hyp4mhz.com

Month: May 2011

  • Telstra Tough 2 T54 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2011 Telstra Tough 2 (T54) mobile phone review. The Telstra Tough 2 was released in May 2011 is a replacement for the T90 model. When we tested the Tough 2 we realized it was going to be a very short review because there is no clear difference in terms of overall software or design to prior version. Mind you we have never heard of the Tough 1 - more like the T90 we reviewed earlier... The Telstra Tough 2 is a ruggerised phone - which features Gorilla Glass that prevents the display from being scratched. Yes same as the top range Nokia N8 - but on a much smaller scale - the glass from our experience remains scratch less even after being put in a pockets with one errant coin or keys. It is a great feature that other manufacturers should really start using. The the Tough 2 compared to the recently reviewed Samsung B2710, the Tough2 does appear to lack simple quality bits which detracts from ownership. While solid the Tough2 looks and feels cheap especially the buttons. The Tough 2's network reception appeared good and has A-GPS. However the T54 Tough 2 does not have GPS dedicated software which means you can only use Google Maps hence need a data plan to go with the phone. Technically the Tough 2 has multiple 3G and GSM frequencies so it will work in most countries when traveling overseas. The Telstra Tough 2 can do all the basics you need voice, video calls, text, picture messaging and emails as per other models in the range. With the built in browser you can get mobile versions of Facebook, Myspace and so forth. However due to the small screen (although reasonable image quality) and lack of a proper qwerty keypad and even poorer browser you can't do very much. You can also purchase additional apps from the pricey Telstra online store. All up the Telstra/ZTE Tough 2 T54 is yet another typical phone for the brand. The selling point being its ruggerised or hard wearing case.  It does look OK from a distance but the starting using it and you will begin to doubt its rating because the buttons feels overly toy like and glued on bits appear on the odd occassion. Otherwise the Tough 2 is a very ordinary mobile phone that should be cheap to buy outright - if you could. Specifications
    • Telstra Tough 2 (T54)
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800 /1900 MHz Tri-band UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz 3G HSDPA 3.6
    • Design Ruggerised candy bar IP54 118mm x 53.5mm x 16mm Weight 130 grams
    • Display/s 2.4inch 240 x 320 pixel TFT
    • Camera 3MP main camera 2nd video call camera
    • Connectivity USB Bluetooth V2
    • CPU
    • Memory 130MB available to user Up to 16Gig MicroSD or Trans Flash cards
    • Ring tones MP3, MMF, MIDI, Vibration
    • Features A-GPS External antenna plug SMS, MMS, WAP, EMAIL JAVA MIDP 2.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free Customizable backgrounds Picture Viewer Voice memos Calender and organizer 250Hrs Standby 150Mins Talk Time 1000mAh Li-ion battery
    • Package contents XP/Vista Compatible PC suite Mac OSX Compatible software Personal hands free kit Travel charger USB cable
    • Price history Available on a monthly plan only. Less than $299 AUS 2011 (Outright)

  • Samsung B2710 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung B2710 review. The B2710 is ruggerised mobile phone and is IP67 compliant which means it can handle physical drops, water and dust which means everything outdoors.  When initially released the B2710 has a number of features that where rare in these types of phones most specifically 3G capability and A-GPS.  There are a few people who want these types of phones but unfortunately not that many. The other feature is that the Samsung priced very well at around the $200 mark. We briefly tried out the B2710 and can report that it is actually quite a decent standard mobile phone.  The OS is standard Samsung which in turn is ancient but easy to use.  It works fast and not laggy at all. In the hand it feels pretty good to hold but it is bulkier than the usual candy bar. The best part of the B2710 is its construction. Unlike other manufacturers it feels like a more expensive model rather than a toy. The keys are a tad hard to press due to the extra rubber coating but get over that and it you'll be satisfied at the overall feel. The other most useful this is the over 2 weeks of battery life on stand by.  The voice and sound quality was also surprisingly good. Unfortunately there are a number of problems with phone. Firstly the GPS only works with Google Maps and requires a data connection.  There is no on board maps data. The second is the software package that combines the various social networks linked to Google which we found unstable to use. Unless Samsung offers software updates it simply won't keep up with the latest internet offerings. The final problem is the screen which is not bright enough to be clearly viewable outdoors - which is ironic.  Yes you can read the screen but it needs greater brightness and adjusting for a clearer viewing angle. The screen was also scratch resistant - how much we didn't want to find out. Overall the Samsung B2710 is the best ruggerised mobile phone we've had the pleasure to use to date (2011). It looks good, works well if you don't really need a proper web browser and only want the basics of text and talk. We like the ability to just throw it around with worrying about damaging it. Specifications
    • Samsubng B2710
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 900/2100 HSDPA ??? Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA ??? Mbps (upload)
    • Design Ruggerized Candy Bar
    • L120.8 x W52 x D17 mm
    • Weight 116.5 grams
    • Display/s 2 inch 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP LED Flash Forward facing camera for video calls.
    • Video Camera ???
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 MicroUSB
    • CPU ??? Mhz
    • Memory Up to 30MB on board Up to 32GB microSD
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Compass Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1300mAh battery Up to 20 days Standby Up to 7 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $200 AUS 2011 (Outright)