Cell Adictus

Best of SPE, 26 April 2009

We’re pretty sure that if you’re reading this, you’re the sort who likes exclusive, breaking details on Smartphones. We had that aplenty this week. Nokia Experts got the full skinny on the AT&T Nokia E71x in the form of PDF guides and a confirmation of a May 4th release. PreCentral.net scored an internal head-to-head between the iPhone and the Palm Pre. CrackBerry.com saw yet another Storm OS leak.

We’re also pretty sure you like free stuff. So you’ll want to check out the What Would You Do for a Palm Pre Giveaway. We’re also incredibly proud that CrackBerry.com reached – wait for it – One Million Members! They’ll be tossing out celebratory gifts to them this week. WMExperts will be giving away a phone (check there on Monday). Also, did you know that The iPhone Blog is approaching their 1 year anniversary in a couple weeks? Expect some fun to happen there soon, too!

Much more more happened in the smartphone world, so as usual, we bring you our “Best of SPE roundup.” Come take a look at what’s news!

Android Central

Samsung Omnia i910 review

In Canada there haven’t been many Windows Mobile devices from Samsung. Their first ones were the forgettable Samsung Jack and Ace. Now we have the Omnia i910.

Will it make more of an impression than the Jack and Ace? Read on!

The Omnia i910 I’m testing is on the Telus network. It’s a Windows Mobile Professional CDMA phone with Bluetooth Wifi, 8GB of built in memory, SDHC card slot, optical mouse and a 5 megapixel auto focus camera.

Let’s take a tour:

On top we have a power button along with a hole to reset the Omnia

Here we have a menu, volume buttons and a camera button.

On the left we have an lanyard eyelet and the USB/charging port.

The front has talk/end buttons plus an optical mouse which you can press in to select. To use the optical mouse you have to turn the mouse pointer on. Then you can move it by sliding your finger on it – it’s like a tiny trackpad. If you don’t care for the pointer you can turn it off at which point the optical mouse acts like a navpad. You use it by sliding your finger in the direction you want to move.

While the optical mouse is a neat feature I didn’t find it adds much from a usability standpoint.

The display has adequate brightness. It has a resolution of 240

Cricket Scores the Hint

Boy does this fully QWERTY slider sure get around.  Bell and MetroPCS released the Hint earlier and now its available through Cricket.  Cricket’s Motorola Hint is selling for $229.99 after a $20 web discount.  Of course the Hint features a full QWERTY keyboard, 2.0 MP camera, video capture, and music player.

More at Cricket.

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Pre-Review: Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headset for iPhone 3.0

Come this “summer”, iPhone 3.0 — see our walkthrough — will allow iPhone 3G (and perhaps next-generation iPhone users) to enjoy new Bluetooth functionality including stereo headsets, both the A2DP audio and ARCP control protocols. For consumers, the Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth headset (available from our sibling store, WMExperts) may be an option you want to consider come release day. For developers testing using the A2DP/ARCP profiles on the iPhone 3.0 Beta, they might even be something you want to consider now.

Note: This pre-review will not be focusing on iPhone 3.0 functionality, which is currently in closed beta. It will concentrate only on the headset itself. However, for those developers needing an A2DP headset for testing 3.0, it’s our understanding this one works well on multiple units, over multiple carriers.

Form Factor

The Motorola S9 is a fixed form, if flexible plastic horse-shoe shaped, behind-the-head fitting audio solution that combines stereo music with phone functionality. The advantage of being a singular unit is that it’s solid, unlikely to become loose or break off at some weak join point. The disadvantage is that if your head is too thin or too wide, the headset will be either uncomfortable or unusable. Likewise, the behind-the-head layout will appeal to those who like wearing hats or otherwise don’t want the bar crossing over their head. However, it may be a non-starter for people who want to use them while reclining or lying down.

Controls

A status light in the middle of the bulge along the back of the headset separates the standards-friendly mini-USB charging port on one side from the power button on the other. Both are covered by soft touch red plastic. The right-side earpiece has controls for play/pause, forward, and back. The left side earpiece has controls for answering the phone as well as volume up and down. These controls are under harder black plastic, with the play/pause and answer buttons providing a tactile, click feedback, and the volume and track buttons on either side lying flat and flush.

Functionality

The S9s are rated for 6 hours talk and 7 hours music, but like any re-chargeable product, battery life can and will vary based on usage and cycle. Sound volume is good, as is music quality, though the compression required for AD2P stereo Bluetooth transfer might not be to the liking of audiophiles. If you’re happy enough with traditional MP3 sound reproduction, however, you’ll likely have no problem with this device.

Conclusion

The freedom provided by wireless Bluetooth stereo headsets like the Motorola S9 will be a boon to iPhone users, the convenience easily outweighing concerns of audiophile-level sound reproduction (at least for most). They won’t fit everyone on either end of the physical or usage pattern scale, but as with the quality, they’re well suited for a large enough swathe down the middle.

Bottom line, if you want something solid, affordable, portable, and functional for your iPhone 3.0 developer unit, or upcoming iPhone 3.0 release unit, you’d do well to consider the Motorola S9s.

Pros

• Good sound
• Good battery life
• Good price-point
• Light and comfortable
• Well suited for on-the-go use.

Cons

• May not fit all head sizes
• Not well-suited for lying down

TiPb Accessory Pre-Review Rating

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Pre-Review: Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headset for iPhone 3.0

Bell Gets the Hint

With its compact yet fully functional sliding keyboard, the 3G Motorola Hint makes texting and emailing a cinch.

The Motorola Hint features a 2.0MP camera, Bluetooth, 3G connectivity, GPS, and MP3 player.  Sliding up the 2.5″ screen will reveal a full QWERTY keyboard-perfect for texting.

Bell has launched the Hint at the following price structure:
3 year: $79.00
2 year: $129.95
1 year: $279.95
no contract: $329.95

More information at Bell.

live_strong

Motorola Joins the Touchscreen Party

Looks like Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is finally getting around to releasing its version of an iPhone killer. Today, the company unveiled the Motorola Evoke QA4, a full touchscreen device that has integrated widgets that look much like the icons on the face of an iPhone.

The Evoke includes a full HTML browser, and provides access to sites like Google’s Picasa, MySpace and YouTube. The phone also has a slide-out keypad when held vertically and when turned on its side, a virtual Qwerty keyboard appears. In addition, it has a 2 megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities. Regional wireless operator Cricket will be the first carrier to sell the Evoke in May for an undisclosed price.

“We understand the importance of having a mobile phone that helps you stay connected simply and seamlessly with your friends and family, whether you prefer to talk, text or network,” said Mark Shockley, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Motorola Evoke offers the cutting-edge convenience and instant gratification of a full touch-screen, intuitive online browsing and the ability to stay plugged in on your terms.”

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