BlackBerry Bold 9800 Preview

The BlackBerry line of products are number 1 in North America based on current market shares. Recently this market share has been threatened by Apple and it’s iPhone products, despite its current issues and the Google’s Android products led by manufacturer HTC. One of the main reasons for this is that these new smartphones better target consumers and provide a richer cell phone experience – better browsing and social media interaction for example.

RIM is aware of this and will be providing an operating system upgrade this fall which will improve the smartphone experience for existing and new customers.  The web is alight with RIM’s next flag ship product – rumored to be the BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider phone.  One of the key features I like about RIM is its full QWERTY keyboard along with its trackpad functionality.  So how do you preserve the keyboard functionality which many BlackBerry users like and have grown accustomed to while providing a large screen and rich experience expected from today’s smartphones – you come out with a slider phone!

This allows the die hard users to use the keyboard and trackpad if needed to  respond to long emails while still providing the options to use the touch screen functionality.  There are quite a few features that are expected to be a part of the Bold 9800 release:

• Upgraded Webkit browser (better browsing experience)
• Enhanced media player (this needs to rival iTunes)
• 512 MB of RAM
• WiFi functionality
• SurePress technology as part of the on screen keyboard
• 4GB of on board storage
• > 5 mega pixel camera

While none of these features have been confirmed, this will be the first smartphone from BlackBerry, if they get it right, that can start their climb back to the top of the ladder.

No release date has been issued but I would expected it before September month end this year.

A Review of the Samsung s8500 wave

The Samsung Wave launched in Canada this month on Bell’s and Rogers’ networks. It’s  available for for $299.95 without a contract from Bell and for only $29.95 on a 3 year contract while it will cost you $395 at Rogers and $79.99 on a 3 year contract. This is the first device from Samsung on its new operating system called “Bada” which incidentally means “ocean” in Korean – quite appropriate if you ask me to have the first device named “Wave” on an Ocean platform.

This device is a smartphone that feels like a feature based cell phone. Samsung’s regular guy smartphone or revved up feature phone – the phone is inexpensive like a feature phone with the full fledged features of a smartphone. Being the first of a future series of “Bada” phones I believe I was sceptical when I first took alook at this device – first isn’t always great but this cell phone did not disappoint me, in fact I was pleasantly surprised.

This is what I liked!

The phone is sleek, slender, light and has a great feel to it and comes in a rather impressive 10.9mm thin metal body and scratch resistant glass surface. This smartphone has the best screen display of any smartphone I’ve seen in market today – incredible display, the colours are incredible vivid and crisp and its has one of the best visibility’s outside with its enhance AMOLED screen. Here are the key features that wowed me:

• The wave comes with a 3.3” 16M colour Super AMOLED touch screen with multi-touch input support and display supports TouchWiz 3.0
• A 1GHz processor with quad band GSM/HSPA dual band 7.2 Mbps support
• WiFI 802.11b/g/n connectivity with tethering app support – it also comes with a feature which turns the phone into a mini hotspot so that your notebook can connect to it remotely (now this is nice)
• Built in GPS receiver with A-GPS support, digital compass, along with Samsung’s Mobile navigator
• A 5 MP camera with touch focus, LED flash, geo-tagging with face, smile and blink detection
• 720p high definition recording
• Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM recording
• Great social media integration with YouTube client, Facebook and Twitter integration – its contacts list tells you which social media connections your contacts have with nice symbols next to their names (facebook, twitter, email etc)
• It comes with 390 MB of user memory, 1GB of storage for Bada apps and 550M of messaging space but there is a microSDHC card slot for expansion
• This phone comes with the Samsung Dolphin Browser 2.0 which supports full flash support, but it didn’t seem to connect very nicely to a website with flash support – maybe it was just me
• Impressive audio quality
• Overall this phone impressed the hell out of me. It had a nice overall feel to me nice smooth scrolling and included Android like features like drop down notifications of WiFi and volume settings.

Well, this is what I didn’t like!

As this is the first Bada OS device from Samsung you would expect a few quirks here and there and there are a few that requires a mention or two – here is my list of things that I find Samsung can certainly improve:

• The number one issue is the limited number of Bada applications with less than 100 apps available the Bada operating system has some growing to do to truly maximize the benefit of this interface – this is just the beginning so hopefully Samsung can grow its ecosystem of applications
• The built in Navigation system is limited and could do with some work
• Quite a few quirks with the usability of the operating system for example the search function isn’t quite optimal the keyboard screen doesn’t alway pop up smoothely which makes it difficult to type in your search parameters
• RAM issues – this device could certainly use more memory 390MB doesn’t seem to cut it – there are several memory full notifications with a limited set of applications running
• USB connection to the device disables applications and the screen goes blank – this process needs to be better

Conclusion

The Samsung wave is an impressive start for the Bada based operating system. It has one of the sharpest screens in the market rivaling the iPhone 4 and many Android cell phones. It has an impressive array of features with great social media integration and comes with all the key features you would want in a feature rich phone but lack the applications availability typically associated with Bada’s smartphone contenders like Android, Apple and BlackBerry.

In Canada this phone is available on Rogers and Bell’s networks. Leverage the myCELLmyTERMs portal to get  competitive bids and compare cell phone plans to get the best deal available.

iPhone 4 antenna issue may limit customer adoption

This week Consumer Reports released the results of its tests on the iPhone 4 and found that because of the antenna issue it can’t recommend the iPhone 4 .  Quite a few customers who were fortunate enough to purchase the iPhone 4 experienced similar issues with the antenna. So with all the hype surrounding the iPhone 4 does the consumer report relegate the iPhone 4 from front runner to also ran?

What is the defect?

The iPhone 4 comes with a thin metal plate that surrounds the outside of the phone and this plate is the actual signal antenna which the iPhone uses to communicate with the wireless network. What many users have found is that when you hold the iPhone 4 the signal strength degrades significantly. Consumer Reports found that the actual problem is between the two antennas (see upper image) – when you place your finger between the gap of the two antennas the signal strength drops a whopping 20 decibels which is enough to drop a call.

Are there any solutions?

Apple’s response has been simple – don’t put your finger between the two antennas – hold the phone differently!! Not the best solution if you ask me.

Consumer Reports actually came up with a temporary fix in the interim – place a non conductive strip of tape (like duct tape) over the gap, this limits the effect your finger has on the signal strength of the phone. It isn’t the prettiest of solutions but it does work.

Is this the end of the iPhone 4?

Hardly. Even Consumer Reports has the iPhone 4 as one of its top picks for cell phones because of all the great features and improvements over it’s predecessor. However, because of the antenna defect it won’t give the iPhone 4 a clear recommendation.

If Apple can fix this issue with a software update to iOS4 then no harm done, however, if this defect can only be fixed with a hardware upgrade then that can become very costly to Apple.

So what do you think – get the iPhone 4 or stick with iPhone 3Gs (with the iOS4 upgrade)?

Samsung Galaxy S i9000

Is the Sky the limit with this New Android Smartphone?

The Galaxy S i900 is definitely a big brother to the Galaxy i7500, Samsung’s first Android Smartphone to hit the market earlier this year. Lots of improvements especially in the look and feel, with added power (1 Ghz processor) to support all the nifty applications made available with this device. By far one  of the more  notable features is its light weight and slim build with  a whopping 4-inch Super AMOLED touch screen, ideal for watching movies and even taking in an e-book to pass some time. This device is also packing a 5-megapixel camera capable of top quality snaps, a full HD video and front-facing camera allowing for video calls.

The Galaxy S i9000 runs on Android v2.1 (Eclair) operating system and is the first phone to sport Smart Life, Samsung’s new user interface for Twitter. It also comes with a social networking aggregator called “Social Hub” which manages all your social media from your texts to Facebook messages in one streamlined user interface. Other Smart Life features include Daily Briefing, which lets you customize news, weather feeds and other important information, a Smart Alarm and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) for media sharing.

So is there really anything more to want in a full-touch smartphone? Take a look at the full line up of key features and not so impressive ones.

Key features:

A nice added touch worth a  special mention is the inclusion of Swype keyboard ,which is an on-screen keyboard  that allows you to drag your finger across the screen instead of picking it up every time you type a letter making it easier and faster to input. Still debated in many circles whether it really speeds things up but like anything else, it will take some getting use too and not suited for everyone. You be the judge.

What’s not so Impressive:

• No free GPS navigation solution
• No Flash support for the web browser
• No flash for the camera
• No dedicated camera key
• The all-plastic body is a real fingerprint magnet
• Meager loudspeaker

Take Away:

As of today the Samsung Galaxy  S is one of the most anticipated Android smartphones of the summer. Hopefully Rogers and perhaps even one of the new entrants will step up to the plate and bring this device sooner rather than later before it loses its lustre. No definitive word on the exact costs but widely rumoured in the US the 16 GB model could carry a price tag of US $1000 if you choose to buy the phone outright, while the 8 GB price is around the $600 mark making it the affordable option.Whatever you decide always remember when shopping to do your research, compare plans to get the best terms that work for you .

Which Canadian carrier will bring this “Incredible” Android Cell Phone?

The latest Android cell phone, HTC Incredible, is packed with an incredible punch of features and widely speculated to be available in Canada in Q2. Nothing stopping it coming to TELUS or Bell as they both have a CDMA EVDO network which supports this device. Wind Mobile has expelled the rumour that they would be bringing this CDMA device confirming the phone is not compatible with their network. In the US, the cost of this device is a whopping $529.99 without a contract or $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. The back order on this device is 4 to 6 weeks according to Verizon the lone US carrier offering this device.

Looking at the impressive line up of” incredible” features, I wondered for a sec if it was cell phone spec sheet or mini computer. This device is filled with lots of power and has the potential to rival any in market  smartphone and widely compared to the Google Nexus One Android SmartPhone also manufactured by HTC and already available in Canada.

What’s so Incredible?

Many ask the question what’s so special about this device. Well for one, it’s the first Android device with a 8 Megapixel Camera, definitely one of the big selling points. Another gem on this Droid is its gorgeous 3.7 inch WVGA (480×800) AMOLED capacitive touch display. This is one of the major features that clearly demonstrate why this phone is dubbed Incredible. Finally, the Incredible is equipped with 8GB of internal storage as well as a MicroSD slot which can handle an additional 32GB, which you’ll need if you want to use that amazing 8MP camera.

What’s not to WOW?

A minus for this device is the keyboard, this is an extremely sensitive touch screen device, no hardware keyboard. The battery power leaves much to be desired as most estimates have shown the phone will barely survive a full day of moderate use. Power house alright but lacking the “juice” to use it to its fullest for an extended period. However, a good work around is to install the power control widget, and use Advanced Task Killer which will ensure that all apps left running are closed thus conserving on the battery power.

What’s there to compare to the Google Nexus One?

Take a look and decide how different or similar it is to the Google Nexus One. The notable differences include:

1. 8 Megapixel Camera in the Incredible vs 5 megapixel in the Nexus One.
2. The Incredible is equipped with 8GB of internal storage as well as a MicroSD slot which can handle an additional 32GB giving you a whopping potential 40GB of space while Nexus One has standard 512 MB Flash memory also with Micro SD card expandable by 32GB.
3. Look no further if you want to compare the experience of Android 2.1 with and without the Sense UI as the Incredible unlike Nexus One comes with HTC Sense built in.

It seems to me the HTC Incredible is a supped up Nexus One. You decide! I have included the full spec sheet for both devices for you to compare.

What’s the Bottom Line?

The Incredible does live up to its name. The spec sheet is loaded but the device is sleek and light enough for you to enjoy. The screen is large and beautiful, the camera is capable of taking fantastic photos, the multimedia experience is very enjoyable. Android 2.1 and HTC Sense pack is a match that makes this device stand out. Now let’s see who will bring this device to Canada hopefully sooner rather than later.

Blackberry Pearl 9100 3G Review

The new Blackberry Pearl 9100 3G will be available on the big 3 networks in Canada – Rogers, Bell and TELUS in a few weeks. The Pearl 9100 is the smallest smartphone in the blackberry line up.  At 4.25 inches (108 mm) x 1.97 inches (50 mm) it is almost identical to the first generation Pearl 8100s. But it does come with a few enhancements.

What’s new?

The Pearl 9100 is essentially a supped up version of the Pearl 8100 with the enhancements which indicate the growth of the smartphone space, particularly:

-          Sleaker design and 3G capability for faster data speeds

-          624 Mhz processor with 256 MB Flash memory

-          The latest Blackberry OS version 5.0

-          Comes with GPS  capability

-          Includes 3.2MP camera which comes with Video recording ability (the 8100 didn’t have this)

-          Includes Wifi capability

-          Uses blackberry’s new Trackpad system

-          Includes Tethering

-          Comes with an expandable media card slow up to 2GB of storage

Nothing earth shattering here, but it leverages the nice small package of the blackberry pearl with all the features you would expect from a blackberry device. And it comes with 3.5mm headset which is much better than those old 2.5mm headset jacks.

Any Drawbacks?

While I like the sleek design of the Pearl, what’s the purpose of having a blackberry if you don’t have the full QWERTY keyboard?  I’ve never been a fan of the SureType technology or the 20-key condensed keyboard. Besides this I was generally impressed with the new look of the Pearl.

Key Features 9100 vs 8100

Conclusion

In conclusion, the blackberry Pearl 9100 will appeal too many who enjoy the sleek small compact nature of the cell phone wrapped nicely in a Smartphone package. The enhanced camera and multimedia features will make the Pearl device very popular especially among women.  I believe however, that Blackberry needs a game changer device, like the Curve when it first came out. More sizzle with great features normally included in a blackberry.

Given that the Pearl will be available on all networks it is important to compare the Pearl’s price and plans before making a decision.

Is it worth doing a Back Flip?

If you dare to compare, the BackFlip and the recently released Motorola Cliq, both have very similar specs:

• 528-MHz Qualcomm MSM 7200A processor,
• 320-by-480 screen
• 5-megapixel camera
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 2GB internal memory (expandable up to 32GB),
• Full HTML browser, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS

However, there are a few distinguishing features that makes the BackFlip stand out from the rest of the pack. It is considered the first android phone without Google search replaced by yahoo search. The trackpad, which Motorola calls Backtrack, located on the back of the display (when the phone is open) works just like a traditional trackpad, allowing you to navigate through menus, flip through photos, scroll through the home screen panes, and more. For those that like touch screen you can also interact with the smartphone through the 3.1-inch HVGA touch screen. A nice addition is the larger than average user friendly QWERTY keyboard located on the back which is good if you have big hands.

Which way you flip it, the BackFlip appears to be leading the pack and tagged in many circles as the ultimate quadband GSM/EDGE SmartPhone to own. The MotoBLUR unique Happenings widget gives you the option to sync all your friends, posts, feeds, messages, e-mails, photos and much more from sources such as Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, work e-mail and more  with continuous updates. It combines the best in social networking, personalization and multi-tasking all in one place.  No logins, no apps and though it will launch with Android 1.5, it will soon be upgradable to Android 2.1.

Oh! Don’t forget Android users can access more than 20,000 applications on the Android Market if you decide to own this device. Look out for its release, coming soon to Canada on TELUS’s 3G + Network.

Nexus One now available to Canadians!

The Nexus One is an impressive cell phone.  It comes with a 1 GHz qualcomm processor, runs on the Android 2.1 platform, has 512 MB of RAM and has a 4GB micro SD card which can be expanded to 32GB….did I say phone or computer? Impressive! Well its now available in Canada as the Nexus one can be purchased online at Google, unlocked for $529 US.

In an effort to by-pass the various restrictions that are placed on new cell phones by the carriers -limiting access to applications, turning off certain functionality, and generally restricting free usage, Google has decided to circumvent the normal alignment with a cell phone company with its launch in Canada and the US by going it alone.

How do I get the Google Phone?

Don’t expect to see this phone in any of the regular cell phone company’s stores or any of the regular distribution channels.  Its ONLY available online at Google.  No carrier has exclusive access to this device, and you won’t find the cell phone on any of main carrier’s websites either.

Which Carrier carries the Nexus One?

While no carrier has it as an exclusive device, what I do know is that the phone originally worked on Rogers and Wind Mobile’s network at launch but subsequent releases by Google now make it compatible with Bell and Telus as well.

The unfortunate part is that because the phone is not available through one of the carriers directly you won’t get discounted pricing on this device – none of the $149 or $199 specials on a 3 year contract. And this is deliberate. Google would like to provide an alternate channel for consumers to get the phone directly without the contracts and restrictions associated with the other channels. While this is noble the price tag is a bit steep at $529 and it remains to be seen what Canadians think about this.

How do I activate?

Given that the phone has been purchased already, you will have to purchase the SIM separately at any of the carriers. I recommend that you get cell phone companies to compete in order get the right cell phone plan.  Your goal will likely be to avoid any contracts or long term commitments, given that you own the phone already, however, in Canada the carriers will charge a premium for the same exact plan if you opt not to have a contract — so just a heads up.

Where do I get support?

You won’t be able to return the Nexus One to your carrier if you have any issues with the device, you will have to go back to Google and work with them to resolve any issues.  Luckily there is a toll free number you can call for technical support (1-888-48-NEXUS (63987)).

Motorola Droid comes to Canada

Well it finally came to Canada – Motorola’s latest and its best cell phone in the market now.  I’m sure you all saw the Motorola Droid commercials last quarter by Verizon. They were really promoting the heck out of this device and for good reason, this phone is a gem.  Well the Motorola Droid, renamed the Milestone is now available in Canada but only available on Telus’ network as they have exclusive rights to this device. So if you are looking to get a new Milestone, why not have Telus dealers compete for your business, compare cell phone plans and get the best deal in the market.

So here are the key things you need to know about this device.

1. Its an Android Phone

The Milestone comes with Google’s Android operating system, version 2.0. This means that it will have all the Google core applications as well as access to Android market and thousands of applications. In addition it includes a bunch of goodies like:

• Google search by Voice commands – this is cool
• Includes GMAIL, Google maps with its turn by turn features as well as Google calendar
• Social networking support with seamless integration to Facebook

2. Its multipurpose

One of the biggest selling points on this device is that its multipurpose. You can use the touch screen to do everything on the phone or if you are not big on touch screens you can use the slide out keypad.  You might think that because this device has a slide out keypad that it will be bulky and thick – not quite so this device is one of the thinnest slide out cell phones at ½ an inch along with a 3.7 inch viewing screen. Not to be outdone the Milestone allows you to run multiple applications at the same time.

When you add in the Wifi capabilities, GPS functionality, predictive text and its 5 MP camera this cell phone really gives you multiple features and functionality.

3. Its No iPhone or Blackberry

It seems as though the iPhone is the standard bearer for touch screen devices, while the blackberry is the standard bearer for keypad based smartphones. While the Milestone includes both the touch screen and keyboard features, it doesn’t quite measure up to either of these standard bearers.

The milestone comes with limited multi-touch screen options and excludes features like the multi-touch pin to zoom.  Compared to the iPhone the experience is surely lacking. So if you are blackberry user like I am then the natural path would be to use the keypad features. But the keypad doesn’t quite feel right; the keys are too close together. There is a four way D-pad controller which doesn’t seem useful and takes up alot of room.

The Verdict

Despite these issues this is the best cell phone from Motorola in the smartphone segment. I believe some of the little quirks associated with the device will be addressed in the next release from Motorola. It is certainly better than the Dext, Motorola’s previous smartphone, and it comes with alot of good features.  Overall not a top tier device but it’s a strong second.

iPhone 4th Generation Available this May

iPhone introduced the 3GS less than a year ago and there is speculation that the newest device from Apple will be available as early as this May. Apple will want to come out with the 4th generation phone earlier to compete with Google’s Nexus One Android smartphone. The new iPhone comes with a list of new features that will surely make it a hit or will it? Some of the new features include a newer, sleeker design, a front facing camera (5 megapixel) with LED light and video capabilities (iChat), making it possible to video conference, True GPS built in and a more efficient operating system. The screen will be updated as well to OLED for power savings and a better image. There are even rumours that there will be a removable battery, this seems to be the least likely as Apple has never had a removable battery in any of their iPhones, iTouch or iPods. The 4th generation iPhone will also be able to use multiple Apps at once, this will be a great feature making the 4th generation more like a laptop than a phone. Many iPhone users find it difficult to cut and paste and move from one App to the next, so this will be a greatly appreciated enhancement. It will be available in 32Gb and 64GB models.

So why would you want one?

If you currently own an iPhone these new features are probably not going to make you run out and buy the 4th generation. Keep in mind that with any new device and operating sytem there will be many bugs that will need to be irioned out. Why would you want to be Apples guinea pig, especially when the 3G is more than enough to do everything you could ever need on a smart phone. On top of this when the 4th generation iPhone is available the 3G phones will come down in price. You will be able to negotiate a better deal when this happens. I would suggest holding off on the 4th generation until the next release. Even if you do not currently own an iPhone, it would still be a better investment to get a 3G iPhone for personal or business use, they are quick, reliable and hassle free. If you are considering using an iPhone for business you may want to read this first.

So why would you want the 4th generation iPhone when the 3G is more than capable?