Samsung Galaxy Nexus review: Opening new doors

Introduction

Once again, it is the Nexus time of the year. This time, Google has left the Gingerbread cookies and, together with Samsung, has brought to us the Galaxy Nexus to deliver the Ice Cream Sandwich. And while a cold dessert is totally out of place this holiday season, the latest release of Android is more relevant than ever.
The Galaxy Nexus packs an impressive spec sheet, but it is (yet again) the OS which is the device’s main highlight. After all, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is widely expected to put an end to the fragmentation, which currently plagues Google’s mobile platform.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus official photos
Unlike its Nexus S predecessor, which was essentially a rebranded Samsung Galaxy S, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a completely different device from the current flagship of the company, the I9100 Galaxy S II. The latest Google phone sports a different GPU and chipset, which are, well, not as powerful as those found inside the Galaxy S II.
Here is a quick look at what the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has to offer, along with its main disadvantages.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM; penta-band 3G support
• HSDPA 21Mbps; HSUPA 5.76Mbps
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS with stock UI
• 4.65” Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with HD (720 x 1280 pixels) resolution; 16M colors; oleophobic surface
• Slim profile at 8.9mm
• Dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU; PowerVR SGX540 GPU; TI OMAP 4460 chipset
• 16/32GB built-in storage; 1GB RAM
• 5 MP camera (2592x1936 pixels) with autofocus, LED flash; 1.3MP front-facing unit
• 1080p video recording @30fps; touch-to-zoom while recording
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• DLNA; Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 3.0 with ADP
• Charging MHL microUSB port with TV-out (1080p) support
• GPS receiver with A-GPS support
• NFC connectivity
• Accelerometer, gyro and proximity sensors; compass; barometer
• Back cover made of Hyper Skin material for increased grip
• Excellent audio quality

Main disadvantages

• Camera resolution is not on par with the rest of the high-end dual-core competition
• Below average battery life
• Lacks a dedicated camera key
• No microSD card slot
• No mass-storage mode (some files don't show up in MTP mode)
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is yet to be fully compatible with all apps from the Android Market
• No FM radio

A quick look at the key features of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will show you that the smartphone’s hottest hardware feature is its Super AMOLED screen with HD resolution – a first for a Samsung smartphone. The display combines amazing contrast ratio and superb viewing angles, with eye-popping size and resolution – a perfect match for the spanking new OS on board.
As far as the rest of the hardware is concerned, we heavily suspect that Samsung has intentionally omitted a couple of Galaxy S II features such as the microSD card slot and a superior 8MP camera unit. The superior screen of the Galaxy Nexus, while giving it a touch of exclusivity hardware-wise, will not be enough to cannibalize the strong sales, which the I9100 still enjoys.
The latest Google phone will be aimed at the Android purists – the crowd, which doesn’t like launchers or UI tweaks. And also the crowd that likes to get the latest OS updates from Google first. In this aspect, the smartphone is entirely in a league of its own.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus in our office
So is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus a proper flagship for the company, or is it simply an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich flag bearer for Google? This is what we’re trying to find out in this review.
We are going to continue next with an unboxing of the smartphone, followed by design and build quality inspection.

Meizu MX review: Amaze U

Introduction

This is easily a phone you can pretend doesn't exist. And you don't have to try too hard either. The Meizu MX is something of a chimera. An iPhone body and a droid mind. It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to. For a phone coming from China, the Meizu MX has no qualms with imitation. But it's not a characterless low-cost replica either.
Strictly speaking, the Meizu MX is an Android smartphone, but it goes to great lengths to emulate the Apple iPhone in its strengths and even some of its failings. The result is a unique Android experience that differs from iOS as well - it's a very curious device, the Meizu MX.

Meizu MX official photos
It's hard to deny that the Chinese company went all out loading up the MX for a fight. The phone packs a 4.0" ASV LCD screen of 640 x 960 pixel resolution (the same res as the iPhone 4/4S) and an Exynos chipset straight from the Samsung Galaxy Note (a tad faster than the one in the Galaxy S II).
Impressive stuff for sure, at least when you read the features off the specs sheet. Here are the rest of them, plus the disadvantages we found:

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and penta-band 3G support
• 21.6 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 4.0" 16M-color ASV capacitive touchscreen with 640 x 960 pixels resolution; Gorilla glass
• Heavily skinned Android OS v2.3.5 ("Flyme OS")
• 1.4 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset, 1GB of RAM
• 8 MP wide-angle autofocus camera with LED flash, face and smile detection; Wide Dynamic Mode
• Up to 1080p video recording @ 30fps
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g and n support; Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
• 16GB of internal storage
• Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Charging MHL microUSB port with USB host, TV-out support (1080p via an optional adapter) and S/PDIF-out for dock connection
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
• VGA secondary video-call camera
• Full Flash support
• Document viewer
• File manager comes preinstalled
• Extremely rich audio and video format support
• Beefy 1600 mAh battery

Main disadvantages

• Looks too much like an iPhone knockoff
• microSIM card support only
• Sub-par viewing angles and sunlight legibility
• Plastic finish of questionable quality
• No dedicated camera key (volume rocker doesn’t quite cut it)
• Non-expandable internal storage
• Battery not user replaceable
• No FM radio

It's not all perfect, but the Meizu MX can certainly go against a lot of Android flagships and show them a thing or two. But can it match the highly polished iOS experience and the trend-setting iPhone hardware?
Tough question. After using the MX for a while, you get the feeling that Meizu went trough the trouble of emulating even the downsides of the iPhone. But then you notice things that you wish iOS and vanilla Android had. The same goes for some areas of the hardware.

Meizu MX in our office
We're still not quite sure what to make of the Meizu MX, so this will be an interesting journey. Just try to approach it with an open mind, if you dismiss it as yet another replica, you'll miss out on an impressive (if derivative) device.
Update, December 30: We updated the Meizu MX with the retail firmware, which runs the CPU at 1.4GHz (it used to be 1.2GHz before) and re-ran the benchmarks. Check out the results on Page 3.

Samsung Captivate Glide review: Thumbs ready

Introduction

The Samsung Captivate Glide for AT&T Wireless is long overdue. The market is brimming of dual-core Android devices and the slide-out QWERTY packing Samsung Captivate Glide has only just arrived.
Interestingly enough, it’s been a relatively quiet year for the fans of the hardware QWERTY droids. The offerings are few, while the potential users are plenty – good news for Samsung’s entry.

Samsung Captivate Glide official photos
In terms of specs, the Samsung Captivate Glide is rather closely related to the Galaxy R – the two major differences between the two phones can be found in the screen department and, of course, the presence of hardware QWERTY in the case of the Captivate Glide. The smartphone sports an NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU with two 1GHz cores and a gig of RAM. The display has been taken straight from last year’s Galaxy S – not a bad a thing since the 4” Super AMOLED unit with WVGA resolution is still is one of the finest screens on the market.
Traditionally, we’ll begin by taking a look at the key features of the Samsung Captivate Glide, followed immediately by its main disadvantages.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support
• 21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
• 4" 16M-color Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) resolution
• Android OS v2.3.5 with TouchWiz 4 launcher
• 1 GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, 1GB of RAM
• 4 row slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash; 720p HD video recording at 30fps
• Exchange ActiveSync support; virtual private network access and device encryption
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
• 8GB internal storage, microSD slot; 1.3MP front-facing camera
• Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Charging MHL microUSB port and TV-out support
• Stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• Document editor
• File manager comes preinstalled
• Rich video format support

Main disadvantages

• All-plastic body
• No dedicated camera button
• Lack of Galaxy S II branding, despite the eye-poking performance and software similarity

As you can see, there is plenty the Samsung Captivate Glide has to offer. Its hardware QWERTY is one of the most comfortable examples we’ve encountered. The Tegra 2 CPU on the other hand, while not a typical fixture for Samsung’s Android lineup, is certainly respectable in terms of performance.
Our initial disappointment came from the fact that the device lacks even the slightest reference to the Galaxy S II family, despite the fact that the Captivate Glide is properly equipped to be a part of it. On this instance, we believe that both Samsung and AT&T have overlooked the marketing potential which such a branding would have offered (Samsung Galaxy S II in all its different incarnations is still selling quite briskly).

Samsung Focus S review: Different kind of flagship

Introduction

The Samsung Focus S is the top dog in the Korean company’s Windows Phone lineup. It is the bigger brother of the Samsung Focus Flash in AT&T’s smartphone lineup.
The term “bigger” is almost entirely related to size here. Due to Microsoft’s tight hardware restrictions for their Windows Phone platform, the line between a flagship and a budget device is quite thin. Thus, the Focus S and Focus Flash share chipsets and CPUs. The differences between the two are in the screen size, built-in memory, and the camera units – here the Focus S is better equipped.

Samsung Focus S press pics
The Samsung Focus S, despite being a new release, should look quite familiar to you. In a rather clever fashion, Samsung’s designers have decided to shape the device as a twin to the highly successful I9100 Galaxy S II – not a bad idea given the fact that the Android powered handset is still selling like hotcakes.
As always, we’ll kick the review off with the key features of the Samsung Focus S, followed by its main disadvantages.

Key Features

• 4.3" 16M-color Super AMOLED Plus screen with WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA (14.4 Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76Mbps)
• Windows Phone 7.5 operating system
• Ability to uninstall wireless provider’s proprietary apps out of the box
• 1.4 GHz Scorpion CPU, 512MB RAM, Snapdragon chipset
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and geo-tagging; 1.3MP front unit
• 720p video recording (the OS does not allow higher resolution yet)
• A number of Samsung proprietary apps, including a capable photo editor
• Bing Maps with free navigation
• 16GB of built-in storage
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging)
• Wi-Fi b/g/n; DLNA support; Wi-Fi hotspot capable
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotation
• FM radio with RDS
• Office document editor
• Built-in A-GPS receiver
• Voice-to-text functionality

Main disadvantages

• No system-wide file manager
• Non-expandable memory
• No Bluetooth file transfers
• No USB mass storage mode
• Limited third-party apps availability
• No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
• Too dependent on Zune software for file management and syncing
• No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune software, but lowers quality)

We’ve already encountered Windows Phone 7.5 Mango on several occasions. The OS has significantly matured with the latest update – it is now a viable alternative for those, who don’t want to go down the iOS or Android road.
Sadly however, Microsoft’s creation leaves no room for customization. You get the same experience, regarding of the device you’re using it on. This means that it is up to the hardware of the respective devices to win the potential consumer over – a welcome news for the Samsung Focus S, given its Galaxy S II pedigree.

Nokia Lumia 800 review: New beginnings

Introduction

It will take crowds erupting in delight to silence the ring of the "burning platform" speech in the Nokia Lumia 800's ears. The speaker being Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and the burning platform Symbian.
As Nokia are starting over, the Lumia 800 would do well not to look back. It's certainly beyond the ifs and buts. A shadow still lingers though. And there are people out there - loyal Nokia users too - who would've jumped in the fire with MeeGo rather than the freezing waters of Windows Phone.

Nokia Lumia 800 official photos
But it was for others to decide. The N9 was ordered to share its impressive unibody design with the Lumia 800. Good decision by Nokia - not saying fair - to give its WP7 pioneer a strong start. There are some Windows Phone mandated changes like the touch-sensitive Back, Menu and Search keys and a hardware shutter key.
The screen lost 0.2" and 54 pixels in height to make room for the capacitive controls. The oddly positioned secondary camera is gone as well. Still, the image quality of the screen seems unchanged - and we quite liked that AMOLED unit.
What else has changed? Well, there's a new chipset, among other things. To make this short, here're the pros and cons of the Nokia Lumia 800.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Quad-band 3G with 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
• 3.7" 16M-color AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display with anti-glare polarizer
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash, 720p@27fps video recording and fast f/2.2 lens
• Windows Phone 7.5 OS (Mango)
• 1.4GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset, 512MB of RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Non-painted polycarbonate unibody, curved screen
• GPS receiver with A-GPS support and free lifetime voice-guided navigation
• Digital compass
• 16GB on-board storage
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack; FM Radio with RDS
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and EDR
• Impressively deep and coherent SNS integration throughout the interface

Main disadvantages

• Display is much dimmer than the N9's display
• No Flash or Silverlight support in browser
• No USB mass storage (file management and sync pass only through Zune)
• No video calls and no front-facing camera either
• Non-user-replaceable battery
• No memory card slot (and no 64GB version like the N9)
• microSIM card slot
• No native DivX/XviD support, videos have to be transcoded by Zune

A strong showing by Nokia, but it's a bit late to the Windows Phone party. They do have the design experience from being in the business longer than almost anyone else and they have Nokia Drive as their ace in the hole.
The fate of the company rests on Windows Phone Nokias being a success and much of that weight falls on the shoulders of the Lumia 800. It won't carry it alone, but it's the leader of the pack, the attention grabber.

Samsung Exhibit II 4G review: Second time around

Introduction

The Samsung Exhibit II 4G is aimed primarily at commitment-challenged consumers. Being one of the quickest product sequels we’ve seen in a while, the device is marketed mostly as a Pay as you go phone, which offers you the full Android functionality at the affordable price of $200 with no contract required.
Being only the fourth largest wireless provider in the United States, T-Mobile has always positioned itself as the budget alternative to its significantly larger competitors. This year, the magenta colored provider has become even more aggressive in its pricing by offering all-you-can-eat monthly plans, which require no contract.

Samsung Exhibit II 4G official photos
In case the device looks somewhat familiar to you, you’ve probably guessed it right. The Exhibit II 4G is essentially the U.S. version of the Samsung Galaxy W. In order to fit its attractive price tag however, some of its hardware has been replaced with less capable options. The CPU of the Exhibit II is a 1GHz Snapdragon, compared to the 1.4 GHz Scorpion core of the Galaxy W. Its camera unit on the other hand, comes straight from 2008 with its 3.2MP resolution and VGA video recording.
As always, we will follow with the full breakdown of the Samsung Exhibit II 4G by going over its key features and main disadvantages.

Key Features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 14.4 Mbps HSDPA; 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 1GHz Snapdragon CPU; Adreno 205 GPU; Qualcomm MSM 8255 chipset
• 512MB RAM; 1GB ROM; microSD card support (up to 32GB)
• 3.7” LCD display with WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) resolution; 252ppi pixel density
• Front-facing VGA camera for video calls
• Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with TouchWiz 4.0 launcher
• Rich video format support out of the box
• Wi-Fi calling enabled
• Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors

Main disadvantages

• Design is a bit dull
• 3.2MP camera with lowly VGA video recording; no dedicated key
• All plastic construction
• High amount of preloaded apps from T-Mobile
• No memory card enclosed

As you can notice above, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G will certainly not end up on your list of dream phones. It is not aiming for it though. With a decent spec sheet and software which comes straight from the top of the Samsung Android ranks, paired with a low price tag with non contract, the smartphone makes quite a lot of sense.

HTC Radar review: Mango on the radar

Introduction

The HTC Radar is the smaller, less expensive, less powerful and - overall - less exaggerated version of the Titan. Now, turn that around and the Radar will be the sensible, down-to-earth and friendlier phone of the two. It will be up to users to decide. HTC do need both.
HTC have been on home turf in the Windows Phone game so far. LG and Samsung didn’t really take the first complete makeover of the platform to heart, allowing the Taiwanese to capture more than half of the WP7 market share. Now though, with the emergence of Nokia, HTC will have a harder time asserting their supremacy.

HTC Radar official photos
The HTC Radar is a good-looking - though far from flashy - and well-built smartphone. It's a WP7.5 Mango-running 1GHz powered package with a fairly palatable price tag hanging off that aluminum unibody. Sure, it may not be the upgrader’s dream, but it will probably tick plenty of boxes for those that are only now considering giving the platform a go.

Key features:

• 3.8" 16M-color capacitive LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps) and HSUPA (2Mbps)
• Windows Phone 7 operating system
• 1GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Snapdragon chipset
• 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, geotagging and a hardware shutter key
• 720p video recording @ 30fps
• 8GB of built-in storage
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging)
• Dolby Mobile and SRS sound enhancement
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotation
• Office document editor
• Facebook integration and cloud services
• Built-in A-GPS receiver
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Comes with HTC Hub and exclusive HTC apps

Main disadvantages:

• Non-expandable storage
• No mass storage
• Zune-only file management and sync
• No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
• No native video calls
• No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune)
• Non-user-accessible battery

A year ago when Microsoft launched it, Windows Phone 7 was refreshingly different and quite pretty, but still too immature to be able to cover as much ground as its maker hoped. The Mango update brings WP closer to its competitors and while Android and iOS haven't been idle either, WP7.5 has a better chance at making a difference in the midrange.

The HTC Radar at our office
What's fair is fair - Android has zoomed ahead on dual-core and HD screens. It's not up to the likes of the HTC Radar though to push hard and catch up. WP needs a foothold in the midrange and the second generation of phones may help the platform get it. The HTC Radar for its part doesn’t target upgraders - being pretty much the same phone as the 7 Trophy. It's mostly the software updates that will be trying to convince the fence-sitters.
And Mango does well to address some of the lacking functionality. Before we get to that though, there's the usual unboxing and hardware checkup. It's a proper unibody - at long last. We'd love a taste of the traditional HTC premium feel and solid build.

Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman review: Music to go

Introduction

This Walkman is still learning to walk. But it sure knows how to mix. One part spicy, one part sweet, sprinkled with sexy and fun. Just don’t expect it to mix business with pleasure.
This is not a smartphone. Smartphones come farther down the road. It looks like a long way for the Mix Walkman and it takes music to go.

Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman official pictures
The Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman is a fairly basic handset with music, Wi-Fi, stills and video. It’s a touch phone with a neat and efficient interface, good hand fit and customizable body. Affordable and simple to use, it’s not ticking boxes and getting serious stuff done. It’s not in a rush to grow up.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Touch-friendly four corner UI with Walkman player
• Stereo speakers
• 3.0" capacitive touchscreen of WQVGA resolution
• 3.15 megapixel fixed-focus camera with QVGA video recording
• Wi-Fi b/g
• Stereo FM radio with RDS and TrackID
• Standard microUSB port for charging and data
• Stereo Bluetooth
• microSD card slot, support for up to 32GB
• 3.5mm-compatible audio jack
• Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
• Facebook and Twitter apps
• Customizable color bands
• Scratch-resistant surface

Main disadvantages

• No 3G
• Low-res display
• No on-screen QWERTY keyboard
• No equalizers or repeat function for the music player
• Disappointing camera
• No file browser
• No smart dial
• No multi-tasking
• microSD card slot under the battery

An entry-level phone, the Mix Walkman is trying to stay focused on features that are relevant to its target audience. Having covered its music and social bases, it carries no unnecessary weight. It’s an upgrade of the Sony Ericsson Yendo though and has something to show for it. The bigger screen and Wi-Fi are worth noting.
Work’s been done on the software too. Sony Ericsson have done their best to emulate the Android experience with the four-corner UI. There’s Facebook and Twitter integration too through the Friends app. You can follow the status updates of five of your friends right on your homescreen.

HTC Titan review: Huge is the new big

Introduction

One big scary smartphone, the HTC Titan. Visible from space. Oh well, a little exaggeration won't hurt. But as far as we can tell, they certainly wanted it big enough to see from Finland.
Microsoft have a thing going on up north that they want to explore. But old-time partners HTC won't take the cold shoulder. They are honoring their part of the agreement and making a big statement.
The size of the Titan aside, the message HTC are sending is loud and clear. Nokia will be instrumental in shaping the future, essential to fulfilling the vision of a third ecosystem. But here we are, delivering here and now.

HTC Titan
The Titan is among the first WP7 Mango phones to make it to the market. It’s the biggest too – and likely to stay this way for quite a while. And although it feels good to think HTC were keen to show to newly-fledged allies Nokia what’s what, the size of the phone is more than just muscle flexing.
Many upgraders will be looking at the Titan and the bigger screen is the right thing to show them. Otherwise the doubters would’ve been right to ask: why Titan and not a Mango-running HD7. But the display is not the only upgrade over last year’s Windows Phone flagship.

Key features:

• Massive 4.7" 16M-color S-LCD capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G with HSDPA 14.4 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76Mbps
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS
• 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon CPU, Adreno 205 GPU 512MB RAM
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, 28mm wide-angle lens, F2.2 aperture and BSI sensor
• Hardware camera button
• 720p video recording @30fps
• Ample 16GB of built-in storage
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging)
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.1
• Mobile Office document viewer/editor
• Social network integration and cloud services
• Built-in A-GPS receiver
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Comes with HTC Hub and exclusive HTC apps

Main disadvantages:

• A bit on the gigantic side
• Screen size stretches the resolution a little thin
• Non-expandable storage
• No mass storage
• Zune only file management and sync
• No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
• No native video calls
• No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune)

We already let a spoiler slip in our recent shootout. The Titan is an impressive cameraphone. It falls short in the video recording department but the lack of Full HD video is a platform limitation. Dual-core support is yet to come to Windows Phone 7. The HTC Titan is no slowpoke though on its 1.5 GHZ processor.
It’s got the typically solid HTC build too. The phone sure looks a handful but not as scary as some may think. The Metro UI plays its part here too. The Windows Phone 7 interface is good-looking and offers a novel software experience. The first generation didn’t quite get everything right but the Mango update is a big step forward.
Mango has enabled multitasking and improved the overall experience, while HTC are lending some of their custom add-ons to a package with already solid Office and Organizer credentials and deep social network integration.
The HTC Titan is a quick ticking smartphone – responsive and well connected. It’s a capable cameraphone too, well above the usual HTC standards. Plus, the OS is out of its teens and ready to be taken seriously.

HTC Sensation XE review: The eXtended Edition

Introduction

No breaking news here. More of a developing story. The HTC Sensation XE is a shiny new release that lets you catch up on the latest from HTC Android lineup. A luxury edition for audiophiles with some extra kick squeezed out of the CPU. Old song to a new tune, if you will. But we wouldn’t frown at the sound of it. After all, it's the sound that counts.

HTC Sensation XE official photos
Beats Audio is a big part of the deal in the new Sensation XE. HTC have teamed up with Beats by Dr. Dre to boost the phone's credentials to audio purists. There's special sound processing on the inside and a Monster iBeats headset in the box.
The other things they tinkered with are the processor and battery. The two cores are now ticking at 1.5 GHz and the battery's been beefed up to 1730 mAh. The rest is familiar but by no means boring. The HTC Sensation is a dual-core super droid with a massive 4.3 qHD touchscreen, 8MP stills and Full HD video.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 4.3" 16M-color capacitive LCD touchscreen of qHD resolution (540 x 960 pixels); Gorilla glass
• Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense 3.0
• 1.5 GHz dual Scorpion CPUs, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 chipset
• 768 MB RAM and 1 GB of app storage
• Beats audio enhancement and premium Monster ibeats headset
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash; face detection and geotagging
• 1080p and 720p video recording @ 30fps
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• microSD slot up to 32GB (16 GB card included)
• Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensor
• Front facing camera with video calls
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• MHL TV-out (requires a MHL-to-HDMI adapter)
• Smart dialing, voice dialing
• DivX/XviD video support
• HTC Locations app
• HTCSense.com integration
• HTC Portable Hotspot
• Ultra-fast boot times (if you don’t remove battery)
• Office document editor

Main disadvantages

• Death grip issues for both GSM and Wi-Fi radios
• Less than impressed with the screen's outdoor performance
• Unimpressive camera results
• No dedicated camera key
• microSD is under the battery cover (you'll lose all wireless signal when open the cover)

Sony Ericsson did it with the Xperia arc S and Samsung must've lost count of the Galaxy S sequels. Why have one flagship when you can have two seems to be the common thinking. The XE is not a replacement of the original Sensation. It's a special edition with very specific targeting. Brand spanking new - yes! Groundbreaking - no! Worth it? Well, we're about to see.
The build and finish are nearly identical to the original model, but for the BeatsAudio logo and red color accents. Those seem to make quite a lot of difference and to us the Sensation XE is the better looking phone. And HTC did well to make it easily recognizable.

The HTC Sensation XE at ours
So, how will the two flagships get along? This isn't going to be a rivalry we think. The Sensation XE has a very specific target and the original Sensation can only benefit from a price drop - albeit a minor one. There's a six month gap between the two. Too soon for releasing a massive upgrade but enough time for the initial excitement to wane.
It's a sensible move from HTC to try and rekindle the love. And they did well to give the new version a unique selling feature. But is it worth the extra asking price? Always a legitimate question, this one is even more pertinent given HTC's usually steep pricing. To be fair though, the Monster headset alone pretty much offsets the premium.
Well, anyone can do their own math. Now, let's do ours. The usual set of benchmarks, audio and screen tests, and image samples will help us know the Sensation XE better. As usual though, we start with the hardware.

Apple iOS 5 review

Introduction

The iOS 5 is no news anymore. It was announced back in June at the WWDC along with the iCloud service. Apple has fulfilled its promise for a fall release and iOS 5 is finally seeding to all compatible iDevices around the globe.
If you've followed all the iOS 5 beta versions you've probably heard everything you need to know about it. But don’t worry in case you've missed those early builds, we’ll cover everything in this review.

An important note to make is that this is a review of iOS5 as it’s available on the iPhone 4. The specific iPhone 4S perks will be covered in a separate review once we get the handset itself. Now before we continue, let's take a look at the most important features premiering on the iOS 5.

Apple iOS 5 new features:

• Notifications - real time on-screen notifications, lockscreen notifications and pull-down Notification Center
• iMessage service in the Messaging app enabling instant messages to other iOS users
• Reminders - including location-aware options
• Customizable notification sounds - email, voicemail and calendar alerts
• Twitter integration
• iCloud service integration – wireless backup and restore, app and content syncing
• Enhanced Camera app - viewfinder grid, supports a hardware shutter key
• Integrated photo editing - crop, auto enhance, rotate and red-eye fix
• Updated Safari browser - tabbed browsing (on iPad), private browsing mode, integrated Reader, Reading list and optimized performance
• Dictionary lookup throughout the interface
• Computer free operation - independent activation, OTA updates, iCloud backup and restore
• Wi-Fi synchronization with iTunes with automatic operation
• New features in the Mail app - Bold, Italic, Underline and Quote options, extended Search, mass Mark as Read/Unread and Flag setting, Add/Delete mailbox folders
• Updated Calendar (new weekly view) and Game Center apps
• Newsstand app combining all of your magazine subscriptions
• iPod player now called Music, has a new icon
• Separate Video player app for the iPhone
• AppStore purchase history
• New Storage management options (list and info of all installed apps)
• Multi-tasking gestures for iPad
• AirPlay mirroring for iPad
• New accessibility options involving the LED flash, custom vibrations and Assistive Touch

Typically, there's still plenty of stuff missing and some of the things will probably never make it to the iOS. Here is a list of the things we continue to miss:

Still missing:

• No Flash support in the web browser
• No quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G
• No Facebook integration
• No proper widgets for the lockscreen
• App folders still are limited to 12 apps tops
• No DivX/XviD video support out of the box (though there're lots of players in the App Store)
• No haptics for the touchscreen
• No Bluetooth file transfers to other phones (though there’s an app that solves that partially)
• Contacts lack a swipe-to-delete or mass delete feature

Well, the list is notably shorter than last year's. Apple continues the tradition of bringing missing key features, so that's not surprising. As most of the Apple fans have already understood, some of the missing things will probably stay missing for a long time, since they go against the Apple policy (like the Flash support or the USB mass storage or the native Bluetooth or USB Mass storage functionality is against the very principles of the closed iOS eco-system).
But enough with the teasers, let's see the new iOS 5 in action.

Samsung Galaxy S II T-Mobile review

Introduction

The T-Mobile version of Samsung Galaxy S II is has taken a sharp departure from its GSM siblings. Compared to the original I9100, the droid has grown in size considerably. Its face has changed as well, putting it in line with the U.S. lineup of Samsung smartphones.
We are yet to see a better Android smartphone than the original Samsung Galaxy S II this year. The device took the Android community by storm with a combination of slim looks, powerful hardware, and mind-blowing performance. The AT&T version of the powerful droid kept the winning formula almost intact and will surely contribute significantly to the 10 million units of Galaxy S II that have been sold already. The T-Mobile version brings some different features to the mix, which differentiates it a lot from its siblings.

Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile official photos
A brief look at the spec sheet of the T-Mobile Galaxy S II will make you raise an eyebrow. Samsung has replaced the monstrously fast Exynos chipset with a new one, made by Qualcomm. The Snapdragon S3 chipset has two cores, clocked at 1.5GHz. The GPU is Adreno 220. The changes in the chipset allow the Galaxy S II for T-Mobile to reach network speeds of up to 42Mbps. Not too shabby then, we think. The gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus screen has also grown to the massive 4.52” in size, promising even more candy than the rest of the Galaxy S II lineup.
So, has the Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile stuck to its pedigree of droid powerhouses, or has its new chipset softened it up? Read on to find out. As always, we’ll kick it off with the key features.

Key Features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 42 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
• 4.52" 16M-color Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution
• Android OS v2.3.5 with TouchWiz 4 launcher
• 1.5 GHz Scorpion dual-core CPU, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 chipset, 1GB of RAM
• 8 MP wide-angle lens autofocus camera with LED flash, face, smile and blink detection
• 1080p HD video recording at 30fps
• Hot swappable SIM and microSD cards
• Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
• 16GB internal storage, microSD slot
• Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Charging MHL microUSB port and TV-out (1080p) support
• Stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• Great audio quality
• Slim waistline at only 9.4mm and low weight (135g)
• 2MP secondary video-call camera
• Full Flash support and GPU-acceleration for the web browser permit 1080p flash video playback
• Functional NFC support out of the box
• Document editor
• File manager comes preinstalled
• Incredibly rich video format playback support

Main disadvantages

• No dedicated camera key
• Slim body has poor grip when taking pictures
• No FM radio

Logically, the new chipset is the big question mark in the Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile. The bigger screen is a welcome addition to the feature set, along with the freshened up design. The rest of the droid comes straight from the I9100 parts bin.

Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile live shots
All in all, there are enough changes in the smartphone to get us seriously curious about its performance. We will continue with unboxing and a hardware inspection.
Editorial: You might notice that this review is shorter than usual and doesn't include all of our proprietary tests. The reason is it has been prepared and written far away from our office and test lab. The Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile is a US-only phone, so it will probably never get to the shores of the Old Continent. Still, we think we've captured the essence of the phone in the same precise, informative and detailed way that's become our trademark. Enjoy the good read!

Nokia X2-01 review

Introduction

Good build, QWERTY keyboard and one-touch access to music: the Nokia X2-01 has the right ingredients to serve and entertain. And if you’re looking to buy cheap, it’s an offer that’s hard to beat.

Nokia X2-01 official photos
Nokia has long made the low-end their fortress and X2-01 must be following a strategy that’s proven to work. The Nokia X2-01 is a music phone for the young with emphasis on Facebook and messaging.
With its combination of features and form factor versus price, the Nokia X2-01 has a market segment of its own. It’s another foot soldier in Nokia’s offensive in becoming the world’s number one QWERTY phone manufacturer.

Key features

• Entry level QWERTY messenger bar
• Quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity
• 2.4" 256K-color QVGA TFT display with great sunlight legibility
• VGA camera with QVGA video recording at 24fps
• Series 40 UI, 6th edition
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth 2.1 (with EDR)
• Standard microUSB port
• microSD card slot (8GB supported, 2GB included)
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Good audio quality

Main disadvantages

• No 3G
• Piss poor camera
• No smart dialing
• No USB charging

We are ready to turn a blind eye to some of the disadvantages. 3G is not essential in this price range and so is a decent camera. The S40 is not the best-looking feature phone interface but it would’ve been a lot easier to live with if it had smart dial, some document viewer capabilities or basic multitasking.
Cost-cutting is key for the X2-01. Nokia obviously presumes the target audience doesn’t really need those things. The X2-01 is all about simplicity and ease of use plus some great build quality. This entry-level messenger will not be bothered by comparisons.

Nokia X2-01 live shots
Don’t hesitate to follow us along as we check up the exterior and internals of the X2-01 – we’re about to find out exactly what you’re getting for your hard earned cash.
Editorial: Normally, phones like the X2-01 stay under our review radar as they rarely excite much interest in our readers. However, the Nokia X2-01 is special. Its Daily Interest rating has hit 35% at the time of writing this. That’s an impressive number for a low-end handset – it equals the daily interest rating of the Google Nexus S and the Motorola DEFY combined. Obviously Nokia X2-01 has somehow managed to attract our visitors’ attention.

Motorola MILESTONE 2 review

Introduction

The MILESTONE 2 has a single mission – to reclaim the top spot in Android messengers for Motorola. It has the pedigree and the personality, and with the right upgrades, it seems a lock to become the next all-in-one messenger of choice.
Who can blame Motorola? They liked it at the top of the Android food chain and want to relive the good times. Less in a mood to experiment, they know exactly where they’re going and the MILESTONE 2 might well be the phone to get them there.

Motorola MILESTONE 2 official photos
The MILESTONE 2 has the right measure of metal on the outside and beefed up internals – both hardware and software. There are a few omissions too but not too close to being deal breakers. Here they all are, in a summarized form.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA support
• 3.7" 16M-color capacitive touchscreen with WVGA (480x 854 pixels) resolution
• Scratch-resistant Gorilla glass
• One of the slimmest QWERTY side sliders
• TI OMAP3630 1GHz CPU, PowerVR SGX530 graphics accelerator; 512MB of RAM
• Android OS v2.2; MOTOBLUR UI 1.5 with SNS integration
• Web browser with Adobe Flash 10.1 support
• 5 MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash; face detection, geo-tagging
• 720p HD video recording @ 30fps
• Wi-Fi b/g/n; Wi-Fi hotspot functionality; DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS; Digital compass
• 8GB storage; microSD slot with 8GB card preinstalled
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor, in-pocket detection with auto lock
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Smart and voice dialing
• Office document editor
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• DivX/XviD video support

Main disadvantages

• The internal 8GB of storage is for apps only
• Side sliding mechanism is not spring-assisted
• DivX and XviD playback has its issues
• Non hot-swappable microSD card slot
• No FM radio

There’s little missing on the Motorola MILESTONE 2 spec sheet. In actual fact, many of the phone features seem to have a special added quality – Gorilla Glass for the display, 720p video for the 5MP camera, Wi-Fi hotspot for the fast 3G, DLNA for the Wi-Fi connectivity, Flash for the web browser and so on.
Still, the main focus of the MILESTONE 2 is text-based communication – from the humble SMS, through email, to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace messaging there’s little that this messenger droid won’t do.
The Universal inbox is the tool to handle all this. It doesn’t really matter where each message is coming from – they all end up in the same place with a handy reply button to send back a reply on the corresponding network.

Motorola MILESTONE 2 live shots
We’ll rummage through the box for starters and look at the Motorola MILESTONE 2 from all sides with a due inspection of the screen and keyboard. We’ll look at the rest of the hardware and the software too, but first things first.