BlackBerry Curve 8520 in pink
Phones 4u recently announced an exclusive pink BlackBerry Curve 8520. We braved blizzards and black ice to get our hands on one to bring you all the details.
Well we say details, but the Curve 8520 has been around for a while. We reviewed it in full back in August 2009, and you can read that review here if you want to know exactly we thought about it at the time.
It isn’t the most advanced BlackBerry around, but it is affordable: Phones 4u are selling this pink number for £129.95 on pay as you go, or free on certain monthly tariffs; we glanced over those listed and we reckon you could probably haggle on some of them for a better deal… Read more 
Exo PC slate review
Why have a tablet PC running a mobile OS (iOS 4 or Android) when you can have one running a full version of Windows 7 Home Premium edition.
That’s the argument you are likely to hear from Exo PC, makers of a new slate/tablet device that is coming out in the very near future.
The new tablet, which Pocket-lint is the first to see in the UK, will sport a very responsive 11.6-inch LCD touchscreen with a 1366 x 768 resolution and be powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Pineview-M N450 processor.
You get 2GB of on-board RAM and storage options of 32GB or 64GB to complete with the Apple iPad.
The rest of the specs read like a mobile phone, complete with Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel forward facing camera for video calling, and an SD card reader so you can add pictures or video from your camera.
For all intense purposes this is a netbook PC without the keyboard or clamshell design. You can of course just plug in a keyboard and mouse to complete the experience if that’s what you are after.
Which is where the naysayers are probably going to say that you shouldn’t even consider using a user interface that is designed for a mouse and keyboard – Windows 7 we are looking at you.
Funny you should say that, because that’s what the chaps at Exo PC think too and so they’ve created a customised user interface (UI), called the Exo skin, to make the most of that touch screen design.
What that means is you end up with an interface that looks very much like the game Connect 4 (yes you can get this as a game) with apps appearing on buttons ready for you to press – allowing you to quickly and easily access apps, but with the knowledge that there is a fully functioning operating system sitting behind it all including Flash and Quicktime support.
LG Optimus T and Optimus S review
It wasn’t long ago that buying a smartphone meant spending at least a Benjamin and committing to an expensive 2-year contract. But things are changing, and shopping for a smartphone on a budget is getting easier than ever, thanks in great part to a recent flood of reasonably-priced Android devices that are pouring into the market. We’ve already talked about the HTC Wildfire, Huawei Ascent, ZTE Racer and Blade/San Francisco, and the Motorola Citrus — not to mention the lovely Comet (and its international cousin, the Ideos) on T-Mobile. Enter the LG Optimus T ($30 post-rebate on T-Mobile) and Optimus S ($50 post-rebate on Sprint), two Android siblings that might prove once and for all that “affordable” doesn’t mean “cheap.” Let’s dig in. Read more
HTC Desire Z review
There aren’t that many Android devices that offer a physical QWERTY keyboard. The HTC Desire Z squares up against the Motorola Milestone 2 nicely, leaving other devices to mainly scrap it out for the mid-range dollars. Even with the Desire Z taking a position towards the top of the scale, it would be easy to knock it after a glance at the spec sheet.
Indeed, we highlighted that it had an 800MHz processor rather than the more common 1GHz processor in our First Look of the HTC Desire Z. But let’s do it justice – this is a second generation Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and as such, it is decidedly more efficient than 800MHz models of old – in fact, it will offer better performance than many older chipsets clocked at a higher processor speeds. Read more
Creative ZiiO Android tablets offer 7 and 10 inches of apt-X love
Creative has announced the launch of two Android tablet devices in 7 and 10 inches, called the Creative ZiiO.
Joining a growing flood of devices entering the tablet market at the moment, Creative is looking to leverage its experience in audio by packing the new tablets with X-Fi tech and the apt-X audio codec, promising a premium audio experience whether it is via headphones or wirelessly with Bluetooth, using compatible apt-X speakers. Read more
ARCHOS 43 internet tablet review
A connected Android™ palm-sized tablet A simple tap. Just a simple tap on the home screen of the ARCHOS 43 internet tablet and you’ll be accessing all the major functions you need throughout the day wherever you are: HD video playback, HD camcorder, apps, emails and full Internet browsing. It’s as simple as a tap.
The ultimate sleek designExperience a new form of design with the ARCHOS 43 internet tablet. How can the ARCHOS 43 internet tablet be so slim and so light? Thanks to its patented technology with overmoulded stainless steel structure : 0.4 inch and only 4.6 oz making it so easy to fit in your pocket. Its design is also about seduction. Its beautiful rounded lines make it a real delight for the eyes and its shape is designed to fit perfectly in your hand. But what would this magnificent object be without a brilliant screen? You can comfortably enjoy your movies or TV shows using the leg stand to prop it up on your lap or table. Read more |
Samsung Galaxy Tab review
The Samsung Galaxy Tab has, for many, been held up as the hero Android tablet. The anticipation surrounding this piece of hardware seems to have reached fever pitch, leaving the likes of Archos, with its cheaper offerings, scratching its heads. The reasons are understandable: Samsung has combined sturdy hardware with Google-approved Android 2.2, meaning you get the full Android experience, rather than the slightly diluted experience that cheaper tablets will offer, lacking the Android Market.
With key hardware specs ticking the right boxes, is the Samsung Galaxy Tab out of this world? We’ve been living with a retail version of the device, putting it through its paces. To see if it lives up to the hype, read on. Read more
Samsung Galaxy Europa review
If you’re in the market for a budget Android phone then chances are you’ll be having a tough time making up your mind as there are so many of the blighters around. The Samsung Galaxy Europa (GT-i5500) offers Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth, along with 140MB of internal memory and a 2.8-inch touchscreen.
At first glance, the Europa looks classy enough with its shiny, black fascia and metallic frame and snappy silver Google logo on the back. However, once you get it in your hand, it feels a little flimsy. The upside of that is that it weighs just 102g meaning that you can barely feel the weight of it in your bag, and measuring in at 56 x 108 x 12.3mm, it’s certainly small and slim enough to fit into your pocket. The glossy back panel means that your phone will be plastered with smudgy fingerprints soon enough and it is something of a dust magnet as well, but the asymmetrically curved back does make it comfortable to hold. Read more
Apple MacBook Air Review
It’s beautiful, it’s stunning, it’s thin, it’s like a supermodel. That is probably the best way to describe the MacBook Air to anyone asking. But should you be buying the thinnest MacBook on the planet? We’ve been living with the new model to find out.
Cast from aluminium, the MacBook Air is “cake cutting” thin with a design that tapers from 17mm at the back to just 3mm at the front, although you’ve got to also take into account the feet and general sitting on the desk form factor. If you’re wondering how that stacks up against a MacBook Pro – that 17mm is roughly the same height as the side of the bigger more powerful laptop, while the thin end when on a desk is the height of a CD jewel case. Read more
Samsung Focus review
Even though we’ve seen a torrent of Windows Phone 7 devices, we couldn’t leave you hanging on a review of the Samsung Focus. In the last few days, a flurry of new Microsoft-powered devices have hit the market, boasting slight differences, but all looking and acting largely the same. We’ve taken a deep dive on the operating system itself, the Omnia 7, Optimus 7, Mozart, HD7, and Surround (phew!) — now it’s time to focus on the, er… Focus. The device itself has a lot in common with its European brother, the Omnia 7, boasting the same 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 8GB of internal storage, 1GHz CPU, and 5 megapixel camera. The device will soon go on sale in America for $199.99 on AT&T’s network — in fact, it’s the only Windows Phone 7 device you’ll be able to buy on the network when they go public on November 8th. But is it really worth your hard earned cash when there are so many other options in the market? Read on for the full Engadget review to find out! Read more
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