Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

The Supernova series comprises four models which were featured in an earlier article spotlighting the world announce. The most interesting of the four is Nokia 7610, judging by the number of catalog page hits and search calls. Attaching incomprehensible suffixes to the product names is quite typical of Nokia – once again, the new 7610 handset seems to erroneously duplicate the suffix originally reserved for an earlier smartphone product. Nokia 7610 isn't a smartphone, yet for a conventional cell phone it displays a very high level of functionality. It's a slider equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera, which serves as the next step in development of the 6500 Slide and 5610 models; another spin-off from the same platform, to say so.

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

The most characteristical feature of the handset is the Theme Colorise used to quickly swap interface colors in all imaginable ways. A detailed review of this feature is available in a later section of this article. Right now, a few more general words introducing the new product. The handset is based off the fifth revision of the S40 software platform, which is due to the limitations of the hardware platform. The lower-ranking 7510 model uses the sixth revision of the S40 software platform, for instance. Supernova series' signature Xpress-on models come in a variety of colors, letting you customize even the physical features of the handset.

Supported Networks:


GSM 850/900/1800/1900

EDGE:


+

RAM size:


64 Mb

Screen:


2.2”, 320x240, 16M

Storage expansion:


microSD slot, a 512 Mb card bundled

Wireless connectivity:


Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, supports A2DP

Camera:


3.2 Mp, auto-focusing

FM radio:


+ (with RDS)

Battery:


860 mAh

Size:


98 x 48 x 15 mm

Weight:


99 g

Guiding price:


300 euros

Nokia are targeting Supernova at a largely female audience (still firmly counting on the male buyer, but to a lesser extent), trying to attack Samsung on a front where the Koreans hold especially strong positions. The Korean manufacturer is famed to favor the slider form factor, and Samsung female-tailored sliders enjoy an unmatched popularity on the market. However no known Samsung product can offer an analogous functionality in this segment. U600 is probably the closest alternative, yet incapable of posing direct competition to Nokia 7610.

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Despite its distinct orientation towards the mass market, 7610 has no direct competitors, which is a very intriguing combination. Talking in advance let's note out that the solution is rather controversial; yet an active advertising campaign planned for Supernova handsets and a scarce number of highly functional fashion slider models from other manufacturers are the two factor that are going to overcome any possible criticism and further bring the product to the top of popularity. Nokia now have at their disposal a full set of variations of the same platform: 5610 stands for music, 6500 Slide stands for business, 7610 now stands for fashion. Marketing seen in action.

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Design and Ergonomics

Nokia 7610 Supernova is a mid-sized, lightweight slider, entirely made of plastic. Two color versions are available – the dark and the bright ones, each coming with two changeable panels. The dark variant comes with blue and turquoise panels, the bright – with blue and red ones. These the Xpress-on panels, a standard element of design customization which has been used by Nokia in a number of earlier products. The moment is especially actual for a youth audience. Theme Colourizer is the company's next move catering to the youth tastes. It changes the splash screen and Navi backlight to match a specified color. This unique feature will be discussed a bit further in a special section of this article.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

The style of Supernova's design is intentionally kept very neutral. It is likely to attract both female and male audiences. Unfortunately the compromises, simplifications and concessions introduced to reach this goal make the handset's exterior look a bit plain, at least too plain for a top-ranking fashion-oriented solution. The only original thing around is the mirrorlike pieces reminiscent of Sony Ericsson's emotive solutions. However even these elements look slightly out of place.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

An Xpress-on panel feels like rubber when you touch it, to be more precise it sports an actual thin rubber coating, which will never let the handset slip out of the hand. It's held very tightly and won't ‘peel off' just by accident, which from another point can be considered a downside: hot memory card swapping becomes unavailable. Bright-colored star-shaped stickers are supplied along. The assembly and materials show us a very good example of what is the proper way and substance for making a durable and good-looking phone. Unlike 6500 Slide, there are no metal pieces, save for the back panel of the upper sliding part. All the parts fit each other tightly, the surface coating is resistant to physical damage.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Thanks to the compact size and low weight, 7610 feels as natural appendage of your hand, every aspect of shape, size and weight is very balanced. From the point of ergonomics, the handset is close to ideal yet not ideal. The keypad lacks any bump marks though the buttons are well-segmented, have a sufficient move, the backlight is of a white color, it's very even and neither too bright nor too dim. The main block of controls has coupled buttons for dial and application actions, which is not everyone's cup of tea. In practice though the navigation is pretty easy.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

The side edges of the casing host a number of slots and buttons. The hardware platform of 6500 Slide and 5610 imposes a number of unfortunate limitations like a 2.5 non-standard headset jack, the storage expansion slot hidden under the battery cover and so on. None of these is critical though, especially in a fashion phone. On the upper edge, neighboring the headset jack, the power button and the charger jack are located. The right edge hosts a two-position camera button, the volume rocker and the player button (pressing this will de-pause and pause the current track. The left edge has a microUSB slot covered with a protective flap.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

The speaker is sunk into the back surface, though sound distortions are minimal even if the phone rests on a surface. The sound volume is enough to hear from a distance, so no problems on this front. The upper part of the slider's bottom is the habitual residence of the camera lens. It is left unprotected, so careful handling is strongly advisable. Building the camera into the top part of the slider would have been a more reasonable decision, apparently.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Theme Colorise

This function was briefly mentioned above, but this section of the article dwells on the topic more thoroughly. The feature is simple yet very effective, especially as seen by the female half of the audience - now it's a matter of seconds to make your phone fit the color of your evening dress or handbag.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Here's how it works. The right virtual button on the main screen conjures up the primary menu of the application. For a couple of seconds, you see a splash screen which can be skipped by pressing OK when it appears but can't be totally gotten rid of in the options.
Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

After that, you find yourself with a viewfinder window and a semi-circular palette displaying different shades of the currently selected color, a total of sixteen. This is done dynamically, so you don't have to press the shoot button each time you want to update this palette.
Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Once you have captured the required colors, a second push of the shoot button confirms the choice, after which you are prompted to select one of the three effects: Soundflora, Waves, Globetrotter. Keeping the chosen palette intact, each of this effect mixes the colors in a unique way.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

In about 99% of cases the color recognition is done correctly, the application never lags during data processing. This application may have varying grades of importance to different people, but personally the male testers of Smape.com considered it a one-shot toy. This goes contrary to our girlfriends' opinion - they spent a lot of time toying around, trying to find color matches for their latest wardrobe additions.

Not only the menus and the main screen are affected by Theme Colorise, but the backlight color of the navigation button as well. Unfortunately the keypad remains unaffected, which in a way breaks the perfection. Still a great fun for the fair sex.

Memory

The new product comes with a 64 Mb of onboard memory, and a microSD card can always be used for expansion (no hot swapping is available though, as mentioned above) The selling package includes a 512 Mb card, however cards of a capacity up to 2 Gb are supported.

Screen

Nokia 7610 Supernova is equipped with a QVGA TFT screen (320x240) which is typical for this product class, the diagonal is a bit shorter than one would want – 2.2''. The color palette is 16M. In the real life, the screen image looks very pleasing – with good contrast, bright and vivid-colored. The view angles are just perfect. Unfortunately, this excellence ends where the daylight begins, the screen heavily affected by glares in direct sunlight due to the sort of coating used applied to the front glass.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Connectivity

The new 7610 is a quad-band phone (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and supports Class 10 EDGE. It has no WCDMA capabilities, which only proves the guess that this product was designed exclusively for the mass market.

Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR is what Supernova offers in the wireless connectivity department. It functions quite well, we weren't able to detect any problems during the tests. The options include activation state (on/off), the list of accessible devices, the visibility state, device name and a variety of other standard parameters. All the associated services are also quite standard.

The Bluetooth stereo headset (A2DP) also brought about no problems, the maximal sound volume is quite sufficient and can be adjusted manually. The following profiles are available:

? Dial Up Networking Profile
? File Transfer Profile
? Generic Access Profile
? Service Discovery Application Profile
? Headset Profile
? Handsfree (Car Kit) Profile
? Generic Object Exchange Profile (OBEX)
? Object Push Profile
? File Transfer Profile
? Basic Printing Profile
? Audio Video Remote Control Profile
? Advanced Audio Distribution Profile
? Enhanced Data Rate
? Dual Profile Bluetooth (Voice & Data)
? vNote

USB 2.0 is the means for wire communication which the new handset has to offer. The data transfer rate isn't the highest around, though. There are four connectivity modes available: Modem, Mass Storage, Media Player, Printer. The required mode is selectable from the corresponding menu and can be set as default, or optionally left for prompting each time you plug the phone cable into your PC.
Скриншоты Nokia 5610 Скриншоты Nokia 5610

Скриншоты Nokia 5610 Скриншоты Nokia 5610

The radio unit has the same nice-looking interface. The headset provides a very decent quality of sound, to say the least. The theme is independent from the theme used by the mp3 player, so the both applications can be configured to sport different skins simultaneously. Up to 50 radio stations can be saved to memory in a specified storage folder. Auto-search and RDS capabilities are also in.

Software Platform

As it was noted earlier, the top-class Supernova is based off the firth revision of S40, so there aren't any platform-wise peculiarities that have not been discussed in the previous articles dealing with S40 E5 phones. Please refer to 6500 Slide and 5610 reviews on our site to find out more about S40 functionality.
Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

The only thing worth mentioning in this article section is the Theme Colorise feature, which is a rich pack of themes – actually more of them than any Samsung product could ever offer.

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Скриншоты Nokia 7610_Supernova

Camera

For a fashion phone, the camera looks not bad – a 3.2 Mp auto-focusing unit with an integrated flash. In this aspect, the model is fully analogous with 6500 Slide and 5610; the Slide handset possesses Carl Zeiss optics though, which gives it a little boost putting it above the two other models in the sense of image acquisition quality… The flash is effective at distances not exceeding a meter and a half. The camera is deprived of a lens guard. The shoot button is a bit too tight . A 20x digital zoom is available. The volume controls serve as zoom controls while in the shooting mode.
Nokia 7610_Supernova Photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos

Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos Nokia 7610_Supernova camera photos

The camera interface is fully analogous with Nokia 6500 Slide / 5610, here we see the very same options and possibilities. The interface utilizes a landscape orientation, though a portrait mode is also available as an option. In the viewfinder mode, the screen displays a number indicators telling of the current settings: the resolution, the storage folder, the zoom ration, the timer info, the remaining number of shots, the flash on/off state and so on. Everything's simple and clear.

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Pressing Left, we pass on to the settings menu, consisting of the following items:

# Shooting mode switch (photo / video)
# Portrait mode engage
# Brightness setting (ten-point scale)
# Nighttime mode
# Flash (on, off or auto)
# Auto timer (3, 5 or 10 second)
# Multi shot
# Effects (grayscale, sepia, negative)
# White balance (auto, daylight, glow lamp, fluorescent lamp, horizont)
# Show previous photo
# Proceed to Gallery


Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Only a few options are available, the number of effects is minimal, but that's still great for a music phone. The extra settings include:

# Image quality (High, Normal, Low)
# Viewing delay for taken photos (no delay, 3, 5, 10 seconds)
# Camera sounds
# Default filename
# Storage folder selection

Image resolution:

# 1536х2048
# 1600x1200(UXGA)
# 1280x960(SXGA)
# 640x480(VGA)
# 320x240(QVGA)
# 320x240(QVGA)


A really reassuring point here: besides just choosing between the onboard memory and the memory card as the storage location, the user can specify an exact folder to save files to.

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

A photo can be instantly sent over attached to a text message, via Bluetooth or sent for printing. The photo can also be set as a wallpaper, logo, call image for a specific person or a user group. There's also the scaling option, functions like Rotate and the contrast settings (a ten-notch scale).

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

The acquired image can be instantly transferred to the graphics editor (which has only the very basic set of functions)

# insert Text
# Frame (selectable from the 7 preinstalled ones)
# Graphic clip (selectable from 7)
# insert Picture
# Trim (Portrait Size or Custom)


Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

As a result, the phone's extras in the aspect of video editing are rather modest, being nothing beyond the basic required level.

Things are even simpler when it comes to the video, there are no editing options but there's a function that allows you to strip the sound away from a clip completely. The video record length is only limited by the remaining amount of free memory, three quality presets offer you a choice between High, Normal and Low, the supported resolutions are 640x480, 352x288, 176x144 and 128x96. The video quality among the best found with the today's camera phones, and within the music phone segment 5610 is the absolutely unquestionable leader, the only disappointment being the relatively low framerate of just 15 fps. On the whole, the video acquisition quality is on a level with Nokia 6233 and similar models.

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots Nokia Series 40 v5 Screenshots

Performance

Java implementation is done on a good level, no differences are observable if we compare it to the other members of the S40 5th Edition family. The processing rates are quite nice:

Model


Nokia 7610 Supernova


Samsung U600

Jbenchmark 1.1.1 Score


1723


1244

Text


412


345

2D Shapes


413


333

3D Shapes


294


207

Fill Rate


182


103

Animation


422


256

Jbenchmark 2.0.1 Score


256


92

Image Manipulations


249


74

Text


293


102

Sprites


392


100

3D Transform


330


102

User Interface


115


83

Jbenchmark 3D HQ


128


72

Jbenchmark 3D LQ


251


84

Triangles ps


32681


9296

KTexels ps


1296


955

Battery life

The model is powered by a BL-4S 860 mAh battery. The capacity is plainly unimpressive, though in practice the battery life tests lead quite reassuring results:

Model


Nokia 7610 Supernova


Samsung U600

Regular duty


2 days


1.5 days

Multimedia cycle, video (3GP)


3:52


3:20

Multimedia cycle, audio (MP3)


13:21


11:59

Market outlook

Nokia 7610 Supernova produces a very ambiguous impression; on the one hand are the excellent stuffing, the interesting and audience-befitting feature of Theme Colorise and so on, but the other hand holds a deficiency in the image power, as long as the position of the series' flagship is concerned; even the changeable panels don't help the cause enough.

Despite all the surrounding controversy, 7610 is bound for success; the price floats a bit above the reasonable assessment, yet we wouldn't say that the product is too overpriced. The large-scale promotional campaign and the famed brand loyalty of Nokia's fans will also improve the situation, given that a fashion slider is a rare occurrence in Nokia's portfolio. At the same time, the other companies offer a number of analogous solutions at lower prices (e.g. Samsung U600), though those aren't marketed as members of a dedicated fashion slider line.

The very Supernova line itself is an interesting phenomenon. The mass-wise targeting tends to simplify the models, turning them cheaper than an average solution from the class. This comes at the price of a less pronounced image. How bad is that? Of course, part of the audience is lost but an even bigger part is added. Supernova is a serious blow delivered to Samsung, which is reputedly strong in this segment.

7610 should be viewed just as described above, it shares little with the top-ranking products of similar concept, for it is a purely mass product. Nokia cleverly used the design peculiarities to differentiate three products based off the same platform: the musical 5610, the businesslike 6500 slide, the fashion-powered 7610 Supernova. Each of the variations enjoys considerable demand, and the new product doesn't like an exception either.

Over a few weeks, Supernova became one of the most talked about phones of the recent time. Nokia is promising to launch the two color versions of the handset into full production by the beginning of the third quarter.

Sony Ericsson CyberShot C907

Sony Ericsson released the first ever Cyber-shot cameraphone to make use of the slider form factor. The new C905 Cyber-shot sports a high-end 8.1 megapixel camera with all of the goodies. Not only does it have autofocus, naturally, it also comes complete with face detection, image stabilization, red-eye reduction, a flash, and Sony Ericsson's BestPic and Smart Contrast support. It even has a separate Xenon flash for photos and an LED assist light for videos.

Of course, what high-end cell phone today would be complete without both GPS and aGPS built-in, with which to geo-tag the phone's photos? The C905 has that as well as software to handle picture and video blogging directly from the phone. The C905 supports an optional TV-out cable and can also broadcast over WiFi to a DLNA compatible television set.

Other features of note on the C905 include Microsoft Exchange Activesync support, video calling with its secondary camera, and full music support - including A2DP Bluetooth stereo, an FM radio, and the ability to play MP3 and AAC music files. The C905's 2.4", QVGA resolution display can show up to 262k colors and has an auto-rotate feature, and the phone ships with a 2GB M2 memory card to fit into its expansion slot.

The Sony Ericsson C905 measures up at 104mm x 49mm x 18mm (4.1" x 1.9" x .7") in size and weighs 136g (4.8oz). Sony Ericsson expects the C905 to be capable of 9 hours of GSM talk time or 4 hours of UMTS 3G talk time, and up to 15 days of standby time. It will be available in 3 configurations, all of them supporting at least quad-band GSM. The regular C905 will also support 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA, the C905a will support 850/1900/2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA for the Americas, and the C905c will be just quad-band GSM for China. It is expected to reach retail shelves in Q4 of this year.
Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot
Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot
Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot
Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot
Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot

Specifications for the Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot
Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
UMTS 2100MHz (C905) or UMTS 850/1900/2100Mhz (C905a)
Data GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/HSDPA/WiFi
Size 104mm x 49mm x 18mm (4.1" x 1.9" x 0.7")
Weight 136g (4.8oz)
Battery Life Estimated 15.8 days standby time
Estimated 9 hours talk time
Main Display 2.4" 262k color QVGA TFT, 240x320 pixel resolution
Camera 8.1 megapixel with autofocus and Xenon flash
Video Record/Playback
Messaging SMS/MMS/IM
Email POP3/IMAP/SMTP
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
Memory 160MB internal with Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot
Availability Q4, 2008 (manufacturer's estimate)
Other Speakerphone, FM radio, Built-in GPS receiver

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Nokia X6

Germany, Nokia introduced the X6, a Comes with Music touchscreen entertainment-driven smartphone. The X6 is a slim and attractive device that manages to fit a lot of features into its thin 14mm-thick form factor.

The X6, one of Nokia's new X Series devices, includes a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen(INFO) display with scratch resistant glass that should show off its customized S60 5th Edition user interface. Nokia Contacts Bar is accessible from the home screen for easy access to the people you communicate with most. The device also includes easy access to social networks like Facebook. An aGPS(INFO) chipset is built in for use with Nokia's Ovi Maps and to provide location-based information.

Music lovers should appreciate the phone's 32GB of storage capacity and battery longevity of 35 hours of music playback or 16 days standby. Users can also listen to their music with Bluetooth headsets and stereo headphones. The X6 has a 5.0 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual-LED flash, and the phone include video editing software, as well. Share photos and video online or use the X6's TV-out port to view your favorite multimedia in the living room.

As a Comes with Music device, users will have unlimited access to millions of music tracks that they are able to keep when the initial subscription is up.

The Nokia X6 is a tri-band UMTS 3G device that will support either the 850, 1900, and 2100MHz bands, or the 900, 1900, and 2100MHz network bands - depending on the configuration. All versions are quad-band GSM. The Nokia X6 is expected to ship in the fourth quarter for EUR 459 (US$652).

Nokia X6 demo

Find more videos on our YouTube channel!

Specifications for the Nokia X6
Operating System S60 5th Edition
Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz or 900/1900/2100MHz
Data GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/HSDPA/WiFi
Size 111mm x 51mm x 14mm (4.4in x 2.0in x 0.6in)
Weight 122g (4.3oz)
Battery Life 8/6 hours estimated 2G/3G talk time
17/18 days estimated standby time
Main Display 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, 360 x 640 pixel resolution
Camera 5.0 megapixel autofocus with Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED flash
Video 640 x 480 pixel, 30fps Record/Playback
Messaging SMS/MMS/IM
Email IMAP4/POP3/SMTP/Exchange
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, A2DP stereo
Memory 32GB internal, microSD card slot
Availability Q4 2009 (manufacturer's estimate)
Other aGPS, TV-out, Flash Lite 3.0, 3.5mm audio jack, 35 hours music playback

RIM's line of BlackBerry devices have long been popular with the business set, but it never really caught on with general consumers for a number of reasons. For one, the devices require back end support in order to manage push email and over the air data synchronization - which adds a monthly cost above and beyond the user's regular monthly plan cost. Secondly, the BlackBerry devices have always been large in size, and incapable of even the most mundane multimedia type functions. But with RIM's new BlackBerry Pearl (known in some markets as the 8100), the company has given us a BlackBerry that looks like a regular phone and supports typical consumer functionality, even if it still requires that back end support and its associated cost.

Physical Aspects

The Pearl is a very normal looking bar shaped phone if you overlook the two extra columns on the keypad and the trackball where the d-pad or joystick typically would be. The device is clad in a piano black gloss finish that appears to be pretty scratch resistant. The sides of the Pearl are covered in a dark silver/pewter colored metal finish, that is quite attractive and a bit less prone to fingerprints than the black surfaces. It weighs a mere 91g (3.2oz) and measures up at a very compact 107mm x 50mm x 15mm (4.2" x 2.0" x 0.6").
vibrant media

In spite of the two extra columns of keypad keys, the Pearl's SureType keypad looks normal enough due to its color scheme. The number keys all have silver colored paint on them that makes it easy to see the keypad as a normal numeric keypad. Some people in the press have complained that the keypad feels cheap, owing partly to the fact that the keys are not separated at all by the front cover, and therefore float a bit. But my impression of the keypad is quite positive. I find it very easy to hit the correct keys, and like the very solid tactile feedback that they offer. I'll get into how the SureType predictive text input system works later in the messaging section of the review.

Located between the keypad and the display are the red and green call control keys, a back button, a menu button, and the trackball - the "pearl" that gives the device its name. The buttons are all reasonably normal and nice to use, but the trackball is something we've only seen before on the T-Mobile Sidekick III. The Pearl's backlit trackball has a very nice feel to it, and is easily spun in any direction as needed. It can be pressed in for selecting menu items and the like, and seems to do so without moving off your intended target, as is sometimes the case with d-pads that don't have separate select buttons. Just as I did with the Sidekick III, I really love the trackball on the BlackBerry Pearl, and prefer it to any d-pad or joystick I've used on a phone.

The back panel of the Pearl, that which covers the battery, is a bit too flexible for my liking, making the device feel a bit cheaper than it should. The back cover includes a self-portrait mirror for the camera, as well as protective covers for the camera itself and the flash. The right side of the Pearl is where you will find the volume control, a lanyard loop, and the first of two user configurable quick-access keys, which defaults to being the camera access/shutter button. The left side houses a miniUSB data/charging port, the 2.5mm stereo headset port, and the second quick-access key - which I use for voice dialing. The lone control on the top of the Pearl handles ring muting and putting the phone into standby mode.

blackberry curve 8320

Curve, originally released as the Curve 8300 on the AT&T network in June 2007. The Curve proved to be a very popular and strong smartphone, and T-Mobile users lamented AT&T's several month exclusive. Now T-Mobile goes one better with the Curve 8320 which adds not only WiFi but UMA for phone calling over WiFi networks. That's what we call a killer application in tech lingo: something new, cool and downright useful that might just start a new technology trend. We'll cover UMA in detail, along with features unique to the 8320. Since the 8320 is in most respects identical to the recently released Curve 8300, we won't repeat common feature coverage when possible. Please refer to our BlackBerry Curve 8300 review for further detail on features of interest not covered in this review.

BlackBerry Curve 8320

T-Mobile Hotspot@Home and UMA

What is UMA? It's a technology that allows you to make voice calls over WiFi and switch fairly seamlessly between GSM and WiFi calls. No need for a separate VoIP account and application on the phone (i.e.: Skype). Simply use your phone number and your phone as if it were a normal cell phone. This isn't quite free: T-Mobile offers their $10/month Hotspot@Home service. You must add this to your account to use the BlackBerry 8320 and the handful of other UMA phones offered by T-Mobile over WiFi. Yes, even if you want to use the service on your home WiFi network and not a T-Mobile hotspot, you'll have to pay the $10/month, because T-Mobile provides the backend services that handle tunneling GSM calls though IP networks and they provide the transition between WiFi and GSM calls. But for $10/month (that's the introductory price, it may go up if you sign up after the promo period ends, and family plans for up to 5 lines cost $20/month), we call it a bargain: you can make unlimited domestic WiFi calls. No charges beyond the $10/month fee. Calls that originate on UMA (WiFi) are billed as unlimited Hotspot@Home accounts, even if you walk away from the access point or hotspot and the phone switches to GSM. Likewise if you make or receive a call while on GSM, you'll be billed for the entire duration of that call using your regular plan minutes, even if you get in range of a hotspot and the phone switches to UMA. If you have weak cell phone service at home, make a lot of calls when in range of a home/work WiFi access points, the service makes a great deal of sense.

For those who are technically minded, UMA works only with GSM and it's technically not VoIP as are SIP services. UMA provides a pipeline or tunnel for pure GSM to travel through via IP. The somewhat more common SIP phones turn calls into multimedia streams and send them over the Net (this is a simplified explanation). Seamless call hand-off between mobile networks and UMA is a real possibility, whereas it isn't with SIP.

T-Mobile's Hotspot@Home UMA service includes the option to buy a modified Linksys WRT54G-TM (we assume the TM stands for T-Mobile). The router is $50 and there's a $50 rebate, so it's free in the end. This is an 802.11b/g WiFi access point that can function as your home/work's sole access point or it can be hooked up to your existing network as a repeater. Or, you need not use it at all: we used the BlackBerry 8320 with our existing D-Link DIR-655 802.11n router with no problems whatsoever.

Call quality over UMA was excellent on the Curve 8320. And we didn't have a single dropped call when the phone transitioned back and forth between UMA and GSM. We tested the BlackBerry with our office D-Link draft N router and at T-Mobile hotspots. With our office router there was a blip of silence (shorter than a syllable) when the phone switched to or from UMA, at the T-Mobile Starbucks hotspot there was no blip and we couldn't even tell it had switched. The BlackBerry home screen shows you the carrier name (T-Mobile) near the top as per normal for a RIM device, and there's a dash followed by the current access point name when the phone is connected to a WiFi network. An icon at the upper right corner indicates that phone is currently on UMA and shows access point signal strength. When not in range of an access point, the phone displays the usual EDGE signal information. Connecting to a WiFi network is quite easy using the wizard, and (with the required T-Mobile data plan that includes T-Mobile hotspots) you need to do nothing to connect to a T-Mobile hotspot, the BlackBerry does it automatically. Nice!

Design and Ergonomics

Like the AT&T Curve, this is the phone for long-time BlackBerry users who prefer the thicker, rounded feel of BlackBerries of old. The keyboard is more traditional and BlackBerry-like than the 8800's and is thus somewhat easier to type on. The 35 key QWERTY keyboard's keys light up in white and the masked black letters offer good contrast in the dark. The phone is available in "Titanium" (gunmetal gray) and "Pale Gold" (champagne). We received the Titanium version which has a metallic hint of sparkle and a gloss finish. You'll never mistake it for metal, but it looks less plasticy than the AT&T Curve. In all other respects, the phone is identical to the AT&T Curve (see our Curve 8300 for more design and ergonomics details). There's a standard mini USB sync/charge port, and both the SIM card and the microSD card slot live under the battery (no hot-swapping of the microSD card unfortunately). Though ergonomically reminiscent of the past BlackBerry smartphones, the Curve 8320 is much smaller and lighter. It feels solid and well built, with no creaking or flex.

AT&T Tilt, BlackJack and Curve

The AT&T HTC Tilt, Samsung BlackJack and BlackBerry 8320.

AT&T Tilt, BlackJack and Curve

Side view top to bottom: BlackBerry Curve 8320, Samsung BlackJack and the Tilt.







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Internet and Email

You can of course turn off WiFi if you have no need for it. When turned on and in range of an access point to which you've established a connection, you can use WiFi to browse the web, send and receive email and IM. Oddly, there's not much of a speed improvement when using WiFi . You can set WiFi as the default browser mode, though we'd assume it automatically does this when a WiFi connection is active. Email over EDGE is generally quick enough on the BlackBerry but we wouldn't mind speed improvements for browsing. Our phone came setup to use the BIS connection (T-Mobile provides the BlackBerry services), and we had no trouble setting up a variety of POP and IMAP email accounts on the device. The Curve supports BES for those whose companies have BlackBerry Enterprise Server. As per usual, you can receive attachments but there's no Office suite included (there are 3rd party solutions available for separate purchase). Given Nokia S60, Windows Mobile and Palm OS's support for attachments either natively or with standard bundled applications, we're amazed RIM hasn't followed suit to remain competitive.
BlackBerry Curve 8320
BlackBerry Curve 8320

The Curve 8320 has the same web browser as the 8300 and BlackBerry 8800. It's very capable and supports tables, some Javascript, CSS and more, though you may have to turn those features on in browser options. The phone can identify itself as a BlackBerry to web servers or as a desktop browser for those times when you want to receive the full version of a web site rather than the mobile version. The default single column view makes for quick page loading (especially if JavaScript is turned off) and the desktop view does a very good job of rendering pages in a manner similar to PCs. The trackball acts as a virtual cursor (no need to move from link to link in order to navigate a page) and there's a mini-map overview feature, similar to Nokia S60 3rd edition phones like the Nokia N95.

T-Mobile includes a collection of Instant Messaging apps that handles most popular services: Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live, ICQ Google Talk and BlackBerry Messenger. SMS and MMS support is included as well.

Phone and Reception

The BlackBerry 8320 has excellent voice quality over GSM. Calls are clear, background noise isn't intrusive (within reason-- we don't mean you can stand next to a running jackhammer) and volume is good. We preferred it to the BlackBerry 8800 on T-Mo and AT&T, and to our ears it had an edge over the AT&T Curve. Reception is good, again it seems slightly stronger than the AT&T version, though it's difficult to compare reception when it involves two different carriers. The smartphone works with Bluetooth headsets and comes with VoiceSignal's Voice Dialing application which uses true speech recognition and works over Bluetooth. We paired the Curve with a variety of Bluetooth headsets including the Plantronics Discovery 655 and Jawbone and got good voice quality for incoming and outgoing voice. Range was typical for the Plantronics at 8 feet (the 655 has a great many strong points, but range isn't one) and the Jawbone got about 15 feet.

Horsepower and Software

The Curve comes with the usual suite of BlackBerry applications, including a modified version of the Zen theme with support for T-Mobile's MyFaves (you can turn off the MyFaves features if you don't use that service). Though the Curve lacks an internal GPS, the BlackBerry Maps application (powered by Tele Atlas) is included. This application downloads directions and maps over the air and can route from addresses manually entered or those in the address book. There are no POIs, traffic or other fancy bells and whistles, but it is a free application and service that does support external Bluetooth GPS units.

Like the BlackBerry 8300, the 8320 is a multimedia powerhouse by BlackBerry standards. It has a stereo 3.5mm headphone jack and comes with a stereo earbud headset with inline mic. The phone also supports A2DP for stereo Bluetooth headphones and we found sound quality to be very good over Bluetooth using the Plantronics Pulsar 590. The Media Player application (again, same as the 8300's) handles music, video playback, ringtone management and photo viewing. The music player has options for shuffle, genres, play by artist and play by album. The image viewer is fairly fast and you can use it to set any image as the home screen background. The media player plays MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ and WMA files. You can use the microSD card to store music and video. Sound is decent through the mono speaker and very good with the included 3.5mm stereo headset.

The BlackBerry Curve 8320 runs on a 312MHz Intel XScale processor. That's the same CPU used in the 8300, 8800 and faster than the BlackBerry 8830's CPU. As with most RIM devices, the Curve is responsive and performs most tasks quickly. The BlackBerry 8320 has 32 megs of RAM (used like RAM in your computer) and 64MB of flash memory for storage. After BIS provisioning, the Curve had 20 megs of free storage.

To expand the storage space for data (but not application installation), the BlackBerry comes with an SDHC microSD card slot and you can use up to 4 GB cards or greater to store your data . The card is located under the battery unfortunately, which means you must power down the phone to insert or remove a card.

Camera

Yes, it's still exciting to find a BlackBerry with a camera. No, the photos aren't that great, but we've seen worse. The 2 megapixel camera takes photos only, no video, and can save images at a maximum of 1600 x 1200 resolution. Nothing has changed since our BlackBerry 8300 review, so we won't rehash camera features here. But we've included a couple of sample photos so you can get an idea of image quality.
sample photo sample photo

Battery

WiFi is hard on battery life, and as a result, the 8320's battery life was shorter compared to the Pearl, 8800 and 8300. The BlackBerry 8320 lasted us about 2 days on a charge with moderate use-- not bad by smartphone standards but less than the 3 to 3.5 days we're accustomed to with recent GSM BlackBerry models. In our tests we left WiFi on when in the office 9-5 since we wanted to use the Hotspot@Home service for free unlimited domestic calling when possible. When out of the office we turned WiFi on when at a WiFi hotspot. We talked on the phone about 45 minutes per day (about 80% on UMA WiFi), surfed the web for 30 minutes per day and had email checking two accounts that receive quite a bit of mail.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry Curve 8320 is an exciting device. We've seen a lot of "me too" devices that are copies of last year's successful model or are simply clones of the same phone offered on another carrier. But the Curve's UMA and T-Mobile's excellent Hotspot@Home service sets the 8320 apart from the 8300 and most other phones on the market. You get all the goodness of BlackBerry (email addicts, and QWERTY speed demons, we're talking to you) and unlimited domestic calls when on WiFi. Calls transition nearly transparently between GSM and UMA and you get to use your mobile number for the ultimate in convenience. That's an important new technology we hope to see more of in the coming years. And for those who use BIS rather than a corporate BlackBerry Enterprise server account, T-Mobile's $20/month BlackBerry data plan add-on is a bargain.

Price: $249 with 2 year contract

Web sites: www.blackberry.com, www.t-mobile.com





Specs:

Display: 2.5” landscape 65K color TFT LCD. 320 x 240 resolution.

Battery: 1100 mAh lithium Ion battery, rechargeable and user replaceable. Claimed talk time: 5 hours. Claimed standby time: 22 Days.

Performance: Intel Xscale processor, 312 MHz. 64 MB flash memory with 21.8 megs available for storage and program installation.

Size: 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.60 inches. Weight: 3.9 ounces.

Keyboard: QWERTY thumb keyboard, 35 keys, backlit.

Phone: Quad-band GSM operating on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz. GPRS and EDGE for data.

Networking: WiFi 802.11b/g with UMA support. Bluetooth v2.0. Supports Headset, A2DP and AVRC for stereo Bluetooth, Hands-free and Serial Port Profiles.

Software: BlackBerry push email client. BlackBerry IM client along with IM clients for Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live, ICQ and Google Talk. VoiceSignal voice dialing software, BlackBerry Maps (uses Tele Atlas data), media player for your MP3 pleasure and video playback. PIM apps include address book, calendar, tasks and memo. Also Alarm, voice note, calculator, Password Keeper included. BrickBreaker game is bundled. BlackBerry Desktop software for PC included for syncing and software installation (PocketMac for BlackBerry Mac software can be downloaded for free from RIM's site).

Expansion: 1 microSD slot supporting SDHC.

In the Box: The BlackBerry 8320 with battery, AC travel charger, USB cable for syncing, holster with belt clip, wired 3.5mm stereo headset, getting started guide and 4.2 desktop software CD.

acer aspire 5920

Having listened to an Acer representative gush about the design of its new Aspire series at its recent product launch, it struck me that the company hasn’t necessarily been renowned for excellence in this area. Its monitors immediately spring to mind, with the likes of the AL2623W 26in display, and AL2216w 22in display, not demonstrating a great deal of panache. It must be conceded, however, that in this case Acer has good reason to gush.


Designed under commission by BMW Designworks, the new Aspire range utilises a ‘Gemstone’ design focus that has generated a distinctive and unique look. On the outside one can genuinely see that 'Gemstone' idea in the shape and finish. Though the notebook is obviously rectangular in shape, the subtle use of curves gives it a pleasant oval shaped quality, and the shiny pearlescent black finishes off the look beautifully. Importantly, this gives the 5920 a real sense of quality before you've even opened it up and started using it.

Inside things are less dramatic, but no less lacking in quality. Acer has chosen to go for a beige/cream coloured ceramic style finish, which I, for one, rather like. It provides a high quality, but different, look and feel and adds a welcome sense of lightness compared to the dark exterior. Some may find it an acquired taste, but given time it grows on you.


The inside is also punctuated by continued attention to detail. Although our sample came with a US keyboard layout there can be few complaints. It's very rare that one comes across a notebook keyboard that doesn't garner some kind of complaint, but this is one such occasion. It avoids all the common pitfalls; the left-hand Ctrl key is in its proper place on the far left, both Shift keys are of a good size as are the Return and Backspace keys. Similarly, the keys themselves are crisp, light and even.

Either side of the keyboard are shortcut keys, with media playback keys on the right and miscellaneous functions such as Wireless, Internet, Mail and Bluetooth on the left. Interestingly the media keys on the right use an unusual touch sensitive mechanism, the sensitivity of which can be set using the provided software. It's just as well you can adjust the sensitivity too because at the wrong settings it can be very easy to activate them accidentally, which is never a good thing.


Other neat touches include USB logos on either side which indicate where the USB ports are, as well as a middle click button that doubles as a scroll wheel, and the 0.3 Megapixel camera that's cleverly integrated into the clip for the lid. These are all part of the greater design ethic of the Aspire range, and in this it's very successful.

Aspire One AOD250

As prices keep dropping in the Netbook Wars, staying competitive among a slew of me-too Atom-powered mininotebooks is a challenge. While paying $500 for a Netbook was common just a year ago, today, stripped-down yet still functional Netbooks are now pushing $300, led by Dell and its bare-bones Mini 10v. Acer's Aspire One helped define the Netbook to the masses, undercutting the competition at $350, and the latest version drops the price (while slimming down the chassis) with the $298 Aspire One AOD250.

Just a few months ago, Acer launched the first 10-inch version of the Aspire One Netbooks, the AOD150. In February it cost $350, and we called it very good, but it had its limitations: a terrible touch pad, somewhat bulky size because of a six-cell battery, and a keyboard that was positively cramped compared with the competition.

The AOD250 weighs less and is thinner than the AOD150 because it has a three-cell battery now, not a six. The specifications on processor, hard drive, and RAM are identical, but the new Aspire One's more compact design makes it feel a bit less like a budget product.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $298
Processor 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270
Memory 1GB DDR2 RAM 533 MHz
Hard drive 160GB, 5400rpm
Chipset Mobile Intel 945GM Express
Graphics Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
Operating System Windows XP Home SP3
Dimensions (WD) 10.17 x 7.24 inches
Height 1 inch
Screen size (diagonal) 10.1 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 2.36/3 pounds
Category Netbook

Our review unite came in Ruby Red, but other colors (Diamond Black, Sapphire Blue, and Seashell White) are available. The finish has a metallic-flake look, with a glossy but not outrageously fingerprint-attracting finish. The screen hinge, where the bulk of the battery is housed, is matte black and lies relatively flush with the rest of the machine. Inside, the black keyboard is housed in red plastic with a finish that looks like brushed metal, while the glossy 10.1-inch screen is surrounded by shiny black plastic. It's not an unattractive look for a budget Netbook, but perhaps not exactly business casual.

While it's a decent-looking machine, it doesn't particularly stand out as groundbreaking in any way, unlike what Asus did with the stylish new "Seashell" Eee PC 1008HA. On the other hand, the Seashell costs $429, while the AOD250 is $130 cheaper. That's a huge difference in a low-cost product.

The keyboard feels comfortable to type on, and although it has a pair of full Shift keys (no ugly right-side compression), it's still far from full size. As a result, the typing experience is more cramped than working on an HP Mini 110 or a Samsung N120. The keyboard could have gone fully edge-to-edge, and in the future we really hope Acer makes this shift. The touch pad is definitely an improvement: while it's still tiny and inset, the bottom rocker button is much more clicky than before.

The 10.1-inch wide-screen LED-backlit LCD offers a 1,024x600-pixel native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size. Colors are sharp, and text and icons are crisp.

The stereo speakers, which are embedded somewhere within the Netbook (upon examination we still couldn't find where the sound was coming from), are weak, both in volume and sound quality. While it's not surprising for a Netbook, headphones are almost a must.

Acer Aspire One AOD250-1116 Average for category [Netbook]
Video VGA-out VGA
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks headphone/microphone jacks
Data 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion None None
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive None None

If you're familiar with the AOD150, you'll know what to expect here as well. The same budget no-frills ports are available here; while three USB 2.0 jacks are generous, there's no Bluetooth. For only $30 more, the HP Mini 110, while thicker in size, includes Bluetooth as well as a fuller edge-to-edge keyboard. You'll have to look to more expensive Netbooks for features like 802.11n or ExpressCard slots.

Intel's Atom N270 processor is the same that's seen across the entire world of Netbooks, and there's nothing else under the hood that's not cookie-cutter standard now for an Atom Netbook: 160GB hard drive and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. For basic Web surfing, media viewing, and accessing office documents, it works perfectly well. Performance in our benchmark tests was similar to Atom N270 Netbooks from other manufacturers, including more-expensive models. Not surprisingly, like all Atom N270 processors, it doesn't handle full-screen or HD-streaming video well; you're better off sticking to downloaded files or in-browser Hulu and YouTube.

When it comes to Netbook batteries, the most common choice is between three and six cells; three cells are thinner but generally last 2 to 3 hours, while six cells are thicker and can last in the 5-hour range. The Acer Aspire One AOD250 ran for 1 hour and 50 minutes on our video playback battery drain test using the included three-cell battery, which is lower than average; the three-cell HP Mini 110 lasted for about 30 minutes longer. While that doesn't leave much time for mobile work without an outlet, keep in mind that our battery drain test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.