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Category: Mobile Phone Reviews

Mobile Phones, Smart Phones, Cell Phones and anything like them review and comparisons.

  • Nokia E7 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Nokia E7 review. The E7 is one of Nokia's final Symbian OS based competitor to the all too common iPhone. The E7 is a fully functional business orientated smart phone that does it all without the need for downloading extra Apps. Sure you can download some new ones from their OVI store but being realistic about the whole App thing 99% of the apps are novelties just like those on any phone.  I guess we are suffering from App fatigue. Firstly the E7 is different from the closely related N8.The major difference is the bigger and better screen along with a fully qwerty keypad on the E7.  The N8 as a smaller case and screen but better camera.  We unanimously prefer the E7 over the N8 because we have more use for the keypad than camera.  The E7 has all the video capabilities of the N8 and thanks to the better screen and tilting function the E7 is also more practical. That said we love the quality of the N8 camera which takes better pictures than the low end digital cameras. In terms of operation the OS the E7 works very well and it is less confusing than Android OS phones. However the E7 is not as responsive. It's not laggy, it just does not have the screen transitions that other phones have to pass the time like the iPhone or high end Android and Windows Mobile phones do more quickly in some situations. Again a few years ago the inbuilt apps differentiated each model, these days thanks to Apps the design of the E7 and of course its hardware is the only factor that makes them different.  In this respect the E7 deserves to succeed. Apart from that, there is honestly nothing really bad about the E7. Even the much complained camera interface is completely unjustified. The camera works fast, likewise the flash. Just press the camera button to activate. Sure the images don't match the N8 but then very few mobile phone cameras do. The other selling points are that it looks and feels great, different from the various slabs of grey and black that we see everyday where every we go.  The tilting screen is a great way to keep up to date with your emails, Facebook and other information feeds at eye view when on your desk. Since they appear as small widgets you don't need to open or close Apps. The fully functional and worldwide capable GPS navigation system also makes this phone worth a close look. Finally the quad-band GSM and penta-band 3G means that you'll be able to use the phone anywhere in the world. Overall the think different mantra applies to Nokia these days. I guess the feel is definitely European in design rather than 'Apple'. We conclude that the Nokia E7 is a great phone for everyday use. A few software upgrades to fix the smoothness and it will be as good as the most popular models. We can't really add much more. Specifications
    • Nokia E7
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Penta-band 3G 850/900/1700/1900/2100 HSDPA 10.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbps (upload)
    • Design Touch screen slider
    • L123.5 x W62.5 x D13.6 mm
    • Weight 135 grams
    • Display/s 3.5inch External AMOLED 360 x 640
    • Camera 8MP LED Flash Forward facing camera for video calls.
    • Video Camera 720 HD pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3 HDMI MicroUSB
    • CPU 680 Mhz Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory Up to 16 Gig on board Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Free OVI navigation and world maps Compass Accelerometer Dolby Digital OVI Store for Apps Proximity Ambient Light Music and Media player MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po BL-4D 12000mAh battery Up to 17 days Standby Up to 12 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $800 AUS 2011 (Outright)

  • Telstra Smart Touch T3020 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2011 Telstra T3020 review page otherwise known as the Telstra Smart Touch T3020. This model was released in late March 2011 and is the cheapest touch screen and Android 2.1 based mobile phone you could buy at the time. The main issue is that it only comes as part of a pre-paid package locked to the Telstra 3G mobile network - which is not a bad thing thanks to great coverage. The T3020 was priced at $99 at release for the package which is great. How great? - read on. The Smart Touch T3020 in the hand is like all Telstra/ZTE branded phones - a bit on the cheap side.  The phone has plastic front and back with a metal like frame but it was well made though. This is not a criticism because it is a cheap phone. The main thing that you are probably concerned about is the responsiveness of the screen since it is a resistive model. To answer that question we can honestly say that T3020 touch screen is pretty good. Our finger gestures and responsiveness where registered quick enough to be satisfied. However it is lacking that instant activation of the capacitive screen. However the Smart Touch is probably best in class with a $99 price tag. The screen quality is quite good although low resolution, as good as the more expensive $179 Galaxy 5 and the $299 HTC Wildfire. The 600Mhz CPU is fast enough but not noticeably faster than the other two. Again we have to stress that at the $99 price level there is not much competition and it works great on that basis. (Although the forth coming Wildfire S looks very promising.) The internet browser worked well likewise the apps that you could run was good too. The camera was OK for a cheap phone likewise video.  There is nothing exceptional good about the phone or bad that we could obviously pin point. However the most noticeable issue we found with the T3020 is the on-screen keypad.  It replicates a standard mobile phone which means 4 touches for the letter c for example. We couldn't find if there was a setting to change it either.  The other issue is that you require a Google ID in order to activate the most basic features like the calendar. Sure its also got Wi-Fi built in but the phone is about wireless mobility and when you don't have a computer. As a result if you want the whole phone to work as intended then you need an extra data plan.  Hence if you don't want a Google ID, Gmail address, etc... and the essential data pack or plan then this phone is not for you -stick to the regular mobile phone. Apart from these issues, there are less dramatic stuff common to the Android OS on low powered CPUs but they are annoying rather than deal breakers. Since it is inevitable that it will be on our best value page there are various short falls in the hardware side of things you should be aware of.  The main shortfall is that a GPS module isn't included - although we did not expect it to be included at this price, We were wrong about GPS! the T3020 does have A-GPS built in but without dedicated navigation software.  In regards to the screen - we tested various resistive screens like the one on the Nokia C3 and the other cheaper HTCs, Samsung Galaxy 5 and there was no difference in terms of responsiveness. The T3020 leaves a great first impression and if it doesn't 'slow' down like the Galaxy 5 we and hence you should be happy too. It is difficult to complain about the T3020 too much since it is very cheap and easily the best of the Telstra pre-paid range at the moment. If you are happy with getting the required data plan and yet another email address then the T3020 is for you. Forget any other pre-paid phones offered by Telstra at the present (Early 2011). However if you just want a mobile phone for talk and texting then try something else. Note that if you prefer any other mobile network eg. Optus, Vodaphone you should consider the Huawei X1. The X1 also priced at $99 as a pre-paid package is a better phone that the T3020. Specifications
    • Telstra Smart Touch - T3020
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/2100 HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) Not mentioned data speed (upload)
    • Design Resistive Touch screen
    • L102.8 x W54.8 x D14.8 mm Weight 103 grams
    • Display/s External 2.8 Inch TFT 240 x 320 pixels
    • Camera 3.2MP
    • Video Camera Yes - no specifications
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU 600Mhz
    • Memory Up to 150MB available to user 2GB MicroSD card included MicroSD up to 32Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Haptic feedback Accelerometer FM Radio Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1100mAh battery Up to 200 hours Standby Up to 150 minutes Talk Time
    • Price history Under $100 AUD 2011 (Pre-paid)

  • Nokia C3-01 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type review. The Nokia C3 released in early 2011 is one of latest feature phones from the ever changing mobile phone company. The C3-01 is 3G capable phone and the more feature packed version of the related and cheaper C3-00 which is a GSM only version. The Nokia C3 is a a relatively cheap mobile phone in 2011 priced under $250 on release and can only get better. In terms of the use interface the C3-01 is the first touch screen and fitted with a standard keypad. However the most impressive part of the package is that the phone runs the old S40 OS and even more impressive is that Wi-Fi is included and best of all the C3 works amazingly well. The touch screen is responsive and the menu system works in a logical and speedy fashion. We have no complaints about the touch screen interface - in fact it was very intuitive. In terms of design, the C3-01 is better in the hand than the pictures.  The screen seems larger than it is but the keys also larger than you'd expect. The mostly metal case gives it a nice feel too - again no complaints. Although we couldn't install additional software it's standard games will still work using the numeric keypad. The only legitimate issue we have is the stand-by screen design. Clearly the screen is packed with icons and functionality but the need for bigger on screen buttons and that the resolution is relatively small making the graphics looks low end. It also doesn't have GPS but from experience it is not an essential feature just yet. If this phone was released a few years ago the C3 would probably be on best seller lists.  Hopefully Nokia has learnt from past mistakes and release state of the art phones at reasonable prices and time frames from no on. In terms of hardware the phone does have one or two new features but that said - it is only a GSM phone! Among the best features: it uses the latest Transmissive LCD display screen which basically means it can be read more easily outdoors and it has Wi-Fi. Although it is not a 3G capable phone it can still used GPRS for data. Basically all this means is that you can chat and IM and Facebook all your want but can't or shouldn't browse the web until you get access to a Wi-Fi access point because the GPRS/EDGE is really slow. Combined with a massive battery the C3 left on standby can last up to 33 days! All up the Nokia C3-01 is a extremely decent phone and based on the out right pricing of under $250 (Feb 2011)  it does almost anything you'd want in a traditional phone format.  Sure it's not business friendly like the older but comparable E51 but if your needs are text and talk with a bit of internet thrown in like the masses, than you can't really go wrong. Specifications
    • Nokia C3-02
    • Network Quad-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
    • Design Candybar and touch screen
    • 111 x W48 x D11 mm Weight 100 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 5MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 640 x 480 pixel main video camera 15FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 35MB available to user MicroSD up to 32Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • FeaturesFM Radio with RDS JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.5mm AV/headset BL5-CT 3.7V 1050mAh Up to 18 days Standby Up to 6 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under$250 AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Nokia N8 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Nokia N8 review. The N8 is Nokia's first real competitor to the all too common iPhone.  The N8 release in late 2010 is everything the iPhone is not and that's why we love Nokia's. Out of the box the N8 has all the software you need to have a full functional mobile office and consequently all too smart phone. Built as a competitor for the all conquering iPhone the N8 surpasses it in most instances - except for one key issue. Since most people skip the middle middle bit we now have actually bought a N8 outright for ourselves and so far very happy. The Nokia N8 has the best camera on a mobile phone - no question. The picture quality is amazing for camera phone just as good if not better than most point and shoot digital camera and the screen colors are amazingly accurate to real life. The most impressive thing about the N8 camera is its ability to take impressive night time images. All you have to remember is to select night portrait scene and snap away - no need to hold the camera still forever to get a decent image. The N8 review is going to be difficult because it is a brilliant phone but with conditions attached.  In isolation the N8 has everything you need in a modern mobile phone in 2011. The redesigned operating system works fast and efficiently - so much so that it is the equal to other phones featuring faster CPUs. Android, Windows Mobile.  Although not many people note this in reviews but you can customize everything important on the phone which makes it desirable amongst the anti-establishment these days. Subjectively it is as easy to use as any Android based phone. Sure there are niggles and annoyances but every phone and OS has them. The loud speaker is very loud but hampered by the speaker opening on the bottom of the camera if placed on a flat surface. The sound from the loud speaker is not hi-fi being just loud. Thankfully the in-call sound quality on both ends is excellent very clear. It is easily better than the iPhone models or any other mobile we've tested to date. The N8 screen is also something to boast. The N8's screen reproduces color that almost true to life.  Compare the actual scene with the same picture and it is a very close match. Sure there is some color saturation but its nowhere near as bad a normal digital camera. Most people are fooled by over saturated images with warmth due to saturated greens, red and blue. (eg greener gas or blue sky etc..) The N8 does not its closer to true life than anything bar a DSLR camera. We kid you not. One of the key decisions when buying the N8 is that it is one of the few mobile phones with penta-band 3G - which means it will work on any 3G frequency in the world include Telstra  NextG and the usual quad-band GSM - so will work on any network world wide. The ability of the N8 to hold a signal is also very good. We have no problems in marginal areas like we did on other phones - including the old E71. The Nokia N8 also has in-built fully functional Global Mapping GPS navigation system with free world wide map updates and widgetised home screens. Of course there is also the physical design which is a refreshing change from the other high end slabs on the market. The N8 is most aluminum except for the two ends. The Gorilla glass also means that you really don't need an extra screen protector. We didn't and there are no scratches on the screen despite a couple accidental drops. The other less publicized feature is the fact the N8 can play all the common video files including FLASH and AVI, FLV formats outside the web browser.  The more telling point is that the N8 does not need a 1GHz CPU to play them in complete smoothness! The clearly more efficient OS also means that the standby times and talk times exceed the iPhone and Windows Mobile based phones! The OLED screen looks great too in day light or at night. The OVI Maps navigation starts up quicker than another other GPS software on the market. The A-GPS works almost immediately likewise all the various features of the software. Just as good as other stand alone systems although missing some functionality when not actually navigating. In regards to the N8 camera, all we can say is amazing for 2010 mobile phone.  The N8 image quality is just as good as a point and shoot camera in day light and excellent (ie even better) at night.  Time between images and flash recharge times are quick too with no noticeable delay. There are no complaints about the camera interface either.  Just press the camera button on the side to activate and snap away. Additional settings are a screen icon away and simple to activate. We think every other website who claims it is a problem completely out of touch. Since buying the N8 one of us no longer carries a regular camera when going out that's how good it is. However the N8 is not perfect. The OS still has some rough edges so it is not as smooth as other models.  The battery life is not impressive.  In real life it will only last one day under heavy use. Even on standby 3 or days. However the most annoying thing - although has nothing to do with the N8 its self is the disappointing Ovi Suite. Ovi Suite simply does not work well.  It fails to sync with Outlook 99% of the time.  The prior Nokia Suite worked - so why did they replace it? Furthermore the Ovi Store App on the phone it self does not work most of the time. The Web browser while advanced does need an interface overhaul. That said if you have an Apple Mac the N8 will sync with it without any problems. To conclude the Nokia N8 may represent the last? of the Symbian based high end phones due to their new partnership with Microsoft. Sure there are a few things that make the phone harder to use than others but it feels great to have something that isn't an iPhone. The OS can only get better. Personally I think there is too much focus on the OS and shop app stores (which we love browsing BTW).  So if you can live without too many Apps, want the best mobile phone camera to date then the N8 is the best smart phone you can buy. The N8 is a keeper. It's a pity no one else can recognize that. Note that we are waiting for the Symbian Anna update which promises to fix the smoothness issues with the interface. We'll update the review then. If you want a camera phone equal to any point and shoot camera (eg. Canon ixus series) give the N8 a go its even more convenient that a separate pocket camera and pictures probably a little better too! Specifications
    • Nokia N8
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Penta-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 5.7 Mbps (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L113.5 x W59 x D12.9 mm
    • Weight 135 grams
    • Display/s 3.5inch External AMOLED 360 x 640
    • Camera 12MP XENON Flash Forward facing camera for video calls.
    • Video Camera 720 HD pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3 HDMI MicroUSB
    • CPU 680 Mhz Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory Up to 16 Gig on board Up to 32GB microSD
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible A-GPS Compass Accelerometer Dolby Digital OVI 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 BL-4D 12000mAh battery Up to 17 days Standby Up to 12 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $850 AUS 2011 (Outright)

  • LG Optimus 7 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2011 LG Optimus 7 review. The Optimus 7 or LG E900 was released late 2010 as a part of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 7 initial partners launch. The version of the Optimus 7 we tested was locked to the Optus network vs the Telstra's HTC 7 Mozart and we came up with an interesting result.  The Optimus 7 is priced around $850 at release. As usual the first release WM7 on any phone is going to be easy to use but lacking the simple things we have become used to.  Sure the majority of would be owners simply want a platform to run Apps on but without the basics of a smart phone like cut and paste, file managers, microSD card expansion  and GPS without the need for a data plan and so forth all count against it. However it is all flashy to use and we like it.  Nonetheless it has to be said that the iPhone did so well because it was an Apple and a much better brand to start with. LG simply isn't in the same league. Build quality of the Optimus 7 is no different to other high end phones so it is put together nicely and made of plastic and metal. However the overall design is truly boring and not iPhone like. It will always be compared to the iPhone since that what this model is all about. The HTC Mozart is better though thanks to a nicer case design and the Samsung Omina 7 although equally unadventurous in design due to the profile and  patchy rear design. Like the rest of the WM7 based phones Optimus 7 has all that you need in one device for email, calls, SMS, IM, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, a decent web browser and more. The only thing missing is the ability run FLASH in the browser which means no youtube videos or ability to run any FLASH based Facebook games. As we write this we read that LG was disappointed with it sales of Mobile 7 based phones and the rest of the mainstream media have implied that is was because it is so easy to use that it is 'boring'. As usual unlike the other sites we disagree. Have they used the iPhone lately?  It is even more boring than than WM 7. Aside from that and simply put LG does not make the actual hardware interesting enough.  LG are you listening - design a phone case that is actually desirable to own is the first thing we'd be doing before complaining.  Stop listening to overpaid and out of touch consultants.  Stop blaming the OS. Simply stop making cheap ugly and boring looking slabs. Anyway to conclude this review, we also like the Optimus 7 and it is a pretty good phone although lacking the functionality that any smart phone should have out of the box. This issue is caused by the use of Windows Mobil e7  - admittedly should be fixed within 12 months. The Optimus 7 is worth considering but MS needs to get its App store and LG needs to work on case design to make it truly  competitive. Choose it only if you can get a decent phone plan with it because the other initial WM7 phones are just as good and differ only in inconsequential details. Specifications
    • LG Optimus 7 (E900)
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 5.7 Mbps (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L125 x W60.2 x D11.5 mm Weight 157 grams
    • Display/s 3.8 inch External TFT 480 x 800
    • Camera 5MP
    • Video Camera 720 HD pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU 1Ghz
    • Memory Up to 16 Gig on board
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint A-GPS Compass Accelerometer MS 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 1500mAh battery Up to 400 hours Standby Up to 6 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $850 AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Samsung Omina 7 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2011 Samsung Omina 7 review. The Samsung Omina 7 or i8700 was a top range mobile phone that was released late 2010 as a part of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 7 initial partner launch. As we write this review other websites report that the market is wary of accepting the latest mobile phones with the Windows brand on the case.  We can understand the very low take up for quite a number of reasons but won't dwell on that in this review! As we've said before the latest version of Windows Mobile 7 is very impressive. In comparison Windows mobile 7 makes Android 2.x versions feel fussy and even the iPhone interface feel old.  We love the flashy transitions and information icons because they look and feel more like the systems we see on TV and in the movies. With the hardware restrictions Microsoft have imposed on the manufacturers mean that you should be getting the same look and feel.  However there are differences that set them apart. Build quality of the Omina 7 is also very good and it is a solid phone that does not break any styling or material standards.  The entire phone seems dated in particular the rear design in particular is just not 2010.  Since the rear does open up but lacks an extra memory slot is just pathetic.  Admittedly the standard 8Gig memory is quite a lot of space but the lack of the extra slot is simply not good enough. In the hand the phone is nice to hold but does not have the bespoke feel of the segment leader the iPhone. The camera picture quality is OK but like all mobile phones not as good a 2010 model cheap digital camera.  Likewise the video quality looks good on the small screen but not on a PC. The results are not surprising and enough for candid photos on the run. Like all the latest Windows Mobile 7 based phones the Omina 7 has all that you need to use for calls, SMS, emails, Facebook, Twitter, News, Weather and web browsing. Sure it can't do FLASH websites and there are still very few truly interesting Apps to download and missing simple things like a file manager limited codec support for videos (video format like flv that even the ancient Nokia E71 can play without any problems), a standard GPS application that does not require an internet connect, cut and paste etc... are shortfalls of the operating system. However like Apple we are sure they'll be there in the next version - but is it too late. We like still Windows Mobile 7 despite its short comings and often feel that it has potential but still work in progress, we also like the hardware in most parts.  We are sure that future upgrades to the OS will include the missing features although the lack of microSD card slot is unforgivable.  But for now the major let down is the hardware manufacturers, namely LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson.  Why? The flashy interface looks and feels great but the physical design of the phone is so unattractive. Surely it wouldn't cost much more to have someone design one that looks like a decent high end phone? So in the end the Samsung Omina 7 is slightly better than the HTC 7 Mozart because the interface feels that little bit faster, the screen is also sharper and brighter.  We did not notice this until they where side by side.  However the Mozart feels better due to a nicer aluminum back and dual tone construction. In isolation the Omina 7 is a very good phone and one you should definitely consider if shopping at this end of the market. Specifications
    • Samsung Omina 7 i8700
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 5.7 Mbps (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L122 x W64 x D11 mm
    • Weight 138 grams
    • Display/s 4 inch External AMOLED 480 x 800
    • Camera 5MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 720 HD pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU 1Ghz
    • Memory Up to 8 Gig on board
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features 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 15000mAh battery Up to 390 hours Standby Up to 6 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $850 AUS 2011 (Outright)

  • Sony Ericsson Cedar Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2010 Sony Ericsson Cedar review page. Released in early 2011 SE Cedar is a completely conventional candy bar style mobile phone. There is nothing special or outstanding about this phone except that it has been designed to be environmentally friendly through the use of re-cycled or eco-friendly  materials where possible. The SE is often part of a under $80 pre-paid package (2011) which means it is a very good deal. The SE Cedar is not a mid-range or high end phone so it can't be compared to the latest touch screens or other GPS or Wi-Fi equipped.  The  Cedar is the latest refinement of traditional mobile phone.  Lots of people do not want or need a large iPhone like touch screen and this is the phone designed for them.  The SE Cedar looks good in real life and it feels light but good to use and won't attract attention remaining anonymous to thieves who target the slab phone users - you get the message. In the hand the SE Cedar is a strange mix of the past and present.  The back of the phone feels light and smooth much like the old Nokia 3120 with changeable covers.  The keypad on the other hand feels solid with the key presses cushioned and feeling distinctly high end, probably the best feel of any design currently available.  The larger buttons also means that most with larger fingers will be able to use it too. We like it and you will too. The user interface is the latest version of the flash based system used by Sony for the last decade.  It works in the same fashion as when the k800i first appeared all those years ago.  We don't have any complaints since it works faster or in a more fluid fashion than previous version. The SE Cedar has 3G capabilities which means you can still get all the mobile phone optimized websites to work at a good speed, albeit on a small screen. The signal reception quality is very good along with the voice quality and the sound of the loud speaker. The battery life is is amazing at about 2 weeks on stand-by and We can't really say much more about the SE Cedar since it is designed to meet the needs of the average user. It hasn't been design to lead the category with fancy functionality apart from environmentally friendly materials. Overall the SE Cedar does the basics very well.  Text, talk and email notifications. You can write emails too but that's difficult without a proper qwerty keypad.  As a basic or traditional mobile phone it looks good and works well, if that is all you need than this is a perfectly good choice. In fact its probably one of the best conventional candy bar phones you can buy in 2011. Specifications
    • Sony Ericsson Cedar
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
    • Design Candy bar
    • L111 x W49 x D15.5 mm Weight 84 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 320x 240 pixel main video camera 15FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU XXX
    • Memory Up to 280MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features Web Browser JAVA Apps 3.5mm headphone socket Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1000mAh battery Up to 19 days Standby Up to 12 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $39 AUD November 2011 (Pre-paid) From $59 AUD June 2011 (Pre-paid) From $79 AUD January 2011 (Pre-paid)

  • Samsung Galaxy 5 (i5500) Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung Galaxy 5 review. The Galaxy 5 or Samsung i5500 was released in November 2010 and is one of the latest Android based phones on the Australian mobile phone market.  We think do not think that is coincidence that the HTC Wildfire was released just a few weeks before.  Anyway both phones on first glance have very similar hardware specifications but which one do we think is better? read on for the the HTC Wildfire Vs Samsung Galaxy 5 review. Firstly the differences - the Samsung Galaxy 5 ($199) is cheaper than the HTC Wildfire ($299 December 2010) as a pre-paid package.  The price difference between the two is due to the Galaxy having a smaller 2MP camera but it does have a faster CPU which is essential to experience all the features of the Android 2.1. The lower resolution camera, less on-board memory but 2 Gig microSD card, and the not quite so obvious smaller screen size.  We didn't notice the lower spec hardware but we did notice the not quite so zippy interface we liked on the Wildfire and even the Optimus. The Galaxy 5's construction feels cheaper than Wildfire but not the LG Optimus yet all the phones where easy to use in the hand and appeared quite sturdy.  Out of all the cheap Android based phones we prefer the HTC Wildfire that said the lower price of the Galaxy 5 makes it appealing too. The buttons on the panel are a good idea and the quality of the screen images was The Galaxy 5 has all the usual features included in higher end phones so GPS, radio, decent web browser and of course Apps.  However the biggest problem with the Samsung and ALL Android based phones is the requirement for having a Gmail account to activate the phone.  We do not agree with this compulsory login before we can even use the basic features of the phone Eg. calender.  This goes the same with Apple and Microsoft phone these days.  Requiring access to a wireless internet connection or a data plan is we guess the basic requirement for these types of phones. However we are consumers and we should say NO. Overall we like all the features you get on the Galaxy 5 but grow wary of the Android OS - just like Apple's iPhone. We don't think any of the touch screen phones really address all types of users but try to meet the bulk of users. The Galaxy 5 is cheap enough mobile phone that does work well but there are better phones for not much more $$$.  Likewise there are phones that are cheaper and work just as well. Overall the Galaxy 5 It is easy enough to use and stable.  So if you can't afford say the HTC Wildfire ($50-100 more) then the Galaxy 5 is a good alternative if you needs are not too demanding. Update: After using the Galaxy 5 for a few months we encountered some issues with 'slowing' interface.  The Galaxy 5 does become laggy and we began to encounter reduced battery life for some reason.  So our conclusion changed slightly in that it gives a good first impression but needs more work for long term stability. Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy 5 (i5500)
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Dual-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 Mbits data speed (download) 384kpbs data speed (upload)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L108 x W56.5 x D12.5 mm Weight 101 grams
    • Display/s External 2.8 Inch TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 480 x 320 video camera 15FPS
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
    • CPU 600Mhz
    • Memory Up to 170MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Accelerometer Light Sensor Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1300mAh battery Up to 690 hours Standby Up to 490 minutes Talk Time
    • Price history Under $199 AUS 2010 (Pre-paid)

  • Huawei G6600 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the 2010 Huawei G6600 review. The Hauwei G6600 has been around for a little while, which we tried when released earlier in 2010 but we haven't bothered to do a writeup until now. The reasons are obvious as you will soon read. The G6600 is essentially a cheap GSM only but QWERTY phone.  However priced at under $60 as a pre-paid package it is a very good deal. Note that there is the G6600GD version which is dual SIM capable but the OS is the same for both so our opinion on the phone overall remains the same. They do not operate at the same time! The Huawei G6600 looks good in photos and in your hand.  Strangely, despite the metal accents it has a cheap feeling of lightness to it.  We suspect the accents are coated rather than solid metal. The Huawei's screen and image quality is good for say 2008 but average for 2010.  The keypad and buttons surprisingly feel like they belong on a more expensive phone. It also looks like a cross between the Blackberry and E71 which may help it in sales.  Overall it is probably better effort than the cheaper Telstra branded ZTE mobile phones. Since Huawei is a very cheap phone it's basic hardware is limited.  For example 32MB of memory standard but has a microSD for expansion, very poor 2Mp camera limited multi-media player and so forth. The G6600 is a quad band GSM phone so you can use it on any mobile phone around the world. The phone network reception appeared to be good but the call quality is tinny. The operating system used by the Huawei is a custom version designed to look like RIM's Blackberry OS but work like Nokia's S40 and a bit of Windows Mobile 6 thrown in just to be sure.  It all works and most people who get this phone will probably understand how it works quickly.  We don't know how stable the OS will be or long term reliability for the handset but every brand has to start somewhere. Since the G6600 is a GSM only phone it relies on the relatively slow GPRS speeds for any data downloads eg. for email or twitter updates.  The best comparison for the G660o would be the Nokia C3-00.  However the Nokia C3 has much more functionality including the magical Wi-Fi at a $99 price tag makes it hard to beat in this price range. Overall the Huawei G6600 is feature packed for phone costing so little.  The nice large screen, the solid QWERTY keypad and buttons and the basic menu system make it old school but easy phone to get used to.  If that's all you have in your budget ($59) to buy a new phone than the G6600 is a great choice. However stretch to $99 and you'll have a larger number of models that are easily better the Huawei G6600 (Eg. Nokia C3-00) and most importantly keep you much happier for longer. Specifications
    • Huawei G6600
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
    • Design Touch screen and QWERTY
    • L112.5 x W60.5 x D11.5 mm Weight 102 grams
    • Display/s 2.4 inch External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 176 x 144 pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2
    • CPU xxxMhz
    • Memory Up to 32MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-ion 1000mAh battery Up to 800 hours Standby Up to 380 minutes Talk Time
    • Price history Under $60 AUD 2010 (Pre-paid)