Category: Android

HTC One XL review
Welcome to the 2012 HTC One XL review. It 's been a long time since we've tested an HTC phone due to the lack of any interesting models to write about. However with the release of this model things have changed. In fact we think that the One XL is indeed one of the best Android based smart phones. Unfortunately it still priced quite high being the current top of the range model but at least it works and feels like it! At the time of writing the One XL was selling for $668 outright. Note that the difference between the HTC One X and the One XL is the different CPU but just as quick, 4G and color availability. The One X is available in white and the One XL in grey, we prefer the grey version. The HTC One XL construction and build quality is excellent, light enough and very solid. The curved screen edges and frame give it a comfortable 'built' for long term use. The HTC feels like its made of an exotic material not plastic or metal due to the coating and can only be described as very cool. Sure it might smooth out over time but first impressions do count for lots. We're sure that most will probably buy some sort of case for it regardless.The 4.7 inch screen is big enough and the screen image quality is very good too. It may not be the leading edge AMOLED screen but it is better than the iPhone4S in terms of real life color re-production. The only thing missing is a microSD card memory expansion. The overall size of the phone is not too big or small... In terms of operation the HTC One XL has the latest version of Android and the customised interface called 'HTCsense' which is the best set of modifications we've seen on an Android phone. The menus are 99% smooth with only heavy duty widgets causing micro second delays with updates from the main screen as per any Android OS phone everywhere else there is literally nothing else to really complain about. Like most HTC models it has the Beats sound enhancement and it makes the best music player out of any mobile phone we've heard to date. Sure it doesn't have all the latest software features like the Samsung Galaxy S3 but you probably won't miss them. In all honestly the ability to run widgets on the main menu screens (for any andriod OS phone) with just a flick of the finger is a fantastic feature instead of trying to find the app icon running it than closing etc.. is now strangely annoying. The only problem we found on the One XL was it's relatively low battery life, lasting a mere 1.5 days with minimal usage. In the end we think the HTC One XL is the best value top end Android OS based smart phones to date. It has a very slick and speedy interface with amazing options. It does everything the newly released and still outdated iPhone 5 can do and more, with a much more impressive interface. It almost matches the Samsung Galaxy S3. We think the One XL is a great buy, priced less than the currently leading Samsung Galaxy S3. Specifications
- HTC One X
- Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Quad-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 Single band 4G LTE
- Design Touch screen L134.36 x W69.9 x D8.9 mm
- Weight 130 grams
- Display/s 4.7 inch 1,280 x 720
- Camera 8MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 1.3MP (720p)
- Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera
- Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 NFC DLNA GSM and 3G networks
- CPU 1.5 Ghz Quad Core Separate Graphic CPU
- Memory 1Gig RAM 32Gig for user
- Features
- A-GPS Gyro sensor Proximity sensor Digital compass Ambient light sensor FM Radio with RDS Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others AndroidApp store Beats Audio Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free
- Battery Li-Po 1,800 mAh battery Up to xxx hours Standby Up to xx hours Talk Time
- Price history Under $650 AUD late 2012 (Outright)
September 22, 2012
Telstra Urbane T22 Review
Welcome to the 2012 Telstra Urbane T22 mobile phone review. Finally we have Android smart phone from Telstra/ZTE that can compete with the other manufacturers on features and user experience and not purely on a cheap price. Regular and non-smart phones from Telstra are usually basic but pretty good however all their Android smart phones so far have major performance flaws or interface issues that we could only recommend based on price. In some cases not recommend at all. The pre-paid Urbane T22 package is priced at cheap and tempting $149. The Telstra Urbane uses a 1GHZ CPU, decent sized screen but relatively low resolution that is OK to look at but the latest Android 4.0 software with minimal enhancements – which is good. The plastic case is definitely not high end but feels mid range and well made. However at this sort of price tag there are shortfalls in the other areas that include the basic screen resolution and quality, basic 3Mp camera and VGA video recording. In terms of operation the Urbane T22 is pretty smooth (there are noticeable lags) and not fast as you would expect. The 1Ghz CPU does wonders for the user experience compared to prior models. However it is still not as smooth as say the HTC Wildfire which has a slower CPU. However with the decent web browser, A-GPS and even an FM radio there's very little that majority will miss. Personally they should have included a better camera for the Facebook generation and possibly drop the FM radio. The standard web browser allows you to visit any site even with Flash based content - however it will not run complex games like those on Facebook. The Telstra Urbane is a pretty good smart phone and the best Telstra branded models we've tested to date. At a very cheap pre-paid price of $149 you can definitely consider it as replacement for your old keypad phone. The T22's hardware does not appear to be optimized for the latest Android due to the lags we encountered on it but not other Android phones. Sure Android has its issues but no more than the iPhone but at least it can do everything that a iPhone or Nokia's as examples can do. Forget all the other pre-paid mobile phones from Telstra the Urbane T22 is to date, one of the cheapest hence best value most fully featured mobile phone you can buy! Specifications
- Telstra Urbane T22
- Network Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 Mhz Tri-band 3G 850/900/1900 (dependent on country) HSDPA 14.4 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbps (upload)
- Design Touch screen
- L120 x W63.6 x D108 mm
- Weight 140 grams
- Display/s 4 inch 480 x 800
- Camera 3MP LED Flash Forward camera 120 x 160
- Video Camera 640x 480 pixels
- Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
- CPU 1 Ghz Single core Separate 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) Compass Accelerometer Dolby Digital 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 1600 mAh battery Up to 200 hours Standby Up to 4 hours Talk Time
- Price history Approx $149 AUD Mid 2012 (Pre-paid)
August 29, 2012
LG Optimus L3 Review
Welcome to the LG Optimus L3 review. A mid 2012 release from LG, this phone is targeted at the prepaid market and priced at an attractive $99. The Optimus L3 is one of the first in a new series of mobile phones from the company that has fallen way behind in the design and marketing of these devices. They even had the nerve to blame the OS in particular Windows Phone for their failure. This of course was only vaguely true since every single phone design they had was pretty sad along with outdated versions of their OS. In terms of construction the L3 one of the best built models priced so low. The standout features include a great feeling and solid metal case despite the lightness and the screen is more square than the normal rectangle. Unfortunately it is let down by the choice of a very basic screen resolution which is way out of date by 12 months. In terms of operation the Optimus L3 is quite fast and slick. Just don't run too many apps at once though. It can do almost everything the more high end mobile phones can models can do. The LG Optimus L3 is a great little phone with the only issues of having an old version of Android and a low resolution screen. We wish LG had installed a better resolution screen. If it were at the same price point and had a 480 x 640 screen we would have it on our must buy list for 2012... Specifications
- LG Optimus L3
- Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/2100 (dependent on country) HSDPA 3.2 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 2 Mbps (upload)
- Design Touch screen slider
- L190.1 x W120.5 x D12 mm
- Weight 109 grams
- Display/s 3.2 inch 240 x 320
- Camera 3.2MP LED Flash
- Video Camera 480 x 640 pixels
- Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
- CPU 800 Ghz
- Memory Up to 2 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) Compass Accelerometer Dolby Digital 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 1950 mAh battery Up to 400 hours Standby Up to 9 hours Talk Time
- Price history Approx $99 AUD mid-2012 (Pre-paid)
August 29, 2012
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Review
Welcome to the 2012 Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 GT-P3110 review. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is the 2nd update to the original Tab 7 version, the 7 Plus being the 2nd update which was not available globally. The Tab 2 7.0 is a slight downgrade to the Plus version in some ways but many will not really notice any difference due the same up to date Android OS. Australia's version is called the GT-P3110 which includes the 850 Mhz Telstra 3G frequency but missing infrared so be careful which version you order. The Tab 2 7.0 construction is very good with a nice curved back, minimal gaps and great finish. Sure plastic doesn't look 'expensive' as per the iPad but lets face it everyone hides their tablet with an often hideous case. In terms of hardware features the faster dual core CPU, more efficient electronics and updated OS does make the tablet work smoother with a flashier interface. The Tab 2 may not have as many features of say the Samsung Galaxy S3 but it is much cheaper and certainly a match than any of it's few competitors. The Tab 2 7.0 is easily a match for the current iPhone 4S in terms of functionality but obviously bigger and more useful than the Amazon Kindle or any other tablet without phone functionality at this point in time. We like the TAB 2 due to its smoother interface and speed but since our original TAB is still working perfectly I think we'd wait till the next version. If you have not got the TAB then the TAB 2 is a perfect starting point. Final words? The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is the new and best 7 inch tablet and mobile phone you can get for a great price too. Specifications
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 GT-P3110
- Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Quad-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 HSDPA 21 Mbps data speed (download) HSUPA 5.8 Mbps (upload)
- Design Touch screen tablet
- L193.7 x W122.4 x D10.5 mm
- Weight 341 grams
- Display/s 7 inch 1,024 x 600
- Camera 3 MP LED Flash 2nd video call camera 1.3MP Forward facing camera for video calls.
- Video Camera 720P 30FPS main video camera
- Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V3 *Infraed on some models
- CPU 1 Ghz Dual Core Separate Graphic CPU
- Memory 8 - 32 Gig for user Up to 32Gig micro-SD expansion Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
- Features A-GPS AndroidApp store Samsung App store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) Compass Accelerometer Dolby Digital 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 4,000 mAh battery Up to 1000 hours Standby Up to 10 hours Talk Time
- Price history Under $400 AUD mid 2012 (Outright)
August 8, 2012
HTC Desire Review
Welcome to the 2010 HTC Desire review page. The Desire is the first Android 2.1 based mobile phone to be released and is the one of the most fully featured. This is a top end phone which has functionality and usability that surpasses it primary competition notably the iPhone 4 but not the Samsung Galaxy S. First the good bits. The user interface is fast and stable, it is pretty to look at and customizable. The touch screen and apps work flawlessly and lag free. The screen is a bright AMOLED and the colors are vibrant. The Contacts and Organiser are fully featured and includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF readers/editors. You may have to purchase them if you want to edit documents - depends who your network provider is. The Web Browser is likewise really good for a mobile phone and Flash capable. Construction wise the phone is well built and looks good. In the hand the matte finish makes the phone look understated and easier to handle than other phones that use shiny plastic. It is also surprisingly small. Overall it does look and feel worth the money which is also surprisingly well priced. We like the extra buttons on the Desire since the single button on the iPhone can break and once that goes it become useless - literally. The optical track pad and touch screen work well together or separately. The bad bits where hard to find. If anything we can point out the average quality camera and video recorder. It is difficult to write about the HTC Desire because like the iPhone it can do everything you could want in a mobile phone in 2010. We guess that it is the Apps that will make or break the Desire and any other Android based mobile phone. Just remember to get a decent data plan with the phone. Overall the HTC Desire is a very good phone for those wanting all the communication options. It does voice, text, Skye, email, IM, Facebook, Twitter everything with ease. Perfect for those who want to stay in touch and can afford it (during the initial release phase). It works fast and easy enough to use and most of all the interface is customizable. Specifications
- HTC Desire
- 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) HSUPA 2 Mbits data speed (upload)
- Design Touch screen
- L119 x W60 x D11.9 mm Weight 135 grams
- Display/s External 3.7 Inch TFT 480 x 800
- Camera 5MP LED Flash
- Video Camera 800 x 480 video camera 15FPS
- Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2.1
- CPU 1000Mhz Snapdragon
- Memory Up to 576MB available to user MicroSD up to 32Gig
- Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
- Features A-GPS Proximity Compass Accelerometer FM Radio JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 1400mAh battery Up to 360 hours Standby Up to 400 minutes Talk Time
- Price history Under $759 AUS 2010 (Outright)
August 12, 2010