November 20th, 2009

Hands-on with the T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Google Android smartphone

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 2:48 am

Categories: Android, Google, Linux, Review, Samsung, T-Mobile

Tags: Google Android, Device, Smart Phone, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., T-Mobile, Samsung Behold II, Cube, Center Button, Lock Button, MicroUSB

I took a look at the Samsung Behold last year and as you may recall this is a high end feature phone with a high resolution camera. When I initially heard that T-Mobile was going to launch the Behold II in the Fall I didn’t think much about it since I just thought it was some kind of minor update to a good feature phone. I then read more about the device and learned it was actually going to be powered by the Google Android OS and my interest was instantly piqued. The Samsung Behold II launched a couple of days ago on T-Mobile USA and is T-Mobile’s fourth Google Android device, making them the US carrier with the most Android smartphones. Check out a few product photos in my image gallery and the video walk through the Behold II below.

	Image Gallery:Check out a few product photos of the Samsung Behold II on T-Mobile.

As I pulled the Samsung Behold II out of the box, I was immediately impressed by its solid feel in my hand. It is pretty thing and has no real curves on the top or bottom with just rounded corners. There are actually quite a few buttons on the front below the display, which is a bit unusual given the minimalist designs many companies seem to be using today. I was really blown away after turning on the device and seeing the OLED display shine with vivid colors. You can see Samsung added in some of their widgety design elements and personally I didn’t find them to add a ton of value to the Android platform and have just never been much of a fan of the TouchWiz interface while some people may absolutely love it.

Specifications of the Samsung Behold II (T939)

• Quad band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and dual band UMTS/HSPA (1700/2100 MHz)
• 256MB RAM/512MB ROM
• 3.2 inch AMOLED 320×480 pixels resolution display supporting 16 million colors and capacitive touch elements
• Standard 528 MHz processor
• Google Android 1.5 operating system
• 5 megapixel digital camera
• microSD expansion card slot with 2GB card included
• 3.5mm headset jack
• WiFi and Bluetooth radios
• Integrated GPS receiver
• 1500 mAh battery
• Dimensions: 4.57 x 2.20 x 0.48 inches and 4.23 ounces

The specs are typical for a Google Android device with the OLED display being the main unique feature. 528 MHz has proven to bog down a bit with Android, but so far it has done OK on the Behold II.

Box contents

The box is a typical square T-Mobile package with some thick manuals that weigh it down quite a bit. Inside the box you will find the Behold II, battery, charger, USB cable, wired stereo headset, 2GB microSD card, slip cover case, and manuals.

Hardware

It is tough to argue that the OLED display is not eye catching and pleasing in most situations. I rarely use my device in full sunlight so this is not a concern for me and being here in Washington I haven’t been able to test it out. Below the display on the front is an Read the rest of this entry »

November 14th, 2009

Who needs an Office app? Google Docs, Calendar & more all work on Nokia N900

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:20 am

Categories: Google, Linux, Mobile services, Mobile software, Nokia, Review, T-Mobile

Tags: Google Inc., Google Docs, Nokia Corp., Mobile, Microsoft Office, Web Browser, Web Browsers, Advertising & Promotion, Internet, Marketing

I have had a Nokia N900 for about a month now (see my in-depth coverage) and have concluded that it is a great compact mobile computer, but needs some more work to be a really good cell phone. If mobile data is your focus, then the N900 is a device to consider and one question I have received quite a bit is whether or not Google Docs and other Google services were supported on the N900. The web browser on the N900 is the BEST of any mobile device when it comes to giving you a full desktop experience and as you can see in my video below Google Documents, Calendar, Google Wave, and more all work just fine on the Nokia N900.

The N900 comes with the Documents To Go viewers, but no means to create Office documents on the device yet. However, with full access to Google services via the Mozilla-based web browser you can create, edit, share, etc. your documents without needing any other application. That is one thing that I am finding about the N900, you don’t need apps to do things related to the Internet because the devices lets you do them all within the browser. Granted, it is handy to have some apps for faster access and there are quite a few helpful apps available with more coming, but it sure is refreshing not to feel limited by the web browser at all.

November 10th, 2009

Nokia N900 Maemo device now shipping to retailers

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:20 am

Categories: Linux, Nokia, T-Mobile

Tags: Nokia Corp., T-Mobile, Pricing, Retail, Marketing Research, Marketing, Matthew Miller

I have been using a pre-production Nokia N900 for about a month and created the Definitive Nokia N900 Guide as I answer questions and put the device to the test. We finally received word from Nokia that the Nokia N900 is now shipping to retailers in Europe, Middle-East, Russia and North America. The best deal we currently see here in the US is from Amazon where the pre-order price is currently $559.99. This is a full unsubsidized price so no contracts are needed and you can use it with either T-Mobile or AT&T. You will need a T-Mobile account to take advantage of the 3.5G data network though since it supports the 1700MHz frequency.

We have no idea if T-Mobile will provide this as a subsidized device, but they may offer it with their new Even More Plus plans that do not have contracts or reduced phone pricing. If you look at phones on T-Mobile with their no contract plan then you will see that the N900 at $560 is actually not that outrageous of a price. Consider that the N900 has an ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor, 32GB internal memory with a microSD card for support of 16GB more, 800×480 3.5 inch display, 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, FM transmitter and FM radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and powerful Maemo 5 operating system and then you can see it is quite the mobile computer. The web browser is the main strength of the N900.

November 9th, 2009

Smartphone Buyer's Guide: What are the choices on my carrier?

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 5:06 am

Categories: AT&T, Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Google, HTC, Linux, Microsoft, Palm, RIM, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, WebOS, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Tags: Touch Screen, Apple iPhone, High Tech Computer Corp., Google Android, Device, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Smart Phone, T-Mobile, RIM BlackBerry, Smartphone

I recently posted the 2009 Holiday Guide for smartphones and in that guide posted about just one smartphone from each carrier. I also posted my Holiday Guide for feature phones and included the two I thought are best on each carrier. There are more smartphone selections than just one and now that most all of the announcements for the holidays have been made I thought you might like to know what the choices from each carrier are, along with the subsidized and non-subsidized prices so you can make an informed choice. Most people find a carrier that works for them with the best coverage in their local area so they look first to their carrier for a smartphone rather than looking for the a smartphone and then switching carriers. You will find the smartphone choices from the four largest nationwide carriers, but keep in mind there are also some rather large localized carriers in the Northeast and Southern regions with excellent smartphone choices.

The prices you will see in this article are from the carrier. If you are new to a carrier or adding another line you will find excellent prices on Amazon.com and other online vendors.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon has had a rather weak lineup of smartphones for most of 2009 with their primary focus on high end BlackBerry models. They recently added some very good Windows Mobile and Google Android devices to their offerings so Verizon Wireless customers have some of the best choices this holiday season. You will find smartphones with keyboards and those focused on touch only so something should appeal to you that allows you to stay with Verizon Wireless, or even join them to obtain one of their new Google Android devices.

Verizon does have the most expensive data and voice plans, but they also have the most coverage of any wireless carrier. The HTC Touch Pro2 has been sold out for much of the last month so may be difficult to find. The HTC DROID ERIS and Motorola DROID are the hottest devices at the moment and you will see commercials for both on television and in print advertising. If you travel internationally, make sure to look for a phone that is GSM-capable too.

RIM BlackBerry

• BlackBerry Curve 8330 - Front facing QWERTY, 2.0 megapixel camera: $429.99 (no contract) and $49.99 (2-year contract)
• BlackBerry Tour - Front facing QWERTY, 3.2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $489.99 (no contract) and $149.99 (2-year contract)
• BlackBerry Storm2 - Large touchscreen, WiFi, 3.2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $539.99 (no contract) and $179.99 (2-year contract)

Windows Mobile

• Samsung Omnia - Large touchscreen, Samsung TouchWIZ interface, 5 megapixel camera: $459.99 (no contract) and FREE (2-year contract)
• HTC Ozone - Front facing QWERTY, non-touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $349.99 (no contract) and $49.99 (2-year contract)
• Samsung Saga - Front facing QWERTY, touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $449.99 (no contract) and $99.99 (2-year contract)
• HTC Touch Pro2 - Large touchscreen, slider QWERTY, 3.2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $489.99 (no contract) and $199.99 (2-year contract)
• HTC Imagio - Windows Mobile 6.5, large touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $579.99 (no contract) and $199.99 (2-year contract)

Google Android

• HTC DROID ERIS - Touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, HTC Sense UI and widgets:: $469.99 (no contract) and $99.99 (2-year contract)
• Motorola DROID - Android 2.0, 5 megapixel camera, large touchscreen, slider QWERTY: $559.99 (no contract) and $199.99 (2-year contract)

Apple iPhone
Verizon has no iPhone devices.

Symbian
Verizon has no Symbian smartphone offerings.

Palm WebOS
Verizon has no Palm WebOS devices.

A couple of things to keep in mind as you look at these Verizon smartphones is to check for WiFi and GSM support if you are a business traveler who needs these wireless technologies to do your job.

Let’s see what AT&T has available »

November 6th, 2009

MobileTechRoundup show #189; Verizon DROID choices, Moblin 2.1 for netbooks

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:55 am

Categories: Android, BlackBerry, Google, HTC, Linux, Podcast, RIM, Verizon

Tags: MobileTechRoundup, High Tech Computer Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., Netbook, HTC HD2, Kevin, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Matthew Miller

Listen here (MP3, 33.1 MB, 36:05 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

Today we see the launch of the heavily advertised Motorola DROID on Verizon along with the HTC DROID ERIS. As James mentions at the start of MobileTechRoundup show #189 he is the only one of the three of us with the Motorola DROID in hand. If you are a Verizon Wireless customer it seems like almost a no-brainer to pick up a DROID or DROID ERIS today at $200 or $100, but Verizon’s very expensive plans are keeping me at home today. The HTC HD2 has a couple of us quite excited with that 1GHz Snapdragon processor and we will see it on some unnamed carrier in early 2010. Kevin is triple booting his netbook and after chatting I am also going to go install the new Moblin 2.1 OS that is optimized for netbooks. We ended by chatting about smartphone market share and the fact that integrated platforms seem to be doing better than licensed ones.

November 5th, 2009

Verizon's HTC DROID ERIS may be the best $100 smartphone

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:16 am

Categories: Android, Google, Linux, Verizon

Tags: High Tech Computer Corp., Smart Phone, Verizon Communications Inc., E-mail, Keyboards, Advertising & Promotion, Online Communications, Hardware, Peripherals, Marketing

Readers here know how much I enjoyed using the HTC Hero and now we see HTC coming out with its 3rd version of the Hero and IMHO the third time is the charm. I had a chance to hold and play a bit with the HTC DROID ERIS (Verizon’s version of the HTC Hero) and I could not put it down because the form factor is so compelling. It is wrapped in black soft touch material, it is narrow so it feels like a phone, it is thin, it is dense, and it has curves that make a supermodel envious. I have not yet used a Verizon DROID, but every review I read stated the keyboard was not that great so the HTC DROID ERIS without a keyboard and much more pocketable form factor may be the Android device of choice on Verizon. Amazingly, HTC was able to pack in their awesome Sense UI into the ERIS at this low $100 price point and you may just see me at Best Buy tomorrow, 6 November, picking this one up and adding a Verizon line to my mobile collection.

Even though the HTC DROID ERIS is available for only $100 HTC did not skimp on the specifications as you can see below:

• Qualcomm MSM 7600 528MHz processor
• CDMA/EV-DO Rev A. support
• 3.2 inch 320×480 HVGA capacitive touch screen and trackball interface
• 5.0 megapixel auto focus camera
• Expandable memory with pre-installed 8 GB microSD card
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3.5 mm headset connectivity
• Integrated GPS and a digital compass with a sensor that enables the phone to know what direction it is facing
• Smart dialer for simplified dialing by name, number or initials
• Dimensions of 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.51 inches and 4.23 ounces
• 1300 mAh Li-Ion battery

DROID ERIS by HTC will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com on Friday, 6 November, for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an e-mail feature or e-mail plan. If you visit a Best Buy Mobile location you can get the rebate applied instantly too.

Compared to the Motorola DROID, we see this device with a sleeker form factor, mult-touch web browser, better performing camera, and the Sense UI (with all the great HTC widgets and customizations) while the DROID has the a slightly faster processor, larger higher resolution display, hardware QWERTY keyboard, and vanilla Googla Android experience with support for the new Google Maps Navigation beta. The Motorola DROID runs Android 2.0 while the HTC DROID ERIS runs Android 1.5. HTC has stated they will be skippping 1.6 and putting Android 2.0 on Hero devices so the ERIS should also get the upgrade eventually, but there has been no confirmation of that yet.

Which Google Android device do you find more compelling on Verizon?

November 4th, 2009

Motorola and Palm; will 2009 be designated as a comeback year?

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 4:37 am

Categories: Android, Google, Linux, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon

Tags: Device, Palm Inc., Motorola Inc., WebOS, Motorola DROID, Palm Pre, Smart Phones, Advertising & Promotion, Cellular Phones, Telecom & Utilities

Many of us believed that Palm was on the ropes and getting ready to go down for the count at the end of 2008, but they came out swinging at CES with the announcement of the Pre and WebOS. Motorola was a leader in the mobile phone business for years, but has not done well in the smartphone space and in early 2009 we heard they would be looking to Android in the future. The Motorola DROID is the talk of the town at the moment and the Motorola CLIQ just started selling at T-Mobile this week. Will 2009 go down as the year that Palm and Motorola showed us all they were back and ready to compete?

Palm

I began my mobile device career with a Palm Pilot 1000 (actually US Robotics then) in early 1997 and they have always had a special place in my heart. Even my online name, palmsolo, reflects my usage of their devices from way back in the day. I still use my Palm Treo Pro and think it is one of the best Windows Mobile devices I have ever used. I was blown away like everyone else with the Palm Pre and WebOS announcements in January and cheered that Palm was back in the game.

However, the Pre and WebOS hasn’t really taken off yet and as I posted recently I really wonder if Palm can make it through 2010. I want to see WebOS devices on other carriers and much more development and available applications in the Palm App Catalog, but am not that hopeful.

Motorola

One of the first mobile phones I used while in the USCG was the Motorola StarTAC. That was one rock solid phone that performed quite well and survived drops and falls. A bit later we saw the highly successful RAZR phone, followed by the huge failure in the Motorola MPx smartphone that was never released. That device could have been hot, but was hampered by an extremely small amount of RAM that killed it before launch. We then saw the launch of the Motorola Q that showed how thin a QWERTY smartphone could be, but the battery life and stability killed enthusiasm for that device. There were some solid Motorola Q models that followed, but I think the issues with the first one kept people from buying these. Motorola then decided to stop releasing Windows Mobile phones.

Motorola kicked off their Android devices with the Motorola CLIQ that has some innovative social networking integration in MotoBLUR. The hot news though surrounds the Motorola DROID on Verizon Wireless that seems to be grabbing lots of attention. Motorola plans to launch many more Android devices in 2010 and will be rolling out devices across carriers so they have the ability to affect more consumers.

2009 closing thoughts

Unless Palm makes moves to roll out on other carriers with their WebOS devices I don’t see them making a full comeback. The upcoming Pixi looks like a decent device, but it will be selling at the Palm Centro price of $99 and we saw that this is not the way to profitability and success even with millions of units sold.

Motorola is ending 2009 on a high note and has lots of momentum going into 2010. I do think 2009 will mark the year of Motorola’s comeback and look forward to seeing more of their offerings in 2010.

What do you think, will 2009 be the year of the comeback for both of these companies?

November 3rd, 2009

Sony Ericsson announces XPERIA X10 Google Android device

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:40 am

Categories: Android, Google, Linux

Tags: Google Inc., Google Android, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, Mobile Operating Systems, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

Sony Ericsson has been known to make some compelling smartphones that had sleek, solid designs at high prices, like the XPERIA X1 I purchased and then returned earlier this year. Today we see the announcement of their first Google Android device, the XPERIA X10 and I have to say this device is lustworthy with its 8 megapixel camera, custom Mediascape interface that is highly focused on media (a weakness in all other Google Android devices), Timescape technology that recognizes connections between contacts, content, and media, and much more.

The SE XPERIA X10 won’t be available until the first half of 2010, but it shows how awesome Google Android devices can be and I think 2010 will be the year of the Android revolution and I can’t wait. I loved seeing that the X10 will have a model supporting T-Mobile USA’s 1700 MHz frequency and I hope to see it released sooner rather than later.

Specifications of the XPERIA X10 include:

• 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250
• Up to 1GB integrated memory
• 4 inch 480×854 pixel resolution touchscreen display
• 8.1 megapixel camera with face recognition and stabilization
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 3.5mm headset jack
• microSD card slot with 8GB card included
• microUSB for syncing and charging
• Support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync

Engadgets has a full hands-on look at the XPERIA X10 and this will definitely be one that I will find hard to resist. It has no hardware keyboard so it will have to be priced right for me to go for it though.

October 30th, 2009

MobileTechRoundup show #188; DROID does, we don't

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:34 am

Categories: Android, BlackBerry, Google, HTC, Linux, Mobile services, Mobile software, RIM, Verizon

Tags: MobileTechRoundup, Google Inc., Google Maps Navigation Beta, Matthew Miller

Listen here (MP3, 32.5 MB, 35:24 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

The biggest news in mobile technology this week was the Motorola DROID announcement from Verizon Wireless and we spent a large junk of MobileTechRoundup show #188 talking about the device and Google Android. James, Kevin, and I haven’t yet held the DROID so we are reserving final judgement on it, but it sounds like James may be the only one who may pick up the device since he already has a Verizon account. Google Maps Navigation beta is installed on the DROID and may just have wiped out PNDs, but Microsoft is helping with the shutting down of the MSN Direct service on 1 January 2012.

October 28th, 2009

Smartphone wars; one platform will never rule them all

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 1:27 pm

Categories: Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Google, HTC, Linux, Microsoft, Nokia, Palm, RIM, S60, WebOS, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Mobile, Smart Phone, Apple Inc., Smartphone, Jim, Smart Phones, Cellular Phones, Handhelds, Consumer Electronics

Verizon Wireless commercials have been pounding away directly at the Apple iPhone and looking at the Motorola DROID and all of the hands-on reviews starting to appear does give you reason to pause and wonder just how far Android will go and if they will take away the edge from the iPhone. Joe Wilcox at Betanews posted an article stating that the iPhone cannot win the smartphone wars. He wrote about the comparison between Apple and Windows in the PC space and also about the huge number of junk apps in the App Store. He concludes by stating that Android is looking to be the mobile OS of the future, similar to the statements I have made about Android and the future of mobile phones.

Another writer, Jim Dalrymple, posted an article stating that he does not think Apple will lose the smartphone war, in large part due to the ecosystem they have built around iTunes and media content that is easy to enjoy on the iPhone. I think one of the areas that may hurt Apple’s chances is their apparent arrogance in dictating what users need, rather than fully listening to what users want (look at MMS on the iPhone). Then again, Apple can sure make what they do seem like the best solution around, can’t they?

Something that I have been thinking of given all of the news and excitement around the latest Google Android, HTC HD2 Windows Mobile, and Nokia N900 devices is that Apple too has been working on the next generation(s) of iPhone devices that we are sure to see roll out in 2010. Given the shakeup in the mobile industry that Apple created with the iPhone, there is definitely cause for excitement in 2010 to see if Apple can once again leap past all the other mobile operating systems that have now caught up in terms of user interface elements. The iPhone isn’t so special now with devices like the Motorola Droid, HTC Hero, Nokia N900, and others so it will be interesting to see if they try to blow the others away or stay in the smartphone race as just another comparable option. Jim thinks that “Apple will outclass them all”, but I am not so quick to accept that seeing what others have been able to come out with lately.

I personally doubt there will ever be a clear cut winner in the smartphone war and do not think there has to be. Consumers benefit from competition and life would be boring if all we had was the iPhone. People were quite impressed by the work Palm did with the Pre and WebOS and for several months they generated quite a bit of optimism and excitement in a crowded space. I honestly doubt Palm will be making smartphone devices for much longer given the lack of adoption of WebOS, but they were able to play in the game for at least another year based on a single device and brand new operating system.

Symbian currently still leads everyone by a considerable margin and even all the 2012 forecasts still show them with a double figure lead over the next platform competitor. We haven’t even seen the results of their Symbian Foundation work that may blow the doors off of everything we have seen to date, thus propelling Symbian the other direction into a further market share lead. The smartphone market is constantly moving and I am just happy to be along and enjoying the ride.

Related stories:

• BlackBerry Storm 2 wins battle, but not the war
• Is the BlackBerry OS the weak link?
• Mobile OS wars: Apple, RIM surge, Symbian still dominant