Fun 4 Ur Mobile

Mobile Phone: a brief history Over the last few decades the mobile phone has grown from being a YUPPY status symbol to the most used portable gadget in the word. The mobile phone is truly ubiquitous and is used for far more that making and receiving phone calls; in fact it is a sophisticated computer and universal communications device. The mobile phone was the progeny of a marriage between the ordinary telephone as invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell and radio transmissions as invented in 1894 by Guglielmo Marconi. The first mobile phones were radio telephones installed in cars. These worked from one central radio station which had access to between twenty to thirty different radio frequencies. This limited the number of radio phones that could be used without interfering with each other. The limitations of this type of system were overcome by introducing cellular networks. The first type of cellular network was an analogue system that allowed around 800 frequencies to be used and the area of coverage was divided into cells, generally with a hexagonal geometry, covering around ten square miles. Each cell had a single base station and as the range was low, radio frequencies could be re-used. As a phone moved between adjacent cells, then the call was passed seamlessly between the cells. The base station of each cell communicates with six base stations in adjacent cells. Due to frequency limitations the maximum number of people that could communicate with a single base station was limited to 56. This limitation was increased with the move to digital networks and the maximum number of connections per cell increased to 168. Digital networks were termed 2G networks, meaning second generation networks, and this meant that 2G phones had to include far more processing power than their analogue forebears and their functionality is controlled by a microprocessor. Such is the sophistication of modern mobile phones that in order to produce so much computing power thirty years ago in the days when analogue phones were first appearing a computer the size of a building would be required. Now we have 3G networks and we will soon be enjoying 4G as progress moves inextricably onwards. Mobile phones are already what back in the 1970’s were seen only on Star Trek, so who knows what we might see in the future.

The Samsung Jet, which is also known as the Samsung S8000, is a touch screen smartphone released in June 2009 by the second biggest mobile phone manufacturer in the world, Samsung. The device is powered by an 800 MHz processor and features a browser called Dolfin, which is beginning to be shipped with all new Samsung handsets. The Samsung Jet prides itself on speed, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a quicker phone. Switching between menus, surfing the Internet, checking emails, sending texts are all fairly rapid on the Jet, and the display is AMOLED, meaning it’s crystal clear and of an extremely high resolution. The screen is also touchscreen and measures 3.1 inches - it features a 800 x 480 pixel display. A 5 megapixel camera is a nice addition, as is the 2GB/8GB of internal storage memory, with a microSD slot for an additional 16GB. The videos recorded by the phone are at a very nice D1 resolution. The aforementioned Dolfin Internet browser is designed for users to surf the Internet, but especially social networking sites, with absolute speed. You can actually view up to five web pages at once with Dolfin, and even bookmark your favourites. Plus, there’s a built in ad-blocker, multiple downloading and background downloading feature, and multi-purpose address field. The latest version of the TouchWiz interface that comes loaded onto the Jet is a glorious addition, and extra touches such as smart unlock, where you trace a shape on the screen to unlock it, or flip to silent, turn the Samsung S8000 Jet from a good smartphone, into an exceptional one. Samsung, despite being the second biggest mobile phone manufacturer around, will be looking to overtake Nokia over the coming years, and with releases like the Jet, it’s not hard to see how that may become a reality.

With the summer now almost officially over, let’s take a look at the next wave of touchscreen phones that are either new to the market, or on their way before the end of the year.

Samsung Jet

The Samsung Jet is all about one thing: speed. And to make it mind-bendingly quick, the Samsung Jet has a processor running at 800MHz, faster than just about any other phone currently on sale. Combine that with a beautiful 3D ‘Cubic’ interface, and the Samsung Jet becomes a true work of art, that’s both easy and rewarding to use. As for features, you get a 5MP camera, and lightning fast internet access, making the Samsung Jet the obvious choice if you want a non-smartphone that’s nearly as powerful as a true smartphone.

Nokia 5530

Next up is a totally new entrant into Nokia’s Xpress range of music mobile phones, the stunning Nokia 5530. This one’s quite obviously designed for music and video. Then, of course, the Nokia 5530 has a glorious touchscreen, to let you play with those different media files. Basically, the Nokia 5530 was designed to be a teeny portable jukebox and movie player, and as music phones go, this is just about the sweetest. The Nokia 5530 has also got a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA data access and sat-nav, making it a wonderful all-rounder, as well as a superb media gadget.

Palm Pre

So, there’s the Samsung Jet, with a fast, 800MHz processor. And then, there’s the Nokia 5530, which combines Symbian with music What does the Palm Pre offer that’s different? Well, one could talk about the WebOS interface it uses, as it’s unique in the annals of phone history. And indeed, there’s one feature of WebOS, directly related to the keyboard, that makes the Palm Pre so cool. Universal search. Now, many phones do that, but the Palm Pre does it so much more cleverly. Just start typing what you want to know about, from the front screen, and the Palm Pre will search your contacts, apps, music, pictures, and even the internet, to interpret and find what you’re looking for. That really is a cool feature, and it may well make the Palm Pre the coolest QWERTY phone out there. If you value the interface above all else, the Palm Pre is the phone for you.

As the mobile world has evolved, new players have started to take market share from the established players. Let’s take a look at three of the best up and coming manufacturers.

iPhone 3GS

The first thing that will strike you about the iPhone 3GS is how fast and responsive it is. After all, the ‘S’ in the name iPhone 3GS does actually stand for ‘Speed’. It’s up to twice as fast as its predecessor was, and that increase in speed isn’t the only new thing. You now get a 3 megapixel camera, a choice of 16 or 32Gb of storage space, and full voice control throughout the whole of the phone. Plus, of course, you get the cool factor that only comes from owning an iPhone 3GS.

HTC Hero

Android is trying to take over the world, and its new home is the beautiful HTC Hero. It has all the good stuff that made the first Android phone (the G1) good, but puts it all in a touchscreen-only body, which is both sleek and sexy. Since the keyboard has been removed, the HTC Hero also has a full, onscreen keyboard, and a sumptuous new interface called Sense. You also get the Android Marketplace, which lets you download and install third party apps to your HTC Hero, and it ends up creating a smartphone that really can morph into whatever you want it to be. It really is a kind of Hero; it’s the HTC Hero.

Palm Pre

So, the iPhone 3GS offers that perceptible cool factor, and the HTC Hero offers a game-changing open source software solution. And since Palm have been around for years, one must ask: what does the Palm Pre offer that’s different? Well, one could talk about the WebOS interface it uses, as it’s unique in the annals of phone history. And indeed, there’s one feature of WebOS, directly related to the keyboard, that makes the Palm Pre so cool. Universal search. Now, many phones do that, but the Palm Pre does it so much more cleverly. Just start typing what you want to know about, from the front screen, and the Palm Pre will search your contacts, apps, music, pictures, and even the internet, to interpret and find what you’re looking for. That really is a cool feature, and it may well make the Palm Pre the coolest QWERTY phone out there. If you value the interface above all else, the Palm Pre is the phone for you.

Many modern mobile phones are trying to be as sleek as possible by removing the thing that used to be all important to a phone’s design: the keypad. Let’s take a look at three of the coolest on the market.

Toshiba TG01

First up, there’s a phone that really gives Windows Mobile the grunt it needs to run properly: the Toshiba TG01. In terms of outstanding new technologies, what the Toshiba TG01 brings to the party isn’t the 4.1 inch display (although that’s noteworthy in itself), but what’s inside it. The Toshiba TG01 uses a next-gen, dual-core Snapdragon processor, which runs at 1GHz, and that means the Toshiba TG01 is the most powerful phone in existence… which is good, because in terms of other features, a lot of other phones leave the Toshiba TG01 in the dust.

Nokia 5530

First on the roster is a whole new member of Nokia’s Xpress range of music mobile phones, the mouth-watering Nokia 5530. This phone is pretty obviously designed for music and video; you can tell by the dedicated XpressMedia touch-key that pops up a list of links to music, videos, the web, and more. Oh, and the Nokia 5530 has a beautiful, touch-sensitive display, to actually play with all your media content. Essentially, the Nokia 5530 was designed as a teeny portable entertainment centre, and as music devices go, this is easily one of the prettiest. The Nokia 5530 has also got a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA data access and GPS, so that it’s a superb all-round mobile phone, as well as a superb media box.

HTC Hero

So, there’s the Toshiba TG01, which relies on raw power to make Windows Mobile truly awesome. And then, there’s the Nokia 5530, which wows you with its Symbian OS and its music playback. However, there’s an open source alternative to those two. Android is trying to take over the world, and its new home is the beautiful HTC Hero. It has all the good stuff that made the first Android phone (the G1) good, but puts it all in a touchscreen-only body, which is both sleek and sexy. Since the keyboard has been removed, the HTC Hero also has a full, onscreen keyboard, and a sumptuous new interface called Sense. You also get the Android Marketplace, which lets you download and install third party apps to your HTC Hero, and it ends up creating a smartphone that really can morph into whatever you want it to be. Based purely on that logic, the HTC Hero ably demonstrates just why Android is such a threat to the incumbent operating systems.

Modern smartphones can’t just rely on features to wow their users; they need a good interface too. Let’s check out three of the best available: Symbian, Android and WebOS.

Samsung i8910 HD

First up, there’s the Samsung i8910 HD, and it has one big advantage over the TG01. Whilst it has an 8 megapixel camera, the Samsung i8910 HD is also the first phone to record true 720p HD video. Never before has a phone been able to capture video at that massive high resolution, and coincidentally (or is it coincidence? Maybe not…), the Samsung i8910 HD captures high-def video at the exact quality that Youtube display high-def videos at. It’s very possible that the Samsung i8910 HD was designed with its main feature being the ability to get yourself on Youtube, in high-definition. Combine that with the sumptuous 3.7 inch screen, and a huge 8Gb of internal memory, and it’s very clear that the Samsung i8910 HD is the one to go for if you want the best camera phone.

HTC Hero

Android is trying to take over the world, and its new home is the beautiful HTC Hero. It has all the good stuff that made the first Android phone (the G1) good, but puts it all in a touchscreen-only body, which is both sleek and sexy. Since the keyboard has been removed, the HTC Hero also has a full, onscreen keyboard, and a sumptuous new interface called Sense. You also get the Android Marketplace, which lets you download and install third party apps to your HTC Hero, and it ends up creating a smartphone that really can morph into whatever you want it to be. It really is a true Hero; it’s the HTC Hero.

Palm Pre

So, there’s the HTC Hero, which relies on Google Android to give you an exceptional experience. And then, there’s the Samsung i8910 HD, which wows you with its Symbian OS and its HD video recording. But for ease of use and sleekness, nothing can touch the Palm Pre. With its WebOS operating system, the Palm Pre is easily the most intuitive phone on the market. Not only that, but the integration between apps on the Palm Pre is like nothing ever seen before, making it feel like the phone is, at times, doing your thinking for you. There’s never been a phone like the Palm Pre, and for that reason, it must surely be the phone of the year, so far.

Smartphones are where the mobile industry is focusing its efforts in 2009. Let’s check out three of the best.

Toshiba TG01

First, there’s a phone that really gives Windows Mobile the grunt it needs to run properly: the Toshiba TG01. In terms of outstanding new technologies, what the Toshiba TG01 brings to the party isn’t the 4.1 inch display (although that’s noteworthy in itself), but what’s inside it. The Toshiba TG01 uses a next-gen, dual-core Snapdragon processor, which runs at 1GHz, and that means the Toshiba TG01 is the most powerful phone in existence… which is good, because in terms of other features, a lot of other phones leave the Toshiba TG01 in the dust.

Samsung i8910 HD

Next, there’s the Samsung i8910 HD, and it has one big advantage over the other two. Whilst it has an 8 megapixel camera, the Samsung i8910 HD is also the first phone to record true 720p HD video. Never before has a phone been able to capture video at that massive high resolution, and coincidentally (or is it coincidence? Maybe not…), the Samsung i8910 HD captures high-def video at the exact quality that Youtube display high-def videos at. It’s very possible that the Samsung i8910 HD was designed with its main feature being the ability to get yourself on Youtube, in high-definition. Combine that with the sumptuous 3.7 inch screen, and a huge 8Gb of internal memory, and it’s very clear that the Samsung i8910 HD deserves to be one of the phones of the year!

Palm Pre

So, there’s the Toshiba TG01, which relies on masses of raw power to give you an exceptional experience. And then, there’s the Samsung i8910 HD, which wows you with its Symbian OS and its HD video recording. But for ease of use and sleekness, nothing can touch the Palm Pre. With its WebOS operating system, the Palm Pre is easily the most intuitive phone on the market. Not only that, but the integration between apps on the Palm Pre is like nothing ever seen before, making it feel like the phone is, at times, doing your thinking for you. There’s never been a phone like the Palm Pre, and for that reason, it must surely be the phone of the year, so far.

For the modern smartphone, the OS it runs on has become one of the most important factors in how good it is. Let’s check out three of the biggest OSes in the mobile world, and the phones that show them off.

HTC Touch Diamond2 - the pretty one

The HTC Touch Diamond2 actually does a very good job of making it so you don’t have to go into standard Windows menus that often, as on top of the operating system, the interface is HTC’s patented TouchFLO 3D setup, where everything is achieved through various finger swipes and sweeping gestures. It is truly intuitive, and it’s the reason why the HTC Touch Diamond2 is such an unmitigated joy to use. Of course, it’s not all about being pretty, a phone needs to have decent features and the HTC Touch Diamond2 has them in spades, from the 5 megapixel camera, through GPS, to incredibly fast HSDPA internet access (not to mention the superb Opera Mobile web browser). To many, the HTC Touch Diamond2 is the ultimate Windows Mobile phone.

HTC Hero

Android is trying to take over the world, and its new home is the beautiful HTC Hero. It has all the good stuff that made the first Android phone (the G1) good, but puts it all in a touchscreen-only body, which is both sleek and sexy. Since the keyboard has been removed, the HTC Hero also has a full, onscreen keyboard, and a sumptuous new interface called Sense. You also get the Android Marketplace, which lets you download and install third party apps to your HTC Hero, and it ends up creating a smartphone that really can morph into whatever you want it to be. It really is a kind of Hero; it’s the HTC Hero.

Palm Pre

So, there’s the HTC Touch Diamond2, which takes Windows Mobile to new heights. And then, there’s the HTC Hero, which gives Android a new interface. What does the Palm Pre offer that’s different? Well, one could talk about the WebOS interface it uses, as it’s unique in the annals of phone history. And indeed, there’s one feature of WebOS, directly related to the keyboard, that makes the Palm Pre so cool. Universal search. Now, many phones do that, but the Palm Pre does it so much more cleverly. Just start typing what you want to know about, from the front screen, and the Palm Pre will search your contacts, apps, music, pictures, and even the internet, to interpret and find what you’re looking for. That really is a cool feature, and it may well make the Palm Pre the coolest QWERTY phone out there. If you value the interface above all else, the Palm Pre is the phone for you.

Let’s check out some of the coolest, touchscreen-based non-smartphones from Korea, the land where ALL phones look gorgeous.

LG Viewty Smart

There’s a phone out there that fits the phrase ‘phone that’s nearly a smartphone, without actually being a smartphone’: the aptly named LG Viewty Smart. Following on from the original Viewty, the LG Viewty Smart follows the same design ethos of having a touchscreen only interface (the awesome S-Class interface), squeezed into a slim body, but it ups the ante with a superb 8MP camera. It also has HSDPA, making it a truly portable internet device. Put simply, the LG Viewty Smart is the smartest non-smartphone in the world, and it’s largely down to the interface. Built around a 3D cube, S-Class gives the LG Viewty a user-friendly and sleek interface, it is designed to be simple and intuitive.

LG Arena - a whole new class of interface

Key to the incredible experience the LG Arena gives you is its interface, as it’s the first phone to use LG’s new S-Class UI. To visualise it, imagine a 3D cube, sitting on the screen of the LG Arena, and on each side of the cube, there are things like shortcuts to apps, links direct to your music, or other widgets that you can customise yourself. The fun part comes when you interact with the LG Arena, as you simply swipe across the screen, to rotate round those faces, and get to what content you want. It’s remarkably intuitive, but more importantly, it makes the LG Arena fun to use, and that is a BIG selling point in 2009.

Samsung Jet

So, there’s the LG Viewty Smart, with its phenomenal camera. And then, there’s the LG Arena, with that interface, and amazing value for money. But coming soon from the OTHER Korean manufacturer is the new Samsung Jet, a touchscreen phone with a brand new interface, based on a 3D cube. Whilst it shares many design similarities with TouchWiz, the new Cubic UI in the Samsung Jet is a whole new experience, where you can flip between screens by dragging your finger, and rotating the cube round. The UI is brilliant, but in terms of feature, the Samsung Jet is no slouch, either. You get a 5 megapixel camera, HSDPA, and a superb web browser, and although the Samsung Jet isn’t a smartphone (nor meant to be one), it’s one of the nicest feature phones out there.

Operating systems are the big thing in 2009, with many battling for the top spot. Let’s take a look at three of the best: Android, Windows Mobile and the new boy, WebOS.

HTC Hero

The HTC Hero is comparable to the iPhone, sharing a similar keyboard-less design. Again, it’s with the software that the HTC Hero shines, with Android living up to the title some have given it, that of ‘game changer’. Its completely open source nature makes adapting the OS very easy, and the interface itself is once again a finger-friendly, sleek, and polished affair, with gesture controls the order of the day. The tight integration of the full Google suite (including Apps and Gmail), makes it a real force to be reckoned with, and it has to be said that the HTC Hero is a truly stunning phone.

Toshiba TG01

Next up is a phone that really gives Windows Mobile the grunt it needs to run properly: the Toshiba TG01. In terms of outstanding new technologies, what the Toshiba TG01 brings to the party isn’t the 4.1 inch display (although that’s noteworthy in itself), but what’s inside it. The Toshiba TG01 uses a next-gen, dual-core Snapdragon processor, which runs at 1GHz, and that means the Toshiba TG01 is the most powerful phone in existence… which is good, because in terms of other features, a lot of other phones leave the Toshiba TG01 in the dust…

Palm Pre

So, the HTC Hero is the open source contender. And the Toshiba TG01 is the only one with a super-fast 1GHz processor. What does the Palm Pre offer that’s different? Well, one could talk about the WebOS interface it uses, as it’s unique in the annals of phone history. And indeed, there’s one feature of WebOS, directly related to the keyboard, that makes the Palm Pre so cool. Universal search. Now, many phones do that, but the Palm Pre does it so much more cleverly. Just start typing what you want to know about, from the front screen, and the Palm Pre will search your contacts, apps, music, pictures, and even the internet, to interpret and find what you’re looking for. That really is a cool feature, and it may well make the Palm Pre the coolest QWERTY phone out there.