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All posts tagged "smartphone"


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Which Smartphone Operating System do You Prefer?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 10:30 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/...ext-smartphone/

"In a recent report from Nielsen, Google snagged 40 percent of the smartphone market, while Apple captured approximately 28 percent -- up just barely .01 percentage point from last year."

The only thing that surprises me about this is that there are so many that desire RIM for their next smartphone operating system. Maybe that and the fact that 30% of the late adopters aren't sure what they want. You would think that with all of the information out there, this percentage wouldn't be as high.


Thursday, July 21, 2011

My Week with a Dell Venue Pro

Posted by Don Tolson in "Dell Windows Phones" @ 08:00 AM

Product Category: Windows Phone 7 Smartphone
Manufacturer: Dell
Where to Buy: Amazon [affiliate]
Price: $499 USD for T-Mobile with no contract
System Requirements: Windows Phone 7. You'll need a Windows Live or Hotmail account to take full advantage of the social media and marketplace.
Specifications: 1Ghz CPU, 8Gb internal storage; 4.1 WVGA (480 x 800) AMOLED screen; Quad band (850/900/1800/1900) GPRS; Tri band UTMS (900/1700/2100), GPS, 5mp colour camera w/autofocus + LED flash, 720p HD video recording; BT 2.1 EDR, 802.11b/g; 3.5mm stereo audio jack; microUSB 2.0; digital compass and G-Sensor; 120mm (4.8in) x 62mm (2.5in) x 13mm (0.5in); 190g (6.8 oz). Full specs are available at the Dell Site.

Pros:

  • Large, bright screen with portrait sliding keyboard (no need to rotate the unit);
  • Solidly built.

Cons:

  • Screen pixels seem to have 'space' between them, creating a pixelated look to some images;
  • Weight distribution is affected by sliding out the keyboard -- makes one-handed operation difficult;
  • Bluetooth seems to have difficulty re-establishing connections.

Summary: While the Dell Venue Pro has been out and about for a number of months now, we don't hear much about it in the press or in advertisements. There was a lot of initial buzz about the new look of Dell's first venture into Windows Phone 7 and the 'portrait' slider keyboard. But here in Canada, it's been very difficult to get a hold of one, since none of the major cellular suppliers (Rogers, Bell or Telus) support it on their networks. But never fear, we here at Windows Phone Thoughts don't let a little thing like network support stop us! We managed to snag one to play with for a week or so thought you might be interested in what we found. Read on.... Read more...


Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Does Your Smartphone Distract You From Ads on TV?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad" @ 01:00 AM

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2011/05/...t-people-tv-ads

"While Apple might be pretty good at creating TV ads, the company's iPhone is something of a problem for television advertisers. According to a recent study, the iPhone (and other smart phones) are one of the major distractions people encounter when watching TV."

Anything that is "aiding in avoidance" is troubling to the advertising industry per AdAge. So when they decided to do a study and find out exactly how much distraction do smartphones cause television viewers. They didn't like the results. During a 30 minute show, 94% of viewers were distracted at some point, and smartphones accounted for 60% of these distractions. I can totally see this as I do exactly the same thing. How about you, does your smartphone distract you from those pesky ads on TV?


Thursday, May 12, 2011

US Wireless Capacity To Hit A Wall In The Next 24-36 Months?

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 06:30 AM

http://www.businessinsider.com/spec...sis-2013-2011-5

"According to the FCC, the United States is facing an imminent spectrum crisis, in which exploding demand from smartphones will soon overwhelm the nation's wireless capacity. The problem, the FCC says, is the lack of new spectrum being made available to wireless data carriers. Smartphone data traffic is growing so fast, the FCC says, that--if nothing is done--we will use up our available spectrum by 2013."

Image: Federal Communications Commission

If you are in any way dependent on wireless services then you will probably want to take note of this article. The Business Insider has posted an article citing statistics produced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which indicate the US is quickly running out of wireless capacity. On the current course, and without an intervention of some kind, by some point in 2013 we will hit a spectrum deficit wall. The FCC does, though, have a plan to recover under used spectrum capacity from various sources. Hit the Read link for additional data and commentary by the Business Insider.


Thursday, December 2, 2010

Nielsen Reports On The State of The Smartphone Market

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Android News" @ 07:00 AM

http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire...t-oct2010-1.png

"According to October 2010 data from The Nielsen Company, 29.7 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers now own smartphones that run full operating systems. The most popular smartphones are the Apple iPhone and RIM Blackberry, which are caught in a statistical dead heat with 27 percent of smartphone market share in the U.S. Twenty-two percent of smartphone owners have devices with the Android operating system"

Interesting - last I'd heard the Feature Phone market still had about 10% higher saturation, so it looks like the era of the Smartphone will soon be upon a much wider spread of Americans than ever before seen. So what are your predictions for the other circle? I see Green + Blue taking up some space soon to be vacated by Red, and perhaps even eating into Grey!


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Hands-On with the HTC 7 Mozart

Posted by Darius Wey in "HTC Windows Phones" @ 11:30 PM

Choice is good. No, choice is great! But in looking at HTC's Windows Phone 7 devices, you could be forgiven for thinking that the paradox of choice is entirely applicable. Specs-wise, they're almost the same. That makes decision-making inherently tough. But there are features that differentiate each from the other, and perhaps the most defining features on the HTC 7 Mozart is the 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash and the 3.7" display, which, being the second-smallest of the bunch, makes for some pretty impressive pixel density. How does this beast look and feel in the flesh? Read on to find out!

Read more...


Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Mini Size, Maxi Features: The HTC HD Mini Reviewed

Posted by Doug Raeburn in "HTC Windows Phones" @ 07:00 AM

Product Category: Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Smartphone
Manufacturer: HTC
Where to buy: Expansys
Price: $339 USD Unlocked version
Specifications: From HTC site

Pros:

  • Good performance;
  • Small and light - fits nicely in your hand and your pocket;
  • Capacitive touchscreen is responsive with fluid scrolling;
  • Most thoroughly "touch enabled" WM phone yet.

Cons:

  • Capacitive buttons on front panel too easy to hit by accident;
  • Back cover difficult to remove;
  • Doesn't support 3G for AT&T.

Summary: Not too long ago, HTC introduced the HD2, which featured just about everything a Windows Mobile smartphone buyer could ask for. But it also had a couple of characteristics, namely comparatively large size and heavy weight, that didn't thrill some prospective buyers as much. So HTC subsequently introduced the HTC HD Mini in Europe, with the goal provide the bulk of the HD2's capabilities in a smaller and lighter form factor. How successful were they at achieving that goal? Join me as I research that question...

Read more...


Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Broadcom Introduces 3G Chipset Solution to Enable High-Speed, Low Cost Smartphone Devices

Posted by Pete Paxton in "Windows Phone News" @ 07:00 AM

http://www.broadcom.com/press/relea....php?id=s443445

"Designed in Broadcom's proven 65 nanometer CMOS process, the new '3G phone-on-a-chip' and RF solution enables manufacturers to build low cost, low power, next generation 3G HSUPA phones with breakthrough features, sleek form factors and very long battery lives. Utilizing an integrated ARM11® processor that is capable of running popular open operating systems (such as Windows Mobile® and AndroidTM), the Broadcom® BCM21553 HSUPA baseband processor can run innovative new applications and download media files at a much faster speed, resulting in sophisticated and affordable handsets, and a more satisfying smartphone experience."

I guess there's really nothing not to like about this. Low cost, high speed, and long battery life. I like each of those features in a smartphone. From what I read it sounds like the graphic's chip will be powerful along with support for at least an 8 megapixel camera. I'd like to see all this sooner than later. Now we just need to figure out what the statements "low cost" and "long battery lives" actually mean. I suppose time will tell but for the most part the future sounds pretty good.


Thursday, December 17, 2009

AT&T Considering Data Plan Surcharge for Heavy Users?

Posted by Reid Kistler in "Windows Phone Articles & Resources" @ 06:00 PM

http://www.pcworld.com/article/1840...users_more.html

"AT&T is moving even closer to charging special usage fees to heavy data users, including those with iPhones and other smartphones. Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, today came the closest he has so far in warning about some kind of use-based pricing."

The idea of charging for, and/or placing a cap on, "excessive" data usage, always raises a firestorm of protest. Matt Hamblen, of Computerworld, managed to post a straight news story about comments made on this subject, among others, by Ralph de la Vega of AT&T. Having originally come to the "WWW" in the days of CompuServe and Prodigy, where we almost literally paid by the minute, the concept of tiered pricing does not seem out of bounds.

And if, indeed, "3% of smartphone users... are responsible for 40% of total data usage," and wireless bandwidth is truly limited, does AT&T have a point? Is there any method by which they could make data limits or pricing surcharges acceptable? Or, to play devil's advocate, might AT&T - or any carrier, for that matter - actually be better off if they simply dropped the highest data users?


Wednesday, August 5, 2009

No Longer in the Rough: A Review of the HTC Touch Diamond 2

Posted by Don Tolson in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 07:00 AM

Product Category: PDA phone
Manufacturer: HTC
Where to Buy: Expansys [Affiliate]
Price: $524.99 USD
System Requirements: Comes with Windows Mobile 6.1 and HTC's TouchFlo 3D interface. Sorry, no word from HTC on 6.5 or 7 upgrade at this time.
Specifications: Qualcom MSM7200A running at 528MHz; 512Mb ROM, 288 Mb RAM; 3.2 inch TFT LCD screen in 480x800 resolution; Quad band GPRS/Edge + dual band (Europe/Asia only) HSPDA/WCDMA; 117.5g (4.1 oz) with battery; 108mm (4.3 in) x 53mm (2.1in) x 14mm (0.6in). Full specifications from HTC are available here.

Pros:

  • Huge, bright screen with vibrant colours;
  • Sleek, professional look; good feel in the hand and very pocketable;
  • TouchFlo 3D interface is very smooth, responsive and finger-friendly -- little need to use the stylus for most functions;
  • GPS Receiver is Phenomenal!

Cons:

  • Soft reset button is located inside the unit so you have to take the back cover off if things get 'stuck';
  • Really wish HTC would add a Tasks tab to TouchFlo.

Summary: Right from the top let me say I LOVE the Touch Diamond 2. It has a very classy look; the size and weight are very comfortable in the hand' and the WVGA screen is clear, vibrant and huge! HTC's TouchFlo interface is quicker and smoother in this version, with new features and greater depth into the Windows Mobile GUI. As a whole, everything about this phone just works exactly as you'd expect it to. Easy, Expected and Reliable is exactly what I'm looking for in a personal digital assistant and the Touch Diamond 2 has it all. I really hated to have to return this at the end of the review period. Read more...


Wednesday, July 29, 2009

T-Mobile USA Announces HTC Touch Pro2 Coming August 12th

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC News" @ 02:22 PM

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/...495&newsLang=en

"T-Mobile USA, Inc., and HTC Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of the HTC Touch Pro2TM, a powerful, stylish device with an intuitive touch screen and user interface that enables customers to simplify their communication and mobile Internet experience while staying connected, informed and in control of work and life. The device will be available in a mocha finish to T-Mobile customers beginning Aug. 12.

Enabled for T-Mobile's expanding high-speed 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), the HTC Touch Pro2 offers fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience along with popular features such as built-in GPS and location-based services. Featuring a 3.6-inch color WVGA touchscreen that slides back and tilts up to reveal a full-QWERTY keyboard, the screen is perfectly positioned for reading and creating e-mail, browsing the Web, using applications, and playing videos and games. A 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus also provides customers with an easy way to capture and share high-quality images and video as well as view that content on the crisp display."

Image courtesy of Engadget Mobile.

I've had a chance to use the Touch Pro2 over the past week, and I've got to say, this is one impressive device. T-Mobile is the first US-based carrier to release this uber-device, but they won't be the last. I'm not sure how I feel about the "mocha" colouring on this though. Any of you T-Mobile users plan on picking this up?


Monday, May 25, 2009

Further Traveling with Pharos -- the Traveler 127 reviewed

Posted by Don Tolson in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 09:00 AM

Product Category: 3.5G GPS PDA Phone
Manufacturer: Pharos USA
Where to Buy: Expansys [affiliate]
Price: $479.99 USD
System Requirements: Runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Specifications: Qualcom 400Mhz processor, 256mb Flash ROM, 128mb SDRAM, 2.5 inch QVGA display, QWERTY keyboard, Triband (850/1900/2100) UTMS/HSDPA/HSUPA, Quad Band (850/90/1800/1900) GSM/GPRS/EDGE. GPS (with AGPS compatibility), 802.11b/g, BT2.0+EDR, USB 2.0, Cameras - 0.3mp (front), 2.0mp (rear)+fixed focus, battery is 1410 mAh Li-Ion with is rechargeable/replaceable. Dimensions: 116mm (4.57in) x 62mm (2.44in) x 15mm (0.60in). Weight is 145g (5.11 oz) with battery. Full specifications are available here.
Pros:
  • Trackball has a good, responsive feel to it, but software is still not fully integrated into its existence;
  • GPS is very responsive and works well with the Smart Navigator software;
  • Standard 2.5mm headphone jack, which also doubles as TVOut;
  • Good all around package for traveling business people.
Cons:
  • Lock/power button doesn't always turn on the screen;
  • Small stylus;
  • WiFi has difficulty with secured networks;
  • 2 megapixel, fixed-focus camera is not up to current expectations.

Summary:

Following along from our review of the 117 last month, we now present Pharos' latest addition to the Traveler series -- the 127. Similar to the 117, but designed for those who prefer the front-facing embedded keyboard format, the Traveler 127 is a full 3.5G capable travelling companion for the mobile business executive. It's not an easy market to make your mark in, as it's crowded and competitive. How does the 127 fare against the HPs, HTCs and Blackberries? Let's take a look...

Read more...


Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Win a Registration Key to Microsoft's My Phone Beta!

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone Software" @ 12:11 PM

http://myphone.microsoft.com/

Good news everyone! Yours truly has come into possession of two registration keys for Microsoft's My Phone Beta program! Since I'm such a nice guy I thought the best thing to do would be to give them away to our readers! For those of you that are unaware - "Microsoft My Phone syncs information between your mobile phone and the web..." - Basically it can best be described as a very simple and easy to use cloud syncing solution for Windows Mobile handsets. Exchange services for the rest of us!To qualify to win one of these two never before used registration codes, all you have to do is post a reply telling us about a time when data syncing has failed you miserably. It can be anything; like having your phone stolen and not backing up your contacts or getting the phone number of an attractive member of the opposite sex seconds before your waiter spills a cup of water on your Samsung Blackjack... Whatever you can think of!The contest will be going on now until Sunday April 12th, 2009 at 11:59PM PST, at which time I will go through and randomly select two entrants to be announced Monday April 13th, 2009. As I mentioned before the winners will be selected randomly so unfortunately bribing me with cookies will do you no good - but you are more than welcomed to try!


Monday, March 9, 2009

More Dell Smartphone Discussions

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone News" @ 04:31 PM

http://www.businessweek.com/technol...hts_on_del.html

"Today’s Wall Street Journal has an intriguing story about Dell’s apparent plans to enter the smart phone business. It’s not clear what platform Dell will use. Apparently Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile are on the table. Maybe they’ll use both. But here’s the detail that caught my attention: The phones are being designed in an office in the Chicago area. That to me says this Dell phone will essentially be designed by former Motorola people."

It would not surprise me to see Dell hire ex-Motorola employees to design and develop their new smartphones. However there are a few industrial design firms in the Chicago area that have worked with Motorola in the past and could be working with Dell in the future. I think the real interesting part of this story is how the Dell smartphone rumors, just like the Zune Phone rumors, will not die. There has been speculation for years that Dell would jump back into the smartphone realm but to be honest I really doubt we will see this happen. With Dell's announcement last week that their sales have dropped over 16% in the past year and they will be cutting down on costs, jumping into a new already crowded market doesn't seem like the best way to recoup their lost sales.


Thursday, January 15, 2009

CES 2009: Motorola's A3100 SURF

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 09:22 PM

This is a brief walk-through of the Motorola A3100 SURF, a Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 smartphone set to be released in Asian markets in 2009. It has a 2.8 inch, 320 x 240 touch screen, powered by a Qualcomm 528mhz CPU. No pricing information has been announced; it will be sold in Asian markets later this year.


Friday, December 19, 2008

Wicked Windows Mobile Software Deals From Dec 19th-23nd!

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone Software" @ 02:00 AM

http://software.pocketpcthoughts.co...ion=mobileheist

The holidays are upon us and while I know a lot of Windows Mobile users out there will be picking up shiny new devices to play with on our respective gift giving holidays, there is always that one Windows Mobile gift that is overlooked – The gift of great Windows Mobile applications! From December 19th-23rd the company that manages our affiliate store, MobiHand, is having a huge 50% off sale on over 40 of the best-selling Windows Mobile applications. During this MobileHeist event you can expect to save anywhere from $10-$20USD on such applications such as Elecont Weather, Sprite Backup 6, Agenda One, Pocket Streamer and more!To pick up any of these best-selling applications you can just point your browser to our affiliate store(s) by using one of the links below!


Wednesday, November 26, 2008

HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger Unboxing and First Impressions

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 01:00 PM

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger, a Windows Mobile Professional smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.1. This is a 2.46 inch touch-screen phone (320 x 240 resolution) that also features a front-facing QWERTY keyboard, so it's a bit different than some of the phones I'm used to looking at.

The iPAQ 910 uses a Marvell PXA270 Processor at 416 Mhz, has quad-band GSM/GPRS and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA, meaning it's a true world-phone that can get 3G anywhere it's available. It also has a 3 megapixel camera, USB 2.0, 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of ROM. Impressively, it boasts a 1940 mAh battery, so it should have solid battery life. Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11b/g round out the offering.

Our star reviewer, Don Tolson, will be taking a look at this device and giving it a full review in the coming weeks.


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Rampant Rumour: The Microsoft Phone, Powered by Nvidia?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Talk" @ 09:53 PM

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/89639...ith-nvidia.aspx

"What do you get if you take an iPhone, remove the clean UI, user friendliness, nice industrial design, battery life, cachet, functional OS, and in general everything else that makes it worthwhile? The new Microsoft phone, powered by Nvidia. Yeah, you heard it right, MS is going to make its own branded phone, after all, everyone kicking the company around the block has one, so it should too! If you were wondering why Nvidia never mentions the phrase Linux when talking Tegra, even though it is the most appropriate OS for the chip, now you know. NV appears to have sold Linux out to get the MS flagship deal, how nice of them"

This is easily the snarkiest, most acid-dripping hack job I've seen in months - and I was shocked until I saw that it's syndicated content from The Inquirer...then it all made sense to me. Putting aside the ridiculous excuse for journalism - it's really an editorial, not a news story - there are some interesting rumours. Is this the fabled Zune phone? Or some other phone-based project? I refuse to believe that Microsoft would sacrifice all their gains with Windows Mobile partners all over the world by releasing their own Windows Mobile phone - that's just not going to happen, despite some people believing that it's the only way we're going to get the "ultimate" Windows Mobile phone. Is this a Zune phone then? Possibly. When you consider that the third-generation Zune hardware is identical to the second-generation hardware other than a capacity bump, the Zune team has had to be working on something. If Microsoft did release a Zune phone, they'd cause major rifts with their Windows Mobile partners, and those partnerships are worth a lot more to Microsoft than the MP3 player partners they alienated when they released the Zune.

2009 is going to be a very interesting year, that's for sure!

UPDATE: CNBC says this phone is code-named "Pink", but doesn't have much else to say about it.


Mobileyes Brings Free Traffic Cams to Windows Mobile

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone Software" @ 03:30 PM

http://www.3dmobileyes.com/

"Here's something that is sort of under the radar: evidently a company called Mobileyes has teamed up with various local news networks to release customized live Traffic cam apps. Available for for WM Pro and Standard devices, you can download the app for your region and then select via various sub-menus locality and specific highways."

Now this is a handy application. I remember when I was a kid we use to watch this mythical box called the TV that would show us pictures from various "eyes in the sky" so my parents could see how traffic was looking on our always backed up highways. Now you can pretty much do the exact same thing from your phone and a few traffic cams making the days of helicopters recording traffic a thing of the past.


Monday, November 24, 2008

HTC Touch Pro Unboxing and First Impressions

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 10:14 AM

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the HTC Touch Pro. This devices was given to me on loan by Expansys, and it currently (Nov 2008) retails for $799 USD. The HTC Touch pro is an evolution from the HTC TyTn, AT&T Tilt, etc. It packs a lot of functionality into a package that feels surprisingly good in your hand.

The HTC Touch Pro uses a Qualcomm MSM7201A CPU at 528 MHz, runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, and has 512 MB of storage ROM and 288 MB of system RAM. It is 102mm tall, 51mm wide, and 18.05mm thick. It weighs 165 grams with its 1340 mAh battery. It has a 2.8 inch VGA screen, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11 b/g, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It's a quad-band GSM phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), and this model is set up for Europe/Asia 3G with 900/2100 MHz band coverage for HSPD/WCDMA for up to 2 mbps upstream and 7.2 mbps downstream. The main camera is a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, and there's a front-facing VGA camera for video calling. It also has a microSDHC card slot and supports high-capacity cards, which are currently up to 16 GB in size.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, and his sometimes obedient dog.

Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the Thoughts Media Review Team! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? Then click here for more information.


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