Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on October 18, 2011
Prototype Gives A Peek Into Dell’s Next Android Phone
Dell’ mobile division can’t seem to keep a secret so get ready for a peek into the company’s next Android phone codenamed ‘Thunder.’
‘Engadget got its hands on two prototype Thunder phones, the yet to be released smartphone that Dell is working on. The phones have a 4.1-inch OLED touch display, a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a 8-megapixel camera. One of the phones runs Android 2.1 and the other has version 1.6 of the Android operating system.
Despite being an early engineering unit, the hardware is impressive in its finish, says Engadget.
Dell got into the smartphone business last year with the launch of its first Android phone in Brazil and China. This year, the company struck a deal with AT&T in the U.S. to introduce its phone called ‘Aero.’ So far, AT&T and Dell have not announced a launch date for the Aero. Meanwhile, Dell has launched the Streak, a device with a 5-inch screen that it bills as a ‘tablet.’ The Streak will cost $300 with a two-year contract on AT&T and $560 without one.
Thunder could help Dell move deeper into the smartphone business. The leaked Thunder prototypes, though, don’t deliver a complete sense of what could be on the phone. For instance, the bootloader and debug software on the prototype units reference features such as FM radio support, dual microphones, HDMI output and a hardware dock connector that aren’t there on the early units.
Dell is also reportedly testing both GSM and CDMA versions so it’s not clear who will eventually steal the Thunder.
Meanwhile, if you want to see how the Thunder prototype works and get all the details, check out the video.
Photo: Dell Thunder prototype/Engadget
Source:wired.com
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on August 20, 2010
First Look: Samsung Vibrant Rips Off iPhone 3G Design
Samsung’s latest phone, the Vibrant, has the body of an iPhone and the brains of an Android.
The Vibrant’s industrial design is shockingly similar to the iPhone 3G: The rounded curves at the corners, the candybar shape, the glossy, black finish and the chrome-colored metallic border around the display. The Vibrant even has its volume and ringer buttons in almost the same spot as the iPhone 3G.
But if you are willing to get past the derivative design, the Vibrant has some sweet tech specs. The Vibrant is part of Samsung’s new portfolio of Android devices collectively called ‘Galaxy S.’
The Vibrant has a 4-inch AMOLED screen that’s bright and vivid and the 1-GHz Hummingbird processor makes the device pretty zippy. There’s GPS, Wi-Fi and a 5-megapixel camera. Overall, the phone (weighing 4.16 ounces) feels remarkably light. By comparison, the iPhone 3G weighs around 4.7 ounces.
There’s one disturbing thing about the phone. The device comes packed with apps you probably don’t need: MobiTV, GoGo Inflight internet and Electronic Arts’ The Sims 3 game. Sure, you can always delete these apps if you don’t use them, but why bundle them into the phone instead of giving users the option to download the apps if they want them? We’d hate to see bloatware start to overwhelm brand-new phones with junk the way it does with most new PCs.
The Vibrant runs version 2.1 of the Android operating system. That means access to all the standard Google apps such as maps, YouTube and e-mail. Setup, as with most Android phones, is easy — just enter your Google e-mail address and the device unlocks access to your Google account and to the Android Market.
Samsung’s skin for the Android is clean and easy to use. But the square icons are, again, very similar in their looks to the iPhone 3G’s.
Samsung has created a Social Hub widget for the device that integrates Facebook, Twitter and MySpace feeds into a single window. That has its limitations, though. For instance, it’s easy to reply and retweet messages, but you can’t see @replies or direct messages from Twitter through the widget.
Samsung’s Vibrant will cost $200 (with a two-year contract) on T-Mobile when it comes out July 21. But there’s little to make the phone notable, apart from its striking similarity to the iPhone. Without that, the Vibrant is then just another Android phone, albeit one with a pretty good screen and surprisingly light weight.
Check out the photo of the Samsung Vibrant next to the iPhone 3G below.
Photos: Stefan Armijo/Wired.com
Source:wired.com
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on July 15, 2010
