Best Phone Blog

Much ado has been made about the Galaxy S II which has been experiencing record sales and is among the most wanted phones this summer. After using the phone, it is not hard to see why as the phone sports liquid smooth navigation, scrolling and usability. But the phone’s most outstanding feature (other than the dual-core processor) is the Super AMOLED Plus screen that is featured in a 4.3 casing (screen size).

That said, there have been a trickle of complaints involving the Galaxy S II screen which some have pointed features a yellowish tint which no doubt would be a manufacturing problem if these reports are true.

Over at XDA Developers forum, a member named Erethnor has made a thread about the problem which is titled “Display problem/yellowish left side.” Since the thread has been made, more than a few members have commented on the thread expressing the same issue. As it would appear, there is a yellowish hint along the left side of the screen (1/3 of the entire screen). According to said reports, the yellow tint is not always visible and is mainly noticeable when the brightness has been set to low. Those affected by the issue claim that the discoloration is most noticeable when there is white text on a dark background.

This is not the first time that a device has been plagued by screen issues. Most noticeably was Apple’s iPad 2 which had light leakage back in March. Needless to say that did not affect the sales of the iPad 2 so it’s safe to say as long as Samsung identifies the problem and fixes it, it should not be a huge deal.

Those who would like to read the thread for themselves as well as add their two cents can visit the thread here. You can also find a great range of Samsung Galaxy S II deals here.

The world is yours, the line reads from many a novels and playwrights, especially the all to famous James Bond series. But considering Samsung’s steady trend and push to become the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile devices, we could see similarities with the reference being applied to them, and why not, just days before it’s February 14th debut at 2011 Mobile World Congress, we’re finding out that those interested in tasting of the Galaxy line will be able to do so if they fancy the Ace S5830 or the Mini S5570, that is of course if you reside in Germany. The new devices will be landing in Samsung’s German market by the end of this month and will sport some decent specs, not great but decent.

First up is the Galaxy Mini which sports a 3.14 inch QVGA display that is capacitive as well as multitouch supporting. There is a 3.2 megapixel camera on the camera’s rear along with Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and social network integration. The suggested price for the device is €299.

Next up is the more expensive and feature rich Galaxy Ace which carries an MSRP of €399. But for that price, you get a bump in screen size from 3.14 inches to 3.5 inches and instead of a QVGA display, its now HVGA display. The camera is 5 megapixels and there is also Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n along with an 800MHz processor. For those times when one is lost and cannot find their way, there is an included AGPS receiver.

As we said before, decent but not terribly exciting specs so those who are interested, we would advise waiting a few more days till MWC to see what Samsung pulls out of their hat before plopping down a couple hundred on these devices.

Source: Samsung.de

Samsung has had a lot of highly successful line of mobile phones and it is undeniable that included on that list is the Wave series of mobile phones. Although it may not have as much choices as with other mobile phone brands, what it lacks in number, it definitely makes up with impressive phone designs.

One of the newer additions to the gang is the Samsung Wave 723 which is another straightforward, yet highly remarkable Smartphone that will surely live up to the legacy left by its predecessors.

The Basics

The Samsung Wave 723 is a quad band 2G device that also functions in two different bands over the 3G network. It sports a 3.2” TFT capacitive touch screen which has the resolution of 240 x 400 pixels.

GPRS, 3G HSDPA, EDGE, and Wi-Fi are all on board in terms of data connectivity options. The device has a 90 MB internal memory, but you can add up to 16 GB of external memory via the microSD slot.

The Samsung Wave 723 is another supporter of the much talked about Bada operating system which was designed by the manufacturers themselves. Alongside the mobile OS is the famed TouchWiz user interface which is successful in fully utilizing the touch features of the TFT screen.

Multimedia Features

As you’d expect, the Samsung Wave 723 does not disappoint in the multimedia department. The Smartphone starts things off with a bang through its impressive 5-Megapixel snapper which features geo-tagging and smile detection. Aside from being able to snap high resolution photos of up to 2592 x 1944 pixels, the camera can also capture QVGA videos.

Thanks to the Bada OS, the Wave 723 is equipped with a functional and aesthetically appealing multimedia player which is compatible with most audio and video formats available. The pre-installed web browser is also a feast for the eye and its functionality is definitely remarkable.

Reports show that the Apple app for the free bumpers is ready for download. To be eligible for the free Apple bumper, iPhone 4 users must use the app to log into the Apple iTunes store and select the special offer. Each account may only avail of the offer once –allowing Apple to control the distribution of the free bumpers and ensure that every owner gets a piece.

For iPhone 4 owners who have already bought an iPhone Bumper earlier (prior to the emergency conference where the announcement was made) refunds are available. Since the bumper is exclusively available on the online store, purchasers will be given an instant refund on their credit cards.

As convoluted as some of Apple’s explanations and schemes may be, they are actually pulling off the giveaway pretty smoothly. Many would even argue that the use of a special application is a stroke of genius that would allow Apple to closely monitor which user has gotten the bumper and who has not.

Still, the problem still exists. Even if Apple gives out free bumpers, owners will still be left with a phone that has a malfunctioning antenna. Since the problem is a hardware issue, it is unlikely that Apple would ever be able to instate a proper repair program for all existing users, let alone a recall that would actually fix the solution.

In the end, not all users are happy with the iPhone 4, with the antenna issue and lack of proper support from Apple, many are considering a switch to other mobile handsets instead. Samsung has taken the initiative to seek out disgruntled iPhone 4 owners who speak about their iPhone problems on Twitter, and are offering free Galaxy S Android devices to get users to switch. So far, the public has given a very positive reaction to Samsung, not only are free offers always welcome, but the i9000 Galaxy S is also a very impressive phone as well.

The smoke has not yet fully cleared since last Friday night as Apple has taken in all possible reasons as to why the iPhone 4 has no real problem.

While the Cupertino based company is still in denial about the whole situation, the current owners of the iPhone 4 (estimated to be over 1.7 million all over the world), will have to contend with having to use a smart phone with a broken antenna that should be held “in the right way” so that their calls will not be dropped.

At the same time, several mobile phone manufacturers have expressed their stand against Apple’s statement that the antenna is something that all manufacturers should consider as a challenge –and that other devices are suffering from the same issue.

Research in Motion and Samsung have already made official announcements regarding the matter –stating that their devices are perfectly fine and that they are not suffering from any antenna issues. Nokia and Motorola, though not mentioned by Apple in the conference, also made similar public announcements as well.

For users who are not too happy with the free case that Apple is offering as a solution, there is one other option to go for: the recently launched Antenna-aid. With the situation with the antenna looking like it will never be fixed anytime soon, online retailer Etsy has released a small adhesive vinyl strip that can be used to cover up the exposed antenna area.

While the manufacturer only states that the accessory “might” fix the issue, it is still a better alternative than having nothing at all. Also, this solution is a great fit for users who are not too keen on adding the bulk of a casing on their iPhone 4.

In the meanwhile, plenty of speculation now surrounds the date of September 30 –the last day for refunds and free iPhone casings. Many suggest that a second version of the iPhone 4 –one with a fixed antenna, might be released by then.

While Apple wanted to define the tablet as a separate device from the smart phone, other manufacturers have a different idea.

Take Samsung for example, the Korean phone maker has just announced the Samsung Galaxy Tape, which is packing a huge 7 inch super AMOLED capacitive touch screen and will enable users to make and receive phone calls. It has the best of both devices –a big screen and the ability to make phone calls.

On a side note, for this argument, having a big screen is a definitive factor for what defines a tablet –the Apple iPod Touch is basically a really small iPad, but nobody refers to the device as a tablet, which shows that the general consensus about what determines a tablet also factors in screen size.

With that said, many are wondering, what is the threshold for size?

The most common rule of thumb that people would be willing to accept is that any touch screen device that allows users to make and receive phone calls that fits into a regular pocket is enough to be ruled out of the tablet category. And in that same logic, if the Galaxy Tape is to be the new standard for tablets, then the iPad is lacking features as it fails to allow both voice calls and video chat.

There are however, two types of tablets. The upcoming Android Galaxy Tape tablet and the Apple iPad are basic tablets. There are however, devices that come out before these two which are to be considered as computer or computing tablets (which are basically computers shrunk down into a tablet form). The difference between the two kinds is the purpose; normal tablets are only meant for accessing media, games and the internet. Computer tablets are basically tricked out desktop computers which have very little practical use.

It seems that there is a new trend that the Android operating system is starting; having larger screens. With no doubt, this all started with the release of the Dell Streak (also known as the Dell Mini 5); with its 5 inch capacitive touch screen display it further pushed the accepted limits on what size screen works with mobile phones and with the large interest in the device, it proved that people are willing to sacrifice having a larger phone if it meant having a bigger screen.

As if the 4 inch sized screen on the XPERIA X10 was not enough, Sony Ericsson took on the initiative that Dell started and pushed the envelope further –for about half an inch more.

There is a new Sony Ericsson Android handset that has appeared in a few leaked images just last week showcasing a device that used a 5.5 inch touch screen display. The device looks even more compelling and curious to see with the images which clearly showed the handset sporting a slide out QWERTY keyboard and a hinge that allowed users to set up the device like a small laptop.

Korean manufacturer Samsung has also been playing around with large touch screen displays and from the looks of their latest device, the Samsung Galaxy Tape, they have the largest and fanciest screen displays available. The new tablet-phone hybrid device sports a massive 7 inch super AMOLED touch screen display. With a faster CPU and specs that easily outmatch the Apple iPad, this tablet is poised to take command of the industry when it launches.

With all the new devices using the Android sporting giant touch screen displays, it would not be hard to imagine Google coming with a second variation of the open source operating system that brings more functionality for larger screen displays.

It seems that Amazon is giving a pretty good offer for many Android smart phone fans. This new Samsung handset comes fully equipped with all the great features one would expect from a high end Android smart phone with a few little impressive extras that makes this handset a good alternative to more established Android handsets such as Google’s own Nexus One and the HTC Desire.

One thing all the above Android devices have in common (as well as with the XPERIA X10) is that they represent the new generation of Android smart phones –running on 1GHz CPUs. The move from the older, slower processors to the new 1GHz standard is just the start, according to reports Qualcomm has just come out with a new Snapdragon CPU that will be clocked at over 1GHz. Of course, the upcoming 2.2 Froyo update will be bringing Flash so a fast processor will certainly big a deal for Android devices.

Anyway, back to the Galaxy S, this smart phone will also have a 5 mega pixel camera. This is perfect for taking high quality images as well as for shooting HD video as well. The phone’s 4 inch capacitive touch screen makes use of the super AMOLED display technology that was recently unveiled by Samsung. In terms of other specs, the Galaxy S is pretty well packed; it has 512MB of RAM, up to 16 GB or internal memory, support for Bluetooth, micro SD and even has DivX and XviD video support.

As expected, the device will be using the TouchWiz user interface on top of the Android OS. Samsung has also brought in support for the Social Hub as well as tools such as the Smart Life and ThinkFree applications.

The 8GB version of the device is available for a very good bargain of 500 Euros on Amazon.

With the virus issues resolved, it looks like the Samsung Wave S8500, announced at Mobile World Congress, is now arriving in the UK free from any problems and is causing quite a stir. The Wave runs Samsung’s proprietary Bada smartphone operating system and is powered by a 1 GHz processor. The device costs £369.99, but Samsung Wave deals are being offered by a number of operators. Coming out on Vodafone on June 1st, it already announced amid the network’s list of “coming soon” devices earlier this week. The phone is now available for purchase in the UK as of June 1st.

Should you opt for Vodafone’s £25 ($36) per month two-year plan, which also furnishes you with 300 free minutes, unlimited texts, and a 500MB data allowance; you can have the Wave for free with some discounts, and mail in rebates. Prices begin to get a bit higher from there, though strangely enough, no 12-month or partially subsidized options are available to choose from. Buying the Samsung Wave will also get you a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes rucksack as an extra freebie, which is a nice touch.

The phone has many outstanding features many UK consumers will be excited to use and see. The phone itself is a video/photo users dream. Offering a 5 mega-pixel camera, a super fast processor, and tons of Apps to edit, upload and share all your photos and videos, Bluetooth 3.0 and WiFi. There’s also the TouchWiz 3.0 interface among the specs, plus DivX/Xvid support, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. To put it shortly the phone is feature packed.

The Wave sure will cause a wave in the smart phone market, Samsung cites their “Samsung Apps”, which is their app store they are offering a $300,000 contest to developers to encourage more applications to production. So with Samsungs backing the Wave is looking like one of the many in Samsungs Bada line that will turn heads.

It seems that fate is one the side of Korean manufacturer Samsung. According to the most recent reports, the issue with the micro SD card that was infected with Trojan virus software is confirmed to be present only in Germany. Since the virus is loaded in the micro SD card and not the phone itself, UK is safe from the virus scare. New buyers of the Wave are now being advised to not worry about the handset’s status as the Bada smart phone is safe from infection.

This news update comes as a major source of relief for many local retailers of the Samsung Wave smart phone. Many have already started marketing the device, touting its impressive touch screen display, the new Bada operating system and the 1GHz CPU. The announcement of a virus present in the German model immediately put a large big red flag on Samsung’s Bada debut device –not exactly the best kind of marketing for a first time phone.

Despite the fact that UK buyers have nothing to worry, people are being advised that if they have bought a Wave smart phone Germany (or had one shipped to the UK), it is best to not use the micro SD card unless it is cleaned from malware.

Samsung has refused to comment as to why the micro SD card they have bundled with the German package is infected with a virus, but many suspects that the issue may have come from the actual SD card manufacturers themselves. So far, there is no confirmation yet on what brand of cards are being used.

This event also serves as a warning for many other phone manufacturers –with many devices being reliant on the extra storage provided by SD cards and phone packages being more appealing with bundled extras, it would be nice to secure quality of accessories such as these cards in order to prevent more events like this.