The BlackBerry Storm 9530 is Research In Motion’s first smartphone to do away with a physical keyboard in favor of touch sensitive display. As with other keyboard free devices, such as Apple’s iPhone 3G, the lack of a physical keyboard in the Storm means more in the way of display space and less in the way of tactile feedback.
However, typing on the Storm’s roomy 480 by 360 display isn’t quite the same as tapping away at the iPhone 3G’s glass face. For the Storm, RIM has designed a touch-screen with an innovative twist—the new BlackBerry’s display is built like a one big button, so that pressing on the unit’s software-rendered keys produces tactile feedback that’s reminiscent of a real keypad.
The good: The T-Mobile G1 features a full QWERTY keyboard, 3G support, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. The Google Android operating system offers good integration with Google applications as well as access to the Amazon MP3 Store and YouTube. As more applications become available, the G1 will also become a more powerful smartphone for all types of users.
The bad: The G1 doesn’t include a standard headphone jack and lacks stereo Bluetooth and Microsoft Exchange support. There are some annoying design quirks that make the smartphone uncomfortable to hold and difficult to use. The GPS tracking was disappointing, and speakerphone quality wasn’t the greatest.
The bottom line: While we’re not in love with the design and would have liked some additional features, the real beauty of the T-Mobile G1 is the Google Android platform, as it has the potential to make smartphones more personal and powerful. That said, it’s not quite there yet, so for now, the G1 is best suited for early adopters and gadget hounds, rather than consumers and business users.
This is the slickest BlackBerry ever. The Bold represents an all-new design, that’s also earmarked for the ‘Javelin’ , the next-gen Curve, due later this year.
The Bold draws its DNA from the existing Curve and 8800 series. From the former you get, well, curves – something to soften the brick-like shape of the 8800, which dictates more the actual dimensions of the chassis as well as the style of keyboard (something we’ll go into later). The Bold is however more elegant than the Curve, something you don’t notice until you put them side by side.
The Curve has exaggerated roundings at the top and bottom, while the corners are more angled than curved. The Bold has a slightly gentler slope on the top and bottom but far more fluid curves at each corner. And while the Curve’s cross-section is in fact that of a slab, the shape is de-emphasised by the Curve’s soft black side insets and the Bold’s rear panel arcs tapers in.
The effect of these flourishes is that while the Bold is larger than the Curve in almost every dimension, you quickly stop noticing the size differential one the Bold is parked in your paw. It sits in your hand almost like it belongs there.
The battery cover is a soft textured ‘leatherette’ material which enhances the hand-friendliness. A silver-coloured plastic strip runs around the circumference of the Bold, separating the front from the back panel. This is a common designer’s trick to make a device with a dark or black face look smaller, and it’s also something you can see on the iPhone.
HTC Touch, some locked to carriers, some unlocked so they can be used on multiple carriers.
The good: The compact HTC Touch features an advanced touch screen that lets you operate the smart phone with your fingertips. The Windows Mobile 6 smart phone also has an updated interface, integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and a 2-megapixel camera. The bad: The Touch’s tiny onscreen keyboard makes it a pain to enter any text, and the TouchFLO feature doesn’t work in landscape mode. The SIM card and microSD slots are hard to access. Also, speakerphone quality was poor, and the device can be sluggish at times. The bottom line: The HTC Touch boasts an innovative touch screen and sleek interface, but the lack of a sizable keyboard really limits the usability of this device. And despite the beautiful hardware, the Windows Mobile smart phone lags in performance and needs a bit more tweaking before we’re ready to snatch one up.
The good: The RIM BlackBerry 8320 offers integrated Wi-Fi and works with T-Mobile’s HotSpot@Home service so you can make calls via Wi-Fi. The smart phone also features a nice, sleek design; a spacious QWERTY keyboard; a 2-megapixel camera; popular IM clients; and good call quality. The bad: The Curve’s camera can’t record videos, and there’s no 3G support. The BlackBerry Web browser isn’t quite as sophisticated as those on competing smart phones. The bottom line: The RIM BlackBerry Curve (aka BlackBerry 8320) for T-Mobile is the best BlackBerry we’ve seen to date as it offers Wi-Fi, best-of-breed design, and excellent performance.
If you’re an iPhone fence-sitter, now’s the time. The addition of 3G and GPS, the affordable price tag, and extra features from the iPhone 2.0 software update make the iPhone 3G a worthy prospect. Unlike the previous iPhone, which we liked and recommended with reservations, we’re much happier with what this new handset has to offer. iPhone 3G isn’t perfect, but there’s a lot to like here and we approach the device with much anticipation. Even though AT&T requires a 2 year contract with new activations in the US, it seems some inventive folks have found a way around it and are offering unlocked iPhone 3G units for sale on eBay.
LG Dare (VX9700)
From the sleek, slim appearance, to the all touch-screen operation, the LG Dare will be the talk of the season. Loaded with multimedia functionality, this 3G V CAST-capable phone has VZ Navigator(SM), V CAST Music, and a 3.2 megapixel still and video camera that automatically adapts to low or unevenly distributed light for better quality pictures. The photo editing tool lets customers turn their photos into personal masterpieces with features that include borders, landscape and a fun doodle feature right on the screen. Customized photos can be uploaded to a social networking site directly from the phone. The intuitive and graphical contact list allows customers to find the right number with the flick of a finger for speedy texting, e-mailing and phoning. Favorite contacts can be reached with a drag and drop photo interface.
The good: The LG Decoy comes with a built-in Bluetooth headset that stows away in the back of the phone. It has nice tactile keys, an easy-to-use interface, and features include a 2-megapixel camera, EV-DO, stereo Bluetooth, a music player, and V Cast support. It also has pretty good call quality. The Bluetooth headset also supports A2DP, so you can use it for calls as well as music. The bad: The LG Decoy has a very glossy finish that makes it prone to smudges, and the display can be difficult to see under bright lights. The included Bluetooth headset has skinny volume controls, and does not have noise reduction or echo canceling technology. The bottom line: The LG Decoy is an excellent phone on its own, but the addition of a built-in Bluetooth headset puts it over the top.
There are currently no eBay listings for this keyterm: LG Decoy.
