Samsung Modus 3500 Review

Introduction and Design:

Convenience is the quintessential luxury that manufacturers attempt to steer with their product offerings, but in the case of most Bluetooth headsets, they mostly gravitate to being a monotone solution. Sure there are some stereo Bluetooth earphones that will get the job done, but they can obviously be a bit more cumbersome in carrying around. However, the Samsung Modus 3500 aims to be a double dose solution with its mono to convertible implementation – while still being easily portable and compact. Packaged with the Bluetooth headset are 2 ear hooks, 3 ear gels, microUSB wall charger, clip, wired stereo headphone, and a user manual.

From a quick inspection, the Modus 3500 is a normal-looking headset that's constructed out of glossy white plastic with some chrome trims to accent its design. However, it doesn't necessarily exhibit something strikingly spectacular seeing that it feels hollow and looks much like a cookie cutter headset – but it's very light weight.

The Samsung Modus is a compact looking headset

Thanks to the rubbery ear buds with loops, it provides for a sufficient snug fit without the aid of the ear hook. Conversely, you'll be required to clip it on if you prefer using the standard ear bud – but still, it comfortably hugs onto your ear without becoming too irritating during long usage.

On its sides, we're presented with an LED light indicator and power switch which conveniently allows you to confirm for sure if it's on or off. Additionally, we find the distinctive feeling and adequately sized volume rocker as well. And thanks to its noticeable talk button, you won't have to fumble around with your finger to find its placement. In the rear, the microUSB not only accepts power to charge the headset, but it's also the connection for the included wired headphones to enable stereo usage. Finally, there is one pin-hole for the microphone found towards the end of the boom while another one is located in the surface near the multifunction button.

	The volume rocker	The power switch

Performance:

Taking it out of the box and powering it on for the first time automatically places the Samsung Modus 3500 into pairing mode, from there, it didn't require much work for us to connect it with an iPhone 4 and Samsung Epic 4G thanks to its multipoint capability.

Thanks to the physical volume rockers, it naturally provides you the ability to quickly modify its level at any given time. When set to its highest setting, the earpiece is more than deafening to make it extremely audible for even people with difficulty in hearing. Thankfully, it doesn't distort the quality of audio as it resonates with some serious power. Unfortunately, voices sound broken up and crackly in tone, which doesn't help on top of the exuberant amount of static noise that's evident.

Even though it states that it packs noise cancellation technology, our callers still experienced an abundant amount of noise that's picked up by the headset's microphone. From subtle knocks to the wind, it distorts our voice which makes for some difficulty during conversations. However, in quiet conditions, our callers had no issues in comprehending our voice.

When the stereo headphones are connected, they provide an ample amount of volume to make listening to music such an eventful experience. Plus, the buds on the headphones provide a subtle amount of suction when they're placed into ear to lightly keep out some environmental noise. Granted that it's a lot better to carry around these wired headphones, you're still presented with the problem of storage when they're not being used.

In our testing, the fully charged Samsung Modus 3500 managed to pull out 6 hours of continuous talk time before it ran out of juice – which is what the manufacturer has it rated for. However, it doesn't have the rapid charge time of some recent headsets we've checked out. So that means you'll be required to let it charge for a period of time to get it to a sufficient usable level.


Conclusion:

Aside from its ability to transition from a mono headset to a stereo one with its included wired headphone attachment, its performance and lackluster set of features doesn't contend with other modern offerings. Moreover, we're not too thrilled by its below average calling quality and ordinary looking design. When you look down at it, the $69.99 price point it holds shouldn't break the bank for most people, but there are other similar offerings that provide better performance in a variety of aspects.

Pros

• Convertible headset implementation
• Snug fit

Cons

• Poor calling quality
• Noise cancellation is lacking
• Ordinary design

Sumber : www.phonearena.com

Nokia 5250 Review

Introduction:

The Nokia 5250 is the most budget-friendly smartphone released with the 5xxx branding so far. Without any doubt, this handset is targeting first time smartphone users with its attractive price ($146/€115 without contract), so it doesn't come as a shocking surprise that some compromises were made - for example, it sports a 2.8-inch resistive screen and only 51MB built-in memory, while the lack of some vital features like 3G connection and Wi-Fi can make anyone wonder what's better - to purchase the affordable Nokia 5250 or sacrifice a few more bucks and buy an all-around better low-end smartphone. In all honesty, it's a matter of personal choice, but please read on for our opinion on the matter.

Design:

As can be expected from a handset in this price range, the Nokia 5250's body is made of plastic, but somehow surprisingly it looks reasonably well and feels good in the hand for what it is. Its dimensions (4.09 x 1.93 x 0.55 inches) mean that you can put the Nokia 5250 in your pocket and forget it's there, while the phone feels comfortable to hold in both portrait and landscape mode.

The Nokia 5250's body is made of plastic, but looks reasonably well and feels good in the hand

Nokia C5-03 Review

Introduction:

Nokia has had a tough time coming up with a hugely successful high-end device and instead has taken the path to cheaper and more affordable smartphones for the masses. The Nokia C5-03 finds its place at this exact spot as it fits in the mid-range segment of Symbian smartphones. The phone is a close copy of the Nokia C6-01 spec-wise and promises a full connectivity package with 3G on board and free navigation and maps by Ovi. On the negative side, however, the Nokia C5-03 saves on both capacitive screen in favor of resistive and on Symbian^3 in favor of the now officially ancient Symbian^1 aka Symbian S60 5th edition.

The Nokia C5-03 comes with a 2GB microSD card, but you can use cards with up to 16GB of memory. Included in the retail package is also a charger, user guides and one of the shortest microUSB cables we have seen so far.


Design:

The Nokia C5-03 is light on your pocket. And we mean it light as light in money, and light as 93-gram light in weight, which puts it somewhere in the top of our list of flyweight smartphones. The phone comes in a variety of color combinations with black or white choices for the body, which can be then paired with different colors for the bottom part. The variety of looks comes bundled with eco-friendly materials – 80 per cent of the body is recyclable, while half of the packaging is made from recyclable materials.

The Nokia C5-03 comes in a variety of color combinations

Google Nexus S vs T-Mobile myTouch 4G

Introduction:

With a cornucopia of devices vying for the top spot on T-Mobile's lineup, there are two that stand together all too closely to one another thanks primarily to their larger than life status. One of them is none other than the T-Mobile myTouch 4G which can be argued as the premier and latest HTC built device to wow customers all around. Conversely, Samsung was graced with opportunity of manufacturing the Nexus S which stands prominently as being the sole Android 2.3 Gingerbread powered device on the market. Since they embody all the terrific high-end features you'd expect out of any premier phone out there, it's one difficult decision for any T-Mobile customer thinking about making the plunge for their next handset of choice.

Nokia BH-218 Review

Introduction and Design:

This fall was a busy season for Nokia – the company released its latest flagship, the Nokia N8, and took over Symbian while trying to accelerate its development to match the increasing competition in the smartphone field. With all these news around the Finns, you might have missed their latest series of Bluetooth headsets. The lineup of five new earpieces carries some distinct Nokia accents and packs some innovative ideas. What we're looking at in this review is the Nokia BH-218 handsfree, which is part of this very same lineup.

In the package you will find the headset itself, a 2 mm AC-3 Nokia charger (sorry, no microUSB) and both small and large-sized earplugs.

The Nokia BH-218 uses the unconventional clip-on design with a separate clip and a single earbud attached to it with a cable. The headset clips to your clothes and holds the earpiece until you need to make a call. Even though the design is somewhat unusual, we found it to be convenient in most cases. The headset powers on or off automatically when the earpiece is moved from the clip, which boosts the battery life significantly. Except for the design, the BH-218 has almost the same features as the BH-217, the previous model in the lineup.

The Nokia BH-218 uses an unconventional clip-on design

Dell Venue Pro Review

Introduction:

As we've already witnessed with the LG Quantum, there might be some annoyances in trying to use Windows Phone 7 devices packing on a landscape style keyboard, for now. However, the Dell Venue Pro seeks to remedy that issue as it presents itself as possibly being the very first true titan in the Windows Phone 7 space as it packs a massive display and a portrait style slide out keyboard. Boasting a refreshing design that undoubtedly differentiates itself from the current pack, this might very well be the device you'll probably want to check out if you want to get your feet wet with the still new platform.

The package contains:

• Dell Venue Pro
• 1,400 mAh battery
• microUSB Cable
• Wall Charger
• 3.5mm Stereo Headset
• Getting Started Guide
• Product Safety and Warranty Brochure

Design:

Of all the Windows Phone 7 devices we've checked out thus far, the Dell Venue Pro easily supplants all of them as it takes the trophy in the design category. Just about every aspect of the phone's design radiates a sense of quality craftsmanship that doesn't skimp out in terms of appeal and construction. Sporting some hard lines that are accented elegantly by its chrome side plates and rubberized top and bottom edges, the Dell Venue Pro is essentially the epitome of an alluring industrial designed smartphone – even with its patterned plastic back cover. Angular cutouts found on the top and bottom sides carefully provide some character to its subtle curved display surface. However, the handset does look a bit more hefty in size (0.59” thick), while its weight (6.74 oz) is definitely on the heavier side.

The Dell Venue Pro sports some hard lines that are accented elegantly by its chrome side plates and rubberized top and bottom edges

Sprint ZTE Peel Review

The iPhone is now available on Sprint… well, kind of. Thanks to an innovative new offering Sprint can now counter the “when are you getting the iPhone” question carriers not named AT&T get every day. The ZTE Peel is a Wi-Fi-enabled case for your second or third generation iPod touch, giving users access to Sprint’s 3G network on their Apple device. It’s a pretty clever scheme by the nation’s third largest carrier, but as with any scheme there are some serious drawbacks.

The theory behind the Peel is very simple: snap in your iPod touch, turn on the Peel, connect to Wi-Fi and ta-da! you have an iPhone on a network that is, well, not AT&T if nothing else. Initial setup is simple, once you turn the Peel on (which takes a long press of the power button) it creates a Wi-Fi network, much like the MiFi or Overdrive does, that you can immediately connect to. There is a web interface for changing security, setting up passwords and renaming the network if the user so chooses. The entire process was painless and we were up and running as soon as the Peel was charged.

The ZTE Peel is a Wi-Fi-enabled case for your second or third generation iPod touch

The drawbacks are minor, but they begin early. First off, even though the Peel is pretty light at just 2.6oz, it is relatively thick, turning the super-thin iPod touch into a brick in your pocket. Secondly, there is the issue of audio. The iPod touch supports Bluetooth, but it does not support the Hands-Free profile, meaning you can’t use your Bluetooth device to make calls. A wired headset isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it’s another cable that you’ll have to have along. You’ll also have to use the included extension cable since the iPod’s headset jack is a bit too recessed in the Peel to use a regular headset.

Even though the ZTE Peel is pretty light at just 2.6oz, it is relatively thick

To make those calls you’ll need an app such as Skype or Fring from the App Store. As the world moves to VoIP calling this will be less and less of an issue, but for your everyday user it will likely be another account they must setup and a new phone number to learn. In our testing Skype-to-Skype calls worked just fine, there was no noticeable difference in voice quality compared to using our regular Wi-Fi network or making the calls via a computer. We’d imagine most Peel buyers are the bleeding edge techies anyway, so there is a good chance they have had a Skype account for a few years at this point.

One thing will definitely stand out to these techies though: the Peel is slow. Actually, the iPod touch is slow. We used the Xtreme Labs Speedtest app on both our iPod touch and EVO 4G and the EVO was doubling and tripling the download speeds when connected to 3G like the Peel. Just to eliminate any bias we decided to connect the EVO to the Peel via Wi-Fi- the Peel can handle up to two concurrent connections- and ran the tests side-by-side again. To our surprise the EVO continued to trounce the iPod touch in speed tests. It was a curious result, but one that we replicated time and time again. In real world usage the iPod touch feels very much like an iPhone 3GS over AT&T’s 3G network. Pages loaded fine, but you were noticeably not on a Wi-Fi network.

The sides of the ZTE Peel

The ZTE Peel is an intriguing and innovative product, but there's still some work to be done. Some of the faults- lack of Bluetooth headset support and sub-par internet speeds- cannot be blamed on the Peel, but others, such as the size, can be. The pricing is good: the Peel runs $79.99 and is contract-free, but you are limited to just 1GB a month for $29.99. If it were 2GB, like Sprint prices the Galaxy Tab, things would be much better. The plan pricing is one thing that sets the Peel apart from a Wi-Fi data card like the Overdrive, which will give you 5GB a month of 3G and unlimited 4G, but runs $60/month. In the end we think the Peel will appeal to a very specific user base and could become a cult product, or a spring board for bigger and better things. Or, Sprint could just pick up the iPhone.

Source : www.phonearena.com