Nokia Lumia 610 Review

Introduction:

Until recently, consumers who wanted to get a cheapo smartphone had little other options than a selection of low-end Androids, with a few Symbian and bada offerings also lying around. Yet here came MWC 2012 and the Nokia Lumia 610 was unveiled – an inexpensive representative of the Windows Phone breed. This is a platform known for buttery smooth performance and high user satisfaction ratings, so such a budget offering was more than welcome to the smartphone market.

The modest internals are the cause for the device's price advantage. The processor inside it is a 800MHz single-core accompanied by the measly 256MB or RAM. Nevertheless, the lightweight Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh should run just fine despite the modest hardware, or so does the maker claim. Curious to see how it stands in reality? Then let's give the Nokia Lumia 610 a full-on review treatment.

Box contents:

• Wall charger
• microUSB cable
• Wired headset with in-ear headphones
• Replacement rubber tips for the headphones
• Quick start guide

Design:

The Nokia Lumia 610 comes in four different colors: white, black, magenta, and cyan, which is great news for picky users. We have the black one on our hands today – arguably the most boring hue available, yet the smartphone still looks presentable. We have no complaints about the device's build quality as it feels well put together, with attention to detail and without neglecting ergonomics. The back cover, however, could have been made a bit better. Although it sports a soft touch finish, dust and finger smudge stick to it fairly easily.

The Nokia Lumia 610 feels well put together, with attention to detail

All buttons on the Nokia Lumia 610 work as expected. The trio of capacitive Windows Phone keys are well positioned so pressing them by accident should be a rare event. On the right side we have the 2-button volume rocker, the lock key, and the 2-stage shutter button. All three provide sufficient feedback, and the shutter key is really comfortable to use.

	Speaker	Capacitive Windows Phone keys

Camera, power and volume keys (right)	3.5mm jack and microUSB port (top)	Left edge
Back	5MP back camera	Speaker grill
The sides of the Nokia Lumia 610

Display:

To no amazement, the display on the Nokia Lumia 610 has a resolution of 480 by 800 pixels, which is the norm for Windows Phone handsets. Spread those dots across 3.7-inches of screen real estate and you get a really decent pixel density of 252 ppi. That is why even small text is clearly legible and graphics look nice and smooth. The display's color reproduction is really good on most occasions, but since it can render a palette of only 65,526 colors, color look dithered when gradients are being drawn. Another issue was that when using the smartphone on a sunny day, at times we had to cover the screen in order to see anything.

 

NOKIA LUMIA 800

Specs & Features 

Whats New?	Nokia Lumia 800 - Easier Faster Funner Nokia Lumia 800, one glance to see what everyone's up to. Play, share & discover Apps for your Nokia Lumia 800, The power of apps enables it more fun, more useful, more creative. In Nokia Lumia 800, free software update provides Battery performance enhancements & Wi-Fi connectivity enhancements. Impressive sound, Expressive design, You'll turn heads with the Nokia Lumia 800 Purity HD Stereo Headset by Monster WH-930.
Dimension	116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm, 76.1 cc
Weight	142 g
Battery	Talk time Up to 13 h , Stand-by Up to 256 h, Music play Up to 55 h
OS	Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
Memory	16GB built-in, 512MB RAM
Processor	1.4 GHz Scorpion
Connectivity	Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR, USB, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n), GPRS Class 33, EDGE Class 33, 3G (HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps)
Display Size	480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches, Corning Gorilla Glass Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity & compass
Display Colour	AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Nokia ClearBlack display, Multitouch
Operating  Frequency / Band	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 - RM-819 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100)
Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML5, RSS feeds,
Colors	Black, Cyan, Magenta, White
Entertainment	Stereo FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm audio jack, MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player, MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player, Video/photo editor, SNS integration, Games (built-in)
Camera	8MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, Carl Zeiss optics, Dual-LED flash, Geo-tagging, Video (720p 30fps)
Other Features	GPS + A-GPS support, MicroSIM card support only, Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, Document viewer/editor, Predictive text input, Speakerphone
Ring Tones	Downloadable, Polyphonic, MP3, WAV
Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Price	Price in USD: $445

 

iPHONE 5 PREVIEW:

Apple’s next iPhone is official, and despite being the sixth iPhone model (technically), we know it’s officially the iPhone 5.
Over the last year, we've heard a ton of rumors about what it might deliver with LTE, a taller display, and a redesigned connector being the most likely tidbits. Fortunately, we now can put all that speculation to rest as Apple spilled the secrets.

iPhone 5. The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone.

 

 

 

 

Apple’s next iPhone is official, and despite being the sixth iPhone model (technically), we know it’s officially the iPhone 5.
Over the last year, we've heard a ton of rumors about what it might deliver with LTE, a taller display, and a redesigned connector being the most likely tidbits. Fortunately, we now can put all that speculation to rest as Apple spilled the secrets.

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Taller, thinner, and a metal back
As expected, the new iPhone is 18 percent thinner (0.30 inch vs. 0.37 inch thick) than the iPhone 4S. Apple says it's the thinnest handset around, but that's a race that changes often. That means it's also 20 percent lighter for a total of 3.95 ounces. The Retina Display expands from 3.5 inches (its size since the original iPhone) to 4 inches. The total resolution remains the same, though, at 326 pixels per inch. The total pixel count is 1,136x640, and we now have a 16:9 aspect ratio.
To the user, that means a fifth row of icons on the home screen. That's pretty nice since it will let you cut down on the number of home screens. You'll also get a full five-day week view in the calendar, the calendar will show more events, and all iWork apps will take advantage of the bigger display. Third-party apps that haven't been updated will continue to work, but you'll see black borders on each side (so they won't be stretched or scaled). Apple also promises that wide-screen movies will look better, with 44 percent more color saturation than on the iPhone 4S.

Touch sensors are now built into the display itself, which makes it 30 percent thinner as a result and less prone to glare.
The iPhone 5 also fixes a design flaw that we first saw in the iPhone 4. Apple replaced the glass back with one that's mostly metal. Too many people (us included) cracked an iPhone 4 or 4S after dropping it accidentally. We don't think the change negatively affects the iPhone's aesthetics. In fact, many might see it as an improvement. A return to a metal back reminds one of the original iPhone, and the crisp, clean-cut back has a bit of the feel of other Apple devices like the iPad.
All of the design changes result in a new iPhone that's surprisingly light to hold. Think 20 percent lighter isn't a big deal? Pick one of these up and you'll feel the difference: the iPhone 4 may have been dense, but the iPhone 5 is a featherweight.
The screen is big, bright, and crisp, too, not shockingly so, but a subtly improved experience. It's akin to being the extrawide comfy chair of iPhone screens. Stay tuned for more, but this new iPhone has a good hand feel.

The taller iPhone 5 (right) compared with the iPhone 4.

LTE and carriers
Not a shocker either, but the iPhone 5 will support 4G LTE networks. That's in addition to the current support for GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, and HSPA data networks. LTE has a single chip for voice and data, a single radio chip, and a "dynamic antenna" that will switch connections between different networks automatically.
So which carriers will support an LTE iPhone 5? Well, in the United States that means AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless. So again, T-Mobile loses out. In Canada it's Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido, Virgin, and Kudo. In Asia the providers will be SoftBank, SmarTone, SingTel, and SK Telecom. For Australia there's Telstra, Optus, and Virgin Mobile, and in Europe it will go to Deutsche Telekom and EE. On carriers without LTE, the iPhone 5 will run on dual-band 3.5G HDPA+.

This profile offers another view of the size difference. 

A faster chip
The iPhone 5 will offer an A6 chip, which is two times faster than the current A5 chip. Graphics will get faster speeds, as well. Yet, despite the speedier performance, the new chip will be 22 percent smaller than the A5. According to Apple's specs, users will see Web pages load 2.1 times faster, and the Music app with songs will load 1.9 times faster.
Battery life
LTE tends to be a power hog, but the iPhone 5 is set to deliver respectable battery life even if it's not quite the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. Of course, the real story may differ, but here's what Apple is promising for now. We're supposed to get 8 hours of 3G talk time, 8 hours of 3G browsing, 8 hours of LTE browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of music playback, and 225 hours of standby time. You can be sure that CNET will put these promises to the test when we get a device in our hands.

Apple promises respectable battery life, though the iPhone 5 has a larger display and LTE.

Camera
The main shooter, or the "iSight" camera, stays at 8 megapixels (with the best resolution being 3,264x2,448 pixels) with a feature list that includes backside illumination, a hybrid IR filter, a five-element lens, and a f2.4 aperture. A dynamic light mode is new, and you should be able to launch photography apps up to 2.1 times faster. Another addition is an image signal processor in the A6 chip. That will bring spatial noise reduction and a "smart filter" that produces better low-light performance and captures photos faster. Finally, there's a built-in panorama mode that stitches shots together for one large 28-megapixel photo.

The secondary front camera now can shoot 720p HD video and it gets a backside illuminated sensor. And as we heard at the announcement of iOS 6 back in June, FaceTime will work over 3G cellular networks. Some carriers like AT&T have already announced restrictions for that feature, so be sure to check with your provider first.

Video resolution remains at 1080p HD, though image stabilization has been improved and face detection is now available in clips for up to 10 people. And in a nice move, you can take photos while you're shooting video.
Audio
The iPhone 5 gets an additional microphone for a total of three. You'll find one on the bottom, one on the handset's front face, and one on its rear side. What's more, the speaker now has five magnets (so up from two), which is apparently better and it's supposed to use 20 percent less space. The noise-canceling feature should be improved, as well, and there's a new wideband audio feature that promises more-natural-sounding voices. Twenty percent of carriers will support wideband audio, but so far we only know that Orange in the United Kingdom will be among them.

Smaller dock connector, smaller SIM card
On the bottom of the iPhone 5, there's that new and long-anticipated smaller dock connector. Called "Lightning," it has an all-digital, eight-signal design and an "adaptive interface" (we're not quite sure what that means yet). It's 80 percent smaller, and since it's reversible, both ends will be the same (that's kind of nice).

Apple says the iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone around. We'll see how long that record lasts. 

By all means, it's bound to annoy owners of current speaker docks, accessories, and charger/syncing cables since it will render them obsolete. Apple will offer an adapter and adapter cables (of course it will), which range from $19 to $39. We imagine, though, that the adapter may be awkward to use with some current accessories like a bedside alarm clock/music player. For new accessories, Apple says that manufacturers like Bose, JBL, and Bowers are working on new products.
Though we welcome the idea of a smaller connector, we're miffed that Apple couldn't just adopt the semi-industry standard of Micro-USB. That would make things easier for smartphone users across the globe. Yet, even so, the smaller connector may be a smart move for the future. The 30-pin connector has been around since 2003, long before the iPhone even existed: frankly, it's a dust magnet. A smaller connector helps shave extra space to achieve a smaller phone with perhaps a bigger battery. The new connector cable will mainly be used for syncing and charging by most people who own an Apple TV or Bluetooth/AirPlay accessories.

The smaller dock and cable connector is in the usual place on the phone's bottom.

iOS 6
Inside, the iPhone 5 will debut with iOS 6 already onboard. Highlights include the new Apple Maps app, Passbook, shared photo streams, Siri updates, and the aforementioned FaceTime over 3G. For more on Apple's newest mobile OS update, check out our iOS 6 First Take. iOS 6 will be available for download next Wednesday, September 19.
Release date and pricing
The iPhone 5 will be available in three capacity models, all of which will come in black and white versions. The 16GB is $199, the 32GB $299, and the 64GB $399. On September 21, it will go on sale in nine countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Anyone in that first batch of countries can preorder starting September 14. More countries will follow by the end of this month, and by the end of the year, the iPhone 5 will land at 240 carriers in 100 countries. As a reminder, the U.S. carriers are the Big Three: Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.
Is this the iPhone you've been looking for?
During very brief hands-on time with the iPhone 5, this much is clear: it's the weight you'll remember more than its thinner profile. The iPhone 4S is already a svelte device: most people probably won't spot the difference if they see the new iPhone from the side.
The screen size, also, is more of a subtle improvement. This isn't a jaw-dropping leap from the iPhone 4S: it's a gradual increase, done almost so cleverly that the front face of the iPhone 5 might, with the screen turned off, look very much like the iPhone 4S. The proof will be in the pudding for how app developers and iOS 6 take full advantage of that extra screen real estate, but the bottom line is this: more screen size and more pixels are good things.
The real killer app on this phone -- no surprise -- might be the iPhone's 4G LTE, as well as the promised battery life. If data speeds and battery life can live up to the promises, those alone will make many want to upgrade.

 

 

HTC One S vs Apple iPhone 4S

Introduction: Here we go, folks, the battle of the “S”-es – the new HTC One S in the blue or black corner, and the iPhone 4S in the black or white corner. This may leave us with two black corners, though, and it's exactly the dark metal ceramic version of the One S we have now, so the fight will be based entirely on merits, rather than color preference. We kid, since one thing is missing from HTC's phone to go head-to-head with the iPhone 4S in terms of specs, and it is pixel density, while it exceeds in other geeky stuff like processor clock and operating memory. The iPhone's iOS and Android have different resource needs, though, so we'll judge mainly on design, interface performance and camera quality, leaving the application stores aside. With the new trend of higher-end Android devices coming with sealed batteries and non-expandable memory, just like the iPhone has been from day one, another Android differentiation is lost compared to it, so who will take over the ARM wrestling match? Read on our comparison to find out... Design: Apple's iPhone 4S has a unique steel-and-glass casing, which is yet unmatched by other manufacturers, even though this chassis is the same as the previous iPhone edition from 2010. It leaves a very premium feeling in the hand, with the downsides being that it makes the phone comparatively heavy, with sharp edges, and more prone to shatters and scratches than run-of-the-mill materials.                                    The HTC One S (right) and the Apple iPhone 4S (left) The HTC One S, on the other hand, sports two very distinct chassis materials – a blue-grey version with the more ordinary anodized aluminum, and the black version we have. Blacky is coated in a metal ceramic fusion obtained by zapping the aluminum frame with 10,000 volts, which results in oxidized metal that is three times stronger than stainless steel. This is making the phone very rigid and durable, but have no doubts that if you key it with a vengeance, marks will be left, this is no adamantium. In terms of comfort, both phones lie well in the hand, with the iPhone leaving a more “edgy” feeling than the rounded corners and tapered back on the One S. HTC's handset is one of the most compact 4.3” phones we've handled, and is thinner than the iPhone 4S, but for smaller palms one-handed operation with the iPhone will come much easier since its screen size is 3.5”, and the whole phone is shorter and a tad narrower than the One S, so your thumb can reach everywhere.                            The HTC One S (bottom) and the Apple iPhone 4S (top) Displays: The displays on both phones are pretty different in both size and tech. We have the 3.5” Retina Display on the iPhone 4S, with its IPS-LCD technology and 640x960 resolution, meaning 326ppi pixel density, good colors, wide viewing angles, and high brightness. The 4.3” AMOLED display on the HTC One S sports 540x960 pixels of resolution, which not only results in lower pixel density than the 4S, but since it is done with the PenTile matrix arrangement, the honeycomb structure of the dots makes some elements appear pixelated. Nothing you'd notice unless deliberately looking for it, though. What they will notice are the oversatured colors on the display, which go way above the standard gamut, and the cold images, making white appear blueish compared to the iPhone 4S. AMOLED has other advantages, like wider viewing angles and deep blacks, hence extremely high contrast ratio. This comes in handy when watching movies, and the AMOLED screens draw much less energy then, compared to displaying white backgrounds during browsing, while for LCD ones this doesn't matter.