Nokia N85 Review
The recent hype surrounding Nokia seems to be focused on the N96.
However, the N85 is a handset, which should not be overlooked if you are considering purchasing a quality mobile phone.
The N85 comes with 8GB of storage but it is the handset itself which is sure to have people excited. It really is a striking phone, with a dazzling OLED display that produces vivid colours and a contrast ratio not even seen in LCD televisions.
Like the Nokia N79 it is packed full of features, such as a 5MP camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, HSDPA and N-Gage support.
It records VGA resolution video and has S60 Feature Pack 2, which provides slick menu transactions and an easy user experience.
This handset really should be considered before you rush out to buy the much talked about N96. You will not be disappointed!
Samsung Launch Omnia
If you are looking for a touch screen mobile phone then you should consider the new Samsung Omnia.
According to Samsung this handset offers “Everything in one touch”.
A simple touch of the screen gives you superb high speed internet access - HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, GPS navigation, email and a movie player and thanks to an expandable memory option there is a huge 32GB available meaning countless videos, photos and music tracks can be stored.
Furthermore there is a 5MP camera with video calling and the handset is pre-installed with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional meaning MS Office is fully available.
For more information visit www.samsungmobile.co.uk/omnia
Samsung i200 Smartphone Review
Samsung i200 Review
Samsung has attempted to make inroads into the smartphone market with the launch of the i200.
The tall and thin handset provides plenty of room for a large, quality screen and keyboard.
Corner to corner the screen measures 2.3”. Ideal for those with chunky fingers the number keys are big and well constructed and can be used easily for typing SMS messages and email.
The i200 comes with Microsoft Office Mobile pre-installed, including a PowerPoint viewer and editing capability for Word and Excel.
In terms of 3G technology the i200 supports data connections up to 3.6Mbps, which is extremely useful.
There is a front facing camera for 2-way video calling.
A couple of shortfalls… the absence of Wi-Fi and the 2MP camera mean this phone must be classed as an entry-level smartphone.
Overall the handset build cannot be faulted. However, the i200 can realistically only be classed as a smartphone for those who only need the basics. Anything beyond this and there are far superior phones on the market.
Considering Purchasing A Smartphone
Don’t buy until you have read our reviews of the best on the market – Oct 2008
9/10
BlackBerry Bold 9000
From £590, or Free with contract
The most advanced BlackBerry available with fast internet access, satnav and s stunningly bright and clear screen. It has an easy to use keyboard, making it the best pocket emailer on the market.
Contact: - www.blackberry.com
9/10
Apple iPhone 3G
From £350 pay-as-you-go, or Free with contract (O2)
This handset offers the best of the excellent iPod music player combined with superb mobile web technology. A beautiful handset with a huge screen. However it loses a mark for basic satnav and reportedly poor reception.
Contact: - www.apple.com/uk
9/10
Nokia Capsule N96
From £535, or Free with contract
Although this handset does not have a touch screen it beats its rivals in the camera stakes, with a great 5MP camera with flash. Other features include BBC iPlayer TV downloads and a good built in satnav. 16GB of memory ensures that there is plenty of space to store music and videos.
Contact: - www.nokia.co.uk
8/10
Nokia E71
From £330, or Free with contract
A rival to the BlackBerry the Nokia E71 is a stylish and slim qwerty keyboard phone and is packed with features, such as W-Fi, HSDPA web browsing and push email, plus satnav and an integrated 3MP camera with flash.
Contact: - www.nokia.co.uk
7/10
BlackBerry Curve 8320
£305, or Free with contract
Smaller than the Bold (see our 9/10 top pick above) but still manages to boast a full qwerty keyboard, plus satnav, Wi-Fi browsing and a great email service. However, this handset loses points for only offering a 2MP integrated camera.
Contact: - www.blackberry.com
7/10
Palm Treo Pro
£400, or Free on contract
Combines a full qwerty keyboard with a small touch screen and Windows Mobile software. Has a built in satnav but as with the BlackBerry Curve 8320 this handset loses points for only offering a 2MP camera.
6/10
BlackBerry Pearl 8120
£290, or Free with contract
This handset does not offer a qwerty keyboard, but instead offers a keyboard, which features two letters per key. This takes some time to master. The handset also loses points for offering just a 1.3MP camera, which is low res. The lack of HSDPA makes web browsing a chore.
Contact: - www.blackberry.com
6/10
Nokia E66
£328, or Free with contract
This is a sliding handset, which uses the same software as the Nokia N96 handset. It offers great web browsing, push email, satnav and a 3MP camera that flips the screen from portrait to landscape.
Contact: - www.nokia.co.uk
6/10
Samsung F480 Tocco
From £290, or Free with contract
Like the iPhone this handset offers a touch screen, but lacks the power of the Apple. The Wi-Fi lacks internal memory and to store any quantity of music or videos a separate memory card will be required.
Contact: - www.samsungmobile.com
6/10
HTC Touch Diamond
£430, or Free with contract
On the face of things this handset looks like a superb rival to the iPhone and offers a superb high-res touch screen. However, this phone loses points because once you try anything beyond making a call you are dumped into the Windows Mobile software, which requires a stylus, hence making the handset fiddly to use.
Contact: - www.htc.com/uk
5/10
Toshiba Portege G810
£350
This handset offers a touch screen, decent satnav and a surprisingly good 3MP camera. However, it has a finger unfriendly typing system thanks to its badly designed stylus on a tiny keyboard.
Contact: - www.toshiba.co.uk
4/10
Motorola Z10
From £260, or Free with contract
This phone lacks the quality of the other models, but none make it as easy to edit and upload videos onto YouTube as the Motorola Z10. There is no push email or Wi-Fi, but you can still access basic email or browse the web using HSDPA. This phone should be bought by video lovers.
Contact: - www.motorola.co.uk