With modern communications technology moving as fast as it does, it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine or remember what on earth we used to do before the smart phone came along with its capabilities for text messaging, receiving and sending emails, surfing the web and playing games and music. This is very different to just being able to make and receive simple phone calls.
Motorola were the first to make the crucial breakthroughs that enabled people to make and receive calls when on the move outside of the home and office, something we take for granted nowadays. Their DynaTAC was released in 1983 as the apex of a long line of portable communications developments, including the walkie-talkie and car telephone.
The DynaTAC 8000X was somewhat limited, weighing 785g and having the dimensions of a house brick, but it was a breakthrough nonetheless. It had a six-inch aerial and users could get an hour of talk time out of it before the batteries needed to be recharged. It cost almost $4000 dollars when it was first launched in the States, but even so by 1984 there were almost half a million subscribers worldwide.
Since then, a number of breakthrough innovations have altered and improved on the old models to give us the variety and efficiency that we appreciate today. Check out the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S Review and others for latest developments.
The first commercial text message (SMS – Short Message Service) was sent in 1992 from a PC to an Orbital 901 handset, and since then of course the sky has become the limit.
MMS (Multi Media Messaging Service) appeared a little later, and Japan’s J-Phone in 2000 was the first mobile phone to have a built-in camera, and although rival companies started developing external cameras that could be attached to a mobile, these never took off.
With many mobile phone handsets currently available, it is difficult to choose the right one. Lifestyle and budget are main factors in choosing a handset, but functionality should also be taken into consideration. Quite often people regrettably choose style over substance. With the help of mobile phone reviews, consumers can find the pros and cons of mobile phone handsets.
Design
The beauty of the mobile phone is often found in the handset design. With a range of shapes and sizes, the handset can make or break a deal prior to checking performance and functionality. In recent years, handset design has keypads as part of the interface, allowing for a bigger display screen which the user can usually customise.
Performance
A mobile phone can look great, but should also perform efficiently. The majority of high-end handsets on the market not only look attractive, but function perfectly with speed and ease, however some phones simply cannot meet multi-tasking demands. Mobile phone reviews can filter out the performance levels varying between handsets.
Multi-Media
The brilliance of the stylish mobile phone lies within its multi-media capabilities such as voice-activated calling, music and video, rich internet experience, Wi-Fi, GPS integration and gaming apps, often running simultaneously. Be sure to read mobile phone reviews to ensure that you get the best out of your handset.
Online reviews can prove to be very useful, especially when you have more than one model in mind. Samsung Omnia 7 and Mororola Atrix reviews are available online, along with many other handsets currently available. Handset deals can be found on review websites such as Palm Pre 2 and LG Optimus 2X deals.
The Desire S from HTC is one of their latest models. It was originally released in early 2011 in the UK market. It is essentially an upgraded version of the hugely successful Desire, one of the biggest selling Android smartphones.
The phone comes with two different cameras. One of the cameras has 5 megapixels and is capable of recording 720p HD Video. The other one is ideally suited for video calls. It has an improved capability to select text and cut or paste it, which means correcting spelling mistakes is straightforward. Browsing the internet is easy and trouble free, apart from the typical lags occurring in areas with less than perfect 3G coverage.
The HTC Desire S does not come with a dual-core processor, unlike some other smartphones being released at the moment. This means it is not great for the latest games, but it is capable of running them. The pictures taken by the camera are sometimes not great unless there is a lot of natural light, even with the flash turned on. Internal memory is only 1GB but you can buy a memory card to improve this.
The Desire S is a good-looking phone with some great specifications. If you are interested in the phone there will undoubtedly be some HTC Desire S deals available soon. Only if you are a hard core gamer would you perhaps look for a different type of mobile.
The Sony Ericsson Arc is an excellent and super stylish smartphone, one of the new generation of Sony Ericsson mobile phones which aims to keep up with the latest smartphones on the block. Visually brilliant, this Android touch phone is packed with a raft of gadgets, apps and user-friendly features. This is definitely a contender for Sony Ericsson’s best mobile phone ever and is up there with the best of Android smartphones. In addition, there are plenty of great Sony Ericsson Arc deals on the market.
Ultra slim and lightweight, The Sony Ericsson Arc runs on Android 2.3 (with an option to upgrade to 3.0), this is an elegant and sophisticated handset with a fabulous 4.2 inch touch screen, that supports a brilliant sixteen million colour display of exceptional quality and resolution that works well even in bright sunlight, plus it benefits from Sony BRAVIA TV technology.
This phone is supremely easy to use, with seamless integration of social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and email, and there are a multitude of apps to choose from, including Android sat nav apps such as GPS and Google Maps and Google Street View, as well as up to 100,000 to download.
The Sony Ericsson Arc scores highly for its connectivity, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB, and it offers brilliantly quick 3G data access. It also boasts an 8.1 megapixel camera which is as good as most on the market. A decent battery means there are approximately 7 hours of talk time, plus a bonus noise shield feature which cancels out annoying background noise.
The social media experience has changed drastically over the years, allowing people to use their mobile phone for more than keeping in touch with friends and family. Statistics have shown that mobile phone users are logging onto social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare to post status updates, upload photos, and let others know where they are. The majority of mobile phone networks now offer free access to major social network sites with no extra internet charges.
Smartphones, such as the iPhone, HTC, Android and Blackberry make it easier than ever to use social networking websites with the functionality of large display size and touch keypad as part of the visual interface. Mobile phones with QWERTY keypads such as Blackberry Pearl, Nokia E61 and Palm Treo use these features with the added bonus of a keypad on the handset.
LG handsets are ideal to stay in touch with others using social media. LG Optimus 2X reviews are available online which give trusted reviews on the handset amongst many other phones. Deals are also available online and in store; consumers will find deals online for the LG Optimus Black which has many great features.
Whilst most social networking websites offer mobile functionality with a simple interface designed for touch screen interfaces, there are a number of apps available via the iPhone, Blackberry and other major smartphone handsets. The apps create an even easier user experience, with the ability to see who is online, chat directly with friends, and ‘check in’ to establishments such as bars, workplaces and coffee shops. Many of the apps are free and are a big hit with social media users worldwide.
This re-engineered smartphone from Palm is a sliding phone offering a full QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. Encased in an attractive curved pebble-like casing, it is 60mm wide and offers integrated digital media player, GPS receiver, Wi-Fi hotspot and digital camera. Pocket sized and user-friendly, it does not offer as many apps as other Android smartphones but scores highly in other areas.
The Palm Pre 2 offers a fantastic ‘pack of cards’ style feature, whereby several apps can be open on the home screen at the same time as thumbnails, and the user can simply swipe between cards to switch the apps or swipe the apps to the top of the screen to close them down. The screen offers decent resolution and a gesture-sensitive control panel, which makes internet browsing simple and fun.
The Palm Pre 2’s upgraded spec means that its search feature, previously named ‘Universal Search’, has been remodelled as ‘Just Type’, and this excellent feature means you can access any app or messaging service simply by typing the words onto your home screen. The Palm Pre 2 also comes with improved battery life, and an innovative wireless charger called the Touchstone. The 5 megapixel camera with LED flash is also an excellent addition to this mobile phone.
With elegant looks, an exceptionally efficient user interface and some great Palm Pre 2 deals, the Palm Pre 2 is managing to hold its own in a crowded marketplace.
Whilst internet has changed banking forever, mobile banking has moved on with new and innovative ways to manage finances and pay for purchases when out and about. It is now possible to check your balance, transfer funds and pay bills within seconds using your mobile phone handset by simply logging in to your account. Many banks offer a free app allowing users to manage their finances using a simple interface, yet with all the details of recent transactions, direct debits and standing orders in one place.
Handsets with touch screen capabilities such as the iPhone, HTC Desire S, Google Nexus, Palm Pre 2 and Blackberry Curve offer a large display to make internet banking an easy task, yet with all the security you would find in a desktop browser. Mobile banking apps provide the same level of security, where users are faced with security questions associated with their account, putting their fears at rest.
It is not only current and saving accounts stealing the limelight, as there are a number of financial services available online via the mobile phone handset, such as credit card providers and online payment merchants. PayPal offers users the facility to make and receive online payments both via a desktop browser and by using the official iPhone and Blackberry app. Users can check their balance and send money direct from PayPal or an associated bank account to others by simply inputting their contact’s email address.
Google Nexus S reviews and LG Optimus One deals can be found online. These handsets are ideal for banking online with your mobile phone, with high-speed internet access available from leading networks.
Unlike the HTC norm, the body of the Incredible S is designed with a moulded shape where the battery is located and the camera lens (8 mega pixel) is curvy; the overall effect of this design is super cool, masculine, robust and just a little different from the usual. The Incredible S is super comfortable to use when making a call. The texture of the Incredible S is different too, soft rather than hard metallic and the shape does feel comfortable in the hand, although perhaps a little larger than others of its ilk. The Incredible S at 120 x 64 x 11.6mm is hardly a ‘brick,’ it weighs in at 135 ½ grams and includes a 1GHz processor in its formidable package.
The Incredible S has a 4” Super LCD display and handy innovative buttons that rotate to landscape or portrait, making watching video a smooth experience. The inbuilt camcorder is state of the art and you can view your videos in HD on the cinematic screen in brilliant sharp colour. The HTC Incredible S also offers the option of sending videos and photos to the TV or laptop via DLNA.
With the HTC Incredible S webpages load, scan and zoom with rapid ease and apps load with no-nonsense professionalism. Zoom resizing works seamlessly and video play is effortless.
Battery life is around 380 minutes talk time from full charge although with mixed usage the HTC Incredible S is more than capable of lasting a day. Compared to its contempories the longevity of the Incredible S is an absolute bonus.
BlackBerry is a name familiar to anyone who has ever picked up a mobile phone, but what is BlackBerry? BlackBerry is an iconic product, a pioneer in the mobile phone world. Adopted by business people in the early 21st century, BlackBerry has spread to many more sectors of society and now holds its own in a world filled with cutting edge smartphones fuelled by Android apps and a wealth of gadgets.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is a case in point; this recently launched BlackBerry handset is up there with the best of the new smartphones. Eye-catching and sophisticated but also colourful, this handset retains the classic QWERTY keyboard beloved of BlackBerry users. Still firmly rooted in the business community, while this model doesn’t contain the Android sat nav apps and games such as Angry Birds that other smartphone users might take for granted, it still delivers on a variety of levels. It boasts a bright and well-lit screen, an excellent music player with powerful integrated speakers, easily accessible email, touch sensitive screen and a variety of nifty shortcuts.
BlackBerry has come a long way since the early days when these mobile phones were strictly for business use only. Research In Motion (RIM), the company behind BlackBerry, has increased its profits year on year, selling an impressive 45 million plus phones throughout 2010. What is BlackBerry? It is still a market leader in the business world, but also a product attempting to match the technological advances of the best in modern smartphones.
Android sat nav apps have enjoyed a boost in recent times and have climbed quickly to the top of the ‘must have’ app list. Now the consumer has a large choice of absolutely free, 30-day trial sat nav packages. The brilliant Google Maps works well for many users and comes as standard with Android sat navs. In addition, Google Maps now offer turn by turn navigation, and the app is updated on a regular basis. However, if a more precise and exacting navigation device is required then a more specific sat nav app can be installed.
There are a great variety of Android sat nav apps to choose from depending on what you need your app to do. For example, some apps store the sat nav maps on the SD card for the Android phone and this has the added bonus of allowing the user to plot a journey on the phone screen as well as in the car. Another plus point here is that the router will operate even when there is no mobile phone signal. On the down side, this type of app will take up a lot of space on the phone memory card.
Sat nav apps that download routes from the internet are of course guaranteed to be right up to date and contain current information on road closures, diversions and speed cameras, but these apps will only operate if a strong mobile signal is available.