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Author: Ed

  • Samsung Galaxy Note II Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Samsung Galaxy Note 2 N7000 series review. We liked the original Galaxy Note - so with great anticipation, waited till this second version before deciding our next major mobile phone purchase. The original Note and the replacement Note II when this was review written and was the largest mobile phone you can buy. Some popular commentators called too big to be a useful phone and poured scorn claiming their enlighten senses were more aligned to the mass market and the future! Of course they where completely wrong and the concept continues to prove highly popular. You see mobile phones and smart phones are now the primary source of computer and telecommunications device for everyone. In countries with developed infrastructure these devices do the work we used to do on PCs eg. internet banking, reading the news and emails a mere 5 years ago. As we age and our eyes fade and our bodies become bigger along with wanting more means we are happy with a large but not too large device to carry around! In terms of hardware the Samsung Note II is and improvement over the original. The 3D effect on the grey version is quite nice. The build quality is very good despite being largely plastic it does feel sturdy enough for daily use. even without a case. The case also has a slot for the S-pen which works well although it took some time to work out which apps would work with it. The large 5.5 inch Note II screen produces less saturated images than the original and can be read in bright sunlight easily enough. The size is really quite nice allowing for less typing errors and is really comfortable to hold too. Try one your self and see what you think. In terms of performance and use the Galaxy Note II is quick and very responsive.  Unlike the original there are next to no lags on the interface design running various apps and widgets. We can't really say much more since it is literally packed with everything you could desire on a smartphone in 2013. The camera is a bit of a let down though. All it really needs is a infrared to be able to change channels on the TV or stereo. You could complain that there are just too many settings to play with but then the iPhone has just as many! The Note II has or can have any thing you want including a FTP server - not a mistake! To conclude, we like the Galaxy Note 2 even more than the original. Definitely worth a look if you're a pretty active person who just wants to do everything on the go and on a big screen rather than stuck to your PC. It's now much easier to actually write a novel on it and watching movies in virtually any format you want along with games and internet browsing this pretty much all you need. Definitely recommended! Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy Note II
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Quad-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 Quad Band LTE 4G 800/900/1800/2600 (dependent on country)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L151 x W80.5 x D94 mm
    • Weight 183 grams
    • Display/s 5.5 inch 1,280 x 720 AMOLED
    • Camera 8MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3
    • CPU 1.6 Ghz Quad core Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory 1Gig RAM 16 Gig for user Up to 64Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Proximeter,Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Ambient light FM Radio with RDS Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others AndroidApp store Samsung App store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) Dolby Digital Music and Media player MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 3100 mAh battery Up to 21 hours Standby Up to 35 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $700 AUD April 2013 (Outright)

  • Nokia Asha 311 Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Nokia Asha 311 mobile phone review. The Nokia Asha 311 was released in 2012 and comes with the latest version of S40 Nokia OS. It's one of the most fully featured regular mobile phone you can buy at the moment. It's not a 'smart phone' but something that sits in-between the basic ones with a regular keypad. The 311 is one of the cheapest touch screen mobile phones priced around $129 at the time this was posted. The build quality of the Asha 311 is is good but its not exactly premium with a shiny  plastic rear panel. The screen is quite responsive and looks pretty good for the price and no complaints.  The bonus of having Wi-Fi makes life a little cheaper too assuming you wouldn't be getting a decent data plan at this price point. In terms of use and compared with the cheapest Android phones for the same price the Asha 311 is our choice. It's fast by comparison and does virtually everything you need. Mind you it is better at notifications for all your social networks like Facebook and Twitter rather than inputting which really requires a bigger screen to be faster. However for talk and text it works perfectly and reliability without any lags. The free 40 EA games are a nice bonus too. In the end the Asha 311 is a good cheap mobile phone. It is better than the 308 version without the dual SIM functionality. The 311 is also better than the cheapest Android phones at this price point as we have yet to find one comparably priced that works without significant lags. It may not have GPS or a proper web browser but the basics are full covered and if that is all you need than its a great little phone. Specifications
    • Nokia Asha 301
    • Network Quad-band GSM 900/1900 and 850/1800 Penta-band 3G 850/900/1700/1900/2100 Mini-SIM
    • Design Touch screen
    • L106 x W52 x D13 mm Weight 95 grams
    • Display/s 3 inch TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 3.2MP
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel video camera 25FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1 Micro-USB
    • CPU 1Ghz
    • Memory Up to 100MB available to user MicroSD up to 32Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features Accelerometer/Pr0ximeter/Ambient Light senors JAVA Apps Inc. Angry Birds Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.5mm AV/headset BL-4U 3.7V 1110mAh Up to 32 days Standby Up to 14 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $129 AUS early-2013 (Outright)

  • Nokia Asha 308 review

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    Welcome to the Nokia Asha 308 phone review. The Nokia Asha 308 was released in late 2012 and comes with the latest version of S40 Nokia OS. The claim to fame for the Asha 308 is that it is one of the more powerful a dual SIM phones yet priced very reasonably. The Asha 308 retails for around $120 if you can still buy one since dual SIM phone are niche models in this market. The Asha 308 is essentially an upgrade for the C2-03, besides being a dual-SIM phone it is also a pure touch screen model. The dual SIM setup also allows for live swapping of SIM cards without turn off.  Like its predecessor the 308 is missing features specifically 3G capability which means this is mainly a mobile phone for talk and text although it can do emails.... If you want 3G and Wi-Fi you have to go for the Asha 311 model which is a mere $9 more. But you can't have the dual SIM. In terms of construction the 308 is put together really well but the materials are for durability rather than 'luxury'. The gold version looks quite good and not too tacky for a cheap phone. Nothing to complain about or commend thanks to the low outright handset price. On terms of use, bearing in mind it's cheapness is very good. There's a camera and phone FM radio touch screen and so forth, 10 years ago this would be top of heap... It's very easy to use and quite responsive ... We don't have much more to say since we all have seen it before, Nokia's efficient but old S40 interface. We can see where the Apple iPhone copied its simplicity from. Mind you higher screen resolution or nicer icons would have been nice. In the end the Asha 208 is a decent low end dual SIM mobile phone that works. If this was the sort of phone we where after and on a budget then this would definitely be on the final list. Specifications
    • Nokia Asha 308
    • Network Quad-band GSM 900/1900 and 850/1800 Dual SIM
    • Design Touch screen
    • L110 x W54 x D13 mm Weight 104 grams
    • Display/s 2.4 inch TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 176 x 144 pixel main video camera 8FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V3 Micro-USB
    • CPU xxxMhz
    • Memory Up to 10MB available to user MicroSD up to 32Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.5mm AV/headset BL-4U 3.7V 1110mAh Up to 21 days Standby Up to 6 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $120 AUS early-2013 (Outright)

  • Telstra T96 Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Telstra/ZTE T96 mobile phone review. In the basement end of the mobile market there are some great bargains! Less than 10 years ago phones like the T96 cost over $500 and quite desirable by everyone! However in 2013 only certain less developed markets and niche users are these types of phone in high demand. As a pre-paid phone the T96 is priced at $49 which is quite reasonable. In terms of construction the T96 is quite good. There are no uneven gaps in the case or keypad and the button feel good to press although a little limited in keypad travel. They have used matt colored panels which  are not slippery to touch which does give it a more expensive feel than a sub-$50 phone usually has - based on past models like the T95. The keypad isn't the best for those still with the old txting skills but it not too bad either. It comes in a variety of colors too which is a in change, The screen resolution and size is finally the industry standard or several years ago prior to the original iPhone. The screen and image quality is also very good for a cheap mobile phone. In terms of use the T96 works great. It responds to keypress will minimal delay for any of the various functions and it does seem smoother than prior models.  Mind you the internet download speeds despite 3G capabilities is still not as fast as it should be. The screen  graphics rate a mention as being very classy despite the multi-colour number display. I think they've been looking at Sony-Ericssons of late for inspiration. In fact it probably presents better than the latest Nokia Asha series thanks to better graphics - easily.  However the comparable Nokia Asha 300 for example has much more munctionality. Apart from the graphics there is nothing else worth pointing out. In the end the T96 is a basic phone but at least it doesn't look like one which is strangely the selling point. All we need now is the ability to use one as a wireless modem for our tablets and we can dump our 'smart phones'. The T96 is now one of the better cheap mobile phone you can buy. So if all you need is text and talking with email notifications then the T96 is good value. Specifications
    • Telstra T96
    • Network Single-band UMTS 850, 2100 Mhz Quad-band GSM 850 / 900/1800 /1900 MHz
    • Design Standard L116 x W50 x D12.4 mm Weight 84 grams
    • Display/s External 2.4 inch TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera Dual cameras 2MP main camera
    • Connectivity USB Bluetooth V2.1
    • Memory 64MB internal memory 30MB available to user Up to 32Gb microSD
    • Ring tones MP3, MMF, MIDI, Vibration
    • Features SMS, MMS, WAP, EMAIL MyWords predictive text JAVA MIDP 2.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free Customizable backgrounds Picture Viewer Video calling Voice memos Calender and organizer 300 Hrs Standby, 240 Minutes Talk Time 1000 mAh Li-Po
    • Package contents XP/Vista Compatible PC suite Mac OSX Compatible software Personal hands free kit Travel charger USB cable User manual
    • Price history Approx $49 (Feb 2013 Pre-Paid)

  • Nokia 920 Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Nokia 920 review. The Nokia 920 is Nokia's latest flagship smart phone using the latest Windows 8 operating system. You can buy it by a variety of methods but the plan scheme seems to be the most affordable due to promotion pricing rather than out right at the time this review was written. The 920 is definitely the top end of the Windows Phone's currently featuring one of the best mobile phone cameras, screens and CPU technology. Outright pricing is a approximately $799 but there are cheaper places of course! The construction is typical Nokia which means it looks and feels good in the hand despite being made of plastic. The various colours are a nice touch but we think that only yellow, grey black and the white ones will gain any sort of sales. There is nothing outstanding about the way it made which is slightly disappointing but nothing that an after cover can fix easily. In terms of hardware the Nokia 920 has all the latest connectivity options including 4G and NFC. The screen while not the highest resolution available is actually quite good to look at. It is a pit that that there is nothing truly unique about the hardware that sets it apart from the other top end phones. In terms of software the latest version of Windows 8 is very boring to look at but easy and very slick to use. We don't know how Microsoft have done it but it does make the iPhone interface feel less than premium.  The off line GPS is also another selling point as are the live tiles, if you can find an App that uses it properly. The only real problem is the inability sync your details with the PC version of Outlook instead of trusting your personal detail on Hotmail, Live of Outlook.com which you should not feel comfortable about - we don't that's for sure. Once again the everything is very good about the Nokia 920 but the lack of Apps, the limited customization, missing local Sync and the lack of any sort of special features make it a very boring phone. Hence we can't write any more about it. It's easy to see why Android and its range of phones is the superior OS at the moment and makes us rethink our decision to convert to Windows OS exclusively. So if you want something that works easily that isn't an iPhone than this is the one to get. Specifications
    • Nokia 920
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Penta or Tri-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 Quad band 4G 700/800/900/1700/1800/1900/2100/2600 dependent on network/country Data speed: very fast on 4G
    • Design Touch screen
    • L130.3x W70.8 x D10.7 mm
    • Weight 185 grams
    • Display/s 4.5 inch External 768 x 1280
    • Camera 8MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 1080 HD pixel main video camera 720p face camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3.1 micro-USB
    • CPU 1.5 Ghz Dual core
    • Memory Up to 32 Gig on board
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features Micro-SIM MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint A-GPS Compass Accelerometer Windows Mobile Store for Apps Proximity Ambient Light Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 13000mAh battery Up to 400 hours Standby Up to 7.4 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $799 AUS 2013 (Outright)

  • Samsung Galaxy S3 Review

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    Welcome to the 2013 Samsung Galaxy S3 review. At the time of writing the Galaxy SIII I9300 series has been on sale for nearly 6 months and arguably the best Android based phone you can buy. Lots have been said and there are plenty of in-depth reviews that you can read. We've read them checked out the benchmarks and agree so have nothing to add to the world. So Like the iPhone we can only point out the reasons why you shouldn'y buy the Galaxy S3! - Requires Gmail address with all your personal data so you need a separate email for your phone if you want to maintain any privacy. - The Apps are not vetted as thoroughly as Apple's so you can be a victim. - Build quality while good could be much better. As plastic does its quite good to look at. - Standard Samsung enhancements are not attractive to look at. - A bit more difficult to setup and use due to the number of customisation options. - Google Play needs more work. - The screen colours are too saturated. - Still not as smooth as other OS. Overall the Galaxy S3 does have less issues if not using the advanced functions than the iPhone and that's probably why its the better choice for most people. Like the iPhone there is more great features than the problems! One of the most important features in being about to see Flash content! Just remember that the Galaxy S3 is one of the best mobile phones are the moment for a variety of reasons and would be our choice if it hadn't been for the new Windows 8 phones just released! Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy S3
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/900/2100 Tri-band 4G 899/1800/2600
    • Design Touch screen
    • L136.6 x W70.6 x D8.6 mm
    • Weight 131 grams
    • Display 4.8 inch 1,280 x 720 AMOLED
    • Camera 8MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3
    • CPU Quad core 1.4 Ghz
    • Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory 1Gig RAM 16 Gig for user Up to 64Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS Compass Accelerometer Proximity Ambient Light Dolby Digital Music and Media player Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others Google Play store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2100 mAh battery Up to 600 hours Standby Up to 11 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $650 AUD late 2013 (Outright) Approx $750 AUD late 2012 (Outright)

  • Apple iTunes 11 update is really bad

    Oh dear – Apple really stuffed up with the iTunes 11 re-design!

    It is basically a mess. Sure there is some vague logic to it – maybe but NO it is quite and utterly stupid. They should have kept the Windows Explorer design they originally copied. I’m sure you know what we mean and it will take a true Apple die hard fan to try and explain why it makes thing easier. Maybe you have to use it one handed! LOL

    Even the latest Windows 8 redesign works infinitely better and easier to understand. When your 11 year old can understand Windows 8 in 10 minutes but still can’t quite work out iTunes you have a problem – Nope really serious problem.

    BTW you have to press SHOW SIDEBAR under the VIEW menu to restore it back to a interface that you can actually understand.

    We can image millions of people looking at the default screen after the upgrade and going WTF like we did!

     

  • Apple iPhone 5 Review

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    Welcome to the Apple iPhone 5 review. We love the iPhone and loathe it at the same time. Since everyone only points out the positives for the iPhone we decided to point out the negatives to add some balance to the world. Each new iPhone usually adds a feature or two which has been on other phones but Apple applies it's own user interface magic and hardware 'innovations' to make the phone work better. Eg. SIRI for example was not developed by Apple but purchased the company that was going to release it! (Apple PR and the mass media and certain other website then rewrite history claiming it's an Apple original which is a bit sad.) Unfortunately the iPhone 5 does none of that for the owner, in fact they have made it worse  - which is a pity. However in terms of hardware they have made significant technological improvements like the updated screen and even lighter weight body. The new screen technology while boasting superior images thinner and lighter construction doesn't really set its self apart of the older screen and we couldn't tell the difference. The larger screen is welcome but if the text is still the same size you still can't read the text combined with the awkward screen size... The iPhone 5's multiple microphones supposedly make call quality better but is a complete fail. The call quality and volume still cannot beat your basic Nokia and Motorola phones have been enjoying for years. The latest iPhone now looks awkward rather than stylish and proportionate. The old iPhones 1 to 4S looked great but the 5 is not right... The light weight is handy thanks to even more need for a protective case. However we think they have made it too light - lightness usually equals cheapness and it does feel cheap. It may be metal but it looks and feels like plastic and scratches like plastic too - so what's the point? The user interface shows its age although retains its remarkable ease of use. We are also getting tired of reading the repetitive propaganda about the decision to make the iPhone look awkward - so that you can type one handed - what a joke. In the real world you cannot type one handed (we just tried again its too difficult even more so if you're a lady who has nails) on the iPhone properly without looking at the keypad or two hands because it is way too small and 99% use both hands and the auto-correct is still flawed. The changing of the connector is also a bit of a pain, simply so the company can get a few more dollars. A lot of people will be unnecessarily wasting money and creating more waste to pollute the planet. Let's not forget the very poor Apple Maps application. Amongst other issues Maps is plainly incorrect, locations and images etc.. We also think Subway pays them because we see a lot of Subways that don't or have never existed... Despite the iPhone 5's significant flaws (it is the worse iPhone to date) it is still one of the best smart phones you can buy! It will do everything you want and more, purely due to the Apps and content store so if you afford it go for it but check out these others first - in particular Windows 8 phones. Specifications
    • Apple iPhone 5
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 4G LTE 850/2100/1700/1800/1900/2100
    • Design Touch screen
    • L123.8 x W58.6 x D7.6mm Weight 112 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 640 x 1136
    • Camera 8MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera HD 1080p 30 fps
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU A6 1.2 Ghz Graphics: PowerVR 543
    • Memory From 8-64ig
    • Ring tones Purchase or iStudio only and vibration
    • Features A-GPS Accelerometer Gyrometer Compass Proximity sensor Multi-touch screen Music and Media player Remote security Contacts/Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Battery 1420 mAh Up to 225 hours Standby Up to 8 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $879 AUS 2012 (Outright)

  • Telstra Frontier Review

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    Welcome to the 2012 Telstra Frontier ( T81) mobile phone review. For Christmas 2012 Telstra and ZTE have released yet another 'bargain' priced reasonably high specified Android smartphone. The new Frontier T81 release took us by surprise, likewise the equally new EasyTouch 4G model. The Frontier model is a pre-paid phone package priced at $299. The Frontier and the EasyTouch 4G are both 4G or LTE phones have very similar design and specifications. The Frontier is a pre-paid package it has lessor spec hardware like lower camera resolution and screen size and so forth. The Frontier packs a 1.5 Ghz CPU and separate graphics processor are a standout in the pre-paid class but honestly when you use it - doesn't seem all that fast. In terms of construction the Frontier does not feel like high end phone but neither does the related EasyTouch 4G. Nonetheless it is solid and did not reveal any creaks or rattles. There is nothing that makes it stand out from the crowded pre-paid class on the outside at least. In terms of operation there is little to differentiate it from the a bare bones Android phone. Everything worked smoothly and fast but lacked some interface enhancements that Samsung and Motorola etc have come up with to show off the powerful CPU. That said Android has come a long way from a mere 2 years ago and likewise the offerings from Telstra/ZTE brand mobile phones. The ability to use the 4G part of the network is also a great hardware feature. Overall the Telstra Frontier has a fast CPU for games but hampered by the lower resolution and smaller screen. Since mobile websites are so minimal there is little make any difference from lower powered smartphones.  The only thing that made as cringe was the high price! it's not a cheap phone. The Telstra marketing area probably thought it would appeal to hand held gamers and it might but unlikely for the obvious reason - it that doesn't look high end and that Angry Birds doesn't need a 1.5Ghz CPU to run smoothly and everyone we talked to wanted a phone with a 5 inch screen for gaming! So if you like a plain looking and fast Android phone but locked to Telstra then go for it. Otherwise the value for money the Google Nexus 4 or even the Nexus 3 is more than a match. Specifications
    • Telstra Frontier T81
    • Network Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 Mhz Tri-band 3G 850/2100 Mhz 4G LTE 1800/2600 Mhz HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbps (upload) 4G LTE 1000Mbps 50 down Mbps Up
    • Design Touch screen
    • L124 x W65.5 x D11 mm
    • Weight 149 grams
    • Display/s 4.0 inch 480 x 800 pixel
    • Camera 5MP LED Flash Forward camera 1MP
    • Video Camera 640x 480 pixels @ 15fps
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3
    • CPU 1.5 Ghz Dual core 'Krait' Separate Adreno 225 Graphic CPU
    • Memory Up to 2.5 Gig for user Up to 32Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS AndroidApp store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) FM Radio Compass Accelerometer Proximity Ambient Light Music and Media player MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1785 mAh battery Up to 380 hours Standby Up to 6 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $299 AUD December 2012 (Pre-paid)