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Reviews (22)
Sep 12, 2006
Sony Ericsson's Innovative Cybershot Multi-Media Phone
3 of 3 found this helpful The Sony-Ericsson K790i is the upgraded version of SE's K750i now sporting EDGE technology, a 3.2 mega-pixel camera with Sony's Cybershot technology and a browser that reformats web pages to conveniently fit the screen. Responsiveness to phone commands is outstanding and reception of this tri-band phone (900/1800/1900mhz) here in the San Francisco Bay Area is excellent. This is the first integration of Cybershot technology into a mobile phone, clearly distinguishing Sony-Ericsson as the leader in small, compact multi-media phones. The camera and video controls are hot. You can set everything from resolution (1 to 3 mega-pixels), to indoor/outdoor lighting to special effects, such as inserting a frame around a picture. Best Pics allows you to press the camera button once and choose from up to 10 pics taken simultaneously. There's additional audio and video software built into the phone so you can compose multi-media shows. Be prepared to purchase a larger M2 (mini-micro chip) if you serious about taking lots of pics, videos, saving audio files or using the multi-media software. The megabytes get eaten up quickly; so you probably want to pick up either a 512MB or 1GB chip. As typical with smaller form-factor phones, compromises have to be made. One example: the Internet button is positioned close to the left activity button. If your finger slips a bit, you've launched the browser. A minor snafu. This is the first EDGE phone I've tested with an Opera-like screen reformatting browser. Like a BlackBerry, text, graphics and pictures wrap automatically so you never need to scroll left or right. There's much more to tell, but suffice it to say, SE has done it again with the integration of audio, video and phone functions in a compact design.
Sep 05, 2006
Motorola V360 (Quad-Band & Tri-Band Versions)
1 of 4 found this helpful The Motorola international version of the 360 is a Quadband phone operating at 850, 900, 1800 and 1900mhz. (T-Mobile's release is a tri-band phone for the Americas with 850, 900 and 1900mhz signal coverage). Both phone versions offer great value, excellent performance, superb reception, GPRS/EDGE download speeds, a VGA camera comparable, in my opinion, to Moto's 1 megapixel e815, built-in MP3 player and memory chip storage.
For anyone interested in mobile email that goes beyond webmail, the International version has an email client, giving you greater control over your POP3 and IMAP email accounts. True, we're not talking BlackBerry here, but email with attachments is a better communications tool if instant messaging just doesn't cut it. T-Mobile offers a "configurator" tool online at My T-Mobile, but I found programing the emal client with my own settings worked much better on my SBC Yahoo account. (Cingular hides its configuration tool, while some of the major phone manufacturers, such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson, do admirably letting you config your WAP, MMS and email settings on their websites.
If email on your phone baffles you, I just discovered Flurry.com which works on just about any cell phone that can download a JAVA application. You download a small program and then enter your email addresses online at www.flurry.com. For now, the service is free and you'll need mobile web and a message service. If you simply want to send short emails back-and-forth, it's an o.k. service.
On to the meat of this review:
This international version of the V360 offers two features not available on the T-Mobile version: a built-in e-mail client and roaming capability to bypass your carrier's network achieving better reception. For example, my current plan is with T-Mobile, but the phone here in the San Francisco Bay Area consistently roams to Cingular at either 850 or 1900 mhz , resulting in a stronger signal depending on location. As long as your carrier (Cingular and T-Mobile in the US), for example, does not charge extra for roaming, you get better reception at no additional charge as you change location.
Please check with your carrier regarding roaming charges since the international version will sync to your carrier's nearest tower or roam to your carrier partner's tower based on signal strength and network programing. If you have a national GSM plan, most carriers do not charge you for roaming off-net. However, if you have a regional plan, you may pay extra for the minutes when you're roaming. To check your carrier's roaming partner and learn more about GSM, the world standard for mobile phones, check out www.gsmworld.com.
Whether you choose the Tri-Band or Quad-Band V360, you're getting an exceptionally well-made phone with long battery life, loud speaker, an internal antenna to avoid breakage and decrease size and a mini M2 memory chip. Serious music and video users will want to buy a 512MB or larger capacity memory chip to increase storage.
Oct 15, 2006
RIM Blackberry 8100 Pearl
2 of 2 found this helpful The 8100 Pearl is a compact, multi-function BlackBerry with a fast processor, EDGE Web downloading, music player, camera and room for a memory chip, dramatically different from other BlackBerry's. The screen is dazzling; however, due to the smaller form factor of the Pearl, you'll find smaller text fonts than on the 8700's, slightly less talk time on a single battery charge and the major challenge--learning how to use RIM's SureType text entry. In fact, for anyone who has used ITAP on a regular keypad or the full QWERTY layout of the 8700's, you'll spend some frustrating hours learning where the letters are. It's a double whammy in that you're working on a smaller keypad with two letter selections on each key, except for the "M" and "L" keys. Some of the standard symbols you regularly use, such as "@", "?", and "!" are accessed by pressing the ALT key, then the symbol. As with other BlackBerrys, there's a symbol key fairly easy to select from.
RIM replaced the trackwheel on the Pearl improving the ease of moving around the main menu screen and selecting options. Adding a single key on the left hand side of the device accesses voice dialing using speaker independent recognition (you don't have to train names and words. Just say "call" plus a phone number or name and the Pearl, like Samsung phones, dials the number for you. (By the way, the speakerphone is loud and clear, even louder than the 8700 series.) The camera button is on the right hand side along with the usual toggle for volume control. Since the keypad resembles other candy bar phones, it's actually easier to dial a number on the 8100 than on the 8700's. All of the above compensates for RIM's strong push for SureType data entry.
I made a comment in one of my eBay reviews about the attractiveness of a mobile device encouraging users to learn how to use it. That's certainly the case with the Pearl. When you put it down on your desk, it becomes an art object that you and others will notice. Both the screen and black plastic composing the Pearl glisten under light. That's the good news. The bad news is that fingerprints and smudges quickly appear on all surfaces. (Keep a soft, clean cloth with you to polish this device frequently.) The center selection button, which glows a bright white (thus, the Pearl) compensates for the otherwise smudgy looking phone.
Is the Pearl worth buying? Yes and no. If you want a BlackBerry that is compact and multi-functional--and you're willing to learn how to use one or two fingers to key in data--then you'll like RIM's latest. On the other hand, if you've learned how to use two thumbs on an 8700c (Cingular) or 8700g (T-Mobile), you'll want to stay with those models. The screen type is larger and the QWERTY keys are where you expect them to be. You may also want to check out Nokia's E62 and other newer data devices offering BlackBerry connectivity. Check out the E62 reviews on phonescoop.com for greater details.