Five Mobile Phone Deals that Give You Free Phones

Who says you can’t own a phone during economic recession? Forget about the iPhone, Xperia X1, G1 or other high-end phones. You certainly don’t need to kinds  of deals. If you treat cellphones more as a necessity rather than a luxury, you’ll get by with these basic phones offered by top mobile carriers. Here are five of the best possible deals that you should consider from 5 of the top mobile carriers - T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and Virgin Mobile. All phones are free, provided you sign a two year data plan depending on your need and capacity to pay.

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Mobile World Congress Round Up: Ten Mobile Phones to Watch Out For

The Mobile World Congress has just wrapped up, and amidst all the hype and buzz, new products announced we now have several new mobile phones to eagerly await and anticipate. Almost all the major cellphone manufactures have displayed their newest mobile handsets.  We’ve gathered ten of the most exciting new phones that were announced during the Mobile World Congress and describe each of them briefly. Read more

Review: The Sony Ericsson W760i is Feature-rich Phone Packed in a Small Package

Despite owning and using a Sony Ericsson phones for several years (which stopped last year when I got my iPhone), I never had a Sony Ericsson slider phone ever.  So I was a bit hesitant whether to get the Sony Ericsson W760i as a back up phone for my calling and my texting chores since doing so on the iPhone is practically futile.  What convinced me to get the W760i was its small form factor, solid features, and of course its classic elegant look. Here’s our full review of the Sony Ericsson W760i. Read more

CES 2009 Mobile Phone Round Up: Nine New Phones Announced

The CES 2009 just ended and for the past couple of days we’ve seen many announcements regarding new gadget announcements coming up in 2009. Although most of the coverage that we’ve seen our mostly on new netbooks, notebooks and other electronic devices, there were also some big announcements for new mobile phones that we all should watch out for in the coming days. We’ve scoured through the various CES coverage from some of the most famous tech blogs and came out with this list of new cellphones that were announced during the just concluded CES 2009. Read more

Top Five Cell phones that Rocked the Market in 2008

It was a pretty exciting year for the mobile phone industry in 2008. Beginning in early part of 2008 when Apple’s 2nd Gen iPhone, the iPhone 3G was released, almost every major manufacturers called up their technicians and asked them to come up with the iPhone killer. Their battle cry was – come up with the equal if not better alternative to the iPhone which is sweeping the mobile phone market. And so aside from the iPhone we’ve witnessed how the industry went gaga in anticipation of mobile phones such as the Blackberry Bold, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, Samsung Omnia, and of course the much awaited Google-powered HTC-manufactured mobile phone – the G1. As our special feature to usher in the new year for the mobile phone market, here’s a recap of these top five cell phones that rocked the mobile phone market in 2008. Read more

Full Review: Sony Ericsson G900 (Red)

After a couple of days of using the Sony Ericsson G900, I’m completely blown away by the great features of this “smartphone in a not-so smarthphone form factor” mobile phone. Sony Ericsson hit the sweetest spot on making this mobile phone a special smartphone catering to mobile users who are in need of a not so complicated, simple and yet powerful smartphone. In fact, with a 5MP camera to boot, the Sony Ericsson G900 can be more aptly categorized as an “all-around multimedia smartphone”. So, here’s our full review of the Sony Ericsson G900 (Red). Read more

Motorola Unveils the MOTO Hint, also Known as QA30

Motorola has just launched a new mobile handset to add to its stable of mobile phone models and this handset is called the Motorola Hint QA30. The MOTO QA30 is a slider phone that boasts of full QWERTY keyboard which is a big help when composing text message.  It also features various ways by which messages can be managed aside from providing quick access to email. In addition, it features intuitive dashboard interface, online connectivity at high-speed and an enhanced predictive text feature. Read more

Comparing an Apple to a Blackberry; Storm VS iPhone

There has been a big hype surrounding the pre-release of the Blackberry Storm for one simple reason – it is RIM’s first Blackberry phone with touchscreen features. And by having that one feature, the Blackberry Storm was touted as an iPhone killer, if not one of iPhone’s many rivals. The release of the Blackberry Storm also completes the casting of touchscreen phone heavyweights. A few weeks ago, the highly anticipated Google Android Phone was released amidst spectators’ excitement and media hype. Although the Google Android Phone was successful in eliciting good comments and positive reviews, especially coming from the anti-iPhone camp, still there’s something lacking with the Google-powered Android phone that enables it to topple the iPhone. Hence, the Google Android Phone was put in the category of one of ‘em iPhone rival or iPhone killer wannabes. Would the Blackberry Storm suffer the same fate? Would its features and specs be enough to dislodge the iPhone as the most sought after, most popular mobile phone to ever arrive in the industry? Let’s take a look on the details, features, specs and anything and everything about the Blackberry Storm.

Blackberry Storm General Specs and Features:

• Wireless email
• Organizer
• Browser
• Phone
• Camera (3.2 MP)
• Video Recording
• BlackBerry Maps
• Media Player
• Built-in GPS
• Corporate data access
• SMS
• MMS

Just by a quick glance, you could immediately see that there are some features of the Blackberry Storm lacking on the iPhone. More particularly video recording, corporate data access and MMS. The Blackberry Storm supports various video formats such as MPEG4 H.263, MPEG4 Part 2 Simple Profile, H2.64, and WMV. But most importantly it can capture video which the iPhone is not capable of doing. Although the Blackberry Storm may have won this one over the iPhone, rest assured that it will just be a matter of time before a third party developer comes out with a legitimate application which would enable the iPhone to capture video as well. If you’re into Pwnage of the iPhone you should know that this is already available with jailbroken iPhone. But of course, we would not encourage you to do so as it will void your iPhone’s AT&T warranty.The same is true with MMS sending functionality. Again, the Blackberry Storm may have won this over the iPhone because of its native MMS feature; the iPhone however may soon have its third party app which can support this feature. In fact, there was an application that can do this already although it was not a direct MMS sending capability. But in time, we are positive that an application will be developed for this purpose. As for the Corporate Data Access, the Blackberry Storm well with the following email platform/clients:

• BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange
• BlackBerry Enterprise Server for IBM Lotus Domino
• BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Novell GroupWise
• enterprise email account
• personal email account
• optional new device account

On this aspect, we’ve got to admit that the Blackberry Storm clearly win big against the iPhone. The enterprise support for the iPhone email client is yet to be fully explored and maximized. The best that the iPhone could muster is integration with Lotus Domino via an application which is still under development. For web-based email account though, we all know that the iPhone has a decent integration with web-base email platform such as Yahoo, Gmail, AOL and many more. Wait before you go out and proclaiming that the iPhone is inferior to the Blackberry Storm, be reminded that all Blackberry handsets have these features so it is not really unique with the Storm. For their other differences, the Blackberry Storm has a 3.2 MP camera against the iPhone’s 2.0MP.

Another thing to look into when comparing the iPhone and the Blackberry Storm is their touchscreen features. There’s no doubt that Apple has mastered the touchscreen feature when it comes to their iPhone. And Blackberry certainly could learn a lot from Apple on this department. It would be interesting to know from those who lined up for the Blackberry Storm when it was released by Verizon Wireless last Friday, whether the Storm’s touchscreen feature could match up with the iPhone.

Clearly, these two phones aside from having touchscreen features are two mobile phone bigwigs in their own separate league. The Blackberry Storm or any Blackberry handsets was always been geared for the corporate business professionals while the iPhone is targeted more for the general mobile phone using public. Each of these two smartphones have their respective pros and cons, it’s up to you to decide whether you’d opt for the Apple or the Blackberry.

Behold the Xperia X1: Sony Ericsson’s Windows Mobile Phone

 

Although it was announced as early as February, it is only now that the Sony Ericsson is starting to show up on various international mobile phone stores. In the U.S., it will be released on Nov. 28 through Sony Style as well as on selected Sony Ericsson retailers. Best Buy on the other hand was said to be releasing the Xperia X1 on Dec 13. There are a many reasons why the Xperia X1 has been highly anticipated by the mobile industry. For one, it is the first Sony Ericsson Windows Mobile –powered phone. As we all know most Sony Ericcson mobile phones runs on the Symbian OS and it is the first time that Sony Ericsson is utilizing the Windows Mobile OS. Hence, making the Xperia X1 fall into the smartphone category. So, getting down to the specs here’s a quick rundown of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 specs.

Basic facts and specs of the Xperia X1
The Xperia X1 mobile unit was actually not a Sony Ericsson phone. It was manufactured by HTC for Sony Ericsson. And like we said before, it is Sony Ericsson’s first handset to run Windows Mobile 6.1 Operating Systems. The Xperia X1 is an arc-slider phone which also features the java virtual machine and supports JavaME with rich set of features to boot. This mobile phone features a 3-inch touchscreen TFT WVGA display with 65, 536 colors. It also features a 3.2 megapixel camera that is capable of recording video at 30 fps in VGA QCIF format. Aside from this camera, it also has a secondary front facing camera that can be used for videoconferencing. The Xperia X1 also boasts of mini-USB, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, FTP and HID. The Xperia X1 is a quad band GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA and HSCSD phone. It features a 512 MB internal memory plus support for high capacity microSD up to 32GB. It also has A-GPS. Its other features include; MP3/MP4 player, 3.5mm jack, pocket office, trackID music navigation, picture editor/blogging, built-in handsfree, voice memo/dial and other standard smartphone features.

The Xperia X1 Form and Design Factors

If there’s one stand-out feature of the Xperia X1, it’s got to be the design and form factor. Clad in silver metal finish, the Xperia X1 definitely speaks of class and sophistication which Sony Ericsson is very well known for. This feature-rich phone features a distinctive design characterized by its arc form-factor which allows its touchscreen to be moved upwards revealing a wide-pitch, full QWERTY keyboard. Its 3-inch WGVA screen supports finger-touch and stylus input and its 4-way key and optical joystick provides other input methods.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 Customizable UI Panels
One of the most notable feature of the Xperia X1 is its customizable UI panels through the Sony Ericsson SDK which was released not so long ago by Sony Ericsson. The Sony Ericsson SDK enables developers to create panels and applications for the Xperia X1. The Xperia Panels are unique and distinct way of interacting with content through the phone’s UI which allow end-users to personalize their desktop screen. In addition, the Xperia Panels can either be native or HTML and can be used to extend the Today Screen API providing a full-screen experience that can be navigated through the use of fingertip.
Pricing and other details
Certainly, the Sony Xperia X1 is power-pack smarthphone and Sony Ericsson may seem to be on the verge of coming up with a bestseller that could give the iPhone and the G1 phones a run for their money. There’s a big catch though, and this might cause its downfall unless Sony Ericsson finds a way to remedy it or better yet, if a mobile carrier gets it to release under their fold. The Xperia X1 will be available on November 29 for a whopping $799.99. The high price is due to the fact that it will be released under no mobile carrier. If you don’t mind spending that much for this smartphone, then there’s no doubt that you’re going to love this mobile phone. If you’re a Sony Ericsson fan like me but already have the iPhone, you would either dispose your iPhone over the Xperia X1, or keep your iPhone and get the Xperia X1 once it comes out on November 29.

Initial Reviews and Xperia X1 Sites
To guide you in deciding whether Xperia X1 is worthy of your hard earned money. These reviews of advanced units of the Xperia X1 might help you decide. For more comprehensive coverage of the Xperia X1, just click on the provided links.

Boy Genius Report
WMExperts
PC Advisor
Xperia-X1.com
Inexperia.com
Xperiax1.net
Xperiancers.com

Nokia’s Six New Affordable Mobile Phones

Recently, Nokia has launched six new mobile handsets geared for the emerging markets since all of these mobile phones are priced affordably and yet boast of features that you could ask for in an advance mobile handset. These powerful features include access to the following - information, news, entertainment and content sharing. Nokia hopes to fuel the growth of the Internet in the emerging markets through mobile communication. All the phone models also support Nokia’s Share on Ovi for photo sharing and Mail on Ovia, Nokia’s mobile email services. These new affordable mobile handsets are; The Nokia 7100, Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, Nokia 2323 Classic, Nokia 2330 Classic, Nokia 1202 and the Nokia 1661.

The Nokia 1661 is Nokia’s cheapest colored phone ever that features and FM Radio, a large color screen, flashlight, loud ringtones and multiple phonebooks. Other features include multiple phonebooks, prepaid tracker, time tracker, speaking alarm/clock in local languages, up to 250 SMS storage, up to 500 phonebook entries, calendar with reminder, MP3-grade ringtones, handsfree speaker. The Nokia 1661 is a dual-band EGSM 900/1800 and GSM 950/1900 series 30 phone. It gives out 26 days of standby time and up to 8 hours of talk time. Retailing for only 30 EURO, the Nokia 1661 is slated for 1Q 2009 release.

The Nokia 1202 like the 1661 also features a flashlight, extended battery life, lound ringtones, and phone book up to five users. The Nokia 1202 also features multiple phonebooks, cost tracker, time tracker, pre-paid tracker, large dust-resistant keymat, calendar, OTA ringtones and logos, games, loud ringtone volume and USIM support. The Nokia 1202 is a dual-band EGSM 900/1800 series 30 phone. It can give up to 26 days of standby time and 9 hours talk time. The nokia 1202 will be available in the last quarter of 2008.

The Nokia 2323 Classic supports Mail on Ovia and Nokia Life Tools. It also offers up an FM radio with recording as well as mobile Internet. Other features include GPRS, enhanced messaging service client, organizer with calendar, MP3 ringtones, large phonebook, Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging. The Nokia 2323 is a dual-band EGSM 900/1800 and GSM 850/1900 Series 40 phone. It gives out 22 days of standby time, up to 4.8 hours talk time. The Nokia 2323 will be available in the second quarter of 2009 and will retail for 40 EURO.

Like the Nokia 2323, the 2330 also belongs to Nokia’s Classic mobile phone series. It also supports Main on Ovia and Nokia Life Tools. It also features an integrated camera. Other features include FM Radio, Bluetooth, GPRS, MMS support, large phonebook of up to 1,000 entries, easy SMS input with local input methond, MP3 and AAC ringtones. The Nokia 2330 is a dual-band EGSM 900/1800 and GMS 850/1900 Series 40 phone. It’s capable of giving out 22 days stand by time and up to 4 hours of talk time. The Nokia 2330 will be available in the second quarter of 2009 with a retail price of 50 EURO.

Nokia is also making its XpressMusic phone more affordable with the Nokia 5130 XpressMusic featuring dedicated music keys, a digital music player, FM radio and a standard 3.5mm connector for headphones. It also features an integrated 2 megapixel camera, image sharing through Share on Ovi and Mail on Ovi email service. Other features include MP3 player, Stereo FM radio, easy file transfer with Bluetooth and microUSB, quick web access with GPRS and EDGE, 1 GB memory card in-box, email, MMS, Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging, QVGA display. The Nokia 5130 XpressMusic is a quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Series 40 phone. It is capable of giving out 12 days stand by time and 6 hours talk time. This Nokia phone will be available in 1Q of 2009. It will set you back for 90 EURO.

Finally Nokia has also introduced the 7100 Supernova. A stylish mobile phone geared for style and entertainment. It features a high resolution, a 320×240 QVGA color screen, FM radio and a 1.3 megapixel camera. It also supports Share on Ovi and other photo sharing sites. Other features of the 7100 Supernova include support for Mail on Ovi for mobile Internet browsing, GPRS, Bluetooth, music player support for MP3 and AAC music file. The Nokia 7100 Supernova is a dual-band EGSM/1900, Series 40 phone. It could max you up with 3.5 hours of talk time and 15 days of standby time. The Nokia 7100 will be available in the 4Q of 2008 for 75 EURO.Some of these Nokia phones would be available in time for the Christmas holiday shopping rush. And with their affordability, could be a great addition to your Christmas gift list.

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