Samsung has officially gone Android. Today, at the CTIA WITE 2009 conference in beautiful San Diego, Samsung unveiled the Samsung Moment as their first Android phone to hit market. The Moment features a 3.2-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 3.2-megapixel camera (with autofocus and LED flash), slide-out QWERTY keyboard, GPS, WiFi and an optical mouse. There’s also a speedy 800Mhz processor lying within, ready to crunch numbers like it’s nobody’s business. The Moment will be only the third Android phone to sport a physical keyboard when it launches, putting in league with the HTC G1 and the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) CLIQ. Talk about being in good company. But, the real question is how does the Samsung Moment measure up?
We had a chance to put hands on the Samsung Moment, and it holds its own against the CLIQ. The keyboard slides out with smooth confidence. The camera is decent, especially considering it only packs a little over 3 million pixels onto its image sensor. The keyboard keys are a little small for our tastes, but provides reassuring tactile feedback.
Samsung will be bringing the Samsung Moment to Sprint (NYSE: S) on November 1st for $179.99 (after $50 instant savings and $100 MIR) when purchased with new 2-year contract. Check out the video and photo gallery below for a preview look at the Samsung Moment.
It’s been a long time coming, and they’ve had to trudge through a veritable gauntlet of bad press related to Global Verge and Buzzirk Mobile, but Zer01 Mobile is finally ready to show that they’re not just full of hot air. Zer01 CEO Ben Piilani was on hand at the Fall CTIA WITE 2009 conference to prove to the media that Zer01 service is indeed real and does work.
For those of you not aware, Zer01 hit the scene earlier this year with a revolutionary new wireless calling service that used some sort of patented VoIP technology to provide unlimited voice and data service for just $70 per month, sans contract. It’s an intriguing offer, to be sure.
Piilani explains the Zer01 service as a “VoIP carrier” of sorts that treats all network traffic as data. Zer01 says that their service piggybacks on partner GSM networks in the US, but stops short of mentioning just who those partner carriers are. Getting started with Zer01 service is as easy as popping in a Zer01 SIM card into a Windows Mobile smartphone. The handset will automatically download a Zer01 VoIP dialer that is required to place voice calls. Once that’s all setup, you can talk and surf without limits.
The Zer01 service was demonstrated on a T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) HTC Touch Pro2, and the service works on the 1700Mhz 3G frequency. Even our feeble minds can make the logical connection that T-Mobile may very well be Zer01’s partner GSM carrier. But, we could be wrong.
As for retail availability, Zer01 says they will have their retail channel setup through established retailers in about a month. For their sake, we hope this launch window holds.
We’re expecting our own Zer01 SIM in about a week, so keep an eye out for a more in-depth look at Zer01 Mobile’s service.
You might have seen a couple of posts I put up the other day on the new Altec Lansing products – namely the InMotion Classic, and Orbit-M. Well, having spent a little quality time with each one, here are some initial thoughts:
InMotion Classic
Good size vs weight
Rock solid support of the iPhone in the mount (important to not weaken your connector over time)
Nice tactile buttons
Clever space-saving design on bracket and remote
Spanking sound quality – very nice fidelity!
Orbit-M
Excellent size/weighting combo – materials give it premium feel, overall weight is light-moderate (important for a portable unit!)
Carrying case is a nice touch
Sound fidelity is good (although not ramped up the volume yet to check for distortion)
Simple design aesthetic works well – industrial, clean lines
I’m going to spend some further time with the units to see if I can catch the driver units out in both devices, but I’ve a feeling, reading the PR, that they will tolerate some decent volume and harshness of music. We’ll see in the next few days….!
For more information on the complete autumn 2009 audio collection from Altec Lansing, you can visit www.alteclansing.com
AT&T (NYSE: T) launched the HTC PURE late Sunday evening as the first Windows Phone (get used to seeing that more) to sport the new Windows Mobile 6.5 OS, and it’s taken us this long to get a proper hands-on video together. Our bad. To make it up to all of you, here’s a quick(ish) look at the AT&T-branded HTC Touch Diamond2, interestingly branded the AT&T PURE. As a bonus, you also get to check out some of the cool new features in Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional.
A few things about the AT&T PURE. It sports a glossy black finish and metallic accents that highlights the 5-megapixel camera. The front-facing camera is gone. It’s compatible with AT&T’s 3G network. And, it’s got curves. We like the curves.
Under the hood, we find the same GPS, WiFi, microSD slot, gobs of RAM and 3.2-inch WVGA touchscreen that made the Touch Diamond2 a formidable Windows Phone. As for the PURE’s resistive touchscreen, it almost feels more responsive than the Touch Diamond2. Maybe it’s just in our heads. Maybe Windows Mobile 6.5 makes it feel more responsive. Whatever it is, the PURE is pure finger-flicking fun.
Stay tuned for more AT&T PURE and Windows Mobile 6.5 coverage. In the meantime, enjoy the hands-on video.
So, once in a while I get to sit down and do a review on a gadget – rather than taking an App for a spin, or checking out the industry news, it’s nice to play with something tactile. And when I do get my hands on my review gadget, I do like to spend time with a good one – which I think I’ve managed to get in this case!
The gadget in question is the Iqua Smart Badge Bluetooth Headset – which is a combined Badge holder, and Bluetooth headset in one (I guess you might have figured that out from the picture!). Now if you spend a lot of your working time in the corporate environment, you’ll know badges are very commonplace as a method of access control, and the staff in many organisations are required to display one at all time when on the premises – so the thought of combining badge-wearing with a Bluetooth headset is a good one – especially given that many companies offer a company phone to connect to.
The Hero is here! After waiting months to get my grubby mitts on HTC’s flagship Android smartphone, I found a Sprint (NYSE: S) HTC Hero sitting on my desk. Needless to say, I was excited to tear open the retail packaging and dive right in. But, I figured it would be a good idea to restrain myself for an official Sprint HTC Hero unboxing video.
The video you see below is a preview of the unreleased Sprint HTC Hero. The smartphone features a 3.2-inch capacitance touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, 3G data, microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Android OS 1.5 (Cupcake) runs the show, but HTC’s custom Sense UI helps add functionality and some visual pizazz to the Hero.
Also, notice that the Sprint HTC Hero lacks the protruding chin of the GSM HTC Hero. Whether you love or hate the Jay Leno look on the GSM variant, you’ll probably find the Sprint HTC Hero’s design as refined and tasteful. Personally, I’d like to see the “chin” make it Stateside.
Say what you will about AT&T (NYSE: T)’s 3G Microcell. It’s either a rip-off in disguise or a god-send from Big Blue, depending on your point of view. But, there’s no denying that it works. Following AT&T’s recent launch of the 3G Microcell in Charlotte, N.C., North Carolinian John Nash was lucky enough to test the network-boosting femtocell. Nash apparently likes the device, and doesn’t blame AT&T for his reception woes. According to him, the device saved his iPhone from cellular reception hell, giving him maximum reception and full-speed 3G data access.
The AT&T 3G Microcell blankets up to 5,000 square feet with a wireless network capable of handling simultaneous 3G data and voice calls from four distinct devices. The 3G Microcell’s range is reportedly pretty good, extending far enough to be useful outdoors.
There’s a catch, though (there always is). Since the 3G Microcell connects your mobile phone to AT&T’s network over a broadband internet connection, it uses GPS positioning to verify your location. That way, you can’t take your AT&T 3G Microcell to Finland and circumvent those roaming charges that wireless carriers love to charge. That means getting a GPS lock during the 3G Microcell’s setup process might prove to be a hassle if you’re planning to use the device far from any windows. It’s a minor annoyance that we’re sure most people will manage to deal with.
Other than that, the 3G Microcell is apparently worth the $150 entry fee. Cheaper is always better, of course, but as the cheapest, most feature-packed femtocell from any of the top three US wireless carriers, the AT&T 3G Microcell seems to be a solid performer.
Here’s to hoping a successful 3G Microcell launch doesn’t keep AT&T from continuing to upgrade its wireless infrastructure.
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) might be king of the hill when it comes to designing minimalist retail packages that exude sexiness, but Apple’s iPhone box isn’t exactly useful. T-Mobile (NYSE: DT)’s myTouch3G retail box, on the other hand, is pure genius. The myTouch3G (aka HTC Magic) is a great Android phone in its own right, but for this unboxing video we’re concentrating on the awesomeness of the box.
On the surface, the paper box cover looks stylish enough. It sports the artsy look you’d expect for an Android smartphone aimed at the younger-and-hipper demographic – the cover art might even do well as a wallpaper. But, remove the box cover and you’ll find a textured semi-hard case that doubles as a retail box!
The T-Mobile myTouch3G comes packaged in the zipppered hard-case that should protect the Android smartphone from all physical assault. Open the case and you’ll find the myTouch3G, documentation, charger, USB data cable and wired stereo headset snug-fit in foam and elastic netting. In short, the myTouch3G retail packaging is just about the coolest, most innovative we’ve seen yet!
Enjoy the T-Mobile myTouch3G unboxing video below.
I was just taking a read of the Onyx Slider device review, that 3G.co.uk have posted up – now, we reported on the release of three devices by Onyx not so very long ago, but this the first solid review I’ve seen on anyone of those devices.
The Slider is a nice feature-phone, packing a USP of dual-SIM capability:
Slider – A smart, music-player that also has email functionality and a 2MP camera, combined with a dual-sim mobile phone. With the Slider you can stay connected and save money while abroad; or have all your personal and business needs in one handset.
But what is like overall? Well 3G.co.uk say that the hardware is OK, however the User Interface isn’t so great.
What I want to know is how this could be – these days, Mobile Device vendors live and die by their user interfaces, since the UI Juggernaut that is Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) stomped all over the outdated interfaces being punted by a number of vendors previously (you know who you are!).
These days, it’s very hard to come to market, especially as a new vendor with lots to prove, if you ain’t rockin’ the house when it comes to UI. Even if the thing is a horror to use, you’ve at least got to put some surface-level polish on it.
You can read the full review by 3G.co.uk here, but I was disappointed as soon as I read the summary about the UI. Of course, if Onyx want to send me one or more of their devices to check out, I’ll happily (and objectively) review it to give you our “straight from the horses mouth” opinion (er… did I just call myself a horse?)
Motorola (NYSE: MOT) today announced its first Android phone at Mobilize 2009 as the interestingly named Motorola CLIQ. The unveiling finally brought the Motorola Morrison out of the shadows and into the mainstream. Thankfully, the CLIQ looks more impressive in person than it ever did in the leaked Morrison images we’ve been seeing for the past couple months. And, because customized homescreens are the hot-ticket these days, Motorola CLIQ’s hardware is complemented by Motorola’s custom Android UI, dubbed the MOTOBLUR. Motorola will have you know that MOTOBLUR isn’t just an Android skin, but an integrated service that pushes updates from all your social networks straight to your homescreen. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Let’s take a look at the Motorola CLIQ.
The CLIQ will hit T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA’s network later this year as an exclusive. Other parts of the world will get the Motorola Morrison as the Motorola DEXT, which just proves that Motorola loves them some CAPS! Pricing and launch information isn’t yet known.
What we do know is that the Motorola CLIQ features all the high-end smartphone goods you’d expect from a new Android handset. The CLIQ packs a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (320×480), 5.0-megapixel camera (autofocus), GPS, WiFi, 3G data, digital compass, accelerometers, ambient light sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. And, with its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the CLIQ makes quick work of lengthy text messages and emails.
From our limited hands-on time with the CLIQ, it’s clear that Motorola took some seriously fine-toothed combs to the hardware details. The keyboard keys are tactile enough to touch type. The slider mechanism slides out with a smooth “snick” that makes us giggle a little every time. There’s a nifty backlit Motorola logo on the backside of the slider – a nice touch to be sure. The camera is good – not sure if it’s “really good,” but it’s at least “good.” To top it all off, the touchscreen is nice and slick (capacitance!)
But, like the HTC Hero, it’s the CLIQ’s UI that makes it stand out from an increasingly crowding Android market.
The CLIQ is skinned with a new homescreen that Motorola calls the MOTOBLUR service. Motorola has been calling MOTOBLUR everything from a “service” to a “solution” to “social networking that just works.” We call it cool. The idea behind MOTOBLUR is to give the CLIQ a unique Android homescreen that not only makes for a finger-friendly experience, but also makes for a new kind of social networking experience. MOTOBLUR automatically trawls all your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace) for contact information, contact pictures and status messages and pushes all that information into the CLIQ’s widget-based user interface – contact information is automatically updated with status messages, for example. MOTOBLUR also pushes emails, text messages and news feeds straight to your CLIQ’s homescreen. Palm (NSDQ: PALM) had the same idea with the WebOS’s Synergy feature, but Motorola had the foresight to center their UI around the MOTOBLUR UI.
We’ll have more for you once we get a Motorola CLIQ of our own.
For now, enjoy the hands-on video and photo gallery!
[Update]
Post updated so that it actually has a photo gallery. Wired posted up some unpublished photos here.
It’s been a long time coming, and they’ve had to trudge through a 
InMotion Classic
Orbit-M
AT&T (
So, once in a while I get to sit down and do a review on a gadget – rather than taking an App for a spin, or checking out the industry news, it’s nice to play with something tactile. And when I do get my hands on my review gadget, I do like to spend time with a good one – which I think I’ve managed to get in this case!
Say what you will about AT&T (
the hot-ticket these days, Motorola CLIQ’s hardware is complemented by Motorola’s custom Android UI, dubbed the MOTOBLUR. Motorola will have you know that MOTOBLUR isn’t just an Android skin, but an integrated service that pushes updates from all your social networks straight to your homescreen. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
What we do know is that the Motorola CLIQ features all the high-end smartphone goods you’d expect from a new Android handset. The CLIQ packs a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (320×480), 5.0-megapixel camera (autofocus), GPS, WiFi, 3G data, digital compass, accelerometers, ambient light sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. And, with its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the CLIQ makes quick work of lengthy text messages and emails.
