My Nokia N86 8MP review

Here’s my review of the Nokia N86 8MP:

Click more if you want a quick run down:

(more…)

1 comment November 16, 2009

Motorola Milestone: The Droid for GSM is here

More details to follow but the Milestone is basically the Motorola Droid but for GSM/HSPA networks.

It’s an Android 2.0 powered phone with a 800×480 display, a slide out QWERTY keyboard, removable memory and a 5 megapixel camera with flash all in a form factor slightly bigger than an iPhone. Yum!

It should be coming to TELUS (and possibly other compatible carriers) in early 2010.

I played with one the other day and couldn’t stop drooling

5 comments November 10, 2009

Samsung Omnia 2 on Bell unboxing and first impressions

I just got a Omnia 2 today. Here are my first impressions:

It’s kind of hard to tell but the screen looks amazing, stunning, incredible. Not only is it high resolution but the colour just blows me away. It’s easily the best thing about the Omnia 2.

Other random thoughts. While it has a 800Mhz processor Opera still feels kind of slow. The hexagonal button in front isn’t a navigation pad – instead it’s a single button that looks like a nav pad. It’s a waste of space.

TouchWiz 2.0 is nice but having the Windows Mobile menus and TouchWiz makes for a inconsistant user experience.

The camera is very similar to the camera on the Samsung i910. It’s very good except when you’re trying to take close ups where the flash is needed. In those situations it blasts the subject out – that said you can raise the ISO to 800 so you don’t need to use the flash as much.

In the past, whenever I tested a Bell CDMA phone there was always very low signal levels in my house. The Omnia 2 runs on Bell’s new HSPA+ network and it too gets very little signal – FYI.

Anyways that’s all for now. I’ll have a full review up later after I’ve had a chance to play with it more and drool at the screen some more.

2 comments November 7, 2009

HTC’s new “Quietly Brilliant” Marketing campaign explained

So I was at the Canadian launch of the HTC Hero. In case you don’t know this is a HSPA Hero (as opposed to CDMA). It’s exclusive to TELUS, comes in white or black and is $99.99 on a 3 year.

Now you’ve probably seen the Hero already so I’ll leave it at that.

HTC fans maybe interested in finding out more about HTC’s new “Quietly Brilliant” marketing campaign so here’s a marketing guy from HTC to explain it.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Add comment November 5, 2009

TELUS HSPA launch. Hands on with launch phones and details on plans

So I got a chance to check out some of the TELUS HSPA launch phones.

They include the HTC Hero, Blackberry Bold 9700, LG New Chocolate and Nokia e71.

The Bold 9700 is $249.99 on a 3yr, $649.99 straight up.

Hero: $99.99 on a 3yr, $499.99 straight up.

LG New Chocolate $99.99 on a 3yr, $499.99 straight up.

E71 $29.99 on a 3yr , $329.99 straight up.

Apparently the e71’s Ovi maps comes with navigation included (normally you pay extra for it).

I also got a chance to play with some more phones which I can’t talk about (they’re pretty sweet). They also launched a Sierra Wireless 306 modem.

Here’s part 1:

Here’s part 2:

Keep in mind that since HSPA utilizes SIM Cards you can bring your unlocked HSPA phone and use it on TELUS. I’m not sure which rate plans you’ll be eligible for if you choose this route.

Here are their launch plans. Keep in mind that these are ‘Clear and Simple Pricing’ plans so the only thing extra you have to pay is tax. They sort of cost $5 more but if you take off the SAF and 911 they really sort of cost $2.70 less than before. They include voice mail, call waiting and conference calling.

Smartphone Plans:

$50/month
100 local anytime minutes
50 Bonus anytime minutes
Unlimited local talk/text with 5 numbers OR 1,000 outgoing and
unlimited incoming text messages OR double anytime minutes
unlimited nights (9 p.m.) and weekends
500 MB data

$65/month
200 local anytime minutes
50 Bonus anytime minutes
Unlimited nationwide talk and text with 5 numbers OR unlimited incoming text
messages OR double anytime minutes
unlimited nights (9 p.m.) and weekends
1GB data

$80/month
350 local anytime minutes
50 Bonus anytime minutes
Unlimited nationwide talk and text with 5 numbers OR unlimited
incoming text messages OR double anytime minutes
unlimited nights (9 p.m.) and weekends
2GB data

$100/month
450 local anytime minutes
50 Bonus anytime minutes
Unlimited nationwide talk and text with 5 numbers OR unlimited incoming text
messages OR double anytime minutes
unlimited nights (9 p.m.) and weekends
3GB data

Feature phone plans:

$30/month
100 local anytime minutes
50 Bonus anytime minutes
Unlimited local calling, text, picture and video messaging
with 5 numbers OR 1,000 outgoing and unlimited
incoming text, picture and video messaging OR double
anytime minutes
unlimited nights (9 p.m.) and weekends
$40/month
200 local anytime minutes
50 Bonus anytime minutes
Unlimited local calling, text, picture and video messaging
with 5 numbers OR unlimited text, picture and video
messaging OR double anytime minutes
unlimited nights (9 p.m.) and weekends

$50/month
450 local anytime minutes
50 Bonus anytime minutes
Unlimited local calling, text, picture and video
messaging with 5 numbers OR unlimited text,
picture and video messaging OR double anytime
minutes
unlimited nights (9 p.m.) and weekends

Mobile Internet Plans:

$30/month 500 MB
$35/month 1GB
$50/month 2GB
$65/month 3GB
$85/month 5GB

Additional Data
$.05/MB
US Roaming
$3/MB
International Roaming
$25/MB

6 comments November 4, 2009

Rogers Launches LG Eve

Wanting to get as many new (almost in stock) devices launched before Telus and Bell turn on their new HSPA network, Rogers Wireless has launched the LG Eve.  The LG Eve is currently listed on the Rogers website as “out of stock” but will retail for $49.99 on a 3 year term, $299.99 on a 2 year term, $349.99 on a 1 year term, and $399.99 without an agreement.

The Eves slick S-class interface lets you navigate your social networks, contacts, multimedia and Android Market apps seamlessly. Link your Facebook™ and Twitter™ accounts with your contact list so you can manage your social networks quickly and easily. The integrated 5.0 MP camera combines with a gorgeous media gallery and video editor to provide an unprecedented multimedia experience from your smartphone. Once youve discovered all the great features that come with the Eve, explore the Android Market for new and exciting apps to customize your LG Eve.

Head to you local Rogers dealer to purchase the LG Eve.

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Add comment November 3, 2009

Rogers: BlackBerry Bold 9700

Rogers Wireless is the first carrier in Canada to launch the BlackBerry Bold 9700.  Bell and Telus will also be launching the all new BlackBerry Bold, making it the first time that all three carriers in Canada are selling the same device.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers sophisticated design coupled with high-performance features to offer users a premium smartphone experience. This 3G smartphone ensures you will receive your emails quickly and reliably. The new optical trackpad ensures easy navigation and the multimedia capabilities mean you can have fun and stay connected to the office. The Bold 9700 allows users to live their personal and professional lives to the fullest through power and performance.

Despite what the marketing team at Rogers tells us, the 9700 is commonly referred to as the “Bold” or “Bold 2″ and not the “Curve”.  With that cleared up, lets look at the key features of the device. 

Add comment November 3, 2009

Fido Launches the Sony Ericsson T715a

The Sony Ericsson T715a was officially launched today on Rogers’ discount brand, Fido Telephony.  The T715a features a 3.2MP camera, MP3 player, Facebook app, Bluetooth, and a microSD slot.

As you can see from the image above, the Sony Ericsson slider is only $50 on a 2 year term and $200 when purchased outright.

Head over to the Fido website to purchase your T715a today!

live_strong

Add comment November 3, 2009

BlueAnt SUPERTOOTH 3 and S1 speakerphone review

Here it is, my review and comparison of the BlueAnt ST3 and S1. I thought both of them were pretty decent.

1 comment November 3, 2009

Telus Releases LG Versa

Enjoy a unique HTML browsing experience with the LG Versa™ and browse up to 3 web pages at one time. The LG Versa™ also features 3 home screens to personalize with contacts, widgets and multimedia for instant access.

The Versa is priced at $79.99/$179.99/$229.99/$279.99 (3 year term to no contract) and features:

• 3″ high-resolution touchscreen with 3 customizable home screens
• Easily navigate with the intuitive 3D S-Class UI from LG
• HTML browser for access to social networking sites
• 2.0 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video capture
• Bluetooth® technology for stereo and hands-free accessories

Head over to Telus to learn more or to purchase.

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Add comment October 29, 2009