Avaliable in colors red and black is another smartphone in the Nokia NSeries, the Nokia N76. This slim flip phone has magnificently slammed into it truckloads of features, with a strong focus on music, just like the N75. Its speaker also produces one of the best sound qualities for a phone.
Nokia N76’s attractive design is reminiscent of the Motorola Razr. The N76 sports a dimension of 4.1 x 2 x 0.5 inches. Just like the N75, it also offers a 1.3-inch external screen, displaying an impressive 262,000 colors at a 160×128-pixel resolution. This screen displays standard information ((time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID) and can also act as the camera’s viewfinder Dedicated music controls are also located below the display.
Once opened, users will get awe with the presence of the 2.4-inch internal screen,
that features 16 million-color at a 320×240-pixel resolution. Texts and images are displayed in a vibrant and bright colors and the screen easily adjusts according to the environmental conditions. Personalizing it is also possible by changing the screensavers and wallpaper designs.
The QWERTY design is absent in the N76, although the alphanumeric keypad is already promising, thanks to the keys’ large sizes and spaces. Aside from the keypad, the front panel is composed of the standard navigation composed of two soft keys, Talk and End buttons, shortcuts to the Main and Multimedia menus, an Edit key, a Clear button, and a four-way toggle with a central select key. The left side of the phone is where the microSD expansion slot and power connector port are located. The right side is where the volume rocker, camera-activation key, and image-to-video mode are situated. The camera lens is located on the back while the power button, a mini USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack are on the top-edge. The 2.0-Megapixel camera also allows video recording.
N76’s focus on the music is directly reminiscent with the N75. The music player supports MP3, WMA, M4A, AAC, and eAAC+ formats with its library categorizes tracks according to artists, albums, genres and composers. Creating playlists is also possible with the N76. When storing music files, users remember that the internal memory of the N76 is limited to 26MB and a 2GB microSD cards are always helpful. FM radio is also available, although it is dependent with the headset that acts as tuner.
RealPlayer plays video in 3GPP and MPEG4 format.
While the developers of the Nokia N76 focused on the multimedia capabilities, to say that the phone features are in trouble may be deemed incongrous, in a sense. First, it is a quadband phone and offers world roaming and other perks of the other Nseries phones. Second, while it doesn’t support the 3G unlike the N75, it supports EDGE for Web browsing and Bluetooth 2.0 for hands-free kits and wireless headsets. Third, it runs the 3rd Edition of the S60 (Symbian) platform with Feature Pack 1 and offers a number.
Continuing the tradition of the Nokia NSeries is the Nokia N73, with its stylized design and improved multimedia features. The greatest asset of Nokia N73 is its 3.2-Megapixel camera featuring a myriad of imaging features. While it’s considered a multimedia god, the N73 has been attacked with some issues related to performance, although some has found the glitches forgivable, especially as it managed to get into the standard in terms of construction and comfort.
N73 features a commendable QVGA screen, at 2.4 inches on a 240 x 320-pixel resolution. It displays 262,144 colors with brightness and contrast automatically adjusted to environmental factors. The theme is interchangeable and the backlight is also adjustable.
Below the screen are the navigation controls and a alphanumerical keypad. The front panel includes the Talk and End buttons and a joystick for scrolling. The joystick acts as the select key when pressed. On the sides of the keypad are additional controls: two of which are shortcuts to the Menu and Edit functions, a multimedia button and a clear key. The problem with this arrangement is that the layout appears to be cramped, which can cause wrong dials and accidental opening of applications.
Situated on the right spine of the N73 is where the camera capture key, review button, a zoom in/out button and volume controller. The last two functions are shared on a single button. The miniSD expansion slot, protected by a cover, is on the bottom portion, a departure from the usual location of the memory slot of earlier Nokia phones (behind the battery cover). On the back side of the phone is the camera lens. Another camera is located just above the screen in the upper right corner.
Phone capabilities of the N73 have always been the point of contention especially by mobile phone critics, despite having been deserved its self-acclamation of being the “multimedia computer.” The address book has a limited memory of 42MB with the SIM card adding up 250 contacts. Photos can also be assigned as caller IDs. N73, being a quadband phone, also includes a speed dial, voice command support, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, and text and multimedia messaging.
N73’s operating system is the Symbian OS 9.1 which offers a calendar, a to-do list, notes, a calculator, a voice recorder, a currency converter, and an HTML/XHTML Web browser on its list of productivity tools. Viewing (without editing) Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point documents are possible with Quickoffice. There is also an Adobe Reader for viewing PDF files.
Connectivity options with Nokia N73 includes Bluetooth 2.0 and GPRS/EDGE connections although the absent of the Wi-Fi can be a bit disappointing. E-mail capabilities include support for SMTP, IMAP4, and POP3 accounts and full attachment viewing. Nokia N73 can easily be synchronized with the computer via the Nokia PC Suite.
The N73 is at its best with its multimedia features. Its 3.2-Megapixel camera has the Carl Zeiss Optics lens, an autofocus function, and 20X digital zoom. eight scene modes, four image qualities, five resolutions, and a number of imaging and video recording and editing features. It also includes an integrated music and video player that supports a myriad of music and video formats.
Notable for its mammoth-size, the Nokia E90 is a smartphone that completely juxtaposes with its size: a phone that offers a wide variety of features and promises solid performance to business users. The E90 was introduced in the in Barcelona, Spain at the 3GSM Mobile World Congress (now known as the GSMA Mobile World Congress), in the same year when the E61i and E65 were introduced. One of the biggest drawbacks of the E90 is that it’s very expensive, although the details written in this article may help explain the price.
Sporting a dimension of 5.2 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches, the Nokia E90 Communicator is large enough to care about comfort although as stated above, this 7.4-ounce gadget redeems its downside by proving its power. Its 2-inch screen has 16 million-color display at a 320 x 20 pixel resolution. Text and images are brightly lit and can be read even direct sunlight exposure. Below the screen are the navigation array and the alphanumeric keypad. The keys are large enough and are very easy to press. What explains the bulkiness of the E90 Communicator is that it can be opened to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and a 3.6-inch internal wide screen display with 16 million-color display at a 800 x 352 pixel resolution.
This wide screen is perfect for browsing web sites and reading documents and e-mails. Another set of Talk and End buttons are included. Included in this interface is a dedicated number row. Below the display are shortcuts to various applications: Contacts, Messaging, Web, and Calendar. The Nokia E90 Communicator operates on Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 3rd Edition. Among the number of applications that it runs are the Quickoffice suite that enables users to view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents and the Nokia Team Suite to define members, conference call numbers, conference call PINs, and Web pages according to “teams”. Adobe Reader, Zip Manager, calendar, notes, calculator, clock, voice recorder and currency converter are also included. There is also an access to third-party applications. it should be noted that E90 can accommodate 120 MB of its built-in memory and the user can add up to 2GB cards on its microSD expansion.
E-mail capabilities of Nokia E90 support Microsoft Exchange Server, POP3, IMAP, and SMTP accounts, and a full attachment viewer. Call features are its best with quad-band world roaming, a speakerphone, conference calling, speed dial, voice commands, and VoIP support. Connectivity features include integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and a built-in GPS radio.
One of the multimedia offerings of the Nokia E90 is the 3.2-Megapixel camera with flash, autofocus, and video-recording capabilities, although a number of users have commented that it has poor image quality. It also features a music player that can play MP3 and AAC files. There’s also an FM radio. The RealPlayer can play videos in MPEG-4, MP4, 3GP, RV, RA, AAC, AMR, and MIDI formats.
An addition to the Nokia E-Series family and a highly-recommendable business phone is the Nokia E66. This phone has managed to incorporate cool features in a slick slide-design with a body dimension of 4.21 x 1.93 x 0.51 inches and weight of 4.27 ounces. It is wider as compared to other sliders but the extra width and weight just secured a strong foundation. It features a brightly colored screen and an easy to use and comfortable numeric 12-key keypad. It also features a 2.5mm headphone port and a microSD card slot.
This Symbian S60-powered smartphone has a number of new design tricks. An accelerometer redraws the screen in portrait or landscape mode, depending on how the device is held. It also included a new interesting set of dedicated keys around the four-way button which are easily-recognizable.
First and foremost, the gadget is a phone, so its important to take note on the quality of calls in Nokia E66 which doesn’t fail in this case especially with indoor calls. Outside calls may produce a little trouble especially if the background is very noisy.
Phone features include a nice address book features which can also be synchronized with the Outlook Contacts using the Nokia PC Suite. Nokia E66 can also handle Exchange servers for e-mail, contacts and calendar entries. Additional calling features include voice recognition, conference calling and the speakerphone.
In terms of e-mail features, the Nokia E66 doesn’t fail, especially that the phone’s selling point is on its business-class e-mail applications. Typing long message is good despite the absence of the QWERTY keyboard, thanks to the soft keypad. However, it could have been better if the E66 included a pre-loaded instant messaging clients, especially if that this phone targets business people. Real-time messaging is important and the incorporation of either MSN or Yahoo Messenger application could have been very helpful. The Nokia E66 is also a very good scheduling tool with the help of Exchange ActiveSync support and some good synchronization software. It also included the Quickoffice for reading and creating office documents and presentations.
Web browsing is also very good in the E66. It features the Symbian S60 browser which can load pages in a faster rate with the help of an EDGE connection. Layout is superb and scrolling around is quick. With the GPS, navigating around is a task made easier in the E66. The sensor is sensitive and it include the Nokia Maps 2.0 software. Connectivity features included Bluetooth with a variety of supported profiles, Infrared, USB and Wi-Fi.
The E66 is not a multimedia phone but it has a few good features in this category. It has FM radio and an impressive music player that supports the following formats: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WMA. The player allows users to create playlists and to the customize EQ settings. The 3.2-megapixel camera sadly, doesn’t perform well. It has auto focus lens but images it produced weren’t good at all as they lacked detail. However, as said earlier the E66 is more focused on its business features, so this aspect remains forgivable.
Joining Nokia’s E Series, a group of phones that is dedicated to satisfy every corporate user’s needs is Nokia E61i. Users have started praising Nokia E61i’s innovative design and its excellent messaging and productivity capabilities.
Nokia E61i’s mocha-brown and silver body sports a dimension of 4.6 x 2.7 x 0.5 inches and a weifhr of 5.3 ounces. The E61i is heavier as compared to other Nokia smartphones as caused by its solid construction and a wider body. The 2.8-inch screen runs 16 million colors at a 320 x 240 pixel resolution that makes viewing text, images and videos at best. Backlighting, contrast and themes can be adjusted automatically or manually.
The navigation keys and the QWERTY keypad are located below the screen. Among the navigation keys are the standard Talk and End buttons, two soft keys, and menu shortcuts. Two quick-launch buttons are also added; one will direct to the contacts and the other one can be programmed by the user to go to any applications. The traditional five-way navigation toggle replaced the joystick controller. The QWERTY has more spacing and most of the keys are large and square in shape.
This is an improvement as the rubbery keyboard prevented any slips that limit away frustration to the act of typing text messages and e-mails. On the left portion of the phone is the voice recorder and volume control. On the backside are the camera lens, mirror and flash. The microSD slot is behind the battery cover on the left side.
The E61i runs under the Symbian OS 9.1, Series 60 third edition. Users are able to view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point documents via the Quickoffice Suite. An additional utility is the Nokia Team Suite that can be used for creating teams, members, conference call numbers, conference call PINS and web pages for finding all the information about a single conference calls. Adobe Reader and Zip Manager are also included in the smart phone. Completing the list of tools are calendar, clock, voice recorder, currency converter and calendar. The default memory is 50MB but the microSD can accept up to 2GB of memory.
Nokia E61i ’s support Microsoft Exchange Servere, POP3, IMAP and SMTP accounts. An attachment viewer is also included. Push e-mail solutions allows real-time messaging in E61i, supporting Intellisync Wireless E-mail, BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink, Visto, and Seven Always-On Mail. It works with instant messaging clients like Yahoo and AOL as well. Another cool feature, the Message Reader, automatically converts the text messages to speech.
Connectivity features with E61i are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, and Infrared. Bluetooth can be used for file transfers and dial up networking for laptops, aside from hands-free handsets. Phone capabilities in E61i is fantastic as it offers the world roaming, speakerphone, speed dialling, voice commands and conference calls. It also supports VOIP calls.
One big difference between the two Nokia 6500 that were released in 2007 is on the design. The Nokia 6500 classic was boasted as the slimmest Nokia unit on its release, sporting 9.5 mm thinness. The Nokia 6500 Slide, on the other hand, may appear bulky at first glance as compared to its namesake, but its more futuristic look of a merged steel body and clean outline positioned itself more on the battle of aesthetics. The 6500 Slide also won in the features side, as it now features a 3.2 Mega-pixel Carl Zeiss camera.
There’s number of praise with the Nokia 6500 Slide as it has been judged as one of the best Slides in the market. This silver-colored smartphone sports a 2.2-inch LCD screen and a dimension of 96.5 x 46.5 x 16.4 millimeters and weighs 125 grams with the battery in it. The unit is very well-crafted, even the key pads and battery cover. The control keys and alphanumeric keypad are large and well-spaced, and pressing them won’t raise any complaints.
The top portion of 6500 Slide is where the micro-USB port, 2.5 mm audio connector charging port and a release catch for the battery cover are located. Beneath the battery cover is where the microSD expansion card slot is hidden. There is no need to remove the battery in order to swap cards.
Some of the features that are lacking in the 6500 Slide is the multitasking Java applications, which means that only one Java application can be opened at a single time. It also includes the unified message editor, which can able to detect whether the message is SMS or MMS easily by detecting whether a multimedia file such as image or music is included in the message, and multimedia player. More shortcuts are displayed in the Home page, but this may look cramped up, so a disable option is also included. The music player (or more appropriately, a multimedia player) can also play videos and has a number of add-ons like equalizer, playback options and stereo-widening. A built-in FM radio is also included.
The Nokia 6500 Slide’s Carl Zeiss camera is definitely treat among photo aficionados as it embodies a camera resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels for still images and 640 x 480 pixels for videos but it lacks the backlight adjustment feature. Taking pictures in external locations might appear to be washed out in some occasions as there are no options to adjust the camera’s brightness level. Although it doesn’t match up with the features of other camera phones, it remains a very commendable camera to use.
Connectivity with Slide includes a quadband GSM/EDGE radio, dual-band UMTS, Bluetooth with A2DP support and TV-out option. Nothing should be worried about the quality of audio calls as they are superb.
The deluge of mobile phones from has appeared to be unstoppable. Mobile users might have gone to thinking: among the units that are being released by Nokia every year, which are the most recommended? Which unit stands out among the rest? Judging underneath the school of design, Nokia 6300 definitely stands out.
Mobile enthusiasts would agree that Nokia 6300 is one among the most tactile phones that they have ever used, amidst Nokia’s release of its batch of high-end handsets. Cased in an expensive black glossy plastic and stainless steel covers, 6300 has a dimension of 4.2 x 1.7 x 0.5 inches and weight of 3.2 ounces. The screen displays up to 16 million colors at a 320 x 240 pixel resolution (QVGA), bright and good for viewing texts, photos and videos.
One of 6300’s greatest ergonomic assets is the large keypads, making it very easy to use. The bottom of the unit is where the charging port is located, as well as the 2.5 mm headset jack and mini-USB port, used for connecting the phone to the PC. Whenever the phone receives a new message, the blue LED in the sides will also light.
There’s nothing really new with Nokia 6300 on the features section, although cramping all the necessary functions in a more compact and aesthetically-promising gadget is a surprise in itself, aside from the fact that it’s very simple to use and easy to understand. Uses can view the menu either as icons, tabs or list and choose the applications they need to operate. Among 6300’s multimedia offerings are the 2.0 Mega-pixel camera, music player, video player, FM radio and voice recorder. The camera, which is located on the back side of the phone, can takes pictures and videos. Settings include timer and night mode, but there no built-in flash and auto focus.
Connectivity options with 6300 include Bluetooth and GPRS/EDGE. The GPRS/EDGE works well with the pre-installed Opera Web Browser. There is also a Bluetooth presenter for controlling PowerPoint presentations and sensor application for sharing pictures and information using Bluetooth. Java applications can be installed in 6300 using the Nokia PC Suite.
The 6300’s media player supports the following formats:MP3, MP4, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, H.263 and H.264. a 2GB microSD card can be installed for saving music and video files. An FM radio is also available. It also includes an email client that supports Gmail and Yahoo mail services. Other features include voice recorder, alarm clock, calendar, to-do list, notes, calculator, countdown timer, stopwatch and Java games. Phone critics definitely gave Nokia 6300 a deserving passing score in the ergonomics area, however it has a number of downplays, including the low-resolution camera, slow GPRS and lack of 3G.
If you have nothing else to do but lust after the HTC Touch HD but doesn’t have enough bills in the wallet (or not brave enough to your credit card, or your dad’s) then HTC made something especially for dreamers, not in bad way – the HTC Touch Viva. Of course, when we say that a phone fell in a budget conscious paradise, it has to sacrifice something and this time it’s the GPS and 3G. Don’t frown and let’s step back through the years, I bet you’ve lived the life without these perks, right? So let’s move on.
Don’t expect that the screen in the HTC Touch Viva is as flush as the other more expensive members of its family tree, but it’s considerably topnotch. It has an ordinary touchscreen that is responsive to finger presses; no need to add extra pressure with those pinkies. Despite the screen is a little small, the text and graphics remain bright and sharp.
On the back of the handset is the 2MP camera slightly hidden in a small recess probably to avoid any scratches when the phone is inside the pocket. The camera lacks auto-focus and flash, making its camera not recommended for night shots. It also develops a good deal of digital noise in low light.
Another problem arises in the music section, with the standard 3.5mm headphone jack sacrificed for a mini USB port for audio output. The same port is also used for syncing and charging the device, so it means that you can’t listen to your favorite while it’s charging o syncing data with your PC. The biggest surprise (or shock!) is that headphones aren’t included in the package. You have to buy them separately from the HTC accessories.
A little redeeming value for the HTC Touch Viva’s succession of turn-offs is the TouchFlo interface which offers finger-friendly access to most of the phone’s key features. Moving between functions such as text messaging, music player and Internet browser can easily be done with a finger running across a row of icons at the bottom of the screen.
Applications in the HTC Touch Viva include a dedicated viewer for YouTube, a handy RSS news reader and the Opera web browser, which makes browsing to websites much easier. It also includes preinstalled Google Maps, but the weird thing is the lack of GPS, a big moniker actually. The lack of 3G also means giving all the downloading tasks to EDGE which is only good for receiving emails, but definitely not for surfing.
We must not be oddly get dismayed with this metallic fella, as it still remains a phone, perfect for making text messages and voice calls, and you can still boasts its design to everyone, anyway. Just make sure you aren’t showing this thing to phone critics.
The HTC Touch Dual joins the class of slider phones, with its own slide-out 20-key keypad tucked in its compact frame. It is taller and thicker than its predecessor, but retaining the minimalist look of just having the touch screen, 5-way navigation pad, camera and power buttons, call answer and end keys and volume control visible. The stylus is hidden on the top-right side and the microSD expansion slot at the bottom. The SIM card slot can be accessed by taking out the battery first.
It measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.6 in inches and weighs 3.9 ounces. The Touch Dual’s screen is smaller, however, at 2.6 inches. It has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixel and 65,536 colors. Like the original Touch, it has the HTC TouchFLO user interface which is paired with the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system. It utilizes Bluetooth 2.0, EDGE, GPRS, HSDPA and UMTS, but lacks Wi-Fi capabilities and GPS.
The interface now has bigger-sized menu icons and virtual keyboard keys, a new getting started menu, a sound mode tab, phonebook with alphabet-access to contacts and a task manager with memory information. These changes allow users to have a better “touch” experience with their fingers, minimizing the use of a stylus.
TouchFLO technology makes the screen sensitive to the commands of the user given with the tap and swipe of their finger. Users can also make use of the Block Recognizer and the Transcriber to speed up doing inputs. To get to the QWERTY keypad, users just need to slide up the front cover activating a new task page on the screen which is a short cut to making text and emails or noting in appointments. The QWERTY keypad has a Blackberry SureType feel to it.
The upgraded version of Windows Mobile gives the mobile Internet Explorer zooming capabilities which decrease the need to scroll. It is still bundled with Microsoft Office Mobile Suite for using Word and Excel and viewing PDF and PowerPoint files; Direct Push Technology for real-time email and Outlook synchronization via Exchange Server; and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile for music and video streaming.
Touch Dual’s 400 MHz Qualcomm MSM 7201 processor has 128MB of RAM and gives a snappier user-experience. It makes use of a 1, 350 mAh lithium ion battery with five hours of continuous GSM talk-time and 3.2 hours of continuous 3G talk-time.
This smart phone is a quad-band with call features that include an address book, speakerphone, text and multimedia messaging and voice dialing and command. Touch Dual has two cameras, a 2-megapixel one with an 8x zoom for taking photos and videos and another one for video calls. Like the Touch, it has no flash thus taking photos or videos at night are not recommended. A purchase of the Touch Dual comes with an AC adapter, carrying case, extra stylus, manual, mini USB cable, pair of earbuds and software CD.
For those looking into moving light in this high-tech world, AT&T together with HTC America Inc. has introduced a 6-ounce smartphone that has all that anyone can wish for within its 2.3 in x 0.7 in x 4.4 in black frame.
The AT&T Tilt is a smartphone that can outdo the PDAs that are out in the market and practically replace your laptop. Owners can use it to make documents; send, receive and check voice, text, data and email (POP3 and IMAP4) messages; update personal web pages; browse photos; watch videos; listen to music or satellite radio; download music; take pictures and videos; including help in finding locations anywhere on earth.
As a wireless phone, it has an instant Push to Talk communication feature and the usual voice command and dialing. Users can bring it when traveling abroad because of its 3.6 Mbps tri-band (UMTS/HSDPA) and quad-band (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) features.
Owners can use voice and data functions as well as accessories all at the same time because this smartphone’s connection can combine up to six wireless pairings. Its 3rd party applications are over the top.
It comes with AOL®, Windows Live(TM) and Yahoo!® instant messaging. YouTube can be enjoyed by just downloading the streaming media player of HTC.
The operating system used is Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional that is Vista-compatible and uses a QUALCOMM 400 MHzMSM7200 processor enabling fast 3G wireless broadband connection. Aside from Microsoft Office Mobile that one needs to use Excel, Powerpoint and Word files and Outlook, it also has Active Sync to synchronize the AT&T Tilt with one’s PC.
For memory, it has an installed 128 MB of SRAM and 256 MB of Flash ROM. Memory can be expanded to its 2 GB potential with microSD. You can use this smartphone as an integrated, high-speed, wireless modem for your laptop. Aside from Bluetooth 2.0 it also uses IrDA and IEEE 802.11b as well as IEEE 802.11g integrated Wi-Fi. It has a USB port, expansion slot, and comes with a USB cable.
You can use AT&T Tilt’s features with ease because of it’s tilting colored touch screen (28” with 64K colors) complemented with a QWERTY keyboard that slides out. A scrolling or track wheel on the left side, five-way navigation button and stylus gives users choices by which one can comfortably manipulate the device. Users can customize the screen which has a maximum resolution of 240×320. For the audiophile, AT&T Tilt supports AAC, AMR, MP3, WAV, WMA, MIDI, AAC+ audio standards. It also has a built-in microphone and speakers.
Its three megapixel camera can take excellent pictures and videos with its autofocus capabilities and 10x zooming function. Although owners will have to make do without a flash.
AT&T Navigator is used by the built-in GPS to assist when traveling in unfamiliar area. AT&T Tilt lets you make use of other GPS applications like Garmin Mobile XT and Google Map, too. You can even geo-tag photos.
Its power is the only downside that can be said of this smartphone. But most people are willing to bear with its Lithium polymer battery’s need to be recharged almost daily for three hours. They know all the features they enjoy requires a lot of power.
An AT&T Tilt smartphone also comes with an AC wall charger, 1350 mAh battery and extra stylus.
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