The Phonematchup Blog: everything you ever wanted to know about the latest cell phones. High-tech gadgetry, quality writing, and more! tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1 2008-11-17T21:54:16Z PhoneMatchup: Find the best prices on the latest phones. PhoneMatchup tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.53 2008-11-13T0:00:00Z 2008-11-13T0:00:00Z

To say that the Xperia X1 has been long-awaited is like saying the ocean is wet. Announced over seven months ago, the X1 was meant to be Sony Ericsson's flagship device, a phone that would set itself apart from the company's batches of uninspiring phones. Unfortunately, long delays and a serious lack of information plagued the launch of the quad-band smartphone, and it was only earlier this month that the device started shipping.

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The Xperia X1 marks Sony Ericsson's first foray into strictly phone design while outsourcing the manufacturing process to fellow smartphone maker HTC. The phone also packs Windows Mobile 6.1, again a first for the company - earlier Sony Ericsson smartphones ran on a modified version of the Symbian operating system.

Other features include a 3.2 megapixel camera (30 fps VGA video recording), integrated GPS (+A-GPS), 3.5 mm audio jack, an optical trackpad, and up to 10 hours of battery life.]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.52 2008-10-28T0:00:00Z 2008-10-28T0:00:00Z

It's no secret that Nokia's N81 slider, while offering gamers and music lovers dedicated buttons for both pleasures, was not a great phone. In fact, it was a lousy phone, prone to firmware bugs, poor imaging, and build quality that did not befit a $500 phone.

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We'd also have to say the N85 is in many ways better than Nokia's current flagship smartphone, the N96.]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.51 2008-09-23T0:00:00Z 2008-09-23T0:00:00Z

Most business phones, with few exceptions, are relatively boring pieces of work. They make calls, they send emails, they sync with your PC, they take up way too much space in your pockets.

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Like its predecessor, the E65, the E66 is a quad-band slider that has 3G support depending on version (international: 2100/900, us: 850/1900). It's loaded with business applications, various synchronization methods, and email (Exchange, intellisync, etc). But there's also an integrated GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera, accelerometer, A2DP (stereo bluetooth), and WLAN.

As feature-rich as the E66, it looks like there's always room for some downsides: the biggest seems to be the battery, which even at a rated 1000 mAh / 7.5 hours of battery life, doesn't seem to actually get anywhere near that number in actual usage. You could get away from this by turning off 3G, lowering some display settings, etc, but what's the point? Another minor gripe is the addition of a 2.5mm audio jack - why put in A2DP but not the ubiquitous 3.5mm standard stereo plug?]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.50 2008-09-05T0:00:00Z 2008-09-05T0:00:00Z

When you cram nearly every feature possible into a mobile phone, there's bound to be some sacrifices. And the sacrifice in buying the HTC Touch Pro is sheer weight. Or more specifically, 165 grams/5.8 ounces. That's 50% heavier than Nokia's original N95 handset, and already inching toward record territory.

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Battery life and talk time seem to be fairly decent, with the Touch Pro offering up to 8 hours of talk time with the standard 1340 mAh battery before giving up the ghost.

Also of note is the phone's similarity to the Xperia X1 (not yet reviewed here - coming soon), thanks to the fact that HTC serves as ODM for the X1 and many other devices. Unfortunately for Sony Ericsson, product delays and a real lack of any release date mean that HTC will get a jump start into the touch-screen/slide keyboard market. And if the Touch Pro is anything to go by, that's well deserved.]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.49 2008-09-04T0:00:00Z 2008-09-04T0:00:00Z

There's not much about Apple's second (or is that third?) generation iPhone that honestly hasn't already been said. While there are a number of minor improvements all across the board, the biggest one is the inclusion of 3G, or support for AT&T's high-speed wireless internet, accessible from anywhere*.

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But the Apple iPhone 3G is still the undisputed king of smartphones. It's not hard to see why: Apple has gotten the user interface down to near perfection, and has integrated one of the best mobile web browsers ever seen.

3G, Accelerometers, proximity sensors, 10 hours battery life, A-GPS, WLAN - there's a lot to like here. On the flip side, it's unfortunate that the phone has been given a rather miniscule 2 megapixel camera and still requires a hefty monthly payment. But that's the price of cutting edge, and the iPhone 3G has certainly reached that pinnacle.]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.48 2008-08-05T22:02:00Z 2008-08-05T22:02:00Z

This isn't the first time that Samsung has tried to take on the current touch-screen king, Apple. The two previous attempts, the Armani and F480, failed to make any real dent in the iPhone market. But those two phones were nothing like the i900 Omnia, a quad-band candy bar with a 3.2 inch display and a camera that, at 5 megapixels, is simply overpowered when compared to today's similar touch-screen handsets.

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The bottom line is simple: the i900 Omnia can do pretty much anything you want it to. It has the distinct advantage over its predecessors with the inclusion of the Windows Mobile operating system, and a ridiculous feature set to boot. But will it make a dent in the iPhone market?]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.47 2008-07-16T20:00:00Z 2008-07-16T20:00:00Z

It seems that phones dubbed "iPhone Killers" are all the rage right now, with nearly every major phone manufacturer cranking out something, anything, with a similar look and feel as Apple's ubiquitous little device. Fortunately, Nokia's E71 is nowhere even remotely similar to the iPhone. Instead, it's a Blackberry Killer - or, a larger than average candy bar armed with a full keyboard. To be honest, only Research in Motion has really managed to perfect the kind of form factor, although lesser offerings from Samsung and Motorola took the spotlight for a short while.

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Fortunately, Nokia's E71 is nowhere even remotely similar to the iPhone. Instead, it's a Blackberry Killer - or, a larger than average candy bar armed with a full keyboard. To be honest, only Research in Motion has really managed to perfect the kind of form factor, although lesser offerings from Samsung and Motorola took the spotlight for a short while.]]>
Fast forward several years and a couple incarnations of the E61, to the present E71. The look has changed radically - it not only looks like a business phone, it means some serious business.

The E71's connectivity options are well-rounded, with quad-band + HSDPA 850/1900 (or HSDPA 900/2100 for the international version), wi-fi/WLAN 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, infrared, and of course support for more legacy options (GPRS, EDGE, HSCSD). An integrated GPS and Assisted-GPS ensures that you won't be getting lost any time soon.

Generally, Nokia's Eseries suffers from poor imaging features, but the E71 does a decent job in this field. It's armed with a 3.2 megapixel camera that is equipped with autofocus and a flash. Video could be much better, with a maximum QVGA resolution @ 15 fps. Still, it's a small tradeoff considering many of the first Eseries devices lacked cameras completely.

And quite unlike many of Nokia's phones, the E71 shines in the battery life department. The included 1500 mAh lithium-polymer lets you bang out up to 10.5 hours of calls, a number that has got to break some kind of record somewhere.

Of course, the Nokia E71 is all about efficiency - and the keyboard, fairly robust operating system, 369 mhz processor, and its various connectivity options all seem to take care of that issue quite well. We're impressed.]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.45 2008-07-08T15:00:00Z 2008-07-08T15:00:00Z

For such a giantastic conglomerate, Samsung is well known for taking some major risks when it comes to cell phone design. Especially for its line of sliders, the one type of phone that Samsung seems hell-bent on releasing in vast numbers. The latest slider phone being added to the pile is the Samsung U900 Soul, and it's not enough that it has that exquisite sleekness, a 5 megapixel camera, and a metallic frame.

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The latest slider phone being added to the pile is the Samsung U900 Soul, and it's not enough that it has that exquisite sleekness, a 5 megapixel camera, and a metallic frame.]]>
Now, the camera. It's a 5 megapixel shooter, with a couple of additions: image stabilization, face recognition, and a nice little flash. QVGA video is also available, but we'd guess this is exactly a major selling point.

The U900 Soul is not a flagship phone. In other words, there's no GPS, WLAN, HSDPA bands other than 2100, or even quad-band connectivity (it's tri-band 900/1800/1900). That's a bit rough, considering that this phone would simply be an epic win if it managed to pack in all those features.]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.44 2008-06-15T16:00:00Z 2008-06-15T16:00:00Z

HTC is slowly turning into a major force in the cell phone world, garnishing a reputation for bringing out fully-featured smartphones with either touch-sensitive controls or QWERTY keyboards. The latest iteration of the successful Touch line is the Zune-like Touch Diamond.

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The latest iteration of the successful Touch line is the Zune-like Touch Diamond.]]>
Second, the Touch Diamond is only available in tri-band configurations: 850/1800/1900 for the USA, and 900/1800/1900 for everyone else. However, this isn't necessarily a negative, because each region does get correct 3G frequencies (850/1900 for the USA, 2100/900 for the world).

Interestingly enough, the candy bar is equipped with a mere 900 mAh battery - but that battery can power the phone for up to 5.5 hours of talk time.

But if you're looking for a touch-screen smartphone that's complete with all the bells and whistles (and you can stomach the retail price), then the Touch Diamond may just be for you.]]> tag:www.phonematchup.com,2008://1.43 2008-06-04T19:00:00Z 2008-06-04T19:00:00Z

The Nokia N78 ain't yo momma's candy bar. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a better handset with the wide variety of features being offered by this Series 60 handset.

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There's more to the N78 than that, of course. Two versions of the phone will ship with HSDPA 850/1900 and 2100/900 3G connectivity, as well as the usual WLAN and EDGE. The onboard GPS combined with the new built-in Location Tagger software will allow you to geotag your images with location metadata - an appreciated but necessary the most practical of features.

Nokia's also thrown in Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP supported, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and stereo speakers to round out the music experience.]]>