Samsung Galaxy Note Snap Review

It is time for our Samsung Galaxy Note review, the Samsung Galaxy Note was first launched near the end of last year, unfortunately we didn’t manage to review the device when it was released, so I thought it was about time to try one out.

The first thing you notice about the Samsung Galaxy Note is the size of the device compared to other handsets, the device is designed to be a combination device between a smartphone and a tablet, and it features a 5.3inch Super AMOLED display.

Samsung Galaxy Note Hardware Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy Note’s 5.3 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, the device comes with Samsung’s S-Pen and processing is provided by a dual core 1.4GHz processor.

The Galaxy Note features an 8 megapixel camera on the back which can record full HD video in 1080 at 30 frames per second, the camera also features an LED flash, up front there is a 2 megapixel camera for video chat.

Other specifications on the Samsung Galaxy Note include Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0 and 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi plus WiFi direct, it comes with 16GB of built in storage plus a microSD card slot which takes up to 32GB microSD cards.

Samsung Galaxy Note Design, Display And UI

The first thing you notice about the Samsung Galaxy Note is the size of the device, especially when compared to other handsets, the photo below illustrates just how large the Samsung Galaxy note is when compared to other devices, as you can see in the photo which shows the Galaxy Note next to the iPhone 4S.

Considering the Galaxy Notes large 5.3 inch display we would have expected it to be thicker and heavier , but the handset measures just 9.65mm thick and weighs in at just 178 grams.

The Galaxy Notes 5.3 inch display is a Super AMOLED display which has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, and as with previous Samsung devices with an AMOLED display that we have reviewed it certainly is an impressive display.

The 5.3 inch Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Note in excellent, and great for watching videos and movies, also browsing the web, reading emails and playing games is also very good on the display.

The Galaxy Note we tested in this review had Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread and Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface which is great to use, although Samsung has started rolling out their Android 4.0 ICS update to the device.

Samsung Galaxy Note Processor, Camera And S-Pen

As we mentioned the Samsung Galaxy Note features a dual core 1.4GHz processor, the processor feels pretty fast on the device, opening apps and running games on the handset feels fast and responsive.

The Galaxy note features a rear facing 8 megapixel camera which does it great job of taking photos, it also has an LED flash and comes with some cool feature like Panorama, the photo below gives you an idea of how camera on the Galaxy note is, the image has been resized but not edited.

The Galaxy Note’s camera can also record full high definition video in 1080p at 30 frames per second, and it does a good job with video, there is also a front facing 2 megapixel camera for video chat.

One of the more interesting features on the Galaxy Note is the S-Pen, which is a stylus designed to be used with the 5.3 inch Super AMOLED display, i have never been a fan of the stylus with touchscreen devices, but the Samsung S-Pen works very well.

The Galaxy Note features a number of built in apps that are designed specifically for the S-Pen, which include S-Memo, and more plus there are a bunch of third party apps available which are designed for the S-Pen.

Samsung Galaxy Note Battery Life And Call Quality

The Samsung Galaxy Note features a 2,500 mAh Li-on battery which does a reasonable job, and I would say it is better than average considering the handsets large 5.3 inch display.

Moderate users should get at least a full day of usage out of the handset, although if you are a heavy user then you can expect to charge the handset once a day, don’t expect to go for days without charging the device.

The call quality is excellent on the Samsung Galaxy Note, we tested the GSM version on UK mobile carrier three and didn’t have any issues making or receiving calls.

Conclusion

When I first heard about the Samsung Galaxy Note and saw the specifications, and the size of the device, I didn’t think this would be the sort of device I would like to use on a daily basis.

I used the Samsung Galaxy Note as my handset for about two weeks and was pleasantly surprised with the experience, whilst it is one of the largest smartphones I have used it certainly was a fun handset to use.

It has it plus and minus points, as the device is so large I am not sure if I could use this as my regular handset, although if I wanted one device to replace my smartphone and tablet then this would definitely be a contender.

Samsung have done a great job with the Galaxy Note, the design the handset as a cross between a smartphone and a tablet, which some people call a ‘Phablet’, and if you are looking for a device to cover these two areas than the Samsung Galaxy Note fits the bill.

I would definitely recommend that you test out the Samsung Galaxy Note to see what you think of it, it may not be for everyone due to its large size, but it is a great device for those who want one device rather than two.

The model tested in this review was the GSM Galaxy Note running Android 2.3.5 and it was on UK mobile carrier Three, the handset is available for free on a number of different contracts and you can find out more details over at Three, the device is also available from other mobile carriers here in the UK, have a look at the photo gallery bellow. - source

Read More

Disruptive Windows8 Phone Lumia, Ativ S, HTC 8X

In a world being ruled by iOS and Android, Microsoft hopes to bring in a whiff of fresh air with Windows Phone 8 operating system. For the ones, who haven't been paying attention to what Microsoft has been up to, Windows Phone 8 is expected to be the next major version of its mobile phone OS.

Talking about this new operating system, Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis for NPD's Consumer Technology Market Research says, "I think Windows 8 phones definitely represent a new, strong and different competitor in the smartphone market. Not only does Microsoft take a different approach to the usage model with their tile based architecture but the ability to leverage the huge installed base of Windows PCs and Xbox game consoles should help them, over time, create a viable third path for smartphone users."

Most smartphone makers have already announced their front runners for the Windows Phone 8 operating system. The first major announcement was made by Samsung, when it unveiled its ATIV S. This smartphone has a 4.8-inch display coated with Corning "Gorilla" glass, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

Nokia soon followed to take the wraps off its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 windows Phone devices. Nokia Lumia 920 comes with 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display, Wireless charging support and 2000 mAH battery. While the Nokia Lumia 820 is a mid-range smartphone that sports a 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Clearblack display and 8GB of internal storage.

Taiwanese manufacturer, HTC too expressed its love for Windows Phone by announcing the HTC 8X and 8S The HTC 8X comes with 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, while the HTC 8S is a mid-segment smartphone, which has 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal memory.

Though these were the major announcements from the big league, even Huawei has come out in support of Windows Phone 8 and is expected to launch the Ascend W1 on September 25 according to reports. The Chinese telecom company also plans to launch more devices running on Microsoft's latest OS by the end of this year.

We have already done a head-to-head comparison of these flagship smartphones from HTC, Nokia and Samsung to understand where each stands. Now we quiz the analysts in this business to understand which amongst these three has the most disruptive Windows Phone 8 line-up.

Robert Enderle, Principal Analyst at Enderle Group opines that, "Samsung currently looks the most disruptive as they have a full set of phones, tablets and PCs so they cover all use cases for the platform which is operating on a 'better together" meme". He also adds that, "They are also the most motivated to go after Apple at the moment thanks to that $1 billion judgment".

In 2007, Samsung was one of the first to get on the Android wave and its strategy on that front seems to have paid off well. Now it's trying to replicate the same with Windows Phone 8. However, the major difference now is that Samsung seems to be juggling three hats at the moment with - Windows, Android and its own Bada operating system. So, the biggest challenge confronting Samsung right now is to come out with a prefect balancing act if it plans to score in the Windows Phone 8.

John Strand, CEO of Strand Consult feels that Nokia currently has an upper hand with its Windows Phone 8 line-up. "I will say that Nokia's Windows phones are cool. Some of the specs that they are advertising are ahead of the new iPhone. Also, Nokia is 100 percent dedicated to WP8, while Samsung and HTC's focus it primarily on the Android platform." He further goes on to elaborate that, the fact that Samsung and HTC are offering Windows Phone 8 will only help Nokia. This is because Nokia and Microsoft will now have a better bargaining power with operators because if the operator does not want to stock Windows Phone devices, it will have to say no to three separate vendors.

Having said that he still feels that being a new operating system, Microsoft and Nokia have a long way to go. "From my point of view it is up hill and I think that it will be difficult for both the companies. On the brighter side, Microsoft and Nokia have the necessary resources to emerge as winners."

Baker too agrees that though Microsoft is trying to bring in a lot of differentiation in the market, it may not be smooth sailing for them. "The real issue is how aggressively they market their unified philosophy and how tightly they tie the different aspects together, and finally, of course, while the analysts and the industry likes their approach it remains to be seen if the consumer will also find the integration a valuable differentiators."

Read More

New HTC 8X and 8S Smartphone Windows 8

HTC lunches new Windows 8 Phone handsets, Welcome the 8X and 8S.

High Tech Comupter (HTC) has had a long and productive relationship with Microsoft for the better part of fifteen years.

Ever since HTC’s investment with Android and its Sense user interface, their relationship with Microsoft had been over shot. However, all that appears to be changing with HTC’s new Windows 8 smartphones – The 8X and 8S.

At first glance the 8X appears to have influences from Nokia Lumia designs, from the display to the button arrangement. Design attributes aside its made in full partnership with Microsoft including on-stage support by their CEO for the launch.

HTC’s CEO Peter Chou asked his team to focus on a Windows Phone 8 handset and sent them to the drawing board. The 8X – their flagship model features a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch super LCD2 display with Gorilla Glass, Beats Audio and a front facing camera, capable of capturing 1080p video.

HTC has matched technology with style to create an elegant, lightweight Windows Phone 8 device that will rival Nokia and Samsung’s new Windows based smartphones.

According to HTC the 8X is designed to represent the colors that are found in Windows Phone 8, so if you buy a California Blue Windows Phone 8X Then you’ll get the blue tiles throughout the OS too. The depth recedes towards the edges, taking inspiration from a live tile so the phone feels a lot thinner when you hold it.

HTC said the 8X would launch in 50 countries in early November across 126 mobile operators, while the 8S would be available in 52 countries with more than 146 operators.

Unlike Nokia, HTC does not have everything riding on these two products, HTC still has their Android platform to fall back on.

The 8X and 8S are beautiful cutting edge devices, However HTC remains committed to both Andriod and Windows Phone 8.

Full Spec List for the 8X:

• SIZE: 132.35 x 66.2 x 10.12 mm\
• WEIGHT: 130 grams with battery
• Display: 4.3 inch touch screen Ser LCD 2with Gorilla Glass
• Resoltion:HD 720
• CPU: Qualcomm S4 1.5 GHz, Dual-core
• Platform: Windows Phone 8
• SIM CARD TYPE : Micro SIM
• Memory: Total Storage 16 GB, Available capacity Varies
• RAM: 1GB
• NETWORK: GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• HSPA/WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• SENSORS: G-Sensor, Digital Compass, Proximity Sensor, Ambient light Sensor
• Connectivity: 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, NFC capable, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Main Camera: 8 megapixel with autofocus, LED flash and BSI sensor
• F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens, 1080p video recording
• Front Camera: Ultra-wide-angle front camera, 2.1 Megapixel Front camera
• Battery: Embeded and rechargeable Li-ion Polymer battery, 1800 mAh Capacity

Read More

Unlocked HTC Velocity 4G Vodafone

HTC is now becoming the leading company in international market for launching the mobiles with high-tech performance. The addition in its wide range of mobiles is Velocity 4G Vodafone that is a blend of astounding aspects.

Take a tour of all the features loaded inside it. While holding it, you will feel an S-LCD capacitive touch screen with 16M colors that streams information and graphics with outstanding quality. The screen size is 4.5 inches and you can watch full movies on it without missing any detail. The chic HTC mobile phone is integrated with primary and secondary cameras of 8 mega pixels and 1.3 mega pixels respectively.

You can capture the precious moments of your life and can store them in its dedicated memory of 16GB. If you face any scarcity while storing the data, there is an external card slot to use memory card with storage capacity up to 32GB. The mobile phone is 4G network communication device that is another dominant feature.

You will love the fastest results of your assigned queries to this 4G Vodafone, which has an Android operating system and a chipset technology of Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon. The system can operate the Dual-core 1.5 GHz scorpion CPU and Andreno 220 GPU. It is very difficult to find any hitch in this HTC mobile phone.

It is modeled to entertain you with interesting adds-on like Stereo FM radio, MP3 and MP4 players, latest games installed through Java MIDP emulator and lot more. The most essential feature latest mobiles are the speedy browsing of internet and the Wi-Fi hotspot integrated in the mobile will do it for you. The standard battery will let you in touch with your loved ones for a long time on calls. Simply, the HTC Velocity 4G Vodafone mobile phone is a tough challenge for other companies to take it far behind in the race.

Read More

HTC Velocity 4G Snap Review

The HTC Velocity 4G launched last week by Telstra is the first LTE/4G mobile phone available in Australia. Until now the only device able to use Telstra’s new mobile network has been a 4G USB laptop modem that we tested in late 2011.

When used in Telstra 4G coverage areas the new HTC Velocity 4G smartphone promises theoretical peak speeds of 2-40Mbps down & 1-10Mbps up, with some important caveats.

Besides it’s flagship 4G speed the HTC Velocity 4G features a 4.5” 540x960 screen, speedy 1.5 GHz dual core CPU, 16GB storage onboard expandable with 32GB microSD, 8MP/1.3MP back/front cameras, HD voice support and swappable battery.

Telstra plans to release four 4G phones this year and one tablet so there will not be much 4G mobile handset choice for customers. It is not known whether one of these four phones will be a 4G iPhone.

Optus isn’t launching its 4G network until Q2 2012 and Vodafone has not announced a date yet for its launch.

We tested the Velocity 4G in the Sydney CBD 4G coverage area as well as a 3G coverage area in Sydney’s western suburbs. Potential buyers should be aware of issues that affect all first generation 4G phones – short battery life and patchy coverage.

The Velocity 4G is like a speedway hot rod in that the payoff for smoking 4G data transfer rates means the battery charge depletes very quickly, as soon as 5 hours if used a lot.

The 4.5” screen also uses up the battery faster than a smaller phone so it’s a shame that HTC has equipped the Velocity 4G with an undersized 1620mAh capacity battery as a “fuel tank”.

Telstra 4G coverage is available within 5km of the GPO in each of the 8 capital cities as well as about 80 regional towns and cities.

As well as being Australia’s first 4G phone the Velocity 4G’s less well known capability is that it’s the first Australian phone that’s capable of dual channel (double the standard) 3G data transfer speed when outside 4G zones.

Telstra’s new 4G data network currently has far fewer customers using it than their 3G network so it’s like flying along an empty motorway at 110km/hr. We will judge how it handles a heavier load of users as more customers start using 4G during 2012.

So is the HTC Velocity 4G worth purchasing? This phone can definitely help your mobile workers increase their productivity if they spend a significant amount of time conducting business activities within 4G coverage areas and keep a second charged battery with them.

For business customers the key selling point in our eyes is the huge time saving speed difference (up to 10 times faster in our tests) between 4G and 3G when uploading large files, such as reports or presentations, to email or cloud storage.

Hopefully Telstra’s tendency to take quite some time to test updates is given a kick along so the Velocity 4G’s Android 2.3.7 phone operating system will be updated to Android 4.0 well before the end of Q1 2012.

The HTC Velocity 4G is initially available outright for $876 or to individual customers for free on a $79 plan and business customers on a $90 plan. Both require 24 month contracts that include 2GB of data/month. Extra supplementary data packs can be purchased if required.

It is highly advisable to keep a close eye on how quickly this 2GB gets used as faster 3G/4G speeds mean the amount of data transfers included in your plan will get used in much less time than before. With 4G speeds it’s easy to burn through several 100MB of downloads in the blink of an eye.

Be careful to avoid bill shock because Telstra's business mobile plans do not throttle/shape data usage after it goes over the included quota. Nor is there an opt-in for throttling/shaping - a Telstra spokesperson told us “business doesn’t want to be slowed down”.

Telstra's data usage meter theoretically lags one hour behind reality but call centre staff told us it’s best to assume the figure is 12 hours behind. They suggested customers SMS the word “use” (without quotes) to the number 176 for free to receive an instant SMS back with current data usage.

Read More

Smartphones soon to replaced your wallets

If there are two things that most of us carry with us every waking moment of the day, it's our phones and wallets. So, in the name of convenience, some of the biggest technology companies are hard at work to combine the two. By giving your smartphone the ability to make payments at retail locations, you may never have to fumble with physical cash or credit cards during checkout ever again. So, just how close are we to a world of virtual wallets? Let's take a look.

How it works

The technology powering smartphone payment systems is called "near field communication," or NFC. It is essentially a short-range radio transmission. Devices with NFC capability have a special chip that sends signals to other NFC-equipped devices within an inch or so. The short range helps ensure security and streamlines the digital payment: You just touch your phone or tablet to the payment terminal and voila you’ve paid.

The NFC payment software works just like a built-in smartphone app and can be loaded with multiple debit and credit cards, which allows you flexibility at the register. This payment information is typically stored in the cloud, and can be accessed on any device that uses near-field communication for payments.

Because your information is stored on a server, you have to enter a passcode to access your payment information. This makes the system far more secure than a standard credit card. For instance, if your phone is stolen, the thieves won’t be able to use it to make payments without your passcode.

When tapped against an NFC-enabled payment receiver at a retail store, your credit and debit card information is transmitted securely. Digital wallets save you time at checkout and because your payment information is kept secure behind online firewalls, it can be safer than the tradition of credit cards and cash payments.

When will it get here?

Actually, it's already arrived. Android devices are currently leading the virtual wallet movement, and there are currently a dozen or so smartphones and tablets that offer the feature. Google Wallet has emerged as the frontrunner of NFC software, and has already reached agreements with more than two dozen merchants to carry NFC terminals in their stores. Foot Locker, Old Navy, CVS, RadioShack, and Macy's are just a few of the retailers where you can use your smartphone to make purchases.

However, Google isn't alone, and a number of companies are attempting to carve out a piece of the virtual wallet pie all for themselves. Google Wallet may currently have the most promising — and widespread — approach, but PayPal, Visa, American Express, and even wireless carriers want to offer their own versions of NFC payment software. Verizon even prohibits its customers installing Google Wallet due to the competition between the companies.

The competitive approach to NFC payments isn't helping any of the various companies gain a decent foothold. And while the concept of a virtual wallet can be confusing on its own, having multiple versions to choose from exacerbates the problem further.

Apple's approach

The company's trademark approach to new, unproven technology has always been to sit back and see whether it floats or sinks before making a move, and virtual payment technology is no different. Because of this, Apple has yet to release iPhones with NFC chips.

Apple launched its Passbook app last September, which helps organize coupons, gift cards, and event tickets from select retailers like TicketMaster, Starbucks and more. The information stored in Passbook is scanned instead of transmitted like the NFC system. Because of that, the app can't be used to make payments from debit or credit cards, so the chances of it replacing your wallet are low.

If Apple were to jump in the mobile payment pool with its own NFC model phone, it would not only mean including the technology in a future iPhone in the first place, but also be the launch of something much bigger: Apple's own payment software. Based on its Maps fiasco, it’s clear Apple would not leverage the NFC path forged by competitors like Google.

An uncertain future

At this point, it's difficult to predict whether virtual wallet technology will indeed kill off physical debit and credit cards anytime soon. With so many companies interested in profiting off of their own NFC offerings, it's likely going to be a number of years before a dominant platform emerges.

Until then, make sure you don’t lose your old reliable wallet. - source

Read More

HTC 8X Windows Phone Review

The HTC 8X Windows Phone is one of three flaghsip devices for the new OS. Justin Williams gauges how it measures up to the competition in an increasingly-crowded sector.

I've always had a soft spot for HTC's phones. The Taiwanese company was among the first to bring a touchscreen smartphone to the UK and was an early trailblazer for Android back in 2007. Its HD7 was an understated but worthy competitor when pitched against Nokia's colourful Lumia range in the small group of devices that ran Windows Phone 7. And, of course, it sold container-ship loads of Android devices up until 2011 when sales – thanks to aggressive marketing by Samsung – began to fall off a cliff.

So there's a lot riding on the 8X for HTC. Again it's up against a big brash phone from Nokia in the form of the Lumia 920 which seems to have a Frankenstorm marketing effort behind it as well as a flagship Windows phone from Samsung. It may not be a make-or-break device but we should not underestimate how important it is for HTC that this phone holds its own against the Lumia.

Hardware

The bald specs may suggest that the 8X isn't anything special but let's make no mistake here – this is an absolutely gorgeous phone. From its unibody design with its polycarbonate back through to a fabulous 4.3" LCD 2 screen, the 8X oozes quality. At 10.6mm it is thicker than both an iPhone 5 and a Galaxy SIII. But the 8X has tapered edges giving it a good grip and making it feel as slim as both the Apple and Samsung flagships. The phone isn't especially light but it sits evenly in the hand and the polycarbonate makes the hard plastic finish of the SIII and HTC's own One X feel cheap and slippery by comparison. Only the iPhone beats it in terms of design quality.

The physical buttons on the 8X – the power button on the top and the rocker and camera switches on the side – as well as the camera and flash are all flush with the body giving the phone a smooth profile whatever the viewing angle and HTC has reverted to placing the micro USB port on the phone's base rather on the side as with the One series.

Our review phone came in California Blue and the 8X will also be available in black, red and yellow

The phone is sealed so there's no access to the 1,800mAh battery but we had no issues here getting a full day of high usage out of it in contrast to the One X which was a great phone badly let down by its battery life.

What will almost certainly be an issue, though, is that the 8X comes with only 16GB of storage on board and no microSD slot (Windows Phone 8 does not support this). HTC points to the free 7GB of Skydrive storage giving an 8X user the ability to stream music to the device ignoring the reality for most of us who spend much of our lives outside 3G or WiFi zones. With the iPhone 5 offering up to 64GB and even the Lumia 920 having 32GB on board, one really has to question what astral plane HTC’s design team were on when they plumped for such a parsimonius amount of memory.

If your previous experience with Windows phones stretches only to Phone 7 then you’ll find the 8X quick… very quick. It opens apps, renders web pages and fires up the camera at near light speed compared to, say, the Nokia Lumia 900 or even an iPhone 4S which was no slouch in its day.

Display

Coupled with Windows Phone’s Live Tiles, the 8X’s 720 x 1280 pixel HD display is stunning. The pixel density (342 PPI) is higher than on the Nokia Lumia 920 and even the iPhone 5. Colours are rendered accurately and, even zoomed in, details are sharp and clear. We couldn’t detect any noticeable colour bias and there isn’t a hint of oversaturation.

Glare does not appear to be a problem and we were able to use the phone even in strong direct sunlight.

Until now, I’ve found Kindle books to be difficult to read on anything except an iPhone’s Retina display but this is as pleasurable on an 8X as a larger device.

Cameras

The 8X has a f/2.0 aperture and 28mm lens on the back coupled with a dedicated imaging chip which deliver the best results I’ve ever managed to squeeze out of a smartphone. The pictures are incredibly good for a point and shoot device whether close up or at a distance. Depth of field is good as is colour reproduction with sharp, accurately rendered colours that veer more towards under rather than oversaturation. Close-up, the macro performance is stunning with great detail reproduction even in low light.

Video capture is also up there with the best in class delivering 1080p at 30fps with a noticeable lack of wind noise and very speedy processing.

On the front, HTC has introduced a 2.1mp, f/2.0 wide angle camera allowing the social narcissists among us to start including up to three friends in those all-important profile and status shots.

Software

With Phone 8 development, Microsoft has gone down the Apple route opting to nip and tuck rather than radically overhaul the OS. It’s a brave strategy given the disappointing sales for Phone 7. But it’s the right decision – Windows Phone’s live tiles are far enough removed from the static icons of iOS and the confusing widget farm that Android has become to put clear blue water between Microsoft and its competitors.

Our testing predated the relaunch of the Windows Phone Store so we weren’t able to see the promised range of updated apps but it probably fair to say that this will continue to be very limited compared with the iOS App Store or Google Play. Those of us who desperately want to see a proper Twitter app or Dropbox on a Windows phone are likely to be still waiting months from now.

First introduced with its One series, HTC has included Beats audio technology with the 8X delivering an amazing depth and range of sound on even the cheapest in-ear earphones. But the inclusion of such an amazing sound system only serves to make the decision to limit on-board storage to 16GB appear even more bizarre.

What truly differentiates a Windows device from all the media-centric phones out there is its Office integration. With Phone 8 we’re still waiting for track changes on Word documents but tables and tabulation now render accurately and spreadsheets look and work like real Excel creations. For those of us who occasionally use a phone to grab a picture or a thought and share it with a desktop or tablet, the OneNote integration is fantastic and for the productivity minded this could be the deal sealer.

Microsoft is now bundling Nokia maps with all of its phones so you can download maps for most of the world and use them offline. This is a stroke of genius but one really does wonder what Nokia was thinking about when it decided to give away what was probably its last remaining USP.

I’d like to be able to say that web browsing on the 8X is pleasurable but Microsoft has failed to fix two of the biggest flaws with Phone 7: rendering and bookmarks. Pages still fail to render flawlessly leading to text and pictures overlapping on some sites giving the updated (and admittedly very quick) Internet Explorer an early 2002 Symbian feel. And as for bookmarks, the inability to manage and arrange your web bookmarks in folders or any other kind of coherent structure – rather than one long list – is baffling and, frankly, inexcusable.

Conclusion

The HTC Windows Phone 8X is a beautiful device with a delightful form factor. It is without doubt the best phone that HTC has made and has enough punch to be seriously considered alongside the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy SIII. On paper, it seems to beat the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC has moved heaven and earth to get it to market on time which must give it a head start over the other Windows signature phones. The cameras – both front and back – are class leading and the image results breathtaking for a phone.

But it isn’t without its flaws, most notably the limited on-board storage which will make gaining adoption among music lovers an uphill struggle. - source

Read More

HTC Launches Windows Phone 8X and 8S

Nokia and Samsung aren’t the only phone makers embracing Microsoft’s next-generation mobile OS. Today, HTC unveiled a pair of colorful handsets that have Windows Phone 8 in their names. Dubbed the HTC Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S, both devices have HTC’s high-speed camera chip, Beats Audio and come in wide range of bold colors. The 8X will be available on AT&T, T-Moible and Verizon.

HTC Windows Phone 8X

HTC’s new flagship Windows 8 handset features an attactive 4.3-inch, Super LCD 2 screen that operates at a 1280 x 720 resolution for a PPI of 341.54, a bit better than the 4.5-inch Nokia Lumia 920′s 332 PPI. Inside, the 8X is powered by a 1.5-GHz, dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB of RAM and a 16GB eMMC storage. An 1,800 mAH hour battery promises reasonable endurance while Beats audio with 2.5-volts of amplification offers loud, accurate music playback and NFC chip will allow the device to work with mobile payment systems and tap-to-share applications.

The Windows Phone 8X’s camera features the same speedy “ImageChip” as HTC’s One phones, but none of the custom imaging software that HTC bundles with its Android handsets. Because of the ImageChip, the both the 2-MP front and 8-MP back cameras can fire up and shoot an initial picture under a second while also supporting burst mode. With a f/2.0 aperture and BSI sensor, the rear-facer promises sharp images with strong low-light performance that’s designed to compete with Nokia’s Lumia 920 and its PureView camera.

However, the Windows Phone 8X’s design is the real star of the show. Available in bright Flame Red, California Blue, Limelight Yellow as well as Graphite Black, the .39-inch thick handset has an angular shape that looks nothing like most Android devices, but reminded us of Nokia’s Lumia 920. At just 4.5 ounces, the 8X is a full 2 ounces lighter than the Lumia 920 as well. In a brief viewing, we were particularly impressed by the dark blue Windows Phone 8X, which an HTC rep told us is the device’s “halo color.”

The Windows Phone 8X will support LTE and be available on Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T in the U.S. There’s no word on pricing, availability or what carriers will get what colors.

HTC Windows Phone 8S

The mid-range HTC Windows Phone 8S has more modest specs, but a design that’s just as attractive, if not more so. With a 4-inch, 800 x 480 resolution Super LCD 2 screen, the 8S doesn’t provide as rich a visual experience and its 1-GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU is also a bit slower than its big brother’s while it provides half as much RAM (512MB) and a quarter the internal storage (4GB). However, at just 4 ounces, the Windows Phone 8S is lighter than the 8X though it is the same thickness.

The Windows Phone 8S does not have the ImageChip and has a lower-res rear-facing 5-MP camera with a shallower f2.8 aperture lens and only the ability to record 720p video. There’s also no front-facing camera at all so forget about video chat. And though the 8S also has Beats Audio, it does not have the same 2.5-volt amplification as the 8X.

That said, we really like the vibrant two-tone design of the Windows Phone 8S, which has one color on its front and a second color on its back with small panel of the front color as a back accent. Available in yellow / gray (High-Rise Gray), dark red / light red (Fiesta Red), blue / black (Atlantic Blue) and white / back (Domino), this mid-range phone really stands out in a crowd.

There’s no word yet on pricing or availability for the Windows Phone 8S, though we expect it to cost significantly less than the high-end Windows Phone 8X. We also don’t know whether it will support LTE or not. - source

Read More