January 25, 2012 by Tap
Sony’s Xperia S is likely to win the hearts of many users simply down to its camera. At 12 megapixels it is one of the top specs on the market. So that gives an opportunity to review the best smartphones cameras on the market, and how the Sony Xperia S measures up.
The improvement on camera phones has largely been blamed for a decline in the digital camera market. As camera’s have come with a higher specification, better features and the easy ability to upload to social networking sites directly from the smartphone, many have felt they don’t want to carry a camera in their pocket. As many Android phone contracts are cheaper than a digital camera and allow you to do so much more it is no wonder that digital cameras are joining devices like mp3 players, portable radios and handheld games consoles in the realm of obsolete gadgets.
Sony, unsurprisingly, has been keen to show of the HD features of the Xperia S. The pixel resolution on its 4.3 inch Sony BRAVIA screen is 720 x 1280 pixels. It has a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for video calling as well as a 12 megapixel offer on the back. It comes with an Exmor R sensor, featured on previous Xperia smartphones, which improves imaging characteristics. It allows users to take high quality pictures with a bright colour contrast, even when the light quality might be poor. There is a 3D panorama sweep feature, which appeared as an update on other Xperia devices in late 2011. The device is capable of recording 720p video recording.
For those wanting to pick a device based just on the camera there are others to choose from. The Apple iPhone 4S showed a marked improvement in terms of the camera from its earlier incarnation. The 8 megapixel camera was a big upgrade from the iPhone 4’s 5 megapixel camera. It also boasted improved optics along with built in editing. The camera has 3264 x 2448 pixels, comes with an LED flash, autofocus, touch focus, face detection and geo-tagging. There is also video recording at 1080p HD with image stabilisation. The iPhone 4S has such a good camera on board that it was in fact blamed by camera makers for damaging the digital camera industry. Being such a high profile device, mobile phone deals for the iPhone 4S will set you back a lot more than they will for the Xperia S – even though it is a newer phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S2 has also been famed for its camera. The resolution was boosted from 5 megapixels (from the original Galaxy S) to 8 megapixels also. There are several manual settings to increase or decrease the aperture and shutter speed, as well as changing the White Balance. Auto-focus and face detection make it easier to take pictures on the move. For those looking for a more automated offer there are settings including Smile Shot, Action and Cartoon for those who want to point and snap. HD video comes in at 720p and 1080p at 30fps which is smooth and also offers good colourisation.
The only device really challenging the Xperia S in terms of camera specifications is the Nokia N8, which remains a popular device. Although now fairly run of the mill its camera did make it stand out with 12 megapixels and Carl Zeiss optics. It comes with Xenon flash and face recognition software along with auto-focus. There is geo-tagging, a pinch zoom feature as well as an on-board photo editor. The video shoots in 720p and 25 fps.
The Sony Xperia S is one of the first major smartphone announcements for 2012. Launching with an impressive camera will undoubtedly win it fans as a disappointing camera, as Samsung found with the launch of the Galaxy Nexus, can switch more people off than manufacturers might expect. Although there are higher resolution video cameras available on smartphones 720p still offers a decent enough quality – and the Xperia S more than makes up for this in other areas. As a long-time producer of digital cameras – this is one area of the modern smartphone where Sony is miles ahead of its competition.
December 15, 2011 by Tap
Google has recently conducted a very interesting research to find out how many Android applications are downloaded monthly, which kind of apps are the most popular, when people prefer to download them and in which countries the most active Android fans are located.
The research has shown that about 10 billion apps are downloaded from the Android Market every month. Maybe this number isn’t as big as the 15 billion downloads the App Store has, but we should also take into account that only 3 billion Android apps were downloaded monthly in March and about 6 billion in July, so now the number of downloads has now risen considerably, once again showing that Android is becoming more and more popular.
Among those 10 billion apps games are the most popular ones – 25.6 percent users have downloaded games. 12.2 percent preferred other entertainment apps, 11.17 percent downloaded tools, and 6.45 percent needed different communication apps. Maybe it’s a bit strange, but music, productivity, travel and social apps weren’t that popular.
Google’s research also showed that Sunday 9:00 PM was the most popular time for downloading Android apps, and the least popular time was Monday 4:00 AM (I don’t think this will surprise anyone…).
As for the most “Android-crazed” countries, here’s Google’s list:
10. Norway
9. Netherlands
8. Denmark
7. Israel
6. Sweden
5. Singapore
4. United States
3. Taiwan
2. Hong Kong
1. South Korea
So it seems like South Korea is the most “Android-crazed” country – most of apps were downloaded from there (though we don’t know the exact number). I don’t think it’s a surprise for anyone, since South Korea has a very good Internet connection and Android-based LG and Samsung mobile phones are manufactured there.
Perhaps it’s a bit strange that the U.S. is only the fourth in the list, but I guess this can be explained by the fact that Apple’s iOS is also very popular in the states, so at least half of the smartphone users there download apps from the App Store. I guess it’s also strange that the UK, Germany, France, China and India were absent from the list… Perhaps these countries aren’t as “Android-crazed” as we thought.
December 5, 2011 by Tap
While the cold weather is just starting to draw in and the dark evenings are dulling your senses, there is nothing better than curling up with your laptop or tablet and taking a look at the latest Christmas technology must-haves. You can get ideas for your own wish list or find that perfect present for a tech-loving family member, so here is an overview of what Android-oriented gadgets you might consider purchasing.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
This Christmas the top Android smartphone on the market is going to be the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung. It is a real step up from the Galaxy S2 thanks to its large 4.65 inch Super AMOLED screen and dual core CPU which can be clocked at up to 1.5GHz to help it to pump out high definition visuals at a resolution of 1280x720. Like last year`s Nexus S the display is slightly curved in order to make it easier to use and it has a five megapixel camera capable of capturing still images as well as the obligatory ability to shoot video clips at full HD 1080p resolutions. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the platform touted by the Galaxy Nexus and it introduces many new functions, from letting you unlock the phone using face detection to enabling voice-based web searches.
HTC Sensation XE
A real rival to the Galaxy Nexus is the HTC Sensation XE, an updated version of its Android 2.3 smartphone which now comes with Beats audio capabilities and matching headphones for an unrivalled aural experience. It retains the same 4.3 inch screen with a resolution of 960x540, which will not be the equal of the Samsung handset but comes fairly close. A 1.5GHz processor is onboard to give it even more power than the original Sensation and it retains the eight megapixel camera sensor and full 1080p HD video recording functionality of its predecessor. For audiophiles it will be a worthy choice, although its appearance means that the standard Sensation is even cheaper ahead of the Christmas rush.
Huawei Blaze
At the other end of the Android smartphone spectrum is the Huawei Blaze, a great little stocking filler that is perfect if you want to buy a pay as you go handset for someone who has not owned an advanced handset before. It has a compact 3.2 inch screen and a modest 3.2 megapixel camera, but version 2.3 of Android is onboard and it can even let you chat via video calling thanks to the front-mounted secondary snapper, so it is not completely limited by its bargain basement pricing. Huawei has even tinkered with the standard Android interface to make it feel fresh and original, although you can stick with Google`s standard theme if you so choose.
There are many Android smartphones available online from various big name retailers such as PC World and the Christmas season is always a good time to bag a bargain when shopping for technology must-haves.
November 25, 2011 by Tap
Right now there are a few phones on the market that everyone knows about. These are the phones that most people will buy and they include the iPhone and the Blackberry leading contenders. One other phone that many people want to go out and buy is the Samsung Galaxy S2. This stylish and new phone is smart, has a brilliant display and runs the very smooth and very attractive android 2.3 (gingerbread). This makes the Samsung Galaxy S2 a market leading phone that can easily contend with those mentioned previously. However these aren't the only phones available and the Samsung Galaxy S2 certainly isn`t the only phone made by Samsung. There are many other phones in the market that are still seriously good that many people ignore in favour of the more expensive flagship phones.
One of the first things people look to nowadays when they want to buy a new phone is the Smartphone category. Everyone has one and most people feel like they can`t live without them. This is simply because of their usability and versatility, Smartphones are similar in power to a tablet, although smaller and tables are the next thing down from laptops and arguably better in many ways. So many look towards the top range and more common phones, yet this is not all there is. Samsung offers a wide range of Smartphone's, many of which still hold the Galaxy tagline as Samsung`s premier phone models. These may be slightly less powerful and have a duller screen but they are still just as useful and they still all run Android. Because of this all of them should be a keen consideration in the field of new mobile phones.
Likewise there are Smartphone's sold that have QWERTY keyboards, in fact there is the Samsung Galaxy Pro which has both a QWERTY keyboard and a capacitive touch screen giving the best of both worlds. Several other QWERTY phones are also on sale from Samsung and are incredibly useful especially in the business world where writing emails can work much faster with QWERTY than on a touchscreen. However if this is not what the consumer wants and they want to go more old school, bar, flip and slide phones are still being made and designed. In fact Samsung are often trying to put new spins on the old phones and exploit the design as much as possible. What has followed on from this are mobiles that concentrate more on sound and music quality. There have been user interfaces that have been redesigned and even a phone that not only has a torch GPS and compass, but can work underwater! The world of touch screen Smartphone's has for the most part blinded people from the radical developments in the rest of the mobile phone industry which needs to have some consumer attention so as to realise its simplistic greatness.
Overall there is a whole new range of Samsung Mobiles out there that are worth taking a look at. Many people are blindsided by the touch screens and Smartphone's. Whilst these are certainly intriguing and captivating models, there are many new and inventive phones being brought out by Samsung on a continuous basis which are certainly worth a look too.
November 21, 2011 by Tap
Asus has been quietly creating some of the most compelling Android-based tablets on the market, with the Eee Pad Transformer taking the slender form factor championed by the iPad and giving user the option to combine it with a keyboard dock that helped it to compete directly with laptops. Now the Asus Eee Pad Slider is out, refreshing the style and setup of its predecessor without compromising functionality.
Android 3.1 is preinstalled on the Eee Pad Slider and the whole thing is powered by a dual core 1GHz processor. With the first glut of 1.5GHz tablets making an appearance and the promise of quad core chips for 2012 this might seem like a little bit of a problem on paper. However, Asus proves that there is no hindrance in using a slightly older chip as long as you can make the most out of its available resources. 1GB of RAM joins the processor, letting the Eee Pad Slider handle multitasking with aplomb and you can get up to 32GB of onboard storage with the option to add extra memory via microSD card.
The 10.1 inch touchscreen display of the Eee Pad Slider is bright, colourful and features a resolution of 1280x800, which is fairly typical of devices of this size. However, what is most unusual about the tablet is the fact that its screen can be push upwards, popping out at an angle to reveal a full QWERTY keypad underneath. This invites the user to place it on a flat surface or their lap and then type freely while other tablet owners are tapping out emails one character at a time via cumbersome onscreen keyboards.
It is difficult to overstate just what a difference having a full physical keypad makes. If you like sending emails or browsing the web from your tablet then you will appreciate that sometimes you will wish you were still using a laptop. The Asus Eee Pad Slider lets you get the best of both worlds, with its slim tablet design not being overly compromised by the build in keypad. This does mean that it is a tablet aimed at the serious business user, but in a market where the iPad 2 dominates the mainstream it pays to be different and distinctive, which is precisely the aim of the Eee Pad Slider.
You can expect to get the usual collection of Android applications and features on this latest Asus tablet, but the manufacturer has added a few of its own to keep things interesting. There is the Asus Launcher widget which lets you get a quick overview of multiple features, from appointments you may have programmed into the calendar to the current weather and even what music is playing, just like portable media players bundled in with a personal organiser. You also get Polaris Office, which lets you create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations when you are on the move. In short, the Asus Eee Pad Slider is a tablet that is bursting with things to do.
November 15, 2011 by Tap
It is often market leading mobiles such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and HTC Sensation XE which get the lion`s share of the attention from consumer publications and reviewers, simply because they represent the cutting edge technology that makes the headlines and drives web traffic. However, network provider Orange and manufacturer ZTE are launching a new handset to prove that affordability can be attractive.
The Orange San Francisco II has recently been revealed by accident online and now a few key details are known about this budget-oriented Android smartphone. It is likely to be known as the ZTE Racer II for anyone who wants to buy it SIM free, following on from the name of its unlocked predecessor.
The San Francisco II will reportedly feature a 3.5 inch display with a native resolution of 800x480. This is essentially the same screen that was used on the first San Francisco handset, but since this was one of its strongest assets it would have made little sense to change it and you will be hard pressed to get a larger, higher quality display on a pay as you go smartphone such as this.
From a software point of view it looks as if the San Francisco II will feature Android 2.3, modified with only a few minor tweaks by the network but otherwise left largely identical to the standard experience created by Google. Again this is a good thing, since it means that you get all the features you want and none which you do not need.
To make Android 2.3 feel fast and responsive ZTE has endowed this updated mobile with an 800MHz processor. This is a full 30 per cent faster than the CPU which powered the original and it should hum along nicely, even if it cannot quite keep up with all of the dual core toting smartphones on the market at the moment.
A five megapixel sensor has been endowed upon the Orange San Francisco II`s rear facing camera and there is an LED flash to provide illumination for night shots. The cheapest way to get this handset will likely be direct from Orange, although ZTE will have an own-brand SIM free edition on the market at some point.
The Orange San Francisco II will be a good alternative to the more expensive Monte Carlo, also created in unison with ZTE. The 4.3 inch display of the Monte Carlo may be larger, but it makes it a little harder to pop into your pocket or purse, unlike the San Francisco II.
Many people forget that the best mobile phone deals are often nabbed by those who are willing to pay for their handset upfront. It can be difficult to achieve this if you want to buy a high end handset and many resort to using a fixed term contract, which can cost more in the long term even if the initial outlay is less. The Orange San Francisco II shows that entry level Android smartphones do not have to be small, underpowered or out of date.
October 13, 2011 by Tap
The received wisdom is that Apple fans will just keep buying iPhones – or indeed iAnything – even if another product is technically better, just because Apple has that reputation and credibility. The reputation that it'll work right out of the box, do exactly what you want it to do, even if you're not especially technically capable.
And the credibility that says, well, just that you're stylish, more stylish than anyone who doesn't own an iPhone. These things are both underpinned by superb design that ensures Apple phones are both user-friendly and easy on the eye.
Has the Samsung Galaxy S2 already beaten Apple at their own game, even though it's significantly older than the iPhone 4S? Samsung has sold over 10 million Galaxy S2 deals already, making it the most popular Android phone of all time. Yet even though this latest Apple phone launch has met with more disappointment than any before, iPhone 4S deals will still outperform the S2 with ease, guaranteed (1 million pre-orders were placed on the first day they became available, before it was even released).
Let's take a look at whether those sales figures will be justified.
Look and Feel
First impressions are something of a tie. The Galaxy S2 is slimmer and smaller than the iPhone 4S, and looks just as cool, but feels distinctly less robust, largely because it eschews the current high-end smartphone trend for one-piece, machined-aluminium casings in favour of a lighter but probably weaker construction.
Still, at a mere 116g in weight and a shade under 8.5mm thick, it just feels a lot niftier than the iPhone's 140g and 9.3mm. If you live the kind of active life most of us do, though, you'll probably prefer the tougher-seeming iPhone, just to avoid the risk of that sickening feeling when you drop your £400 Galaxy on the floor and bits fly off with a loud cracking noise...
One thing that will be off-putting for some iPhone fans is that the 4S looks exactly like the iPhone 4. While Android fans may drool over processor speeds and storage space, many iPhone owners love being in a position to gloat over owning the latest Apple phone. The 4S lacks this gloating power.
Apple's big boast is still ease of use, but again the Galaxy easily lives up to this standard, with the Social Hub feature allowing you to seamlessly integrate several different email accounts, social networks or other communications platforms, finally bringing a bit of order to our 21st century, over-connected, over-informed chaos.
Siri
Still, the iPhone 4S potentially scores more highly here, overall, thanks to Siri, the virtual personal assistant whose services come built in to the phone. The Galaxy may be convenient, but it's still just a phone; Siri should take convenience to a whole new level, and is the next best thing to a personal social secretary most of us will ever have.
Again, "she" will offer that classic Apple convenience, that better-than-life quality that has sold so many phones. Siri makes using your phone seem like you're not using your phone, in that you just talk to her rather than tapping the screen – and she responds by booking you a restaurant table, or telling you whether it's cold enough outside that you'll need a coat.
…or so Apple Claim
This is provided that Siri actually works like Apple claims in its marketing of course. Siri is still in beta, meaning there are probably some issues with it. Voice controls exist on the Galaxy S2, although they are not quite as well integrated or far reaching. Unless you are partially sighted or have difficulty using your fingers though, Siri (and voice control in general) could prove to be another much lauded feature that rarely gets used.
On the other hand it could prove to be as big of a technological revolution as touchscreens were a few years back. Touchscreen phones had been around for many years before the original iPhone of course, but it was the Apple device that made them the market norm. Likewise, we have already seen voice controls on phones but so far they have yet to meet with any real appreciation.
Personally I am still not convinced by it. The technology behind Siri may have evolved quite a bit the last few years, and it may even be as slick and understanding as Apple claim. Yet Siri's voice still sounds like a Texas Instruments toy from the 1980s. Voice synthesis, it seems, has not made much progress at all – even if voice recognition has. If I were to ever truly consider using voice controls on a phone, I would want something more pleasant and life-like to listen to than a female professor Hawking.
So while Siri could potentially make the iPhone 4S so much more convenient for some phone users to use, it is likely to end up like FaceTime as an overhyped feature that very few people really have any need for or desire to use.
Processing Speed
The processors on the two phones share a similar spec, both being dual-core. The Galaxy S2's is nominally a little faster, at 1.2GHz compared to the iPhone's 1GHz, but the iPhone 4S chip is the Apple A5, the same one as that found in the iPad 2, and so is tried-and-tested on a high-end multitasking multimedia device. It should be more than capable of running the iPhone.
Being released several months after the S2, the iPhone 4S could have really wowed with a 1.5GHz dual core chip or something. Yet it was unveiled to the world with a processor that doesn't even match the Galaxy in terms of speed. The point here is that most iPhone owners don't really care about processor speeds, and the iPhone 4S was merely bringing itself more into line with current technological trends.
But with the Galaxy S3 being up for release in just a few months, and some rumours suggesting a staggering quad core 1.8GHz chip in use, the iPhone 4S will most likely not have the staying power to remain up-to-date by the time the iPhone 5 / Galaxy S4 make their way to the stores this time next year.
Cameras
The two cameras, likewise, are closely comparable. Both are around the 8 Megapixel mark, though initial reports put the iPhone camera as more capable and versatile in a variety of different circumstances. On the upside, the Galaxy S2 can take USB pen drives, plugged directly into it with no need for an adaptor, for taking more snaps or holding more music than you fit on its 16GB memory.
The most expensive iPhone 4S has up to 64GB memory, so though it doesn't take a USB stick without an adaptor, you won't need on quite so soon. But with that model costing well over £1000 it is unlikely to be the most popular option, with most prospective 4S owners choosing the 16GB-with-no-option-to-upgrade model.
So, on balance, which should you go for? As a lot of people had noted on October 4th at the Apple keynote, the iPhone 4S is not drastically different to the iPhone 4 – and the Galaxy S2 was already more impressive than that a few months ago. The big difference is with Siri voice controls, a feature that the majority of people will probably not use for more than 5 minutes to see what it is about.
The iPhone range is now comparable to the Galaxy S2 in terms of processing and camera, but with the Galaxy 2S being around £100 cheaper, these days, that might make all the difference.
March 10, 2011 by Tap
The Optimus 2X, also known as the T-Mobile G2X in the United States, will be the first dual core smartphone to make it to release. The high powered Android handset will mark a big leap forward for LG, a company which has traditionally lagged behind in the smartphone industry. The Optimus 2X comes with a gorgeous 4" capacitive touchscreen that includes multitouch input and a sharp resolution of 480 x 800.
While featuring an accelerometer for auto-rotation of the interface, now a fairly standard feature on most smartphones, the Optimus 2X will also come with a new gyro sensor. This sensor, made popular on the iPhone 4, allows for three axis controls which can be put to good use with many innovative apps and games. These apps and games can be downloaded from Android Market, which is easily accessible from LG's latest handset.
Aside from the dual core processor the LG Optimus 2X is pretty impressive in other areas too. While the 4" screen is ideal for viewing high quality 1080p videos, the phone's 8 megapixel camera also comes with 1080p video recording. You can also record 720p videos at a higher frame rate, and the Optimus 2X comes with an HDMI port and DLNA enabled Wi-Fi, both of which allow you to stream videos through your home TV.
The Optimus 2X also comes with YouTube and Adobe Flash support so that you can enjoy streaming videos online, as well as enjoying videos contained on the phone's 8GB storage. This is expandable with microSD cards and the Optimus 2X can support an impressive 32GB microSD. As well as the excellent 8 megapixel rear camera, the 2X also comes with a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera that can be used for making video calls on services such as Google Talk.
The Optimus 2X does not just come with a great deal of entertainment features but also has a lot of excellent messaging features present. Threaded SMS is supported, as well as various email and instant messaging clients. The 2X also comes with fantastic integration for social networks such as Facebook, so that you can easily update your status or post on someone's wall.
The Optimus 2X is an outstanding phone in all areas that count and, being the first dual core handset on offer, it should prove to be a benchmark for all future dual core smartphone. The Optimus 2X comes with an impressive array of features to keep you entertained, as well as myriad methods for keeping in touch with your most important people.
June 24, 2009 by Tap
So today's highly anticipated launch revealed the HTC Hero Android phone as everyone suspected. That in itself would have been a bit of a let down since we've known and speculated about the Hero for some time. Hardware wise it's not a million miles away from previous HTC Android phones. Yes, it has a 5 megapixel camera and finally a 3.5mm stereo headset jack but that's not much to get excited about.
But the real news was the announcement of HTC Sense, a customisable UI for Android. Now that's something I can get excited about. Rather than try to explain it, I think the official press release does a pretty good job so here goes:
LONDON – June 24, 2009 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today debuted HTC Sense™, an intuitive and seamless experience that will be introduced across a portfolio of phones beginning with the new HTC Hero™. With its distinct design and powerful capabilities fully integrated with HTC Sense, Hero introduces a unique blend of form and function that takes Android to new heights.
HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the centre, by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly observing and listening to how people live and communicate.
'HTC Hero introduces a more natural way for reaching out to people and accessing your important information, not by following the status quo of today's phones, but by following how you communicate and live your life,' said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer, HTC Corporation. 'HTC Sense is a distinct experience created to make HTC phones more simple for people to use, leaving them saying, "it just makes sense."'
HTC Hero
HTC Hero continues HTC's leadership in cutting-edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of distinct devices to represent your own individuality. Boasting bevelled edges and an angled bottom, the HTC Hero is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while you’re on a call. The HTC Hero is built to last, beginning with an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge-resistance and a longer-lasting, clearer display. The white HTC Hero includes an industry-first, Teflon coating, resulting in an improved, durable white surface that is soft to the touch.
With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content, while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including AGPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a five mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. HTC Hero also includes a dedicated Search button that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twitter, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero.
HTC Sense
Built on a culture of innovation and a passion to enhance people's lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debuting on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.
Make It Mine
Make It Mine is about feeling your HTC phone was created for and by you. To do this, HTC encourages you to dictate and organize how you want to access the people and content in your life in a way that fits best for you. For some, this means adding glance-view widgets that push content like twitter feeds, weather and other content to the surface while others may want quick access to business-focused information like email, calendar and world-times. HTC is also introducing a new profile feature called 'Scenes' that enables you to create different customized content profiles around specific functions or times in your life.
Stay Close
Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communication channels and applications ranging from phone calls, emails, texts, photos, status updates and more. HTC Sense takes a different approach by integrating these communication channels and applications into one single view, enabling you to stay closer to your important people. With HTC Sense, friends' Facebook status updates and photos, along with their Flickr photos are included alongside their text messages, emails and call history in a single view.
Discover the Unexpected
Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is focused on providing a variety of these simple yet innovative experiences on your HTC phone that will sometimes bring you moments of joy and delight. It can be something as basic as turning the phone over to silence a ring or as simple as improving the smart dialler for making calls quicker. HTC Sense also includes 'Perspectives', a new way for viewing your content such as email, photos, Twitter, music and more in different ways.
Availability
The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009.
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I know that I haven't been too complimentary in the past about the look of HTC's Android phones and their chins and I also know that I really prefer to have a physical keyboard but you know what? I'd give up my G1 in a heartbeat for the Hero just to have HTC Sense.
June 17, 2009 by Tap
It's been a long time coming (we first got wind of a Huawei Android phone at this years Mobile World Congress) but finally Huawei has confirmed its long-awaited Android phone in the form of the U8230. It looks very similar to the mockup they had on display at MWC but with a bit of extra bling thanks to some silver edging.
Specs wise there's not much to go on. According to the press release it will sport a 3.5 inch touchscreen, allow users to switch between full and half QWERTY keyboards and has a 1500 mAh which they claim has "the longest battery capacity of any Android-powered handsets currently available." True, but then it doesn't take much to beat the G1's measly 1150 mAh or even the Magic's 1340 mAh. But hang on, doesn't Samsung's Galaxy have a 1500 mAh battery as well? Let's hope that Huawei's Android offering has a little more to brag about than increased battery life.