Mobile Tech Reviews

The HTC Touch is the smallest touch-screen phone available on the market measuring 3.9 inches long and 2.8 inches wide by 0.5 inch tall. The design of the phone is pretty neat especially the soft-touch finish and the smooth and rounded corners.

TOUCH FLO:

The heart of the device centers on the innovative Touch Flo interface. The interface is revolutionary in the fact that it allows you to operate the device with finger taps and swipes. This compliments the main OS which happens to be Windows Mobile 6. The Touch Flo operates by giving you easy access to main applications such as contacts, music, messages, email and such.

The features of the phone include GPS, and support for Sprint’s EV-DO network (the nation’s fastest mobile network). Unfortunately it does not support WI-FI access which means you are left with the Sprint network or none at all. On the bright side it’s not as expensive as Blackberry’s media package plan.

The onscreen QWERTY is a little small and it was quite hard for me to enter information by hand. The good thing is you have the option of a 20 button QWERTY keyboard that is bigger but of course loses some of the not so used keys. The phone dialing keyboard is big and specious, about the size of the iPhone and very responsive.

To be expected the phone carries a media player and comes with a 512MD microSD card, protective pouch and USB cable. Since its Windows Mobile operated it supports play-for-sure which means you can download all your Napster or Rhapsody tunes from your computer to your device. Other features include speakerphone, voice commands, dialing, text and multimedia messaging, smart dialing, and contact memory is only limited by the available memory installed and can support up to 12 numbers per contact (as if you’ll ever need that). Photo caller ID is also available as well as 15 polyphonic ringtones. You are also allowed to dial by photo, meaning you can access your address book by pictures of your contacts instead of scrolling through boring text names.

The Touch also supports Bluetooth wireless options such as wireless headsets, object exchange, file sharing, hands-free-kits, dial-up networking and stereo Bluetooth. Also included is a 2.0 megapixel camera with 5x zoom. While the 2.0 megapixel camera is impressive in name I have seen better picture quality from 1.3 and 1.2 megapixel phones. The same thing goes for the camcorder which is also present on the phone. The phone includes a 400MHz processor which has 128MP of ROM and 256 of RAM. According to HTC the Touch has 3.5 hours of talk time and up to 10 days of standby time.

To sum it up the HTC Touch is a revolution in the touch sensitive device world….unfortunately it lacks the matching revolution in the OS world.

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The Q9C is Sprint’s version of the totally redesigned Motorola q Smartphone. The upgraded features include GPS support along with an extended battery life although the extended battery causes the back of the phone to carry a butt.

The QWERTY keyboard is also redesigned and although a little stiff on touch it looks a lot more classic than the older model. Although the keys are closer than the older model it still provides the same ability to enter tech into the phone a lot faster than the newer generation of touch sensitive devices which are still in my opinion development stage.

On the side of the phone is a miniSD slot which supports up to 4GB of additional memory for games, apps, music and of course pictures taken with the 1.3 megapixel camera and camcorder. The phone also features GPS and access to Sprint’s EV-DO network. Also on the list of features is Bluetooth 2.0 along with Sprint power vision for such things as music downloads and wireless TV. Unfortunately Wi-Fi is not supported and a miniSD Wi-Fi card will need to be added to pick up wireless networks.

Motorola says they can the extended battery will last for 7.3 hours of continuous talk time on a single charge. To decrease size you can always purchase a regular battery at any Sprint store although it will set you back 30 dollars.

The only main problems I find with this phone is its need of more memory (a problem that plagues almost all Windows powered phones), built in Wi-Fi support and better clarity in terms of calls and music although it is pretty good for a smart phone.

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The original PSP was one of the best handheld game systems in a long while and while not totally revolutionary many of the features had had not been seen on a portable system till that date so it was only right for Sony to follow up with a redesigned version to one of its most popular products.

The new PSP Slim as it is dubbed is 33% lighter and 19% slimmer. The original PSP system actually felt like you were holding something and the extra weight made it a little heavier on the hand but did add some volume to it. The lighter system is a lot better in terms of portability and the slimness of the system adds more appeal to an already appealing system. The main draw back of the new lighter design is the durability. The metal frame that was used to protect the system incase of sudden shock has been done away with which means your system is prone to more damage in case of an accident.

Other major upgrades include internal memory being increased from doubled from 32MB to 64MB to improve load time of UMD’s and also accommodate for the extra memory needed by the browser. The new system also supports USB charging although it has to be in USB mode to work (a couple of hacks which might void your warranty can fix this problem). The battery has also been reduced in size which also means it holds less charge. No need to worry as the new system has been optimized for power saving which means it still gets the 3 hours of play time as the original system got.

The UMD loading tray has also been improved to be more efficient. The Wi-Fi switch has been moved from the left corner of the system to the top and the speakers have also been moved as well. Although the gaming controls were almost perfect the D pad still had some glitches and would sometimes get stuck or lag due to its close proximity ot the system. This has been solved by raising the D pad and the other game controls have also been improved. The infra-red port which served almost useless except for those who hacked the system has been removed.

The system can also be used as a controller for the Sony’s next generation console the PS3. And a new video out port has been added. Game play on the PSP is still as impressive as before and I was surprised with the quality which seems to have improved. Music plays well and so does photos.

The GUI (graphic user interface) has not been updated although a new “cookie” theme is available. Software is always being updated and at the time of the writing of this article the system has just gone through update 3.80 which adds a bunch of security features including two internet radio channels including one from AOL along with the ability to connect to wireless hotspots. The two major things I see that are still lacking from the PSP that should have been fixed in this upgrade is GPS and of course a much needed keyboard for internet browsing.

All in all the new PSP Slim is a worthy upgrade to its original predecessor and matches the improvements made to its rival the Nintendo DS.

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The original Zune was released last year October to mixed reviews. And while it did manage to establish itself as the number 2 mp3 player on the market it was nowhere near the likes of iPod in terms of popularity although it did outshine it in features…just not design. The second generation Zune hopes to change that. And nothing better explains this than the impressive list of features that have been added but most notably the whole redesign of the product and software itself.

The new Zune’s come in three different versions: 80GB HDD version. 4 GB Flash memory versions and an 8GB version priced at $250 $150 and $200 respectfully. The original 30GB Zune is still available and can be bought for $200. No word when Microsoft plans to cancel the ugly duckling though.

The new Zune dubbed the “Zune 80” sells for $250 USD and as the name suggests comes with an impressive 80GB HDD (no word on a 160GB version to rival iPod’s 160GB Classic though). As in all cases with mp3 devices not all the space is available for use so expect anywhere from 1-3 GB of memory chipped off for system OS and formatting details.

USER INTERFACE:

The user interface of the device has been completely overhauled, and some new features have been added like the long expected Zune casts (Zune’s answer to the popular podcast world). The user interface is a lot more friendly than its predecessor and offers the some of the features we came to like in the original one like customizing the background while adding a couple that were well needed such as bigger and brighter fonts. Another thing to note is that the new interface takes full control of Microsoft’s new Zune Pad (formerly D Pad which they bought for a couple thousands). More on that later.

NEW NAVIGATION CONTROLS:

The new D pad dubbed Zune Pad is a worthy upgrade. The original click wheel while very functional and easy to use did not support such things as scowling though thousands of songs. The new Zune Pad has changed that. The pad is touch sensitive and can be navigated by either sliding the fingers up down, left or right as well as clicking it to scroll though items individually. The play, pause and back buttons are still there but have been raised for easier access.

SIZE:

Probably the most surprising of the features of the Zune is its size. Whereas last year’s version was big and bulky (part of the reason which led to its bad press reviews) the new Zune 80 is on par with the iPod being a fraction of an inch taller (you are getting a bigger screen though) and a fraction of an inch thicker (to accommodate for the radio and Wi-Fi features the iPod Classic lacks). It’s weight has also been greatly reduced so no need to sow on pockets that the original Zune broke.

SOFTWARE UPGRADE:

While I really liked the old software I have to say it lacked the hipness of Apple’s iTunes. The new software upgrade changes all that. It’s right on par with iTunes and even outshines it in design. Although it does not carry such features as Cover Flow which made iTunes famous it does make up for that with a lot of cool animations and other features that make navigating its menus a breeze. Of course these animations and effects can be turned off for those still using Stone Age computers.

WI-FI:

The feature I like the best about the new Zune is its ability to wirelessly sync audio, video and podcasts from the computer to the device via a home network. When I come in from a day’s work instead of getting on my computer to manually download new content such as podcasts and such all I have to do is dock my Zune and it automatically searches for new content on my computer. The syncing is slower when done wirelessly instead of the USB 2.0 blazing speeds but it is better as you can leave it overnight to download all the files.

WHAT’S MISSING?

The only things that are missing from the Zune are TV Shows, Movies and support for Play for Sure. Many have said that the Zune 80 lacks wireless web browsing, but remember its not an iPhone or iTouch competitor. Its direct competitor carries none of these features. Hopefully these issues will be addressed next year. And who knows…..and iPhone/iTouch rival maybe?

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The LG Rumor is Sprint’s answer to its messaging fanatic customers who want a phone on par with the likes of T-Mobile, Verizon and Cingular. It seems to be a good shot because the phone is currently sold out and the earliest it will be available is January 10’Th 2008.

The phone comes with a 2 inch diagonal display. Display is average (176×220 pixel resolution) and is quite hard to see when under direct sunlight. Unfortunately this cannot be corrected because the phone has no brightness or contrast settings. The phone comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera and while that’s not too bad the picture quality is not all that great either. Also included is a camcorder with a resolution of 176×144 and 128×96.

The phone shines when it comes to messaging and music and GPS. The phone has a hidden QWERTY keyboard that slides out to make texting and messaging easier. When the QWERTY keyboard is out the phone flips its display form portrait to landscape mode so thumb typing can be executed. It also features a five way directional key that also supports quick access to such things as music, content etc. The phone also carries an impressive phone book that is able to hold 500 contacts. It also supports photo caller ID and 35 polyphonic ringtones and 23 tech tones. Other features include clock, currency convertor, unit convertor, notepad, calculator, stopwatch, tip calculator and of course voice recorder.

For all those who have moved from the wired age to the wireless age, the phone supports stereo Bluetooth. Unfortunately the music player is not all that impressive and since Sprint Power Vision is not supported music has to be downloaded from the computer to the phones micro SD card via Sprint’s Music Manager Software. Personalization options include screensavers, wallpapers, text sounds and also a couple games to kill time at the bus stop.

Call Quality is good. Voices are heard loud and clear. Speaker phone is also good though you should expect to hear a little static or echoes once in awhile. Music quality is OK. Those who require Bass though, opt for a headset. Battery Life is 4.5 hours of talk time and FCC radiation tests, the SAR rating is 1.22 watts per kilogram.

All in all the Rumor is a very good phone with some cool features. Not your next Razr but definitely a phone that will keep you happy until next holiday season rolls around.

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