Design and Quality

Motorola Flipside phone is a plastic device with a chrome bezel lining around the edges. It has a soft touch exterior, fitting well into the hand. The display is dominated by a 3.1″ HVGA capacitive touchscreen, having 320×480 pixel resolution. Colors on this device look average. However, screen visibility outdoors is quite poor and viewing angles are limited. Below the screen there are four capacitive buttons (menu, home, search and back) surrounding a large optical trackpad. The screen responds well to touch and the size of the trackpad makes navigation smoother. While the left side of the device holds the microUSB port and LED indicator light, the right side houses the camera button and volume rocker and the top contains the 3.5mm headset jack, microphone and power button. Overall, the device has a standard build.

Specifications

Motorola Flipside measures 57.5mm x 109.5mm x 15mm and weighs 145 gms. It has a 2GB microSD card included and can support a maximum of 32GB.

Features

Motorola Flipside runs on Android 2.1 and this can be very disappointing for users who are expecting Froyo. However, the MOTOBLUR interface is good, allowing some customization and better performance. The Motorola Flipside integrates with the contacts app recent social networking updates. Though the address book holds multiple entries per name, it is limited by memory availability. Accessing social networking sites is helped by MOTOBLUR while email services are standard on this device. There is a universal inbox option that can bring together email from all inboxes together. AT&T apps like AT&T Maps, AT&T Navigator and apps like MObiTV, Voice Dialer are some that are found on this device. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and GPS. Unfortunately, call quality on this device is quite unsatisfactory. Voices sound hollow and unclear.

Keyboard

The screen of the Motorola Flipside phone slides across to the reveal the full QWERTY keyboard. The keys are well spaced apart and offer a good tactile response when pressed.

Camera

The rear of the Motorola Flipside holds a 3MP camera lens and a self portrait mirror. Images can be taken in three resolutions but unfortunately look washed out at times. There are photo editing options available to improve the quality of images.

Battery

Motorola Flipside MB508 has a rated talktime of 440 minutes and a standby time of 288 hours on GSM. Battery life is definitely something to be concerned about as users will have to keep charging the device daily or even more than once a day.

Though Motorola Flipside offers some good features, there are issues like poor call quality and a staid design that needs to be considered before purchasing this device. For those who are not too fussy however, Motorola Flipside may be an option.

Design and Quality

Motorola Quench XT3 looks sleek and fits comfortably in the hand. The smooth plastic build and rounded edges, with a silver band around it, make it look like a more expensive device than it is. This grey smartphone has a 8.1cm HVGA touchscreen having 480×320 pixel resolution. Unfortunately, screen responsiveness is not too great. Often the screen does not register taps whereas, at other times, a slight inadvertent pressure opens applications. Immediately below the screen there are the Home, Menu, Back and Search buttons. There are also two physical buttons below these four buttons, for receiving and ending calls. They surround a trackball that helps is navigation. While the right side of Motorola Quench XT3 contains the camera button and volume rocker, the left side houses the microUSB port. At the top there is the power button and 3.5mm headset jack.

Specifications

Motorola Quench XT3 runs on a 600 MHz Qualcomm processor and has 256MB RAM. This device measures 56.8mm x 114.9mm x 12.6mm and weighs 114 gms.

Features

Motorola Quench XT3 runs on Android 2.1 OS. Most users will be happy to receive this operating system on a mid-range device. Unfortunately, the onscreen keyboard is not too responsive at times. Google services such as Gmail, Google Maps and so on are preinstalled and can be easily accessed. Calling is made easier with smart dialing. Connectivity options on this 3G device include WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. Call quality is good on this device.

Camera

Motorola Quench XT3 has a 3MP fixed focus camera lens at the back of the device. Digital zoom and flash are present. Image quality is average, looking better for midrange shots. There are also several photo editing options for altering images.

Battery

This smartphone has a talktime of 492 minutes and a standby time of 560 hours on GSM. Users are recommended to keep their chargers handy as this device needs to be charged daily.

For those who are looking for a decent entry-level smartphone, Motorola Quench is a good option. Not only does it look sophisticated, it also offers some good features for the price that it is offered at. However, there are issues with the screen of this device that need to be considered before purchase.

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.

Specifications

Samsung Wave runs on Samsung’s own 1GHz Hummingbird processor, with 2048MB inbuilt memory. Memory can be further extended through a microSD card, upto 32GB. Samsung Wave measures 118mm×56mm×109mm and weighs 116 grams.

Features

Samsung Wave runs Samsung’s own Bada OS with the TouchWiz UI. This is also the first device to use the TouchWiz 3.0 that has been updated from earlier versions. Unfortunately, there is no video introduction to the UI, so first time users may find it confusing. There are more homescreens on TouchWiz 3.0 and widgets can be added for ease of navigation. A drop-down menu notifies users about new messages or emails received. The social networking app could be improved upon as it is quite slow. The Bada app market does not provide much now, but it can be hoped that this will improve. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, WiFi and GPRS.

Camera

The rear of the Samsung Wave contains a 5MP camera with an LED flash. The camera contains touch-to-focus, image stabilisation and other features that can help it shoot good quality images. Excellent quality HD video can be shot at 720p resolution with 30fps.

Battery

Samsung Wave has a rated talktime upto 15 hours and a standby time upto 600 hours.

Samsung Wave Price

Samsung Wave is available at around $325.

Though Samsung Wave comes packed with plenty, there are areas where it really falls short. For social networkers, this device may disappoint as accessing Facebook or Twitter might not always be smooth. Ultimately, this device may be considered a midpoint between a feature phone and a smartphone. Bringing forth the beginnings of Bada, more can be expected in the future.

Design and Quality

Motorola Charm has a typical portrait touchscreen QWERTY design on one side and its trademark Backtrack navigation trackpad on the other side. The latter is very useful while browsing the internet. This smartphone has a plastic construction, with a silver bezel running around the edges. It feels sturdy enough and, with a soft-touch coat at the back, it can be held easily in the hand. Unfortunately, users may find the screen size to be small at 2.8″. Moreover, with the QVGA screen resolution of 320×240 pixels, the text looks unclear and colors look washed out. Although the screen responds well to touch, screen visibility outdoors is a problem. While the left side of the Motorola Charm contains the volume rocker and microUSB port, the top houses the power button and 3.5mm headset jack.

Motorola Charm Specs

Motorola Charm measures 67.2mm x 98.4 mm x 11.4 mm and weighs 110 grams. It comes with a 2GB microSD card, with memory capable of being extended upto 32GB. This smartphone runs on a 600MHz processor.

Features

Motorola Charm runs on Android 2.1 OS, without Flash support. While most functions can be performed smoothly, users may face a lag at times. There are seven homescreens users can choose between, and, with this being a MOTOBLUR device, social networking is also taken care of. Apart from the pre-installed apps, users can visit the Android Market for more. Accessing email is easy on this device. Motorola Charm supports dual-band and quad-band networks and is packed with Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi for connectivity. Call quality is good on this device.

Keyboard

The QWERTY keyboard on the Motorola Charm does not disappoint. The keys are large enough, they offer a good tactile response and they are raised and curved, to distinguish them from each other. Dedicated keys for functions such as Camera and Search are available among other options. There is also the onscreen Android keyboard, but users may find it to be too slow in responding, at times.

Camera

Motorola Charm sports a 3MP camera with fixed focus and digital zoom. There are no camera modes to choose from, apart from a panorama mode. Image quality is quite poor. Video recording is equally disappointing.

Battery

Motorola Charm has a rated talktime upto 405 minutes and a standby time upto 267 hours on GSM.

For users who are not too fussy about the screen size and resolution, the Motorola Charm may be a budget option that can be considered. This device is a competent entry-level smartphone on many counts.

Design and Quality

Samsung Replenish has a black plastic build, with chrome accents around the edges. It is available in black, blue and pink. Unfortunately, the general appearance of this smartphone makes it look like a slightly low-end device. It is quite long, but can be held in the hand easily. This smartphone has a 2.8″ TFT touchscreen with support for 262k colors. This screen has a 240×320 QVGA pixel resolution. Obviously, colors don’t look too bright on this device but that is expected. While the right side of the Samsung Replenish contains the camera key and voice dialer key, the left side houses the volume rocker. The top of this smartphone contains the power button and 3.5mm headset jack while the lower end contains the microUSB port and microphone port. Unfortunately this device has poor screen visibility outdoors and poor viewing angles.

Specifications

Samsung Replenish measures 4.84″×2.36″×0.45″ and weighs 4.1 ounces. It runs on a 600MHz processor and has 130MB internal memory as well as support for a 32GB microSD card.

Features

Samsung Replenish runs on Android 2.2 Froyo. Obviously, speeds on this device cannot be compared to what is found on higher-end smartphones. However, taken on its own this system provides a decent navigation experience. Users can avail of the Sprint ID service to download various themes. Standard features are available and email can be easily accessed from this device. The music player offers a decent experience, with the speaker offering some good volumes. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS.

Keyboard

Samsung Replenish has a full QWERTY keyboard, below the screen. The keys are arranged in four rows and are raised to distinguish them from each other. The keys offer a good tactile feedback, though they may feel cramped. Alternately, users may use the onscreen keyboard for entering data.

Camera

Samsung Replenish sports a 2MP camera lens at the back of the device. This camera has 4x digital zoom, but no flash. There are some editing modes available to alter images shot. Image quality is quite poor and the same can be said for video recording.

Battery

Samsung Replenish has a rated talktime of 5.4 hours and a standby time of 217 hours.

Overall, the Samsung Replenish has nothing outstanding to offer, but may be considered as a decent mid-range device.

Design and Quality

Samsung Focus is a black plastic device that has a chrome band running around the edges. The display is dominated by a 4″ Super AMOLED touchscreen. At 800×480 pixel resolution, image and text look bright and clear on this device. While this phone does have a smooth look, it is not one of the slimmest devices around. The left side of the Samsung Focus houses the volume rocker while the right side contains the camera key and the power button. The charging port and headset jack are located at the top of this device. Apart from these controls, below the screen there are three touch-sensitive buttons: Home, Search and Back.

Specifications

Samsung Focus measures 4.84″×2.56″×0.39″ and weighs 4.1 ounces. This device runs on a 1GHz Qualcomm processor. Samsung Focus has 8GB internal memory and 16GB external memory.

Features

Samsung Focus is an early Windows Phone 7 device. This operating system works well, with most apps and functions working swiftly. Most standard tools such as alarm clock and calendar among others are found on this device. Microsoft Office Mobile will also help users in editing documents. As this device has no physical keyboard, users need to use the virtual keyboard to enter data. Moreover, with the Samsung Focus, users can sync their personal information with Google or Windows Live. Accessing emails and Facebook is very easy from the Samsung Focus. This smartphone brings the Now app to update users regarding stock prices, news, weather and so on. AT&T Radio is a handy feature, allowing users to choose between their favourites. However, audio quality could be better. Connectivity options on Samsung Focus include Bluetooth and WiFi. Call quality on this device is good.

Camera

This smartphone sports a 5MP camera, with 4x digital zoom, autofocus and an LED flash. Image quality is quite good, although there may be some time lag in capturing images. There are photo modes to choose from, apart from the geo-tagging feaure. 

Battery

Samsung Focus has a rated talktime upto 6.5 hours and a standby time of 300 hours. This smartphone can easily be used for a day or two before it needs to be charged again.

Samsung Focus lives up to expectations on most counts. While most functions on this device occur fast, the display is also a treat. Moreover, the battery life is also satisfactory. Where users may find fault is with the comparatively bulky look of this smartphone and its average speaker volume quality. However, on most counts this device delivers well.

Design and Quality

Nokia Lumia 710 will probably have a greater appeal for the young generation, due to the funky colored back panels that can be attached to the device. This smartphone has a plastic build and fits into the hand easily. The front of this device is dominated by a 3.7″ capacitive touchscreen having 480×800 pixel resolution. Nokia boasts of a ClearBlack screen with anti-glare properties, so that screen visibility outdoors is perfect. Below the screen there is a long slim bar containing three physical buttons: Search, Back and Windows. Above the screen there is a proximity sensor. While the volume rocker and camera key are located on the side of the Nokia Lumia 710, the top of this device contains the 3.5mm headset jack and power button. The rear of this device contains the camera lens and speaker grille.

Specifications

Nokia Lumia 710 measures 4.6″×2.4″×0.4″ and weighs 4.4 ounces. This smartphone runs on a single–core 1400MHz Qualcomm processor. It has a mass memory of 8GB and RAM 512MB. There is no support for memory extension through microSD cards.

Features

Nokia Lumia 710 is a Windows Phone 7.5 Mango device. Along with Microsoft’s apps, there are some apps by Nokia such as Nokia Music with Mix Radio and Nokia Drive(offering voice navigation). Functions are performed fast on this device and users can easily shuttle between the homescreens. Apps are shown as large tiles, with some of them getting automatically updated. Users can customize what to place where. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and WiFi. Access to the internet is smooth from this device, with the pinch-to-zoom feature helping in getting a closer look. It is too early to state whether this device will be able to heavily stream information, as Nokia is trying to gear its users for, but so far things seem okay.

Camera

Nokia Lumia sports a 5MP camera lens at the back of the device. The camera contains various features such as geo-tagging, blur reduction, exposure compensation and so on. While the physical camera key is easy to use, image quality is average.

Battery

Nokia Lumia 710 has a rated talktime of 7.6 hours and a standby time of 400 hours.

While Nokia Lumia 710 does not come with impressive specifications, it does offer a lot of standard functions to users. For those who are thinking of a budget-friendly option, this smartphone may be considered.

Design and Quality

HTC Cha Cha has an average design, but what makes this smartphone different is the presence of an f button, below the QWERTY keyboard. While the blue texture of the f button makes it stand out, it is also located in a separate line, to draw attention to it. The screen looks small at 2.6″ and has the QWERTY keyboard below it. At 320×480 HVGA pixel resolution, colors look bright on this smartphone and text appears clear, although size of the text may be too small at times due to the small size of the screen. The touchscreen is quite responsive and many viewing angles allow the user to comfortably use this device. While the white color of this device gives it a pristine look, the rear portion contains a silver band with the HTC logo on it. On the left of the HTC Cha Cha users will find the volume rocker and the microUSB port while the top contains the power button and headset jack. HTC Cha Cha slides into the hand easily and its interesting design prevents both the screen and the keyboard from touching anything when it is placed on a hard surface.

Specifications

HTC Cha Cha measures 4.5″×2.54″×0.42″ and weighs 4.37 ounces. It runs on an 800MHz processor, with 512MB ROM and 512MB RAM.

Features

HTC Cha Cha uses HTC Sense 2.1 with Android’s Gingerbread. Fortunately, the screen unlocking system follows Sense 3.0, although accessing apps could have been made smoother on this smartphone. By clicking on the Facebook button, users can upload their status messages, upload images and chat with friends easily using Facebook chat. Users can shuffle between seven homescreens and customize them. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS.

Keyboard

HTC Cha Cha has a full QWERTY keyboard, with each key slightly raised to differentiate it from the others. The keys respond well when they are pressed.

Camera

HTC Cha Cha sports a 5MP camera lens at the back of the device. This camera comes with autofocus and LED flash. There is also a front facing VGA camera. Image quality is good, with the colors looking bright and images looking crisp.

Battery

HTC Cha Cha has a rated talktime upto 240 minutes and a standby time up to 120 hours. This smartphone can handle about a day’s usage before it needs to be charged again.

Overall, HTC Cha Cha offers a good experience, with a few minor areas where this smartphone could have been improved.

Samsung Admire Design and Display

Samsung Admire is a touchscreen device, available in red and grey. It is rectangular with rounded edges, fitting easily in the hand or the pocket. With ribbed edges, it is comfortable to hold this smartphone in the hand. Samsung Admire has a plastic construction which does not make it look weighty, but makes it sturdy enough. The display is dominated by a 3.5″ 262K TFT screen having 320×480 pixel resolution. The display quality is not excellent but is bright enough. Below the display there are the physical Menu, Back, Home and Search keys. They are raised and respond well to touch. While the volume rocker and microSD card slot are housed on the left of the device, the camera button and the power key are located on the right. The top contains the 3.5mm headset jack and the bottom contains the microUSB port (used for charging and as a USB cable).

Specifications

Samsung Admire measures 4.56″×2.38″×0.46″ and weighs 4.1 ounces. It runs on an 800MHz processor, having 125MB internal memory and support for 32GB external memory.

Features

Samsung Admire runs on Android 2.3, Gingerbread. Users can shuffle between five homescreens which they can customize using widgets and shortcut icons. For entering data, the Swype keyboard can be used. The phonebook can store entries based on available memory, with multiple phone entries per person. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and WiFi. Apart from the installed apps, access to other apps is possible through the MetroPCS app store or Android market. With access to the Rhapsody Unlimited Music Service, users will be able to stream and download a lot of tracks. Unfortunately, call quality on this device is not too great and users may have a problem listening to what the person at the other end of the line is saying.

Camera

This smartphone has a 3.2MP camera. Images can be shot in varying resolutions, with photo editing options for altering images taken. Photo quality is average on this device.

Battery

Samsung Admire has a rated talktime of 3 hours and a standby time of 200 hours.

Samsung Admire Price

Samsung Admire is being offered at $129 without a contract. Users will have to opt for atleast a $50 monthly unlimited calling and data plan.

Overall, Samsung Admire is an average mid-range smartphone that offers a smart design and standard features. However, call quality on this device is not too great and users need to be careful of this aspect before purchasing this device. Also, this is not a 3G device.

Display and Quality

Motorola Brute i686 is quite similar to its predecessor i680. It is slightly bulky, but makes up for this by its military-certified tag which claims that this device is resistant to shock, vibration, dust, fog, temperature extremes and other conditions. The metal device is covered in a rubber case which makes it easy to hold and protects it from scratches. The external display has 160×120 pixel resolution and support for 65,000 colors. When flipped open, Motorola i686 has a 2.2″ LCD display having 176×220 pixel resolution. The lower portion of this device has the numeric keypad. Keys respond well when they are pressed and they are spaced apart for user convenience. While the right side of the Motorola i686 contains the microUSB port/ charging port concealed by a rubber flap, the left side houses the push-to-talk button and volume rocker and the top of this device contains the headphone jack.

Specifications

Motorola Brute i686 measures 2.09″ x 3.92″ x 1.02″ and weighs 5.6 ounces. It comes with 180MB user memory and can support a microSD card upto 8GB.

Features

Motorola i686 is a dual band device running on Sprint’s Nextel network. At the bottom of the screen there are shortcuts for accessing apps easily. Call clarity on this device is good and even voices heard on the speakerphone are quite clear. Push-to-talk works well and makes staying in touch easier. The phone book can store upto 600 contacts, with multiple entries per contact. The music player is standard but it is quite sad that headphones are not provided with this device. Unfortunately, multimedia options on Motorola i686 are not too great. Web browsing is also not the best. Connectivity options include stereo Bluetooth and GPS.

Camera

Motorola i686 has a 2MP camera with fixed focus and an LED flash. There is no dedicated camera button on this device. Unfortunately, picture quality is average and images look washed out at times. Video recording occurs on this device but is of average quality.

Battery

Motorola i686 has a talktime upto 350 minutes and a standby time upto 150 hours.

On the positive side, Motorola Brute i686 is a durable device with the basic features intact. However, for those users who are looking for a good web experience and a good camera, this device is quite disappointing. Unfortunately, it has not come a long way from the Brute i680.