Cellphone Sidekick

Google is always a nice choice, and we kinda all have a pretty good impression about this label, so now let’s check out how well Google has done on their first smartphone, Google Nexus One.

With all these smartphones out there in the market, the Google Nexus One is still worth a second look.

It’s been weeks since Google released its Nexus One Android phone and you might have already read several if not hundreds of reviews. And those reviews may have given you various opinions and comments about the Nexus One, that you might find it pretty confusing. So, to add to your confusion as to whether you would get the Nexus One or not, here’s our take on the Google Nexus One.

First of all, Google Nexus One Design and Form Factor

Knowing fully well that I’m probably among the first owners of the Nexus One in the country where I am located, you can just imagine how proud I am when showing the Nexus One to my friends and co-workers. I’ve got mixed reactions. But those who are tech savvy enough usually comment on how beautiful the Nexus One’s form factor and design is as compared to the iPhone. And I couldn’t help but agree with them. Don’t get me wrong here. I loved the iPhone’s design and form factor when I first got hold of it. But after two years of using the iPhone, I felt the same thing when I got hold of the Nexus One. The Nexus One emits a sense of geekiness while the iPhone now gives me a sense of fun and entertainment.

The Google Nexus One is lighter than the iPhone but thicker by a small bit. I’ve seen several HTC manufactured phones before but none of them appealed to me than when I saw the Google Nexus One. The Nexus One’s body is composed of two different materials – a metallic bezel surrounding the front and side of the phone and a rubbery material that serve as battery cover and the bottom part of the phone. Gripping the phone with your hand is a pleasant experience thanks to its thin form factor and its curvy shape.

On the face of the Nexus One are five basic buttons, unlike the iPhone’s one-button interface. The five buttons include a trackball which is actually pretty useless except when it blinks when something is happening on your phone while on standby-mode. It’s not really useful as a scrolling device since you can practically use the Nexus One’s touch screen feature to scroll. The other four buttons are – for navigating to the Homescreen, back, menu and search. All buttons have haptic feedback when you tap on them. But don’t get your hopes so high for this button as most of the time they don’t respond well. iPhone’s touch control between the Nexus One in this department.

At the back of the Nexus One you can find the camera and the LED Flash, the Google trademark and the HTC brand. On the left side of the phone is the volume control while on the bottom side is the USB port.

Overall, Google (or HTC) has managed to come up with a well designed smartphone worthy of competing against the iPhone. Make no mistake both smartphones are great looking in their own rights. Putting the Nexus One beside my iPhone 3GS makes it look more the male while the iPhone as the female.

Secondly, Google Nexus One Software – the Android Experience

With the latest Android OS 2.1 running as its OS, Google managed to come up with a robust mobile phone platform that may not be more revolutionary than the iPhone but is definitely at par with it. One thing you’ll quickly noticed when using the Nexus One is its speed, especially if you are on Wi-Fi. Downloading apps from the Android Market is a breeze through Wi-Fi, faster than when downloading apps from the iTunes Apps Store on the iPhone.

Android OS 2.1 may not have offered something different than what the iPhone is currently offering but it is certainly a great mobile phone OS in its own right.

Now, when friends ask me what’s the difference between the iPhone and the Google Nexus One aside from their looks, I always cite one answer – the Nexus One’s Voice command capability. Whether it’s the voice-to-text function or voice-enabled searching. Don’t get me wrong here, these features are far from perfect and I have personally experienced inconsistency when transcribing what I’ve spoken but it’s still fun and exciting how the Nexus One recognizes and transcribes what I want to say when composing SMS. It’s the coolest feature that I know of the Nexus One so far.

Another notable feature of the Google Nexus One is the live wallpaper. It’s pretty cool but useless and just eat up your phone’s precious battery life. Those who prefer usability over eye-candy will definitely find this as a negative feature of the phone but for those who don’t mind this feature definitely rocks.

When viewing applications you can either view it similar to how the iPhone apps look or via a more organized grid-like manner that displays in 4×4 arrangement on your phone’s screen.

Of course, you all know that the Nexus One also features a virtual keyboard like the iPhone. And if you’re fond of texting, this is very important. To be straight about it, I have more luck with typing the correct words on the iPhone than on the Nexus One. The keys on Nexus One’s virtual keyboard are placed so close to each other so much so that those with bigger fingers would often find it a pain to type messages. It’s a good thing that I don’t send SMS messages often, so I won’t have to deal with this problem most of the time. A quick fix would have to be downloading another virtual keyboard at the Android market.

Overall, software-wise, the Nexus One is also short of introducing something new and revolutionary into the market. Most if not all of its features are already with the iPhone and other touch-screen smartphones, except of course for the voice-enabled commands.

Thirdly, Other Important Information that You Should Know about the Nexus One

Very important – how’s the Nexus One’s battery performance? Quite surprisingly that Nexus One’s battery performance is pretty good. It could last you one whole day of normal use. This if of course pretty standard among smartphones with touchscreen features. If I have to compare it with the iPhone’s battery performance, the iPhone wins for a good couple of hours more.

Camera features – With a 5 megapixel camera, the Nexus One takes pretty decent shots. Nothing exemplary but good enough for what it is capable of given its extent. Of course it beats the iPhone’s camera in terms of resolution and output. But the one thing it failed to beat though is the iPhone’s camera speed and touch to focus feature. The Nexus One’s camera is slow. Perhaps an Android update would make it faster later on. But then, it’s the main reason while you would want to have this phone, anyway.

Photo Gallery – I believe the Nexus One’s photo gallery uses Cooliris. So there’s some coolness factor into it. Not as great as the iPhone’s photo gallery of course but is good enough to make it different from other mobile phones.

Lastly, Conclusion

When rumors leaked out about the Nexus One, expectations were high over the fact that it is a Google Phone. Now that it’s out in the open, did Google meet these expectations? It varies from every user. As for me, I am more than happy with my Google Nexus One. I wasn’t really expecting too many features that my iPhone 3GS could not do. In fact, I wasn’t expecting it to be an iPhone killer. But now that I’ve used it for a couple of days, I would have to say that it is NOT AN IPHONE KILLER, but more of an iPhone rival.

The question is, if you’re an iPhone owner, should you replace your phone with the Google Nexus One? Definitely not. Unless of course you’re tired of using your iPhone anymore. If you’re not an iPhone user and would like to use an Android phone, you might as well get the Nexus One instead of the other Android phones. Why? For the simple reason that it is a Google phone, and Android happens to be a Google platform.

If own an iPhone and you have the money to get another smartphone just for the heck of it, go and get your unit now. You certainly won’t regret it.

Well, this is how we think of this Google phone, what’s you opinion on this?

We’ve talked about the MOTO Droid earlier, and now let’s forget about MOTO Droid, and get ready for the Droid Incredible! Well, Droid is admittedly quite a nice phone, so maybe you don’t want to totally forget about it, and it’s OK, you don’t have, I mean, just take a look at this Droid Incredible, and then it’s you call to forget the MOTO Droid or not.

HTC and Verizon Wireless today announced their new Android phone called – DROID Incredible. This latest Android device will be available through Verizon Wireless starting April 29 and boasts of a topographic design made possible with craftmanship and precision (Well, that’s really something).

The New DROID Incredible also boasts of HTC’s latest Sense technology, a 7-panel home screen with interactive widgets, seamless integration with Exchange ActiveSync, access to Flickr and of course to the Android Market. What makes the DROID Incredible quite interesting is the fact that it will be loaded with Qualcomm’s 1GHz superfast Snapdragon processor – a first for Verizon Wireless phones. In addition, the DROID Incredible also happens to have an 8 megapixel camera, again another first among Verizon’s stable of smartphones.

Another great features to expect from the DROID Incredible are Verizon Wireless’ own mobile apps – NFL Mobile and Skype Mobile.

Other key features and specs of the DROID Incredible include – 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive touch screen, optical joystick, dedicated keys for home, menu, back and search functions, proximity sensor, light sensor, digital compass, integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and 3.5 mm jack.

The DROID Incredible will be available for pre-order starting April 19 on Verizon Wireless website. It will arrive on Verizon brick and mortar shops on April 29. Price tag is at $199.99 with two-year service agreement.

So many ‘first marks’ and so many wonderful features, I’m really looking forward to this Droid Incredible! How about you? This is a more beautiful and powerful version of MOTO Droid that will probably serve you incredibly!

Nowadays, smartphones are everywhere, and I have to say they aren’t all that ’smart’ at all. Well, they all have quite similar looks (then again, Apple’s really got some good stuff there), and functionally alike, that makes them look not so smart. Anyway, let’s just give this Samsung Galaxy S Smartphone a chance.

Samsung has just launched its latest mobile phone offering, the new Samsung Galaxy S. Featuring a 4-inch AMOLED screen and a 1GHz mobile processor running the latest Android OS, the Samsung Galaxy S promises vibrant HD video handling, rich augmented reality content through Layar Reality Browser and advanced location based services. That’s pretty nice, but not really mouthwatering.

The Samsung Galaxy S is slated for a simultaneous release in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia and Asia. Being touted as a social phone, The Samsung Galaxy S should provide access to social networks and other mobile communication apps that would make you stay connected with your friends, colleagues, and families.

One interesting: Most notable feature of the Samsung Galaxy S is the “Smart Life” feature which utilizes your personal preferences to gather information online. Smart Life makes sure that you’d get the information you need wherever and whenever.

The Samsung Galaxy S also provides rich multimedia features courtesy of its 4-inch Super AMOLED display with MDNIe or mobile digital natural image engine which is usually found in Samsung LCD and LED TVs. This provide sharper and crisper viewing experience for photos, videos, and e-books. That’s cool, a Smartphone will be smart when loaded with good books.

With the Android OS running on the phone, the Samsung Galaxy S provides access to thousands of applications available at the Android Market including various Google mobile services such as Search, Gmail and Google Maps.

The Samsung Galaxy S offers instant access to weather, news, stocks and scheduler, inter-device connectivity via DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology, enables use as a digital photo frame, table clock, calendar and music station, fast and easy way of inputing text on screen, apps to view and edit Microsoft Office 2007 docs, and smart alarm. Others specs include – 5.0 mega-pixel Camera + VGA Video Telephony Camera, AGPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi.

And it is a 2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE) : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz and 3G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps) : 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz smartphone.

OK, there’s not much to say about the exterior, quite pretty, but nothing new, apparently not shockingly beautiful. But if the Samsung Galaxy S is what the official says it is, then this smartphone is really smart and beautiful on the inside.

As smartphones go, this one is quite different, and to some extent more easier to use. We’ve seen touchscreen phones and we’ve seen QWERTY keyboard phones, but this one has them both (like the Nokia N97). And like most Sony Ericsson phones, the Xperia X10 comes in a quite fashionable design, suitable for both entertain use and business use, let’s see…

Sony Ericsson recently made some waves at the Mobile World Congress by unveiling its latest Xperia handset – the Xperia X10 Mini Pro. This newest iteration of the Xperia product line will remind you of the Xperia X10, a compact version at that. The X10 Mini Pro combines high spec features and Sony Ericsson’s UX platform which was specifically designed for smaller mobile handsets.

The Xperia X10 Mini Pro sports a slide out QWERTY keyboard that provides an open and intuitive communication entertainment experience. It was built on the human curvature design philosophy which was started in the Xperia X10, which means more comfortable to use. The phone runs on Android Platform which means you’ll have access to various mobile apps through the Android market. It’s homescreen is highly customizable using widgets. There’s some really interesting features about this phones too.

An interesting feature of the Xperia X10 Mini Pro is Timescape. It’s actually a proprietary Sony Ericsson mobile app that lets you see text messages, missed calls, Facebook and Twitter updates in one interface. It also has an interactive music player with “infinite button” that brings together all your music content from the music store and YouTube.

The Xperia X10 Mini Pro is also packed with a 5MP camera with video capture and sharing features, autofocus, geotagging, photo and video light and album application. Other specs and features include – TFT Touchscreen Display, Bluetooth, WiFi, microSD card support, 128MB internal memory, 600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 Processor, up to 4 hours GSM/GPRS talk time and 285 hours standby time, 3.5 hours at UMTS and 360 hours standby time.The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro support HSPA 900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, HSPA 850/1900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.

So, you see, there’re really some very humanize designs on this phone, more comfortable and easier to use! It will available in Black and Red design sometime in Q2. Would you buy one?

Many phones we’ve seen most of which are quite alike, and among the entire sea of mobiles Nokia has gained its fame for its functionality and beautiful design. So every time Nokia unveils a new phone, we always want to have a look and ask the question: What’s new about this? Do I want it?

Well, here’s the answer from an expert on Cell Phone News:

Recently, Nokia and T-Mobile have announced the latest Nokia smartphone which is going to be marketed for the masses. Dubbed Nokia 5230 Nuron, this smartphone features social networking apps, maps with turn-by-turn navigation and more useful features. The Nokia Nuron is slated to be released under T-Mobile later this year.

Utilizing T-Mobile’s 3G network, the Nokia Nuron provides fast and dynamic web browsing. It’s key features include a 3.2-inch touch screen, Ovi Maps, AGPS, 3G and other features.

This smartphone offers a mobile solution that lets you make your way easily around town as well as download content and apps that will keep you entertained while on the move. It will also allow you to stay connected with friends and family through IM apps, SMS, persona and work e-mail as well as full HTML browsing capability.

The Nokia Nuron also comes packed with Ovi Maps which does not only provide you with turn-by-turn directions and navigation but also makes it easy for your to discover places to eat, concerts, movies and other Lonely Planet guides. It also lets you check the weather forecast as well as share your location through Facebook. The Nokia 5320 comes loaded with maps for the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Other features of the Nokia Nuron 5320 include – 2MP camera for both still pictures and video capture, FM radio, media player, and 70 MB internal memory with support for microSD card. The Nokia Nuron 5320 also boasts of 7 hours GSM and 4 hours 18 mins WCDMA talk time, 438 hours GSM and 458 hours WCDMA stand by time.

So basically this is a smartphone for ordinary people rather than phone geeks, it’s convenient and really useful, almost has anything in daily life you might want to use or might not! And especially for ladies, I think this white baby is really gorgeous!

There’s really a lot of smartphones out there in the market, and now here’s just another one. And if you’re interested, let’s see what’s different and new about this one!

 Sony Ericssson has just unveiled a new smartphone with full touch screen features – the Sony Ericsson Vivaz. The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is a full featured smartphone with great features such as a high resolution camera that lets you capture video in HD quality. It has a dedicated video key that lets you shoot video quickly with continous auto focus. This phone also lets you review video content in standby panel or online via Wi-Fi on its 3.2 inch touch enabled widescreen display. You can also upload your videos to YouTube and Picasa directly over Wi-Fi. And since uploading takes time, you can let the uploading run in the background and use the phone for other purposes. The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is also an open platform handset so you can personalize it with entertainment content and other applications that you can find from PlayNow and Symbian Developer Community. And it also has a GPS like many other smartphones do.

Design-wise, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz boasts of a design that can be attributed to what Sony calls as human curvature. The design was made to mirror the shape of the human body while at the same deliver a precise and compeling phone interaction. The Sony Ericsson Vivaz will be available in Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby designs.

However, no words on pricing yet. A exclusive nice phone, or just another smartphone? To me, I got really tired of these smartphones, and this one is just not my idea of a pretty cellphone. So how do you think?

In the sea of smartphones, I am getting a little lost, wondering about the significant difference between all these phones. Actually, are we using the sames phone in deed? So, what I mean is I’m a little tired of touchscreen phones, therefore I’m coming up with this today!

Nokia has just announced the new slider phone – Nokia 7230 with colorful looks and solid set of features at a very affordable price. To be released sometime in Q1 of 2010, the Nokia 7230 will have a price tag of around EUR 100. The Nokia 7230 offers quick access to various social networking communities as well as great photo capturing features thanks to its 3.2 megapixel camera. Photos you’ve taken can be viewed on its 2.4-inch display. The Nokia 7230 also provides fast 3G connectivity as well as quick access to email and instant messaging.

A nice feature of the Nokia 7230 is an illuminating light that tells you if you have miss calls or incoming messages from your friends. The Nokia 7230 also supports Nokia Ovi store, giving you quick access to media sharing sites such as Ovi Share, Flickr, Facebook and more.

Additional features of the Nokia 7230 includes an FM radio, MP3 and AAC ringtones, Bluetooth, phonebook with a maximum of 2,000 entries and support for Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging as well as MMS. And it also comes with a TFT screen. So this is another Nokia Mobile Entertainment Handset, as the band goes in this area, you know you can count on this little cutie.

As the most important things for a phone – to make calls anywhere, the Nokia 7230 is a WCDMA 850/1900/2100 and 900/1900/2100 phone and also supports GPRS/EGPRS network connectivity. It provides you with up to 14.3 days stand by time and 4.1 hours talk time. It runs S40 mobile platform. The Nokia 7230 comes with a 2GB microSD card.

So, how do you like it? Quite tempting to me, round corners, cute look, nice features…Really a good choice if you’re not really fond of touchscreen phones.