Nokia N97
The Nokia N97 is clearly the most anticipated smartphone for quite some time now due to the sheer number of top facilities that have been incorporated into the phone and the success of previous N-series phones would surely tempt people to get this one. The Nokia N97 is a first for Nokia in a number of ways as it is the first phone to make use of a touchscreen as well as a full-QWERTY keyboard, and it is the first Nokia phone to feature sideways sliding.
The Nokia N97 has a number of new services and applications such as the Nokia Maps 3.0 which currently has a wide variety of features such as satellite imagery and topographical maps which is good at synchronizing with the A-GPS unit present inside the phone. Further, the Nokia N97 is capable of sharing with your best friends your ‘social location’ information and also helps out with the digital compass which is built into the phone and really helps you at whenever you are in need of pedestrian navigational help.
The Nokia N97 has a 3.5 inch resistive touchscreen which enables you to view all your videos, images and applications present on the phone. The internal memory of the phone is a massive 32 GB, which can be expanded further via a microSD memory card slot upto 16 GB. The 5 megapixel snapper makes use of a Carl Zeiss optics lens and autofocus and is capable of taking high class pictures with a maximum resolution of 2592x1944 pixels. VGA video recording is possible at 30 fps. There is a secondary camera present on the front of the phone, which can be used for video calls. It is capable of recording videos at 15 fps.
The phone was released last month and is available in all stores as well as on the internet.
Nokia 5530 XpressMusic
Even after 2 years, the XpressMusic still stands strong. One of the latest additions to this line up of phones is the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic. This phone will be released sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Measuring 13 mm thick, it is one of the more pocket friendly models of the series. The weight of 107 g is also quite pocket friendly. You can fit the phone into your pocket easily, though there will be a slight bulge. Most users of this phone do not mind it as the phone looks really good.
The Nokia 5530 XpressMusichas a TFT touch screen that measures 2.9 inches diagonally. This screen allows up to 16 million colors to be displayed at a 360 x 640 pixel resolution. The phone has a proximity sensor on it which allows you to turn it off after a period of time. The screen of the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic has the handwriting recognition feature that allows you to store data securely on the phone. You can even lock the screen if you want to prevent anyone from using it without your permission. The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic has an onboard memory of 70 MB. You can expand this memory to up to 16 GB using the microSD memory card slot. This comes into use if you want to store a large music library on the phone.
The Nokia 5530 XpressMusichas a range of connectivity options. These include class 32 GPRS and class 32 EDGE. If you want to download any large files off the internet, you can do so using the Wi-Fi feature. One disadvantage of the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is that you cannot access 3G connectivity. This is quite a disadvantage as this means that video calling is not allowed using the phone.
LG GT505
The LG GT505 is one of the new touch screen phones to be launched this year. The phone is one of the few top class phones in the market that feature a full touch screen. The LG GT505 is 3G phones and allows the user to download files off the internet at a high speed. The LG GT505was officially launched in June. When compared to other phones, the LG GT505is one of the bulkier models to be launched.
The phone features a TFT touch screen which measures 3 inches diagonally. This screen allows up to 256000 colors to be displayed at a 240 x 400 pixel resolution. The A-Class user interface has an accelerometer which allows the user to rotate the screen to view the media in landscape view if you want to. The LG GT505’s memory can be expanded up to 8 GB using the microSD memory card slot on the side of the phone.
The LG GT505 also has quite a good set of connectivity options. The class 10 EDGE allows you to connect to the internet using the phone and download files off the internet. If you want to transfer data across a short distance, you can use the Bluetooth with A2DP. This can be used if you want to transfer small files. If you want to transfer large files or folders, you have to use the USB cable. The LG GT505 has a 5 MP camera which is top class and allows you to take clear photos even in low light. The LED flash is quite effective, though a xenon flash would have been a better option. The LG GT505 also has an inbuilt GPS receiver which allows you to use the phone as a navigation tool. The media player is good enough to be used instead of your MP3 player.
Sony Ericsson Yari
The Sony Ericsson Yariis one of the newest 3G phones to join the market. this is a mid range phone and will be released in September 2009. The phone measures 100 x 48 x 15.7 mm and weighs 115 g. This makes the phone quite heavy and is not one that you can sling around your neck if you want to. The 2.4 inch TFT screen allows up to 256000 colors to be displayed at a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. The screen features an accelerometer sensor which allows you to rotate the screen to view media in landscape view if you want to.
The onboard memory of 60 MB can be used to store up to 1000 contacts. This memory can be expanded up to 16 GB using the microSD memory card slot on the side of the phone. This can be used to store your media library. The connectivity options of the Sony Ericsson Yariare top class with class 10 GPRS, class 10 EDGE and HSDPA. The Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP allows you to transfer data to and from this device. This means that you can transfer music files to your phones without any mess with wires.
Other media options of this phone are also really good. The 5 MP primary camera takes very clear shots even in low light. Even videos turn out quite clear because of the video light. The Sony Ericsson Yari has a media player that can play a range of media formats. These include MP3, AAC and MPEG4. The TrackID music recognition service allows you to identify the song that is playing by sending a recording of the song to a music database and get it automatically identified. The battery life of the Sony Ericsson Yariis quite good as it can be used for 3-4 days with moderate use and no need to recharge.
Apple iPhone 3G S
The “Apple craze” is just as strong now as it was 3 years ago. These seems to be no signs of this craze decreasing even thought there are many phones nowadays as good or even better than the Apple phones. The Apple iPhone 3G S is one of the new 3G phones launched this year. The phone was officially launched on the 19th of June this year. The advantage that this phone has over its predecessor is a faster processing speed along with a greater battery life to match it.
Appearance wise, the Apple iPhone 3G S has not changed. The phone still features the glossy black exterior with the large touch screen. The only improvement in the outer body of the Apple iPhone 3G S seems to be its oleophobic coating on the screen. This coated display is a big improvement, as it attracts fewer fingerprints leaving the screen relatively smudge free. The clear screen is a big improvement over its predecessor as it remains clear for a longer period. The Apple iPhone 3G S is slightly heavier than the Apple 3G phone. Luckily, this difference is hardly noticeable and still allows the phone to be slipped into even the smallest space. You can carry the phone around in your pocket or in a small purse. The Apple iPhone 3G S has a 3 MP camera which allows clear shots to be taken. The problem with this is that the camera does not come with a flash. This means that you cannot capture shots in dim light unless you have some sort of external flash. The Apple iPhone 3G S comes with a range of photo and video editing options. This gives you a chance to view your videos frame by frame in a linear format. You have the options of removing or adding extra frames at this point.
Sony Ericsson T715
The Sony Ericsson T715is one of the new 3G phones to be released later this year. The phone measures 91.5 x 48 x 14.9 mm and weighs in at 96 g. This makes the phone quite pocket friendly as the phone can be fit into even the smallest bag. The 2.2 inch display can support up to 256000 colors at a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. This TFT screen is both bright and easy to read. The keypad of the Sony Ericsson T715is easy to operate on as the keys are large and well spaced.
The onboard memory of 90 MB can be expanded using the microSD memory card slot. This onboard memory alone can store up to 1000 contacts. The Sony Ericsson T715 has excellent connectivity options such as Class 10 GPRS, Class 10 EDGE as well as HSDPA. The Bluetooth version 2.0 can be used for fast and easy data transfer from on Bluetooth enabled device to the phone, or vice versa. If you have large files or a set of folders to transfer, you should use the USB cable as this is much faster.
The 3.15 MP primary camera has an LED flash and can be used to capture photos with a 2048 x 1536 resolution. This means that clear sharp photos can be captured even in dim light. The phone does not have secondary camera, though the primary camera can be used for video calling. The stereo FM with RDS allows you to access information about any song that you are listening to easily. The media player can play a range of media formats such as MP3, AAC as well as WMA. The Sony Ericsson T715has a decent battery life as it allows up to 4 days of moderate use with no need to recharge the battery.
Sony Ericsson Naite GreenHeart
The Sony Ericsson Naite GreenHeart is part of the newly released GreenHeart series. The phone allows you to access a range of networks as it is a 3G phone. This enhanced connectivity makes this phone a valuable device for anyone looking for high speed internet connectivity. The Sony Ericsson Naite GreenHeart is likely to be launched some time later this year. The Sony Ericsson Naite GreenHeart measures 108 x 47 x 12.6 mm and weights 84 g. This makes the phone very pocket friendly as the light weight can be fit into even the smallest purse. You even have the option of slinging the phone around your neck as the phone will not weight you down.
The Sony Ericsson Naite GreenHearthas a 2.2 inch TFT display. This display is very colorful and can display images with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. This means that the screen is ideal to display your media on. The internal memory of 100 MB can store over 1000 contacts. If you want to store a large media collection on the phone, you have the option to expand the memory to a maximum of 8 GB using the microSD memory card slot. The keypad of the Sony Ericsson Naite GreenHeartlies below the screen and is easy to use even if you have large fingers. The keys are large and well spaced allowing you to get used to touch typing easily within a short time.
The class 10 GPRS, HSCSD and EDGE allows you to download files of the internet easily. If you want to transfer data across a short distance, you can do this easily using the Bluetooth 2.0. The camera of the Sony Ericsson Naite GreenHeartis not that good, not that you can expect much in a budget phone.
Sony Ericsson Aino
The Sony Ericsson Aino is the latest phone to have been released by Sony Ericsson exclusively for the mid – level market. The phone is set to be released during September later this year and is facilitated by a full touch – screen. The phone is a tad thick at 15.5 mm and weighs in at 134 grams.
The Sony Ericsson Aino has a big 3 inch TFT touch – screen which can display a maximum of 16 million colours, making it the ideal device on which you can view videos. The accelerometer sensor automatically rotates to landscape mode when you hold it as such. The keypad is revealed by sliding it out from underneath the screen. The keys are quite spacious and easy to use.
The internal memory of the Sony Ericsson Aino is 55 MB. This can be expanded by a further 16 GB by using a microSD memory card. There are a number of connectivity options which are available such as HSCSD, Class 10 GPRS, Wi-Fi and Class 10 EDGE.
Bluetooth v2.0 enables you to connect and share data with other phones. There is also USB connectivity available for fast data transfer between the computer and the phone. The 8.1 megapixel camera is the main attraction of the Aino. It has autofocus and an LED flash as well. One of the biggest downsides of this camera is the lack of a xenon flash. Rather, it has a normal LED flash. The camera has a number of other features such as face detection, touch focus and red-eye reduction.
The stereo FM radio has an RDS facility, enabling you to listen to a variety of radio stations and getting the relevant information about them. The in-built GPS receiver enables you to use the phone as a navigation tool, making it a great phone overall.
Samsung ToccoLite S5230
One of the more recent touch screen phones which Samsung has released is the Samsung Tocco Lite S5230. This phone was released in May earlier this year.
The Samsung Tocco Lite S5230 is quite slim at 11.9 mm and is not heavy at all, weighing in at a mere 93.5 grams. It is much lighter than the benchmark for smartphones and slips into your pocket with ease.
The monstrous 3 inch TFT touch screen present on the Samsung Tocco Lite S5230 is capable of displaying a maximum of 256k colours and has a resolution of 240x400 pixels. The accelerometer sensor facilitates auto – rotating of the screen to landscape mode when you rotate the phone into such a position.
The internal memory present in the phone is a mere 50 MB. However, this can be expanded to 16 GB by using the microSD memory card slot. This ensures that you can store a number of videos and songs. The internet browsing options present in the S5320 include the Class 12 GPRS and Class 12 EDGE.
However, the clear disappointment in the Tocco Lite is clearly the absence of 3G connectivity. This will mean that you will be able to browse the internet at an extremely slow speed.
Looking at the other connectivity options present in the Tocco Lite, there is Bluetooth v2.1, which has support for A2DP profiles. The 3.15 megapixel camera is able to shoot pictures with a max resolution of 2048x1536 pixels. This ensures ultra – sharp pictures.
RDS support is present in the stereo FM radio. This is extremely advantageous as you won’t have to waste time tuning radio stations. Rather, you will just be able to download the frequencies. There is support for most of the popular formats in the music player. The Tocco Lite is said to last about 3 to 4 days of moderate use on a single charge.
Samsung Pixon 12
The Samsung Pixon 12 is being widely acknowledged as the phone which is next in line to the Pixon 8MP phone. The release date has not been fixed yet, but Samsung have confirmed that it will be released during the 3rd quarter of this year.
Compactness and high appeal is what lays the cornerstone for the design of the Samsung Pixon 12. The massive 3.1 inch AMOLED touch-screen just complements these looks. It is capable of displaying a maximum of 16k colour, thereby making the viewing of videos and images on this phone a really pleasant experience.
Multimedia options isn’t something you have to be worrying about as the Samsung Pixon 12 has plenty in this department. It supports nearly every single multimedia format possible and also has a TV-out cable so that you can view all the videos and pictures that you have captured, on the TV as well. The 12 MP camera is one of the top features of this phone.
The camera also has another notable feature in the touch based focus, which enables you to focus on an item on the screen by just tapping it a couple of time. There is also another feature known as the fast saving option. This option enables you to take the next pictures within a matter of seconds.
The top-of-the-range xenon flash and the 28 mm wide angle lens makes the camera extremely similar to what you find on most popular digital cameras. The presence of this flash would be to the relief of all the shutterbugs as you wouldn’t find it necessary to carry a separate digital camera wherever you go. A resolution of 720x480 pixels and a recording quality of 30 fps makes this camera a real delight to use.
Support for UMTS and HSDPA networks is present, as well as GPS facilities. The phone has a weight of just 120 grams and has a waistline of only 13.8 mm.