LG GD900 Crystal review: Crystal clear

When talking about good design it's usually all about placing the right elements in the right places. And in the rare cases when an R&D team actually comes up with something innovative, they usually reserve it for a 2000 buck handset like the Motorola Aura. The LG GD900 Crystal and its see-through keypad, however, prefers walking among the mortals to sitting on mount Olympus and drinking ambrosia.

LG GD900 Crystal official photos

And luckily the sleek handset is much more than a pretty face. The rich feature set of the GD900 Crystal places it only a short step away from LG's multimedia flagships. However the lack of GPS is easily made up for with cool features like gesture shortcuts and multi-touch input. Sure, these may seem like fancy additions rather than key features, but sometimes it's all about winning the hearts of the users rather than their minds. And the Crystal seems pretty well designed to do that.

Key features

• Unique see-through alphanumeric touch-sensitive keypad
• 3" 16M color capacitive TFT touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• S-Class Touch UI
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps)
• Wi-Fi
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera, LED flash, manual focus, geotagging, image stabilization, multi face detection (up to 3), smile detection
• D1 (720x480 pixels)@30fps, VGA@30fps, QVGA time-lapse and slow-mo video recording
• 1.5GB storage memory
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot(up to 32GB)
• microUSB v2.0, mass storage mode
• TV-out port
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• Gesture shortcuts
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotate
• Multi-touch input
• DivX and XviD support
• FM radio with RDS
• Dolby for Mobile audio enhancement
• Office document viewer
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages:

• Poor screen sunlight legibility
• Below average camera image quality
• No built-in GPS receiver
• No standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Records video in 3GP format
• Email attachment size limit is 1MB (both ways)
• Limited DivX/XviD video support
• All-plastic build

So what we have on our hands here is a handset that's dressed to impress and with a mind bright enough to keep your attention. We really like it when there's something new thrown at us and a see-through touch-sensitive keypad is certainly a first in the mobile world.

LG GD900 Crystal live shots

The novelty factor is certainly there, we only need t to check if the delicate LG Crystal will pass our tests with flying colors. The ergonomics inspection is due right after the jump.

Source : www.gsmarena.com

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD review: Going to the movies

Introduction

There never seems a shortage of heroes in this industry but every now and then a new breed emerges to change the rules of engagement. Ranks and titles are hard earned and we've seen enough contenders that barely deserve a hero's death. Now, here comes a gadget that knows the best shot at glory is the high-definition one. Will the Samsung Omnia HD be strong enough to bear its name with honor or will it crumble under the weight of expectations?

As all-in-one multimedia touchscreens are battling for dominance, the HD category is now making its way to cellphones. HD is a magical marketing word that has seen as many abuses as it has had just uses. In the Omnia HD case, it's an insignia of its truly superior rank. It's not the first time a handset has claimed this tempting acronym, but the Omnia HD hits it where it matters - video recording and playback.

Samsung were the first to announce and release an HD-video-enabled handset. In the not so short time since then, none of their major rivals managed to introduce a competitor. So, all heads are anxiously turned to Samsung to see if they can deliver.

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD official photos

By the way, the Omnia HD comes equipped with everything that Samsung can put on the table. HD video recording and playback is definitely top-notch stuff but these are just the fancy extras on a full battle suit. There's also a huge AMOLED screen, powerful 600 MHz processor and dedicated graphics chip. The all-in-one count continues with an 8 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, generous 8/16 GB internal storage and DivX/XviD HD playback with subtitle support. Finally, the whole thing runs the latest Symbian S60 5th edition skinned with the new TouchWiz 3D interface.

Take the time to check out this genuine all-rounder.

Key features:

• 3.7-inch 16M-color capacitive AMOLED touchscreen, 640 x 360 pixels
• Symbian S60 5th edition with TouchWiz 3D UI
• ARM Cortex-A8 600 MHz processor; HW Graphic Accelerator
• 256MB RAM
• 8 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geotagging, face detection, smile shot, image stabilizer, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), ISO 1600
• HD 720p@24fps, 720x480@30fps, QVGA time-lapse and slow-mo video recording
• Dual-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76 Mbps) support
• Quad-band GSM support
• Wi-Fi with DLNA technology
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
• 8/16GB internal memory
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
• TV out (Standard Definition content only)
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth and USB v2.0
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• DNSe audio technology
• DivX/XviD video support with subtitles (HD video playback)
• Virtual 5.1 channel Dolby surround (in headphones)
• Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
• Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation, turn-to-mute and motion-based gaming
• Magnetometer for digital compass
• Office document viewer
• Full Flash support in the web browser

Main disadvantages:

• No xenon flash
• No camera lens cover
• Sluggish browsing in the image gallery
• HD video recording sometimes drops below 24fps or duplicates frames to equal 24
• Samsung Mobile Navigator doesn't come with any maps or voice-guided navigation license
• No smart dialing
• Touch web browser zooming needs tweaking
• Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability
• No office document editing (without a paid upgrade)

Well, the Omnia HD is packed with all kinds of goodies, but not without a few setbacks on the way to retail. If the whole thing is put together right though, the i8910 Omnia HD may have every reason to claim its rightful place on the throne as the unchallenged king of HD video.

Some of you must be wondering what took us so long to get an Omnia HD for a proper in-depth review as it's been around for a while. Well, it's true and it's not. Samsung i8910 Omnia HD was released in the end of May through selected carriers but shortly after that Samsung froze production and stopped supplies, reportedly due to software problems. Now, the official release has been announced and the Omnia HD is available worldwide, all bugs fixed…though let us be the judge of that. But anyway, the i8910 Omnia HD is ready to roll.

This is our third and last meeting with the handset and we're still excited about exploring an industry leading device. The verdict of course is a few pages away, but a device that ticks off the wishlist of high-end features and marries Symbian and TouchWiz is certainly worth a closer look.

Samsung Omnia HD in our office

We hope you're as keen to join as the Omnia HD is eager to shoot those high-res videos. But first things first, let's take a look at the design and handling after the jump.

Source : www.gsmarena.com

Nokia 6720 classic review: Up a notch

Introduction

Nokia 6720 classic ventures to send the 6220 classic into retirement. There's a year's gap between the two gadgets and a casual observer may as well conclude that a year is a mere eye-blink for midrange Symbian smartphones. Well, we guess it's part of what defines a classic too.

We just need to take due note of the fact that Symbian comes in different Nokia flavors. Nseries, Eseries, classics and touchscreens (as of late) are jostling for the user's favor and securing the platform's market lead. Handsets like the 6720 classic are bottom of this in-house smartphone ladder, so jaw-dropping upgrades are probably not to be expected. Dressing up an old concept without breaking the bank feels quite right in the midrange.

Indeed, only a few changes have been made since the Nokia 6220 classic. Some of them (faster processor, increased battery capacity, 3.5 mm jack and the free lifetime global pedestrian navigation) are duly noticed and appreciated. And the facelift (apologies, 6220 classic) is more than welcome.

Nokia 6720 classic official photos

So, Nokia 6720 classic is good at the smartphone basics and looks quite the realistic and affordable handset it is. A dream gadget it sure isn't but a handy tool for mature budget-conscious users. 6720 classic is pleasingly compact and - thanks to the 600 MHz processor - very snappy. And the curve design makes it sufficiently distinct from the predecessor.

Key features

• ARM 11 600 MHz processor
• Symbian OS, S60 rel. 3.2
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Tri-band 3G with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA
• 2.2" 16M-color QVGA display
• 5 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash, Carl Zeiss optics
• Nice image quality
• VGA video recording at 15fps
• Built-in GPS receiver
• Free lifetime global pedestrian navigation
• Built-in accelerometer sensor
• Turn-to-mute and turn-to-snooze
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth (with A2DP), TV-out, 3.5mm audio jack
• microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 1GB included)
• Ovi Maps and Ovi Share
• N-gage support
• Steel battery cover

Main disadvantages:

• No Wi-Fi support
• Display is small, poor in image quality and brightness
• Questionable build quality
• Unprotected camera lens, LED instead of xenon are downgrades from the 6220 classic
• Video maxes out at VGA@15 fps

The feature list above implies enough skill to make those contemplating an upgrade to stop thinking and start acting. In all honesty though, the 6720 classic is not to be construed as an upgrade of the 6220 classic. The xenon flash has turned LED, the screen estate hasn't grown a bit, video-recording framerate has dropped. So in the end, this entry-level Symbian smartphone feels more proper choice for those upgrading from S40.

The Nokia 6720 classic isn't the coolest piece of equipment to ever cross our threshold but will never frown at hard work. It claims to have the speed and power and probably enough identity for a basic smartphone package.

Nokia 6720 classic live shots

We don't mean to sound condescending, it only feels fair to have the right expectations of a mid-range device. Users always have the final word but this entry-level Symbian looks quite focused on serving its target audience. No promise made is no promise broken. So, the Nokia 6720 classic is about to prove itself in action. As usual, we'll start by taking a close look at what's on the outside.

Source : www.gsmarena.com

LG Arena hits the million mark in sales worldwide

Today LG proudly announced that their multimedia handset LG KM900 Arena exceeded one million units sold around the world, following the steps of the 5 million Cookies and 5 million Viewties spread around the globe.
LG Arena was announced back in February during the MWC 2009 and was released in late April this year. It targeted the multimedia class and its pre-orders and first week sales were very promising (actually LG were touting one million pre-orders and subsequently orders even back then). However it seems that now, four months later, they've finally hit the millionth milestone for real.
While LG gives the credit of Arena's success to the attractive S-Class interface, the Dolby and DivX technologies and the "outstanding" audio and visual experience, it's more likely good marketing more than anything else, if you ask us.
We admit we are fans of the S-class UI and the LG Arena as a whole, but as user reports have it, it's been plagued by several issues concerning poor implementation of features or just plain limitations.
The Dolby sound enhancement may be nice, but the DivX playback capabilities are pretty limited (video resolution and bitrate wise). There are also numerous issues with the integrated GPS receiver and there is hardly an adequate Java SatNav software available.
And finally, the available third-party applications are not quite optimized for the LG Arena high-res touchscreen display and most of the times you get low resolution output and unwieldy on-screen controls that offer average user-friendliness.
LG Arena sold in one million units in 53 countries across the globe and we bet its success is far from ending. If LG continue their good marketing strategy and put their foot down to the metal with their upcoming AppStore, we are sure that the KM900 Arena will join the LG Cookie and LG Viewty on the 5-million podium.

Source : www.gsmarena.com

LG GD910 review: Tick-tock, tick-tock...

Introduction
If you see someone having a chat on their wristwatch you may decide they've lost contact with the mothership. Well, it beats us what you'd think when the mothership calls back. But maybe this little personality test will help us figure it out.
You find the idea of a video-call enabled wristwatch phone:a) Coolb) Fool-around coolc) Downright mentald) Man, not another Trekkie test!e) Who cares as long as we make some buck out of it.
All right then, if you answered B, C or D it's pretty obvious you're not from LG. And hey, if you answered A, those who answered E will love to meet you.
Tick-tock, digital wristwatch phones are nothing new actually, but somehow we need to pull ourselves together and start taking them seriously. LG and Samsung do, so there must be something, right.

The LG GD910 for one is dead serious judging by that price tag they have there. Or shall we call it LG double O seven - not so much for the cloak-and-dagger form factor as for the license to kill your savings. Well, it does make some sense really: almost acceptable dimensions and all the basic phone features duly covered. Touchscreen, fast data and video calling on a wristwatch - go ahead and call it crazy but you'd still be interested.
So, let's check out that specs sheet then, shall we?
Key features:
Wristwatch form factor with a leather strap
Water splash resistant (we're still raising the 900 euro needed to test it)
1.43" capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels
Comes with a Bluetooth headset
Excellent sunlight legibility
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA and video-calling
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
2GB onboard storage
Video call camera capable of making photos in VGA (640 x 480 pixels) resolution
Flash UI, optimized for finger usage
Text-to-speech enabled (no Klingon support as of yet)
Voice commands
Flight mode
Main disadvantages:
See water resistance above
Bulkier than even a large watch
No way to expand the built-in memory
Display colors and contrast are pretty washed out even in the dark
UI is somewhat slow at times
No FM radio
Trekkies would rather go for a lapel phone
We bet some of those disadvantages you already knew, while the rest of them will receive their due explanation as the review unfolds. For now we'll just say we don't have a clue about the LG GD910 target audience so we're trying to cover up our embarrassment with lame jokes.

Anyway, while hardly any self-respecting geek will wear one, the LG wristwatch can still count on the geek's benefit of the doubt. We sure hope we don't live to review ear implants as the next in mobile phones but we guess we can handle a wristwatch. Let's see what it's got (and what it doesn't).

Source : www.gsmarena.com

Nokia E52 review: E as in Exceptional

Introduction

Eseries seem to have been around forever: grown-up, confident and reliable. It's a small but solid lineup that's gone a long way from a fairly late start. Perhaps they've got a point: the business Finns are not running against the clock to discover, but look always on the spot to deliver. Eseries are less likely to obsess fans really - they're more into serving customers. And here they go again: the Nokia E52 looks well set to reward that once an Eseries, always an Eseries user attitude.

Nokia E52 official photos

We've come to take the lethal dress code for granted, and the E52 brings a welcome speed and stamina boost to the family. The 600 MHz CPU couldn't have been more at home in that razor sharp stainless steel outfit.

Compelling exterior and strong performance are the textbook definition of the business range of handsets where Nokia are clearly the standard-setters. The E52 in turn, appears to be the standard measure for business value - you pay for an entry level Eseries and get top-of-the-line smartphone treatment. Did anybody say bestseller?

Key features

• Compact metallic body and extra slim girth (9.90mm)
• Quad-band GSM support
• 3G with HSDPA 10.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2 Mbps
• 2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
• Symbian OS, S60 UI with FP2
• 600 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology, DLNA support
• Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS support, digital compass
• Accelerometer for screen auto-rotation and turn-to-mute
• One-touch shortcut keys mean "business"
• 3 megapixel enhanced fixed focus camera with LED flash
• Secondary videocall camera
• 60 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 1GB card
• microUSB v2.0
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
• FM radio with RDS
• Class-leading audio output quality
• N-Gage gaming support
• Ovi Maps preinstalled with trial turn-by-turn navigation license (10 days)
• User-friendly Mode Switch for swapping two homescreen setups
• Office document editor (with free MS Office 2007 update)
• Remote lock/wipe over-the-air
• Comfortable keypad
• Smart dialing
• Great battery life

Main disadvantages

• Disappointing camera features and performance
• Video recording maxes out at VGA@15fps
• No DivX or XviD support (can be installed, possibly requiring a purchase)
• No TV-out functionality

We guess you know what to expect from the Eseries and, in a way, the Nokia E52 is the most predictable of them business smartphones. It is a 3rd generation handset so to speak, and the straightforward linear progression from E50 and E51 should tell the whole story. Screen size, FP 2, GPS and system speed make the E52 a done deal for upgraders. But even users who consider it overqualified will find it hard to ignore.

The Nokia E52 live shots

Think big, act fast and look sharp is what Eseries have always stood for but there's something about the E52 that seemed to make our knees weak. It's the traditional Eseries styling - bold, confident but conservative enough to safely rule out uncontrollable displays of emotion. Still, the E52 must've hit the right spot and its commanding appeal is hard to define but hard to deny. So we'd better move on before we got too soft, and see if the ergonomics are on par or if they have been sacrificed for looks.

Source : www.gsmarena.com

Full touch Nokia 5230 announced, 3G and GPS onboard

Nokia are obviously getting more and more serious about their touchscreen portfolio. Hot on the heels of the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic, they have announced the Nokia 5230 - an entry-level touchscreen handset. The newcomer has the same dimensions as the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic but looses the Wi-Fi and has only a 2 megapixel camera.

Much like the Nokia 5800, the Nokia 5230 sports a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen with a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels, FM radio, 3.5 mm audio jack and microSD card slot. The camera has been downgraded to 2 megapixel resolution but manages the decent VGA@30fps video recording.

Nokia 5230 runs the latest Symbian S60 5th edition and is powered by the same battery as 5800 - a 1320 mAh one, which is good 320 mAh larger that that of the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic. According to the manufacturer the 5230 will be capable of 33 hours of non-stop music playback.

Nokia 5230

The final noteworthy features of the the 5230 include Ovi Maps and social networking integration such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube.

The available inbox colors for the Nokia 5230 are black and white for the front panel and red, pink, blue, yellow, silver and dark silver for the rear covers.

The available inbox colors

The handset will be available in Q4 this year for a recommended price of 150 euro before taxes or subsides. It will also be distributed in a Comes With Music package in certain markets, priced at 259 euro before subsides and taxes.

Source : www.gsmarena.com