracted Motorola Atrix deals on the market, however the most popular ones tend to be around £25-£40 per month. With these deals, customers can expect to receive around 400 free minutes, unlimited free text messages and a minimum of 500MB worth of data allowance. These deals also give customers the Motorola Atrix handset for free, with some costlier packages also providing the media hub free of charge as well. Lower cost contracts will still expect the customer to contribute towards the cost of the phone, usually up to £200.

The LG Optimus 2X is the bigger brother of the LG Optimus, a market leading budget smartphone offered by electronics giant LG. However, while the original LG Optimus may have cut corners in order to keep its price low, the Optimus 2X leaves nothing out and is an ultra-fast, top of the range handset. This Android powered phone has a crystal clear 4′ screen, 8 megapixel camera, super-fast dual core processor and wireless sharing of media via a DLNA connection. The super-fast dual core processor that the phone boasts also allows users to quickly install and run large applications downloaded from the Android Market and run multiple programs simultaneously. This added performance over the original LG Optimus does come at a price though, as whereas the Optimus costs less than £150 for the handset alone, the Optimus 2X phone will set you back in excess of £350.

Luckily, the most popular contracted LG Optimus 2X deals offer customers the phone for free. These contracts will typically cost around £20 per month and offer customers an average of 200 free minutes, at least 500 free texts and generous data transfer allowances. Customers looking for pay as you go LG Optimus 2X deals won’t be as lucky as to find a deal offering a free phone, and will have to pay the full price of around £350 for the handset.

While there has been a lot of news lately surrounding the decline of the BlackBerry, here in the UK, they still remain in high demand for a large portion of mobile phone users. Why? Because the BlackBerry is really good at what it does.

BlackBerry mobile phones feature BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), the king of secured mobile communications. The phones also provide an accessible platform for developers. For businesses, BlackBerry is first choice, because it allows companies to integrate their mobiles with their business processes and systems. Some of the most popular models in the BlackBerry range of mobile phones are:

•    BlackBerry Bold 9780 – a high-end offering featuring the BlackBerry OS 6, which is both consumer and internet-friendly. The keyboard is a bit small, so you might want to test it before you commit.

•    BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 – a mid-range offering for those who want the messaging power of a BlackBerry but cannot afford the higher-end versions. The keyboard is really good on this one; however, the screen resolution and camera are a bit disappointing.

•    BlackBerry Torch 9800 – an excellent choice for BlackBerry lovers who also love their media. The Torch 9800 has the additional feature of a large touchscreen. Of course, the compromise is a smaller keyboard and the processor is a bit slower than other offerings, but it has BlackBerry OS 6, which is really nice.

•    BlackBerry Bold 9700 – while it’s brother, the Bold 9780, out performs it, the 9700 provides excellent battery life and some of the best of the BlackBerry features we’ve grown to love. It has a really nice screen.

The Google Nexus S is among the best Android phones to be released.  The phone is light, easy to hold, and boasts a 4inch screen with superb functionalities.  The display is great, sites show clearly and users are allowed to switch the screen off.

Positive
It runs on Android 2.3 (Ginger Bread) making things like Google Maps, loading apps and accessing multipart websites a lot quicker.  The call quality is good, and is further enhanced by noise cancelling.

Features include Adobe Flash support, 5mp camera with led flash, video calling, WI-FI, v2.0 USB port, 16 GB internal memory, audio and visual players, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth (v2.1 with A2DP) and the ability to instantly share videos on YouTube, Twitter and other social sites.  The battery life is also good.

Negatives
The camera is not as high quality as one would expect, the body is a bit flimsy in comparison to other phones of its grade, and for its price.  Also, people may be initially overwhelmed when organizing the phone because not even the most basic features are on the main page.  Users will have to sift through and differentiate 3g apps from Wi-Fi ones to drag and drop to construct the list.  SIM to phone contact transfers may be difficult for some users and reception problems are possible (though network dependent)

Conclusion
Despite being complicated, the Google Nexus S is a really good phone.  Looking at speed, clarity and the ability to withstand excessive use without freezing (rarely crashes), it offers a good performance for its price.

The latest in Motorola mobile phones is the XT883, which is best described as the China bound version of the soon to be released Motorola Milestone 3 and Motorola DROID 3.

In essence, the XT883 is a serious update to the Motorola Milestone 2, featuring a dual-core 1GHz processor, placing it right in line with the best of the high-end smartphones now being released. The display has also been improved, providing 4.0inches of screen (versus the previous 3.7) and a resolution of 540 x 960 or qHD as it is known.

The back of the unit houses an 8 megapixel camera with 1080 pixel high definition video recording and LED flash. On the front is a video calling capable camera.

The slide out keyboard has also been improved; with a row of number keys being included at the top. Memory is 16GB flash and the phone includes a microSD slot for a potential of 32GB in total. Under the bonnet lies Android 2.3 with a few Motorola special additions included.

Unfortunately, that is about all we can tell you at this point; the full set of specifications have not yet been released. It can be speculated that, with the addition of a larger screen, the Motorola XT883, along with and DROID 3 and Milestone 3, will be a little larger than the Milestone 2.

The release date for the XT883 in China is set at Q3 2011. It is anticipated that the DROID 3 and Milestone 3 should be released around the same time.

The Palm Pre 2 from HP is a smart phone that offers simplicity at its best.  The device mixes the benefits of smart phone technology with user friendliness and a (relatively) minimal amount of features to suit people who aren’t necessarily tech savvy but need to use a phone.  It can even suit the avid phone lover who is looking for a device that excludes all the battery draining extras that he or she won’t need.

Current Deals:

For just £20 Orange’s “Dolphin 20” package is offering users 200 anytime/any network minutes, unlimited texting and a 250 MB data bundle.  The phone is free and people get 13 months half price line rental.  Vodafone’s “100 + 500 + Internet” plan has 100 anytime/any network minutes, 500 text messages and a 500MB data offering.  As with Orange, the phone comes free and customers also benefit from free line rental for 5 months.  The monthly cost is £25.

For £21.50 per month persons on the O2 network can get 500 MB of data, 500 text message and 100 any network/any time minutes.  As a condition of the plan customers also benefit from 11 months of rental charged at half the original cost.

Those who prefer to choose their own networks can capitalize on Expansys’s £344.99 SIM free deal (delivery included) so they can enjoy the beauty of a good phone coupled with their preferred network.  For the contract options, the regular period is 24 months.

The HTC Wildfire is one of HTC’s budget handsets, improving on the company’s previous budget offering, the HTC Tattoo, by taking its cues from its upscale older brother, the HTC Desire.

Sporting Android 2.1 OS and the popular Sense user interface, the HTC Wildfire features a 3.2inch QVGA capacitive touch screen with an optical track pad to assist with navigation. The camera is 5 megapixels with an LED flash.

Slightly smaller than the original HTC Desire, the Wildfire is a social networking phone, with Facebook features integrated into just about everything, from caller ID to the calendar. The phone also makes it easy to share your favourite apps from Android Market with friends.

Because it features Sense UI, navigation and interaction is easy. There are seven customisable home screens and the most popular widgets, news, favourite contacts, weather, etc., come pre-installed. However, it is easy to move or remove them altogether if desired.

When it comes to comparing the Wildfire to similar ranged handsets, the Wildfire takes the lead, having borrowed inspiration from the beautifully designed HTC Desire. Its social networking integration will appeal to anyone who loves their social media and the superb web browsing will appeal to just about everyone. What lets the handset down is the screen resolution; it is not a phone we would recommend to anyone who watches a lot of video from their mobiles.

While certainly not in the league of higher-end phones of its era, like the Desire or iPhone, for a budget ranged handset, the HTC Wildfire really delivers.

The Motorola Atrix is one of the more popular Motorola mobile phones currently on the market.  It offers a dual-core processor, generous memory capacity and an expansion dock.  Other helpful features include a generously sized display screen and popular software options.

A Variety of Programs and Apps

The Android 2.2 operating system is used for better internet functionality.  You can choose from thousands of commonly-used apps through the Android Marketplace.  Playback for video and music is provided, allowing you to access your library anywhere.

Room for Expansion

16 GB of memory comes included with the phone and an SD card slot is also included for those who may need to upgrade.  Compatible expansion cards are available in 32 GB increments, so a user can have as much space as he or she wishes.

Expansion Dock Availability

The phone has the capacity to be connected to an expansion dock for tasks that cannot be completed using a touch screen.  The expansion dock features a full keyboard, larger screen, and a notebook style trackpad.  This is especially helpful for business purposes, as well as for students.

Photo and Other Media Sharing

This phone makes it easier to share your favourite media, such as photos and videos.  The camera has VGA resolution for videos, which makes video calls and conferencing easier.  The camera also has a 5-megapixel resolution for photos.  A flash is built in for better photo capability.

The LG Optimus Black is one of the slimmest mobile phones currently on the market, and a good LG Optimus Black review usually emphasizes this fact.  The phone also has some features that help save energy.

Technical Features

The phone is only 9.2 mm thick, allowing it to fit into smaller spaces more easily.  The touch screen uses new NOVA technology.  Some advantages of this new technology are decreased battery consumption and more easily-readable text.  Two cameras are built into the phone, with one being used for video and the other for photos.  The photos and videos can be easily shared via email or messaging.  A dual-core processor provides a fairly fast speed.  Built-in memory is included for easy storage, and further upgrades are possible.  The battery offers ample talk and standby time.  It normally fully recharges within just a few hours.

Software

The phone uses the Android 2.2 operating system, with an expected upgrade to 2.3 in the near future.  The included browser is able to fully handle HTML webpages.  This allows users to access their favourite sites for news or entertainment.  FM radio stations can be played, with stereo sound.  Quick access to web-based email accounts is provided.  Google Maps can be used when travelling for easier navigation.  Support for MP3 and MP4 files is also provided, and music lovers can store much of their digital music library on the phone.  Several downloadable games are available.