Hardware

If you are talking about affordability, the built of this phone is considerably nice using industrial design lines that Motorola has been known for. It has the soft to the touch monoblock approach without trying hard to be a DROID RAZR.

The 4-inch screen is also big enough to handle all the multimedia files you want and the net browsing you want to do. The budget approach though has its downside, the screen has only a resolution of 854×480 when it can easily be a 720p or at least a qHD. The phone makes use of a Qualcomm 800MHz MSM 7227A that is coupled with a RAM of 512 MB and a ROM of 1GB. At the back you have an 8MP camera with LED flash but the front cam is only a VGA. The HSDPA is also limited to a download rate of 7.2Mbps instead of the faster HSPA.

Software

The MOTOLUXE depends on the Android 2.3.7 with options for customizations. Of course, everyone is hoping that the Ice Cream Sandwich will also be available for this device. The Moto Switch 2.0 though might be underwhelming with the icons needing a bit of time to get used to. There are still the favorite apps and contacts cluster which you can set up for the seven built in screens.

Conclusion

The MOTOLUXE targets the low contract and prepaying consumers. Depending on the contract price, it is still best to go for the higher end gadget which you can get far more value for your hard earned cash.

The mobile phone gods might have heard our prayers as Samsung launches the GT-N7000 Galaxy Note. It is thin like the Galaxy S II, really fast, and the HD Super AMOLED 5.3-inch display can make anyone drool. The resolution of 1280×800 pixels is the kind that we only see in laptops before but now you can see and enjoy on your palm. It is actually a good replacement for a notepad and aptly Samsung issues a pen stylus with the Galaxy Note.

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Note can be placed in between a smartphone and your table. It is a combo of a massive handset running on Android with a tablet like high resolution screen that can fit in your pocket. You can do a lot with the Galaxy note from doodling, take notes, and of course make phone calls. You can call using the phone’s mic and earpiece or you can opt for a Bluetooth headset (which might make the act look more “normal”).

The design of the Galaxy Note is similar to its sibling the Galaxy S II. The Galaxy Note though is larger at 146.86 mm x 82.95 mm x9.65 mm. It is also heavier at 6.3 ounces. This smartphone also comes with an 8 megapixel camera on the back paired with LED flash. In front, you get a 2 MP camera. It is also capable of recording HD videos at 1080/30x resolution. Internal memory is at 16GB which you can expand to around 32 GB when you use a microSD.

The 5.3 inch screen is really impressive as the colors are very vibrant. A bit of vibrancy is lost though when you look at the screen from the sides. You might notice though a tinge of green though because of the PenTile display. The bigger screen also paves the way for a bigger keyboard which gives you no reason for inaccurate typing.

Software

The Galaxy Note makes use of the Android Gingerbread but the real focus of function will be how the stylus, erm S Pen as Samsung wants to put it, works. The interface works smoothly especially for those who are used to using a stylus. It will be a world of tap, hold, and gestures to capture screen shots, write stuff, and everything else.

You can also grab a sticky pad if you want to make a quick note. There are some preloaded apps plus you can download more from the S Choice store.

Verdict

You will either hate or love the Samsung Galaxy Note. You will either hate it for its big size or love it for its functionality that is very close to a tablet with an excellent display.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 looks like a BlackBerry. They have a design that they like to stick to and it works for them. The design is clearly intended for the office. The Torch fits easily into your pocket but it is quite a heavy phone.

The screen on the Torch alright but it is clearly not up to the same level as some of its competitors when it comes to color and resolution. The touch screen however is very easy to use although again is lags behind some of its competitors, mainly in terms of speed. You can scroll through it pretty quickly and apps launched fairly fast, it is mainly the zoom feature that isn’t up to speed.

There are onscreen keyboards on the torch but they are not all that easy to use. Fortunately the full QWERTY keyboard is very good. Although even here it isn’t really up to the same standards as other BlackBerry models. The problem is that it is the thinnest keyboard they make so the keys just don’t feel as good. That being said the keys are a good size, they are well placed and typing is fairly comfortable.

The navigation controls are located below the display and these have always been one of BlackBerry’s strengths. The Torch uses the same controls that anybody who has used a BlackBerry before would be familiar with. The trackpad makes it very easy to navigate.

The main thing on the torch that is different from other BlackBerry models is that it is the first to run the new operating system. It is a complete overhaul of the system so it will seem quite different from what you are probably used to. At the top of the screen there is a quick access area that contains all of the important information you would need. The navigation bar is at the bottom of the screen and it is quite easy to use. The whole thing is much easier to use and to find what you are looking for than the old one.

The BlackBerry Torch represents a pretty major upgrade for the company. That being said there is still room for improvement. The touch screen in particular could use an improvement. Nevertheless this phone does ensure that BlackBerry has kept up with its competitors and they can now offer a phone that is as good as anything else on the market.

The HTC G2 is a nice looking phone, the combination of aluminum and plastic gives it an attractive look. It also feels quite comfortable to hold. The big downside however is that this is a very large and very heavy phone compared to its competitors. You can get it into your pocket but not as easily as some other smart phones. The most interesting design feature of the G2 is the hinge for opening it. It has Z-hinge that allows it to open above and over top of the base. It is an interesting design but it does look like the sort of thing that a lot of people are going to break.

The keyboard on the G2 is very good; the keys are large and well spaced. You can definitely feel when you are typing with this phone which a lot of people like, others don’t. There is however no number row on the keyboard which can be a negative for some people. There is also an onscreen keyboard available if you prefer that. The display on the G2 is outstanding, one of the best on any smart phone. However the touch screen can be a little finicky, you really need to be accurate with your touches. The trackpad and navigation keys are well designed and work very well.

The operating system on the G2 is Android which has its benefits and its disadvantages. A lot of people like the HTC Sense operating system but this one is pure Android. That means that you are going to lose out on some of the great features that Sense had to offer. On the other hand you do get the benefit of making it easier to keep current with the updates to the operating system. One issue that some people will have is that the phone comes pre-loaded with every Google app that is available. These can’t be removed from the phone so you are stuck with them whether you want them or not.

The HTC G2 is an outstanding phone; it is a dramatic improvement over its predecessor. There are a few issues with it, like the rather flimsy looking hinge but beyond that you really can’t go wrong. It is probably the best option available if you are looking for a phone that runs on Android.

Not much more to add — it’s coming!

I’m a blackberry guy myself, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this 9900 Bold. High-end built, great phone, lovely touchscreen. Loves!

The Samsung Galaxy Indulge is a fairly big phone which can be bit of pain when you have to put it in your pocket. The black color does give it a smooth look however the plastic look and feel may not be for everybody. That being said it does feel quite comfortable in your hand.

The screen on the Indulge is fairly good with a crisp bright image. However it is a step down from the screen on the higher priced Galaxy phones. Nevertheless the screen is very responsive. The Android operating system is well known so people should know what to expect from that. The Hummingbird processor is quite quick as well so that is a definite plus as well.

The navigation buttons are of a good size and there is click when you press them so that you know that you have pressed the key. Some people like that others don’t, I would be in former camp. There is a slide out QWERTY keyboard that is quite large, in fact it might be too large for people with small hands. The keys themselves are little bit of hassle to use because they are fairly flat.

The User interface on the Indulge is the same one that is used on other Galaxy phones but it is missing some of the features, in particular the media hub. There is a pull down bar at the top of the screen that has controls for things like GPS, Bluetooth, on and off, not to mention several other things. At the bottom of the screen are shortcuts to the dialer, address book, inbox and application launcher. The icons for apps are very easy to see and to click on.

The one major flaw that we found with this phone is that the battery life is just terrible, you will be recharging this thing all the time. The other issue that we have is that it doesn’t have the same features that you would get from other Galaxy phones. However the price is fairly high. The reason for the high price is that there is no contract when you buy it which is appealing to a lot of people. Nevertheless most of them are going to be disappointed with the quality of the phone given the price that they paid for it. It just isn’t up to the quality that you would expect of a phone in this price range.

The LG VX8700 is undeniably a good looking phone, that is one thing that is beyond any dispute. The metal casing gives it the look of being made of steel. It is quite a small phone so if fits comfortably in your pocket, although it is heavier than you would expect from looking at it. The external display of VX8700 is a little bit different than you would expect. Rather than having the rectangular screen that you get on most phones it runs vertically down the center. Another interesting feature is that when the backlight is off you can use it as a mirror for when you want to take pictures of yourself. There are no external music controls which is a pretty big oversight since you have to open the phone every time you want to play music.

The internal display of the VX8700 is outstanding. The colors are great which you can tell just by looking at the wallpapers, clearly designed to show off the quality of the graphics. You can choose from one of two different menu designs although both of them are quite simple and easy to use. The navigation controls are not really the best feature of this phone. They are flush with the surface with textured lines so that you can tell the keys apart. It works fine when you are looking at the keys but you can’t really use them without looking.

One of the best features on the VX8700 is the camera which provides for outstanding photo quality for a phone. The video camera is also good, at least by the standards of the phone cameras. The multimedia features are very good, much better than on previous versions of LG phones.

Like all LG phones the VX8700 looks great, but this one also works pretty good, which is not something that you can say about all of their other models. There are however a few design flaws that still need to be addressed. The flush keys are a pain to use. There is also the issue that battery life is not good at all. Another thing that we didn’t like is that the phone didn’t come with some of the stuff that it should have. Items like a USB cable have to be purchased separately. It also doesn’t come with a microSD card and the slot for it is in one of the most inconvenient places we’ve seen on any phone, you have to take the battery out to get to it.

The Nokia is one of the best looking phones that you are going to find, it looks great. It is also the thinnest smart phone on the market. It is very lightweight and it fits easily into your pocket. The display is a little on the small side but it does allow you to do your work without any real problems. Resolution is good but it wouldn’t hurt if the screen was a little bit brighter. The keyboard is a little crowded, the keys themselves are a good size but to get them that big they had to be really crammed together. This makes it a little bit hard to type for some people. Just above the keyboard there are four shortcut buttons which really came in handy. The touchpad worked quite well.

The user interface on the E71 is an improvement over previous versions of the phone. From the home screen you have quick access to all of the things that you would need to use on regular basis. There are also separate work and play profiles that you can switch back and forth between with an icon at the top of the screen. That way you can keep your work and your personal stuff separate.

The sound quality on the E71 is quite good so you can listen to music with no problem. The speakers are good enough that you can listen to music as long as the phone is nearby. The audio is good with headphones but for some reason they use a 2.5 mm jack rather than 3.5 mm jack like everybody else. That means you will need to get an adapter if you want to use headphones. The video quality is quite good and it plays back smoothly. The GPS is one of the better ones that we have used.

The Nokia E71 is a very good smart phone, it looks and works great. There are however a few issues particularly for American users. The phone was clearly designed for use in Europe and then adapted. In particular there are a number of features that aren’t supported for US users so they are just taking up space on the phone. The decision to use non standard size headphones is just strange. However other than that there is not much to complain about with the Nokia E71, it can certainly take its place next to the best in the class.