Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co zoomed to the top of the list of global smartphone makers in the second quarter, blowing past Nokia Corp and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.
South Korea's Samsung made the biggest jump, from No 4 in the first quarter to No 2 in the second, on the strength of its Galaxy phones, which run Google Inc's Android software.
It sold 17.3 million smartphones in the second quarter, up from 10.8 million in the first, according to research firm IDC.
Apple rose to No 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million in the first quarter.
That relegated Finland's Nokia, the long-time leader, to third place. Apple has yet to top Nokia's high-water mark of 28.1 million phones in a quarter.
"But given Apple's momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when," IDC said.
Remarkably, Apple's sales record comes nearly a year after it released its latest model, the iPhone 4, and it's still selling millions of the even older iPhone 3GS. Competitors such as Samsung put out new models every few months.
Nokia sold 16.7 million smartphones, a sharp drop from 24.2 million in the previous quarter. The company has struggled to come up with an answer to the iPhone.
Nokia is now transitioning to smartphone software from Microsoft Corp, but it's first Windows Phones won't be on sale until late this year, at the earliest.
Canada's RIM fell from third to fourth place, as it saw a decline in BlackBerry sales from the first quarter to the second.
Like Nokia, it has been struggling to update the high end of its line to compete with touchscreen phones such as the iPhone. It unveiled five new models with updated software this week.
HTC Corp of Taiwan remained in fifth place, but it's seeing rapidly growing sales. Like Samsung, it has bet on Google's Android software for its phones.
Showing posts with label android. Show all posts
Showing posts with label android. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Apple, Samsung outdo Nokia in smartphone sales
Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co zoomed to the top of the list of global smartphone makers in the second quarter, blowing past Nokia Corp and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.
South Korea's Samsung made the biggest jump, from No 4 in the first quarter to No 2 in the second, on the strength of its Galaxy phones, which run Google Inc's Android software.
It sold 17.3 million smartphones in the second quarter, up from 10.8 million in the first, according to research firm IDC.
Apple rose to No 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million in the first quarter.
That relegated Finland's Nokia, the long-time leader, to third place. Apple has yet to top Nokia's high-water mark of 28.1 million phones in a quarter.
"But given Apple's momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when," IDC said.
Remarkably, Apple's sales record comes nearly a year after it released its latest model, the iPhone 4, and it's still selling millions of the even older iPhone 3GS. Competitors such as Samsung put out new models every few months.
Nokia sold 16.7 million smartphones, a sharp drop from 24.2 million in the previous quarter. The company has struggled to come up with an answer to the iPhone.
Nokia is now transitioning to smartphone software from Microsoft Corp, but it's first Windows Phones won't be on sale until late this year, at the earliest.
Canada's RIM fell from third to fourth place, as it saw a decline in BlackBerry sales from the first quarter to the second.
Like Nokia, it has been struggling to update the high end of its line to compete with touchscreen phones such as the iPhone. It unveiled five new models with updated software this week.
HTC Corp of Taiwan remained in fifth place, but it's seeing rapidly growing sales. Like Samsung, it has bet on Google's Android software for its phones.
South Korea's Samsung made the biggest jump, from No 4 in the first quarter to No 2 in the second, on the strength of its Galaxy phones, which run Google Inc's Android software.
It sold 17.3 million smartphones in the second quarter, up from 10.8 million in the first, according to research firm IDC.
Apple rose to No 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million in the first quarter.
That relegated Finland's Nokia, the long-time leader, to third place. Apple has yet to top Nokia's high-water mark of 28.1 million phones in a quarter.
"But given Apple's momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when," IDC said.
Remarkably, Apple's sales record comes nearly a year after it released its latest model, the iPhone 4, and it's still selling millions of the even older iPhone 3GS. Competitors such as Samsung put out new models every few months.
Nokia sold 16.7 million smartphones, a sharp drop from 24.2 million in the previous quarter. The company has struggled to come up with an answer to the iPhone.
Nokia is now transitioning to smartphone software from Microsoft Corp, but it's first Windows Phones won't be on sale until late this year, at the earliest.
Canada's RIM fell from third to fourth place, as it saw a decline in BlackBerry sales from the first quarter to the second.
Like Nokia, it has been struggling to update the high end of its line to compete with touchscreen phones such as the iPhone. It unveiled five new models with updated software this week.
HTC Corp of Taiwan remained in fifth place, but it's seeing rapidly growing sales. Like Samsung, it has bet on Google's Android software for its phones.
Apple, Samsung outdo Nokia in smartphone sales
Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co zoomed to the top of the list of global smartphone makers in the second quarter, blowing past Nokia Corp and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.
South Korea's Samsung made the biggest jump, from No 4 in the first quarter to No 2 in the second, on the strength of its Galaxy phones, which run Google Inc's Android software.
It sold 17.3 million smartphones in the second quarter, up from 10.8 million in the first, according to research firm IDC.
Apple rose to No 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million in the first quarter.
That relegated Finland's Nokia, the long-time leader, to third place. Apple has yet to top Nokia's high-water mark of 28.1 million phones in a quarter.
"But given Apple's momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when," IDC said.
Remarkably, Apple's sales record comes nearly a year after it released its latest model, the iPhone 4, and it's still selling millions of the even older iPhone 3GS. Competitors such as Samsung put out new models every few months.
Nokia sold 16.7 million smartphones, a sharp drop from 24.2 million in the previous quarter. The company has struggled to come up with an answer to the iPhone.
Nokia is now transitioning to smartphone software from Microsoft Corp, but it's first Windows Phones won't be on sale until late this year, at the earliest.
Canada's RIM fell from third to fourth place, as it saw a decline in BlackBerry sales from the first quarter to the second.
Like Nokia, it has been struggling to update the high end of its line to compete with touchscreen phones such as the iPhone. It unveiled five new models with updated software this week.
HTC Corp of Taiwan remained in fifth place, but it's seeing rapidly growing sales. Like Samsung, it has bet on Google's Android software for its phones.
South Korea's Samsung made the biggest jump, from No 4 in the first quarter to No 2 in the second, on the strength of its Galaxy phones, which run Google Inc's Android software.
It sold 17.3 million smartphones in the second quarter, up from 10.8 million in the first, according to research firm IDC.
Apple rose to No 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million in the first quarter.
That relegated Finland's Nokia, the long-time leader, to third place. Apple has yet to top Nokia's high-water mark of 28.1 million phones in a quarter.
"But given Apple's momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when," IDC said.
Remarkably, Apple's sales record comes nearly a year after it released its latest model, the iPhone 4, and it's still selling millions of the even older iPhone 3GS. Competitors such as Samsung put out new models every few months.
Nokia sold 16.7 million smartphones, a sharp drop from 24.2 million in the previous quarter. The company has struggled to come up with an answer to the iPhone.
Nokia is now transitioning to smartphone software from Microsoft Corp, but it's first Windows Phones won't be on sale until late this year, at the earliest.
Canada's RIM fell from third to fourth place, as it saw a decline in BlackBerry sales from the first quarter to the second.
Like Nokia, it has been struggling to update the high end of its line to compete with touchscreen phones such as the iPhone. It unveiled five new models with updated software this week.
HTC Corp of Taiwan remained in fifth place, but it's seeing rapidly growing sales. Like Samsung, it has bet on Google's Android software for its phones.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Archos gives the home phone an Android upgrade
To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology.
The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device.
It also features a 3.5in touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications.
During a press event in Paris, the company also took the wraps off a less-useful hybrid Tablet and music player product called the Archos 35 Home Connect. The clunky-looking Android device follows in the footsteps of Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer and the Chumby 8 - great products if you want an expensive feature-rich alarm clock or photo viewer, less enticing if you were hoping for a portable, full-featured Tablet.
Archos gives the home phone an Android upgrade
To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology.
The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device.
It also features a 3.5in touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications.
During a press event in Paris, the company also took the wraps off a less-useful hybrid Tablet and music player product called the Archos 35 Home Connect. The clunky-looking Android device follows in the footsteps of Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer and the Chumby 8 - great products if you want an expensive feature-rich alarm clock or photo viewer, less enticing if you were hoping for a portable, full-featured Tablet.
Archos gives the home phone an Android upgrade
To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology.
The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device.
It also features a 3.5in touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications.
During a press event in Paris, the company also took the wraps off a less-useful hybrid Tablet and music player product called the Archos 35 Home Connect. The clunky-looking Android device follows in the footsteps of Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer and the Chumby 8 - great products if you want an expensive feature-rich alarm clock or photo viewer, less enticing if you were hoping for a portable, full-featured Tablet.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Full Review of CSL Android-based Slim Mi410
CSL hopes to make headway in the premium smartphone space with the Android-based Slim Mi410.
CSL is well known for its budget phones that cost below RM500 on average but that hasn't stopped the company from dabbling with premium models.
The latest is the Slim Mi410, an Android 2.2 (Froyo) smartphone encased in a sturdy candybar housing with a big 4.1in touchscreen.
The smartphone runs on Android 2.2 and the company has spiced it up with a few extras such as MapKing, Blueberry Messenger, Azan alarm and Kiblat compass.
The front of the Mi410 is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution.
Design
When we first held the Mi410, we didn't realise that we were looking at a CSL device. The differences aren't just cosmetic when compared to the other CSL models - the Mi410's dark grey plastic and aluminium housing is not only nice but also solid.
IMHO, the design and build quality is far better than most CSL phones. Anyway, we wouldn't have expected anything less from a higher-end phone.
Moving on, the device's front is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution. The screen is a fingerprint magnet but thankfully the rest of the device isn't.
The screen has good viewing angles which is great for watching videos and playing games.
The virtual keyboard also looked good on the screen and it wasn't cramped. We found it to be quite responsive but the word prediction feature is still sloppy. More often than not it guessed the wrong word especially when we typed fast.
Besides the requisite power and volume rocker buttons on the side, there are four haptic-based touch-sensitive buttons just below the display to access the Back, Menu, Home and Search functions.
Hardware
The Mi410 runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has 512MB RAM which should be enough to power the device.
We had no trouble running most applications - both the preinstalled apps and those downloaded from the Android Market worked fine. Also, it was a breeze to view multimedia files and even 720p HD movies on the Mi410.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for the device. We encountered a few hiccups especially with the capacitive screen. It behaves erratically sometimes and the device lags when switching between homescreens.
There were even times when some apps refused to load. We had to tap on the app's icon several times before it finally worked.
Also, the unit stopped working twice and the only way we could rectify the problem was to do a hard reboot - we had to remove and reinsert the battery before restarting the smartphone.
However, the problems could be unique to the review unit.
The phone also has a HDMI port which makes it easy to hook it up to a HDTV to view images and videos. We tried it and it worked without a hitch.
The HDMI port is located next to the similar-looking USB2.0 port at the bottom, more often than not, we plugged in the charging cable to the wrong one especially when in a hurry.
However, we didn't like the location of the HDMI slot. It's located next to the USB port which also looks similar and it's too easy to accidentally plug the charging cable to the wrong port especially when you are in a hurry.
Camera
The Mi410 packs a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and built-in LED flash along with the standard Android features to help you take better pictures.
We found both the picture and video quality were nothing to shout about but they were on par with most camera phones in the market.
One thing to take note - the bezel around the lens cover doesn't protect it enough. If you are unlucky enough to rub it over something rough, the protective glass will get scratched and we weren't surprised that our review unit's lens cover was already damaged.
In terms of battery, the phone hardly lasted a day before needing a recharge. Even when used sparingly, the battery usually ran out of juice after just half a day.
We were not able to get the official standby and talk time for the phone but it's still not normal for a phone to run of charge so fast.
Conclusion
We really want to like CSL Slim Mi410 because we want to be proud of a local product. However, it has a lot of flaws that needs fixing and hopefully the problems can be eliminated with a software patch. For instance, the screen wasn't responsive enough and the device suffered from two hard crashes.
Overall, the CSL Slim Mi410 has a reasonable price tag but it's let down by a number of problems.
Pros: Solid design; big screen; virtual keyboard is responsive; HDMI connectivity.
Cons: Touchscreen can be erratic; noticeable lag when switching between homescreens; bezel doesn't protect lens cover; short battery life.
SLIM MI410
(CSL)
Android smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 4.1in touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels camera with autofocus; secondary 0.3-megapixel camera
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth, WiFi, USB 2.0
MEMORY: 2GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio tuner, geotagging, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, Kiblat compass, azan alarm, records 720p HD video
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 112 x 66 x 10mm
WEIGHT: 143g
WEBSITE: www.spicei2i.com
PRICE: RM1,299
RATING: 2.5
CSL is well known for its budget phones that cost below RM500 on average but that hasn't stopped the company from dabbling with premium models.
The latest is the Slim Mi410, an Android 2.2 (Froyo) smartphone encased in a sturdy candybar housing with a big 4.1in touchscreen.
The smartphone runs on Android 2.2 and the company has spiced it up with a few extras such as MapKing, Blueberry Messenger, Azan alarm and Kiblat compass.
The front of the Mi410 is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution.
Design
When we first held the Mi410, we didn't realise that we were looking at a CSL device. The differences aren't just cosmetic when compared to the other CSL models - the Mi410's dark grey plastic and aluminium housing is not only nice but also solid.
IMHO, the design and build quality is far better than most CSL phones. Anyway, we wouldn't have expected anything less from a higher-end phone.
Moving on, the device's front is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution. The screen is a fingerprint magnet but thankfully the rest of the device isn't.
The screen has good viewing angles which is great for watching videos and playing games.
The virtual keyboard also looked good on the screen and it wasn't cramped. We found it to be quite responsive but the word prediction feature is still sloppy. More often than not it guessed the wrong word especially when we typed fast.
Besides the requisite power and volume rocker buttons on the side, there are four haptic-based touch-sensitive buttons just below the display to access the Back, Menu, Home and Search functions.
Hardware
The Mi410 runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has 512MB RAM which should be enough to power the device.
We had no trouble running most applications - both the preinstalled apps and those downloaded from the Android Market worked fine. Also, it was a breeze to view multimedia files and even 720p HD movies on the Mi410.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for the device. We encountered a few hiccups especially with the capacitive screen. It behaves erratically sometimes and the device lags when switching between homescreens.
There were even times when some apps refused to load. We had to tap on the app's icon several times before it finally worked.
Also, the unit stopped working twice and the only way we could rectify the problem was to do a hard reboot - we had to remove and reinsert the battery before restarting the smartphone.
However, the problems could be unique to the review unit.
The phone also has a HDMI port which makes it easy to hook it up to a HDTV to view images and videos. We tried it and it worked without a hitch.
The HDMI port is located next to the similar-looking USB2.0 port at the bottom, more often than not, we plugged in the charging cable to the wrong one especially when in a hurry.
However, we didn't like the location of the HDMI slot. It's located next to the USB port which also looks similar and it's too easy to accidentally plug the charging cable to the wrong port especially when you are in a hurry.
Camera
The Mi410 packs a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and built-in LED flash along with the standard Android features to help you take better pictures.
We found both the picture and video quality were nothing to shout about but they were on par with most camera phones in the market.
One thing to take note - the bezel around the lens cover doesn't protect it enough. If you are unlucky enough to rub it over something rough, the protective glass will get scratched and we weren't surprised that our review unit's lens cover was already damaged.
In terms of battery, the phone hardly lasted a day before needing a recharge. Even when used sparingly, the battery usually ran out of juice after just half a day.
We were not able to get the official standby and talk time for the phone but it's still not normal for a phone to run of charge so fast.
Conclusion
We really want to like CSL Slim Mi410 because we want to be proud of a local product. However, it has a lot of flaws that needs fixing and hopefully the problems can be eliminated with a software patch. For instance, the screen wasn't responsive enough and the device suffered from two hard crashes.
Overall, the CSL Slim Mi410 has a reasonable price tag but it's let down by a number of problems.
Pros: Solid design; big screen; virtual keyboard is responsive; HDMI connectivity.
Cons: Touchscreen can be erratic; noticeable lag when switching between homescreens; bezel doesn't protect lens cover; short battery life.
SLIM MI410
(CSL)
Android smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 4.1in touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels camera with autofocus; secondary 0.3-megapixel camera
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth, WiFi, USB 2.0
MEMORY: 2GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio tuner, geotagging, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, Kiblat compass, azan alarm, records 720p HD video
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 112 x 66 x 10mm
WEIGHT: 143g
WEBSITE: www.spicei2i.com
PRICE: RM1,299
RATING: 2.5
Full Review of CSL Android-based Slim Mi410
CSL hopes to make headway in the premium smartphone space with the Android-based Slim Mi410.
CSL is well known for its budget phones that cost below RM500 on average but that hasn't stopped the company from dabbling with premium models.
The latest is the Slim Mi410, an Android 2.2 (Froyo) smartphone encased in a sturdy candybar housing with a big 4.1in touchscreen.
The smartphone runs on Android 2.2 and the company has spiced it up with a few extras such as MapKing, Blueberry Messenger, Azan alarm and Kiblat compass.
The front of the Mi410 is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution.
Design
When we first held the Mi410, we didn't realise that we were looking at a CSL device. The differences aren't just cosmetic when compared to the other CSL models - the Mi410's dark grey plastic and aluminium housing is not only nice but also solid.
IMHO, the design and build quality is far better than most CSL phones. Anyway, we wouldn't have expected anything less from a higher-end phone.
Moving on, the device's front is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution. The screen is a fingerprint magnet but thankfully the rest of the device isn't.
The screen has good viewing angles which is great for watching videos and playing games.
The virtual keyboard also looked good on the screen and it wasn't cramped. We found it to be quite responsive but the word prediction feature is still sloppy. More often than not it guessed the wrong word especially when we typed fast.
Besides the requisite power and volume rocker buttons on the side, there are four haptic-based touch-sensitive buttons just below the display to access the Back, Menu, Home and Search functions.
Hardware
The Mi410 runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has 512MB RAM which should be enough to power the device.
We had no trouble running most applications - both the preinstalled apps and those downloaded from the Android Market worked fine. Also, it was a breeze to view multimedia files and even 720p HD movies on the Mi410.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for the device. We encountered a few hiccups especially with the capacitive screen. It behaves erratically sometimes and the device lags when switching between homescreens.
There were even times when some apps refused to load. We had to tap on the app's icon several times before it finally worked.
Also, the unit stopped working twice and the only way we could rectify the problem was to do a hard reboot - we had to remove and reinsert the battery before restarting the smartphone.
However, the problems could be unique to the review unit.
The phone also has a HDMI port which makes it easy to hook it up to a HDTV to view images and videos. We tried it and it worked without a hitch.
The HDMI port is located next to the similar-looking USB2.0 port at the bottom, more often than not, we plugged in the charging cable to the wrong one especially when in a hurry.
However, we didn't like the location of the HDMI slot. It's located next to the USB port which also looks similar and it's too easy to accidentally plug the charging cable to the wrong port especially when you are in a hurry.
Camera
The Mi410 packs a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and built-in LED flash along with the standard Android features to help you take better pictures.
We found both the picture and video quality were nothing to shout about but they were on par with most camera phones in the market.
One thing to take note - the bezel around the lens cover doesn't protect it enough. If you are unlucky enough to rub it over something rough, the protective glass will get scratched and we weren't surprised that our review unit's lens cover was already damaged.
In terms of battery, the phone hardly lasted a day before needing a recharge. Even when used sparingly, the battery usually ran out of juice after just half a day.
We were not able to get the official standby and talk time for the phone but it's still not normal for a phone to run of charge so fast.
Conclusion
We really want to like CSL Slim Mi410 because we want to be proud of a local product. However, it has a lot of flaws that needs fixing and hopefully the problems can be eliminated with a software patch. For instance, the screen wasn't responsive enough and the device suffered from two hard crashes.
Overall, the CSL Slim Mi410 has a reasonable price tag but it's let down by a number of problems.
Pros: Solid design; big screen; virtual keyboard is responsive; HDMI connectivity.
Cons: Touchscreen can be erratic; noticeable lag when switching between homescreens; bezel doesn't protect lens cover; short battery life.
SLIM MI410
(CSL)
Android smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 4.1in touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels camera with autofocus; secondary 0.3-megapixel camera
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth, WiFi, USB 2.0
MEMORY: 2GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio tuner, geotagging, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, Kiblat compass, azan alarm, records 720p HD video
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 112 x 66 x 10mm
WEIGHT: 143g
WEBSITE: www.spicei2i.com
PRICE: RM1,299
RATING: 2.5
CSL is well known for its budget phones that cost below RM500 on average but that hasn't stopped the company from dabbling with premium models.
The latest is the Slim Mi410, an Android 2.2 (Froyo) smartphone encased in a sturdy candybar housing with a big 4.1in touchscreen.
The smartphone runs on Android 2.2 and the company has spiced it up with a few extras such as MapKing, Blueberry Messenger, Azan alarm and Kiblat compass.
The front of the Mi410 is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution.
Design
When we first held the Mi410, we didn't realise that we were looking at a CSL device. The differences aren't just cosmetic when compared to the other CSL models - the Mi410's dark grey plastic and aluminium housing is not only nice but also solid.
IMHO, the design and build quality is far better than most CSL phones. Anyway, we wouldn't have expected anything less from a higher-end phone.
Moving on, the device's front is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution. The screen is a fingerprint magnet but thankfully the rest of the device isn't.
The screen has good viewing angles which is great for watching videos and playing games.
The virtual keyboard also looked good on the screen and it wasn't cramped. We found it to be quite responsive but the word prediction feature is still sloppy. More often than not it guessed the wrong word especially when we typed fast.
Besides the requisite power and volume rocker buttons on the side, there are four haptic-based touch-sensitive buttons just below the display to access the Back, Menu, Home and Search functions.
Hardware
The Mi410 runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has 512MB RAM which should be enough to power the device.
We had no trouble running most applications - both the preinstalled apps and those downloaded from the Android Market worked fine. Also, it was a breeze to view multimedia files and even 720p HD movies on the Mi410.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for the device. We encountered a few hiccups especially with the capacitive screen. It behaves erratically sometimes and the device lags when switching between homescreens.
There were even times when some apps refused to load. We had to tap on the app's icon several times before it finally worked.
Also, the unit stopped working twice and the only way we could rectify the problem was to do a hard reboot - we had to remove and reinsert the battery before restarting the smartphone.
However, the problems could be unique to the review unit.
The phone also has a HDMI port which makes it easy to hook it up to a HDTV to view images and videos. We tried it and it worked without a hitch.
The HDMI port is located next to the similar-looking USB2.0 port at the bottom, more often than not, we plugged in the charging cable to the wrong one especially when in a hurry.
However, we didn't like the location of the HDMI slot. It's located next to the USB port which also looks similar and it's too easy to accidentally plug the charging cable to the wrong port especially when you are in a hurry.
Camera
The Mi410 packs a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and built-in LED flash along with the standard Android features to help you take better pictures.
We found both the picture and video quality were nothing to shout about but they were on par with most camera phones in the market.
One thing to take note - the bezel around the lens cover doesn't protect it enough. If you are unlucky enough to rub it over something rough, the protective glass will get scratched and we weren't surprised that our review unit's lens cover was already damaged.
In terms of battery, the phone hardly lasted a day before needing a recharge. Even when used sparingly, the battery usually ran out of juice after just half a day.
We were not able to get the official standby and talk time for the phone but it's still not normal for a phone to run of charge so fast.
Conclusion
We really want to like CSL Slim Mi410 because we want to be proud of a local product. However, it has a lot of flaws that needs fixing and hopefully the problems can be eliminated with a software patch. For instance, the screen wasn't responsive enough and the device suffered from two hard crashes.
Overall, the CSL Slim Mi410 has a reasonable price tag but it's let down by a number of problems.
Pros: Solid design; big screen; virtual keyboard is responsive; HDMI connectivity.
Cons: Touchscreen can be erratic; noticeable lag when switching between homescreens; bezel doesn't protect lens cover; short battery life.
SLIM MI410
(CSL)
Android smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 4.1in touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels camera with autofocus; secondary 0.3-megapixel camera
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth, WiFi, USB 2.0
MEMORY: 2GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio tuner, geotagging, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, Kiblat compass, azan alarm, records 720p HD video
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 112 x 66 x 10mm
WEIGHT: 143g
WEBSITE: www.spicei2i.com
PRICE: RM1,299
RATING: 2.5
Full Review of CSL Android-based Slim Mi410
CSL hopes to make headway in the premium smartphone space with the Android-based Slim Mi410.
CSL is well known for its budget phones that cost below RM500 on average but that hasn't stopped the company from dabbling with premium models.
The latest is the Slim Mi410, an Android 2.2 (Froyo) smartphone encased in a sturdy candybar housing with a big 4.1in touchscreen.
The smartphone runs on Android 2.2 and the company has spiced it up with a few extras such as MapKing, Blueberry Messenger, Azan alarm and Kiblat compass.
The front of the Mi410 is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution.
Design
When we first held the Mi410, we didn't realise that we were looking at a CSL device. The differences aren't just cosmetic when compared to the other CSL models - the Mi410's dark grey plastic and aluminium housing is not only nice but also solid.
IMHO, the design and build quality is far better than most CSL phones. Anyway, we wouldn't have expected anything less from a higher-end phone.
Moving on, the device's front is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution. The screen is a fingerprint magnet but thankfully the rest of the device isn't.
The screen has good viewing angles which is great for watching videos and playing games.
The virtual keyboard also looked good on the screen and it wasn't cramped. We found it to be quite responsive but the word prediction feature is still sloppy. More often than not it guessed the wrong word especially when we typed fast.
Besides the requisite power and volume rocker buttons on the side, there are four haptic-based touch-sensitive buttons just below the display to access the Back, Menu, Home and Search functions.
Hardware
The Mi410 runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has 512MB RAM which should be enough to power the device.
We had no trouble running most applications - both the preinstalled apps and those downloaded from the Android Market worked fine. Also, it was a breeze to view multimedia files and even 720p HD movies on the Mi410.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for the device. We encountered a few hiccups especially with the capacitive screen. It behaves erratically sometimes and the device lags when switching between homescreens.
There were even times when some apps refused to load. We had to tap on the app's icon several times before it finally worked.
Also, the unit stopped working twice and the only way we could rectify the problem was to do a hard reboot - we had to remove and reinsert the battery before restarting the smartphone.
However, the problems could be unique to the review unit.
The phone also has a HDMI port which makes it easy to hook it up to a HDTV to view images and videos. We tried it and it worked without a hitch.
The HDMI port is located next to the similar-looking USB2.0 port at the bottom, more often than not, we plugged in the charging cable to the wrong one especially when in a hurry.
However, we didn't like the location of the HDMI slot. It's located next to the USB port which also looks similar and it's too easy to accidentally plug the charging cable to the wrong port especially when you are in a hurry.
Camera
The Mi410 packs a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and built-in LED flash along with the standard Android features to help you take better pictures.
We found both the picture and video quality were nothing to shout about but they were on par with most camera phones in the market.
One thing to take note - the bezel around the lens cover doesn't protect it enough. If you are unlucky enough to rub it over something rough, the protective glass will get scratched and we weren't surprised that our review unit's lens cover was already damaged.
In terms of battery, the phone hardly lasted a day before needing a recharge. Even when used sparingly, the battery usually ran out of juice after just half a day.
We were not able to get the official standby and talk time for the phone but it's still not normal for a phone to run of charge so fast.
Conclusion
We really want to like CSL Slim Mi410 because we want to be proud of a local product. However, it has a lot of flaws that needs fixing and hopefully the problems can be eliminated with a software patch. For instance, the screen wasn't responsive enough and the device suffered from two hard crashes.
Overall, the CSL Slim Mi410 has a reasonable price tag but it's let down by a number of problems.
Pros: Solid design; big screen; virtual keyboard is responsive; HDMI connectivity.
Cons: Touchscreen can be erratic; noticeable lag when switching between homescreens; bezel doesn't protect lens cover; short battery life.
SLIM MI410
(CSL)
Android smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 4.1in touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels camera with autofocus; secondary 0.3-megapixel camera
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth, WiFi, USB 2.0
MEMORY: 2GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio tuner, geotagging, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, Kiblat compass, azan alarm, records 720p HD video
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 112 x 66 x 10mm
WEIGHT: 143g
WEBSITE: www.spicei2i.com
PRICE: RM1,299
RATING: 2.5
CSL is well known for its budget phones that cost below RM500 on average but that hasn't stopped the company from dabbling with premium models.
The latest is the Slim Mi410, an Android 2.2 (Froyo) smartphone encased in a sturdy candybar housing with a big 4.1in touchscreen.
The smartphone runs on Android 2.2 and the company has spiced it up with a few extras such as MapKing, Blueberry Messenger, Azan alarm and Kiblat compass.
The front of the Mi410 is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution.
Design
When we first held the Mi410, we didn't realise that we were looking at a CSL device. The differences aren't just cosmetic when compared to the other CSL models - the Mi410's dark grey plastic and aluminium housing is not only nice but also solid.
IMHO, the design and build quality is far better than most CSL phones. Anyway, we wouldn't have expected anything less from a higher-end phone.
Moving on, the device's front is mainly taken up by the bright 4.1in capacitive touchscreen with a WXVGA (800 x 480-pixels) resolution. The screen is a fingerprint magnet but thankfully the rest of the device isn't.
The screen has good viewing angles which is great for watching videos and playing games.
The virtual keyboard also looked good on the screen and it wasn't cramped. We found it to be quite responsive but the word prediction feature is still sloppy. More often than not it guessed the wrong word especially when we typed fast.
Besides the requisite power and volume rocker buttons on the side, there are four haptic-based touch-sensitive buttons just below the display to access the Back, Menu, Home and Search functions.
Hardware
The Mi410 runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has 512MB RAM which should be enough to power the device.
We had no trouble running most applications - both the preinstalled apps and those downloaded from the Android Market worked fine. Also, it was a breeze to view multimedia files and even 720p HD movies on the Mi410.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for the device. We encountered a few hiccups especially with the capacitive screen. It behaves erratically sometimes and the device lags when switching between homescreens.
There were even times when some apps refused to load. We had to tap on the app's icon several times before it finally worked.
Also, the unit stopped working twice and the only way we could rectify the problem was to do a hard reboot - we had to remove and reinsert the battery before restarting the smartphone.
However, the problems could be unique to the review unit.
The phone also has a HDMI port which makes it easy to hook it up to a HDTV to view images and videos. We tried it and it worked without a hitch.
The HDMI port is located next to the similar-looking USB2.0 port at the bottom, more often than not, we plugged in the charging cable to the wrong one especially when in a hurry.
However, we didn't like the location of the HDMI slot. It's located next to the USB port which also looks similar and it's too easy to accidentally plug the charging cable to the wrong port especially when you are in a hurry.
Camera
The Mi410 packs a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and built-in LED flash along with the standard Android features to help you take better pictures.
We found both the picture and video quality were nothing to shout about but they were on par with most camera phones in the market.
One thing to take note - the bezel around the lens cover doesn't protect it enough. If you are unlucky enough to rub it over something rough, the protective glass will get scratched and we weren't surprised that our review unit's lens cover was already damaged.
In terms of battery, the phone hardly lasted a day before needing a recharge. Even when used sparingly, the battery usually ran out of juice after just half a day.
We were not able to get the official standby and talk time for the phone but it's still not normal for a phone to run of charge so fast.
Conclusion
We really want to like CSL Slim Mi410 because we want to be proud of a local product. However, it has a lot of flaws that needs fixing and hopefully the problems can be eliminated with a software patch. For instance, the screen wasn't responsive enough and the device suffered from two hard crashes.
Overall, the CSL Slim Mi410 has a reasonable price tag but it's let down by a number of problems.
Pros: Solid design; big screen; virtual keyboard is responsive; HDMI connectivity.
Cons: Touchscreen can be erratic; noticeable lag when switching between homescreens; bezel doesn't protect lens cover; short battery life.
SLIM MI410
(CSL)
Android smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 4.1in touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels camera with autofocus; secondary 0.3-megapixel camera
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth, WiFi, USB 2.0
MEMORY: 2GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio tuner, geotagging, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, Kiblat compass, azan alarm, records 720p HD video
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 112 x 66 x 10mm
WEIGHT: 143g
WEBSITE: www.spicei2i.com
PRICE: RM1,299
RATING: 2.5
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Nokia Drop allows wireless sharing
"Nokia Drop allows you to ditch the Bluetooth dongle or the data cable and instead send links or photos from your computer browser with one click of the mouse and watch them magically and instantly appear on your Nokia device," explains Nokia.
The wireless file sharing solution comes in two parts: an application for your phone and a plug-in for your browser (Chrome and Firefox only for the moment).
Google offers a similar service for Android smartphones.
Introduced in mid 2010 for smartphones running Android 2.2, the Chrome to Phone extension "seamlessly pushes links, maps, and currently selected text and phone numbers to your Android device."
While Google's Chrome to Phone has been tried and tested for months, Nokia warns that its app is still in testing and "may change or disappear after the trial period."
Nokia Drop is currently available for free for Nokia N8-00, C6-01, C7-00, E7-00, X6-00, 5228, 5230, 5235, 5530, C6-00, N97 and N97 mini phones.
Nokia Drop allows wireless sharing
"Nokia Drop allows you to ditch the Bluetooth dongle or the data cable and instead send links or photos from your computer browser with one click of the mouse and watch them magically and instantly appear on your Nokia device," explains Nokia.
The wireless file sharing solution comes in two parts: an application for your phone and a plug-in for your browser (Chrome and Firefox only for the moment).
Google offers a similar service for Android smartphones.
Introduced in mid 2010 for smartphones running Android 2.2, the Chrome to Phone extension "seamlessly pushes links, maps, and currently selected text and phone numbers to your Android device."
While Google's Chrome to Phone has been tried and tested for months, Nokia warns that its app is still in testing and "may change or disappear after the trial period."
Nokia Drop is currently available for free for Nokia N8-00, C6-01, C7-00, E7-00, X6-00, 5228, 5230, 5235, 5530, C6-00, N97 and N97 mini phones.
Nokia Drop allows wireless sharing
"Nokia Drop allows you to ditch the Bluetooth dongle or the data cable and instead send links or photos from your computer browser with one click of the mouse and watch them magically and instantly appear on your Nokia device," explains Nokia.
The wireless file sharing solution comes in two parts: an application for your phone and a plug-in for your browser (Chrome and Firefox only for the moment).
Google offers a similar service for Android smartphones.
Introduced in mid 2010 for smartphones running Android 2.2, the Chrome to Phone extension "seamlessly pushes links, maps, and currently selected text and phone numbers to your Android device."
While Google's Chrome to Phone has been tried and tested for months, Nokia warns that its app is still in testing and "may change or disappear after the trial period."
Nokia Drop is currently available for free for Nokia N8-00, C6-01, C7-00, E7-00, X6-00, 5228, 5230, 5235, 5530, C6-00, N97 and N97 mini phones.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Full Review of Galaxy Ace: Android Phone
The Galaxy Ace is aimed at those who are looking to own an Android phone on a budget.
SAMSUNG is looking to repeat the success of its Galaxy line of smartphones with its latest Android smartphone, the Galaxy Ace S5830.
In terms of design, Samsung's Galaxy Ace closely resembles the Apple iPhone - in fact the two phones look almost identical when placed side-by-side though the Ace is slightly smaller.
But don't get us wrong; the Galaxy Ace is still a good-looking slim and compact smartphone in its own right.
Though it is mostly made of plastic, it has a solid build quality and is ergonomically shaped so it feels nice to hold.
Much like modern touchscreen-based phones, the Galaxy Ace has few physical buttons including a single home button on the front while the rest such as the power button and volume rocker are located on the side.
SLIMLINE: The Galaxy Ace keeps a slim profile and has a handy microSD card slot on the side for easy access.You'll also find a microSD card slot on the side for easy access. The phone heavily relies on external microSD cards for content storage, as it only has a paltry 158MB of internal memory.
The 3.5in screen is quite decent in terms of brightness and colour. It is also responsive when in use. However, considering that the screen only has a 320 x 480 resolution, it does pale in comparison with Samsung's AMOLED equipped smartphones.
On the positive side, we liked the matte textured rear panel that, unlike the iPhone's glossy surface, provided a better grip.
On the back is a 5-megapixel autofocus camera which is complemented by an LED flash and a tiny slit for the loud speaker.
Adding their own touch
Looks aside, the Galaxy Ace is up to speed with the latest Android smartphones as it runs on the latest Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system.
The smartphone runs Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface on top of the stock Android interface which gives it a slightly different look and feel. Despite the changes on the Samsung driven interface, it still runs like a regular Android smartphone but with a few added enhancements.
USEFUL: The Galaxy Ace has several built-social media widgets for Facebook and Twitter that allows users to stay connected with friends.Holding down the home button brings up a window showing all applications running in the background. It also doubles up as a handy task manager for killing unwanted applications to conserve battery life.
The customised drag-down notification area also houses handy switches for turning on/off WiFi, Bluetooth, rotation lock and mute settings.
Similar to Windows Phone 7's People tile, the TouchWiz 3.0 address book also syncs with your friends from Facebook, where you can even check and comment on their recent activities directly from the address book.
Functionality
As a phone, the voice call quality was loud and clear, and the speakerphone mode was sufficiently audible when used in a car.
Text messaging, however, still feels like a chore on the phone's virtual Qwerty keyboard because of the keys that are placed too close together. The auto-correction system is also quite poor and often results in mistyped words. The experience does improve slightly when used in landscape mode but not by much.
The Galaxy Ace does however offer an alternate method for text input using the aptly named Swype. This feature basically allows users to enter a word by sliding their finger from letter to letter.
Admittedly, it does feel weird at first but it is surprisingly accurate at predicting words that you use. In fact, we felt that we could "write" faster using Swype than the regular Qwerty keyboard.
The Ace's 800MHz processor isn't the fastest around but it gets the job done running most basic applications.
Social media buffs that can't live without Facebook, Foursquare or Twitter can breathe easy as the Galaxy Ace can run them without any problems.
ERGONOMIC: The Galaxy Ace fits the hand nicely.However, the phone's limitations really show as there's a noticeable lag even when you perform simple tasks as dragging icons around on screen.
Certain games like Angry Birds even lagged as we played through the levels while more graphic intense games like 3D racing game, Asphalt 5, are not supported on the phone.
The web browsing experience is average at best - even though pages load relatively quickly on the phone, the low-resolution screen makes reading text a little difficult.
But the biggest problem we had with the browser was its inability to wrap text around the screen when zoomed in.
This forces you to constantly scroll from side-to-side to read a full paragraph of text.
Despite running Froyo, the web browser doesn't support Flash but this doesn't surprise us considering it is an entry level phone after all.
In terms of battery life, the Ace managed to last us for at least a full day of usage before needing to be recharged.
Not so great for media
Truth be told, the Galaxy Ace isn't great for watching videos as it misses out on common file formats like AVI and is restricted to playing MP4 formatted files. On the other hand, the music player isn't half bad and does a decent job of keeping your songs in order.
Samsung has also provided an AllShare function that allows you to stream media from the Galaxy Ace to a connected WiFi player such as a computer or network-connected HDTV.
GOOD GRIP: The textured matte rear panel provides better grip than other smartphones with glossy surfaces.We honestly don't see this feature being that useful aside from streaming music because of the lack of HD video playback and poor video quality from the camera.
The 5-megapixel camera is decent at taking still images that are acceptable for online use. The autofocus speed is quick when outdoors but is slow when shooting indoors.
It comes with several nifty features like smile detection and a panorama sweep mode (which dials the resolution down to 0.3-megapixels) but the picture quality won't blow you away and the colours appear a little washed out.
The LED flash helps illuminate close subjects fairly well in low light situations, but it isn't going to cut it for lighting up a room.
You will probably want to skip using the video recording feature as its only capable of taking QVGA quality (320 x 240-pixel) videos.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Ace is a very much a scaled-down version of Samsung's higher-end Galaxy phones. Its target definitely isn't the high-end user who is looking to upgrade their Android phone but rather those who are contemplating buying their first Android smartphone.
Despite its name, the Ace compromises on several key features - it doesn't have a brilliant AMOLED screen and the slow processor can't run certain games.
The on-board camera is decent for still photos and it has a few extras like smile detection, but the video recording quality is poor.
However, it does get the job done if all you want to do is to browse the Web, check e-mail and keep you up to date in your social networks.
Another positive is the Swype text input method that makes texting on the small screen easier.
Pros: Affordable; runs on Android 2.2 Froyo; compact and light; TouchWiz 3.0 interface; camera is decent for still photos.
Cons: Slow processor; limited on-board storage; QVGA quality video recording; low-resolution screen.
GALAXY ACE S5830
(Samsung)
Smartphone
NETWORK: EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 3.5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels; autofocus; LED flash; QVGA quality video recording
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 150MB
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 421 hours/6 hours
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio, Swype text input, A-GPS, ThinkFree, Exchange ActiveSync
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5mm
WEIGHT: 113g
(Samsung)
Smartphone
NETWORK: EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 3.5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels; autofocus; LED flash; QVGA quality video recording
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 150MB
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 421 hours/6 hours
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio, Swype text input, A-GPS, ThinkFree, Exchange ActiveSync
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5mm
WEIGHT: 113g
Full Review of Galaxy Ace: Android Phone
The Galaxy Ace is aimed at those who are looking to own an Android phone on a budget.
SAMSUNG is looking to repeat the success of its Galaxy line of smartphones with its latest Android smartphone, the Galaxy Ace S5830.
In terms of design, Samsung's Galaxy Ace closely resembles the Apple iPhone - in fact the two phones look almost identical when placed side-by-side though the Ace is slightly smaller.
But don't get us wrong; the Galaxy Ace is still a good-looking slim and compact smartphone in its own right.
Though it is mostly made of plastic, it has a solid build quality and is ergonomically shaped so it feels nice to hold.
Much like modern touchscreen-based phones, the Galaxy Ace has few physical buttons including a single home button on the front while the rest such as the power button and volume rocker are located on the side.SLIMLINE: The Galaxy Ace keeps a slim profile and has a handy microSD card slot on the side for easy access.You'll also find a microSD card slot on the side for easy access. The phone heavily relies on external microSD cards for content storage, as it only has a paltry 158MB of internal memory.
The 3.5in screen is quite decent in terms of brightness and colour. It is also responsive when in use. However, considering that the screen only has a 320 x 480 resolution, it does pale in comparison with Samsung's AMOLED equipped smartphones.
On the positive side, we liked the matte textured rear panel that, unlike the iPhone's glossy surface, provided a better grip.
On the back is a 5-megapixel autofocus camera which is complemented by an LED flash and a tiny slit for the loud speaker.
Adding their own touch
Looks aside, the Galaxy Ace is up to speed with the latest Android smartphones as it runs on the latest Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system.
The smartphone runs Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface on top of the stock Android interface which gives it a slightly different look and feel. Despite the changes on the Samsung driven interface, it still runs like a regular Android smartphone but with a few added enhancements.
USEFUL: The Galaxy Ace has several built-social media widgets for Facebook and Twitter that allows users to stay connected with friends.Holding down the home button brings up a window showing all applications running in the background. It also doubles up as a handy task manager for killing unwanted applications to conserve battery life.
The customised drag-down notification area also houses handy switches for turning on/off WiFi, Bluetooth, rotation lock and mute settings.
Similar to Windows Phone 7's People tile, the TouchWiz 3.0 address book also syncs with your friends from Facebook, where you can even check and comment on their recent activities directly from the address book.
Functionality
As a phone, the voice call quality was loud and clear, and the speakerphone mode was sufficiently audible when used in a car.
Text messaging, however, still feels like a chore on the phone's virtual Qwerty keyboard because of the keys that are placed too close together. The auto-correction system is also quite poor and often results in mistyped words. The experience does improve slightly when used in landscape mode but not by much.
The Galaxy Ace does however offer an alternate method for text input using the aptly named Swype. This feature basically allows users to enter a word by sliding their finger from letter to letter.
Admittedly, it does feel weird at first but it is surprisingly accurate at predicting words that you use. In fact, we felt that we could "write" faster using Swype than the regular Qwerty keyboard.
The Ace's 800MHz processor isn't the fastest around but it gets the job done running most basic applications.
Social media buffs that can't live without Facebook, Foursquare or Twitter can breathe easy as the Galaxy Ace can run them without any problems.
ERGONOMIC: The Galaxy Ace fits the hand nicely.However, the phone's limitations really show as there's a noticeable lag even when you perform simple tasks as dragging icons around on screen.
Certain games like Angry Birds even lagged as we played through the levels while more graphic intense games like 3D racing game, Asphalt 5, are not supported on the phone.
The web browsing experience is average at best - even though pages load relatively quickly on the phone, the low-resolution screen makes reading text a little difficult.
But the biggest problem we had with the browser was its inability to wrap text around the screen when zoomed in.
This forces you to constantly scroll from side-to-side to read a full paragraph of text.
Despite running Froyo, the web browser doesn't support Flash but this doesn't surprise us considering it is an entry level phone after all.
In terms of battery life, the Ace managed to last us for at least a full day of usage before needing to be recharged.
Not so great for media
Truth be told, the Galaxy Ace isn't great for watching videos as it misses out on common file formats like AVI and is restricted to playing MP4 formatted files. On the other hand, the music player isn't half bad and does a decent job of keeping your songs in order.
Samsung has also provided an AllShare function that allows you to stream media from the Galaxy Ace to a connected WiFi player such as a computer or network-connected HDTV.
GOOD GRIP: The textured matte rear panel provides better grip than other smartphones with glossy surfaces.We honestly don't see this feature being that useful aside from streaming music because of the lack of HD video playback and poor video quality from the camera.
The 5-megapixel camera is decent at taking still images that are acceptable for online use. The autofocus speed is quick when outdoors but is slow when shooting indoors.
It comes with several nifty features like smile detection and a panorama sweep mode (which dials the resolution down to 0.3-megapixels) but the picture quality won't blow you away and the colours appear a little washed out.
The LED flash helps illuminate close subjects fairly well in low light situations, but it isn't going to cut it for lighting up a room.
You will probably want to skip using the video recording feature as its only capable of taking QVGA quality (320 x 240-pixel) videos.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Ace is a very much a scaled-down version of Samsung's higher-end Galaxy phones. Its target definitely isn't the high-end user who is looking to upgrade their Android phone but rather those who are contemplating buying their first Android smartphone.
Despite its name, the Ace compromises on several key features - it doesn't have a brilliant AMOLED screen and the slow processor can't run certain games.
The on-board camera is decent for still photos and it has a few extras like smile detection, but the video recording quality is poor.
However, it does get the job done if all you want to do is to browse the Web, check e-mail and keep you up to date in your social networks.
Another positive is the Swype text input method that makes texting on the small screen easier.
Pros: Affordable; runs on Android 2.2 Froyo; compact and light; TouchWiz 3.0 interface; camera is decent for still photos.
Cons: Slow processor; limited on-board storage; QVGA quality video recording; low-resolution screen.
GALAXY ACE S5830
(Samsung)
Smartphone
NETWORK: EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 3.5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels; autofocus; LED flash; QVGA quality video recording
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 150MB
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 421 hours/6 hours
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio, Swype text input, A-GPS, ThinkFree, Exchange ActiveSync
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5mm
WEIGHT: 113g
(Samsung)
Smartphone
NETWORK: EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 3.5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels; autofocus; LED flash; QVGA quality video recording
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 150MB
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 421 hours/6 hours
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio, Swype text input, A-GPS, ThinkFree, Exchange ActiveSync
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5mm
WEIGHT: 113g
Full Review of Galaxy Ace: Android Phone
The Galaxy Ace is aimed at those who are looking to own an Android phone on a budget.
SAMSUNG is looking to repeat the success of its Galaxy line of smartphones with its latest Android smartphone, the Galaxy Ace S5830.
In terms of design, Samsung's Galaxy Ace closely resembles the Apple iPhone - in fact the two phones look almost identical when placed side-by-side though the Ace is slightly smaller.
But don't get us wrong; the Galaxy Ace is still a good-looking slim and compact smartphone in its own right.
Though it is mostly made of plastic, it has a solid build quality and is ergonomically shaped so it feels nice to hold.
Much like modern touchscreen-based phones, the Galaxy Ace has few physical buttons including a single home button on the front while the rest such as the power button and volume rocker are located on the side.SLIMLINE: The Galaxy Ace keeps a slim profile and has a handy microSD card slot on the side for easy access.You'll also find a microSD card slot on the side for easy access. The phone heavily relies on external microSD cards for content storage, as it only has a paltry 158MB of internal memory.
The 3.5in screen is quite decent in terms of brightness and colour. It is also responsive when in use. However, considering that the screen only has a 320 x 480 resolution, it does pale in comparison with Samsung's AMOLED equipped smartphones.
On the positive side, we liked the matte textured rear panel that, unlike the iPhone's glossy surface, provided a better grip.
On the back is a 5-megapixel autofocus camera which is complemented by an LED flash and a tiny slit for the loud speaker.
Adding their own touch
Looks aside, the Galaxy Ace is up to speed with the latest Android smartphones as it runs on the latest Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system.
The smartphone runs Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface on top of the stock Android interface which gives it a slightly different look and feel. Despite the changes on the Samsung driven interface, it still runs like a regular Android smartphone but with a few added enhancements.
USEFUL: The Galaxy Ace has several built-social media widgets for Facebook and Twitter that allows users to stay connected with friends.Holding down the home button brings up a window showing all applications running in the background. It also doubles up as a handy task manager for killing unwanted applications to conserve battery life.
The customised drag-down notification area also houses handy switches for turning on/off WiFi, Bluetooth, rotation lock and mute settings.
Similar to Windows Phone 7's People tile, the TouchWiz 3.0 address book also syncs with your friends from Facebook, where you can even check and comment on their recent activities directly from the address book.
Functionality
As a phone, the voice call quality was loud and clear, and the speakerphone mode was sufficiently audible when used in a car.
Text messaging, however, still feels like a chore on the phone's virtual Qwerty keyboard because of the keys that are placed too close together. The auto-correction system is also quite poor and often results in mistyped words. The experience does improve slightly when used in landscape mode but not by much.
The Galaxy Ace does however offer an alternate method for text input using the aptly named Swype. This feature basically allows users to enter a word by sliding their finger from letter to letter.
Admittedly, it does feel weird at first but it is surprisingly accurate at predicting words that you use. In fact, we felt that we could "write" faster using Swype than the regular Qwerty keyboard.
The Ace's 800MHz processor isn't the fastest around but it gets the job done running most basic applications.
Social media buffs that can't live without Facebook, Foursquare or Twitter can breathe easy as the Galaxy Ace can run them without any problems.
ERGONOMIC: The Galaxy Ace fits the hand nicely.However, the phone's limitations really show as there's a noticeable lag even when you perform simple tasks as dragging icons around on screen.
Certain games like Angry Birds even lagged as we played through the levels while more graphic intense games like 3D racing game, Asphalt 5, are not supported on the phone.
The web browsing experience is average at best - even though pages load relatively quickly on the phone, the low-resolution screen makes reading text a little difficult.
But the biggest problem we had with the browser was its inability to wrap text around the screen when zoomed in.
This forces you to constantly scroll from side-to-side to read a full paragraph of text.
Despite running Froyo, the web browser doesn't support Flash but this doesn't surprise us considering it is an entry level phone after all.
In terms of battery life, the Ace managed to last us for at least a full day of usage before needing to be recharged.
Not so great for media
Truth be told, the Galaxy Ace isn't great for watching videos as it misses out on common file formats like AVI and is restricted to playing MP4 formatted files. On the other hand, the music player isn't half bad and does a decent job of keeping your songs in order.
Samsung has also provided an AllShare function that allows you to stream media from the Galaxy Ace to a connected WiFi player such as a computer or network-connected HDTV.
GOOD GRIP: The textured matte rear panel provides better grip than other smartphones with glossy surfaces.We honestly don't see this feature being that useful aside from streaming music because of the lack of HD video playback and poor video quality from the camera.
The 5-megapixel camera is decent at taking still images that are acceptable for online use. The autofocus speed is quick when outdoors but is slow when shooting indoors.
It comes with several nifty features like smile detection and a panorama sweep mode (which dials the resolution down to 0.3-megapixels) but the picture quality won't blow you away and the colours appear a little washed out.
The LED flash helps illuminate close subjects fairly well in low light situations, but it isn't going to cut it for lighting up a room.
You will probably want to skip using the video recording feature as its only capable of taking QVGA quality (320 x 240-pixel) videos.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Ace is a very much a scaled-down version of Samsung's higher-end Galaxy phones. Its target definitely isn't the high-end user who is looking to upgrade their Android phone but rather those who are contemplating buying their first Android smartphone.
Despite its name, the Ace compromises on several key features - it doesn't have a brilliant AMOLED screen and the slow processor can't run certain games.
The on-board camera is decent for still photos and it has a few extras like smile detection, but the video recording quality is poor.
However, it does get the job done if all you want to do is to browse the Web, check e-mail and keep you up to date in your social networks.
Another positive is the Swype text input method that makes texting on the small screen easier.
Pros: Affordable; runs on Android 2.2 Froyo; compact and light; TouchWiz 3.0 interface; camera is decent for still photos.
Cons: Slow processor; limited on-board storage; QVGA quality video recording; low-resolution screen.
GALAXY ACE S5830
(Samsung)
Smartphone
NETWORK: EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 3.5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels; autofocus; LED flash; QVGA quality video recording
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 150MB
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 421 hours/6 hours
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio, Swype text input, A-GPS, ThinkFree, Exchange ActiveSync
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5mm
WEIGHT: 113g
(Samsung)
Smartphone
NETWORK: EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.2 (Froyo)
DISPLAY: 3.5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels; autofocus; LED flash; QVGA quality video recording
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi 802.11 (b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 150MB
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 421 hours/6 hours
OTHER FEATURES: FM radio, Swype text input, A-GPS, ThinkFree, Exchange ActiveSync
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5mm
WEIGHT: 113g
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