In X2-01, Nokia brings together a stylish QWERTY handset that delivers a good messaging and music experience. But does it perform well on other counts too? A closer look reveals the following: Display and Design … Continue reading
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Nokia X2-01 Review
In X2-01, Nokia brings together a stylish QWERTY handset that delivers a good messaging and music experience. But does it perform well on other counts too? A closer look reveals the following:
Display and Design
This slate grey device has a plastic feel but feels sturdy enough. The edges of Nokia X2-01 are slightly curved and it is slim enough to fit into the pocket easily. The display consists of a 2.4″ QVGA screen of 320×240 pixel resolution. Images and text look relatively clear and screen visibility outdoors is mostly good. Below the screen is a directional pad in the centre surrounded by call and end keys, two navigation keys and two shortcut keys. X2-01 Nokia shows where priorities lie as one shortcut key is for the Music Player (opening the music library or FM radio) whereas the other is for Messaging (email, text and instant messages). The left side of this device holds the microSD card slot and microUSB port. The VGA camera lens and speaker are found at the back of Nokia X2-01.
Nokia X2-01 Specifications
Nokia X2-01 measures 4.7″ x 2.35″ x 0.56″ and weighs 3.79 ounces. It has an internal memory combo 128MB/64MB and a memory card slot that can support upto 8GB additional storage.
Nokia X2-01 Features
Nokia X2-01 runs on S40 6th Edition OS. It uses a simple interface, with a clean homescreen containing shortcuts that can be customized. Nokia OSS web browser helps in surfing on X2-01. Pages load fast and built-in social networking apps can be accessed easily. However, users cannot navigate between apps after opening one and this is an inconvenience. This device has Push email and Nokia Messaging 3.0 and supports Gmail, Hotmail, Windows Live, Ovi Mail, Yahoo and other services. Call quality is quite good and speakerphone volume is satisfactory. However, earphone quality is debatable.
Keyboard
The keyboard on Nokia X2-01 is clean and spacious, allowing users to type easily. The keys are raised and curved at the sides to easily distinguish them from each other. Keys offer good tactile response.
Nokia X2-01 Camera
Unfortunately, the X2-01 Nokia VGA camera really disappoints. Not only are the images grainy, the video quality is also below average.
Nokia X2-01 Themes
Interesting themes such as Silver Paint Clock, Green Network and Sleek Violet, among others may be downloaded from the Ovi Store for Nokia X2-01. While some are free, others have to be purchased.
Battery
Nokia X2-01 has a rated talktime of upto 4.5 hours and standby time upto 21 days.
Nokia X2-01 looks good and functions well as a messaging and media device. For those looking for a reasonably priced QWERTY device to check mails and messages and listen to music, this may be a decent option. However, those users looking for a good camera feature or 3G connectivity will have to look elsewhere.
Nokia C5-03 Review
Nokia C5-03 is an option worth considering, for users who are looking for a mid-level Symbian phone. This device belongs to the C-Series, offering good connectivity options to stay in touch. However, it does seem a little backdated in some ways. Is it worth taking home? Here’s finding out.
Design and Quality
Nokia C5-03 has a plastic construction and feels very light in the hand. However, it also feels durable enough. This budget-phone has a black body which can be matched with graphite black or lime green for the textured lower cap. It has a 3.2″ resistive screen. Unfortunately, this screen of 360х640 pixel resolution is not comparable to the touchscreens available nowadays. Taps are not registered accurately on the screen at all times. Further, screen visibility outdoors is a problem. There are three physical keys on the lower portion of Nokia C5-03: Call, End and a key that opens the apps menu.
While the top of the Nokia C5-03 holds the 3.5mm headset jack and microUSB port, the right side contains the volume rocker and lock key and the lower end has a charging port.
Nokia C5-03 Specifications
Nokia C5-03 measures 4.16″х2″х0.54″ and weighs 3.28 ounces. This device has 40MB internal memory and a microSD card that can support memory upto 16GB.
Nokia C5-03 Features
Nokia C5-03 runs on Symbian S60, 5th Edition. There is only one homescreen that can be slightly personalized. Four icons at the bottom-Contacts, Clock, WiFi and email notification- help in reaching these features easily. This device does work well but the absence of a portrait QWERTY keyboard may be a disappointment.
Internet browsing experience is good on Nokia C5-03, with this device supporting FlashLite 3.1. Social networking sites can be accessed and the Ovi Store can be visited to download applications. Though this is a 3G device, the speed is not extra-fast.
Quickoffice helps in viewing documents but for editing users will have to download another app.
The music player is well organized and sound quality is quiet good. Connectivity options are strong and include A-GPS and WiFi. Pre-installed Ovi Maps 3.0 also helps in voice navigation.
Camera
This device has a 5MP camera, with zoom upto 3x. Photo effects and different modes may be used for images. Since the camera lacks a flash, taking photographs in low light results in dull images. Most images are of average quality.
Battery
Nokia C5-03 has a talktime upto 4.7 hours and a standby time of 24.5 days on 3G. Battery can charged through the microUSB port or charging port, though using the latter is faster. This device can handle usage for about 2 days before it needs to be charged.
Nokia C5-03 Price
Nokia C5-03 is priced at about $185 online.
Despite delivering on many counts, there are many who feel that Nokia C5-03 cannot offer what the Android experience does. Many other competent devices are available at this range and the Android apps provide for a more enhanced experience. Thus, the problem arises not only from an older operating system on Nokia C5-03, but competition from other devices that may offer more.
HTC Thunderbolt Review
Released in 2011 after much speculation, HTC Thunderbolt seems to be a device that packs in a lot of power in a stylish handset. Offered by Verizon (its first 4G LTE network device), it gives stiff competition to some high-end smartphones. Here’s taking a closer look.
HTC Thunderbolt Release
After a lot of anticipation, HTC Thunderbolt was released on 17th March, 2011.
Design and Display
HTC Thunderbolt looks big and feels heavy in the hand, having a standard HTC design. It looks similar to HTC Inspire with a unibody metal chassis. This device has a spacious 4.3″ WVGA capacitive touchscreen of 480×800 pixel resolution. The display looks sharp and crisp, displaying images and text clearly. At the back, the battery cover is made of plastic but has a smooth steel finish. There is a kickstand attached at the back, with the loudspeaker below it. The sides of the HTC Thunderbolt contain the power button and volume rocker.
HTC Thunderbolt Specs
HTC Thunderbolt measures 4.75″ x 2.44″ x 0.56″ and weighs 6.2 ounces. This device runs on a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon single core processor, Adreno 205 GPU and MDM9600 chip for LTE. A slight disappointment arises here because a dual core processor can improve performance and battery life, helping in delivering a quick performance. Further, this device has 8GB internal memory and 768MB RAM. It also comes preinstalled with a 32GB microSD card.
Features
This smartphone runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) with HTC Sense UI. The Sense UI is standard. HTC Thunderbolt blazes as a 4G/LTE device. Upto eight WiFi devices can be tethered to it, enhancing the pleasures of internet browsing. Download/upload speeds are great for viewing web pages, apps and watching videos. Some of the apps that can be accessed include Kindle, FM Radio, Adobe Reader and Quickoffice. Audio quality is best when the device rests on the kickstand. Otherwise it is slightly muffled.
Camera
HTC Thunderbolt has an 8MP camera lens at the back of the device with LED Flash. A 1.3MP front facing camera is also present. Photo quality is good but unfortunately there is no dedicated camera key on HTC Thunderbolt.
HTC Thunderbolt Battery
There have been concerns about the battery life of HTC Thunderbolt from the start. This device was rated to have about 4 hours of battery life on 4G but pulls along for a little more time. Therefore users will have to use the HTC Thunderbolt battery carefully, charging phones in time or using the add-on battery pack. Without 4G, battery lasts longer.
For users who need a device that delivers along with a wide network to work in, HTC Thunderbolt provides a good option. Priced at $249, with a two-year contract, this device is set to wow customers with what it offers. Despite 4G battery life issues, HTC Thunderbolt offers a powerful mobile experience.
Motorola Flipside Review
Motorola Flipside MB508 was introduced in 2010, after Motorola had launched some flip phones. Interestingly this device is the only one among them that has a traditional touchscreen and sliding mechanism. Though Motorola Flipside offers nothing new, in terms of appearance, does it make up for it in terms of performance? Read on to find out.
Unlock HTC Fuze
HTC Fuze on AT&T was released in 2008, with a host of features for users. Specifically, the business user can use this device to keep in touch and conduct transactions. A closer look reveals the following.
Motorola Quench XT3 Review
Motorola Quench XT3 is a mid-range Android smartphone that was released in 2010, adding to the existing mid-range Android devices that are now available in the market. The important question to be answered is, does Motorola Quench XT3 provide value for money? Here’s taking a closer look:
Samsung Wave Review
Samsung Wave isn’t just any ordinary device. Running Samsung’s own OS for the first time and being packed with some impressive features, this smartphone built up a lot of expectations. Did it live up to them? Here’s what you need to know before deciding whether to purchase this device or not.
Design and Quality
At first glance, Samsung Wave is a winner. It looks sleek, with its polished metal body making it look like a high-end device. With only 10.9mm thickness, Samsung Wave feels really slim. It can be easily held in the hand. The 3.3″ super AMOLED multitouch capacitive screen on this device really lives up to expectations. With 480×800 pixel resolution, image and text look bright and clear and contrast levels can really blow your mind away. Moreover, there are multiple viewing angles and screen visibility outdoors is great. Below the screen there are the Call and End keys, with a large diamond shaped Menu key in the center. While the left side houses the volume rocker, the right side holds the camera key and lock and the top of the Samsung Wave holds a 3.5mm headset jack and microUSB port.
Motorola Fire XT Review
Recently Motorola launched two budget smartphones, Motorola Fire and Motorola Fire XT. With these devices, Motorola aims to enter a market largely dominated by Samsung, Nokia and HTC. Will Motorola manage to capture attention with Motorola Fire XT? Let’s find out.
Motorola Motokey First Impressions
Motorola has a social networking phone up their sleeve which is aimed at the budget-phone user. While previous attempts at mid-level social network smartphones have been made by other firms, Motorola has decided to step into this field as well, with the Motokey being described as a sleek social butterfly. Will the Motorola Motokey on Telus provide something refreshing? Read on, to get a better idea of what this device has to offer.
Motorola Charm Review
How would you like to experience the Blackberry form factor, with the Android operating system thrown in? With many users yearning for this, Motorola has provided a solution to the problem with the Motorola Charm. But is this smartphone able to live up to expectations? Does it deliver, not only on appearance but also on performance? Here’s taking a closer look:
