http://www.fonearena.com/blog The Mobile Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:36:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45449/nokia-lumia-800-white-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45449/nokia-lumia-800-white-hands-on.html#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:47:24 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=45449 It seems apt that Nokia has chosen to announced a new colour Lumia 800 this week. Europe has been blankated by snow - so what better way than to celebrate than making official the white version. White is a popular colour for a phone, and while the previous versions has always looked so darn beautiful on the Lumia 800's Polycarbonate unibody shell, it just isn't quite as sexy as it is in white. Unlike its technicolour cousins, the white Lumia 800 features a glossy finish rather than matte. This means that it attracts fingerprints, and doesn't hide scratches nearly as well as matte. Why no matte? Well Nokia's explanation is that a glossy finish is easier to clean than a matte one - highly critical with a product of this colour. Regardless the glossy finish really compliments the snow white colour really well. While it does attract fingerprints, it isn't as apparent as I assumed it would be. In any case all four of the Lumia 800 features the exact same specifications, down to the 16GB storage - meaning, unlike the N9, there is no 64GB version. Still you can't argue that the white version does looks rather sleek, and would no ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45449/nokia-lumia-800-white-hands-on.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45269/nokia-lumia-710-unboxing.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45269/nokia-lumia-710-unboxing.html#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:45:48 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=45269 The Nokia Lumia 710, announced at last year's Nokia World, is Nokia's second Windows Phone device. The Mango-powered smartphone will be making its way across stores worldwide. The Lumia 710 is Nokia’s attempt at making Windows Phone cheaper and accessible to the market. While the Lumia 710 can be considered an 'entry level' Windows Phone, the specs says otherwise. Unlike entry level Android phones for example, the Lumia 710 features the same speedy 1.4GHz Snapdragon SoC that powers the Lumia 800. Apart from the same processor and graphic accelerator, the Lumia 710 differs from using a different screen technology (Clear Black LCD vs Clear Black AMOLED), running on the same 480x800 resolution. Unlike the screen on the Lumia 800, the display here uses traditional RGB matrix rather than much maligned PenTile. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI4kcQ0dT-0 The camera is a 5MP variety with a LED flash. While it ins't a Carl Zeiss branded, the camera is capable of taking 720p videos. While the Lumia 800 shares the same body as the Meego-powered Nokia N9, the Lumia 710 is a Nokia 603 after undergoing a Windows Phone transplant. The 1300mAh battery is disappointing, but at least it is replaceable. Despite the use of plastic, the 710 feels solid and comfortable to ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/45269/nokia-lumia-710-unboxing.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43979/motorola-defy-hands-on-and-unboxing.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43979/motorola-defy-hands-on-and-unboxing.html#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:41:05 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43979 The Motorola Defy+ is an updated version of the Motorola Defy, Motorola's unique take on making rugged phones accessible to all. Externally the Defy+ looks identical to the Defy. In fact side by side it is impossible to tell the two apart. Which is a good thing as we like the same small cute design. Like the original Defy, Motorola is marketing the Defy+ as a water resistant and dust resistant device that also has a scratch resistant display. The Defy+ is an IP67 certified device, meaning it is capable of being submerged in water up to 1m deep for 30 minutes. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMBKs0mSWYA Internally there isn't much to tell the Defy+ and Defy apart. The processor has been slightly upgraded from a 800MHz OMAP 3610 to a 1GHz OMAP 3620, but the 512MB of RAM has been left untouched. It also now runs on Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread while the original Defy was initially shipped with Eclair (it now runs on Froyo). Incredibly, despite the same dimensions, Motorola has managed to bump the battery capacity to 1700mAh, up from the already reasonable 1540mAh that was bundled with the Defy. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A6uyykfJU4 Specs wise there is nothing exciting about the Defy+. Having said that, the Defy+ is a ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43979/motorola-defy-hands-on-and-unboxing.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43623/htc-sensation-xl-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43623/htc-sensation-xl-hands-on.html#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:38:13 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43623 The HTC Sensation XL isn't the most exciting smartphones currently on the market.  But it is one of the few devices that comes with a massive 4.7" display. If you are the type of person who finds the original HTC Sensation small, then this may be the device for you. The single core Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC doesn't exactly scream exciting, but the 1.5GHz  Scorpion CPU combined Adreno 205 GPU is fast enough for Android Gingerbread and the majority of apps available for it. 768MB of RAM is included, which is plenty of multi-tasking purposes though falls short of flagships by Samsung and Motorola with their 1GB RAM. The 4.7" Super LCD display has a resolution of 480x800. Granted, a qHD or 720p resolution would probably be more suited for a screen this size, but the screen looks sharp nevertheless. Colours are well saturated and the contrast ratio is good for a LCD display. The capacitive touchscreen offers good all around sensitivity. Below the screen lies four of the standard Android hardware keys, and above it the ambient light sensor, proximity sensor and 1.3MP front camera. The micro USB port is located on the left side of the device while the right side only contains a single volume rocker. The power button and 3.5mm headphone ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43623/htc-sensation-xl-hands-on.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43583/new-motorola-accessories-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43583/new-motorola-accessories-hands-on.html#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:01:16 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43583 At the recent Motorola RAZR press briefing in London, Motorola announced a range of new accessories designed for the RAZR. These new accessories are designed to be compatible with other Motorola devices going forward. It is not known if these will work with older devices like the Atrix. The first was the Multimedia Dock, which is basically a souped by cradle that allows the RAZR to be docked, charged and connect to a TV. Behind the dock resides three full size USB port, a mini HDMI out port and 3.5mm audio out port. The cradle feels weighty which is always a good thing to have on a dock, though I do find that the footprint to be a tad large. The new Multimedia Dock can be used with a new wireless keyboard by Motorola. For those who owns a none-HDMI compatible monitor or projector, Motorola has also shown a portable HDMI to VGA adapter. Also shown to us were two new Motorola Lapdocks. The Lapdock line of accessories were first introduced with the Motorola Atrix as an accessory for people who want to get more out of the Android phones, by turning the Atrix into a full size netbook and laptop. The Lapdock ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43583/new-motorola-accessories-hands-on.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43471/nokia-lumia-800-nokia-drive-and-nokia-music-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43471/nokia-lumia-800-nokia-drive-and-nokia-music-hands-on.html#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:22:09 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43471 Much has been written about how Nokia would attempt to differentiate their Windows Phone 7 smartphones to other Microsoft OEM licensees. Well now that we have our hands on the new Lumia 800, we can just see how much, if at all, Nokia has customised the UI in their quest to set themselves apart. As you can see from the video embedded below, the core Windows Phone 7 experience has been left untouched. The love it or hate it Metro UI is fast, sleek and benefits from Microsoft's rigid chassis 1 specifications. The first generation Windows Phone 7 devices all contains the same single core 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and nobody complained about the performance. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg2fyJY50-s The one found in the Lumia 800 is clocked at 1.4 GHz which is quite a speed bump. Some has mentioned that the Lumia 800 would benefit more from a dual core processor. Perhaps when Apollo or Tango arrives with 720p display support, but right now Windows Phone 7 is so well optimised it just does not need one. Many people have asked and I can confirm that Nokia Pure is no where to be seen. In fact there is still no way of changing the default ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43471/nokia-lumia-800-nokia-drive-and-nokia-music-hands-on.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43454/nokia-lumia-800-unboxing.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43454/nokia-lumia-800-unboxing.html#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:38:39 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43454 httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZpUgHDtY_Y A week after the Nokia Lumia 800 was announced, and less than a week after Nokia World 2011 ended, Nokia has begun sending samples of the Nokia Lumia 800 to the press. This is an impressive turnaround compared to previous years. In addition to that Nokia has also announced that the Lumia 800 will be released on 16 November, two weeks from now. The Lumia 800 we were given are pre-release prototypes. I was told that the retail boxes will be similar, but do not be surprised if the contents change come release day. In addition to the phone itself, you will find a USB wall adaptor (mine came with an European plug, but expect to see the correct version for your country), microUSB cable and a pair of head-set inside the compact blue box. The head-set are of the none in-ear version. Finally, Nokia has also included a very neat looking case. Readers here will likely be already familiar with the Nokia Lumia 800, but to recap, Nokia's first ever Windows Phone 7 device runs on the Mango variety. Inside the single piece polycarbonate you will find a 3.7" WVGA AMOLED display with Clear Black technology, a single core 1.4 GHz ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43454/nokia-lumia-800-unboxing.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43096/samsung-wave-3-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43096/samsung-wave-3-hands-on.html#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:45:00 +0000 Gaurav http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43096 We already know that recently Samsung India has launched three new smartphones in 3 different platforms namely, Android, BADA and Windows Phone. We attended the launch event in Delhi and here are the hands-on photos of Samsung Wave 3. Enjoy… The Samsung Wave 3 is the latest flagship model from Samsung in their BADA line-up and priced in India at Rs. 19600/- which is MRP. As we all know that BADA is the Samsung developed OS for their own devices. BADA is also going to be Open Sourced in 2012 as per Samsung Global. The new Wave 3 actually has a uni-body but battery is still removable as we can slide the battery door towards up and can remove the battery. It's definitely one big advantage than other manufacturer’s unibody design where battery is not removable. Wave 3 uses a 1500mAh battery. The Wave 3 is almost made of fine Aluminium including the sliding battery door with brushed metallic finish which feels quite fantastic in hands. Only top and bottom parts of the Wave 3 is made of plastic similar to the original Wave and Wave 2. The key structure is very similar to the Samsung style where Volume Rocker is at the ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43096/samsung-wave-3-hands-on.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/42974/samsung-galaxy-y-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/42974/samsung-galaxy-y-hands-on.html#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:23:10 +0000 Gaurav http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=42974 We already know that recently Samsung India has launched three new smartphones in 3 different platforms namely, Android, BADA and Windows Phone. We attended the launch event in Delhi and here are the hands-on photos of Samsung Galaxy Y. Samsung Galaxy Y Samsung Galaxy Y is the new entry-level Android (2.3.5) smartphone from Samsung in India and its priced at Rs. 7830/- which is its MRP. The device is quite nice looking compared to the other Android entry level phones and has quite good finishing and materials used despite it's all plastic. The back panel is complete plastic with matt finish and there will not be fingerprint issue. Galaxy Y uses 1200 mAh battery. The device was quite responsive even though the unit we handled was a commercial sample than a final unit. So we think it was already running the final software version which is now shipping with Galaxy Y in the market. Galaxy Y is also using TW4 launcher by Samsung similar to new 2011 Galaxy Android series including the Samsung Galaxy S II. The display is 3” QVGA but still was quite sharp and bright. Overall the display quality is quite acceptable as the device is very entry level android ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/42974/samsung-galaxy-y-hands-on.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43379/nokia-lumia-710-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43379/nokia-lumia-710-hands-on.html#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:16:13 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43379 It's Nokia World 2011 and all eyes seems to be on Nokia's new Windows Phone 7.5 flagship, the Lumia 800. But based on my conversations with other tech journalists here, many believe the real show stealer is the understated Nokia Lumia 710. Read on to find out why. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVZ_9Y8haso The Lumia 710 is Nokia's promise on making Windows Phone cheaper and accessible to the market. At a retail price of EUR270 before taxes and subsidies, the Lumia 710 is currently the cheapest new Windows Phone 7.5 smartphones with a faster than 1 GHz processor. Like the Nokia Lumia 800, the Lumia 710 runs on the same 1.4 GHz processor and graphic accelerator. In essence the  key differentiators that set the two apart are the design, screen technology used and camera. While the Lumia 800 shares the same body as the Meego-powered Nokia N9, the Lumia 710 is a Nokia 603 after undergoing a Windows Phone transplant. While the 710 is larger than the 800, it is also a bit lighter. Despite the liberal use of plastic, the 710 feels great in hand. My only complaint was, despite the use of hardware front buttons, the buttons do look and feel cheap. It does get the job done, even if the ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43379/nokia-lumia-710-hands-on.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43375/nokia-asha-300-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43375/nokia-asha-300-hands-on.html#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:38:31 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43375 The Nokia Asha 300 is one of four new Nokia Asha series featurephones announced today at Nokia World 2011 in London. The Asha 300 is almost identical in featureset to the Asha 303, except apart for a QWERTY keyboard, the Asha 300 comes with a traditional 12-key numerical pad and a portrait touchscreen. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc9YLnz54fY The Asha 300 will feature a 1GHz processor of unknown type and a 240x320 resistive touchscreen. It's design is that of a classic monoblock device. It is stylish and yet powerful enough for a none-smartphone class device. The built quality is solid, but feels a tad cheap - which is exactly what it is. A 5 Megapixel camera can be found on the back.   Nokia Browser and a host of other social networking, including Orkut and Flickr, and messaging apps can be found installed, as is Angry Birds. I was sceptical on how Angry Birds would work on a 2.4" screen device but it works surprisingly well. The resistive touchscreen technology used meant that pressure has to be applied at all times. Multi touch isn't supported, but that is due to disadvantages of using a cheaper resistive touchscreen. The Asha 300 is a 3G device, but it lacks the WLAN radio ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43375/nokia-asha-300-hands-on.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43371/nokia-asha-303-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43371/nokia-asha-303-hands-on.html#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:18:56 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43371 Nokia today announced the Nokia Asha 303, part of the new Asha portfolio of S40 touch and type featurephones designed for emerging markets and part of Nokia's strategy of getting the next billion people online. Of all the Asha devices announced today, the 303 is the most interesting one. The Nokia Asha 303 is a monoblock device with a front facing QWERTY keyboard and 2.6" QVGA capacitive touchscreen. Powering the device is a 1GHz processor of unknown type (likely to be some kind of ARM CPU). httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL5BkBKDizw The Asha 303 is a stylish device borrowing elements from the Nokia 700 and the low cost C3 QWERTY featurephone. It feels solid in hand and the build quality is good. The keys are well spaced, though they do not provide the nice 'clicky' tactile feel I was looking for. Four hardware keys resides above the QWERTY keyboard providing shortcuts to the messaging app and music player. Because the 303 is built around social networking and mobile internet, it comes with a wealth of built-in applications and the wireless hardware necessary for it to do so. 3G and WLAN comes as built in standard. The 3.2 Megapixel camera doesn't impress, but you can't complain much for a device in this ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43371/nokia-asha-303-hands-on.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43132/samsung-omnia-w-hand-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43132/samsung-omnia-w-hand-on.html#comments Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:49:00 +0000 Gaurav http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=43132 We already know that recently Samsung India has launched three new smartphones in 3 different platforms namely, Android, BADA and Windows Phone. We attended the launch event in Delhi and here are the hands-on photos of Samsung Omnia W. No doubt that major attraction was Samsung Omnia W which is first Windows Phone 7 Mango device launched in India. Omnia W is has been recently announced worldwide and thanks to Samsung India for launching in India so soon. It’s priced at Rs. 19990/- which is MRP in India. This is new 2011 series device from Samsung in Windows Phone series worldwide. Omnia W is powered by Qualcomm 8255T 1.4GHz SOC similar to Wave 3. It has 512MB RAM, 8GB on-board storage, 5MP AF camera with Led flash and 720p HD video recording. Similar to majority of WP devices Omnia W also lacks micro-SD card slot. The is first device to provide native UMTS Video Calling facility in entire Windows Phone series by partnered manufacturers including Samsung, HTC, etc. Omnia W provides a separate Video Calling application through which we can video call with anyone using 3G ready and Video Call capable phone in native UMTS mode. It has VGA front ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/43132/samsung-omnia-w-hand-on.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/42242/sony-ericsson-android-update-2-3-4-with-3d-sweep-panorama-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/42242/sony-ericsson-android-update-2-3-4-with-3d-sweep-panorama-hands-on.html#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:59:23 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=42242 On Wednesday I attended a Sony Ericsson event where I had some hands-on time with new XPERIA ray and XPERIA arc S which has a beta version of Gingerbread 2.3.4 update. This update will bring about a number of improvements and features, including the ability to record still pictures in 3D. As the name implies, the XPERIA arc S is a refresh of the XPERIA Arc. If you have read my review you would be aware by how impressed I am by the original arc. But I also questioned whether it would be able to withstand the onslaught of dual core flagships by Samsung and HTC. Well for better or worse, it is exactly the same device as the original Arc with a higher clock speed. It certainly feels speedy but so was the original Arc. It will ship with Android 2.3.4 and comes with Sony Ericsson 3D sweep panorama which I will touch on below. Despite the fact that there are currently no XPERIA smartphones on the market with dual camera modules, the aforementioned 2.3.4 update will bring to Sony Ericsson XPERIA smartphones a unique feature (on smartphones at least) to capture 3D images and view them on a 3D compatible ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/42242/sony-ericsson-android-update-2-3-4-with-3d-sweep-panorama-hands-on.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40639/sony-ericsson-xperia-neo-preview.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40639/sony-ericsson-xperia-neo-preview.html#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:35:33 +0000 Team FoneArena http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=40639 It’s taken a while to emerge, but the Sony Ericsson Neo is finally with us. Shipments of this Xperia-branded Android device were delayed by the recent natural disaster in Japan, but now that it’s here we’re pleased to report that it’s been worth the wait. We’re giving you a little taster of what this likable mid-range device is capable of, and we’ll be following it up with the usual exhaustive FoneArena review in the not-too-distant future. Looking at the Xperia Neo for the first time calls to mind one of its recently-launched brothers, the PlayStation-certified Xperia Play. Front the front, the two phones look very much alike, with only the missing ‘search’ button and enlarged front-facing camera standing out as key differences. The Neo shares the Play’s metal-effect plastic sides, too - although around the back, it’s a different story. The Neo boasts a cool gradient effect on its battery cover, and the unit we looked at featured a black and metallic blue combination. We wouldn't begin to suggest that it will be to everyone’s tastes, but it certainly tickled our fancy. The Neo’s 3.7-inch ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/40639/sony-ericsson-xperia-neo-preview.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/39769/exclusive-photo-gallery-99-photos-of-the-nokia-n9.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/39769/exclusive-photo-gallery-99-photos-of-the-nokia-n9.html#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:54:56 +0000 Team FoneArena http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=39769 You must have surely read about the Nokia N9 and how awesome the hardware is. The device was announced today at Singapore. The N9 proves that Nokia can still make awesome phones. The phone is powered by MeeGo which means the device is truly open source. FoneArena's Michael Hell was at the N9 Meetup in Austria and he brings us 99 photos of the Nokia N9. Sit back relax and drool over the N9. Magenta , Black or Cyan ? 8 MP  Camera with Carl Zeiss optics NFC ( Near Field Communication) - Tap to pair with Speaker and play music ! Looks like everyone's excited about the N9 This little guy seems to be enjoying the N9 too . Nokia N9 Photo Gallery Note: Clicking on thumbnails will open larger version of image The phone might be launched in select countries listed here initially. Expect more N9 coverage over the next few days. Are you excited about the device ? We have managed to get hold of the pricing too.  Let us know ! ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/39769/exclusive-photo-gallery-99-photos-of-the-nokia-n9.html/feed 9 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/39197/exclusive-nokia-e6-unboxing.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/39197/exclusive-nokia-e6-unboxing.html#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:39:48 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=39197 We were at the Nokia E6 Meetup here in India and got a chance to unbox this latest Symbian handset from Nokia. The E6 runs on Symbian Anna and is the first true e-series touchscreen phone to come with a QWERTY keyboard. Nokia is calling it a Touch and Type phone. Dive in below for the unboxing video. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knN1VF-w4DE Here are the box contents Nokia E6 1500 mAh BP-4L Battery Leather pouch AC  charger (2.0 mm pin) Nokia Stereo Headset WH-207 User manual The handset comes with 8gigs of internal memory and a 8MP camera with Flash on the back. We should have a video of the hardware and software soon. If you are big fan of Eseries , you will surely love the E6.  Are you going to pick one up ? Regarding the price , Nokia did not reveal any info. but we expect it to be around Rs.20-25K Note that this is not the final retail package for India. It had the Australian branding on the box. We just could not resist unboxing this device. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/39197/exclusive-nokia-e6-unboxing.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/38963/htc-chacha-preview.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/38963/htc-chacha-preview.html#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:58:55 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=38963 HTC caused a stir at this year's MWC when they announced the ChaCha and Salsa, two Android devices with their very own Facebook button. Unofficially dubbed the 'Facebook phones', the ChaCha allows you to easily update your Facebook status with a simple press of a button. The HTC ChaCha is a mid-range QWERTY smartphone running on Google Android. Like the HTC Salsa, the ChaCha has a dedicated Facebook button that makes posting updates and pictures onto your Facebook profile easier. Instead of opening the Facebook application, pressing the button will bring you to a screen that allows you to compose your update and attach a picture. Pressing down the button will also allow you to check-in to Facebook ala Foursquare. HTC recently upgraded the ChaCha's ARM CPU clockspeed from 600MHz to 800MHz ARM. With 512MB RAM (plenty for a device of this range) and the latest Android Gingerbread 2.3.3, the ChaCha feels quick. It also comes with an accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS receiver and dual band HSDPA/HSUPA. A 2GB microSD memory card is bundled together, though the device can easily take a 32GB microSD card. While the 2.6" LCD capacitive touchscreen display may ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/38963/htc-chacha-preview.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/36959/sony-ericsson-xperia-mini-and-mini-pro-hands-on.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/36959/sony-ericsson-xperia-mini-and-mini-pro-hands-on.html#comments Thu, 05 May 2011 22:44:46 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=36959 Sony Ericsson today announced the XPERIA Mini and Mini Pro, successors to the XPERIA X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro. I was at the London press conference where I had some hands-on time with the devices. No price or availability has been announced yet, but they are due to arrive August of this year. Both of these smartphones are powered by a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the same processor powering its flagship XPERIA Arc phones and will run on the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. The phones features a 3" screen with HVGA resolution (480 x 320) powered by Sony's Mobile BRAVIA Engine and is capable of 720p video recording. The Mini Pro will also feature a front camera and four-row slide-out keyboard. I found both the XPERIA Mini and Mini Pro to be rather cute. They are rather thick, but despite that both are comfortable to hold and use. The screen is delightfully responsive and the 3" screen did not feel as cramped as on the old X10 Mini variants. The HVGA resolution ensures that the screen is sharp. The Mini Pro's keyboard is a joy to use. The width of the keyboard is similar to that of a ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/36959/sony-ericsson-xperia-mini-and-mini-pro-hands-on.html/feed 7 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31357/thoughts-from-hell-the-latest-sony-ericsson-android-devices.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31357/thoughts-from-hell-the-latest-sony-ericsson-android-devices.html#comments Sun, 20 Feb 2011 07:00:17 +0000 Michael Hell http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=31357 Last Tuesday I was invited to another Sony Ericsson Press Event at a Rink in Vienna, dubbed "Sony Ericsson on Ice". The purpose? Oh, nothing more than getting my hands on the brand new Sony Ericsson Android Devices, that debuted on CES and MWC 2011. Yes thats right, all the new goodies were lined up, in order to get SE some well needed Attention. We all know that Sony Ericsson wasn't exactly the top Contender after the last Phones, like for example the horrid Xperia X10. The new devices looked quite promising, so after a short introduction from Mr Burtscher, Product Manager of Sony Ericsson Austria, i got my hands (and Camera) on the Devices for a few Minutes. And here's what i have to say about them: Check out all the Pictures below and much much more in my 61 Photo strong Flickr Set "Sony Ericsson on Ice" Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo: Starting off with the Xperia Neo, probably the most basic of the bunch. A capacitive 3,7" Multitouchscreen and 854 x 480 Pixel resolution, featuring the brand new "Mobile Bravia Engine", promising a better Multimedia Experience on your Display. The Vivaz look-alike features an 8,1 Megapixel Camera with Sony Exmor R ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/31357/thoughts-from-hell-the-latest-sony-ericsson-android-devices.html/feed 2 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/30400/huawei-teases-its-upcoming-s7-slim-tablet.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/30400/huawei-teases-its-upcoming-s7-slim-tablet.html#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:32:44 +0000 Omkar Dutta http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=30400 After Motorola and LG, Huawei has joined the bandwagon of teasing their upcoming products, ahead of the official launch. Huawei recently teased their upcoming S7 slim tablet, which is expected to launch next week at the MWC 2011 in Barcelona. The complete specs of this device is not available yet. The Huawei S7 slim tablet comes with a 7 inch touchscreen display and it might run on the Android operating system. We are still not sure which Android version will be used in this device. The Huawei S7 is a budget tablet and it will be priced lower than the expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab. This device is rumored to come with a 2 megapixel front facing camera for video calls. The complete specs will be reveled next week at MWC. We will be live at the MWC and we will update you with complete specs soon after the launch of this device. Stay tuned for more updates. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/30400/huawei-teases-its-upcoming-s7-slim-tablet.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29380/lg-optimus-me-p350-leaked.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29380/lg-optimus-me-p350-leaked.html#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:46:12 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=29380 We just spotted a new Android handset from LG called the Optimus ME with the model number P350. Here are a bunch of pics of the device. The handset looks like an upcoming member of the Optimus range from LG.While we don't have much details about this handset  , we can say that the handset will be coming in 5 different colors and does not run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. enjoy the pics after the break  ! UPDATE : We have some specs here We are sure that the Optimus Me  is an entry level android phone from  LG and it  packs a 3 MP Camera on the back and lacks a front facing camera. It supports WiFi though. We can see 4 touch sensitive buttons in the front and surprisingly a common button for call and hangup functions. Looks like the hangup button with serve as the power button too. No details on price or availability though but we expect a price of under 200-300 USD or Rs.10000-11000 approx. Optimus ME at MWC 2011 ? We should find out soon ! ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29380/lg-optimus-me-p350-leaked.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29285/sony-ericsson-vivaz-2-with-android-leaked.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29285/sony-ericsson-vivaz-2-with-android-leaked.html#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:35:44 +0000 Sandeep http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=29285 This is the Sony Ericsson MT15i/Halon which is the successor to the Sony Ericsson Vivaz.  The phone has been revealed in a preview made by Eldar Murtazin of Mobile Review. The new Vivaz is bigger, thicker and heavier which is the exact opposite of what Sony Ericsson did with the XPERIA X10 to the XPERIA Arc. The screen in the new Vivaz is bigger and supports a higher resolution compared to the original. There is an 8 Megapixel EXMOR camera equipped with LED flash capable of recording HD videos. There is a front video call camera. There is a 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI port and a microUSB port. Other Specifications are: 1500 mAH Battery Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 512MB RAM, 1GHz Processor 300 MB Internal Memory, microSD Card Slot Read the preview here ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/29285/sony-ericsson-vivaz-2-with-android-leaked.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27577/motorola-defy-preview-the-lifeproof-phone.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27577/motorola-defy-preview-the-lifeproof-phone.html#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:43:50 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=27577 Motorola's new Android budget smartphone is a rare thing - a semi rugged phone that looks like any other normal phone. It is dust proof, water and scratch resistant. Motorola calls it the 'Lifeproof' phone. I call it a freaking awesome phone.Check out our little Motorola Defy preview. When I first heard of the Defy, I expected to be greeted with a smartphone equivalent of a Panasonic Toughbook laptop, but no - the Defy looks like any normal smartphone. It is even smaller than my Nokia N8! . It won't take any design awards home as far as physical aesthetics is concerned, but it isn't something you would be embarrassed to own. In fact it looks rather cute! At 118g, the Defy is also light. In fact it feels so light I was concerned whether or not it would muster in the real world as a semi rugged phone. It felt almost like a toy! Still Motorola should be applauded for the great engineering of the Defy. While smaller than the N8, it packs a larger and higher resolution screen (3.7" 480x854 pixels) as well as a removable ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/27577/motorola-defy-preview-the-lifeproof-phone.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/26644/sony-ericsson-xperia-x12anzu-preview.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/26644/sony-ericsson-xperia-x12anzu-preview.html#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:54:29 +0000 Sandeep http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=26644 We earlier showed you the leaked pictures of the XPERIA X12/Anzu. Eldar Murtazin of Mobile Review has just posted a first look article on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X12/Anzu. It is the successor of the XPERIA X10. He states that so far Sony Ericsson have been relying on the design and hardware specs rather than the OS to sell their phones. But this did not help the sales much in the case of the XPERIA X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro. The XPERIA X12/Anzu is one among the next generation of Android devices from Sony Ericsson. Anzu is said to hit the markets pre-loaded with Android 2.2 Froyo and will be updated to Gingerbread by Summer 2011. We feel this is a bad move since most of the other companies should be announcing their phones pre-loaded with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Here are the confirmed specifications: 4.3" Capacitive Touchscreen with Multi-Touch and 854*480 Pixels Resolution 800 MHz Qualcomm Scorpion Processor (Slower Processor Compared to the X10 but More Optimised) 12 Megapixel Camera with LED Flash and 720p HD Video Recording HDMI Port There also seems to be no Sony Ericsson UI on top so the phone is faster. via Mobile Review ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/26644/sony-ericsson-xperia-x12anzu-preview.html/feed 1 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25684/samsung-galaxy-tab-unboxing-pictures.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25684/samsung-galaxy-tab-unboxing-pictures.html#comments Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:10:33 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=25684 We were lucky to get hold of the Samsung Galaxy tab for a few hours yesterday and we have some exclusive unboxing pics for you.It comes in a relatively small box which is slightly bigger than a phone. Galaxy Tab Box Contents Galaxy Tab AC Conversion Plug Travel Adaptor Stereo Ear phones with ear buds USB Data Cable ( which doubles up as a charging cable) Quick Start Guide. The Tab packs a 4000mAh battery which gives around 7 hours of video playback and around 15 hours of normal usage. It's a pretty small package if you ask us. We would appreciated if Samsung offered a case along or a dock along with the retail package . That would enable us to digest the Rs.38000 MRP a little bit easier. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Unboxing Video Below httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5O1bfRKmkM You can also check out some Live Pics of the Galaxy Tab and the comparison pics with the iPad ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25684/samsung-galaxy-tab-unboxing-pictures.html/feed 4 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25598/apple-ipad-vs-samsung-galaxy-tab-comparison-pics.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25598/apple-ipad-vs-samsung-galaxy-tab-comparison-pics.html#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:06:41 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=25598 We had the chance to compare the Apple iPad with the Samsung Galaxy Tab. While the iPad has a metallic body , the Galaxy Tab has a plastic one. We found it easier to grip and type on the Galaxy Tab but found the large display on the iPad more fun to use. The iPad is heavier at 730g ( WiFi+3G version ) compared to the Tab at 385g.The iPad has a 9.7 inch (1024x768px) LED Blacklit display with IPS technology while the Tab has a 7 inch ( 1024x600px) TFT Display. Thickness - iPad  13.4mm vs Galaxy Tab 11.98mm. The iPad appears thinner due to the tapering but its thicker than the Tab. Width: iPad 189.7mm vs Tab 120.45mm The Galaxy Tab is very portable indeed but Android 2.2 seems more like a phone UI rather than a tablet UI. What do you think ? ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25598/apple-ipad-vs-samsung-galaxy-tab-comparison-pics.html/feed 15 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25455/windows-phone-7-impressions.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25455/windows-phone-7-impressions.html#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:11:52 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=25455 I've been using a Samsung Omnia 7 for a couple of days. It so happen to run on Windows Phone 7, the new mobile operating system Microsoft. As a former Pocket PC and Windows Mobile user, I can say for certain that Windows Phone 7 is nothing like its predecessors. I was excited about trying out the new OS. Windows Phone 7 features completely different UI, not only from Windows Mobile but also from the majority of mobile OS like iOS, Android and Symbian. The launcher is divided into two parts - the front 'home screen' which has live tiles (or widgets) that can be customised by the user, and the program launcher which lists a list of applications installed in alphabetical order. This makes up for the basis of what Microsoft dubs the Metro UI. Metro UI is slick, quick, uncluttered, easy to use and designed to operate with fingers. Most of the built-in apps is engineered using a design called hubs. Hubs are basically large panoramic apps. Here you can swipe left and right or tap to go through the different pages within the hub. There are a couple of ways to getting your contacts onto the phone. You can either ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25455/windows-phone-7-impressions.html/feed 4 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25468/motorola-flipout-hitting-india-in-november-at-rs-15k-price.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25468/motorola-flipout-hitting-india-in-november-at-rs-15k-price.html#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:42:31 +0000 Varun Krish http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=25468 If online retailer FlipKart is to be believed , the Motorola Flipout is hitting India in November with a 15K price tag . The site is accepting pre-orders for the chic looking Motorola handset. The FlipOut runs on Android 2.1 and features a touchscreen display which you can twist sideways.  Motorola calls it a pivot design. You can call it an elite version of the Bling. This handset will surely get the attention of youth especially girls ! We expect official confirmation of the launch soon. ]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/25468/motorola-flipout-hitting-india-in-november-at-rs-15k-price.html/feed 0 http://www.fonearena.com/blog/23896/nokia-e7-first-impressions.html http://www.fonearena.com/blog/23896/nokia-e7-first-impressions.html#comments Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:36:38 +0000 jonchoo http://www.fonearena.com/blog/?p=23896 I recently had a couple of hands-on with Nokia's new E-series Symbian^3 powered E7 device at Nokia World 2010. The E7 devices on display were pre-production unit running on none-release firmware. The E7 has the same design language as the N8. The anodised and sleek metal body feels great in my palms, and despite being physically larger than the N8, it wasn't uncomfortable to hold. It has a feel and look like a premium device, and it should. It will be available in the same colour schemes as the N8 as well. The front is dominated by a large 4" OLED screen that a Nokia rep on the floor confirmed as a CBD (clear black display) type. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but the screen is colourful and had excellent contrast and black levels. Despite having a resolution of 640x360 (lower than high end Android devices and iPhone 4), the display looks sharp. Powering the Nokia N8 is Symbian^3. As far as I know Symbian^4 will not be made available on this device, so take that into consideration when considering the E7. The firmware on this isn't optimised yet as the few E7 I was playing with kept ...]]> http://www.fonearena.com/blog/23896/nokia-e7-first-impressions.html/feed 2