hyp4mhz.com

Month: June 2010

  • Apple iPhone OS4 update

    Like every tech BLOG the Apple iPhone gets free publicity here too!

    We haven’t sampled the latest iPhone 4G yet but we have managed to upgrade our existing iPhone 3G and iPhone3 GS with the lastest OS4 – and here are our views!

    The much complained about unified email box is excellent!  It also allow you to individually check each mailbox that you have specified and also individual mail box settings.  Clearly certain ‘reputable’ new sites have not actually tried one yet.

    If you have the original iPhone 3G you should not bother with the upgrade – it does work but none of the new features can actually be used. Do not do it!

    If you have a iPhone 3GS the upgrade to OS4 is worth the effort!  The phone is faster and most of the new features can be used.  The changeable backgrounds and the calculator icon are the most noticeable changes.  Multitasking is a bit of joke really.  It is activated by double clock the home button which is a pain. An onscreen button or gesture would be much more convenient, or another button on the side.  Finally the ability to create folders for sorting apps is also a feature log over due.

    Both upgrades where performed on a Apple Mac and updates where downloaded first before performing the Sync and then the update.  We did not encounter any problems.  It took about 1/2 hour to download the nearly 400Mb file and 1/2 hour to then complete the software update to the phone.

    A few of the older Apps no longer work but overall much better if you have a 3GS.

  • Nokia 2690 Review
    Welcome to the Nokia 2690 review. Released in mid-2010 the 2690 is another one of Nokia's cheap mobile phones.  Priced around the $100 AUD outright it is a bit high considering you can get other better phones as pre-paid but network locked package with a even better phone for the same price.  However it does have a quad-band receiver so it will work on all GSM networks like Vodaphone Virgin, Optus and Telstra. Examples of other pre-paid packaged phone for about the same price include, Samsung S6700 and Nokia 5130 or even the Sony Ericsson Naite. The 2690 is a quad-band GSM only phone and as a result will work on almost any country you go to.  So if you want to stay in touch and don't want to bring your expensive smart phone in public then this is yet another good phone to buy.  It has certain features of more expensive models like micro SD-card expansion up to 32G and bluetooth.  It will do basic internet based communication like email but that's it.  Otherwise a well rounded talk and text focused phone.  If you are planning to get emails you probably need a data pack with your plan so why not get a more functional phone? The design has clues of other popular Nokia phones like the 6300 and 6700 and even the latest C5.  Overall looks OK  but not a classic like the original 3120! The 2690's construction quality is again good for a basic phone. Likewise the screen quality good for the price but it is relatively small and low resolution. Since we often judged the desirability of a phone this doesn't rank highly due to essentially older but better specified Nokia models.  The keys inexpensive feel but have a nice click to them. The user interface is standard S40 Nokia so easy enough to use.  Surprisingly it has Flashlite 3.0 so can run our free software and animated wallpaper thus we can recommend 2690.  Apart from that we really can't say much more! To conclude we think that the 2690 is yet another decent basic phone but with the features you could actually use but when deciding to purchase consider new but older models that have been around for at least 12 months.  Mobile phone manufacturers seem to bring out similar looking new models that have so many missing or included functionality that people do not know which one to choose. Nokia needs to reduce their variants or bring back changeable covers or something like that.  We grow tired to trying a new phone only to realize that they are just like any other Nokia but with a different case.  Nonetheless the 2690 is a decent phone for those who mainly use it for talk and text and a little email. Specifications
    • Nokia 2690
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Based on country)
    • Design Candy bar
    • L107.5 x W45.5 x D13.8 mm Weight 81 grams
    • Display/s TFT 128 x 160
    • Camera 480 x 640 pixels
    • Video Camera 128 x 96 pixels @ 15FPS
    • Connectivity Not included
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory
    • Up to 15Mb available to user Micro-SD expansion up to 32G
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio Speaker Phone/Hands free BL-4C 3.7V 860mAh Up to 13 days Standby Up to 4.5 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $100 AUD Mid-2010 (Outright)

  • Nokia 2220 Review
    Welcome to the Nokia 2220 review. Released in mid-2010 the 2220 is one of the newest models in Nokia bargain or cheapest new mobile phone line-up. Price at less than $60 outright this is a very basic GSM only phone but it does have limited data connectivity.  So if that is all you are after then read on. The construction quality is very good for a basic phone.  Likewise the screen quality good for the price but it is low resolution. In fact we can say that about the keypad and functionality included in the phone are good of a basic mobile phone.  When to held it it felt like a small rock so it will presumably be quite a sturdy phone.  The only thing interesting about the 2220 is that it can do IM and email notifications as well thanks to its basic data connectivity. Replying to emails though would be quite a lengthy experience due to the non-QWERTY keypad. Remember this is a cheap phone so does nothing exceptional. The user interface and operating system uses the latest S40 enhancements so if you've used a Nokia before you will be at home with how it operates. However it is not the most responsive phone on the planet. Since it come in a variety colors the model is targeted as first time users and school children who want to stay in touch. The Nokia 2220 does talk and SMS messaging easily and sure it is a cheap mobile phone BUT spending a mere $20 more will get you a more functional phone in the Nokia range or other brands.  If they priced this phone under $40 it would make it a must have for those who want a simple mobile phone. To conclude we think that the 2220 is a decent basic phone with the features high end phones used to have 10 years ago.  However in 2010 unless you only want basic talk and text then look else where. This phone is priced cheaper than most pre-paid packages available so the bonus of getting an network free phone is a bonus - but remember that it is only a dual band phone so may not work on all networks in your country.  Try to find a Quad-band GSM phone if you don't know anything about the which frequencies your phone network uses. Specifications
    • Nokia 2220
    • Network Dual-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Based on country)
    • Design Slider
    • L97.14 x W47 x D15.85 mm Weight 93.5 grams
    • Display/s TFT 128 x 160
    • Camera 640 x 320 pixels
    • Video Camera 128 x 96 pixels @ 10FPS
    • Connectivity Not included
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory
    • Up to 10Mb available to user No expandable memory
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio Speaker Phone/Hands free BL-4C 3.7V 860mAh Up to 20 days Standby Up to 5.3 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $60 AUD Mid-2010 (Outright)

  • Samsung C5220 Review
    Welcome to the Samsung C5220 review. The Samsung C5220 released in early 2009 is a basic flip phone offered solely in Australia for the Telstra mobile phone network.  Hence this is a GSM and a NextG (3G) capable phone so get data connectivity at a good speed. We believe its the replacement for the older A411. The C5220 does not offer much standard functionality but due to its relatively cheap pre-paid and outright costs we can not really complain. What is does best is to connect to the internet Telstra portal for content and additional functionality.  The Telstra portal has improved over the years and has a number of free and subscription based content like news, video, music and TV. The C5220 is priced from as low as $59 as a pre-paid package you can't expect much. Construction and looks are average, with a all plastic body and plasti-metal keypad.   In black it looks like just another flip phone but in metallic red the C5220 looks  a little classier.  The external screen is a black and white screen and the internal a 2 inch colour TFT. Both screens are not really high resolution but easy enough to read and competitive with others int he price range.  The flip closes with a typical whack of a plastic toy but feels sturdy enough a year of two of usage.  The key pad is good to use but not as nice to look at or use as the A411 and A412. The interface is the old icon based navigation system used by Samsung since the early 2000's so everything is easy enough to access.  Speed of the interface is good and the annoying music key presses which can be turned off is still there.  The interface can be confusing since there can be quite a lot of information displayed at the one time. Network reception quality on the C5220 is very good but call quality is only average.  The Telstra/ZTE models are superior to this model in this regard and even the ancient Motorola V3XX is so much better. The C5220 can be sync'ed with your computer and used as a wireless 3G modem.  Although not as fast a standalone USB 3G modems it does work. Overall the Samsung C5220 is a decent enough basic mobile phone.  It will do voice and calls, SMS, MMS and emails and some very basic web browsing with ease. If that is all you want then this is a good choice just don't pay too much for it. The Telstra branded ZTE phones are just as good as the Samsung in this price range so you'll have to decide based on look and feel rather than what functionality it can actually do. However if your budget can spare a few more dollars and you'll be able to get a much better mobile phone. Specifications
    • Samsing C5220
    • Network Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 Single-band 3G 850 HSDPA 3.6
    • Design Slider
    • L99 x W49.5 x D18.2 mm Weight 100 grams
    • Display/s Internal 2 inch TFT 176 x 220 pixels External 1 inch FSTN 96 x 96 pixels
    • Camera 1.3MP
    • Video Camera 174 x 220 pixel
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 microUSB
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 35MB available to user 4Gig micro-SD card slot
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Music and Media player Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.7V 960mAh Up to 250 hours Standby Up to 2 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $100 AUS 2010 (Pre-paid)

  • Favorite mobile phone design

    There are lots of mobile phones in a variety of designs. There is the candy bar, QWERTY, flip or clam shell, touch screen, slider, slider QWERTY, twist, touch slider and so forth.  Each design has its pros and cons.

    We do have a preference for the QWERTY and flip phones for convenience, design and ease of use. However we are definitely open to trying new designs to see if they are any good.

    QWERTY keyboard phones are usually very easy to use and allows you the ability to properly reply to emails and SMS on the run.  As a result of the keypad they usually have large screens.  Some keypads are naturally better than others but most are very easy to use.

    Clam shell or Flip phones are so convenient and usually stylish.  There is nothing easier than flipping open your phone to answer a call or flipping it shut to end it.  The keypad is nice and large and the internal screen protected.  it is unfortunate the most manufacturers don’t make top range flip phone anymore (2010).