Smart Phone GPS: Splitting the Demographic Map
Back then, people just needed any GPS. Typically, a standard GPS device would provide you with just as much information as other would. While some had extra features such as points of interests, the common features were all one and the same. Of course, the big defining factor was also the fact that the service was paid for.
But these days, getting access to voice guided sat nav is a simple matter of turning on the feature on your smart phone. Many Nokia handsets have the feature, and so does all Android smart phones that have GPS and use versions 1.6 Donut and above, like the popular HTC Desire.
Many believe that the emergence and growth of GPS on smart phone technology will be killing off companies such as Garmin and TomTom. While these may seem likely, the reality is far from such. Aside from the fact that Garmin and TomTom are established, reliable and well respected brands in the GPS industry, they also cater to a very specific market of people who cannot afford to switch to the free GPS services offered by mobile phone makers: professional who need very accurate GPS services.
These include the police, delivery personnel, medical response teams, and other groups and institutions that have to rely on “paid” maps –maps that they can count on (or sue the company if the data contained is misleading or incorrect).
While Nokia and Google’s maps are often more than enough for the average person, they are also not accountable for the accuracy of the data they supply.
With that said, it is obviously more than enough for the average person to use the free voice guided sat nav services as opposed to having to pay a monthly service (with the average cost of a high end smart phone –it is something that is almost expected now). According to recent news, free GPS is now being brought to the iPhone thanks to Skobbler.
Why the HTC Desire is in the Running for the Best Smartphone of 2010
Picking a competent mobile phone to purchase for one’s personal use is hard enough. There are literally hundreds of different available models in the market and for the uneducated consumer, it can truly be confusing. Perhaps an even more difficult task is identifying the best Smartphone for the whole year. There are just too many categories to consider and way too much mobiles to choose from. However, one Smartphone that we believe should be on the list of any critic is the highly impressive HTC Desire. Here are some reasons why we believe so.
The Screening Process
If we were to identify a number of outstanding features of the HTC Desire, then one of them has got to be its mega-sized 3.7-inch touch screen display. Not only is it one of the largest in the business, but it also delivers picture quality of the highest calibre (480 x 800-pixel resolution). The screen also makes use of the AMOLED capacitive technology which guarantees hassle-free and extremely responsive touch functions on the device.
Improving the Android
The Google Android is already quite impressive in itself. However, what the HTC Desire does is it pairs it up with its Sense UI, thereby creating a one-of-a-kind combination that duly delivers. This is by far the best UI + OS combo we’ve ever experienced and the fact that the Anroid Eclair (the OS version installed on the Desire) was already top class even before it was infused with the Sense UI makes the enhanced combination all the more impressive.
On the Horizon
While all the praises sent towards the way of the HTC Desire are all well and good, one thing we must keep in mind is that 2010 is also the year that has seen the launch of the latest addition to the iPhone family – the Apple iPhone 4G. The 3G performed pretty well in the market since it was launched last year and if this is any indication of how the 4G will do, then the Desire will definitely have its work cut out for it.
Vodafone UK Now Offering the Android Wildfire
It looks like we will not be running out of Android options for the coming months. Considering the current lineup of smart phones for manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and others, there are going to be plenty of Android devices coming out in the next few months and the HTC Wildfire is one such device.
Fortunately for this HTC made Android smart phone, it brings together a good mix of features and provides an excellent degree of social network integration that makes it stand out among the many other Android smart phones available on the market.
Outright, this smart phone was made for user who access social networking sites very often. The Wildfire was designed for major Twitter and Facebook users, which means that if you love checking the latest status updates and would punctuate every major decision with a Tweet, then this smart phone is a match for you.
The device not only makes accessing social network accounts easy, it also brings in Flicker, YouTube, Picasa and more. These web media sharing services are quite important since that allow users to easily upload and share media with friends a family –an important consideration for anyone who uses social networking heavily.
Aside from that, the device also comes with multimedia playback capabilities as well. The Wildfire’s media player can handle a wide range of music and video formats, and the built in camera can take high resolution images and video.
The device itself comes with a nice 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen display, a 5 mega pixel camera, a 528 MHz CPU and of course, Android 2.1 Éclair. So far, no word has been given as to when an update to version 2.2 Froyo will be available but with the HTC Desire getting a patch in the next few days; it would not be long before the Wildfire also gets an update as well.
Mobile Phone Deals for Desire, Wildfire and Bold 9700
If you are itching to buy a new smart phone, then you might want to check on the following offerings from the various network operators. In this list, we are covering the impressive Android smart phones HTC Desire and HTC Wildfire, as well as Blackberry’s Bold 9700.
Of the three, the HTC Desire is getting the most attention from interested smart phone buyers. The device is packed to the brim with features and has hardware that can match that of the Nexus One. This phone has a 5 mega pixel camera, a 3.7 inch AMOLED touch screen display, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and of course, the Android 2.1 Éclair operating system.
Orange Mobile UK is offering the handset on a couple of really tempting deals; at 25 Pounds a month for 18 months (Dolphin 25 plan), nets you the phone for free with 500 MB of data allowance each month. T-Mobile UK offers the handset at a similar rate, with an 18 month contract with a 25 Pound tariff. The only difference is that T-Mobile gives a better deal with the data allowance –giving users a full 1GB of data.
If the Desire is a little too expensive for your tastes, then you might want to go for the HTC Wildfire. This handset is basically the Desire Lite –with lesser hardware capabilities, but extended social networking functions. Vodafone UK offers the Wildfire for a very low cost of 15 Pounds a month for 24 months. Users will get 300 minutes of talk time, unlimited messages and about 500 MB of data allowance.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the perfect choice for heavy email users thanks to BB’s impressive OS and the portrait QWERTY keyboard. 3 Mobile UK has announced that their plans for the Bold 9700 include on that nets users the device for free at 20 Pounds each month for 24 months. This package deal gives 500 MB of data allowance too.
Vodafone Launches 4 Androids This April
Android fans will certainly be rejoicing next month as they have plenty of new devices to choose from. Vodafone has already confirmed 4 smart phones that will be using Google’s mobile platform.
First up is the HTC Desire. This smart phone was first seen as the HTC Bravo. It comes with a Snapdragon CPU clocked at 1GHz which is the highest speed available on the market (though we have heard rumors that a new Atom CPU and a dual core version of the Snapdragon are due to appear later this year). Expect to be able to load hardware intensive apps on this phone without any problems. The device was renamed as the Desire when it was shown off at the Mobile World Congress last February.
The HTC Legend is technically the Hero 2. This device will come equipped with a 5 mega pixel camera, a 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen and a 600MHz Qualcomm processor. Not quite as fast as a Snapdragon, but the CPU still delivers a pretty decent performance to you can still expect to get insignificant load times on this device. HTC also added in a nice aesthetic touch with the aluminum casing on the phone as well.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is the joint venture’s first Android device. It combines the Android operating system with Sony’s new Timescape and Mediascape user interfaces. The device comes with a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, an 8 mega pixel camera and a 4 inch capacitive touch screen.
Lastly, Vodafone will also be offering the Google Nexus One to their customers though it has been confirmed that device will not be stocked in stores but will still need to be shipped –Vodafone will only provide the SIM.
Get to know more about Vodafone’s Android smart phone offerings this coming April at Know Your Mobile.
HTC’s WMC Trio Available on Pre Order at Amazon UK
If you have seen the new offerings from HTC last February, then you might be happy to know that the three new smart phones are now available through pre-orders on Amazon UK. As expected, all three devices will be launching this coming April (though we hoped two of those would be out this March).
For those unfamiliar with the HTC Desire, HTC Legend and HTC HD Mini, here is a quick rundown of the phone’s specs and best features.
The HTC Desire is considered to be the better Nexus One. As you may already know, HTC was the manufacturer behind the Google phone. In some ways, it can be said that the Desire is the original basis for the Nexus One. When HTC first announced this device, it was named the Bravo and it already has the specs that we see today.
First off, it runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU clocked at 1GHz which means that it will be able to run without loading times and no slowdowns. The 5 mega pixel camera is able to take high quality images and videos at 720p. Lastly, the 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen delivers excellent visuals and accurate touch control.
The HTC Legend on the other hand is like a Desire Lite. It comes with a 600 MHz Qualcomm processor, a 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen and a 5 mega pixel camera (WVGA recording capability). The Legend serves as the successor to the HTC Hero Android smart phone and will have an aluminum casing. Both the Desire and the Legend use the HTC Sense user interface.
The HTC HD Mini is a Window Mobile phone using version 6.5.3 Maldives. This new version is made to be compatible with capacitive touch screens allowing for a better user experience when using WinMo.
Read more about HTC’s upcoming new offerings at Stuff TV.
Post MWC Lootage: Smart Phones for 2010
March is here! And if you have been following mobile phone news carefully, then you would know that this is the month where it all begins; where several of the most impressive devices shown off at Barcelona, Spain last Mobile World Congress would be launched.
Leading up the charge are HTC’s new Android smart phones. Despite the fact that the HTC Desire and the HTC Legend has been announced for quite some time, it was not until the MWC that the devices were actually shown off. Now, they have started appearing on the official rosters of mobile network operators.
Vodafone is already offering the HTC Legend as part of several deals. The smart phone comes with a 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen, a 5 mega pixel camera and a 600 MHz Qualcomm processor. The device comes in a stylish aluminum casing and looks quite a lot like its predecessor, the HTC Hero.
The HTC Desire on the other hand was originally announced as the Bravo before it was shown with a new name at the MWC. This Snapdragon powered Android smart phone is pretty similar to the Nexus One in terms of specs. Aside from the CPU, they both share the same 3.7 inch AMOLED touch screen and a 5 mega pixel camera. The only difference is that the Desire can shoot videos in 720p.
Sony Ericsson also has a couple of new devices coming this March. The XPERIA X10 is an Android Snapdragon smart phone with a large 4 inch capacitive touch screen and an 8 mega pixel camera. SE’s second device is the Vivaz. This Symbian smart phone comes with a 3.5 inch capacitive touch screen, an 8 mega pixel camera and 720p HD video recording capability.
Check out the new upcoming phones for this March at GSM Arena.
Things that Stood Out at the MWC
The Mobile World Congress last Sunday left us with plenty of new things to look forward to in the mobile phone industry. It is not surprising that there are plenty of new innovations every other day when it comes to dealing with technology, but with events like MWC, getting a sneak peek at the what’s lurking just past the corner makes us all very giddy with excitement.
Granted that we did not see any form of innovation for Korean-inspired, sausage based stylus technology for capacitive touch screen phones (har-har), MWC still had plenty in the way of smart phones and new mobile platforms.
Samsung showed off the new Bada mobile platform on the Samsung Wave smart phone. The device was like a mini Nexus One with its own custom open source operating system. It looked cute, and with its 1GHz Processor, the device was pretty impressive for a first shot device.
Too bad for the Bada, one other mobile platform debuted at the MWC which practically stole all the thunder out of everything else. The new Windows Phone 7 series is not going to arrive till the holidays of 2010. But the initial demonstration of the work in progress has left everyone wanting for more. The motto “the phone is not a PC” has rung true for the development and the execution of the design, form and function of WP7 –totally reinventing the mobile experience.
On actual phones, Google’s Android OS has been the favorite platform of choice as several devices from major manufacturers such as HTC and Sony Ericsson showed off their newest smart phones running the little green robot. Coincidentally, the new Android phones (XPERIA X10, HTC Legend and HTC Desire) are expected to pop out sometime March to April.
See images of key products from MWC 2010 at the Guardian UK.