Written on 8/31/2010 05:14:00 PM by poison_ivy
If you can't find the iPhone 4 Case program app in the app store, it could only mean one thing: 1) Your iTunes account is registered in a country where the iPhone 4 is not yet available.
The solution? If you're bent on getting the free iPhone 4 case to meet the Sept. 30 deadline, you can create and register an iTunes account in a country where the iPhone 4 is available, problem is, you can only ship it to countries where the iPhone 4 is available, so even if you create a UK iTunes account, you can have your case shipped to someone in the US.
So, to download the iPhone 4 case program app, you can follow these instructions in creating an iTunes account without a credit card: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2534. You can use the case program as your free download.
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Written on 8/29/2010 10:36:00 AM by poison_ivy
I got the CAPDASE Soft Jacket 2 Xpose iPhone 4 case while waiting for my free case from Apple which I still haven't received. I honestly wasn't expecting a lot from it, after all, it's just a back-up case until my real case arrived but I was pleasantly surprised when it came in.
First, the package contains the soft silicone jacket, a stand, a screen protector, and a soft carry pouch. The latter was the surprise because there's no indication in the package that it was included, only the screen protector was mentioned and the silicone jacket and stand were obvious because they're the ones on display outside the packaging. So that's four products for the price of around £14.90, good deal, if you ask me.
Anyways, the soft silicone jacket fits the iPhone 4 perfectly. There are holes for the speakers and connectors below, the 3.5mm headset jack on top, the mute button, the camera on the back but then there's the big hole they placed on the back for the Apple logo. Would probably appeal to Apple fanboys, for me it was irritating as I wanted the whole phone covered and I was worried that the exposed logo would be prone to scratching but CAPDASE included a circular protector for the logo. Very good idea. Overall, I like how the silicone case fits snugly on my iPhone 4, there's just a few millimeters of added bulk but it's okay. I doubt that this silicone case is shock proof though.
The stand is a very nice added touch. I don't have to lay my phone flat on its back when charging and it makes viewing movies easier. It snaps on the case so you can carry it around with your phone if you don't mind the added bulk at the back. As for the screen protector, well, it's not smudge free and is a very thin film, I'd recommend buying a separate screen protector. As for me, the screen protector is only temporary as I ordered a better protector online.
Overall, like I said, for four products for £14.90, the CAPDASE Soft Jacket 2 Xpose is indeed a good deal for an iPhone 4 case. Check out other
iPhone 4 cases.
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Written on 8/24/2010 04:36:00 PM by poison_ivy
On Orange UK, it's called the Samsung Galaxy Apollo, on other networks, it will be the Samsung Galaxy 580. But whatever this midrange Android mobile phone will be called, one thing's for sure, Samsung Android mobile phoens will be filling the market from now till next year.
Design
My review unit is the Samsung Galaxy Apollo that's sold on Orange, however, I got this one from Singapore so it's unlocked and over there, it's called the Samsung Galaxy 3 but since we have a different naming scheme in the UK, it will be called Samsung Galaxy 580. The actual Samsung Galaxy 580 that will be sold here in the UK, will have a bit different design than the Galaxy Apollo. The Samsung Galaxy Apollo has a silver mirrored front, 3.2 inch screen, touch sensitive menu and back buttons, and the middle home key. The back is made up of a smooth, black matte battery cover with Google's logo, and the 3 megapixel camera. On top, we have the microUSB slot, the power button, and the 3.5mm headset jack. On the left side is the volume rocker. Like the Samsung Galaxy Europa, there's no buttons on the right and bottom side of the phone. The silver front is sleek but is a fingerprint magnet.
The simcard slot can be found at the back of the battery compartment so you have to take that out but the microSD slot is located on the side though you still have to take out the battery cover to access that. Overall, the build quality is good, the Galaxy Apollo is not slim but it's pocketable and great for one hand use.
Features
The Samsung Galaxy Apollo features Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface, similar to the one found on the Samsung Galaxy S. So if you want to experience the Galaxy S but you can't afford that much money, the Galaxy 580 can be had for half the price of the Galaxy S.
With TouchWiz 3.0, Samsung didn't really do that much skinning on the homescreen compared with what they did with Windows Mobile or with what HTC did with the HTC Sense on Android but the skinning is more obvious on the menu screen with Samsung's icons. What's missing on the Galaxy 580 is the live wallpapers present on the Europa.
If you miss HTC Sense, Samsung also have their own widgets for the homescreen but like I've mentioned, their widgets is not as graphically appealing as on the HTC Sense.
The Samsung Galaxy Apollo has a 667MHz processor CPU and 256MB of RAM. Now while Samsung TouchWiz 3.0 runs okay, it's not as fast as what the 1GHz processor can do on the Samsung Galaxy S. The sweeping motions may not have some hiccups but you'll notice the slight lag.
On the messaging side, there's not much difference on the Samsung Galaxy Europa and 580, except that in the inbox portion, your contact's photo thumbnails is visible on the Galaxy Apollo and Samsung further added some skinning for the threaded messaging on the Galaxy 580 which is more similar to the iPhone. QWERTY keypad, multitap and SWYPE is available as input options and thanks to the 3.2 inch screen, it's much easier to type messages. The onscreen keypad is very much responsive and I didn't have any problems with typos.
As for the telephony side, calls come through loud and clear even using the speakers. Persons on the other end of the line have no problems with hearing us clearly too. Smart dialing is also present.
As for the multimedia side, here's where the Samsung Galaxy Apollo excels. First, the music player, although not Samsung skinned, it has added visualizations plus equaliser options. I still would have preferred some sort of CoverFlow art. What I like best about the Samsung Galaxy 580 is that it can play DivX files without a hitch, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Portal. There's no hiccups and a 356MB divX file played smoothly. Audio through the speakers and headset is excellent.
As for the Apps, there's the Android market. All of the apps I've downloaded played on the Samsung Galaxy Apollo. But what I like best on this mobile phone is that Samsung added ThinkFree Office which is a free document viewer AND EDITOR. Yep, a free document editor on a mid-range Android handset, now that's value for money.
Unlike the Samsung i5500, the Samsung Galaxy Apollo can do multitouch. The browser is excellent, fast, is capable of multitouch and has text reflow although the latter is poorly implemented. I have to change orientation from landscape to portrait in order to fit the text to the screen.
The camera on the Samsung Galaxy 580 has a 3 megapixel resolution and does not lack any options. It has smile shot, brightness, scene selections, etc. Image quality is fairly good for a 3 megapixel shooter. As for battery life, minimal use lasted around 2 days with full use, GPS, WiFi, 3G, playing of games, lasted around 1 1/2 day.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Apollo
is as good of a midrange smartphone on the market. It has most of the features that one is looking for in a smatphone, an excellent music player, various connectivity options, applications, a good browser and a good camera. With the help of Samsung, Android is well on its way to become the mainstream OS on smartphones.
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Written on 8/19/2010 01:47:00 PM by poison_ivy
I've previously written a post about my Samsung Galaxy Portal Review and indicated that the latter mobile phone is exclusive to T-Mobile on a monthly contract. Well, it seems that the exclusivity deal ended because I just saw the Samsung Galaxy Portal over at Three UK available for free on most of 3's pay monthly mobile plans, with the lowest tariff at £17.
If you fancy a cheap smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Portal should be on your lists of choices. Of course, there's also the Samsung i5500 Galaxy 5 but I'm leaning a bit more towards the former because of its larger screen and more powerful processor.
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Written on 8/12/2010 05:09:00 PM by poison_ivy
Fancy an iPhone 4 but don't want to get tied down to an expensive 24 month mobile phone contract? You can get one unlocked, or you can now get the iPhone 4 on PAYG from Vodafone. The iPhone 4 32GB is available for £570 while the 16GB costs £480. That's £19 to £29 savings from the unlocked price plus you'll get 250MB per month of mobile internet and webmail for 12 months and 1GB per month of free WiFi with BT Openzone (12 months).
Of course, PAYG iPhone 4 will still be locked to Vodafone so some might go the Apple store way and get an unlocked one instead but you won't get the mobile internet and WiFi options.
Via: Vodafone
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Written on 8/10/2010 04:46:00 PM by poison_ivy
Available At:
Samsung is known for making cheap but feature rich mobile phones. The Samsung Genio line is proof enough that the Korean mobile phone giant is bent on conquering the mobile phone world and toppling Nokia off the top. Their latest addition to their affordable mobile phone line is the Samsung i5500 Europa or Samsung known as the Samsung Galaxy 5 in other countries.
Design
Like Samsung's Genio / Corby device, the Samsung Europa took the rounded design cues from its Genio brothers but
Samsung added some chrome-like finish on the edges to make the plastic build a bit more sophisticated. I don't know if Sammy will make the Samsung i5500 available in different colors but the black one's build is actually quite good. It doesn't feel cheap and is quite comfortable to hold. On top of this mobile phone is the 3.5mm headset jack, on the left is the volume controls and below that is the microUSB slot with its flappy covers. On the right, there are no buttons which is a bummer as it would have been nice to see a dedicated camera button there. On the front, there's the four standard Android buttons, the menu, home, back, and search buttons. There's the directional keypad on the center and Samsung added a call and end button below the four Android buttons which is something I've sorely missed on HTC Android phones. At 2.8 inches, the screen is quite small and the 240x320 resolution makes things seem pixelated. It definitely can't hold a candle against the iPhone 4's retina display.
The battery cover is pretty easy to take off and the microSD card is located on the side so you don't have to take off the battery when swapping your SD cards.
Features
The Samsung Europa runs Android 2.1 and the interactive screen is quite fun to use, especially the ones with ripple effects. Anyways, you get up to nine homescreens and the homescreen is the native Android which is okay although I do miss HTC's Sense. This mobile phone is quite responsive when swiping through homescreens, no visible lags, thanks to the 600 MHz processor.
One new thing about Android 2.1 is that when you press the menu, you no longer have to swipe up and down to look for your apps, you just have to swipe sideways.
Samsung put in their own widgets so if you miss the HTC Sense, you'll get a somewhat similar interface with Samsung's feeds and updates widgets and the Accuweather application although the latter really can't hold a candle against HTC's animated weather widget.
On the telephony part, signal strength is pretty decent, there's no death grip here and the phone microphone works great. Callers hear me loud and clear and so it goes the same way on the other end of the line. The only problem is that the speakers are located on the back of the phone so if you have it in your pocket, you might miss some calls because the speakers are muffled.
One of the best things I like about the Samsung i5500 Corby is that it has the option to let you choose between Samsung's Alphanumeric keypad or a QWERTY keypad in portrait mode. Of course, you'll be better off with Samsung's multitap keypad because the screen area is so small, plus you won't really find it hard typing on this thing using the Alphanumeric keypad as it's responsive.There's also the Swype keyboard available which is accessible via the input option, you can bring it up by pressing and holding the screen when in the message box. The screen is really small for typing but thankfully, the keyboard is much responsive than on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 I've reviewed. Like in other Android phones, there's some sort of smart dialing going on in the messaging app as you just type in the first two letters of your contacts and a drop down list of all contacts with similar letters on their names will appear.
Google updated the music player on the Android 2.1, which isn't really a vast improvement from the previous music player but the addition of an
coverflow like interface in landscape mode is a welcome touch Album art background when choosing songs on a particular album adds a nice touch although cover flow on landscape mode would have still been nice, maybe we'll get to see it in the upcoming update. The speakers on the Samsung i5500 is a bit on the soft side, audio quality is so so but improves when using the 3.5mm headset jack.
There's no multitouch on the Samsung Europa, when using the web browser, you have to double tap to zoom or use the zoom in and out icons on the bottom. Even though there's no multitouch, I welcome the double tap, something which is missing on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. The web browser loads pages fast and has text reflow. Unfortunately, no flash here yet. Pages load quickly and there's text reflow.
The Samsung Europa i5500 or Galaxy 5 only has a 2 megapixel camera but unlike the Samsung Galaxy Portal which has limited camera options, Samsung didn't scrimp on the Europa. It has different scene modes, white balance, ISO, etc. Pictures are pretty decent although a bit washed.
The best thing about this cheap mobile phone is the Android market. There's many free apps to choose from plus games. Although there may be some issues with some apps that run on specific resolutions but so far, my favorite games such as basketball lite and Abduction! works. There's many free games and apps up for grabs on the Android market and chances are, if you're missing or want an iPhone applications, there's a similar app in the Android market.
Conclusion
Right now, the Samsung Europa i5500 is available in the UK from Carphonewarehouse for £15 on pay monthly, the unlocked price is £229.95 but lets hope that once Carphonewarehouse's exclusivity ends, the price will drop. It's not really cheap since there's the cheaper T-Mobile Pulse Mini but there's really no rave reviews about it on the Internet and let's face it, Samsung devices have much more appeal over Huawei. With Android 2.1, this mobile phone would've been the perfect choice but with Carphonewarehouse's pricing, some might go with other Android handsets such as the HTC Wildfire or the Samsung Galaxy Portal.
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Written on 8/09/2010 04:45:00 PM by poison_ivy
Fancy buying a mobile phone on contract from Vodafone? Want to get some freebies while you're at it? Here are some voucher codes from Vodafone which will be valid until August 31, 2010.
PAYGMB - Free PAYG mobile broadband dongle on all 18 month contracts £35 and over as well as all 24 month contracts £30 and over 3. 12 month SIM Only deals (£20 and £25 only)
FREEBT - Free Bluetooth headset on all 12 month SIM only deals.
You could probably sell these Vodafone freebies on eBay then apply what you've received on your monthly mobile phone contract. So get buying!
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Written on 8/07/2010 05:17:00 PM by poison_ivy
I've encountered a lot of similar questions from forums and Yahoo Answers from those thinking of importing the iPhone 4 from the US, either because their relatives already have one which they got at a cheap price from AT&T.
Straight answer is NO. Imported iPhones from the US will not work in the UK because it's locked to the AT&T network...BUT, there's a workaround. You can jailbreak and unlock your iPhone which came from the US and it will definitely work here in the UK on ANY network.
But some caveat...if you jailbreak and unlock your iPhone 4, it would void the warranty and you can't take it to the Apple store in the UK to fix it. Jailbreaking and unlocking your iPhone could pose "security threats" to your phone.
But with that in mind, if the caveats are okay with you jailbreak and unlock away and get ready to use that iPhone from the US here in the UK.
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Written on 8/05/2010 02:53:00 PM by poison_ivy
If you haven't bought an iPhone 4 now but you're thinking of getting one with a contract because the iPhone 4 unlock is now out---do so NOW! If you wait a while longer, Apple might release a fix and future iPhone 4s might be touting this new firmware which will not be able to use ulstrasnow 1.0-1.
Of course, you can always get one unlocked at the UK Apple store but you'll be spending way more cash compared with getting one subsidized. According to reports, Apple seemed to have found the security holes that hackers used to jailbreak the current OS version of the iPhone 4 and they will be releasing patches to fix these holes in future OS--maybe iOS 4.1 which is currently in Beta now.
So get jailbreaking and unlocking before Apple patches that hole, after all, it's already legal in the US.
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Written on 8/04/2010 01:56:00 PM by poison_ivy
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Written on 8/02/2010 08:00:00 AM by poison_ivy
So, you got yourself a shiny new iPhone 4 and if you're one of the lucky first, you probably have an iPhone bumper too. But let's face it, though that bumper may reduce the iPhone 4's antennae issue, it would do nothing to protect the front and back of your iPhone 4 from scratches if you put it in your pocket or your purse and as for Apple's Case program, there's a 3 week waiting time so here are some of the good iPhone 4 cases that I've seen while waiting for your free case:
Incase Snap Case
Apple is offering the Incase Snap Case for free with their free case program. Those who are thinking of going bare naked with their iPhone 4 should really consider this case as it adds a bit more protection to their phones. The InCase Snap Case clear is made from some sort of semi-hard plastic. The material is bendable enough so you can easily fit your phone but strong enough to withstand falling a few inches off the ground. The Incase Snap case is compatible with other skin guardz for the iPhone. You can check my I
ncase Snap Case Clear for iPhone 4 Review.
iPhone 4 Leather Flip Case
This is available at
Mobile Fun for £8.97. Your iPhone 4 fits perfectly thanks to the solid plastic guide rails. The case has a hardened outer shell to protect it from short drops and the inner soft velvet material helps protect the screen of your phone. The downside? There's no access for the charger on the bottom of the case, so the case has to remain open while charging which kinda negates the protection issue since I usually drop my phones while charging but other than that, it's cheap.
SGP Illuzion Leather Flip Case for iPhone 4
This flip case is more expensive than the previous flip case I've mentioned but it's made from top notch materials. You can get the SGP Illuzion case for $37.99 plus $9.72 shipping to the UK at the
SGP Store. Genuine leather case on the outside, soft fabric on the inside, glued together and not stitched. There's no magnet that might damage your phone but like the previous one, it opens at the bottom so there's no access for the charger. The genuine leather is flexible and fits perfectly on the iPhone 4. You can check out my full review plus more pictures on my
SGP Illuzion case review.
Alu Leather Case for iPhone 4
Another leather flip case from
Mobile Fun but more expensive than the previous one at £22.47. The good points are: it's made from good quality faux leather, stitching is solid, it has an easy access for the charger at the bottom. Bad points? Some people say that the camera hole doesn't fit perfectly and the flap is on top so it gets in the way when taking pictures in portrait mode.
Slim Line Leather Pull Case
A leather pouch case from
Mobile Fun for £12.95. Your iPhone will fit snugly in this and taking out your phone is easy with the the pull tab and the microfiber interior also helps clean the front and back of your phone from those fingerprint smudges.
The case is made from soft leather so it won't add bulk in your pocket unlike the previous two cases. The downside? You have to constantly pull out your phone from the case in order to use it which may make your phone prone to scratches if some small solid particles happen to go inside the case. I recommend using Zagg Invisible shiled or other screen protectors in conjunction with this case.
BPM Black Leather Pouch Case
This one is like the previous case only without the pull tab. It's also made form soft leather and has a microfiber interior. It's from
Amazon
and is considerably much cheaper than the previous one at only £2.45. I see similar disadvantage as the previous one with the addition that this might be harder to pull out because it doesn't have a pull out tab but so far, reviews are favorable over at Amazon.
Incipio Feather Case for iPhone 4
This one is also from
Amazon and costs £17.95 with free delivery within UK. The Incipio Feather case is good for protecting your phone from scratches and it doesn't add any bulk. Made from ultra-light and ultra strong polymer, it has a soft matte finish and includes two surface protectors and cleaning cloth. This is great for protecting your phone when inside your pocket or purse but won't really do much good if you drop your phone.
Case-Mate Barely there for iPhone 4
This one is similar to the Incipio Feather case and costs the same at £17.95 over at
Mobile Fun. The difference is, according to mobilefun, it's made from impact resistant flexible plastic shield so it could probably do more to protect your phone from drops though I wouldn't recommend doing so just to test it. It also has a cut out at the back so you can show off that precious Apple logo and comes with an iPhone 4 screen protection kit.
Speck Fitted for iPhone 4
The Speck Fitted Case for iPhone 4 is included in the free case program for iPhone 4. If you haven't ordered your free case yet, this one should be on top of your list. Although the one included in the free case program is the black plaid one, there are other designs available on
Amazon. The case is made from high quality durable plastic material and it can't be easily taken apart. Some of the cons are: it doesn't have an included screen protector, it's a bit thicker, and the opening for the mute and volume control is bigger, making it prone to scratches. You can check my full
Speck Fitted Case for iPhone 4 review.
CAPDASE Soft Jacket 2 Xpose
This one costs £14.95 over at
Mobile Fun, unfortunately, it's only available for pre-order. The soft jacket 2 xpose is made up of strong silicone material. It covers most of the iPhone 4, even the volume rocker but leaves a big opening on the back for the Apple Logo. Good thing they have included a ciruclar plastic protector which you can put over the logo so scratches can be prevented. Aside from the silicone jacket, this also comes with a carry case, a stand, and a screen protector. It's a good value for money and will help protect your phone from scratches and the antenna gate issue but I don't think it would do your phone any good if you suddenly drop it. You can read my
CAPDSE Soft Jacket 2 Xpose Review by clicking the link.
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