What sort of things can you expect in a state of the art mobile? WiFi? Yes. 3G? Certainly. GPS? Sometimes. But Motorola's new deal with US firm Microvision might soon add a new gadget - a tiny projection system.
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Microvision is already a specialist in laser technologies and pico-sized projectors, but this new tie-up is an ambitious attempt to place a viable projector inside a "mobile device". The prototype is slated to be a 854x480 pixel resolution unit based on their "PicoP" platform. It sounds like a pipedream, but the technology has already been demonstrated in May this year, using a laser-based technology.
The benefits are clear for both companies - Microvision would increase its market, but more crucially Motorola would have access to a "killer technology" that its competitors lack. A quick poll around the Mobile Gazette office indicates that we think this technology sounds pretty darned cool and would love to see it in action.
The advantages are not hard to figure out - a smartphone could run a PowerPoint presentation all by itself.. or perhaps the idea of downloading and watching a movie onto your mobile could at last be feasible (especially using HSDPA). Or maybe it will find its way into some sort of add-on, after all Motorola are pretty good at coming up with innovative phone accessories (take a look at the HS830 for example).
The technological challenges here are highly significant. Firstly, there's the issue of power - a typical mobile phone has a battery capacity of around 1000 mAh (milliampere hours), or to put it another way: around the same capacity as a single AAA alkaline cell. Batteries for portable projectors are around 4400 mAh, and they tend to drain the batteries pretty quickly. Secondly, the 854x480 pixel output requires 5 times the memory and processing power of a 240x320 pixel display commonly found on mobile phones. And finally there's the question of integrating all the electronics into a mobile device whilst keeping the size down to something manageable.
We don't think that this can be done with today's technology, but this tie-up is about tomorrow's technology. It's hard to say whether or not this will be a big seller, but certainly it's worth the effort for Motorola who could really use a unique selling proposition such as this to give them a boost.
There's no indication as to when this partnership might actually come up with a product, but our guess is that we might see a pico projector in some sort of mobile handset during 2009. More information can be found here.
Samsung G600 (SGH-G600)
We got out first sighting of the Samsung G600 a couple of days ago, and now we can tell you almost all of the features of this interesting looking 5 megapixel camera phone.
The main selling feature the SGH-G600 is the camera - a 5 megapixel unit with autofocus and flash. Of course, megapixels aren't everything and a lot will depend on the quality of the lens.
The big surprise about the Samsung G600 is that it isn't a 3G phone which is surprising as Samsung are promoting the SGH-G600 as a web device. It doesn't have WiFi either, and any sort of high-speed data is limited to those few who have access to an EDGE network. And yes, the SGH-G600 looks like it has a front-facing camera, but as far as we can tell from all the official details it isn't.
What the Samsung G600 does have is the usual range of applications such as an MP3/AAC/WMA player, stereo Bluetooth, TV output and microSD expandable memory (an impressive 1GB in the standard sales package). The display is a 2.2" 240x320 pixel panel in 16 million colours, and the Samsung SGH-G600 also squeezes in an FM radio.
In addition to the 5 megapixel stills camera, Samsung say that the SGH-G600 can capture video at up to 640 x 480 pixels. Combine this with the TV output and memory card and the G600 looks like a capable little digital camcorder.
Don't forget that it's a phone - in this case the Samsung G600 is a quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz phone with GPRS and EDGE data. Maximum talktime is 3.5 hours with up to 12 days standby time. At 105 grams, the SGH-G600 is slightly heavier than many current GSM phones.
Samsung have high hopes for the G600, but we think that the lack of 3G data is a major flaw.. and then there are looks. The SGH-G600 looks very much like dozens of other Samsung sliders and there's very little to differentiate it. We think that the G600 will not challenge the dominant Nokia N95 any time soon.
Motorola - six new W-Series phones
Somewhat overshadowed by the endless RAZR handsets, Motorola also makes some pretty inexpensive monoblock devices, including the excellent MOTOFONE. These W-Series phones are aimed at the value end of the market, and they promise to combine good value for money with a attractive looks.
We don't know much about these low-end Motorola W-Series phones at present other than what we can tell from the pictures.. in fact we can't even say for certain if they're all GSM phones as Motorola also has some CDMA versions. So, while we wait for the full technical specifications.. here are the pictures.
We don't know much about these low-end Motorola W-Series phones at present other than what we can tell from the pictures.. in fact we can't even say for certain if they're all GSM phones as Motorola also has some CDMA versions. So, while we wait for the full technical specifications.. here are the pictures.
The Motorola W156 (left) and W160 (right) are two identical looking monochrome phones with 128x128 pixel displays and an illuminated keypad. The W160 comes with an FM radio, where the W156 does not. There's a standard jack plug connector on both, although it's hard to see what the W156 would use it for as you can bet it doesn't have MP3 playback! There's a USB connector too.
The display does look rather like the digital paper unit found on the FONE F3, but we can't say exactly what it is.
One characteristic of these very low end Motorolas tends to be light weight and very long battery life. If Motorola stick to their past form, then the W156 and W160 will probably make very dependable low-end handsets.
The display does look rather like the digital paper unit found on the FONE F3, but we can't say exactly what it is.
One characteristic of these very low end Motorolas tends to be light weight and very long battery life. If Motorola stick to their past form, then the W156 and W160 will probably make very dependable low-end handsets.
BlackBerry Curve 8310 - with added GPS
Hot on the heels of the original 8300, the BlackBerry Curve 8310 takes all the features of the 8300 and adds integrated GPS and navigation software. In the main the 8310's specifications are almost identical to the BlackBerry 8300 - there's a 320x240 pixel display, microSD expandable memory, 2 megapixel camera, multimedia player, mini trackball control and of course it features the usual excellent BlackBerry email client, plus a suite a document viewers and productivity applications.
This particular model is exclusive to Vodafone - at the moment the BlackBerry Curve 8310 isn't available on any other carrier. Indeed, at the moment the only place you can buy the BlackBerry 8310 is from Vodafone Germany.
As we mentioned earlier, the key different between the BlackBerry Curve 8310 and the 8300 is the inclusion of GPS and the Vodafone Navigator package which includes route planning and can also factor in traffic and weather conditions. Maps are downloaded from a central server to keep them up-to-date.
This particular model is exclusive to Vodafone - at the moment the BlackBerry Curve 8310 isn't available on any other carrier. Indeed, at the moment the only place you can buy the BlackBerry 8310 is from Vodafone Germany.
As we mentioned earlier, the key different between the BlackBerry Curve 8310 and the 8300 is the inclusion of GPS and the Vodafone Navigator package which includes route planning and can also factor in traffic and weather conditions. Maps are downloaded from a central server to keep them up-to-date.
However, our recent experiences with this sort of navigation system indicate that although it's useful to have a SatNav system on you "just in case", the interface on most phones isn't really suitable for use in the car - so you'll need to set the route in advance in most cases rather than "on the go".
The BlackBerry Curve 8310 is available now from Vodafone in Germany at just under €30 on a €45/month contract. Availability in other Vodafone regions is not known at the time of going to press.
The BlackBerry Curve 8310 is available now from Vodafone in Germany at just under €30 on a €45/month contract. Availability in other Vodafone regions is not known at the time of going to press.
Nokia E90 Review
Nokia E90 Software: First impressions
The Nokia E90 is a Symbian Series 60 phone rather than having the Symbian Series 80 operating system of the 9500. It's a simpler operating system, but it does has some advantages of being more "mainstream".
The welcome screen on the E90 is the same on the internal and external displays.
The main menu has a distinctive S60 feel about it too..
For comparison, the Nokia 9500 was somewhat different:
It's certainly smarter than the old 9210i too:
Nokia E90 User Interface
On the surface, the E90 looks much more glossy. Underneath the software operates in a typical S60 way using just two softkeys and the controller pad, whereas the 9500 used a more PC-style user interface.
The user interface on the internal display and external display is very consistent. People used to other S60 devices will adapt to the E90 very easily, users of the old 9500/9300/9300i devices will probably miss the old menu structure.
Although for simple applications the S60 interface is fine, for more complex ones (such as web browsing) the limitations become clear. However, the E90's interface is very responsive and indeed all software operations are much quicker that on the old 9500.
Don't underestimate the importance of consistency and the usefulness of the external display on the E90. The 9500 was pretty useless until you opened it up, but here the E90 gives to access to the full range of features on both displays. And anyone who has struggled with the inconsistent flip open/flip closed interface on the Sony Ericsson P990i will appreciate the ease of use this bring.
Compare the same web browser menus on the Nokia 9500 (below) and you'll see the difference - the 9500 works just like a PC and it comes with a dedicated menu button on the keypad. Keyboard shortcuts are also well labelled.. again, if you're downscaling from a laptop then the 9500 will have a more familiar environment that has been somewhat lost on the E90.
What's more, the Nokia 770 and N800 use an interface that's closer the the 9500 than the E90:
Nokia E90 mapping
The Nokia E90 downloads maps as it goes, which is a free-of-charge service except for the data costs involved. The E90 "swoops" down on your position when you start the maps application, presumably to give it some time to connect to the network and download anything it needs.
Mapping on the external display is substantially similar, it is essentially just a smaller view window on the mapping appliction.
Navigation on the Nokia E90 Communicator is a chargeable option. For example, a licence for the Navigation software for Western Europe at the time of writing is:
7 days = £6.00 (€9 approx)
30 days = £6.72 (€10 approx)
1 year = £60.50 (€90 approx)
3 years = £67.22 (€100 approx)
This may seem expensive, but if you have a TomTom then a new set of maps for Western Europe is around £100/€140 so there's an expensive there too.
The Navigation application works on both the internal and external displays. In the picture above, the map is at maximum zoom. You can tell that the E90's Navigation application lacks the ease-of-use of a dedicated unit such as a TomTom. And because the E90 doesn't have a touchscreen, it is almost impossible to use while on the move. However, the voice commands are very good and overall it's not a bad application to have on your phone, although you really will need some sort of cradle to mount it on.
Nokia E90 Multimedia
As you'd expect, the Nokia E90 has both audio and video playback capabilities. The audio player is pretty straightforward to use, again the function is identical whether the phone is open or closed. One drawback is that the E90 could be a little louder, however there's a standard jack plug for attaching headphones (supplied in the box) or you could plug it into a set of speakers.
The video player plays back MP4, 3GP, MPEG-4, RV, RA and AMR formats. We found that poor quality originals (especially anything "shaky") played back poorly, but in the main video playback for most clips was pretty good. Shown below are a 3GP clip from the BBC, and a clip from Superman at the Internet Archive (specifically this version). One of the two clips shows an evil villain.. we'll let you decide which is which!
You can see a clip of the Nokia E90 playing the movie below. Note that the Internet Archive's Moving Image Collection has plenty of free movie downloads suitable for playback on the E90.
The wide screen on the inside of the E90 makes it ideal for playing back videos.. it's too wide in many respects. It's also quite convenient to have the E90 open on a desk or table when it's playing back, something that's trickier to do with other phones.
The Nokia E90 is a Symbian Series 60 phone rather than having the Symbian Series 80 operating system of the 9500. It's a simpler operating system, but it does has some advantages of being more "mainstream".
The welcome screen on the E90 is the same on the internal and external displays.
The main menu has a distinctive S60 feel about it too..
For comparison, the Nokia 9500 was somewhat different:
It's certainly smarter than the old 9210i too:
Nokia E90 User Interface
On the surface, the E90 looks much more glossy. Underneath the software operates in a typical S60 way using just two softkeys and the controller pad, whereas the 9500 used a more PC-style user interface.
The user interface on the internal display and external display is very consistent. People used to other S60 devices will adapt to the E90 very easily, users of the old 9500/9300/9300i devices will probably miss the old menu structure.
Although for simple applications the S60 interface is fine, for more complex ones (such as web browsing) the limitations become clear. However, the E90's interface is very responsive and indeed all software operations are much quicker that on the old 9500.
Don't underestimate the importance of consistency and the usefulness of the external display on the E90. The 9500 was pretty useless until you opened it up, but here the E90 gives to access to the full range of features on both displays. And anyone who has struggled with the inconsistent flip open/flip closed interface on the Sony Ericsson P990i will appreciate the ease of use this bring.
Compare the same web browser menus on the Nokia 9500 (below) and you'll see the difference - the 9500 works just like a PC and it comes with a dedicated menu button on the keypad. Keyboard shortcuts are also well labelled.. again, if you're downscaling from a laptop then the 9500 will have a more familiar environment that has been somewhat lost on the E90.
What's more, the Nokia 770 and N800 use an interface that's closer the the 9500 than the E90:
Nokia E90 mapping
The Nokia E90 downloads maps as it goes, which is a free-of-charge service except for the data costs involved. The E90 "swoops" down on your position when you start the maps application, presumably to give it some time to connect to the network and download anything it needs.
Mapping on the external display is substantially similar, it is essentially just a smaller view window on the mapping appliction.
Navigation on the Nokia E90 Communicator is a chargeable option. For example, a licence for the Navigation software for Western Europe at the time of writing is:
7 days = £6.00 (€9 approx)
30 days = £6.72 (€10 approx)
1 year = £60.50 (€90 approx)
3 years = £67.22 (€100 approx)
This may seem expensive, but if you have a TomTom then a new set of maps for Western Europe is around £100/€140 so there's an expensive there too.
The Navigation application works on both the internal and external displays. In the picture above, the map is at maximum zoom. You can tell that the E90's Navigation application lacks the ease-of-use of a dedicated unit such as a TomTom. And because the E90 doesn't have a touchscreen, it is almost impossible to use while on the move. However, the voice commands are very good and overall it's not a bad application to have on your phone, although you really will need some sort of cradle to mount it on.
Nokia E90 Multimedia
As you'd expect, the Nokia E90 has both audio and video playback capabilities. The audio player is pretty straightforward to use, again the function is identical whether the phone is open or closed. One drawback is that the E90 could be a little louder, however there's a standard jack plug for attaching headphones (supplied in the box) or you could plug it into a set of speakers.
The video player plays back MP4, 3GP, MPEG-4, RV, RA and AMR formats. We found that poor quality originals (especially anything "shaky") played back poorly, but in the main video playback for most clips was pretty good. Shown below are a 3GP clip from the BBC, and a clip from Superman at the Internet Archive (specifically this version). One of the two clips shows an evil villain.. we'll let you decide which is which!
You can see a clip of the Nokia E90 playing the movie below. Note that the Internet Archive's Moving Image Collection has plenty of free movie downloads suitable for playback on the E90.
The wide screen on the inside of the E90 makes it ideal for playing back videos.. it's too wide in many respects. It's also quite convenient to have the E90 open on a desk or table when it's playing back, something that's trickier to do with other phones.
Sharp GX33
We haven't seen a handset from Sharp in a little while, but the Sharp GX33 is the latest handset to hit Europe from this Japanese giant. Looking a little like last year's GX40, the GX33 is a fairly compact clamshell phone. This particular handset is aimed at the value end of the market. And here is the problem - although we anticipate that the Sharp GX33 will offer very good value for money, it's rather too basic to be that exciting. The GX33 has a 1.9" 176x220 pixel display, VGA resolution digital camera, Bluetooth, a web browser and email client and really not much else. There's no expandable memory, and the GX33 also doesn't have a multimedia player. At 87 grams, the GX33 is quite light and it comes it quite a pleasing design overall. In our experience, Sharp mobile phones are always well built and easy to use, so it looks like an appealing choice if you don't want to spend too much. Sharp can certainly manage something more exciting than this. Remember, this is the company that gave us the first European megapixel phone, the GX30, in 2004. Later that year, Sharp announced the groundbreaking 902, easily the most sophisticated 3G phone on the market at the time. They then improved on this in 2005 with the Sharp 903, which is still available in several markets. When the 902 and 903 were launched, they were way ahead of the competition in terms of features. And although Sharp has continued to innovate in their home market of Japan, the European market has been stuck with some rather lacklustre devices such as this.
The Sharp GX33 is exclusive to Vodafone, and is due to be in stores in the very near future.
The Sharp GX33 is exclusive to Vodafone, and is due to be in stores in the very near future.
Nokia N81 and N81 8GB
Remember the Nokia N-Gage? Nokia's original attempt at a gaming platform fell a bit flat in most (but not all) markets and largely sank without trace. But Nokia didn't give up on the idea of advanced mobile gaming, and now it's back with a vengeance on the Nokia N81 plus some other smartphone devices in the Nokia range. So what exactly makes up the Nokia N81? Well, this is a 3G slider with a 2.4" 240 x 320 pixel display that works in landscape (wide) and portrait (tall) orientations. On the back is a 2 megapixel camera, and the N81 also has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity which can also be used for gaming. There's an FM radio too, and the N81 runs the Symbian S60 operating system, making it a capable smartphone.
Nokia say that the keys light up when you use them, and they are also optimised for playing games in landscape mode as well as playing multimedia and all the other smartphone functions. As you'd expect, there's a web browser and email client and the Nokia N81 can also place VOIP calls (if your carrier has not disabled the functionality). There's a navigation wheel, and the N81's interface has had an overhaul to make it more dynamic.
Nokia say that the keys light up when you use them, and they are also optimised for playing games in landscape mode as well as playing multimedia and all the other smartphone functions. As you'd expect, there's a web browser and email client and the Nokia N81 can also place VOIP calls (if your carrier has not disabled the functionality). There's a navigation wheel, and the N81's interface has had an overhaul to make it more dynamic.
Games for the N81 can be downloaded from Nokia's N-Gage Arena for a typical fee of €6-€10. Some of these can be played against others using the internet or WLAN connection. The N-Gage gaming platform isn't limited to the N81 either, owners of the N73, N93, N93i, N95 and N95 8GB can join in too.
It's quite a heavy phone at 140 grams in weight and 102 x 50 x 17.9mm in size. Talktime is up to 3 hours on 3G and 4 hours on GSM, with a maximum standby time of around 16 days. Alternatively, you can play music on it for up to 11.5 hours.
Nokia say that the N81 and N81 8GB should be available during Q4 2007 at an estimated cost before tax and subsidy of €430 / £290 for the N81 8GB and around €360 / £250 for the more basic N81.
It's quite a heavy phone at 140 grams in weight and 102 x 50 x 17.9mm in size. Talktime is up to 3 hours on 3G and 4 hours on GSM, with a maximum standby time of around 16 days. Alternatively, you can play music on it for up to 11.5 hours.
Nokia say that the N81 and N81 8GB should be available during Q4 2007 at an estimated cost before tax and subsidy of €430 / £290 for the N81 8GB and around €360 / £250 for the more basic N81.
Nokia 5310 XpressMusic
The Nokia 5310 XpressMusic weighs just 70 grams and is only 9.9mm thick, but it is a surprisingly feature packed phone, and one that offers very good value for money too. The XpressMusic branding means that this is a midrange music phone. Priced at around €225 / £150 / $300 before tax and subsidy, the 5310 isn't too expensive and is in reach of many prepay customers. For the money you get a tri-band GSM phone with a 2" 240x320 pixel display, microSD expandable memory, a multimedia player, a 2 megapixel digital camera, stereo Bluetooth and an FM radio.
There are also dedicated media keys on the side of the 5310 XpressMusic, and the handset can play back MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA and M4A audio clips through a standard 3.5mm jack plug, stereo Bluetooth headset or a set of speakers.
Memory is expandable up to 4GB, and Nokia say that this means that the 5310 XpressMusic can store a maximum of 3000 songs. It's a nice looking handset and we think that the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic offers good value for money in a very lightweight package.
Nokia say that the 5310 XpressMusic should be available during Q4 2007
There are also dedicated media keys on the side of the 5310 XpressMusic, and the handset can play back MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA and M4A audio clips through a standard 3.5mm jack plug, stereo Bluetooth headset or a set of speakers.
Memory is expandable up to 4GB, and Nokia say that this means that the 5310 XpressMusic can store a maximum of 3000 songs. It's a nice looking handset and we think that the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic offers good value for money in a very lightweight package.
Nokia say that the 5310 XpressMusic should be available during Q4 2007
Nokia 5610 XpressMusic
The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic is a midrange 3G slider phone that is full of features that you'd previously only expect to find in a high-end device.
Priced at around €300 / £200 / $400 before tax and subsidy, the Nokia 5610 comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera, 2.2" QVGA display, quad-band GSM with dual-band 850/2100 UMTS, microSD expandable memory (up to 4GB), an FM radio, stereo Bluetooth and a novel slider key for one-touch media access.
The XpressMusic branding should tell you that Nokia consider this to be a multimedia phone, the 5610 can directly access Nokia's new Nokia Music Store service, it comes with dedicated media buttons and it can play back MP3, AAC, M4A and WMA files. But the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic also scores well when it comes to the camera, not only is it a 3.2 megapixel unit, but it has a flash, autofocus and can capture video clips at up to 640 x 480 pixel resolution. These sort of digital imaging capabilities were previously restricted to high-end N-Series phones.Priced at around €300 / £200 / $400 before tax and subsidy, the Nokia 5610 comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera, 2.2" QVGA display, quad-band GSM with dual-band 850/2100 UMTS, microSD expandable memory (up to 4GB), an FM radio, stereo Bluetooth and a novel slider key for one-touch media access.
The XpressMusic branding should tell you that Nokia consider this to be a multimedia phone, the 5610 can directly access Nokia's new Nokia Music Store service, it comes with dedicated media buttons and it can play back MP3, AAC, M4A and WMA files. But the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic also scores well when it comes to the camera, not only is it a 3.2 megapixel unit, but it has a flash, autofocus and can capture video clips at up to 640 x 480 pixel resolution. These sort of digital imaging capabilities were previously restricted to high-end N-Series phones. It isn't a smartphone - the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic is a Symbian Series 40 device which means that the software can't be expanded, but then most people aren't bothered about that. It does seem to deliver pretty much all the features that most consumers would want, and at a pretty reasonable price.
The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic will be available in red and blue colour combinations during Q4 2007.
The XpressMusic branding should tell you that Nokia consider this to be a multimedia phone, the 5610 can directly access Nokia's new Nokia Music Store service, it comes with dedicated media buttons and it can play back MP3, AAC, M4A and WMA files. But the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic also scores well when it comes to the camera, not only is it a 3.2 megapixel unit, but it has a flash, autofocus and can capture video clips at up to 640 x 480 pixel resolution. These sort of digital imaging capabilities were previously restricted to high-end N-Series phones.Priced at around €300 / £200 / $400 before tax and subsidy, the Nokia 5610 comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera, 2.2" QVGA display, quad-band GSM with dual-band 850/2100 UMTS, microSD expandable memory (up to 4GB), an FM radio, stereo Bluetooth and a novel slider key for one-touch media access.
The XpressMusic branding should tell you that Nokia consider this to be a multimedia phone, the 5610 can directly access Nokia's new Nokia Music Store service, it comes with dedicated media buttons and it can play back MP3, AAC, M4A and WMA files. But the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic also scores well when it comes to the camera, not only is it a 3.2 megapixel unit, but it has a flash, autofocus and can capture video clips at up to 640 x 480 pixel resolution. These sort of digital imaging capabilities were previously restricted to high-end N-Series phones. It isn't a smartphone - the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic is a Symbian Series 40 device which means that the software can't be expanded, but then most people aren't bothered about that. It does seem to deliver pretty much all the features that most consumers would want, and at a pretty reasonable price.
The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic will be available in red and blue colour combinations during Q4 2007.
Apple iPhone comes to O2 UK
Apple have announced that O2 will be their exclusive partner to distribute the Apple iPhone in the UK. Following a similar business model to Apple's deal with Cingular (now AT&T Wireless) in the US, the iPhone wil carry a premium price tag, and Apple will also receive a share of the revenue - as far as we know this is a completely unique arrangement in the UK market. Pictured to the right are O2's Matthew Key and the legendary Steve Jobs from Apple showing off the new device to the press.
The iPhone offered by Apple and O2 in the UK is absolutely identical to the US model. This is a pretty familiar device to most Mobile Gazette readers so we won't dwell on it for too long, but very briefly this smartphone with a large touch-sensitive screen, WiFi and a two megapixel camera which has won praised for its slick interface.
The Apple iPhone is not without criticism though - some of those have been down to odd quirks in the interface, the difficulty in developing applications for it and the fact that it is extremely difficult to unlock. But by far the most serious criticism is the lack of any kind of 3G support.
In the US the iPhone has been widely panned for slow data connections to the Cingular / AT&T GSM network as the only cellular data supported is GPRS and EDGE. The maximum data transfer speed of most EDGE implementations is 236 kbit/s. UMTS (3G) will typically give a maximum download speed of 384 kbit/s which is quite a bit faster, however more and more handset vendors are coming out with HSDPA capable devices which can give up to 3.6 Mbits/sec which is fifteen times faster than EDGE. On the other hand, EDGE is four times faster than GPRS so it's not completely useless.. and in our experience EDGE is just fast enough to be usable.
So the iPhone needs EDGE - but does O2 actually have EDGE in the UK? It does appear that O2 have been doing a stealth upgrade on some of their base stations which now support EDGE as well as GPRS, and since this is typically just a software upgrade then the chances are that O2 can get EDGE coverage out to most of the UK fairly quickly, but you should check O2's coverage maps before buying. The bottom line though is this - without EDGE, web browsing on the iPhone will be awful, with EDGE it will be just about passable.
On the plus side, GSM/EDGE connectivity drains a lot less power from a phone than WCDMA/UMTS (3G).. and whereas 3G signals can easily be blocked by buildings, EDGE tends to be a lot more reliable. However, we still feel that the lack of 3G is a critical flaw in O2's version of the iPhone.
The iPhone on offer in the UK will be the 8GB model (the 4GB model is being dropped in the US). Priced at £269 (€400 approximately) with an 18 month contract, the iPhone is quite possibly the most expensive handset in O2's range. O2 will offer a range of special tariffs with unlimited EDGE data and free access to The Cloud's 7500 UK WiFi hotspots starting at £35/month which is a pretty good deal. The Apple iPhone will be available from 9th November 2007.
At the time of writing it appears that T-Mobile have the rights to the iPhone in Germany, and indications are that Orange might have secured the rights in France. There's also a rumour that there will be a 3G version of the iPhone available from next year, but there's very little concrete evidence to support this.
Our opinion? The iPhone is not for us, but it has sold very well in the US with over a million handsets sold at some considerable profit to Apple. Yes, you can expect to see people queuing outside O2 stores on the launch day.. and nope, we won't be among them. But if you like this sort of thing, then make sure you note down November 9th in your diary.
Pictures courtesy of O2 / Apple UK.
By MobileGazette.com
The iPhone offered by Apple and O2 in the UK is absolutely identical to the US model. This is a pretty familiar device to most Mobile Gazette readers so we won't dwell on it for too long, but very briefly this smartphone with a large touch-sensitive screen, WiFi and a two megapixel camera which has won praised for its slick interface.
The Apple iPhone is not without criticism though - some of those have been down to odd quirks in the interface, the difficulty in developing applications for it and the fact that it is extremely difficult to unlock. But by far the most serious criticism is the lack of any kind of 3G support.
In the US the iPhone has been widely panned for slow data connections to the Cingular / AT&T GSM network as the only cellular data supported is GPRS and EDGE. The maximum data transfer speed of most EDGE implementations is 236 kbit/s. UMTS (3G) will typically give a maximum download speed of 384 kbit/s which is quite a bit faster, however more and more handset vendors are coming out with HSDPA capable devices which can give up to 3.6 Mbits/sec which is fifteen times faster than EDGE. On the other hand, EDGE is four times faster than GPRS so it's not completely useless.. and in our experience EDGE is just fast enough to be usable.
So the iPhone needs EDGE - but does O2 actually have EDGE in the UK? It does appear that O2 have been doing a stealth upgrade on some of their base stations which now support EDGE as well as GPRS, and since this is typically just a software upgrade then the chances are that O2 can get EDGE coverage out to most of the UK fairly quickly, but you should check O2's coverage maps before buying. The bottom line though is this - without EDGE, web browsing on the iPhone will be awful, with EDGE it will be just about passable.
On the plus side, GSM/EDGE connectivity drains a lot less power from a phone than WCDMA/UMTS (3G).. and whereas 3G signals can easily be blocked by buildings, EDGE tends to be a lot more reliable. However, we still feel that the lack of 3G is a critical flaw in O2's version of the iPhone.
The iPhone on offer in the UK will be the 8GB model (the 4GB model is being dropped in the US). Priced at £269 (€400 approximately) with an 18 month contract, the iPhone is quite possibly the most expensive handset in O2's range. O2 will offer a range of special tariffs with unlimited EDGE data and free access to The Cloud's 7500 UK WiFi hotspots starting at £35/month which is a pretty good deal. The Apple iPhone will be available from 9th November 2007.
At the time of writing it appears that T-Mobile have the rights to the iPhone in Germany, and indications are that Orange might have secured the rights in France. There's also a rumour that there will be a 3G version of the iPhone available from next year, but there's very little concrete evidence to support this.
Our opinion? The iPhone is not for us, but it has sold very well in the US with over a million handsets sold at some considerable profit to Apple. Yes, you can expect to see people queuing outside O2 stores on the launch day.. and nope, we won't be among them. But if you like this sort of thing, then make sure you note down November 9th in your diary.
Pictures courtesy of O2 / Apple UK.
By MobileGazette.com
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