Style & Handling
Give or take a fraction of a millimetre difference in the width and length, the iPhone 3G looks virtually identical to the original. The chief difference is the new glossy black, slightly bulbous rear plastic casing, which replaces the brushed stainless steel of the first edition.
This looks and feels a lot better than it sounds, and enables Apple to include the new 3G chipset and the GPS receiver. Despite being larger than many smartphones, the handset still feels great in the hand and the iconic touch-screen interface looks as good as ever.
User Friendliness
Thanks to the large display and ingeniously designed touch-screen user interface, there is no better phone than the iPhone 3G for web browsing, game playing and for viewing photos, videos and music files. However, it must be said that the virtual keypad and QWERTY is not as easy to use for numbers and texts as mechanical alternatives.
Feature Set
The 3G iPhone fills in the gaps that are missing from the original to complete an excellent feature set. The most obvious improvement is the addition of 3G (it’s actually the faster HSDPA) data speeds. You can also download new applications to the iPhone 3G from the pre-installed App Store link.
There’s a suite of enterprise functions, including push-email, calendar and contacts, as well as Microsoft Exchange, which wasn’t available on the original. However, our favourite new addition is the navigation function, which is made possible by a built-in GPS receiver. Navigation with Google Maps and the 3G iPhone’s large touch-screen is a treat.
Performance
The iPhone has always performed admirably, but it’s gone up a notch or two with its new improved features. The addition of 3G makes a real difference to web browsing and download speeds while using the mobile network. We were also very impressed by the phone’s navigation performance.
Battery Power
The battery stood up well to an intensive weekend of full multimedia use, so we have no complaints on this score.
Sony Ericsson C702 Review
Thursday, August 14, 2008Nokia 6220 Classic Review
Style & Handling
The design is a run-of-the-mill candybar, though it is a good size and feels tough enough to take the odd knock.
User Friendliness
As with most Symbian Series 60 smartphones it's a breeze to get to grips with, although we did find the keypad to be a tad creaky and thus a little unresponsive.
Feature Set
As well as A-GPS, the 6220 Classic boasts 3.6Mbps HSDPA, a five-megapixel camera complete with xenon flash, a 3.5mm headset port and expandable memory of up to 8GB.
Performance
The camera complete with Carl Zeiss lens and xenon flash is a real bonus, particularly as the phone is billed as a navigation device. Thankfully that is excellent too with a fast accurate location fix and clear easy to use maps. Downloads are fast thanks to the HSDPA connectivity.
Battery Power
A miserly 150 minutes talktime and only 250 hours standby.
reviewed by 3g.co.uk
ZTE Unveils TD-SCDMA Handset
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
ZTE Corporation is enhancing 3G mobile TV viewing experience during the forthcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games as it officially rolls out U728 ( inset ), the industry’s first-TD-SCDMA TV handset, a wireless device that is capable of receiving crisp and quality TV signals.
This is ZTE’s way of supporting Olympics’ theme of “Technology Olympics” and allowing people to ‘watch Olympic games anytime, anywhere’ in China. The new TD-SCDMA TV handset supports CMMB’s (China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting) mobile TV technology, and will be available in the domestic market in time for the Beijing Olympic Games.
The launching of the new U728 TD-SCDMA TV handset is the result of ZTE’s continuous R&D efforts to help rapidly push the development and promotion of TD-SCDMA technology in China. TD-SCDMA is still in its initial stage of introduction in the mainland due to the absence of equipment that supports the standard. According to SINO-Market Research, a leading China market research firm, 71% of China consumers surveyed was interested in watching the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on a TV phone, with 41% considering buying one to gain mobile access to the summer sports coverage. The availability of the new ZTE TD-SCDMA handset in the market is expected to further propel the adoption of the standard in China and play a significant role when 3G licenses are issued in the mainland by end of the year.
ZTE’s U728 is a state-of-the-art dual-mode wireless technology that supports TD-SCDMA and GSM+CMMB, and will play a key role in ensuring a smooth and efficient mobile communication during the global event. Designed as a commercial Smartphone, it can simultaneously receive CMMB broadcasting signals, allowing users to watch Olympic programs anytime, anywhere on its 2.8-inch TFT LCD monitor.
Rich 3G features for enhanced multimedia experience The ZTE U728 TD-SCDMA handset is equipped with various 3G services capability such as WAP, VP, MMS, JAVA and video streaming to provide subscribers superb high-speed multi-media services over next-generation 3G network. In terms of channel reception, U728 is capable of smoothly receiving broadcast signals, and allows users to quickly switch TV channels in a fraction of a second. Initial industry users gave the handset a ‘thumbs up’ and positive reviews for its excellent and high quality broadcasting images, reliable voice and visual synchronization features.
Other outstanding features of U728 TD-SCDMA handset include:
* A high-definition video phone that provides high-speed internet browsing
* Supports live TV program broadcasting at a maximum speed of 512 Kbps
* Equipped with a built-in Ultra High Frequency (UHF) telescopic antenna that rotates 360° to maintain high accuracy for channel reception and low frame error ratio
* With ‘hot keys’ to easily play TV programs, pre-set and switch TV channels, hence saving users time on downloading and buffer loading
* Enhanced user interaction with TV programs by allowing them to send program enquiry, receive and forward program details via SMS
“We are pleased to make our first TD-SCDMA TV handset available in the market in time for the holding of one of the most important sporting events in China’s history. As a visionary, we’ve been striving hard to realize the core value of Mobile TV, setting our eye on delivering full range of advanced mobile solutions to meet growing consumer demands for reliable multimedia applications,” said Lin Qiang, General Manager of ZTE Smartphone Production Line, ZTE Corporation. “Over the years, ZTE has been putting our R&D investment in customizing services and solutions for TD-SCDMA TV handset, and the launching of U728 is a culmination of that initiative.”
Phone Review: “Nokia 5610”
Saturday, May 3, 2008
General
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network UMTS 850 / 2100
UMTS 850 / 1900 - US version
Announced
2007, August
Status
Available. Released 2007, October
Size
Dimensions 98.5 x 48.5 x 17 mm, 75 cc
Weight 111 g
Display
Type TFT, 16M colors
Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
- Downloadable themes
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, MP4, WMA, AAC, video tones
Customization Download
Vibration Yes
Memory
Phonebook 2000 entries, Photocall
Call records Yes
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), up to 8GB, hotswap, buy memory
- 20 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD Yes, 43.2 kbps
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G Yes, 384 kbps
WLAN No
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port No
USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (Opera mini)
Games Snake II, Rally 3D, Music Guess, Towerbloxx, order now
Colors Red, Blue
Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video(VGA 15fps), flash; secondary QVGA videocall camera
- Java MIDP 2.0
- Stereo FM radio with RDS
- MP3/MP4/AAC/eAAc/WMA player
- Nokia sensor
- World Clock II
- Converter II
- T9
- Stopwatch
- Built-in handsfree
- Voice memo/commands
Battery
Standard battery, Li-Ion 900 mAh (BP-5M)
Stand-by Up to 320h
Talk time Up to 6h
Source: gsmarena.com
Asus M930 Review
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Style & Handling
The M930 is chunky and large, but it is well built and solid. It might not be pocket-friendly but it should survive the rough and tumble of everyday life.
User Friendliness
The QWERTY keyboard is large and comfortable, but we really think this smartphone would benefit from a touch-screen.
Feature Set
There are a mixture of features, for example, there is no GPS, but there is Wi-Fi; no touch-screen but there are two screens, and no document editing, but there is document viewing.
Performance
You have to get used to when to open the device and when to keep it closed, but that’s a matter of personal taste rather than a real performance issue.
Battery Power
The battery life is fairly good. You get a couple of days of usage between charges, which is standard for Windows Mobile.
Source: 3g.co.uk
3G MTV Mobile Phone Launched
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Europe France : ModeLabs Group (Paris: MDL), the customized design manufacturer, announces the commercial launch of the new MTV3.3 mobile on April 23. The first music channel 3G mobile will be accompanied by the MTV SERIES range of limited-time offers from SFR.
SFR and MTV with ModeLabs Group have joined forces to create a new mobile offer intended mainly for young users. The offer features four new limited-time plans, with no risk of surcharges, plus exclusive access to all of MTV for this ModeLabs-designed product.
With the MTV 3.3, MTV makes it easier to access the channel's content in mobile mode and is boosting its multi-channel distribution strategy. It is also consolidating its already close relationship with its customers.
Available on April 23 at a price of €49 from all SFR stores and major retail outlets, this red 3G slider mobile is Bluetooth™- enabled, features a 2.2" high-resolution screen, a 2 mega pixel camera and a video/audio player and recorder compatible with AAC and MP3 formats. Embedded MTV content is also available, from videos and logos to exclusive wallpaper, original ringtones created by DJ Cut Killer and the MTV Cribs mobile game. Finally, the HotScan application provides permanent access to MTV news videos.
Especially for mobile music addicts, MTV and SFR stores are also offering a stereo MTV Bluetooth™ kit, also developed by ModeLabs Technologies. This 2-in-1 headset and the MTV3.3 mobile are the perfect combination of elegant design and top-quality sound. Featuring Surround Sound System (SRS) technology, it includes six different music moods: Pop, Rock, Truebass, Jazz, Classic and Basic.
With the launch of a complete mobile telephony offer combining the MTV3.3 mobile and the MTV Bluetooth™ stereo kit, ModeLabs Conception meets the demands of operators aiming at the development of made-to-measure products according to different consumer profiles.
Source: 3g.co.uk
Samsung i640v Review
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Style & Handling
It’s a fairly chunky slider handset but there are two very good reasons for its size. Beneath the slider is a full QWERTY keypad, and there are two batteries, so it offers plenty of battery life.
User Friendliness
We aren’t huge fans of the touch buttons on the front fascia, although the QWERTY keyboard is pretty good considering its small size.
Feature Set
There are a lot of features on-board, although it’s tri-band rather than quad-band, there’s no Wi-Fi and just a two-megapixel camera.
Performance
As a non-touch-screen smartphone, we had to rely on the touch buttons on the front fascia and found them pesky at times. The non-standard Windows Mobile interface worked okay for us and can be replaced with something more familiar if you prefer.
Battery Power
With two batteries supplied you can expect prolonged battery life – as long as both are fully charged, of course.
for more detail review visit 3g.co.uk
Gigabyte g-Smart MW998
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
General
Network GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900 / GSM850
Introduced 2008 Q1
Status Coming soon
Form factor Block
Antenna Internal
Size
Weight 140 g (including battery)
Dimensions 110 x 56 x 19 mm
Display
Type Graphical
Colours TFT touchscreen, 65K colors
Size 480 x 640 pixels
Memory
- ROM 256MB, RAM 64MB
- microSD (Trans Flash)
- CPU Marvell PXA270 520 MHz
Ringtones
Polyphonic Yes, 192 voices
- MP3, AAC, AMR
Networking
GPRS Yes, Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
Modem Yes, EDGE, Class 10, 236.8 kbps
WLAN Yes, WLAN 802.11b/g
USB Yes, 2.0, miniUSB
Bluetooth Yes, 2.0 with EDR
WAP Yes
Browser Yes, WAP 2.0/xHTML
Email Client Yes
- Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional
- Windows Mobile Direct Push
- Windows Live Messenger
Features
Vibration Yes
SMS Send / Receive
MMS Send / Receive
Camera Yes, 2 MP, 1600 x 1200 pixels, digital zoom, autofocus, video
Java Yes
Changeable Games Yes
Games Yes
Clock Yes
Alarm Yes
Calculator Yes
To-Do List Yes
T9 Yes
Handsfree Yes
- MP3 player
- Windows Media Player, PowerPoint Mobile, Excel Mobile, Word Mobile
Standard Battery
Type Li-Ion
Amperage 1300 mAh
Standby Time 150 hours
Talk Time 4 hours
CTIA Wireless 2008: Velocity 103 and 111, New 3G Smartphones to Conquer the Market
Windows Mobile 6.1 handsets equipped with touchscreen, GPS and Wi-Fi
Velocity Mobile, a brand new handset manufacturer, announced today at CTIA Wireless 2008 (1 – 3 April) the future release of Velocity 103 and Velocity 111, two new 3G-enabled smartphones that run on Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile 6.1 OS.
Presenting itself as a collaboration between Inventec, a leading ODM (Original Design Manufacturer), and a "team of veteran wireless designers and engineers",
Velocity Mobile tries to conquer a part of the rough global mobile market with the two new handsets announced today.
Velocity 103 and Velocity 111 have about the same features, the main difference between them being the fact that the second device (Velocity 111) comes with a full QWERTY keyboard, while the first (Velocity 103) doesn't. Also, the 103 packs a wide touchscreen display with a 640 x 480 pixels resolution, while 111 only has a 320 x 240 pixels touchscreen.
The common features of the new Velocity handsets include: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Qualcomm MSM7201 chipset, 128MB of RAM and 258MB of ROM, quad-band GSM connectivity as well as UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, TV-out, 2 Megapixel camera, secondary video-call camera and microSD card support. Pretty impressive, I might say.
Velocity 111
Enlarge picture
Velocity 103 will be released during the second quarter of 2008, while Velocity 111 is planned to hit the market in the third quarter. No pricing details yet, but the producer said both devices will be available unlocked, hence offering users the ability to use them with any carrier.
Kirk Suen, vice president and general manager of the Mobile Business Unit of Inventec Corporation, the company behind the new handsets, declared: "Velocity Mobile is driven by the understanding that people want compelling mobile experiences, not merely applications and functions. Our new smartphones will deliver in the areas you would expect such as design and power, but fuse those elements with a simple and intuitive user interface so there are no compromises, making the Windows Mobile experience relevant and accessible to the broadest possible audience."
On the paper, the new Velocity 103 and Velocity 111 seem to be powerful devices, and they're also nicely designed, but we'll have to wait until their release to see if they can indeed stand besides smartphones produced by famous companies like RIM, Motorola or Samsung.
Samsung F490
Sunday, January 13, 2008
General
Network : GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900 / HSDPA
Introduced : 2008 Q1
Status : Coming soon
Form factor : Block
Antenna : Internal
Size
Weight :102 g (including battery)
Dimensions :115 x 53.5 x 11.8 mm
Display
Type :Graphical
Colours :TFT touchscreen, 262K colors
Memory
Numbers : 1000
Outgoing Calls : 30
Received Calls : 30
Lost Calls : 30
Shared Memory
130 MB
- Photocall
- microSD (TransFlash)
Ringtones
Polyphonic :Yes
- MP3
Networking
GPRS :Yes, Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
Modem: Yes, EDGE, Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G : Yes, HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
USB : Yes, 2.0
Bluetooth : Yes, 2.0 with A2DP
WAP : Yes
Browser : Yes, WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (NetFront 3.4)
Email : Client Yes
- Instant Messaging
Features
Vibration : Yes
SMS : Send / Receive
MMS : Send / Receive
Camera : Yes, 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, video(QVGA 15fps), flash; secondary videocall camera
Java : Yes
Changeable Games : Yes
Games : Yes
Clock : Yes
Alarm : Yes
Calculator : Yes
T9 : Yes
Handsfree : Yes
- 3.5mm audio jack
- WMV/MPEG4/H.263/H.264 player (VGA@30fps)
- MP3/AAC/AAC+ player
- Organiser
- Google Search
- Multitasking
Source: Softpedia
Nokia N95 3G SmartPhone Review
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
The Nokia N95 is a 3G smartphone which comes is a clever two way slider opening mechanism. The phone can be opened either way which provides the user with a keypad when the screen is moved in the up position, a set of multimedia controls when the screen is moved in the down position & when in the closed position the user can use the navigation & shortcut keys. The user can use their Nokia N95 in landscape mode which is when the screen is moved to the down position which is ideal for all multimedia purposes & accessing the Internet. The screen is 2.6 Inches in size & provides a 240 x 320 pixel screen resolution on a 16 million colour TFT display. The mobile handset weighs only 120 gram which is unbelievable considering all the built in technology & capabilities. The Nokia N95 measures 99 x 53 x 21 mm which provides the user with a useable handset which has a solid feel to it. The phone comes with 160 bytes of internal memory & the user can expand the phones memory capabilities by adding a MicroSD™ memory card up to 2 Gbytes. The N95 comes with a 128 Mbytes MicroSD™ memory card included wit the start up kit.
The phone comes with an integrated GPS navigation feature which supports maps for more than one hundred countries. The GPS navigation system displays the maps in clear detail on the 2.6 inch colour screen & will assist the user to find their desired location. The N95 works on a Symbian operating system with S60 which provides the user with high quality smartphone applications which include photo & video editing programs, music player programs & management applications. The user can enjoy their phone world wide as the N95 works over a quad band network which includes GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900 & the Nokia N95 supports HSDPA which provides high speed data. The user can enjoy an advanced Internet experience on their mobile phone as the phone supports XHTML & HTML Internet browsing. The Nokia N95 is a highly capable mobile handset that offers the user high quality connectivity to compatible devices & fast speed data transfer rate thanks to EDGE technology, WLAN Wi-Fi, USB cable connection, infra red Pop Port™ connection & Bluetooth® wireless technology. The Nokia N95 comes with a fitted battery which will provide the user with up to 220 hours of standby battery time & approximately six & a half hours talk time.
The user can take a still photo or record video clips using the built in 5 megapixel camera feature which comes with a Carl Zeiss optics tessar™ lens. The camera facility is both user friendly & a high quality feature for the user to enjoy. The camera comes with a digital zoom, flash option & an auto focus feature. The user can select a style of scene they wish to capture & change the colour tones to they desire for their photo or video clip. The N95 makes it all so easy for the user to capture the perfect finish to their photos & video clips. The video recorder feature provides the user with the high quality viewing experience that is gained from a DVD type recording. The user can use the second camera to take part in a video call which brings a real feel to a face to face call experience.
The Nokia N95 comes with music features which include a stereo FM radio, visual radio & a music player which supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ & WMA music formats. The user can use their music playing features when the phones screen is in it's slide down position which allows the user to view their music information in the landscape mode. The Nokia N95 has been designed with high quality & easy to operate multimedia features. The phone comes complete with a set of headphones which allows the user to have a private listening experience. The visual radio feature allows the user to gain access to information which has been provided by the radio station which is being listened too. The music management application will assist the user when transferring music files & managing their music. The user can stay in contact with compatible contacts by using the messaging service on their N95 which include text messaging, multimedia messaging, email service & instant messaging. The multimedia messaging service allows the user to create, send & receive messages with text input, with either a photo or a video clip which can be enhanced with music. The email service allows the user to stay in contact with any compatible email contacts & the email service supports file attachments in popular file formats. The user can have an online conversation which other instant messaging contacts which works like an online chat with text & symbols. The Nokia N95 comes with voice features which include voice dialling, a voice record which is ideal for recording a reminder or memorandum & voice commands. The user can user the handsfree speakerphone which allows the user to have a call over the phones speakers without having to hold the handset.
Nokia N95 Specifications & Features
Screen
16 Million Colour TFT Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Imaging
5 Megapixel Camera
20 x Digital Zoom
Autofocus
Flash
Camera Key
Carl Zeiss Optics Tessar™ Lens
Scenes Settings (Automatic, User Defined, Close Up, Portrait, Landscape & Night)
White Balance (Automatic, Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent & Fluorescent)
Colour Tone (Normal, Black & White, Sepia & Negative)
Video Player
Video Recorder
Video Streaming
Video Modes
Video Calling
Second CIF Camera
GPS Navigation (100 Countries Maps)
Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Email (SMTP, IMAP4 & POP3)
Email with Attachments
Picture Messaging
Instant Messaging
SMS Distribution List
Predictive Text
Sound
Music Player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ & WMA)
Stereo FM Radio
Visual Radio
MP3 & Polyphonic Ringtones
Stereo Headset
Nokia Music Manager
Voice Commands
Voice Recorder
Voice Dialling
Handsfree Speaker
Vibration Alert
Entertainment
Java™ Games
Java™ Applications
Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
::source: http://www.yourmobilephonereviews.co.uk/nokia_n95_reviews.htm
Become A Nokia N95 3G Test Pilot
Sunday, March 11, 2007
You can find out what a test pilot does here - click link
All you have to do is to register to become a Nokia test pilot and, if you’re chosen, tell us what you think. Your review may even be featured in future Club Nokia newsletters and on the Club Nokia website. It’s as simple as that.
You will need to register with your personal details etc.
GO TO NOKIA SIGN UP PAGE - click this link
Terms & Conditions – Club Nokia Test Pilot
1. Entrants must be resident in the U.K. and be over the age of 18.
2. Only one application per member allowed.
3. 6 Applicants to become Club Nokia Test Pilots will be chosen at random by an independent person.
4. Applications can only be received using the official online application form on this website.
5. All applications must be received by midnight on 16th March 2007.
6. Each selected Club Nokia Test Pilot will receive a Nokia mobile phone to use for a three week period. By agreeing to become a Club Nokia Test Pilot each applicant agrees to return the supplied mobile phone feedback form and have completed all tasks detailed within it, as well as supply a 194 x 95 pixels jpeg photo of themselves by by 20th April 2007.
7. Club Nokia Test Pilots will be given the Nokia Phone they are reviewing to keep if they adhere to all elements within these terms and conditions.
8. The mobile phones provided to the Club Nokia Test Pilots will be supplied without SIM cards, each Test Pilot will be required to use their current SIM card within the new phone and to configure their phones as required for MMS, WAP and Email functionality.
9. Each Test Pilot is responsible for all phone charges incurred through use of the provided mobile phones as a result of them testing specific services; downloading digital services, sending SMS/MMS messages, accessing WAP sites, sending email, all calls and other costs related to phone usage.
10. Any queries on the functionality of the provided Nokia mobile phones should be directed to the Club Nokia Careline: 0870 600 6012 or answers searched for on the product sections at www.nokia.co.uk.
11. All Club Nokia Test Pilots give permission for all feedback comments to be edited and included within subsequent Club Nokia Newsletter and website features along with images, video clips and sound clips of themselves.
12. All tasks and conditions stated within the Club Nokia Test Pilot feedback form are part of the terms and conditions for a Club Nokia Test Pilot application.
13. Responsibility cannot be accepted for any applications lost in data transfer.
14. The 6 Club Nokia Test Pilots for the March Test Pilot offer will be notified by email and/or phone by 2nd April 2007.
15. By applying to become a Club Nokia Test Pilot, all participants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the rules and by any other requirements set out in the promotional material.
16. No cash alternative will be given for the mobile phones.
17. Mobile phones given to successful applicants who have fulfilled all required conditions will not include SIM cards.
18. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the Promoter reserves the right to withdraw members from taking part in the Club Nokia Test Pilot scheme.
19. Employees and their immediate families of Nokia, its agents or anyone professionally connected with the promotion cannot become Test Pilots.
20. For details of the Test Pilots (name and county details only), please contact Haygarth Group, Haygarth House, 28-31 High Street, Wimbledon Village, London, SW19 5BY and enclose a stamped addressed envelope.
21. The promoter is Nokia Mobile Phones, Nokia UK Limited, Headland House, The Chord Business Park, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2NX
Read More......
Alcatel-Lucent Demonstrates 3G and Broadcast Mobile TV in Germany
Thursday, March 8, 2007Alcatel-Lucent is performing for the first time in Germany a demonstration of the new DVB-SH mobile broadcast standard using the S-Band. Taking place in Alcatel-Lucent’s premises in Stuttgart, the demonstration shows how a single device can access a range of Mobile TV channels delivered via 3G or broadcast networks.
Thanks to Alcatel-Lucent’s Mobile
interactive TV solution, users are also able to interact with the content of all the 3G and broadcast Mobile TV channels available on the terminal. This achievement is opening the way to an interactive and personalized Mobile TV experience for the mass market and to the provisioning of new services offered as a complement to Mobile TV, such as voting, content downloading or mobile commerce. These features also enable the delivery of personalized advertisements to mobile TV viewers.
Olivier Coste, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Mobile broadcast activities, declared: "Germany is a key market for the roll-out of mass market Mobile TV in Europe. Following the adoption during 3GSM of DVB-SH by DVB Project and the EC Decision on the use of a harmonized 2.2 GHz spectrum for EU-wide hybrid Mobile TV services, our Stuttgart’s demonstration definitely positions Alcatel-Lucent’s Unlimited Mobile TV solution as a serious option for all operators willing to deploy their Mobile TV strategies in Europe."
Alcatel-Lucent’s "Unlimited Mobile TV" solution is based on the new DVB-SH (Satellite services to Handhelds) Mobile TV standard. It provides a combination of an unlimited number of unicast 3G-based Mobile TV channels with up to 90 broadcast Mobile TV channels in the S-Band (2.2 GHz) at 256kb/s. This solution is well-fitted to mass market Mobile TV as it can provide mobile users with a high-quality Mobile TV service wherever they are, outdoor or inside buildings, at the scale of one or several countries. The solution is compatible with 3G mobile telephony, extensively reusing existing cellular networks (sites, antennas and base stations); and is being developed by Alcatel-Lucent together with several industrial partners including Archos, DiBcom, NXP, Sagem Communication, Samsung Electronics, TeamCast and UDcast.
MDA Compact III Phone Review ( not 3G )
Tuesday, March 6, 2007A fully-fledged sat nav system and more...
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A fully-fledged sat nav system and more...
T-Mobile’s MDA Compact III joins an elite band of phones with built-in GPS that turns your handset into a fully-fledged sat nav system. But does it beat its dedicated rivals?
We’re going to see more phones with built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers, but at the moment there are only a handful doing the rounds. These include the Benefon Twig, Mio A701, O2 Xda Orbit, HTC P3300, the upcoming Nokia N95 and, of course, T-Mobile’s MDA Compact III. The convenience of having a GPS receiver embedded into the phone is obvious and edges these smartphones closer to challenging the functionality of their dedicated sat nav adversaries.T-Mobile’s MDA Compact III is the latest flame in the operator’s Windows-powered MDA Compact smartphone series, and arrives bundled with CoPilot’s Live 6 Pocket PC sat nav solution. Of course, this package is exclusive to T-Mobile and initial pricing is £60 on the Flext 35 (£35 per month), plus the Web’n’Walk £7.50 tariffs (£42.50 a month). For the £7.50 supplement, Web’n’Walk offers unlimited webbrowsing.
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Lower down this review, you’ll see our verdict on the CoPilot software and its sat nav performance, but for now, we’ll concentrate on the smartphone itself. As the name suggests, this smartphone is very compact for a PocketPC handset and compared to T-Mobile’s Vario range, it’s extremely pocket-friendly, although it’s quite wide and will still cause a slight bulge in the trouser pouch. However, at 16.8mm thick, it’s relatively trim and is by far the most stylish of T-Mobile’s range. It also sports a lovely grey tactile soft paint finish.
Powered by the latest Windows 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition OS, the user interface is T-Mobile-flavoured but doesn’t deviate much from past Windows PocketPC user interfaces.
The MDA Compact III offers three navigation techniques: a stylus-driven touch-screen; a trackwheel and a trackball (the last two are for one-handed operation). Touch-screen navigation works well and is more efficient and accurate, but for users who get frustrated at continually clamouring for the stylus, the alternatives are quite effective. The silver scroll may feel a bit loose, but it clicks along nicely and is perfect for trawling quickly through text and vast lists. The trackball is a new method, recently employed on the BlackBerry 8100 Pearl handset and is essentially a loose-fitted half-ball that responds to a brush or nudge from your thumb. It takes time to gauge its sensitivity (or lack of), but you may find yourself resorting to the other two methods at first. Stick with it, though, and you’ll soon master its sometimes skittish manner.
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Dedicated buttons for firing up the sat nav application and accessing the Web’n’Walk browser sit on the front control panel. The full HTML internet browser works well on the Compact III’s sizeable 2.8-inch screen and you can switch to landscape mode for more comfortable surfing. 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity are conspicuous by their absence, so it’s left to EDGE technology to download the web pages and access email at brisk speeds. It seems a strange move from T-Mobile to omit 3G and especially Wi-Fi. HTC and O2 have similar models with the P3300 and Xda Orbit that both pack built-in Wi-Fi (it’s worth noting that HTC manufactures both the MDA Compact III and Xda Orbit). Wi-Fi connectivity plays an increasingly bigger role in mobile communications with the advent of VoIP, so it’s criminal that T-Mobile has dropped it, let alone excluded 3G as well.
As you would expect from a Windows-run smartphone, the MDA Compact III offers the full PIM functionality suite and synchronisation of your calendar, contacts and task with Outlook on your PC. The Windows 5.0 OS also integrates push-email capabilities and a new backup facility that, unlike past Windows smartphones, doesn’t lose data when the battery runs dry. Setting up your push-email still relies on you knowing your server settings and manually inputting them. This procedure isn’t really that intuitive, especially for the first timer.
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For the serious business ally, a full complement of Microsoft Windows Office applications, including Word Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile and Excel Mobile, is on hand. You can create and edit Word and Excel but this doesn’t stretch to PowerPoint where you can only read documents. For writing long emails, Word or Excel documents, a virtual keyboard appears on screen and it’s pretty straightforward, if a little slow, to operate via a stylus.
It may not concern the strict business type, but a two-megapixel camera is available for photos and recording video footage. The shutter button sits on the side, so you hold the phone in landscape form to take pictures. The large display moonlights as a great viewfinder and the shutterbug shoots in a standard 1600x1200-pixel resolution. There’s no flash, but you can alter the brightness and lighting conditions on screen using the stylus, which proves an exasperating experience especially if you want to take a quick snap. The picture quality is in line with most other two-megapixel camera, so you might get the odd photo worth printing, but otherwise it’s pretty standard.
Leaving out Wi-Fi may prove to be an oversight, especially when you can get the same device (only cosmetically different) with Wi-Fi and CoPilot sat nav software on O2’s Xda Orbit. Still, if Wi-Fi and 3G aren’t a consideration and you’re in the market for a sat nav smartphone, then T-Mobile’s sleek MDA Compact III can’t be faulted.
Drive time
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3G has used ALK’s CoPilot Live 6 sat nav solution on the Symbian-based Nokia N70 before, and its Windows solution runs pretty much along the same lines. As you already know, the T-Mobile MDA Compact III has a built-in GPS receiver (its SIRF 3 chip is the best around at this level), so you don’t have to worry about connecting to an extra Bluetooth receiver.
To get started, insert the 256MB microSD card, which contains the software and street-level mapping for Ireland and the UK. The slot is located behind the battery, so if you need to swap cards frequently, it’s a bit of a bind. You also receive extra discs of mapping for western European major roads, but you will have to load these via the PC to another microSD card (you can pick up a 1GB card for £15 at www.mymemory.co.uk).
You can navigate to your desired destination in a number of ways using any address (with icons for home, work, favourites, recent journeys and saved trip). You can use stored contacts, its millions of stored POIs (Points of Interest) and any UK seven-digit postcode. You can pick a point on the map, or enter a latitude/longitude location. If your journey takes you via different destinations, you can plan an itinerary, adding stops and setting alarms for welcome breaks if you get tired over the long drive. And for peace of mind, you can preview the route before embarking. You can also programme CoPilot to take the quickest or shortest route possible and to avoid major roads
Getting a GPS fix from a cold start takes a couple of minutes, but this improves over time and you can even pick up satellites in urban canyons. The CoPilot Live 6 software offers 2D or 3D map views and very helpful ‘distance to next turn’ icons in the corner of the screen to prepare drivers. These also appear full-screen in the Driver Safety mode. The turn-by-turn voice instructions are audible, but you will need to maximise the volume to hear it over the noisier motorway environment.
You receive a free two-year subscription to the Live Traffic update service that’s relayed to your phone via GPRS connection. This is worth noting because you pay for unlimited web access with the Web’n’Walk tariff, so you won’t be stung with hidden GPRS data charges. The traffic data is provided by ITIS (www.itis.com.my). If you receive news of an accident or traffic jam, it will give you the option of re-routing around the offending incident. Similarly, if you take a wrong turn or detour, CoPilot will automatically get you back on course.
When navigating to your destination, this phone solution works well, although one annoying setback is the touch-screen’s lack of sensitivity when using your fingers. Each time you want to change your settings, you need to use the stylus. This a bit fiddly when it’s mounted on the supplied bracket. Along with the sturdy car screen-mounting bracket, you also get an in-car charger.
Other great features include the London congestion warning zone, walking mode so you can be guided around city streets and a live tracking and messaging service that lets friends and family monitor your progress from ALK’s website.
The T-Mobile MDA Compact III, together with Co-Pilot Live 6, is a tidy package, delivering a feature- rich sat nav solution that goes some way to challenging dedicated sat nav systems like the TomTom Go and Navman iCN range. However, the Windows OS sometimes make pre-journey planning and operation slow while the touch-screen usability issue can grate. It just falls short but it’s not far off TomTom et al.
3G FOMA F903iX Handset is Based on Symbian OS
Sunday, March 4, 2007
ASIA Japan : Symbian welcomes NTT DoCoMo’s launch of the FOMA F903iX HIGH-SPEED which is based on Symbian OS™ and started shipping in Japan.
Symbian OS is the global market-leading open mobile operating system for smartphones.
The FOMA F903iX HIGH-SPEED is manufactured by Symbian customer Fujitsu Limited and includes the MOAP platform.
Symbian continues to focus on delivering a flexible, robust and open mobile operating system which gives handset manufacturers and network operators the ability to develop differentiated phones, faster, more easily and at lower cost for different market segments and regions. Symbian customers that have shipped 3G phones in Japan based on Symbian OS include Fujitsu, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, Nokia, Sharp, and Sony Ericsson.
The following 51 phones based on Symbian OS have shipped in Japan:
Manufactured by
Fujitsu: NTT DoCoMo FOMA F903iX HIGH-SPEED; FOMA F703i; FOMA F903i; FOMA Raku-Raku PHONE III; FOMA F902iS; FOMA F702iD; FOMA Raku-Raku PHONE II; FOMA Raku-Raku PHONE; FOMA F902i; FOMA F700iS; FOMA F901iS; FOMA F700i; FOMA F901iC; FOMA F900iC; FOMA F900iT; FOMA F900i; FOMA F2102V; FOMA F2051
Mitsubishi Electric: NTT DoCoMo FOMA D903iTV; FOMA D800iDS; FOMA D703i; FOMA D903i; D702iF; FOMA D702iBCL; FOMA D902iS; MUSIC PORTER X; FOMA D702i; Music Porter II; Raku-Raku PHONE Simple; FOMA D902i; FOMA D701i; FOMA D901iS; FOMA D901i
Motorola: NTT DoCoMo FOMA M1000
Sharp: NTT DoCoMo FOMA SH703i; FOMA SH903i; FOMA SH702iS; FOMA SH902iSL; FOMA SH902iS; FOMA SH702iD; FOMA SH902i
Sony Ericsson: NTT DoCoMo FOMA SO903i; FOMA SO902iWP+; FOMA SO702i; FOMA SO902i
Nokia: NTT DoCoMo FOMA NM850iG; SOFTBANK MOBILE SofttBank 705NK/Nokia N73; Vodafone 804NK/Nokia N71; Vodafone 702NKII (Nokia 6680); Vodafone 702NK (Nokia 6630); SIM-lock free device Nokia E61.[source]
MOTORAZR Maxx v6 3G Phone Review
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Motorola has hit us with not one, but two 3G turbo phones. The MOTORAZR V3xx, as the name suggests, looks and feels like the original RAZR, but of course is much faster and is now available on 3. The second and more tantalising HSDPA offering is the flagship handset, the MOTORAZR maxx V6. This was the first of the two to launch, popping up on Vodafone and following on from Moto’s V3x 3G phone.
This is where the malaise sets in. Motorola has again just tweaked its well-worn RAZR signature design on the V3x with the maxx V6. Surely its time for a design rethink Moto? Okay, the maxx V6 is a little different, sporting new blue illuminating front music touch-controls and go faster stripes, but the core of the V3x is all too plain to see.
Of the three HSDPA phones on review in this issue, the maxx is the largest. Despite being a good 5mm thinner than the V3x at 15mm, it’s still abnormally long for a clamshell design and like its 3.5G rivals, it’s quite wide. The 15mm-thick profile should make for a very trim phone, but its stretched chassis detracts from this sleekness, instead giving it a muscular feel. It’s also the heaviest of the trio, although still quite lightweight at 105g.
The maxx V6 is swathed in a soft paint finish favoured by Motorola on the recent KRZR and RIZR. It makes for a tactile phone while the front panel is fitted with a reflective glass panel that showcases the aforementioned blue illuminations that light up and flash for incoming calls and texts.
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Open up the maxx V6 and you’re welcomed by that oh-so-familiar metal-spun keypad. The layout is a little different, but it’s essentially the same as every other etched keypad Motorola’s rolled out – fantastic to handle with incredibly responsive buttons. It includes dedicated keys for accessing the web browser and making video calls.
The maxx V6 also carries Motorola’s improved user interface that’s seen its quirks and annoyances ironed out. For example, the choice of words that appear in predictive text mode now appear in the body copy for a more convenient approach, while the number of clicks to send a text has been considerably reduced. The search criteria for finding contact names is also more accurate and the voice command operation is has also been enhanced.
For the first time, Motorola has included a new Java app to configure your internet and MMS settings as well as a back-up app that lets you back up your contacts over-the-air to a Motorola server. That way, when you get your new Moto phone, you can just send over your contacts without having to input them manually all over again (visit www.motorolabackup.com for more info). Also included is another handy java app called eBay Pocket Auctions which makes searching, bidding and buying very simple on your phone.
Like the Samsung Z560, the maxx V6 is lightning fast at downloading web pages and content when it hits its HSDPA stride. If you read our review of the Samsung on page 14, you’ll know that initial HSDPA coverage will be patchy. Vodafone currently delivers 3G coverage covering 78% of the population. The network claims the majority of its 3G infrastructure has been upgraded to HSDPA and the 3.5G signal was quite strong around our London base. An Opera 8 web browser renders the pages to fit the 2.2-inch QVGA-display.
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The two-megapixel camera shoots in a 1600x1200-pixel resolution and is a solid performer. You can adjust the lighting conditions, exposure and style (i.e. black and white, negative etc) using the navigation pad when in capture mode, while there’s an LED light on-hand to brighten up low-level lighting environments. Sadly, it doesn’t work like a standard xenon flash, so it’s a pretty crude method with hit and miss results. The picture quality is also dismal, blighted with overblown highlights and rough contrasting.
Motorola’s past built-in music players have been pretty basic in terms of sound enhancements and this is reflected in its poor audio quality. However, the maxx V6 is given an adjustable bass boost mode to inject a bit of welly into your tunes. It does make a difference, but to really hear the songs at their best, don’t use the supplied headphones. Instead, wirelessly stream your tunes to a quality pair of A2DP headphones for better results. Also, like the Samsung Z560 and LG U830, touch-sensitive music controls appear on the front, while the music player also offers shuffle, repeat and a spatial sound mode.
A microSD card is located behind the back cover so you can store all your multimedia stuff on card with maximum 2GB cards currently available. The maxx V6 also offers 50MB of internal memory.
Surprisingly, the maxx V6 is quad-band so isn’t an international globetrotter like a lot of Moto’s other phones, but it does have a canny Aeroplane mode so you can use the phone’s non-network-based features in-flight.
The maxx V6 holds its own against the likes of the Samsung Z560 and soon-to-be HSDPA-firing LG U830 and in terms of performance and features, the maxx V6 ranks as Moto’s best phone yet. But that same old RAZR design is getting very tired indeed. So much so, that it almost doesn’t feel like a new phone at all.
Seen it all before: Not even flashing blue lights can distract us from the MOTORAZR maxx V6’s over-familiar styling.
Read More......IPwireless to License TV over 3G
Europe : Vodafone, Telefónica, Orange, and 3UK today announced the results of their successful joint technical trial of TDtv. TDtv is the UMTS TD-CDMA-3GPP Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Services (MBMS) standard for mobile television solutions. The trial provided valuable insights into the technology's capability and successfully demonstrated how existing spectrum can be used to deliver mobile television and other multimedia services.
The participants are now discussing next steps and exploring how the findings from the trial could be used to develop commercial models.
Key Trial Results
* Reliable delivery of mobile TV services using TDtv technically viable
* Up to 11 to 14 high quality channels can be delivered in 5MHz of TDD spectrum
* Coverage comparable to WCDMA but using fewer cell sites
* Performance consistent when moving at speed
* Dual mode handset viable
The TDtv trial, announced in October 2006, aspired to test key performance and deployment aspects of the mobile TV technology. Covering a large area of Bristol in the UK using only 12 macro-cell sites, the trial proved that the technology has the ability to offer reliable television delivery at the data rates that are needed to provide high quality mobile TV services.
The trial showed that eleven high quality channels could be delivered across the service area, with the potential to deliver up to fourteen channels with planned future technology developments. Significant coverage gains were demonstrated when using key TDtv performance enhancement technologies including macro site combining and receive diversity in the user device. The gains from these technologies demonstrated in the trial indicate that TDtv may be able to provide the same coverage as WCDMA when deployed on 35% of the WCDMA sites.
TDtv also proved its ability to perform at motorway speeds during the trial, allowing it to address a wide range of use cases such as when travelling on a train.
Initial coexistence testing to explore the simultaneous operation of 3G FDD and TDD also proved the theoretical viability of a dual mode WCDMA/TDtv handset.
Finally, the TDtv network also proved very reliable with 99.999% availability during the trial.
Professor Michael Walker, Director of Research and Development at Vodafone said: "Trials are an extremely important part of our strategic product development and help us build a comprehensive understanding of how the technologies work and the customer experience they will offer. The outcome of this trial will help us evaluate the commercial potential of TDtv as part of the MBMS assessments we are undertaking."
"The TDtv trial in Bristol has proven the ability to effectively use our unused TDD spectrum for a wide variety of Mobile Broadcast Services and the potential of a SFN deployment to support impressive coverage gains," said Cayetano Lluch Mesquida, Managing Director, Technology and Services, Telefónica Móviles España. " Nevertheless, we would like to see the next steps taken to ensure a wide variety of terminals and interoperable services are available for the platform."
Vivek Badrinath, Executive Vice President, IT Networks and Product Support, Orange said: "We are committed to fuelling the growth of mobile TV by ensuring our customers are offered the best quality and content now and in the future. The TDtv trial forms an important part of our research into potential technology solutions for the future, equally important is the collaboration of other industry players, who are now working together to learn and build from our shared experiences."
David Cooper, 3UK CTO said: "3 is pleased to support this initiative. The results of this first trial demonstrate TDtv has the potential to deliver a mass market Mobile TV solution. As the first network to launch a 3G services in Europe, we're always looking at ways to develop the service we offer customers."
About TDTV
TDtv is the 3GPP MBMS solution that operates in the universal unpaired 3G spectrum bands that are available across Europe and Asia at 1900MHz and 2010MHz. It allows UMTS operators to further utilise their existing spectrum to offer subscribers attractive mobile TV and multimedia packages without impacting other voice and data 3G services, which use the universal paired 3G spectrum. The technology also allows mobile operators to use network sharing to significantly reduce Capex and further improve the business case for mobile TV.
TDtv enables mobile operators to deliver multiple TV channels to an unlimited number of concurrent customers. Mobile operators deploying TDtv would also be able to deliver digital audio, multicast, or other IP data cast services to enhance their service offerings to customers.
About the trial
TDtv base stations provided by IPWireless were deployed to deliver broadcast services to TDtv enabled smart phones. MobiTV, Inc., the international mobile and broadband television services company, provided the client application, as well as facilitated the mobile content and media delivery components of the trial. Roke Manor Research, a trusted and capable independent technology assessor for the mobile industry developed and implemented the test plan and published results for the trial.
Because TDtv is based on the 3GPP family of standards, integration of TDtv with WCDMA on both the network and device side is simplified. Jointly testing TDtv allowed the operators to assess the coexistence of TDtv channels with neighbouring TD-CDMA and WCDMA networks.