Nokia X3 review: Music X-three-M

Introduction

The Nokia X3 is our first glimpse into the new Xseries and we’re excited to see how things have changed since XpressMusic ran the show. And they have changed, the new angular look is a testament to that. The S40 on the inside has changed as well, throwing Ovi Store and basic multi-tasking into the mix.

Nokia X3 official photos

Currently the Xseries is composed of two completely different phones. The Nokia X6 is a touch phone running Symbian, and the X3 is an affordable Series 40 slider. It packs stereo speakers, excellent audio quality and a built-in FM radio antenna for a complete sonic experience. All right, we said affordable, so don’t go looking for top-notch gear beside the obvious full music package.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and let’s take a look at the Nokia X3 pros and cons.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 2.2" 262K color QVGA display
• 3.2 megapixel fixed focus camera
• S40 user interface, 6th edition; rudimentary multitasking
• Stereo FM radio with RDS; Built-in antena (so it plays on the loudspeakers even if you don’t plug the headset)
• Stereo speakers
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Up to 26 hours of music playback
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and microUSB port
• microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 2GB included)
• Rich preinstalled application package
• Ovi Store, Ovi Maps and Ovi Share

Main disadvantages:

• No 3G connectivity
• Smallish display with poor viewing angles and sunlight legibility
• Slider action has an unpleasant plastic-on-plastic friction
• S40 interface feels clunky and out of date
• No true multitasking
• No smart dialing or an office document viewer
• A bunch of software bugs
• Video recording maxes out at QCIF@15fps

The specs look like nothing to be excited about but a shortish feature list never tells the whole story. So, think before you go “Nah, it sounds lame”, because you’ll be wrong about sound. We spent several days with it and now we’re ready to tell you the story behind those specs, the good, the bad and the ugly, the whole thing.

More Nokia X3 photos

Do we have your interest? Good. Jump to the next page where we open the box and take a look at the Nokia X3. After the hardware inspection we’ll try to explain what the deal is with this multitasking-but-not-quite situation.

NOKIA X3

Android OS versions breakdown and updated mobile Google web apps, HTC releases own widgets

The Android family keeps growing with more and more handsets, so Google has just launched the device dashboard. Their mobile web apps are also now better, faster, stronger, and HTC released new Sense UI widgets for the Hero and Droid Eris.

Android devices graph shows OS versions shares

The newly released Android devices graph is based on devices, which have accessed the Marketplace within the last two weeks and will be updated periodically. As you can see the 1.5 devices have a share of more than a quarter of all devices but the main target for developers should probably be version 1.6.

Android 1.6 devices account for more than half the market. But ver. 1.6 smartphones do not share one and the same displays and they vary from QVGA up to WVGA resolution.

Google tweaks its web apps for speed

Today Google also updated their mobile web apps and now it should load up to three times faster for certain devices. The new Gmail features include full label support, swipe to archive, smart links, faster address auto-complete, outbox, enhanced refresh and auto-expanding boxes. Google claim they've pushed the mobile web browser capabilities and HTML5 to the max. To try it, just head on to www.google.com on your mobile browser and hit apps.

GMail on iPhone

And HTC jumps up and offers some free Sense UI widgets

Meanwhile HTC made another move for differentiating their Android devices. They've released a few new widgets compatible with the HTC Hero and the CDMA-based HTC Droid Eris. The available widgets for download are Tip Calculator, Today in History, Dice and Battery.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and HTC HD2 knock on T-Mobile door

Two Snapdragon-powered phones with large touchscreens are taking the first steps to the pockets of T-Mobile US consumers. Yep, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 passed through FCC testing and it and the HTC HD2 both are on their way to T-Mobile USA.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 has obviously passed through the scrutiny of the Federal commission, but the interesting part is the 3G test. The tested UMTS bands were I, IV and VIII, or in other words 900/1700/2100MHz. That definitely points in T-Mobile's direction.

WMExperts bring the second bit of good news for T-Mobile customers - they got the ROM image for the US HTC HD2 and it seems heavily bound for T-Mobile as well. They also share some of the versions of the apps that will be available inside - ROM version 2.01, Windows Mobile 6.5 build 21896, Opera Mobile 9.7, TeleNav GPS navigation 5.5.34 and Teeter 2.0 (hooray!).

The rumored release date for the HTC HD2 in the US is March 2010. The release date for the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 on the other hand is anyone's guess.

Source: FCC, WMExperts

iPhone hits Vodafone UK on 14 January, rewards for pre-ordering

Vodafone UK will start offering iPhone 3G and 3GS from 14 January. You can grab a 16GB 3GS for free on 45 pounds monthly on a two-year contract. All those who pre-order it will receive free Vodafone calls for as long as the contract goes.

Remember the really short Vodafone press statement that announced plans for an iPhone launch? They've finally come up with more details. Vodafone will launch the new generation Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS on 14 January.

The iPhone 3GS 32GB and 16GB are free on the 75- and 45-pound tariffs respectively, while the iPhone 3G 8GB sells for free on the 35-pound tariff.

Nothing surprising here, but the operator promises free Vodafone to Vodafone calls, along with 1GB of mobile internet for those who have pre-ordered an iPhone. People who have registered interest will receive email instructions how to pre-order it.

Source

Palm Pre review: A pebble in your hand

Introduction

It's not like we didn't tell you. And hey, it's not like we're on time either. But we guess better late than sorry goes both ways. Once a popular (mostly stateside) PDA and smartphone maker, Palm were going full blast from safe to sorry. So, did they try to put the brakes? Negative. They hit the U turn.

Many must've doubted Palm ever getting out of the twilight of their dwindling smartphone line. But we're not gonna give you all that crap about second chances. It won't be fair to the Palm Pre. It couldn't have been bleaker for the company but the Palm Pre is not the kind to walk around a with "Will work for food" sign on its neck. No sir. It's looking to elbow its way through a crowd of apples, androids and PocketPCs.

Palm Pre official photos

Are we talking the mother of all comebacks here? We honestly don't know. But it looks like a debut of the same magnitude as the iPhone OS, Android and Maemo. The Palm Pre seems to have all the things that made the iPhone so special: multi-touch display, an Application Store, fluid and creative UI and a good web browser. But Palm didn't stop there - the webOS is all about multitasking - to an extent that gives quite a point to those who wouldn't call the iPhone a proper smartphone.

The webOS and all the touchscreen gadgetry will sure keep us busy enough. It's the interface and the handling that will earn the Palm Pre its deserved share of admirers. But before we power up this multitasking monster and start navigating its new and unique system, let's look at the package itself.

Key features:

• 3.1" 16M-color TFT display of 320 x 480 pixel resolution and excellent sunlight legibility
• 3 megapixel fixed focus camera, LED flash
• Quad-band GSM support
• Tri-band UMTS support with HSDPA
• ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX graphics chip

  

• 256 MB RAM
• Sliding-out full QWERTY keyboard
• Palm webOS is an innovative multi-touch user interface, heavy on multitasking
• Touch-enabled Gesture Area
• Built-in GPS receiver
• Wi-Fi
• 8 GB of onboard storage
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Bluetooth with A2DP support
• Application Store for direct apps download and installation
• Office document viewer

Main disadvantages:

• No video calls over the 3G network
• No memory card slot
• Glossy plastics look cheap, love fingerprints
• Camera has no auto focus… nor any settings at all, disappointing image quality
• No video recording unless hacked
• Web browser lacks Flash support,
• No DivX/XviD video playback support
• No Bluetooth file transfers
• App Catalog available in a limited number of countries
• Small and fiddly QWERTY keyboard keys
• No onscreen keyboard, portrait typing only
• No smart dialing

The specs ring the iPhone bell and you may think the Pre is just another copycat - you'll be wrong. The Palm Pre is pushing a brand new OS and doesn't keep a stiff upper lip like some other smartphones - that goes to you Symbian and WinMo.

Palm Pre in our hands

But so much for the resemblance to iPhone. It's a completely different form factor, there are some novel navigation solutions and there's a QWERTY keyboard and multi-tasking. The Palm Pre is a fresh and exciting addition to the world of smartphones.

The webOS may have learned a lot from the iPhone OS, but it certainly is trying to do things its own way. The Pre is obviously limited much like the first iPhone and earliest Android handsets.

It's not the list of do's and don'ts that makes this phone though. It's not the capacitive, multi-touch-enabled touchscreen, it's not the QWERTY keyboard. The Pre hopes to be a symbol of a company's rebirth and promises an exciting time for touchscreen. And it's got a darn good reason to be hopeful: the webOS.

We'll get there but let's take this one step at a time. The Palm Pre gets unboxed, handled and described right after the jump.

Broadcom VideoCore IV records 1080p video, takes 20MP photos

You hear a lot about camera modules on mobile phones, but not so much about the chip that does all the work of compressing the images and video. The new Broadcom BCM2763 VideoCore IV can handle photos up to 20 megapixels and record Full HD video among other things.

Of course, it would need a 20-megapixel sensor to do its 20-megapixel photo trick but the first devices using the Broadcom VideoCore IV are expected to come out in 2011. In two years, it's not unlikely some company will be pushing out its new 18MP or so camera phone. Because, you know, they already did 12MP and to the average consumer more is better.

The chip can also handle image stabilization, face and smile detection and take several images a second - we wouldn't expect anything less out of future high-end camera phones.

Even if 20MP image sensors that fit into mobile phones don't materialize, the Broadcom VideoCore IV can record 1080p video using H.264 High Profile (the codec used in Blu-ray discs).

Image capture is just part of the BCM2763 VideoCore IV repertoire - it can also play back Full HD video as well and do it over HDMI. What's left is for the phone to use the Micro HDMI connectors, which are the size of microUSB, and you get a pocketable HTPC.

The last trick that the Broadcom VideoCore IV has up its sleeve is that it works as a GPU with 128MB LPDDR2 of dedicated RAM, for rendering 3D graphics.

Since it's targeted at mobile devices, the Broadcom BCM2763 VideoCore IV is built using a 40nm process. Broadcom estimates that its reduced power consumption will lead to 4-6 hours of video recording and 8-10 hours of video playback on most mobile devices, and up 16 hours if the video is played over HDMI. If the internal memory of the device can fit those 16 hours that is.

Source

BlackBerry Bold 9700 review: Dare you go

Introduction

Some handsets will work their socks off to have their fifteen minutes of fame, others are simply born into stardom. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is certainly fortunate to carry a name that stands for popularity and excellence in the RIM family of phones. But this kind of fame can be less a blessing and more of a curse if the successor fails to live up to the standards set by its illustrious namesake.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 official photo

These high expectations have quite often turned otherwise decent handsets into a byword for failure. It's simply not enough to provide incremental improvements when upgrading an iconic handset. The iPhone somehow gets away with that, but Apple usually does. But for regular mobile phone manufacturers it takes something new and it certainly takes something better for the successor to achieve the same kind of success.

Key features:

• 2.44" 65K-color TFT landscape display with a resolution of 480 x 360 pixels
• Comfortable four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS and BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 3.15 autofocus megapixel camera, LED flash
• 624 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v5
• Responsive trackpad navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• DivX and XviD video support
• Good web browser
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Decent audio quality
• Smart dialing
• Great battery life
• More compact body and lighter weight compared to the Bold 9000
• Good build quality

Main disadvantages:

• Many features are locked without a BlackBerry Internet Service account (plan)
• Mediocre camera performance and features
• No FM radio
• No video-call camera
• No TV-out functionality
• No built-in accelerometer
• No built-in compass

It's pretty obvious where the RIM R&D team is heading with the BlackBerry Bold 9700. It's hard to really overhaul a handset that was considered almost perfect by most of its users without testing their loyalty, so they embarked on optimization instead. It's not a bad formula for success to just keep the same functionality, stick it in a smaller, fitter body and improve the performance wherever possible.

Will the BlackBerry Bold 9700 have the span and impact of its predecessor?

One glitch or an important feature sacrificed to fit the compact package and the plan goes down the tubes. The smartphone market is increasingly competitive and smaller companies like RIM know they have little room for error. The new Bold 9700 looks fit and hot, no doubt about that. Let's see if it performs to our expectations, and yours.

Samsung S5560 preview: First look

Ah, the futuristic appeal of touchscreens - consumers can't get enough of them. Enter the Samsung S5560. With a 5MP camera and Wi-Fi, it's two widgets ahead of the competition. The rest mostly follows the recipe for success from the S5230 Star cookbook, with a few tweaks to bring it up to speed.

Samsung S5560 official photos

The Samsung S5560 lacks 3G connectivity but comes with Wi-Fi connectivity. It's hardly the solution that most carriers opt for (and carriers ARE the biggest cellphone contractors), but we guess Samsung have gone for pleasing the end client this time. In an effort to keep the price down, trading 3G for Wi-Fi is a compromise many users would make.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, check out the rundown of the Samsung S5560 features:

Samsung S5560 (a.k.a Marvel) at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar
• Dimensions: 107.5 x 52 x 13.2 mm, 95g
• Display: 3.0 inch WQVGA TFT resistive touchscreen, 240 x 400 pixels
• Platform: Latest TouchWiz 2.0 UI, Smart Unlock
• Memory: 78MB integrated memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, image stabilization, WDR, face detection, Smile Shot, blink detection and QVGA video recording at 15 fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, 3.5mm audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate and turn-to-mute, FM radio with RDS
• Battery: 960 mAh battery

Samsung S5560 in our office

This phone is clearly a Samsung Jet wannabe - the styling, the camera, the Wi-Fi connectivity all make it a cheaper alternative to the Jet. Sure, tradeoffs have been made for the sake of a lower price, but if you've never owned a touch phone before, the S5560 makes a great introduction.

The timer on non-touch operated phones seems to be running down - touch phones seem to get the best features and the most hype. This makes it harder and harder to say no, especially now that their price is no longer prohibitive.

On the next page we do our Sherlock Holmes impersonation and take a close look at the exterior of the Samsung S5560.

Nokia N900 preview: First look

Introduction

Usually when Nokia makes an Nseries announcement the geek world trembles with excitement, expecting to see the next master of the multimedia realm. Nokia N900 didn't make any exception to this rule though it was pitched for its web browsing prowess more than anything else (at least multimedia-wise).

Nokia N900 official photos

Or at least so it seemed in the beginning, before anyone actually knew how far Nokia has gone with the user experience on the Maemo 5 platform. Soon after it was first demoed, the N900 was quickly deemed a serious peril to most smartphones out there. It even went as far as threatening Nokia's own Symbian platform.

The Nokia N900 has been so universally positive up so far that it easily turned up high on the wishlist of the tech-inclined. Expectations quickly rose quite high matching its top place in the company portfolio lineup.

Now we've got one and while we're working on a full-featured review as we usually do, we decided to post this quick preview covering Nokia N900 key features. And speaking of those, here's a brief recap of what's under its hood.

Nokia N900 at a glance

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1700/2100 MHz, HSDPA 10 Mbps, HSUPA 2Mbps
• Form factor: Full touch device with a side-sliding hardware QWERTY keyboard
• Dimensions: 110.9 x 59.8 x 18 mm, 113 cc; 181 g
• Display: 3.5" 16M-color TFT resistive touchscreen, 800 x 480 pixels WVGA
• CPU: ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX graphics
• OS: Maemo 5
• Memory: 32 GB storage, 256 MB RAM, microSD card slot
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with dual-LED flash; WVGA(848 x 480)@25fps video recording
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB v2.0 with microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, FM transmitter, Infrared port
• Battery: 1,320 mAh Li-Ion battery
• Misc: Built-in accelerometer and ambient light sensors, proximity sensor, IR output port for remote control
• Software: Ovi Maps (voice-guided navigation purchased separately), Mozilla-based browser with Adobe Flash 9.4 support, Facebook and Twitter integration

The chubby Nokia N900 certainly isn't a handset to answer mainstream tastes but then again all those features rarely come in much smaller packages. The geeks know that and are willing to live with it if the performance is worth it. So now that we have a final version of the handsets on our hands we can check that out.

All rise or the honorable Nokia N900

We are giving you a short preview now, to keep you warm until we are done with the full-fledged review. We will try to cover all aspects of the devices performance there but feel free to drop us a line in the comments if there's anything specific you want to know about it. We aren't making any promises, but will do our best to provide the answers to all questions.

BMW, Mercedes Integrating Intel Atom Into Cars

Now you can overclock your car!


Back in my day, there was no such thing as in-car entertainment other than just looking out the window. Sometimes you would be allowed to stick your head outside too if the dog wasn't in the way. Then came the Game Boy, which really made things safer.

These days, however, you'll often see childrens' movies playing in the backseat of minivans. Parents must like such in-car entertainment systems if they keep the little ones quiet.

Things are about to go beyond just the DVD player, as Harman International will be making "infotainment" systems for BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The interesting tidbit revealed at IDF was that the Intel Atom processor would be powering these systems.

Using a general purpose processor such as the Atom in a car is not surprising, given many car functions are converging with those of a PC. Video and music playback is already something many computers can do; and with cars getting 3G internet connections, more advanced navigation and other functions, building a nettop-like system makes sense.

As new and cool as the Atom is now, however, these systems from Harman International won't be hitting until 2012, and only in the BMW 7-series and Mercedes C and S-Class cars.

Nokia N97 mini review: Less is more (www.mobhile.co.cc ..::EXCLUSIVE::..)

Introduction

The Nokia army of touchscreen smartphones gets larger by the hour and the Nokia N97 mini is surely one of the most interesting new recruits. The Finnish company has obviously reconsidered its priories and now focuses on optimization, rather than expansion with its flagships.

Nokia N97 mini official photos

The original Nokia N97 was the first sign of that as it hardly offered any ground-breaking features, instead relaying on the good all-round performance. However the first high-end S60 touchscreen handset left enough room for another similar handset in the portfolio and Nokia feel that its downsized version is enough to fill the gap.

Key features

• Slide-n-tilt 3.2" 16M-color resistive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and VGA@30fps video recording
• Symbian OS 9.4 with S60 5th edition UI with kinetic scrolling
• Slide-out three-row full QWERTY keyboard
• ARM 11 434MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM
• Quad-band GSM support and 3G with 3.6Mbps HSDPA support
• Wi-Fi and GPS with A-GPS
• Digital compass
• 8GB onboard storage
• microSD card slot with microSDHC support
• Built-in accelerometer
• 3.5 mm audio jack and TV-out
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.0
• Web browser has full Flash and Java support
• Nice audio reproduction quality
• Office document viewer

Main disadvantages

• The S60 touch UI is still inconsistent
• Outdated camera interface and features
• No DivX or XviD video support out-of-the-box
• No smart dialing
• No office document editing (without a paid upgrade)
• No camera lens protection
• No FM transmitter (though that may be stretching it too far)

Nokia N97 mini vs Nokia N97

• More compact (113 x 52.5 x 14.2 mm, 75 cc v s 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm, 88 cc)
• Lighter (138g vs 150g)
• Smaller display (3.2" vs 3.5")
• Less internal memory (8GB vs 32GB)
• Smaller battery (1200 mAh vs 1500 mAh)
• No lens cover
• No FM transmitter
• Arrow keys vs D-pad

The N97 mini has quite a task on its hands, constantly being compared to the moe high ranking Nokia N97 even though it comes later to the market. As usually happens in such cases, the price difference that would have been present if both handsets were launched simultaneously is reduced and the balance of powers has shifted.

Nokia N97 mini at ours

Still the reduced display (and mostly body size) is a welcome change for many users, who used to find the Nokia N97 intolerably bulky. We certainly hope it's got

a few tricks up its sleeves so it can put up the original N97 a good fight and differentiate enough beyond size and pricing. Well, we're about to check that and much more in one of our trademark reviews, starting with the unboxing on the next page.

NOKIA N97 MINI PROMO

HTC HD2 preview: First look

Introduction

The dragon in the HTC camp has awoken, ladies and gentlemen, and it's time it shows what it's capable of. Be it a dragon, or a lion, the HTC HD2, codenamed HTC Leo, is truly a spectacular device. It seems to have all modern mobile technologies in its pocket, bridging the gap between phones and tablets.

HTC are pushing the boundaries of the impossible by fitting the 4.3-inch screen in a phone smaller than the Toshiba TG01, which was the first Snapdragon-based device ever to be released. HD2 is certainly a feat of engineering and something to really look up to.

HTC HD2 official images

Now that it has just hit the market, the HD2 is bound to make some serious waves in the high-end smartphones pool and we guess many of you would probably be checking it out this holiday season. And you would be right to do so. Let's go over its impeccable specs sheet one more time

HTC HD2 at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA, HSUPA
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 120.5 x 67 x 11 mm, 157 g
• Display: 4.3" 65K-color TFT capacitive touchscreen, 800 x 480 pixels WVGA, multi-touch support
• Platform: Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
• OS: Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional; HTC Sense user interface (formerly TouchFLO 3D)
• Memory: 512MB storage, 448MB RAM, microSD card slot, 2GB card included in the retail box
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with touch focus and dual-LED flash; VGA@30 video recording
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio
• Battery: 1,230 mAh Li-Ion; up to 6 h 20 min talk time, 490 h standby, 8 h video playback, 12 h music playback
• Misc: Built-in accelerometer and digital compass, proximity and ambient light sensors, carrying pouch in box, optional car kit
• Software: CoPilot navigation software (trial version), Wi-Fi router software, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter integration, HTC Footprints

The HTC HD2 most certainly feels great in hand - the quality of the used materials is nice and the slim bezel around the screen is almost as spectacular as the slim profile. For the fist five minutes you can't help but simply sit there and just stare at the amazing screen.

But with touch smartphones getting screens that large sooner or later ergonomics had to be sacrificed. We somehow thought that the original Touch HD had almost crossed the line, but the HD2 has definitely crossed over. Reaching your thumb to the opposite angle of the screen is quite a task and it's not really comfortable to use the phone single-handedly. But we guess many of you would find the compromise with ergonomics quite worth it.

The HD2 is impressive

Join us on the next page where we'll get into some unboxing action, and as part of this brief preview article we'll get into the ins and outs of HTC HD2 design and construction.

HTC HD2

Acer neoTouch review: The dragon within

Introduction

It must be sweet October for Microsoft, with the launch of WinMo 6.5 on the 6th followed by the desktop Windows 7 on the 22nd. Acer are quick to sneak into the spotlight and make the most of the primetime coverage. Their neoTouch is leading a small PocketPC fleet, all powered by 6.5.

But it's the flagship of course to focus all the attention and the neoTouch should be conscious of its task. If you want it all you need to be prepared to take it - all the glory and all the enemy fire. The neoTouch is riding on the wings of a dragon but entering a territory long claimed by others.

The Acer neoTouch is not just the next in the growing line of Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets. It's the top device of a company that's determined to enter the mobile phone game with a bang. The 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU is a great way to start and the other ingredients look quite on par: complete connectivity options, spacious high-res screen and something becoming fairly typical for smartphones these days - a 5 megapixel snapper.

Acer neoTouch official photos

Today Windows Mobile is all about handset manufacturers customizing the OS with their own proprietary interface, such as the popular TouchFLO by HTC, Samsung's TouchWiz and the LG S-Class. Acer have given the neoTouch their own homescreen, brand new Phonebook and Organizer app (called Agenda), along with a neat Preferences menu and Communication manager.

But first, let's go over what the Acer neoTouch does and doesn't do. PocketPC spec sheets are quite a reading but potential deal breakers won't be overlooked either.

Key features:

• 3.8" 65K-color resistive TFT touchscreen, WVGA 480 x 800 pixels
• Windows Mobile 6.5 with Acer Homescreen, Contacts, Agenda and Gallery
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM (300MB user available)
• 5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geotagging, image stabilizer
• VGA video recording @ 30fps
• Quad-band GSM support
• Tri-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76 Mbps) support
• Wi-Fi with DLNA technology
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
• microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth and USB v2.0
• 3.5mm standard audio jack, TV-out functionality
• Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
• Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation
• Smart dial
• Office document editor (but no PDF viewer)
• Full Flash support in the web browser (IE)
• Top-notch audio output quality

Main disadvantages:

• Not enough user interface customization
• No camera lens cover
• Poor photo and video quality
• microSD slot is under the back cover
• No DivX/XviD video support out-of-the-box
• No navigation software, even Google Maps is not preinstalled
• No active stylus
• High-gloss body panels are a fingerprint magnet
• Poor ringing volume

The neoTouch is the first Snapdragon device we're reviewing but the bigger

debut is Acer themselves. Since February 2009 - when they made headlines at the Barcelona WMC - Acer have released 4 handsets all in all that have no corresponding entry in the Eten glofish lineup. (It was the acquisition of Eten that put Acer on the mobile phone map.) And we're looking at one of them making a strong claim to challenge the big ones in the PocketPC game.

Acer neoTouch in our office

The Acer credentials as leading laptop manufacturer will have the neoTouch - and the phones to follow - held to a rather high standard. We're dealing with a debut but it looks bold enough at least on paper. And we won't mind another keen compatriot rivalry along the lines of Samsung and LG. Of course, HTC are well ahead at this point but Acer look like they should be taken seriously.

But much like every other Windows Mobile smartphone out there, the Acer neoTouch has it strong and weak points. You can be sure we will explore both of them, on the pages to follow.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 preview: First look

Introduction

With the X10 Sony Ericsson have gone from zero to hundred in a split second. While they may know their way around high-end devices, pulling off an undertaking such as the XPERIA X10 must have been a special challenge. And they have yet to get to the finish.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 official photos

The thing is that Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is the first Android smartphone by Sony Ericsson. It's also a Snapdragon first for the company, and they've even come up with a first of its kind proprietary Android UI. Making the X10 a reality seems like a long way full of potential pitfalls for a company that hasn't still recovered from its financial woes.

But the XPERIA X10 or Rachael, or X3, or whatever it has been called in the long months of development, seems like a device that's worth all the hard work.

Even more so, X10 will not be a solitary device but more of a high-flying start for a full-blown platform of Android devices with their own distinct interface and user experience. That kinda sounds familiar. A year and a half ago, we were again there listening to Sony Ericsson presenting the XPERIA X1 in much the similar words. Well, let's hope they'll have better luck with starting off and developing this new part of their portfolio this time.

We had the pleasure of attending a very limited press event held in London, at which Sony Ericsson presented their latest and greatest before they showcase it for the general public. Much like attending a press-only movie screener we had the opportunity to gather some first-hand impressions of what is probably going to be the Sony Ericsson flagship next year. But before making our first go at the XPERIA X10, let's recap its features.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA, HSUPA
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 119 x 63 x 13 mm, 135 g
• Display: 4" 262K-color TFT capacitive touchscreen, 854 x 480 pixels
• Platform: Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
• OS: Android 1.6 (Donut)
• Memory: 1GB storage, 256MB RAM, microSD card slot, 8GB card included in the retail box
• Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and face detection
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack
• Misc: Sony Ericsson custom social networking and media UI, built-in accelerometer

There have been numerous leaks about the XPERIA X10 so chances are you already know most of those specs well enough. As to the few new ones, let us assure you that some of those came as a surprise to us as well.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 presentation for the press

Take the Android OS version, for instance. Despite all the hopes for getting the latest and greatest of the Android crop, Sony Ericsson are serving a cold meal to all the gadget lovers out there. They refused to comment any further on the matter but perhaps all is not lost. Our best guess is they'll have some hard time adjusting their proprietary UI for Android 2.0 (Eclair) so they prefer to stick to 1.6 for the time being in an effort to get the XPERIA X10 out in the market as soon as possible.

And the current plans for the X10 availability say Q1 2010. Yup, missing the holiday season and shipping the handset during the tight-pocketed January and February is certainly the last thing they'd like to do, but proper product development obviously demands it.

Speaking of which, the Sony Ericsson X10 units presented at the event were devilishly fast in all Android tasks and applications, but the proprietary UI by Sony Ericsson clearly needed a lot more work.

But let's not waste any more time and jump into the physical details of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10.

XPERIA X10

Sony Ericsson Aino review: I know fun

Introduction

Sony Ericsson are on the move recently and the Aino is very much part of the agenda. But living in the shadow of the Satio and X10 is not much fun we guess. So, the Sony Ericsson Aino is keen to live a double life. At first glance, it's a touchscreen PMP, but on a second look it's a regular slider phone with an extra big screen. It's not the ultimate PlayStation phone but it does have Remote Play, to wirelessly pair with Sony's PlayStation 3.

ony Ericsson Aino official photos

As far as feature phones go, the Aino has pretty much everything - excellent connectivity, full-featured navigation, a great camera, plenty of internal storage and a simple-but-snappy touch media menu.

By the way, don't let anyone tell you touchscreen functionality is limited to the proprietary Sony Ericsson multimedia menu. We were pleasantly surprised with Opera Mini, which seemed to quite agree with the Aino touch system. Touchscreen navigation is all there and it performed very smoothly. This means touch controlled Java games might work as well.

All right, this was just a single little secret revealed. Let's take a closer look at what else the Aino may be hiding there.

Key features

• 3" 16M-color capacitive touchscreen, 240 x 432 pixels
• Quad-band GSM support
• Tri-band 3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash; geotagging, touch-focus, face detection, image stabilization; VGA video recording @ 30fps
• Some degree of touchscreen functionality - touch-enabled media and camera interface
• Touch works in Java apps as well, e.g. Opera Mini
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS; Trial version of Wisepilot navigation software
• Wi-Fi with DLNA
• FM radio with RDS
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.1
• microSD card slot
• Wireless Bluetooth headset with 3.5 mm audio jack and nice headphones, desktop docking station and 8GB microSD card in box
• Remote play for Playstation 3

Main disadvantages

• No standard USB port and 3.5mm audio jack
• Touch control is limited to camera, gallery, multimedia players and some Java apps
• Media library updates very slowly in the touch media menu
• No DivX/XviD support
• Third-party Java apps (i.e. Opera Mini) do not work over Wi-Fi
• No xenon flash
• No camera lens cover

The box contents are a sweat deal too - the matching desk stand and wireless headset would fetch a pretty high price as a separate purchase, but with Aino they are part of the experience. And the 8GB microSD card in the box should be enough for most people.

Sony Ericsson Aino live shots

Uncomfortable questions start to emerge though - the Remote Play feature doesn't really do much more than DLNA and is useless with anything but PlayStation3. The touch functionality sounds great but not having it in the built-in browser sucks.

But asking these questions is missing the point. If you owned the original PlayStation, then upgraded to PlayStation 2 and have the 3rd version sitting next to your BRAVIA set, well this love letter in the shape of Sony Ericsson Aino is addressed to you.