I've been getting a lot of questions from my email inbox from users who wants to flash their mobile phones. Most of them are from the US, asking about flashing their CDMA phones to another service.
I am really not that familiar with flashing mobile phones from one network to another mainly because we get GSM mobile phones here in the UK so changing networks here is as simple as swapping sim cards (if the phone is unlocked) or unlocking the mobile phone. Flashing mobile phones from one service to another is a bit complicated especially in the US since CDMA wireless carriers uses proprietary software on their devices. CDMA networks don't have simcards so changing networks would mean changing your phone's software plus inputting carrier specific codes unto it so that it would work on their network.
However, there's this forum that I frequently visit which offers some guide on flashing your mobile phones to the cricket service. They don't host the files needed so you have to do a bit of googling in order to get the files needed to flash your phones but that would be easy enough. Anyways, the guide includes flashing the HTC Apache, HTC Mogul, HTC VX6600, HTC Diamond, HTC Touch Pro, LG Voyager, LG enV, LG Venus, LG Dare, LG Decoy, Motorola Q, Motorola Q9c, Motorola V3m, Samsung, Nokia, and other manufacturers.
Visit this link for information on flashing your mobile phones to the Cricket Service. Please note that these guides will only work for the Cricket Service Only.
First Spain, and now, Germany. Come on, Vodafone, when will the Brits get their taste of Magic? You've already pushed back the release date of this device a lot of time so here's hoping that we do get this come May.
However, for those Brits in Germany who can't wait to get a taste of Android Magic, you can get the Vodafone Magic for as little as 1 euro if you subscribe to their €44.95 tariff. However, if you stick with their €24.95 tariff plan, expect to shell out around €59.90 for the Google G2 Phone.
Although according to HTC's website, you can't update your Google G1 Phone to Android OS 1.5 unless it's a DevPhone or the HTC Dream base phone, thanks to the guys over at XDA-Developers, you can actually root your Google G1 Phone so that it can be ready in case the guys at XDA-Developers or other Android Forums are able to create an image file of the Cupcake OS to be installed on rooted G1 devices.
Although the instructions seems daunting at first, the step by step instructions are very easy to follow. Besides, it's not like you can do anything to your phone since if you brick it (becomes dead), they also have a solution for unbricking your G1 phone.
Rooting your G1 Phone has its advantages like being able to tether your G1 to act as a modem for your laptop/desktop PC, turn it into a wireless router, install applications on the SD card, install the latest Android OS directly, etc.
Of course, this is not for the faint of heart. But again, how will you ever enjoy your G1 phone unless you're able to release its full capabilities, right? So head on over to this link to see the full tutorial and don't forget to visit the dedicated HTC Dream / Google G1 forums at Xda-Developers for some updates like if they're able to create an image of the latest Cupcake build.
The Cupcake update or otherwise known as the Android OS 1.5 is now available for download at HTC's website. If you're a T-Mobile G1 user and you REALLY want to download this update for your phone, hold your horses. According to HTC's website, this update is only available for those with the HTC Dream hardware platform or devices with original factory bootloader mode (hboot 0.95.3000).
Just when you thought you can have your Cupcake and eat it too. Anyways, if you can't wait for Vodafone UK's release of the HTC Magic with the current Cupcake OS, you can head on over to Vodafone Spain where the HTC Magic is now available.
Okay, so I'm REALLY thinking about creating a separate subdomain to create an unofficial Samsung blog because I am SO loving Samsung right now. Just when I thought that I have to get stuck with Vodafone just to get the HTC Magic, Samsung goes out and announce the Samsung i7500, their first Android Phone in Korea.
The Samsung i7500 features a 3.2 inch AMOLED screen with HVGA resolution. Now if this phone has a screen as good as the one on the Samsung Tocco Ultra, the 5 megapixel autofocus better than the Samsung Omnia, and the 1.5 version of the Android OS is the same as the one on the HTC Magic, then I'm sold.
The Samsung i7500 has all the features you can expect on a high end phone: WiFi, GPS, HSDPA, Bluetooth, 8GB of internal memory, microSD slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On paper, the Samsung i7500 seems so much, much better than the HTC Magic but I'll have to see how it does on actual test runs. This means I'll have to scour YouTube for some lucky soul who got their hands on a prototype to test out.
The Samsung i7500 will be available by June and will sell for 300 Euros.
About time that wireless carriers cut their roaming charges in Europe. According to GSMArena, the European Parliament has just voted on the new roaming charges that carriers of member EU nations can charge their European customers.
Starting July 1st, 2009, wireless carriers should bring down their roaming charge so that they would not exceed the maximum set by the EU Parliament. The maximum roaming charge that a wireless carrier can charge their European customer is .43 euro for outgoing roaming calls and .19 euro for incoming roaming calls. The European parliament also slashed the cost of roaming SMS charges to .11 euro from .28 euro while data charges should not cost more than 1 euro per 1MB of data traffic.
The EU Parliament also planned more reductions for July 2010 which will bring down the cost of outgoing roaming charges to .39 euro while incoming calls are set at .15 euro and data charges will not cost more than .80 euro per megabyte of traffic. For July 2011, EU plans to cut outgoing calls to .35 euro, .11 euro for incoming calls, and .50 euro for 1MB of data traffic.
Yes, the latest research from ABI research is in and the verdict? Mobile addicts like me did not let such a thing as recession deter us from buying the latest and greatest handsets during the first quarter of 2009. Mobile phone vendors have shipped around 258 million handsets which represents an 11 percent year on year decline but far exceeded the previous forecast of only 253.5 million.
Samsung and LG are the biggest winners with Samsung's market share increasing to 17.8% and LG to 8.8%. RIM's share also increased to 3% while Apple's market share, even though the iPhone 3G is very popular, is only 1.5%. ABI says that this Apple's less than stellar market share may be due to lack of product differentiation and dampening demand but ABI says that by the second half of 2009, newer siblings of the iPhone 3G will allow Apple's share to grow.
Is that a confirmation from ABI Research that there is indeed a new iPhone come June? Anyways, this is good news. Hopefully, mobile phone manufacturers will reward the buying public with more affordable phones in the future.
Geez, talk about how fast-paced technology is. WiMax and HSDPA has not gone mainstream yet for some devices and already, a company in Japan called Willcom has developed a new high speed mobile data service called XGP.
According to this blog XGP logically allows 20Mbps internet access not only downstream but upstream as well. Talk about ULTRA fast. Willcom will start trial starting April 27th and will end by September. One of the companies who is trying XGP is JCB who's making a digital signage that accept's touch and go by a passerby's cell phone wallet without any data cable,
The Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) has formally adopted Bluetooth version 3.0. The new Bluetooth protocol makes use of the 802.11 radio protocol and provides increased data transfers which approximates the rate of 24Mbps plus increased power savings due to the built in power control.
The Bluetooth Sig also say that consumer products which makes use of the Bluetooth 3.0 protocol will be expected within 9 to 12 months.
So, what does it mean for mobile phones? Like what Bluetooth Sig says, hopefully, faster transfers of MP3 and video files over Bluetooth links and an increase in "wireless" connections between devices. For our sake, I hope that new devices that would support Bluetooth 3.0 will have a good backwards compatibility with devices using old Bluetooth versions.
So if the iPhone 3G's 3.5 inch screen just doesn't do it for you, then meet the iPhone's 5 inch counterpart from Hualu, the UCG501. Wow, the design of the Hualu UCG501 is just so iPhone-like from the 1 menu button in front to its menu icons.
But the Hualu UCG501 is far more better than the iPhone--at least, specswise. This Mobile Internet Device sports a 5 inch TFT touchscreen, CDMA 2000 support, high performance integrated graphics, Windows OS, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 4700mAh Polymer lithium-ion battery. Sweet.
Anyways, from the way the girl is holding the device, it's just too big for me. Oh yeah, and it seems it's not running on Windows Mobile but the actual Windows XP.
So, if you've read my Samsung S8300 Tocco Ultra Review, you'll know that I'm TOTALLY amazed by the screen quality of this mobile phone. The Samsung Tocco Ultra touts the latest AMOLED screen technology and as if I haven't said this enough, it really does feel like you have a mini HDTV on your hands.
Anyways, according to Samsung Mobile Display's report, OLED screens will be on half of all mobile phones within the next five years as well as digital cameras and portable players. It's not actually far-fetched. Nokia is already implementing OLED Screen technology on some of their devices especially their stylish Prism line and Samsung already has it on their S8300 as well as their upcoming i8910i.
So once other mobile phone manufacturers can see just how good OLED screen looks on their device, I'll say maybe it would soon be possible in three years time.
If you feel like the unlocked price of the Nokia N97 is just too much for you, then you might get this phone for free since Vodafone has the Nokia N97 available for pre-order starting today, April 18th. The Nokia N97, the second all touchscreen phone of Nokia features 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss optics, and a slide-out QWERTy keypad. Check out my preview of the Nokia N97.
And although Vodafone has pushed back the release date of the Vodafone Magic from April to early May, they are also offering it for pre-order starting today. You can't get the HTC Magic unlocked since it will be exclusive for Vodafone for a few months. Check my Vodafone Magic Review.
So, since we already have the HTC Touch Diamond2 announced, released, and priced, it's time for its big brother to do the same. HTC Touch Pro2 has been announced to be available around June but HTC hasn't yet set any price for this device--until now. For those who're saving up for the HTC Touch Pro2, expect to shell out a LOT of money for this baby, around $880 or €670 to be exact!
Wow! That's a pretty hefty amount of money even in my standards. It almost costs as much as a new laptop with higher than average specs. If the Nokia N97 is priced much lower, I might try my hands on a Symbian smartphone this year.
The yummy David Beckham appears in another Motorola ad. This time, it's for the Motorola Aura. The poster (see inset) shows David's gorgeous body in a terminator-like fashion holding the Motorola Aura. Check out the video interview with David Beckham sharing his insight on the $2,000 Motorola phone as well as the Motorola Aura Promo Video.
The Toshiba TG01 has yet to be released but now we're seeing news and rumors of its future successor in the works. According to Pocketlint, we have the TG02 and the TG03 as well as other Mobile Internet Device.
All of the TG01 successor will have the Snapdragon processor. The Toshiba TG02, aside from having the Snapdragon processor, will also run Windows Mobile 6.5 and will be water resistant.
The Toshiba TG03 on the other hand, will sport a 5 megapixel camera, and a whopping 5 channel speakers. Nice. Now this probably will the one I'll be waiting for.
However, if you're a true mobile phone fan, I'm sure you can't wait until the end of 2009 or early 2010 to get your hands on this device so better settle for the TG01 then which will probably hit retail stores come May or June.
Honestly, I don't know why you would go for the HTC Touch Diamond2 when there's the reliable Samsung Omnia around but anyways, for those die-hard HTC fans, the HTC Touch Diamond is now available at Devicewire.co.uk. Only 11 are in stock right now and the price is £449.99 inlusive of VAT.
Expansys has the release date for the HTC Touch Diamond2 at April 15 (today) for only £409.99 but they have no stock of this device yet.
Check out my HTC Touch Diamond2 overview or if you're smart, just check out my Samsung Omnia Review, which I think, is still the better device, cheaper too.
Whoa, who would've thought it would be possible? Well, it's not actually a COMPLETE success but Jamie Fuller, a coder from our own backyard, has successfully created a multi-touch game for the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. The game is called SpaceDancer and has a similar gameplay to the Guitar Hero games (You press a button with a corresponding music track).
The game is in the Aplha stage but is already available for download from Jamie Fuller's website. It's actually pretty cool, you can see a video demo below. Of course, some commenters from his blog report some bugs such as the multi-touch not always working but it's a start.
Now if only Jamie moves away from the Symbian platform and develops a similar game for windows mobile then I'll be TOTALLY stoked! To Microsoft, go offer Jamie big bucks and let him develop a fully working application that would make windows mobile resistive touchscreen phones, multi-touch capable!
Looks like Samsung's aggressive marketing strategy is paying off. According to UnwiredView, a recent market study conducted by GFK Market Research group shows Samsung topping the list of popular mobile phones here in the UK as well as France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, and Russia.
The Samsung F480 is one of Samsung's best selling mobile phones with sales reaching more than 5 million units. In Russia, Italy and Netherlands, Samsung's mobile phones account for at least 30 percent of the total number of units sold in these countries.
It's really not surprising. Samsung did a good job of having an extensive portfolio of mobile phones ranging from high-end to low end. Plus, what's nice is that they don't use just one BORING OS. They have their own OS, Linux, and Windows Mobile so there's always variety.
I think the problem with Nokia phones is that if you've seen one, you've seen them all. And it's not just the design that's getting boring, it's the same old Symbian OS. Sure, those who don't like any learning curve when getting a new handset might opt for a Nokia but advanced users want something more. And that's why Sammy's getting popular. They have VARIETY...jot that down Nokia.
According to Daily Mobile's sources, Nokia will release a new XpressMusic Touchscreen phone this coming September. The device will be dubbed Nokia 5530.
However, for those of you with the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, don't expect this device to be an upgrade for your phone. The 5530 is a lower end device than the 5800 with specs of: 2.9 inch touchscreen, 3.5mm headphone jack, WiFi, radio, and a 3.2 megapixel camera.
For those not in the know, the Samsung Omnia has a very cool application wherein you can set it as a digital picture frame. It's really cool though I haven't actually used it because let's face it, battery life is already an issue so why would I drain it even more, right?
But for those windows mobile phone users who wants a similar application on their device, here's a freeware called GoodMood. According to GoodMood's website, the application will load positive photos from the Internet, i.e. Beautiful landscapes and amusing photos.
Anyways, the application is worth checking out since it's freeware.
Well, like I've said in my Samsung Omnia HD overview, having an S60 OS is blasphemy to the original Omnia which is a windows mobile phone.
Well, it seems that Samsung has wised up (or read my original blog post)and decided to drop the "omnia" name and just call their device the i8910. Now while we, original Omnia users and windows mobile fans, are happy, I think it's a little bit late in the game for Samsung to be doing that.
The real question for Omnia users is--what would happen to the "Omnia HD" name? Would Samsung really be releasing an Omnia upgrade that's why they decided to drop the Omnia on this S60 device? If they do, it better be better than the i8910.
This name game is a bit too confusing but anyways, I forgot that I have to play nice to Samsung so that they'd choose me as an ambassador. Well, whatever be the name of the i8910, I just can't wait to get my hands on it.
If you've previously chucked your Blackberry Storm since you can't quite stand their type interface, then you might be interested to know that another Blackberry Storm is in the works.
Though it is still unsure whether the next generation device would retain the name "Storm" (because of all the bad reviews and publicity, according to PhoneArena, that is), the thing that is sure about this device is that it would have a new type interface called "TruePress".
Blackberry also confirmed that the Storm will carrier exclusivity by the end of 2009. Hmm, hopefully the Storm 2 would lose all its chunk. I didn't mind the SurePress although I am curious about the "TruePress" interface. Well, knowing Blackberry, it's probably going to be as innovative as their first type interface.
LOL. I just love it when marketing strategies of some manufacturers backfire on their face. Howard Stern, a well-known satellite radio host in the US previously stated that he was looking for a new phone to replace his old Palm device. Naturally, Palm stepped in and offered him to have a look at their new Palm Pre.
Well, in the end, Stern chose the Blackberry Bold over the Pre. His reason? He said that the inability to use Lotus Notes was the dealbreaker. Ouch!!! Stern is a long-time Treo user but he's embarrassed to show his phone because he said that the technology is old.
I just can't help laughing so hard. Palm is trying to create a buzz about their Pre by getting celebrities to try it out. Why can't they just make a reputable reviewer like CNET or Engadget get their hands on the thing? That way, they won't get slapped in their faces when a celebrity who only uses only one phone function (like Howard, who probably only uses his phone for the Lotus Notes), decides that they don't like the Pre. The Pre is literally Palm's saviour. They should do a good job of marketing the damn thing.
Okay,so ever since I've found out that Samsung Omnia has new widgets, I eagerly downloaded the new ROM. And after several failed attempts at updating my ROM, I've finally managed to do it and now my Omnia is running the latest firmware.
And now, you may ask: So, what's new with the ROM? Well first, I've got an improved battery life, screen rotation with the accelerometer is much more faster and smooth, the settings menu from the Main Menu option has undergone the Samsung Touchwiz makeover, responsiveness is a bit improved, the video camera bug wherein there's a voice lag has also been fixed, and yes, there are new widgets.
Now for the widgets, you can now have the option of downloading new widgets from Samsung's website but most of them are "online widgets" which means you need to have a data plan in order to gain access to these widget's functions. You now also have the option of removing widgets from the widget bar and only placing those you frequently use. I like the fact that Samsung added a messaging widget which would automatically bring up the write message window instead of you pressing start, then messages.
All in all, I guess these new improvements is worth all the anxiety that comes with updating your ROM on your own. I just wish that Samsung would add more widgets, preferably, a notepad widget similar on the S8300 which will allow me to see the notes that I've written.
So I finally upgraded my Omnia to the latest Asian ROM—after much hair pulling. My problem started because I first upgraded my Omnia to a custom ROM. Anyways, in this post, I’ll try to make a definitive guide to upgrading your Omnia without you doing a lot of Googling. WARNING: Updating your Firmware may cause damage to your Omnia if not done properly. Be sure that your mobile phone is fully charged and that your laptop or computer is plugged in a UPS. Power failures while updating might cause the bricking of your Omnia. Update your ROM at your own risk.
Overview
Samsung releases their ROM in different versions. If you purchased your Omnia in Hong Kong, it doesn’t mean you can upgrade it to a ROM downloaded in Samsung UK. To have an idea of what your ROM version is, go to settings -> system tab -> version. The version would show two parts: PDA and Phone version. This thread on Modaco regarding naming schemes would let you know which country your ROM version came from. To make it simple, ROM versions that start with XA are ROMS that are downloaded from Samsung UK, DX from Philippines, DZ from Singapore, etc. Before clicking on the download link from the UK ROM version of the Omnia in Samsung’s website, be sure that your ROM version is from that specific country, otherwise you’ll get the error message: incorrect software version.
For First Time Updaters/ Regular Official ROM downloaders
If this is your first time upgrading your Omnia, then you’ll have no problems. Just follow what I said in the overview; check your device ROM version and download the ROM from the country where your ROM version originated. Follow Samsung’s instructions on their website and be sure that: (1) You have the latest ActiveSync version or Device Center (for Vista users) installed, (2) You’ve downloaded and installed Samsung Modem Drivers (for XP users). You can download the Samsung Modem Drivers from this thread on Modaco, be sure you’ve registered in order to view the download links.
For those who want to upgrade to a ROM from another country or those who have installed a custom ROM
Now things can become a little tricky. I myself have upgraded my Omnia’s firmware to a custom or unofficial ROM which can be found in this thread. Things went well especially since I’ve used an XP computer.
Now since I’ve reported some new widgets from Samsung’s latest ROM version, I wanted to upgrade my ROM so I downloaded the ROM from the Philippines since that was where the ROM DXHH1 originated. This time, I’m using a Vista machine so I downloaded the update for Vista. When I ran the exe file, I got the message: “Device already has the latest firmware installed”. WTF?! How can that be? I have an aging ROM version?!! So I thought the only way to get around that was to update using the first method I tried which was the grandprix method but since I’m running Vista, I followed the steps on this thread. I did everything but then another problem came up: I successfully updated the PDA version but not the Phone version. The solution? A combination of the steps on the Vista upgrade and Paul’s original guide to updating Omnia, but this time, I did it on an XP machine. Here’s what I did.
I disassembled the XP ROM installer using i900executor which can be found here.
Installed Samsung Modem Drivers and ran Grandprix XP version which can be downloaded here
Followed Step 9 on the Vista Solution (Hit detect and then soft reset to start the update process on grandprix).
Now I’m running both the latest PDA version and Phone version on my Omnia.
In my opinion, I think the vista process would have gone well if I have installed the Samsung Modem Drivers for XP instead of the i780 drivers. One poster suggested using the Samsung Modem drivers instead while the original poster, Vennerr93 suggested just leaving the PHONE part blank which would lead to the removal of the phone symbol with exclamation.
If you’re in the UK and you want to try other ROM versions from other countries, you might get the Incorrect Software Version when trying to update using the Samsung Official updater. Follow Paul’s Incorrect Version Fix and you might be able to upgrade using Samsung’s Official Updater. Otherwise, the only way is to use GrandPrix and disassemble the installer using i900EXEcutor.
Conclusion
Yes, updating your firmware can be a bit scary but in the end you’ll reap the benefits through faster user interface and longer battery life. Besides, how will you ever gain knowledge if you don’t try, right? Good luck.
Okay, so I may need to polish the title of this post a bit but you know what I'm saying. After DirectTV confirmed that it would have an app for iPhone users, Orange France came out with a similar service exclusive for Orange iPhone subscribers in France.
Orange iPhone users can have access to 60 TV channels in high definition quality over the 3G network. Orange users won't have to pay for the application as it is free to download at the App Store but they do have to subscribe to the service, around 9 Euros a month while those with a higher tariff can enjoy unrestricted access to the service.
The application has a CoverFlow style and double tapping will bring up the details of the programs. I'm not really sure if this would work. Several wireless carriers in Asia is offering this service to their subscribers regardless if they own an iPhone, so long as they own a 3G phone that can decode RealMedia files, the downside is that users may experience some buffering especially if they're in an area without a good 3G signal.
Now if only the iPhone has a DVB-H tuner, then Orange can offer a mobile TV service without users making use of their 3G signals, making mobile TV watching smoother and more feasible...Well, that's what I think anyway.
Why can't manufacturers just make a damn phone that actually has EVERYTHING on it. The HTC Dream / Google G1 Phone seems like an answer to my prayers for a 3.2 inch touchscreen phone with QWERTY keyboard but the Android OS and the no auto screen rotation doesn't really do it for me. Now the Vodafone/HTC Magic will be coming to the UK this May and while it doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard, the Cupcake Android OS looks so yummy that it made me want to take a closer look at the device.
The videos posted here of the HTC Magic on YouTube has a pretty good walkthrough/review of the device and all its features so I will be basing my opinion on these videos.
Design
The HTC Magic looks a lot like the white version of the HTC Dream sans the keyboard which makes the former a lot lighter though only a bit thinner. Compared with the iPhone, the Vodafone Magic is a tad thicker though the iPhone a tad wider. The MicroSD slot is again located at the back of the device but compared with the Samsung Omnia, you don't have to take the battery out to insert the memory card.
Compared with similar touchscreen devices from other markets, the HTC Magic has a lot of hardware buttons on its front, a total of five: the call and end button, menu button, home button, back button and a shortcut button to Google search app. The trackball is still there though I would have preferred a directional button.
Features and Performance
I didn't like the HTC Dream that much because it still suffers a lag in its touchscreen interface, plus, like I mentioned, there's no auto rotation though according to its specs, it has an accelerometer. Now thanks to the improved Cupcake Android OS, the HTC Magic has a very smooth interface, even comparable with the iPhone. If you don't believe what I'm saying, check out the video below, skip to 1:28 and you'll see the reviewer comparing the sweeping touchscreen motion on the iPhone and the HTC Magic. See? No lags, very smooth. The only hiccup to the smooth interface of the HTC Magic is that the rotation of the screen when you turn it to landscape mode isn't so smooth and there's a noticeable lag. Hopefully, Google or HTC would be able to address this in the final version of the G2. Another thing that the HTC Magic or Android OS has going for it is that it has a very customizable homescreen. You can add your most used applications on your homescreen and like the Google Desktop, there's a Google search widget that automatically brings up the browser when you type something on it.
Speaking of the browser, thanks to the Cupcake OS, the HTC Magic has a very useable and smooth browser. I definitely like the circular wheel scroll button on the OS which you can use when viewing photos or web pages. Scrolling is as fast and smooth as the Safari browser but Google, being the Internet giant they are, added a very useful add-on aside from the circular scroll wheel for zooming in and out of webpages: a magnifier. You know how on the Opera browser or Safari browser when you zoom out to view the whole page, you have no idea what's written on the page because they give you just a layout of the webpage? Well, in the Android browser, when you scroll through the zoomed out view of the webpage, you can magnify the contents of the page you're scrolling so you don't have to guess where's the about me link or contact link of the website you're visiting. Skip to 5:21 of the video below or 2:44 of the last video below to see the browser in action and you'll get what I mean.
Nice. So, drooling yet? Wait, wipe that drool off your face coz there's more. Since the HTC Magic or hopefully, the Google G2 phone (if this is indeed the follow up to the G1) is an internet device, uploading pictures and videos to the Internet is made so simple that it's like the Internet is part and parcel of the Vodafone Magic. Check out 3:07 of the second video to see how easy it is to upload a picture to Picasa or send it as an attachment to Gmail. Just a tap of the menu button and a 1 tap to the screen and you've already uploaded a photo. How simple is that? With the iPhone and windows mobile devices, you have to go through a lot of menus to attach or upload a photo. The native YouTube app on the Google G2 phone lets you upload your video in no less than 5 button press, check out 4:03 of the second video. It really blows my mind and made me wonder whether the reviewer has uploaded the video previously but since the videos are in Spanish, I can't understand squat.
The other downside that I can see on the HTC Magic is the onscreen keyboard. HTC or Google seems to want to emulate the keyboard of the iPhone with letters jumping up at you when you press it. The problem is that letters jump up EVERYWHERE. Check out 2:01 of the second video when the reviewer is typing his message, it seems that Google doesn't deem it necessary that the letters when they jump up at you, should be near the actual letter that you're pressing and that they should either pop-up at a specific place, either right, left or center. It's a bit confusing especially for me.
Conclusion
Based on what I've seen, the HTC Magic seems like a REALLY solid device. And since we've only seen a pre-production model, expect it to be more refined when Vodafone finally releases it to the public in May. The new Cupcake OS made me rethink my opinion of Android. Just a few more tweaks with the accelerometer and you've got yourself a solid iPhone competitor. Now Google's problem might come when Apple releases an iPhone with QWERTY keypad but the solution is really simple: just place the Cupcake Android on the G1/HTC Dream and I'll readily buy it.
At long last, Samsung has finally woken up and smelled the coffee. According to Phone Arena, Samsung will now give developers the chance to create their own "connected mobile applications".
UI Evolution will be developing the needed developer tools and will be based on the Eclipse IDE which will allow developers to have a custom interface to easily allow them access to code samples, device emulation, etc. Developers can sell their content through Samsung Rich Connected Application storefront.
Honestly I don't understand squat about IDE, etc. All I'm imagining is a new notepad widget similar to the Vista which will allow me to make notes right on my homescreen. On a similar note, someone told me that Samsung's online widgets would allow me to make my own widgets? Haven't really tested it out since I'm still in the process of updating my Omnia.
So, it's that time of the month again to find out what mobile phones will be released this month. Of course, not all these reports are accurate so try to check your wireless carrier or favorite mobile phone store to see if they do carry these phones.
Samsung S5320
The Samsung S5320 is another touchscreen phone from Samsung though it's a little bit low end from its other Touch Wiz counterparts. There's no 3G but it does have accelerometer, microSD slot, Bluetooth with A2DP, 3.15 megapixel camera with smile detection, and Stereo FM radio. Info from Slashphone
HTC Magic
The HTC Magic will come exclusively to Vodafone this April. I don't know the exact date but knowing Vodafone and the delayed release of the Samsung S8300 Tocco Ultra, it would probably be at the end of April. The HTC Magic is the full Touchscreen version of the G1. There are a lot more hardware buttons on its front compared with other touchscreen phones. It runs the Android OS, of course is HSDPA 900 and 2100 compatible, 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen, accelerometer, microSD slot, 512MB internal memory, 128MB RAM, 528MHz Qualcomm processor, WiFi, Bluetooth w/ A2DP, 3.15 megapixel camera with autofocus, and GPS. HTC Touch Diamond2
Well, according to Expansys, the HTC Touch Diamond2 will be available starting April 17th. Not really that excited about the Diamond2 considering there's not much going for it that my Omnia doesn't have. But for those who are not into Samsung and don't have the Diamond yet, you might consider trying the HTC Touch Diamond2 out.
Nokia 5730
The Nokia 5730 is the last phone that Nokia has recently announced. This is the first XpressMusic phone that features a slide-out QWERTY keypad. It's a Quadband GSM phone and Triband 3G phone as well. Nokia is probably release Triband 3G phones to avoid 3G issues that came up like what happened to their Nokia 5800 NAM. the Nokia 5730 has a 2.4 inch screen, 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card slot, 100MB internal storage, WiFi, Bluetooth with A2DP, 3 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and LED flash, Stereo FM radio, and runs on Symbian S60. Release date from Engadget but only for Europe, no worldwide release date yet.
Palm Pre
And probably, though we won't have it here in Europe, the much awaited Palm Pre, according to Boy Genius Report, Sprint will finally release the Palm Pre in April 30th. Though the report came from a beta tester, it's still believable. Check out my Palm Pre preview to see what's all the buzz about.
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