Nokia E90 Communicator Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, Media Player, and MicroSD Slot--International Version with Warranty (Red) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This phone is truly wonderful! I went through several Nokia cell phones and this one is the best one of them! I had the Nokia N81 which is Great! yet I was always troubled with writing my messeges or the websites addresses...etc. Therefore, I started fishing for a devise with a seperate Keypad that enables me to write freeely with no need to press the same key more than once and consume my time hence. This was the ONE!! it is not only easier to write but faster. I like the backlight that lets me seed my through the dark nights. I don't deny that I think I will be missing the 8 GB Nokia N81 however the 2 GB memory card saves enough and I keep downloading everything almost once a month on my computer. the software is Awesome. It is so easily conducted and teaches you step by step what to do. One feature that I truly love is the wireless network detection. I 've been in several places with wireless networks and the device was incredible not to mention it was able to download and open attachments I wasn't able to see in N81. So this one wins. I am still exploring it I've just owned it. However I am growing to like better and better. it is worth it :)

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The Nokia E90 features a combination of advanced technologies that will enhance the way you experience work in a mobile world, by allowing faster and enhanced access to important information for greater collaboration and productivity. At first glance, it's a candybar-style phone, but the top flips up to reveal a widescreen LCD and full QWERTY keyboard. Perfect for frequent travelers, it provides quad-mode global GSM connectivity so you can stay in touch wherever you roam. It also offers Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g) for accessing open networks at home or on the road at hotspots as well as compatibility with 2100 MHz 3G networks (in Europe and Asia).
Locate meeting venues, restaurants, and places of interest with the integrated GPS, and increase mobile productivity with applications for browsing and editing documents. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel digital camera with flash, a secondary QCIF camera for video calling, Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets, 128 MB of onboard memory, MicroSD expansion, FM radio, digital audio player, Symbian OS, and up to 5.8 hours of GSM talk time.
This unlocked cell phone can be used with a GSM network service provider and it provides quad-band connectivity (850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz). It does not come with a SIM card, and it requires that you provide a SIM card for usage with your selected service provider. When paired with a compatible 3G network that uses UMTS 2100 MHz connectivity (found in Europe and Asia), you'll enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless services with speeds up to 384 Kbps--from data connectivity to your office to multimedia streaming, and take advantage of simultaneous voice and data services. In the United States and foreign territories where 2100 MHz 3G networks are not available, you'll continue to receive data service via EDGE network (depending on network compatibility).
The top of the phone has a standard numeric keypad, navigation pad, soft keys, and 2-inch color LCD (with a 240 x 320-pixel resolution). The internal screen has an 800 x 352-pixel resolution--capable of displaying the full width of a web page at once--and both displays produce brilliant imagery thanks to support for 16 million colors. A QCIF camera sits at the top left corner of the internal screen for video calls, while a lens on the back of the device captures still images up to 3.2 megapixels in size. Camera functions include an LED flash, red-eye reduction, and self-timer. You can also record video at up to VGA resolution and 30 frames per second. The E90 also has an integrated GPS and Nokia Maps application to provide help in finding routes and locating services.
Getting on the Internet is easy with the E90, thanks to its EDGE data connectivity (and compatibility with 2100 MHz 3G networks). The integrated Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g) enables you to make VoIP phone calls over an open network, and it offers a variety of security settings (WPA2-Enterprise, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA-Personal). When used with a carrier data plan and the phone's USB or Bluetooth data capability, the phone can also be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.
The E90's innovative built-in browser, one of many enhancements included with the device's Symbian operating system--known as Series 60 9.1 Version 3--offers full HTML viewing as well as support for page zooming, CSS, JavaScript and other technologies that will bring you very close to a desktop PC browsing experience.
The E90 supports PC synchronization standards via USB or Bluetooth, which means you can manage and synchronize contacts, calendars and other data with your PC. Nokia's PC Suite application makes this process a breeze. A number of handy software tools are bundled with the device, including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, and an alarm clock. Productivity tools bundled with the E61i include a word processor, a presentation viewer/editor, a spreadsheet viewer/editor, PDF viewer, and a zip file manager. The office applications are compatible with the most common features of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel (MS Office 97 or later). Robust contact and calendar applications are also included.
With support for the MMS (multimedia messaging service), the E90 can send picture, video and text messages. Instant messaging is also supported, and the phone ships with a built-in email client that supports POP3, IMAP, and SMTP protocols, as well as Microsoft Office-based email attachments. Other features include:
Up to 128 MB free memory for user data and applications
MicroSD memory expansion up to 4 GB
FM radio and digital audio player (compatible with MP3 and AAC)
Supports Windows Live for mobile access to Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Hotmail
Mini USB, USB 2.0 full-speed
2.5mm Nokia audio connector with ECI
Web browser (x)HTML, Flash Lite 2.0 supported
Voice commands for menu short cuts, keypad lock, and profiles
Voice recording for making notes or recording conversations
Enhanced voice commands with Speaker-Independent Name Dialing (SIND), and voice aid for eyes-free control of core functions
Polyphonic ring tones and vibrating alert
T9 predictive text entry

Vital Statistics The Nokia E90 weighs 7.41 ounces and measures 5.2 x 2.24 x 0.70 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.8 hours of GSM talk time, and up to 14 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 2100 MHz UMTS (3G) frequencies.

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ASU.S. P527 Unlocked Phone GPS, WiFi, 2 MP, Windows Mobile--U.S. Version with Warranty Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have owned this phone for about a week now. I like the device a lot, but it does have some limitations of which the buyer should be aware. Basically, these can be summed up as fairly small ROM / RAM size, POSSIBLE problems with high density MicroSD cards, possible WiFi connection issues, and the GPS application being on a separate storage card.
In the box:
The phone.
Battery.
Storage case (NOT a belt pouch).
Wired headset (also used as the FM antenna).
2 Gb MicroSD card that contains the Igo navigation software. It is pre-loaded with maps of all North America. The software is IGo 2006+.
Map CD for the navigation software, including a small "quick start" guide for the IGo software.
Manuals and CDs.
Windshield car mount.
Mains electric charger.
Mini USB cable to connect to the computer.
Description:
The screen is a bit small at 2.6 inches, but it is 65K colors and 320 X 240, which is QVA resolution. It has good clarity and is very bright.
A small mesh grill hides the speaker and the multi-function light that indicates Charging, GSM, Wi-Fi, GPS, and BT activity.
The SIM card is mounted behind the 1300 ma battery.
The camera lens is on the rear of the phone, behind a clear cover.
Control buttons: The phone has built in buttons that perform the following tasks:
Left Side:
- A jog wheel on the left side that moves up/down, and can select with a push.
- A "back" button below the jog wheel, which backs out of the current application.
Right side:
- A slider switch that locks the device and dims the screen. I really prefer this to the standard PDA phone method of having a single button bring the phone out of standby. The slider switch is a great idea.
- A small hole to perform a soft reset.
- A button to activate the 2 Mega pixel camera.
- The slot for the microSD storage card, which is spring mounted and has no cover.
Top:
- A power button.
Bottom.
- A 2.5mm wired headset jack.
- A mini-USB port on the bottom.
- The stylus pulls out from the bottom right of the unit, which is a bit non standard.
- The microphone.
- Two mysterious holes. I have no idea what they are for, and the user manual has no mention of them.
Buttons on the front (surrounding the keypad)
Left side:
- A button that runs the ASUS Location Courier.
- A button that brings up the ASUS Travelog.
- A button that activates the FM radio.
- A button that activates an ASUS button which either switches between running tasks, or has a list of 4 programs that you can run.
Right side:
- A "C" button that clears the last entry when you are putting information into a dialog.
- A Bluetooth Off/On toggle button.
- A button that activates windows Messaging.
- A button that activates Voice Commander.
Over the keypad:
- The normal buttons for a WM 6 phone: Phone answer and End.
- Two rocker-style buttons that have dual functions: one has the left soft key and the WINDOWS button; the other has the right soft key and the "OK" button.
- A nifty joystick that has left, right, up, down, and enter functions.
---------------------------------------------------------
Pros:
- Size and weight. The phone is very small for a device that has a GSM phone, GPS, WiFi, BT, and Windows Mobile 2006 built in.
- Power is supplied by standard mini-USB plug, which means that it will be easy to find a car charger or spare wall charger.
- Design: The phone is VERY attractive. It is made of plastic, but looks like aluminum. It is reasonably sturdy, though the battery cover does "creak" sometimes.
- Keypad: It is very nice to have the hardware keys as opposed to having to use the soft keys when the phone is active. For those used to text messaging from a standard cell phone, the keypad will be very useful. Personally I use the software keyboard built into WM6.
- The joystick is an interesting feature in a PDA phone. I find that I don't actually use this a lot, maybe because I'm more used to a jog wheel and the stylus.
- The dedicated function keys are very nice, especially the button to turn on/off the Bluetooth radio.
- Reasonable battery life, due to minimum RAM and ROM for WM 6. I have found that there are freeware utilities that will put the phone in standby, which has resulted in longer battery life. From what I can tell the phone will work for about 2 - 3 days with occasional GPRS and WiFi usage. If you have heavy WiFi and BT, expect it to require recharging every night.
- Excellent voice quality for phone conversations. BT hands free quality is good.
- Built in support for EDGE over GPRS.
- Quad band, so it can be used in the US or worldwide.
- Built in software for Voice Commander. This can be used either over wired or BT headsets, or from the phone microphone. It can control both dialing and many other programs, though I have only used it with BT to dial hands free. The voice recognition software is very good.
- Having a dedicated hardware key for backspace is actually quite useful when using the "soft" keyboard, since if the SHIFT key is pressed there is no back arrow on the keyboard.
- Built in software that allows one to use the "X" key to actually close programs, to minimize programs, or to have a "long tap" to close, normal tap to minimize. The WM 6 default behavior is to minimize programs, which means that one can have a whole bunch of programs running at once. The WM standard way to manage memory is to bring up the memory application and manually close each program; the ASUS built-in capability is very nice, though one can find this enhancement in after-market utilities.
- Built in software to show the system status. This is an icon that stays in the icon tray; when clicked it shows USB status, screen status, memory status, storage card status, and battery status, all in a nice bar chart format. Clicking a status brings up either the application or the file commander for that function.
- The USB can be set to either Turbo activesync, normal activesync, or "Mass Storage Device" (which is supposed to make the phone act like a standard USB card reader). I had to update my Windows Vista drivers to get this "card reader" to work, but XP recognized the drive immediately. I have no idea what "turbo activesync" is; either activesync setting appear to work fine with my desktop computer and MS Outlook.
- Built in "Location Courier" software to automatically send an SMS to people based on your GPS location. I haven't tried this one yet. I'm not sure I see the point. I don't know why one would want to SMS people to let them know your Lat/Long, unless you were trekking in the wilderness - but then where would you get GSM phone reception in the wilderness? Anyway, it is an interesting application.
- Built in "Travel Log" software that allows you to annotate a route you have taken. You can set routes and points of interest. This data can then be exported and displayed on a Google map. I have not tried out this software other than to see that it loaded and connects to the GPS.
- Included navigation software for the GPS. Maps for all North America are included. The software has voice prompts and seems to work well.
- Built in "GPS Catcher" software. This goes out to the Internet every three days and updates the position files so that the GPS acquires the satellites faster. In practice the satellites acquire within 30 seconds or so here in Los Angeles.
- Built in application launcher software. This is started when the system is booted, and has icons on the screen that divide the software into categories like "GPS", "OFFICE", "FILES", "GAMES", etc. You can add programs to the various folders, and re-arrange the order of the programs. Closing this application brings up the normal WM6 "Today" screen.
- Built in application to backup data to the storage card.
- Support for synchronization with Exchange Server.
- Built in custom software to block incoming callers by phone number. I haven't used this one either.
- Built in news reader software (I haven't used this one yet).
- Built in "ASUS Switcher" program. This program will either switch between active programs, or bring up a small dialog listing four programs to run. You can put up to four of your favorite applications on this button; the available programs are apparently tied to the Asus Launcher "Applications" folder. Thus if you setup the Launcher to have your custom programs in "Applications", you will be able to select them on the "Switcher" program. This is apparently not documented at all. You can also select from various pre-configured programs to assign.
- Special "Today" screen plug-in modules for Wireless settings, Windows Live, and profiles.
- Microsoft Compact Net Framework is pre-loaded into the memory. So the user should be aware that there is no need to install the CF NET - applications that require this support software will run. This saves a couple of Mb of room on the storage drive. I'm not sure if this is a WM 6 norm or specific to the P527, but it is a good feature.
- The device has profiles built in; these will change the volume and ring levels based on "normal", "meeting", "silent", and "automatic". The automatic setting reads the outlook calendar and sets the "silent" profile based on the appointments. However, one cannot add profiles, and the profiles cannot be cusomized other than to set the...Read more›

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LG VX8600 Black Phone (Verizon Wireless, Phone Only, No Service) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The LG VX8600 has garnered a lot of positive reviews (use Google), and while I won't go as far as to say this is the best cell phone ever made, it is quite functional and serves the added benefit of having a sleek, sexy form factor that elicits many "oohs" and "aahs" from relatives and peers.
I've spent two years with Sprint and Cingular apiece, and am now moving to mighty Verizon as the last of the mighty mobile phone triumvirate. I won't comment on signal strength since that's largely dependent on location, but I will say that the local Verizon sales rep in Madison, WI hooked me up with a terrific deal that beat any online price even after rebates and activation fees. Don't forget to ask your sales rep to see if they can match or beat these online offers.
Despite being a fully VCAST-compliant phone that sports mp3 playback and a 1.3-megapixel camera, all I really care about is the ability to make crystal-clear phone calls. The sound quality for voice calls overall is very good to excellent, depending on signal strength of course. In many cases, friends could not distinguish my phone from a land line. However, as many others have observed, the speakerphone is below average. Even at the loudest levels, voices sound diluted and unclear to the point I find them unbearable. I definitely recommend you try the speakerphone out if you it will be an important factor in your purchase decision. Many other Amazon reviewers, as well as those on other forums, have echoed similar comments.
To get by the speakerphone limitation, I paired this phone with the PLANTRONICS 510 Voyager bluetooth headset, and the combination has worked out great. I bought the 510 due to all of the positive reviews; it's a very sturdy, comfortable headset but doesn't surpass the clarity of using the handset directly (I don't think any of the bluetooth sets can).
One of the usability gripes I have is with voice commands. On my previous Motorola phone, I could activate voice commands just by pressing a button on my bluetooth headset and talking into the phone device directly. On the VX8600, I have to press a small button on the right side of the phone to activate the voice command menu, and then speak into my headset. If you put the LG VX8600 in a leather case and strap it to your belt, you'll realize what a nuisance this can be each time you want to make a voice command dial.
Another gripe is the fact that the front panel backlight only turns on when you press any of the side buttons. That means if you want to view the date/time you have to press a button each and every time. That may sound like the ultimate in laziness, but I'll put it this way -- there's no way to tell that the phone is dead or fully charged until you press a button. All of my other flip-top phones have had the date/time display persisently.
I don't really care much for cameras built into phones; much like stereo and home theater surround sound systems, I'm a believer in dedicated separates. I cannot comment on the music playing or VCAST capabilities of this phone, since I already own an iPod.
Overall, I still enjoy this phone immensely and do recommend it to others switching to Verizon or renewing their contracts. Please note that the next version to the VX8600 (SHINE) has already been released online as of April 4, and will be available in local stores on April 17. I prefer sticking to a black form factor and will definitely make this a keeper for the next two years.
PROS:
+ Great sound quality for voice calls (not using speakerphone)
+ Very sleek, sexy form factor
+ Above average battery life (this is relative to previous phones, of course)
+ Large, easy to read menus
+ Voice command settings were easy to configure; voice "train" was reliable and almost 100% accurate in recognizing my commands
CONS:
+ Weak speakerphone
+ Front panel backlight does not turn on until you press a button
+ Lack of tactile buttons for dialing and text messaging
+ Voice command support with bluetooth requires pressing a side button
+ Fingerprint magnet

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Sophisticated and sexy, the LG VX8600 phone combines most of the features of the VX8500 Chocolate with a super-cool clamshell form factor. Key features include stereo Bluetooth, EVDO high-speed data, touch-sensitive external music keys, an advanced music player, a memory card slot, support for V Cast Music, and speaker-independent voice control. The VX8600 is an all-around beauty, inside and out, and is the perfect complement to Verizon Wireless service. If you value extreme style mixed with powerful substance, this is the phone for you.
DesignThe VX8600 features a super-sleek clamshell design with a large 176 x 220 color display and support for a whopping 262,000 colors--plenty of room for V Cast content. A generous, full-color 160 x 128 full-color supplementary screen on the outside of the cover displays incoming call information, battery life, signal strength, graphics, photos, and more. Music playback control keys are also located on the front cover. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad. The VX8600 also features a MicroSD slot for expandable memory. Bluetooth support for handsfree devices and Bluetooth stereo headset support for listening to Music on the VX8600's advanced music player are also included. Meanwhile, up/down keys are located on the side of the unit, as is the memory slot, and a 1.3-megapixel camera unit is housed on the front of the clamshell. Lastly, USB data connectivity is built right into the phone.
Calling FeaturesThe VX8600 boasts powerful calling functions, such as speaker independent voice dialing, which makes it easy to call contacts by simply saying their names. No prior voice training is required and you can even speak individual digits to the phone for quick dialing of numbers you know by heart. And because the 8600 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation.
The VX8600's internal memory can hold up to 500 contacts for quick access to email addresses and phone numbers. The phone lets you easily assign pictures as well as ringtones to your most common callers. In addition to vibrating alerts, the phone supports polyphonic ringtones, and a number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone. More ringtones can be downloaded from Verizon's Get It Now service. Lastly, the VX8600's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911.
Messaging, Internet, and ToolsThe phone's support for multimedia messaging means that text, photos, video, and audio can be sent with ease (Verizon messaging charges apply). When used in combination with the VX8600's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. There's also a built-in Web browser for downloads and mobile Web browsing. Verizon's optional Mobile Web 2.0 package allows you to read and send emails, exchange instant messages, and view your favorite Web content on your phone. You can check your email, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings, and find directions to the theater. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.
If desired, the onboard GPS feature can do more than give your current location to emergency personnel. The VX8600 is fully compatible with Verizon's VZ Navigator service, a feature that provides all the bells and whistles of an advanced navigation system on your mobile phone at a fraction of the price of other GPS devices and systems. The VZ Navigator service provides heads-up, voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions (with auto-rerouting if you miss a turn), local search of nearly fourteen million points of interest (POIs) in the United States, and detailed color maps that can be quickly panned and zoomed. With VZ Navigator, you'll know where you are, know what's around you, and know how to get there fast (additional Verizon charges apply).
A number of handy software tools are bundled with the VX8600 including a voice memo recorder that can record calls, a calculator, a calendar, and an alarm clock. You can even set the alarm to wake you to your favorite music.
Imaging and EntertainmentThe VX8600's 1.3-megapixel camera features a digital zoom, a self-timer, night-mode functions, and brightness and white balance controls. The camera also offers video capture capabilities, meanwhile, a built-in music player lets you keep your music playing in the background. You can also take advantage of the VX8600's Bluetooth wireless headset capability, allowing you to hook up a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones.
Verizon's music service is another EV-DO-powered service that makes the VX8600 all the more desirable. With V Cast music, your phone is a music player, letting you jam out wherever you are. It's also a music store, and you can download songs instantly to your phone. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you. You can even pause to take a call without missing a beat.
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, the VX8600 is fully compatible with Verizon's V Cast service. With V Cast, you can download and stream high-quality video. Need news and weather? Get the latest Accuweather forecast delivered right to your handset, or stream CNN news headlines. ESPN sports updates, entertainment news from E!, and even Sesame Street content for the kids, are all available. V Cast also serves as a portal for enhanced 3D games, making it possible to have more fun with a new breed of realistic games.
EV-DO Wireless Broadband Coverage Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.
Vital Statistics The LG VX8600 8600 weighs just 3.26 ounces and measures 3.89 x 1.93 x 0.58 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.67 hours of digital talk time, and up to 398 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.
Note: The LG VX8600 supports the Headset, Handsfree, Serial Port, Dial Up Networking, Advanced Audio Distribution, and Object Push for vCard. It does not support all Bluetooth object transfer (OBEX) profiles

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Samsung i5500 Corby Galaxy 5 Android Smartphone with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Touch Screen - No Warranty - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Long time Linux user, first time Android user's perspective: I picked up one of these and bought my wife a Google Nexus S in January of 2011. The screen is roughly half the size on this one & there is a very noticeable difference while trying to run games or failing to run 480p+ video content, but it works just fine for me. Bought it as a Sansa Clip+ replacement, and I'm extremely happy with it. No comments on voice quality, 3G/EDGE or GSM connection quality - I have yet to test the device with a SIM card, and am using it solely as a personal media player. (I.e. I got tired of waiting for a market enabled iPod Touch competitor)
What it can do:
* Angry Birds - Some lagginess when a media player is cranking MP3s out in the background, but no major issues. Occasionally hangs up & has to be killed in lengthy sessions.
* Voice search - Requires installing the speech-to-text synthesizer, but impressive accuracy & works fine on this limited hardware.
* Froyo - The Latin America firmware seems to work. Not accessible through Samsung's provided Keis software, but available from third parties.
* Speaker - Respectable music playback & spoken word playback for its price range
* Camera - Take decent stills for its price range.
* Unplug/Plug-in pause/resume - Addictive feature, but likely common to many Android devices.
* Decent battery life - I've been charging it every two days or so, with regular use of the Wi-Fi in the evening and 3-4 hours of daily use as a media player with the screen turned off. Otherwise always kept in standby. (Again, this is SIM-free, no GSM radio usage.)
* Wi-Fi - WPA2 Wi-Fi support. Tethering seems to be an option in the Froyo firmware. Didn't check the stock.
* MicroSDHC - No issues & good solid seating for my 16gb MicroSDHC card. Located behind the snap-on/snap-off battery cover, but the battery does not have to be removed to get to it. A 1 or 2GB card was included with the phone.
* Video - Converting to a lower bitrate seems to be necessary for most of my videos, but no complaints. Small enough screen that there's nothing to be gained from sticking with higher resolutions.
What it does poorly:
* Wi-Fi disconnections - With both with stock firmware and the official Froyo build, my experience has shown the device to be prone to dropping the Wi-Fi connection when in use by certain apps, or more commonly when leaving.
* Volume levels - I frequently find myself wishing there was some sort of equalizer or system-level volume boosting functions I could use to compensate for low volume levels in certain audio tracks. Fine for normal music, but often inadequate with soft-spoken announcers in audio books and podcasts with heavy traffic noise. I will definitely have to buy amplified headphones prior to taking flying with this device.
* VPN connections - The Froyo VPN tool looks nice enough, but is extremely finnicky.
* FM Radio - Depends on a wired set of headphones for the FM antenna. A common problem, but slightly annoying.
* Apps-to-SD - This Froyo feature seems to be somewhat overrated. Frequent problems with apps that say they support the move, but then disappear from the application menu afterwards. Still, even after giving up, with some 30 apps installed, I have 30.8Mb of the 170Mb of internal flash available. Apparently this just isn't that big a deal.
What it won't do:
* Multitouch - Unfortunate, but made up for in large part by the numerous buttons & the D-pad.
* Flash (bulb) - It doesn't have one, not that many do in this price range.
* Flash (Adobe) - The processor seems to be incompatible with the current builds of Adobe Flash. Haven't personally tested it, but it's not all that likely to work. There may be other workarounds.
Notes for battery hoardin' folks:
* Uses MicroUSB chargers - Tested with BlackBerry charger & a solar charger without problems.
* 3.7v, 4.44wh, 1200mAh li-ion battery. M/N: AB474350BU
A few quick 5500-tested App recommendations: MortPlayer Audiobooks/Music, BeyondPod, Pulse, Aldiko, Comixology, Droid Comic Viewer, Angry Birds, and File Expert (That last gives integrated FTP & HTTP file management - I basically never use a USB connection for data transfers.)
Market glitches from use overseas, in Chile (not yet in the paid-app country white-list):
* I don't know whether this is because of the firmware or my physical location, but it was impossible to obtain numerous free apps and ANY paid apps out of the box or after updating to Froyo. Using the new web-based app market, I can see paid apps, but none will allow me to install and many apps that ARE available through the normal market refuse to install due to "carrier restrictions" on this unlocked, SIM-free phone.
* Free apps I was unable to install included: Amazon's Kindle & MP3 stores, Google Books, the voice-to-text synthesizer, and Google Listen. Free apps loaded on the phone that I was unable to update included Gmail, YouTube, and Google Search.
* The issues above can be wholly resolved using Market Enabler, but that requires rooting the phone. I would be very interested to hear if a VPN to the US or simply being present in the US or another country with paid-app access has these same issues.
[Aug 2011] A couple quick updates, six months in:
* Wifi disconnections - This proved to be largely an issue of signal strength. This device has a perfectly usable wireless range, but it's still not quite as good as some other devices in my appartment. A second router and setting the wifi sleep mode to "never" or "never when plugged in" was enough to resolve this issue.
[...]
* GSM use - Took the device home to the US on vacation and picked up a prepaid TMo SIM. Worked just fine, but only EDGE (at least using the i5500L Froyo ROM). That was enough to eliminate the need for the Market Enabler. Allows purchase of paid apps even after my return to Chile.
* Battery life update - Massive change in battery life when I was stateside. With heavy use of the browser & Google Maps and occasional use as a phone, I found myself needing to change batteries at mid day every day while on vacation. Fine for tooling about town, although it still drained much quicker than w/o a SIM, but constant Maps use while playing the tourist in NYC absolutely killed the battery life.

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