Features - Engadget Mobile

Nokia N900 quick hands-on

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 16th 2009 at 9:00AM

We've finally had a chance to play around at length with a very late pre-production version of Nokia's N900 (retail units are already shipping, but not to our neck of the woods just yet) and we wanted to scribble out a few notes for you before taking delivery of a final build for a full review hopefully in the next week or two. Here are some highlights we've noticed so far:

Processor, processor, processor. Oh, and did we mention the processor? The N900's Cortex A8-based core yields significant improvements in day-to-day usability over the N810's ARM11 unit.
Though it's still quite raw and feature-incomplete, Maemo 5 is by far the most user-friendly version of the platform to date, if for no other reason than the fact that it's very pretty. Screen transitions are smooth and look great, the home screen is as attractive and versatile as any widget-based home screen on the market today, and the Expose-style task switcher is a welcome addition.
The N900 may very well offer the best browsing experience of any smartphone on the market today (yes, including the iPhone). What little ground it gives up in user friendliness is more than countered by the fact that you have the closest thing you can get to a desktop-class browser in a device of this size and form factor; it's straight-up Mozilla, after all, and everything renders faithfully. Flash doesn't blaze, but at least the Cortex A8 makes it usable.

Follow the break for more impressions and a quick rundown on video!

Gallery: Nokia N900 quick hands-on

Continue reading Nokia N900 quick hands-on

FCC Fridays

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 13th 2009 at 11:59PM

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend ~~a lot of~~ way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - Huawei G7002
Read - Huawei C6100
Read - Huawei M228
Read - Samsung i8180C
Read - Samsung B5722
Read - Samsung SPH-W9100
Read - Samsung C3730C
Read - Samsung SCH-W930
Read - Samsung B5310B
Read - Samsung M5650
Read - ZTE GS308+

Peripherals
Read - Huawei E1786
Read - Option GI0461

BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 12th 2009 at 3:00PM

For a company with the most starched, buttoned-up roots of any major wireless manufacturer, RIM's venture out of its enterprise comfort zone to the consumer space went amazingly smoothly thanks to the introduction of the original Pearl, a phone that's still sold in a variety of colors, configurations, and carriers to this day. At some point, though, it became clear that the industry was moving toward touch -- a space RIM had never dabbled in -- and the trend gave birth to the Storm, a product that had obviously been rushed to market with countless software bugs and a dodgy SurePress concept that caused more problems than it solved. With prototypes floating around in the wild mere months after its predecessor's release, RIM's message was loud and clear earlier this year: "we need to fix the Storm, and we need to do it quickly." Ultimately, it's ended up taking the company just about a year to get the Storm2 to market, a product that attempts to tweak Waterloo's touchscreen strategy just enough to undo a few mistakes and send it down the right path. Mission accomplished? Read on.

Engadget Mobile Podcast 029 - 11.09.2009

by Trent Wolbe posted Nov 9th 2009 at 5:45PM

"DRRRROOOOOOOOID." Okay, we spare you from actually playing the "DROID" alert sound at any point during the podcast, but the fact remains: Verizon's powerhouse from Motorola is a major topic of conversation on this week's show. Dig in!

Hosts: Chris Ziegler, Sean Cooper
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Solvent - Devices and Strategies (Ghostly International)

01:38 - Motorola DROID review
22:15 - Verizon's LG Chocolate Touch skips on the BL40 influence
24:33 - Verizon's DROID ERIS by HTC does Android and keeps it cheap
30:25 - BlackBerry Bold 9700 hands-on and impressions
32:36 - HTC HD2 officially coming to US, out in Europe and Asia today!
36:44 - Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow
41:16 - Bell confirms HSPA launch on November 4
53:02 - Listener questions

Subscribe to the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
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Download the podcast

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Contact the podcast

podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.

FCC Fridays

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:54PM

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend ~~a lot of~~ way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - Huawei U7517
Read - Huawei G6600
Read - Samsung B5310L
Read - Samsung C3510
Read - Samsung SCH-F339
Read - Pantech P7040
Read - LG GS107a
Read - LG 900G
Read - LG UN430
Read - LG GD350
Read - Panasonic 940P

Peripherals
Read - ZTE MF10
Read - ZTE K4505-Z
Read - Haier HC-CE310

FCC Fridays

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 30th 2009 at 10:29PM

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend ~~a lot of~~ way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - LG GB280
Read - LG LN510
Read - LG MT310
Read - LG GW825
Read - Samsung B5310
Read - Samsung i6330C
Read - Samsung S3600i
Read - Samsung SCH-W259
Read - Samsung SPH-M8400
Read - Samsung SPH-W9700
Read - Sanyo SCP-6760
Read - Huawei U8220-6
Read - Panasonic 840P

Peripherals
Read - Huawei ePico3801
Read - ZTE AC2766
Read - Parrot Grande Specchio

FCC Fridays

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 11:32PM

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend ~~a lot of~~ way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - Huawei G1157
Read - LG GR700
Read - LG GT550
Read - Kyocera Domino S1310
Read - Samsung SCH-R860
Read - Samsung i5700L
Read - Samsung X01SC
Read - Samsung 940SC
Read - HTC myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition

Peripherals
Read - Motorola CPEi 725
Read - Novatel Ovation MC998D

Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset review

by Engadget staff posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 11:36AM

Finally, the teaser's over. The latest delivery to Engadget's UK penthouse is the Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset due out in the US on 8th November, and we took no time to extract the pebble from the transparent cylinder. In front of us are the two parts of the STONE: an earpiece of a breakthrough form factor that instantly makes you pity its rivals, and behind it is the accompanying portable charging base which serves as an external battery. The latter is equipped with a micro-USB port and an LED indicator -- simply green or red -- to show whether there's enough battery juice for one full charge. It's a pretty neat idea as this is the only feasible way to fit eight hours of talk time (or twelve days of standby time) into such tiny package: two on the earpiece and an extra six from the surprisingly light battery base -- our scale reckons it is just under one ounce. We also dig the auto-off function when you dock the earpiece and vice versa. Docking and undocking are pretty straight forward too: just snap in for the former, and poke your thumb through the bottom hole of the base to push the earpiece out. The generic click button hidden under the Jabra badge is easy to access and responds well. Above that is the invisible vertical touch strip for volume control and similarly it responded nicely to our strokes. What's left on the earpiece are the two LED indicators on the underside for Bluetooth connectivity and battery. So far so good, but what really matters is the ear-on experience and the audio quality -- listen for yourself after the break.

Engadget Mobile Podcast 028 - 10.19.2009

by Trent Wolbe posted Oct 20th 2009 at 12:30PM

Once again, our focus turns to Android this week with a number of big announcements and big reviews -- well, big review, anyway, with the CLIQ getting fully detailed. Check it out!

Note: Our apologies for the sound quality this week, Chris was sitting next to a Tesla coil the entire time.

Hosts: Chris Ziegler, Sean Cooper
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Solvent - Devices and Strategies (Ghostly International)

01:38 - Microsoft recovers 'most, if not all' Sidekick customer data
07:00 - Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 review
11:10 - Motorola CLIQ review
14:35 - Walt Mossberg leaks the BlackBerry Storm 2
17:34 - Nokia posts $834 million quarterly loss, smartphone share down to 35%
21:24 - Acer Liquid slips through human fingers, but not before divulging new specs (updated)
22:55 - Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does'
25:30 - Mysterious HTC Android phone spied, might lean the way of the Dragon
28:50 - Listener questions

Subscribe to the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace

Download the podcast

LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)

Contact the podcast

podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.

LG BL40 New Chocolate review

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 19th 2009 at 11:44AM

You know the deal by now: we grab a slab of fresh new hardware, fiddle, play, and tinker with it until exhaustion or boredom is reached, then wax poetic about the whole experience, with a side serving of pictures and videos thrown in. Today's candidate for a grilling is LG's BL40, which is now available in Europe. You'll be familiar with it already from our hands-on look last month, but do join us past the break where we explore what's under the glossy hood in more detail, and give you a definitive answer on just how useful that elongated screen really is.

Gallery: LG BL40 New Chocolate review

Continue reading LG BL40 New Chocolate review

FCC Fridays

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 16th 2009 at 11:57PM

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend ~~a lot of~~ way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - LG 620G
Read - LG 420G
Read - LG GM750H
Read - LG GW620R
Read - Samsung M8910U
Read - Samsung S5233T
Read - Samsung S5560
Read - Samsung S7550B
Read - Sharp SH-01B
Read - Sharp SH-02B
Read - Sharp 941SH
Read - Panasonic P-01B

LG GD910 Watch Phone review

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 16th 2009 at 12:24PM

You're not how much money you have in the bank, you're not the car you drive, you're not the contents of your wallet, you are not your freaking khakis – oh, who are we kidding, if you're reading a site such as this, you're all about your khakis. To sate that "look good, feel good" need in all of us, LG has brought out the ultimate in techie chic: a watchphone. This is not just any watchphone though, this is a £500 ($808) droplet of Orange-tinted exclusivity that straddles your wrist and demands onlookers' attention. Do the consumer in you a favor and come along to Engadget Classic where we have the full scoop on the GD910.

FCC Fridays

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 9th 2009 at 9:45PM

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend ~~a lot of~~ way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - Huawei G7007
Read - Huawei U3205
Read - Huawei C2822
Read - Huawei C2823
Read - Huawei U7515
Read - Huawei G5760
Read - Huawei V1240 / Vodafone 1240
Read - Haier HG-M350
Read - Samsung C5130
Read - Samsung C5130S
Read - Samsung SPH-M900
Read - Samsung S7550
Read - Samsung SCH-W900
Read - Samsung B1110
Read - Samsung SGH-T939
Read - Samsung SGH-A897
Read - Samsung i6410
Read - Samsung M8910B
Read - Samsung SCH-R100
Read - Samsung SCH-W940
Read - Samsung B3410
Read - Alcatel Elle GlamPhone
Read - ZTE A661
Read - Sagem VF540 / Vodafone 540
Read - Sharp SH003
Read - Sharp 940SH
Read - LG VX5600
Read - LG 320G

Peripherals
Read - Samsung WEP490
Read - Sierra Wireless U305 / AT&T USBConnect Lightning
Read - Sierra Wireless USB 306
Read - Huawei UMG1691 / T-Mobile webConnect Jet
Read - Huawei EC122
Read - ZTE MF633
Read - ZTE MF633+
Read - Sony Ericsson MH110
Read - Novatel MC996D
Read - Alcatel One Touch X210X
Read - Etymotic etyBLU2

T-Mobile Pulse review

by Paul O'Brien posted Oct 9th 2009 at 9:00AM

From humble beginnings with the HTC Dream / T-Mobile G1, Android is starting to gain traction in the marketplace. A steady growth in the number of devices from HTC together with more and more manufacturers coming on board means Google's entry into the mobile space is really making inroads. The next year is going to be exciting for Android fans, with Motorola launching the CLIQ / DEXT and the Sholes, Samsung following up their i7500 with the i5700 and Behold 2, Acer shifting focus from Windows Mobile to Android not to mention LG and Sony Ericsson shipping their first Android devices.

In amongst the larger players aiming for the higher end of the market comes Huawei, best known for its mobile broadband dongles, with the Pulse for T-Mobile Europe - a rebrand of the U8220 handset. What makes the Pulse particularly interesting is it's price point. As well as being available free of charge on virtually any contract (as is frequently the case in Europe), the Pulse costs only £176 ($280) on a pre-pay plan. This represents a significant move downmarket for Android with the only other low-end handset being the forthcoming HTC Tattoo, which is expected to ship SIM free for £299 ($475). Interestingly our review unit was even SIM unlocked, although it remains to be seen whether this will remain the case as handsets hit retail.

We've spent some time with a production specification T-Mobile Pulse to see whether Huawei's first attempt at Android stands up to scrutiny. Read on to find out!

Continue reading T-Mobile Pulse review

AT&T's HTC Tilt 2 handled: it's very much a Touch Pro2

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 8th 2009 at 6:19PM

Unlike the Pure's transformation from its Touch Diamond2 roots, AT&T's Tilt 2 is very much a Touch Pro2 for look and feel. Given our past experiences with the device, we'd say that'll suit the phone's business-oriented clientele just fine -- it's not like you'd want to turn it into a "fun" phone by coating it in wacky colors and preloading it with every social networking client this side of Orkut, after all. We didn't have a ton of time to pore over the interface, but we get the impression that TouchFLO is largely intact (though tweaked by AT&T, naturally) and the keyboard's different than what you'll find on the generic European version -- the top row is all symbols with a numeric pad (a little staggered, unfortunately) near the right side. Check out a few more sexily-lit shots in the gallery.