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TomTom has taken a leaf out of Apple’s book and released a small plastic external component to ensure that the iPhone 4 carries on working.The TomTom external adapter slots in to the existing TomTom Car Kit for iPhone, which allows to be used with the iPhone 4, the dimensions of which are ..  Thanksto the latest update for Apple's 'Store' iPhone app, it now offers you the ability to reserve a white iPhone 4 model. In fact, when you go through the app and select the “Reservations” tab...Photos:  Today HTC announced an European version of the HTC Aria that is already available on the US at AT&T, it is named HTC Gracia and has a release date set for November 2010 for an unknown price so far.In case you forgot the HTC Gracia boasts a 600MHz processor, 512MB of memory ROM as well [...] We like the TELUS 48-hour sales… the first couple were a bit of a downer as they we older devices. But this new 48-hour sale has the Android 2.1 powered Motorola Charm for $0.00 on a 2-year contract. Good price if you’re into a contract for a couple years. TELUS also states that you can [...]Related posts:
If you thought location-aware search and other mobile mapping technologies were cool, hold onto your hat. Nothing I like more than reporting on concept phones. This isn’t the Flex Display or the holographic iPhone 5.This is the Aqua Phone, designed by South Korean designer Bon Seop Ku, and it was not surprisingly inspired by drawing on a table with water.I have no idea if this is [...] Tablets equipped with Google’s upcoming Android 3.0 platform will be landing in “early 2011″, according to a report from DigiTimes. The news site claims that brands including; Motorola, Acer, HTC and Asus will be showcasing their Gingerbread-ready tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2011, with the devices likely to be ready before [...] It seems that the Galaxy Tab’s official launch date has finally been confirmed. Plenty of time has passed since we first got a glimpse of the massive 7 inch Android gadget back in Korea and now, the time has come to finally announce the tablet’s official UK launch date: November 1. So far, Samsung has [...] Toshiba and Japanese carrier KDDI have just announced the Toshiba REGZA IS04 smartphone, that features a 12MP camera and Android 2.1. This is KDDI’s second Android handset and we found out that it’s supposed to debut in January 2011. The device comes with a CMOS sensor and a case that’s protected against water and other [...] Verizon Wireless in a statement Sunday said it will pay up to $90 million in refunds to 15 million cell phone customers who were erroneously charged for data sessions or Internet use.  Our verdict on the best Android phones - constantly updated There's one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition - the number of phones out there running Google's hot mobile OS. Samsung makes loads of them. Sony Ericsson makes a few. Then you've got Android-powered phones from Acer, LG, Huawei and many others, while HTC releases more in a month than all the rest added together manage in a year. The many variations in screen size, processor power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough. Do you physically and emotionally need a QWERTY keyboard? Are you the sort of oddball who prefers the rough pressing needed to make resistive touchscreens work? Do you actually like Orange widgets? To help find the best Android phone for you, we've rounded up the ten best Android handsets out there today, rating the phones on hardware performance, OS upgrade potential and, of course, how shiny and nice they are to have and boast about to work colleagues. So here they are - the ten best Android phones money can buy today. For many, many different reasons. 10. Motorola Milestone XT720
If you like them chunky, this is your man. TheMilestone XT720is definitely a macho, male, American muscle phone, coming in one almighty slab-shaped body. There's a slight nod to modern design ethics in the form of a curved indentation along one side, but that's where fancy design stuff ends. This is a big chunk of telephone. The 3.7"capacitive screen manages an impressive 480 x 854 resolution, putting it at the top-end of Android tech, while an 8megapixel camera with macro mode and flash makes this an ideal camera replacement, too. As long as your current camera isn't very good. It's also well connected, with a mini HDMI socket for HD media use. It's like having a production studio in your hand. Our quick verdict: The XT720 is a big, solid, good phone. For men with large pockets. It's stuck on Android 2.1 at the moment and Motorola isn't the quickest or most reliable when it comes to updates, but if that's not a deal-breaker this Moto monster is well worth the money. Read our fullMotorola Milestone XT720 review 9. Samsung Galaxy Apollo i5800
A solid mid-range Android 2.1 performer. The main selling point of thischeaper Samsung Galaxyis its superbly responsive touchscreen - you can almost type on it by shaking out flakes of dandruff onto the screen it's that sensitive to the touch. Samsung's always generous with its video codec support, meaning the Apollo plays most ripped internet AVIs with ease, plus the Samsung-developed Lock screen music player control is a godsend for music fans. Sadly there's only a 3.2 megapixel camera inside which isn't ideal - but there is a welcome macro mode. So you can take nice photos of moths and bees and send them in to John Craven. Our quick verdict: A capable processor, good screen, relatively new version of Android - and it's out there for under £20 a month on contracts. Read our fullSamsung Galaxy Apollo i5800 review 8. Acer Stream
The first thing you need to do when getting theAcer Streamhome is to head into the settings menu to disable Acer's absolutely insane custom user interface. It's a mess; don't even try to learn it. Once you've reverted the phone to the stock Android 2.1, it's a perfectly capable handset. The screen is a 3.7"AMOLED model so is extremely bright and vibrant, although you may be put off by the extra blockiness that AMOLED brings, making text a little fuzzy. Inside there's a 1GHz processor so the OS itself is fast and responsive - and web pages are easily manipulated via multi-touch. Ideal for those after something a little quirkier than the usual black rectangle design. Our quick verdict: Acer's crazy user interface is best deactivated immediately, although its custom media player - and physical music control buttons - make this a great music phone. Read our fullAcer Stream review 7. Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
We have to put at least one QWERTY phone in here, and as the HTC Desire Z isn't out at time of writing it'll have to be the charming littleMini Pro. At first fiddle the Mini Pro seems like it'll be way too small to function as your everyday smartphone. The 2.5"screen puts it right at the bottom of the Android tech spec comparison tables - but the QWERTY keyboard means you tend to use the phone in landscape mode, making everything appear more roomy. Plus half the screen isn't taken up by a software keyboard when typing. The processor handles this tiny display perfectly, resulting in a minuscule phone that's perfectly usable and surprisingly fast in operation – and Sony Ericsson's Android customisations are the model of usability. Our quick verdict: Not for those of you with dirty great sausage fingers, but a great little smartphone for dainty-fingered phone fans who long for the ease of typing on a QWERTY. Currently only on Android 1.6 - but is scheduled to get 2.1 before the end of the year. Read our fullSony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro review 6. HTC Legend
TheHTC Legendhas a slightly underpowered by today's standards 600MHz processor and its users are still very impatiently waiting for HTC to upgrade the thing to Android 2.2 - but if you want a phone that's more stylish than the crowd this is the one. HTC's Sense user interface is on here and as slick and professional as ever, plus there's a decent 5 megapixel camera along with your usual 3G 7.2Mbps max download speeds and GPS. But it's all about the beautiful, aluminium body. If you want an Android phone you can proudly put on the pub table next to your friends' flashy iPhones, this is it. Our quick verdict: Starting to show its age internally, but remains HTC's finest design moment on the outside. If HTC gets Android 2.2 on this soon, the Legend will still be worth proudly owning in 2011. Read our fullHTC Legend review ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsored:Travel the universe from the comfort of your PC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Google Nexus One
The great forgotten phone of our time. The poor oldNexus Oneis a brilliant handset, offering virtually the same feature set and screen size as the stunning HTC Desire - only without any of HTC's Sense user interface additions. So what you get here is a superb 3.7"screen in a very slimline body, with a processor that's still among the fastest out there today. Plus, thanks to being endorsed by Google, it's bound to be first with future OS upgrades. Nexus One users are already bored of Android 2.2, in fact. Google's direct-sales experiment and the fact it's only sold on one network in the UK (and is currently marked as very limited stock) keep the Nexus a pleasingly unique and rare classic phone. Our quick verdict: The best there is for users after the pure Android experience. Read our fullGoogle Nexus One review 4. Orange San Francisco
This one defies all logic. You can currently pick up theOrange San Franciscofor £99 on a SIM-free basis, which means it costs around one quarter the price of most of today's top-spec Android phones like the HTC Desire. But what you get here is no cost-cutting budget phone. The San Fran has a high-res 3.5"capacitive touchscreen, features Android 2.1, does a relatively good job of copying the high-end sleek designs of HTC and quite simply works way, way better than anything else at this entry level price point. Our quick verdict: Get one as a spare, or just to use at home on Wi-Fi. A stunning amount of kit for an impulse-level purchase price. Read our fullOrange San Francisco review 3. Samsung Galaxy S
A bit like owning a fancy imported sports car, this. The screen on theGalaxy Sis the finest out there today, high-res and dazzlingly sharp and bright. The problems come from Samsung's fiddlings with Android itself. While many of the TouchWiz user interface tweaks on the Galaxy S are welcome, they come at a price - the phone can be a little glitchy in operation, with quite a few annoying bugs and mini lock-ups. Plus Samsung is still endlessly pushing back the deployment of Android 2.2 which, for a high-end flagship phone in this day and age, is only making its owners angrier by the day. Our quick verdict: A lot of phone for the money, but the lack of camera flash, a few OS glitches and Samsung's notoriously relaxed attitude to pushing out software updates just stop this from being the perfect handset. Read our fullSamsung Galaxy S review 2. HTC Desire HD
We haven't been as excited about a new phone in a while as we have with theHTC Desire HD- the original Desire was so close to perfection in our eyes when it came out that we couldn't wait to see its successor. It's got a superb interface, super-fast operation and the new widgets and interaction HTC has unveiled with the new version of its Sense UI is fantastic. However, battery life is a little suspect and video playback has a few bugs - also, that massive screen really polarised opinion when we showed it off to other people. Our quick verdict: The HTC Desire HD is a cracking device that ticks nearly every category; however the battery issue is arguably worse than on the original Desire. Coupled with a couple of other niggles, it's enough to keep it from the top spot. Read our fullHTC Desire HDreview 1. HTC Desire
TheHTC Desirehas been on sale for over six months now, and remains the most impressive and technically adept phone on the market. This is for two reasons - HTC released a superb piece of hardware that obliterated the competition at the time, and has also managed to get Android 2.2 onto nearly every version of the phone out there. While users of other,newer phones fuss about with internet petitions in order to get their OSs upgraded to 2.2, the older Desire is already cutting-edge. A great screen, flawless in operation and powerful enough to stay relevant until the end of even the longest mobile phone contract. Our quick verdict: The forthcoming Desire HD may offer a bigger screen and the Desire Z a physical keyboard, but the standard old Desire is still a stunning performer today. You won't be ashamed to own one of these even at the end of your next 24 month contract. Read our fullHTC Desire review On the next two pages, we look at the best Android phones for specific uses – best for media, best for productivity, best for battery life, and more. Best Android phone for portability: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro The X10 Mini was a great, tiny phone - then came theX10 Mini Pro. Equally small, but with a QWERTY keyboard sliding out from underneath. The core Android experience may be the slightly ageing Android 1.6 meaning a few apps won't work here, but Sony Ericsson's user interface makes great use of the tiny 2.5"screen - and an Android 2.1 update is on the way soon. Read our fullSony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review
Best Android phone for nerds: Google Nexus One If you're seriously into Android, you simply have to own Google's own-brandNexus One. The hardware is much the same as that of the HTC Desire, plus an extra noise-cancelling mic to help improve audio quality. But it's not about that - you need the Nexus One as it offers the unbranded vanilla Android experience. The first phone to bring its users Android 2.2, Nexus One owners will always be one step ahead of the masses. Read our fullNexus One review
Best Android phone for media and photography: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 The mammothXperia X10Android phone has had a few problems with software glitches, poor battery life and is still powered by Android 1.6 - but there's no better Android phone out there today for photo use. The 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus takes great shots, with video emerging equally sharp and smooth. If you have a bag or pocket big enough to house it, the X10's a great media phone. Read our fullSony Ericsson Xperia X10 review
Best pay as you go Android phone: T-Mobile Pulse TheT-Mobile Pulsehas been around since 2009, and for good reason. The Huawei-made handset features a capacitive touchscreen, which is unheard of at this super-budget end of the market, plus T-Mobile has recently upgraded the phone's OS to Android 2.1. And you can currently get this from T-Mobile for £99. An ideal spare/replacement for the accident prone smartphone fan. Read our fullT-Mobile Pulse review
Best Android phone for productivity: Motorola Milestone There's not much in the way of serious business phones in the Android sector right now, so if you're planning on doing a lot of typing and pretending you're working, the slab-likeMotorola Milestoneis the only option for QWERTY fans. Motorola's updated the thing to Android 2.1, plus 2.2 is on the cards for later in 2010. Until HTC's QWERTY-packingHTC Desire Zarrives, this is the best thing for text-heavy work. Read our fullMotorola Milestone review
Best Android phone overall: HTC Desire It's nearly six months old, which is about a million in mobile phone years - yet theHTC Desireremains the best Android phone of all. All UK networks are in the process ofupgrading it to Android 2.2, so even launch original models are right on the cutting-edge. HTC had to swap the Desire's original 3.7"AMOLED screen for a Super LCD model due to manufacturing shortages, but it's still a dazzling phone - and Android 2.2 adds the ability to shoot video in 720p HD. It's actually getting better with age. Read our fullHTC Desire review
Best Android phone for looks: HTC Legend An extremely subjective area, this. Some find HTC's style a little on the bland side, with its numerous variations on the curved black slab theme starting to look a little predictable. Which is why theHTC Legendstands out. Formed from a carved chunk of shiny aluminium, the internal spec of the phone is nothing special by 2010 standards - but it looks superb. Read our fullHTC Legend review
Best Android phone for battery life: Sony Ericsson X10 Mini The small 2.5"screen and Sony Ericsson's ultra-minimal custom user interface make theX10 Minia winner - and when you're still using it after two full days without a charge it earns yet more respect. Switch off the wasteful nonsenses like GPS and Bluetooth and you'll have an Android phone that manages to not let you down when you actually need to send a text. Read our fullSony Ericsson X10 Mini review
Best Android phone for for price: Orange San Francisco TheOrange San Franciscolooks like redefining the Android budget phone. Not only does it run Android 2.1, the San Francisco also features an 800x480 resolution screen - and it's capacitive, so ought to be super responsive. Orange is selling this for £99 on a PAYG package, which means you get a big list of specs for the money. Read our fullOrange San Francisco review
Best Android phone for music: Acer Stream TheAcer Streamis a bit of a weird one, with Acer lumbering an otherwise decent handset with the most awful custom Android user interface we've seen. However, thanks to the great lock screen music player widget and the phone's three physical music player buttons - for play/pause, skip forward and back - it's a surprisingly decent pocket-based MP3 player. It's a mystery why more phone makers haven't stuck on specific music controls. Read our fullAcer Stream review
Best Android phone for internet: Motorola Milestone XT720 The web looks great on the 480x854 resolution 3.7"screen of theMotorola Milestone XT720, with the Android 2.1 browser enhancements making page, history and bookmark navigation super simple. Plus pinch-to-zoom multitouch support lets you whizz in and out of pages easily. There's no Flash Player in Android 2.1, mind, so it's best for those not obsessed with iPlayer. Read our fullMotorola Milestone XT720 review
Best Android phone for upgrades: HTC Desire TheHTC Desirewins this through sheer numerical superiority. There are so many Desires out there that HTC simply has to keep its OS up to date, or face the wrath of its army of fans. The networks are getting it together with regards Android 2.2, with the newest OS now sitting on most Desires in the UK. Nothing's been confirmed for the next version of Android, but we suspect the Desire will be one of the first phones to get it. Read our fullHTC Desire review
Best Android phone for social networking: HTC Wildfire TheHTC Wildfireisn't unusual in featuring HTC's FriendStream social networking aggregator or the weird app sharing feature HTC's given us to annoy people with requests to try out Seesmic, but it squeezes it into a cute little package that's cheap enough to be handed out to kids. The great capacitive touchscreen gives this full-size power in a tiny form. Read our fullHTC Wildfire review
Best Android phone for GPS: Dell Streak Is it a phone? Is it a tablet? Whatever category it belongs in, theDell Streakis an undeniably strong performer as a standalone satnav replacement. Obviously Google's stunning Maps Navigation tool is the software behind it, but it's the 5"screen that makes this the best choice for serious GPS users. You'll be able to see it without swerving into oncoming traffic. Read our fullDell Streak view
Best Android phone for email: Samsung Galaxy S Exchange support and Android's simple auto-detection setup system makes theSamsung Galaxy Sa winner for syncing various email accounts. Plus the Android phone comes pre-loaded with Swype - the fantastic gesture-based alternate keyboard that makes typing on a touchscreen easier and quicker than ever. Having a 4"screen give you room to work with, too, plus it's incredibly responsive to touch for extra-precise word entry. Read our fullSamsung Galaxy S review
Since the big four carriers in the US each have a version of their own of the powerful Samsung Galaxy S, U.S. Cellular also announced one, dubbed Samsung Mesmerize. The specs of the device remain the same and if you didn’t already know, this is the CDMA version of the Galaxy smartphone we’re talking about. [...] |
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