Friday, July 31, 2009

Samsung Touchscreen Phones – No longer breakable?

Corning Inc., a leading manufacturer of specialty glass, announced earlier this month that it has reached an agreement with Samsung to supply its Gorilla glass as the protective cover glass for the Samsung Ultra Touch cell phones.

As an environmental friendly alumino-silicate glass, Gorilla glass is designed to be lightweight, highly durable and scratch-resistant after undergoing a chemical strengthening process. It is applicable not only to handsets, but also to other personal electronic devices featuring touchscreen technologies, such as notebooks and digital cameras. Available in various thicknesses, ranging from 0.5 millimeters up to 2.0 millimeters, the glass enables Corning’s customers to optimize device design and fabrication efficiencies.

"Touchscreen has rapidly become the standard in high-end mobile phone devices and in today’s mobile phone market, users want technology packed into stylish designs," said James E. Hollis, commercial director of Corning Specialty Materials. "Device makers want a product that can withstand the repetitive motion and use of touch. Corning’s Gorilla glass is ideal for these types of applications where pressure is being applied to the interface. It is a strong and damage-resistant cover glass that can withstand high-volume user interaction."

The technique Corning has applied on Gorilla glass is in fact called Projected Capacitive Technology, which has been growing at a fast pace mainly as a result of Apple’s highly successful iPhone. Although Projected Capacitive Technology is not yet as commonly used as the resistive technology, it surpasses the latter one in terms of durability and transmittance, which explains the dramatic growth in sales of touchscreens using this technology.

Despite of the scratch-resistant feature, to better protect the touchscreen of your handset, you may need a screen protective film as well. There is a wide range of protective films available on the market, which are effective in keeping the display from dust, scratches and stains. With features such as anti-reflection, anti-UV light and 99% of light transmission, the film does not interfere with stylus or touch screen operation, ensuring both the functionality and the good look of your phone.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/31/2009 02:12:00 AM 0 comments

BlackBerry Desktop Software Coming to Mac Soon

Good news to all Apple’s Mac users! Research In Motion announced that a Mac OS X version of its BlackBerry Desktop Software for Apple computers will be available this September, offering Mac users what they have been longing for.

At the moment, BlackBerry Desktop Software is only compatible with computers running Windows. But with the new desktop software, you will be able to perform most of the tasks supported by Windows, and manage various aspects of your BlackBerry smartphone on your Mac computer.

Using the new applications in the initial release, you can sync your iTunes playlists, calendars, contacts, notes and tasks. It also allows you to add or remove applications, as well as to update your BlackBerry when new software and applications are available. In addition, features like automatically scheduled backups and optional encryption can help you to backup and restore your device’s data. You can even manage multiple BlackBerry smartphones with the desktop software.

The software will support Mac OS X version 10.5.5 and above, and will be compatible with BlackBerry models such as Bold 9000, Tour 9630, Storm 9530, Curve 8350i and more.

To get more updated information on new software available, users can sign up here.


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Posted by cellularphone on 7/31/2009 02:09:00 AM 1 comments

Poor Performance of iPhone 3GS battery life

Enjoying great hit since its release in June, 2009, Apple’s brand-new iPhone 3GS impresses us with its lighter design, improved speed and advanced features. However, users’ review shows that the smartphone’s battery is not living up to their expectations at all.

Complaints among the users about the battery life have been appearing on the Internet and Apple’s support forums. They found that the device, after two years of development, has even less stamina than the original iPhone. According to tests conducted by IFixit.com, the battery life of the device is 15% shorter than the first generation and does not last to make it last through a workday.

So what are the causes of the poor battery performance of the latest iPhone? There are various possible explanations to the problem, which include defective hardware in the devices concerned. A theory that relates the short battery life to the 3.0 software update for iPhone 3G is also proposed. It is said that the new Push Notifications feature is the prime culprit, as it always keeps an Internet connection open that causes more consumption of battery power.

The high-speed 3G mobile network is probably another one to be blamed, since faster data transfer requires higher consumption of battery power. Besides, features that require heavy use of the computer processor and touchscreen also drain battery quickly. These features include global positioning system, built-in video recorder, and the 65,000 applications, which are available on the Apple’s App store for users to download.

There is no real solution to the short battery life for now. But for those who are affected by overly short battery lifespan, the following tips may be helpful:

1. To save power, turn off Push Notifications, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from the Setting menu when not in use.
2. Reset your iPhone by holding down the home and sleep buttons simultaneously. This can stop the applications that may drain battery improperly, and fix the problem of incorrect battery level showing.
3. As a last resort, turn off 3G connectivity from Settings>General>Network.

If the above solutions do not help, an external mini battery pack is an alternative to suit your need. Compatible with Apple iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, the lithium battery pack provides a high-capacity mobile power source for your device, allowing you to enjoy longer talk and play time. You can simply recharge the battery pack using the travel charger that comes with your iPhone. Available in black and white, the battery pack has an LED battery meter on one side to show the power level. With this battery pack, you can keep your smartphone charged anytime and be free from the worry about the battery life!

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/31/2009 12:15:00 AM 0 comments

Samsung Memoir T929 – Smart Picture-Taking Handset

Released earlier this year, T-Mobile Samsung Memoir, also known as the SGH T929, can be named as one of the best high-performance camera cell phones. Not only does it have an 8-megapixel camera as its selling point, the Memoir is also a well-featured handset equipped with an advanced touch screen, a GPS navigation system, a music player, a full HTML browser and more.

Boasting a high-resolution camera for taking quality photos of different resolutions, ranging from the largest 3,264 x 2,448 to the smallest 320 x 240, the Memoir features Xenon flash, auto focus, multiple shooting modes and Smile Shot smile recognition technology. As for video recording, there are three modes for you to choose, which are normal mode, picture message mode and slow-motion video mode. After taking some sharp and beautiful images, you can also share with others by uploading to picture websites such as Flickr, Kodak Gallery, Snapfish or Photobucket.

Another major feature of the handset is the TouchWiz interface, which is also applied on the Behold and the Omnia launched previously. It allows the fully customizable screen to react in a tactile way to your touch. Together with the drag-and-drop widgets along the left side, access to various applications such as the music player is always quick and effortless. In addition, it offers a virtual 12-key T9 predictive keypad for text input when held normally and a full QWERTY layout when held in landscape mode.

As for its appearance, the Memoir has a stylish design with a reassuring feel because of its metal casing and a 262K TFT 2.6-inch touch-screen display. Weighing 4.4 ounces and measuring 4.17" (H) x 2.11" (W) and 0.55" (D), it is one of the slimmest high-end camera phones on the market.

Though without Wi-Fi, the Memoir is equipped with T-Mobile’s 3G network, a built-in RSS reader, a GPS navigation system, a full HTML browser, speaker independent voice dialing functionality, Bluetooth connectivity and a micro SD memory capacity of up to 16GB. In addition, SMS, MMS, IM, and email messaging right out of the box are supported as well.

The high-end camera may be the major highlight of the Samsung Memoir, but its advanced features, which show a prefect combination of camera and cell phone, will unquestionably make you hard to resist it.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/31/2009 12:13:00 AM 0 comments

Apple’s App Store stands out from the online apps competition

Apple’s App Store recently proclaimed its victory in the smartphone competition by announcing its remarkable selling figure on mobile applications. According to Apple, its customers have downloaded more than 1.5 billion applications for the past year, which is proven to be an overwhelming edge over other major cell phone companies in the field.

Undergoing rapid growth since its birth, this one-year-old online store offers more than 65,000 applications created by over 100,000 developers to consumers in 77 countries. They are suitable for both iPod touch and iPhone, including the latest iPhone 3GS, with a total sale of around 40 million pieces. "The App Store is like nothing the industry has ever seen before in both scale and quality," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement.

To catch up with the strong rival, other companies also come up with similar plans of opening their own application stores, hoping to tap into the success that has been demonstrated by the App Store. Nokia has an application store using Ovi platform; Research In Motion launched its BlackBerry App World store in March; Microsoft announced its Windows Marketplace for Mobile earlier this year - even Verizon Wireless is talking about developing an app store for its smartphones.

Among them, LG Electronics, the world’s No.3 handset maker, is the latest to announce its store. The "LG Application Store" provides 1,400 applications with 100 free programs, available in 15 languages, to the consumers in Asia-Pacific countries such as Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. The plan is to expand the store to Europe and South America later this year, boosting the applications to 2,000.

So, to what extent LG and other competitors can taste the glory that Apple has experienced? "With 1.5 billion apps downloaded, it is going to be very hard for others to catch up." That is what Steve Job said. But no matter what the result is, consumers will surely benefit most from the warfare with the upcoming improved and innovative applications on cell phones.

Tags: Apple iPhone 3GS Accessories, Apple iPhone 3G Accessories, Nokia E62 Accessories, Nokia N95 Accessories, BlackBerry Storm 9530 Accessories, BlackBerry Curve 8350i Accessories, LG Incite CT810 Accessories

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/31/2009 12:11:00 AM 0 comments

Rise of Accelerometer: Will Appear on One-Third of Cell Phones by 2010

Accelerometer, device which has been playing a significant role in cell phone industry these days, are expected to gain more popularity on the market, as one of three handsets will sport an accelerometer by 2010, according to market research company iSuppli.

The sales of accelerometers have been growing at a constant rate since 2006. Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) for iSuppli, predicted that one-third of cell phones shipped worldwide will use an accelerometer, up from one-eleventh in 2008 to one-fifth in 2009. It is also expected that revenues from sales of MEMS in phones will rise to $1.6 billion in 2013.

So exactly what functions do the devices contribute to the cell phone industry? With the capability to detect and measure motion, accelerometers are essential to many applications and features of the popular smartphone nowadays. For example, it enables an iPhone to switch its screen from portrait to landscape view when it is tilted on its side. Apart from screen orientation, the sensors are also widely used in other type of handsets in motion-sensitive games, shake modes for control of music playback, context awareness and pedometers.

Nokia’s N95 is the first handset equipped with an accelerometer. Its success provokes the growing use of accelerometers, which becomes an essential component on those current top-selling devices such as Apple’s iPhone, Palm’s Pre and BlackBerry Storm.

Since January 1, 2009, of the several hundred handsets already launched, 18.3% of the models integrated an accelerometer. Among the top cell phone makers, Sony Ericsson enjoyed the highest penetration of accelerometers, with 18 out of 19 new phone models introduced this year, followed by Nokia with 38% of its handsets platforms equipped with motion-sensing accelerometers since January. Samsung and LG are also offering new phones with 3-axis accelerometers.

With its ever-increasing popularity, the integration of accelerometers will no longer be considered as an exclusive feature. The devices will certainly play a significant role in developing more new and innovative features and applications on the future cell phone models.


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Posted by cellularphone on 7/31/2009 12:04:00 AM 0 comments

Thursday, July 30, 2009

LG Glance (VX 7100) – Experience the slimmest and the lightest

Available on Verizon Wireless, LG has recently launched the LG Glance (VX 7100) featuring an ultra-slim and sleek design for the stylish and fast-paced generation. Although the CDMA handset does not excite us with exclusive features like LG enV Touch (VX11000) does, its easy-to-use functions and decent appearance still make it a great pick as an affordable purchase.

Featuring a stylish candy bar design with internal antenna, the Glance is embellished with metallic border and a luxurious back cover to match the black plastic casing perfectly. Measuring 4.31" (H) x 1.87" (W) x 0.38" (D) and weighing 2.92 ounces, it is definitely one of the lightest cell phones on the market, adding no burden to your personal belongings.

Equipped with a 2.00-inch TFT display of 262K colors and a 320x240-pixel resolution, the Glance offers clear and crisp texts and images as an entry-level phone. Underneath the display is a well-sized and easy-to-press keypad that brings users convenience and comfort when they are dialing, texting or navigating the menu.

The one-touch speakerphone mode is also a useful function, as it allows you to switch directly to speaker mode with a simple touch of a button, which is especially perfect for meetings and shared conversations. What’s more is the 1.3 megapixel camera for taking pictures in three resolutions (1,280x960, 640x480, and 320x240), five white balance presets and five color effects. Users can easily snap a quality photo and share with friends at anytime.

In addition, the handset comes along with Speaker-Independent Voice Commands for placing calls, sending messages and performing other tasks. Armed with a small internal memory, it offers memory expansion up to 4GB using optional Micro SD memory cards. It also supports Verizon services such as Media Center, Mobile Email, Mobile Web, Instant Messaging, Chat, Chaperone Parent/Child, Voicemail, as well as text, picture and voice Messaging with threaded messaging features.

Other features of the Glance include the Broadcom® Bluetooth wireless technology and GPS functionality. One more thing to note is that the phone only comes with a 2.5mm headset jack, meaning you will need a headset adapter if you wish to plug in your own pair of 3.5mm earphones.

Sophisticatedly designed with well-packed features, the LG Glance is one of the quality entry-level phones Verizon Wireless has introduced, and will definitely satisfy those who are looking for a chic, user-friendly and slim handset for uncomplicated voice communication.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/30/2009 01:24:00 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Victory of 3.5mm audio jack

Good news for all music lovers who enjoy listening to their favorite music by plugging earphones to the cell phones! It is recently reported that HTC, the Taiwan-based cell phone maker, has decided to equip most of its handsets with a 3.5 jack from now on, meaning HTC supporters will have a very good chance of getting rid of those 2.5mm jacks for good.

While 3.5mm is the standard size of music headphone and earphone plugs, many handsets on the market only have a 2.5mm opening, which implies you will need an audio adapter to make use of your own 3.5mm headphones. Unwilling to carry an extra 2-inch cable, some users may choose to discard the media playback functionality of the handsets.

Among the 30 smartphones released by HTC over the past years, only 3 of them, HTC Hero, HTC Touch HD and the HTC Advantage X7510, are equipped with the standard sized 3.5mm jack. Fortunately, HTC seems to finally hear the voice of its supporters. This feature will probably be included in all the future high-end models, as well as in the successors of Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2.

But if, unfortunately, your cell phone only comes with a 2.5mm connector, and you still want to enjoy music with privacy using your handset, you definitely need a universal 2.5mm to 3.5mm headset adapter. Suitable for all phone models, the adapter allows you to connect your phone to any 3.5mm stereo headset or portable speaker, giving you high-quality sound to enjoy the music. But if you want to lose the 2 extra inches of cable, a universal 3.5mm headset adapter will also do the trick. However, for those major brands that have a proprietary port, such as LG, Samsung and Motorola, a specific audio adapter is required.

Now, it seems that it is only a matter of time that other cell phone manufacturers notice the importance of standardizing the audio jack, following the huge step made by HTC. Until then, we just have to wait and keep one of those middleman components in our pockets – to get the greatest enjoyment of our own music world at anytime.


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Posted by cellularphone on 7/28/2009 10:56:00 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 13, 2009

Travel Around the World with BlackBerry Tour 9630

Newly added onto Verizon’s lineup, BlackBerry Tour 9630 is the first non-touchscreen BlackBerry device that comes with OS 4.7, together with robust business and entertainment features. Moreover, thanks to the quad-band GSM radio, Tour offers worldwide connectivity, allowing users to stay connected in most parts of the world.

Like any BlackBerry device, Tour supports desktop sync with BlackBerry Desktop Manager. Users can easily sync contacts, emails, calendar and tasks with the computer for easier management. Business users can also apply the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution (BES) for functions like single mailbox integration and remote address book lookup.

To keep in touch with business partners and friends, users can make use of the full set of messaging options on Tour. Besides SMS and MMS, you can chat with others via IM platforms like AIM, Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger. With BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS), you can also have up to 11 personal email addresses on your device.

Serving as a messaging powerhouse, Tour provides users with a terrific QWERTY keyboard. Keys are well spaced, easy to press and give tactile feedback, making the keyboard one of the best on the market. Plus, there is a black trackball for smoother navigation.

On the multimedia front, Tour is equipped with an integrated media player that is compatible with files like MP3, WMA and MPEG4. Users can also access Verizon’s V CAST Music to buy and download tracks to the phone. With a 3.5mm jack and A2DP support, you can connect any compatible earphones or Bluetooth stereo headsets for better sound.

Tour also ships with a 3.2-megapixel camera and camcorder, accompanied by an LED flash. The phone has a MicroSD expansion slot that accepts memory cards up to 16GB for storing all your favorite music, pictures and videos. Simply plug in the data cable and you will be able to load media files onto the memory card.

As mentioned, Tour comes with world-roaming capabilities, so you can bring the smartphone with you to anywhere that runs 3G network. It also provides high-speed EVDO connectivity, internal GPS and BlackBerry Map, though lacking Wi-Fi support.

Tour comes in a slim and lightweight design, with a dimension of 4.4" x 2.4" x 0.6" (H x W x D), weighing 4.58 oz. It sports a brilliant 2.4" HVGA display, which has high resolution and remains bright and easy to read even in direct sunlight.

BlackBerry Tour 9630 is a fast and stable device that brings together everything you need, serving both business and personal use. The full-featured global smartphone will certainly become one of the strongest smartphone offerings on Verizon.

Tags: BlackBerry Tour 9630 Accessories, Bluetooth Headsets, BlackBerry Tour 9630 Cases, Lithium Battery for BlackBerry Tour 9630, Car Charger for BlackBerry Tour 9630, Travel Charger for BlackBerry Tour 9630, 3.5mm Stereo Headset for BlackBerry, USB Data Cable for BlackBerry Tour 9630, 8GB MicroSDHC Memory Card

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/13/2009 02:23:00 AM 0 comments

Motorola Karma QA1, Built for Texting & Social Networking

Currently available on AT&T, Motorola Karma QA1 is an entry-level messaging phone that combines texting and social media. While offering a nice array of messaging options, Karma also provides users with direct access to popular social networking sites and keep users connected on the go.

Karma measures a dimension of 3.46" x 2.52" x 0.7" (H x W x D), and sports a 2.5" high-resolution TFT display and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Keys are well spaced to ensure easy and error-free text entry. The handset features IM-style texting; users will have no difficulty following conversations and keeping messages organized.

Besides SMS and MMS, users can also stay in touch with others via various IM platforms, such as Yahoo, AIM and Windows Live Messenger. Karma also offers mobile email support from AOL, Yahoo and Windows Live Mail, as well as other POP3 and IMAP4 accounts.

Connecting to social networking sites on Karma is simple and effortless. There are one-click links to popular sites like Facebook and MySpace, which make updating a status, sharing a comment or posting pictures and videos just one click away.

On multimedia side, Karma ships with a 2-megapixel camera and comes preloaded with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 for tunes and videos. The music player supports formats like MP3, MIDI and MPEG4. Also, it has both A2DP support and a 3.5mm headset jack for use with wider range of Bluetooth stereo headsets or hands-free devices.

With the CrystalTalk technology, Karma delivers impressive voice quality during calls. By amplifying your conversation and reducing background noise, you can hear and be heard even in noisy environments.

Other notable features on Karma include a full HTML browser, voice-memo recording, and on-board aGPS that integrates with AT&T Navigator. The slider phone has roughly an internal memory of 100MB, but is expandable up to 16GB with a Micro SD memory card.

Built for users who are fond of text messaging and social networking, Motorola Karma QA1 allows you to stay connected with friends and family, and keep the conversation going no matter where you are.


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Posted by cellularphone on 7/13/2009 01:31:00 AM 0 comments

LG LX370 – a New Multimedia Slider Phone on Sprint

Sprint has recently launched LG LX370, a full-featured, yet easy-to-use and affordable CDMA handset. The slider phone comes with Sprint One Click, which brings all your favorite features to your fingertips. It is also packed with multimedia features like Sprint TV and Sprint Music, along with high-speed data for quick Web browsing.

Loaded with Sprint One Click, LX370 allows users to personalize the home screen with eight shortcuts, which link to features like messaging menu, email, Web pages, and also a Google shortcut that offers access to Search, Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube. What’s more, you can add a "bubble" onto the home screen to show information like news headlines and financial updates.

As an EVDO device, LX370 supports all Sprint’s broadband services. You can access Sprint TV and stream video clips from content providers like CBS and ESPN, or you can purchase and download full-length songs from Sprint Music Store. With Sprint Navigation, you can also obtain visual and audio turn-by-turn GPS directions while driving.

Other multimedia features onboard include a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder with digital zoom, and an integrated media player that supports file types like MP3, WMA and MPEG4. In order to hold all your pictures, videos and tunes, LX370 is equipped with a MicroSD memory card slot that can hold up to 16GB.

One thing to note is that LX370 only comes with a 2.5mm headset jack; you will need a headset adapter if you wish to plug in your own pair of 3.5mm earphones. As an alternative, you can listen to music wirelessly through Bluetooth stereo headphones since the phone has A2DP support.

To stay in touch with friends, you can text them via SMS and MMS or chat on IM platforms like AOL, Yahoo and Windows Live Messenger. The handset also offers easy access to Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, as well as other POP/IMAP email systems.

Judging by physical size, LX370 is lightweight at 3.7oz and rather tiny with a dimension of 4.06" x 1.89" x 0.63" (H x W x D), yet it feels sturdy to hold in hand. The 2" QVGA display, though a bit small, comes with high resolution and is able to show rich and vibrant colors.

Combining the intuitive Sprint One Click and the rich multimedia feature set onboard, LG LX370 is certainly a well-rounded slider phone on Sprint’s lineup.


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Posted by cellularphone on 7/13/2009 01:29:00 AM 0 comments

Consumer Reports: iPhone 3GS Tops New Smartphone Ratings

Apple’s iPhone 3GS has topped the new smartphone ratings of Consumer Reports, edging out rivals like Palm Pre and BlackBerry Bold.

According to Consumer Reports, iPhone 3GS has shown strong and solid performance in most areas, particularly in Web browsing, multimedia, navigation and battery life. However, it did not do well in voice quality, which could be a problem of the handset itself, or the AT&T 3G network.

Ranking second on the rating list are iPhone 3G and Samsung Omnia (i910), while BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Bold and T-Mobile G1 are in a three-way tie on the third place. Sprint’s Palm Pre sits on the fourth, in a tie with BlackBerry Curve.

Though falling behind on the list, Palm Pre and the BlackBerry devices perform better than iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G in messaging capabilities, as commented by reviewers. Palm Pre has also scored high marks with its "Deck of Cards" multitasking ability.

Consumer Reports has changed some of the criteria for this year's evaluation, since it finds increasing complexity in today’s smartphone technology. Changes include focusing more on the handset’s display, navigation, messaging, and multimedia functionality, while putting less emphasis on features like talk time and voice quality.

Such amendments have helped some older phones, such as iPhone 3G, move up in the rankings, while handsets like the Samsung Blackjack II and BlackBerry Pearl Flip have their ratings dropped due to the changes.

It is unsure that how iPhone 3GS would rate after AT&T makes MMS available on the Apple device later this summer. We shall wait and see if it would show stronger messaging capabilities and score even higher marks by then.

Tags: Apple iPhone 3GS Accessories, Apple iPhone 3G Accessories, Samsung Omnia i900 Accessories, BlackBerry Storm 9530 Accessories, BlackBerry Bold Accessories, T-Mobile G1 Accessories, Palm Pre Accessories, BlackBerry Curve 8350i Accessories, Samsung Blackjack II Accessories, BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Accessories

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/13/2009 01:27:00 AM 1 comments

Friday, July 10, 2009

Motorola Evoke QA4 – Stay Connected with Your Social Circles

With the full touchscreen on Motorola Evoke QA4, everything is just one touch away. Released for Alltel, Evoke is a social networking-centric phone, which has built-in widgets to access real-time information, social networking sites and personalized RSS feeds to keep you constantly connected.

Comes preloaded with seven quick-start widgets, Evoke offers one-touch access to applications like MySpace, Google QuickSearch, RSS Reader and YouTube. Just a swipe of the finger, you can easily flip through each widget and enjoy direct access. Moreover, the widgets are constantly updated, hence you can always find the latest information.

Evoke sports a 2-megapixel auto-focus camera for shooting still pictures and capturing videos. You can upload your work directly to Google Picasa, which is also on the widget list. Or you may transfer your work to a computer through Bluetooth connection or POP3 and IMAP4 email accounts.

Measuring 4.25" x 1.99" x 0.69" (H x W x D), Evoke is slightly smaller than most other touchscreen phones on the market. Built in oval shape with rounded corners, the phone has a 2.8" WQVGA touchscreen display and a slide-out alphanumeric keypad.

To make a call, you can either use the physical alphanumeric keypad, or a virtual one on the touchscreen. It is also quick and easy to type messages. Rotate the phone to landscape mode will reveal an onscreen QWERTY keyboard, making text entry more convenient. The device also comes with predictive text and smart auto correction for better accuracy.

Other features found on Evoke include noise reduction technology to help lower background noise on phone calls, full HTML browsing, stereo Bluetooth support and speaker-independent voice dialing and voice memo recorder. There is also a MicroSD card slot, which can house card up to 8GB.

Sturdily built and coming in a stylish slider design, Motorola Evoke QA4 is a full-featured phone that brings you a useful set of integrated widgets, and keeps you connected with your social circles when you are on the go.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/10/2009 01:52:00 AM 0 comments

Sprint HTC Snap – Everything in a Snap!

Exclusively offered by Sprint, HTC Snap (S511) is a Windows Mobile smartphone for CDMA networks. It has all the essential smartphone features and mobile productivity tools combined in a compact design; not only to keep you connected, but also seamlessly combine your personal and business life.

As its name suggests, Snap does everything "in a snap". Opening and running apps on the smartphone is blazing fast with a 528MHz processor on-board. Thanks to Sprint’s high-speed 3G EVDO network, Snap is also speedy in downloading files and browsing the Web with Internet Explorer 6, Microsoft’s most updated mobile Web browser.

Running on Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, Snap offers a wide range of Microsoft tools, including the Office Mobile suite, by which users can read and edit Office documents, as well as Microsoft Direct Push Technology for real-time email delivery. It also provides automatic synchronization with Outlook Calendar, tasks and contacts via Exchange Server.

A big highlight on Snap is a new function called Inner Circle, which sorts incoming emails based on the user’s preferences. After adding your favorite contacts into the Circle, you can easily bring emails from them to the top of the Inbox, allowing you to read and reply conveniently.

Positioned as a messaging phone, Snap does not only support POP, IMAP and Microsoft Exchange email systems, but also keep users connected through threaded SMS, MMS, and Instant Messaging (IM) on AOL, MSN and Yahoo. What’s more, the smartphone is equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard, which allows quick and easy typing and gives tactile feedback.
Measuring 4.5" x 2.5" x 0.5" (H x W x D), Snap comes in a slim and sleek design, and is lightweight at 4.2 oz, making it easy to carry around. The device sports a 2.4" QVGA display, which shows sharp and bright colors.

Other features on-board include a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder, GPS Navigation and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP profile for stereo wireless headsets. You can enjoy your favorite tunes on Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, which supports file types like MP3, MP4, WMA and MPEG-4. The smartphone accepts microSD card up to 16GB, so user can have more room for multimedia files.

HTC Snap (S511) is no doubt a fast and stable device, which comes with top-notch messaging features and solid productivity apps, together with a stylish and modern design.

Tags: HTC Snap Accessories, Bluetooth Headsets, HTC Snap Cases, USB Data Cable for HTC Snap, Car Charger for HTC Snap, Travel Charger for HTC Snap, Stereo Hands-free for HTC Snap, 8GB MicroSDHC Memory Card, LCD Protective Film

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/10/2009 01:50:00 AM 0 comments

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Mobile Messaging Usage Continues to Grow

Despite the economic slowdown, both consumer spending on and revenue from mobile messaging services like SMS, MMS, mobile email and mobile instant messaging (IM) will continue to grow in the coming few years, according to latest research reports.

Strategy Analytics foresees that global consumer spending on mobile messaging services will go up by a 6.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and reach $130 billion by 2013. ABI Research comes up with an even bigger number, expecting mobile messaging service revenues to surpass $212 billion globally in 2013.

Analysts note that consumer demand for mobile messaging services has been growing rapidly, particularly for email and IM access. Cell phone manufacturers have probably spotted the trend as well, hence many of them have been working on "messaging phones", aiming to grab more market shares.

For example, Palm has recently launched the popular Palm Pre and Palm Treo Pro, while Samsung has Impression (a877) and Jack (i637), and LG has enV Touch (VX11000) and Xenon (GR500). All these devices are equipped with strong messaging capabilities and come with physical QWERTY keyboard for quick and easy text entry.

Devices without QWERTY keyboard can also make a terrific and solid messaging phone though, such as BlackBerry Storm 9530, the first touchscreen phone on BlackBerry’s lineup. Only with a 3.25" touchscreen display and no QWERTY keyboard, Storm serves well as a robust messaging powerhouse, just as BlackBerry Curve 8350i and Curve 8900.

Nowadays, many cell phone users opt for mobile messaging rather than voice calls, seeing it as a more convenient and efficient way to stay connected. Therefore, in order to boost sales and revenues, cell phone makers should keep improving their messaging devices and services, and deliver better mobile messaging experience.


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Posted by cellularphone on 7/09/2009 01:05:00 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

iPhone: Appealing to Both Young and Old

The general belief goes like this: "typical users" of the overwhelmingly popular iPhone should be young people who surf the Web with the Safari browser, or check out the App store to look for games and entertainment. However, Nielsen Wire has broken the stereotype by unveiling the results of its recent survey.
Survey results show that iPhone users in the U.S. span from all ages. Among roughly 6.4 million active iPhone owners in the country, number of users aged 13 to 24 almost equals those aged 55 or above, at 18% and 17% respectively, while most of the users are found in the age group of 35 to 54, occupying 36% of the total.

It is somehow interesting to find that the smartphone is equally appealing to both young and old, since most handsets target at a particular age group or users with specific usage patterns. For example, Nokia E71x and BlackBerry Bold 9000 are designed for business users, while heavy text messaging users can pick LG enV3 or Samsung Exclaim (m550); all of them come with distinct features for meeting specific needs.

Nielsen’s research has also found out what users mostly do with their iPhone. Around 88% of the respondents use the device for browsing the Internet, 75% for downloading apps and 72% using location-based services. About 37% of users watch videos on their smartphone, which is 6 times more than that of typical subscribers.

There are many accessories for iPhone available on the market. You can enjoy music and videos through a stereo headset for better audio performance, or stay connected while driving with a Bluetooth headset. Also, with a travel charger, you can power up your device when you are out of town, so you can enjoy the apps without worrying about low battery.

Go find out more about iPhone accessories, and pick suitable ones to further enhance smartphone experience on your device.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/08/2009 02:12:00 AM 0 comments

Monday, July 6, 2009

Motorola Rival A455 – the Messaging Machine with Verizon

Motorola Rival (A455) is an affordable CDMA messaging phone, one of the newest handsets on Verizon’s lineup. The QWERTY-slider gives solid performance, offering a wide range of features that can rival many other expensive devices.

Measuring 3.8" x 2" x 0.71" (H x W x D) and weighing 4.4 oz, Rival is handy and lightweight. Due to its size, it feels comfortable in hand and fits well in pockets. It is available in two color themes, Tin Silver and Purple.

On the front of the Rival is a 2.2" semi-touchscreen, which only activates for number dialing, and for the two navigation keys located at the bottom corners of the screen. All touch inputs are confirmed with tactile feedback. However, you will still need the d-pad below the screen display for menu navigation.

Slide open the Rival will reveal a nicely designed QWERTY keyboard with black plastic keys. The keyboard comes in four rows, with the top three for letters, numbers and symbols. The remaining one contains the Space bar and shortcut keys that lead you to text messaging, mobile instant messaging (IM) and lists of emoticons.

With dedicated messaging keys and the ability to organize text messages, the Rival is a user-friendly messaging machine. It provides users with a full range of messaging options, including threaded SMS, MMS, and IM on AOL, Windows Live and Yahoo platforms. It can also connect to Mobile Email services like Yahoo and MSN Hotmail.

Moreover, the handset comes with comprehensive voice command functionality. Speak the name of a contact to call, or the name of a menu or feature to open it. You may as well speak the name of a play-list to begin playing your favorite tunes.

Other features on the Rival include a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder, a 3.5mm audio jack for plugging in your own set of headphones, as well as integrated Bluetooth profiles for headsets, hands-frees, stereo (A2DP) and file transfer.

Thanks to its carrier, the Rival also offers access to Verizon services, such as VZ Navigator for turn-by-turn driving directions, VCAST Music for downloading songs and VCAST Video for streaming TV shows and video clips. The phone is equipped with a microSD card slot, which can house cards up to 8GB for storing files and contents.

The Motorola Rival (A455) is a strong and solid messaging phone that incorporates a nice array of advanced features, yet at an affordable price. It is surely one of the best picks for heavy text messaging users, as well as budget-buyers that are looking for a full-feature phone.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/06/2009 02:21:00 AM 0 comments

How to Better Protect Handset and Phone Data?

Loss of cell phone could mean much more than money matters. If you lose your phone, it is not just about the value in money terms, but also the important contacts, messages and files on the phone that might be irrecoverable.

According to a research conducted by mobile device management firm Mformation, 91% of them said they would feel "devastated" if they lost their phones, while 40% said that losing a cell phone would be worse than losing their wallet. Moreover, 90% of respondents are worried about losing their personal data if their phone went missing, with 72% admitted that such information is difficult to recover.

To better protect our cell phones, one of the best yet affordable ways will be using a cell phone case. For example, holsters and leather cases often come with belt clips, so users can attach the case to the belt and avoid misplacement. Also, most of the carrying pouch cases have magnetic closing flaps, so as to keep the phone inside the case.

Besides locking the phone or the data on it with passwords, you are also recommended to take backup using a DataPilot Kit or a data cable. With these tools, you can transfer all the important information like contacts and emails from your handset to a computer for having a copy. You can also save the data on memory cards, so that you can restore it to another device afterwards.

Since your cell phone is one of your valuables, it is always important to protect it, as well as the data kept inside. In case of loss or theft, you should contact your service provider as soon as possible and request to block the phone immediately. By doing so, you can prevent the new owner from making any calls with the device or using it for misdeed.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/06/2009 02:16:00 AM 0 comments

LG enV Touch (VX11000) – the Voyager 2

LG enV Touch (VX11000) is a high-end messaging phone on Verizon that comes as the successor to the popular LG Voyager (VX10000). The fantastic handset has brought various improvements, including dual displays at higher-resolution, a more capable camera and a refined music player, which greatly enhance mobile experience.

Measuring 4.52" x 2.16" x 0.66" (H x W x D), Touch is slimmer than its predecessor, yet slightly heavier at 4.92 oz. It comes with two large 3" WVGA displays; on the outside is a resistive touchscreen that gives tactile feedback, while the internal one is not touch-sensitive, but also show sharp and vibrant colors just as the external one does.

Flip open the phone reveals not only the internal display, but also a large, four-row QWERTY keyboard. Compare to Voyager, the keyboard on Touch sports more spacious keys with more rounded edges. Also, the Space key has moved to the center, instead of the sides, which makes the keyboard easier to use.

Touch comes with a full-featured messaging system, which credits the phone with strong messaging capabilities. It supports SMS, MMS, Instant Messaging (IM) on AIM, MSN and Yahoo, as well as access to POP and IMAP accounts for personal and corporate emails.

Another update is the multimedia functionality of Touch. It features a 3-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, which greatly improved from the 2-megapixel one on Voyager. The music player is also more advanced and user-friendly, together with Dolby Mobile sound that brings deeper and richer listening experience.

The 2.5mm headset jack used on Voyager was replaced with a 3.5mm one, so you can use your own headphones for enjoying music. You may also use stereo Bluetooth headsets since Touch has A2DP support. To hold all your tunes and photos, you can always make use of the microSD memory card slot, which accepts cards up to 16GB.

Touch does not have Wi-Fi, but it has no difficulty offering fast and smooth Web browsing experience with Verizon’s EVDO Rev A network. The phone features full HTML browser, so users can zoom in and out of pages, view pages in full-screen, search through a page, and even apply tabbed browsing with up to three taps or pages open.

Though not a smartphone, Touch is packed with strong messaging capabilities and a nice array of advanced features. It is definitely one of the most capable devices on the market and will no doubt become a hot pick on Verizon’s lineup.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/06/2009 02:09:00 AM 0 comments

Friday, July 3, 2009

Casio Exilim C721 – the Toughest Camera Phone

Released for Verizon Wireless, Casio has recently introduced the Casio Exilim C721, a rugged and sturdy phone that sports a 5.1-megapixel camera, which takes high-quality photos, making the phone one of a few high-resolution camera phones available in the U.S.

Measuring 4.06" x 1.97" x 0.78" (H x W x D), C721 is just as slim and sleek as Casio’s Exilim point-and-shoot cameras. However, under the stylish design, the phone is actually engineered to meet military standards for toughness. It is water-resistive, and can withstand shock, vibration, solar radiation and extreme temperatures.

Another highlight is the 5.1-megapixel auto-focus camera on board. The phone features an innovative 180-degree rotating display. Twist the front flip and you can rotate the 2.3" internal display so it faces outward, hence becoming the camera viewfinder. Buttons on the side will turn into camera controls, and the phone will look and feel just like a camera.

Moreover, C721 ships with a charging / syncing dock. If you dock in the phone with the display facing outward, it will automatically activate the photo frame or slideshow mode.

For recharging the phone battery, you can either use the dock, or do it by plugging in the charging cable into the headset jack. However, the dock will be the only choice if you want to sync the phone with your computer.

With high-speed EV-DO Rev. A connectivity, Web browsing on C721 is a breeze. The phone comes with a full HTML browser, which also supports WAP 2.0. You can zoom in and out of pages, subscribe to RSS feeds, and search through pages. You can also choose to either view Web pages in its full size or the scaled down mobile version.

Moreover, users can access Verizon’s broadband services, including V CAST Music for downloading songs over the air, as well as V CAST Video for streaming video clips. The phone also supports MicroSD memory cards up to 8GB, so users will have sufficient room for storing all the multimedia files and other contents.

Other features on board include GPS support with VZ Navigator, stereo Bluetooth, as well as a wide range of messaging options, such as SMS, MMS, Instant Messaging on AIM, Yahoo, and Windows Live Messenger, and also mobile web email.

If you want a high-quality camera phone that comes with plenty of high-end features, the sleek yet durable Casio Exilim C721 is certainly the one to get.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/03/2009 09:24:00 PM 0 comments

Protective Case, Memory Card – the Most Popular Handset Accessories

According to a recent study conducted by ABI Research, around 66% of all cell phone accessories revenues come from after-market sales. Silicon cases and memory cards have topped the list of popular items.

As ABI suggested, mobile operators and vendors tend to include less "in-box" accessories and move them onto the retail shelf instead to generate more income. Such market trend is driving cell phone users to after-market accessories, which give similar performance yet at much lower prices.

Study results show that the most popular after-market accessories are silicon cases and memory cards, both result from the increasing use of smartphones.

Equipped with greater functionality, smartphones usually come with higher prices, which in a way encourage owners to take better care of their devices. Also, cell phone protection is becoming more important in some emerging markets, where most users tend to resell their handsets when they upgrade to a new one.

Memory cards also occupy a large part in after-market accessories sales. Many of today’s smartphones come with strong multimedia capabilities that demand extra memory space. With a suitable memory card, users can easily expand the phone’s storage size, so to have more room for multimedia files and other contents.

ABI noted that the sales of headphones and Bluetooth devices are also on the rise for better mobile music experience. However, demand for add-on GPS receivers is declining as many newer handsets have such functions built in.

Meanwhile, more states are enacting driving laws that impose handheld cell phone ban for all drivers and require them to use hands-free headsets while operating motor vehicles. This will probably help boosting the sales of related accessories as well, such as Bluetooth devices, hands-free headsets, car-kits and speakerphones.

One thing to note is that it is important to get accessories that are compatible with your cell phone. For example, silicon cases are skin-tight cover, so the size does matter. Also, different phone models support different formats and capacities of memory cards as well. Therefore, please check your phone model before making any purchase.


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Posted by cellularphone on 7/03/2009 09:18:00 PM 0 comments

LG Aims at Becoming No.2 Global Phone-Maker

Currently ranking the 3rd-largest cell phone manufacturer around the world, following Nokia and Samsung, South Korea’s LG Electronics aims at becoming the No.2 cell phone-maker by 2012.

In 2008, LG sold more than 100 million cell phones and accounted for about 9% of market share worldwide, being ahead of Motorola and Sony Ericsson on the list of Top Five handset-makers. For this year, LG will maintain its target of occupying 10% global market share by year-end, though the global cell phone market is expected to shrink by 10%, according to market analysts, under the economic downturn.

LG plans to release 80 handset models around the world in 2009, of which 12 would be classified as premium models. It will also join hands with Microsoft to launch more smartphones, and to unveil a handset that runs on Google’s Android OS later this year.

During the first half of 2009, LG has launched a few attractive and terrific handsets, including LG Xenon and LG Neon, two messaging smartphones with AT&T, as well as LG enV3 (VX9200) and LG enV Touch, two high-end messaging phones released for Verizon Wireless.

LG has also launched its new premium model LG Arena (KM900), which is a touchscreen GSM phone that features the new 3D S-Class user interface. The manufacturer aims to sell at least 5 million units around the world, but the U.S. version of LG Arena is still unavailable at the moment.

Getting into the second place may not be an easy task for LG, since its two rivals ahead seem to hold their positions firmly with a number of popular phones released in the past year. While Nokia has launched business smartphones like E71x and compact sliders like 7205 Intrigue, Samsung has also introduced a few messaging-centric devices, such as Jack (i637) and Exclaim (m550).

Though in economic tough times, we should still expect to see intense competition ahead in the global cell phone industry.

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Posted by cellularphone on 7/03/2009 09:15:00 PM 0 comments
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