Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I didn't know there was a bb 950, isn't this a typo?
Maybe you meant 9500 or 9550?
Please let me know.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Blackberry 9530 Storm
Showing posts with label touch screen phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label touch screen phone. Show all posts
Monday, April 8, 2013
Blackberry 9530 Storm Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I didn't know there was a bb 950, isn't this a typo?
Maybe you meant 9500 or 9550?
Please let me know.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Blackberry 9530 Storm
Monday, November 26, 2012
LG GW525 Calisto Quad-Band GSM Cell Phone with QWERTY Slider Keypad, Full Touch Display, 3 MP Camera --International Version with Warranty (Silver) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I did manage to configure the GW525 with full Internet and MMS functions on the AT&T network. You'll find those at the end of this review.
The LG GW525 is an interesting little phone in that it doesn't look like it should have the capabilities it has. There's a lot of stuff packed into such a small, cheap and ultimately kiddy looking phone, which gives it a quirky appeal. Unfortunately its features are bogged down by a sluggish interface and functionalites and lackluster UI design.
To compare the GW525 with similar phones like the Samsung Impression for instance, the Impression is a superior phone by far, mainly because of its functionality, intuitiveness and speed. But the GW525 has some things to offer if you're willing to put up with a few nuances.
Pros:
Flexible texting and multimedia features:
The GW525 has feature rich photo and video editors. You can even insert photos into your video and you can export video scenes as photos. And when I say rich I mean you can select videos and photos, drop them into the movie editor with a title, credits, color grading and transitions with a soundtrack. With enough light the camera takes awesome vivid photos. In low light photos are soft, flat and grainy.
Threaded text messages:
This feature is great for keeping track of text conversations. Layout and design is nice and this is one of the phone's best features.
POP3 and IMAP support out the box:
You're able to configure unlimited pop3 and imap accounts including native support for Microsoft Exchange.
Full Address Support:
This is one my biggest peeves for cell phones. My friends have physical homes not just cells and email. So I always look for address books that support home addresses, businesses and websites and fortunately the GW525 supports this and more with business info, web info and birthdays and anniversary settings that automatically ask you if you want these events transferred to your calendar.
Support for Google, gmail, Youtube and Blogger. I use blogger so it's a nice plus.
Document Support: you can view PDFs and Word files though on the small screen it's a bit of a chore. That's a hint that it probably support excel files as well.
So what's the bad?
The touch interface is slow and sluggish with plenty of lag. It can take up to 5 seconds to access your photos, videos and music and it can take as long as 1-3 seconds for the touchscreen to respond to a swipe if you're browsing photos for example.
Screen real estate at 2.8 inches is way too small for what the phone can do. Most icons are simply too small to manipulate to the point of needing a stylus to get any consistent accuracy. If you want to add a photo to a contact for example, it's very easy to select the wrong photo while scrolling through your library. Then you have to just start the process all over again. Trying to select the scroll bar on the side is also hit and miss without a stylus.
The browser is a complete disaster. It does not have a dedicated button to call up the hidden browser like on the Impression for example. Touching the screen calls up the browser. So if you want to click a link, you'll call up the browser instead. It took a dozen tries to select the profile link on Facebook. Also the browser will confuse you wanting to scroll around the screen with resizing the page. A simple drag to scroll around the page will instead render your text so tiny it's unreadable.
No G3. When you try to view HD videos on youtube this limitation will be very apparent as it chokes on the higher bandwidth. SD video works fine.
This is an unlocked (though not unbranded) cell phone so it's pretty stripped down in terms of software. I never thought I'd miss the stuff AT&T forces you to take, but some things like IM integration (AIM, Yahoo!, Windows Live) I did actually miss.
LiveSquare features Avatars for people who call and text you. They hang out on one of two backgrounds (you can add your own though) and you can interact with these avatars (human or animal) to call or text your friends back, access their contact listing, etc. There is a wide variety of avatar choices though they don't really change all that much. Honestly this is a very gimmicky feature that mainly kids would like, but it is kinda cool.
I like the feel of the keys. Where the keys on the Impression feel sorta soft and mushy the keys on the GW525 are firm and snappy.
Sound quality is ok for calls but the audio for music sounds awesome. No audio jack though that's always a bummer.
I like the feel of the back of the phone. It feels almost like wetsuit material. So if you manage to drop the GW525 in water I believe there's a really good chance it'll survive.
Overall it's a decent phone. If LG increases the screen size to 3.2, optimize the OS so you lose the lag and and get G3 working and this would be an awesome phone.
Phone calls and text will work as soon as you put your sim in. But we've got some work to do to get all the other functions up and running. You'll need to manually configure the GW525 for Internet Access, Streaming Access, Java Apps, MMS, and email. Unfortunately these are scattered all over the place but not to worry this will guide you through and get the phone up and running in a few minutes on the AT&T Network.
Touch the main menu button (4 dots in the square) touch settings and connectivity.
First you need to configure your access, so click Access Points and input the following data:
Add Access Point
Name it whatever you want
Bearer: GPRS
Authentication: PAP
Username: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM (all caps)
Password: CINGULAR1
APN: wap.cingular
That's all done. Now go to Internet Profiles
Title: Whatever you want.
Use Proxy: ON
Proxy server address: 66.209.11.32 (you probably won't be able to enter letters)
(type in 66.209.011.32 and go back to delete the zero in front of the 11.32)
Proxy server port: 80
Access Point: Select the Access Point you just configured and save.
Now let's get the MMS working.
Click Messaging
Scroll to the bottom and click Settings
Click Multimedia message
Scroll to the bottom and click Multi msg centre
Click Add centre
Name it whatever you want
MMSC URL: [...]
Internet profile: Select the Internet profile you configured
Now let's get streaming working or sites like youtube won't work.
Click Connectvity
Go to: Streaming settings
Change the UDP ports to their minimum and maximum.
Internet profile: Select the Internet profile you created
Save
One more to go for when you download an alternative browser and other java apps otherwise they won't work
Connectivity:
Java settings
Profiles
Add Profile
Name it
Select the Internet profile you created
Activate
Configuring your email is straight forward. Regular POP3 and IMAP settings.
Now you're good to go.
Click Here to see more reviews about: LG GW525 Calisto Quad-Band GSM Cell Phone with QWERTY Slider Keypad, Full Touch Display, 3 MP Camera --International Version with Warranty (Silver)
Sunday, September 2, 2012
LG GW525 Calisto GSM Unlocked Phone with Camera--International Version with Warranty (Aqua Blue) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)While I wouldn't compare it with any of the high end phone, the GW525 gives lots of functionality for its price point. It has the touch screen like the KP500, as well as a full QWERTY keyboard for those who like a keyboard for typing.
The camera works fine, and after setting it up on the T-Mobile network, you can use the internet and send MMS.
Click Here to see more reviews about: LG GW525 Calisto GSM Unlocked Phone with Camera--International Version with Warranty (Aqua Blue)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Blackberry Storm2 9550 Unlocked Phone with Touch Screen, Wi-Fi, 3.2MP Camera and GPS - Unlocked Phone - No Warranty - Black Review
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(More customer reviews)I bought what was supposed to be an unlocked blackberry storm 2 from Mojos Closet. When the phone arrived and on inspection the phone was not new, it had a verison number and was defective and no manual. I spent over $400 USD and I am without a proper phone. This was my worst experience and I intend to take this matter to Amazon for a resolution. I contacted Mojos Closet all I received was a rude and disrespectful feedback. I will not recommend Mojos Closet ever again if this is the service granted.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Blackberry Storm2 9550 Unlocked Phone with Touch Screen, Wi-Fi, 3.2MP Camera and GPS - Unlocked Phone - No Warranty - Black
Friday, January 20, 2012
BlackBerry Storm 9500 Unlocked Phone with 3.15 MP Camera (Black) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've now come to the conclusion that everybody who wrote reviews on the phone spent about five minutes with the device. Part of me doesn't blame them. If I reviewed electronics for a living, I wouldn't want to spend several days really testing the phone. However, with a cell phone as radically different as the Storm, it is unfair to make these judgments on the keyboard, etc. in haste.
Simply put, the phone is very good. It isn't as breathtaking as I wanted it to be, however it is not nearly as disappointing as many critics want you to think (**cough** New York Times, excuse me). The keyboard is getting easier and easier to use as time goes by. If RIM put a tracker ball at the bottom of the phone where it is on all the other units, then this would in fact be, an iPhone killer. When I look at the phone, there is definitely room for that magical RIM trackball...(can you say Storm2?)
Starting from the top. The phone feels solidly built. It has a good weight to it and feels durable. My only fear is that my propensity for dropping phones will be disastrous for the glass click screen. I'm having bad thoughts about not being able to do anything with the phone because the click activator ceases to work or I'll scratch up that beautiful screen. Three times in the last seven years or so I've had the misfortune of waking up from a night of drinking only to find giant cracks on the LCDs of my phones (can you say insurance? iPhone people can't, and that alone will FOREVER stop me from getting one). Seriously though, I really hope this thing is bomb proof. I have a silicon condom on it, which better keep it safe at night.
I was perplexed when I powered it on for the first time. The phone takes several minutes to reboot. This is a laptop, not a phone, right? Thankfully I only have to reset the phone every so often... Pretty is a good word to describe the design and graphics overall.
The click screen is a trip. It is definitely takes adjustment, but I really dig it. It definitely limits the speed of your typing because you must remain in line with the speed of "The Cadence of the Clicker" (this is the name of my next album). I say that because when you are really going at it, it can create a steady beat like a metronome. This just feels like one of the drawbacks to writing novels on any mobile device. All keyboards have a handicap, but I sincerely miss being able to press to multiple buttons at the almost exact time (as we are accustomed to on a computer keyboard). This system causes you to be a little more accurate because you can't barrel through your letters, so it may be a bonus after all. I also like the SureType keyboard in portrait mode. It uses the predictive text heavily, and it is a great fast type option with one thumb. This mode suffers most from the click limiter because the surface area is far too tight for dual finger typing as tempting as it is.One of my friends voiced his displeasure with the auto correct function on the text. I find it useful. Just remember if it auto corrects something and you don't like it, immediately hit the DELETE button, and it will revert to your perverted word or innocent typo. His changed the word "f*&^ing" into "ducking." The best way around this is to add these words that you use when frustrated or talking dirty to your lover into the Dictionary. To do so, go to the HOME screen, then choose: OPTIONS-CUSTOM DICTIONARY. Now hit the BlackBerry button and select NEW.
I've also heard that the VZNavigator and Visual Voicemail programs should be removed to speed up the performance of the phone. After all, who is going to pay $10 and $3/month for such frivolous features? What I was jazzed to see is that Google Maps' triangulation feature was not disabled here as it was on my i760 and Treo. This means that it will show your approximate location on the map for free. It is a nice feature to get you partially orientated at no cost (just keep in mind it is using cell towers to locate you, so you must have service for it to work, which is not the case with true GPS/VZNav).
The media player is good. It is not an iPod, but it has a great search feature, and is intuitively laid out. The resolution on the screen is better than the iPhone and video looks GREAT. The included headphones sound great and the speakerphone gets extremely loud, however it is very tinny sounding and has an over modulated feel when at high volumes.
The icing on the cake is that I am not utilizing the BlackBerry Corporate server, therefore, I do not have to pay for BlackBerry data access. I am now paying only $29.99 for data where I was paying $44.99 on my Samsung for the exact same unlimited data/email service. With this savings, my Storm will pay for itself in 14 months of service!
The device lock is good. You can either hit the button on the top left of the phone, or you can use the "Lock" button in your home menu. I'm peeved at how the Mute/un-Mute button still functions while the device is locked. I've had the phone suddenly start playing "Rise Against" over the speakerphone (which can get pretty damn loud) at times that I wished it hadn't. I understand that it is to let you control your music without unlocking the device, however I always saw locking as the way to prevent your phone from doing strange things in the privacy of your pocket/holster without your permission. FIX: just lower your media playback volume all the way to silent.
The ringer alerts are one of the best features on the phone. I can't be happier in this department. This puts every phone I've ever seen to shame (I don't know if all BBs do this, this is my first). You can select from a plethora of options including: Normal, Loud, Medium, Vibrate Only, Silent, All Alerts Off, and my personal favorite Phone Calls Only (all with the touch of a button). I'm used to an all or nothing world, or having to go into individual menus and make these decisions (time consuming/annoying? Yes). Furthermore, the alarm will sound in any mode other than All Alerts Off.
Where the Storm crushes the iPhone is in the folder organization possibilities on the home page. Where the iPhone only allows you to move your applications around, the Storm lets you create folders to keep everything organized as if it were a computer desktop. I absolutely love this ability because I'm very big at keeping things `tidy.'
I'm also a fan of how the screen fades down instead of cutting out when it is time to turn off. This is great because it reminds you that you have to do something to the device if you don't want the image to go away completely.
Some tips:
To get IMAP to work with GMAIL, follow the instructions here: http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/storm-gmail-imap-99071/
Don't waste your time like I did, just go directly to this website as per the forums instructions: https://bis.na.blackberry.com/html?brand=vzw
I was concerned that there was a charge to using this service (because I'm not utilizing Verizon's BlackBerry email service), but there isn't.
To copy and paste, you simply hold down one finger where you want to start, and then drag along with another to where you want it to end.
When entering text, if you spell something so terribly wrong that its suggestions aren't helpful, then the best thing to do is just delete the entire word. This is frustrating. It doesn't allow you to fix your mistake because when you click on a part of the word it makes you chose from the suggested list. I wish there were a way around this. Nevertheless, if you just give up, then you can move on without losing any more hair.
I can't properly sync my phone with my Mac given the software they include and the USB cable. However, thanks to Google's amazing Sync application, I do all of my syncing wirelessly as often as I wish. YOU MUST DOWNLOAD THIS PROGRAM!
Click Here to see more reviews about: BlackBerry Storm 9500 Unlocked Phone with 3.15 MP Camera (Black)
Saturday, January 7, 2012
BlackBerry Storm 2 9520 Unlocked Cell Phone, 3.2 MP Camera, GPS, MicroSD Slot (Black) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This product was said to be an unlocked blackberry storm 2 with minor scratches. In actuallity the scratches were minor but there were many every where.The clip that keeps the sim card stationary was also missing. But What aggrivated me most was the fact that the item was not unlocked and I had to pay an extra fee to have it done myself. I do not recommend any buyer to purchase anything from this seller.
Click Here to see more reviews about: BlackBerry Storm 2 9520 Unlocked Cell Phone, 3.2 MP Camera, GPS, MicroSD Slot (Black)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
BlackBerry Storm 9530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless) Review
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(More customer reviews)I knew this was going to happen. Research In Motion (the makers of the BlackBerry series of smart phones) finally made a product that didn't live up to my expectations.
I'll tell you more in detail below, but first a bit of history: At my 9-to-5 job it is one of my roles to manage a BlackBerry server and 50-odd BlackBerry phones, so I've used every model of BlackBerry available in the US for the most part in some capacity or another.
Currently, I have a Verizon BlackBerry Curve at the office. My current home cell phone is an iPhone 3G. I asked our corporate Verizon representative to send me a demo of the Storm, because I've had a lot of BlackBerry users at work asking me when we were getting them (due to the media saturation of the commercials and the general coolness factor of how the phone looks). So I felt it was my duty to get one in for review so I could make an educated decision about recommending this thing to upper management and other people who may be interested in it.
A lot has been said about this phone in reviews by other technology journalists on the web (David Pogue of the New York Times for instance, and Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal), some positive, some negative. I used the phone for a solid 4 days of testing and one software upgrade (to try to fix an issue, more later on that) before deciding to write this.
I'll go over some key items about the phone in a few sections, the stuff that's important to me as a consumer. Things that have been in BlackBerry OS forever (such as push email, calendar sync, etc) are really not that noteworthy to me, and I won't talk much about those. I can, and will compare this phone to the iPhone 3G though, simply because RIM was definitely aiming right at Apple when designing this, I have no doubts about that.
Phone Design
The BlackBerry Storm is a slick looking phone -- which elicits the expected reaction from nearly everyone you show it to. It is very heavy feeling, about the same weight as the iPhone 3G. I would say it feels solid, but then you press down on the touchscreen itself (since it is one large button), and it wobbles and leaks light in from behind the screen. It is not the most comfortable phone to hold, but then again I don't think the iPhone wins in that category, either. Both of them could benefit from the rubberized grip of the BlackBerry Curve (or other phones that actually seem like they're designed to be held).
Underneath the black aluminum battery cover (yes, unlike the iPhone the battery can be removed - score 1 for RIM), there is a removable 8GB MicroSDHC card, which is a great thing for them to provide. The last generation of BlackBerry phones (The Curve and Pearl) include a MicroSD card slot, but they didn't give you a card with the phones. 8GB is more than enough for a decent amount of media and pictures. It also included a Verizon SIM card (which I think is a placeholder, since Verizon doesn't sell GSM phone service). I've been told that this can be unlocked just as easily as other BlackBerry phones so you can roam the world with it easily (this is another thing the iPhone 3G requires hacking to do.)
RIM abandoned the standard Mini USB port they've used for several years for a new "Micro" USB port for charging and connecting the phone to the computer. This means all your old BlackBerry chargers and any wired peripherals won't work with the new phone. This is kind of a letdown for me as a BlackBerry administrator, simply because we have dozens of perfectly good spare BlackBerry car and home chargers that are now useless if we move to the Storm.
The Screen
The screen is one of the better things this phone has to offer. It has a 3.25', 480×360 pixel screen, with very easy to read text and a very bright backlight, with a nice glossy sheen to it. I really have no gripes whatsoever with the actual screen in this phone by itself, if I don't take into account the way or manner information is displayed on it or it's "click" function. It is better than the iPhone's screen in both clarity, size, and general readability.
The Accelerometer
This is the first BlackBerry with an accelerometer in the device. Again, another thing I believe RIM decided to copy from the iPhone (even though the iPhone is not the first device to use something like this, it's the first one to do it right in my opinion.) I found the sensor had major lag issues (even after a software update to the 4.7.0.75 leaked firmware!) with moving from portrait to landscape. Sometimes it took up to 4 seconds for the phone to change back from landscape to portrait with nothing else going on. This is simply unacceptable. It would inadvertently switch screen orientation at random times when it wasn't necessary to do so, and it confused all the users I gave the phone to. The final straw with the accelerometer is for some reason RIM believes that if you have your phone locked, it should still change orientation from portrait to landscape. I honestly can't figure out why I'd want my phone sitting there in my pocket switching orientation when it's locked and not being used. I hope they fix this in a software update.
The Keyboard
The screen being covered in its literal sense, I'll discuss the biggest part of what makes the Storm the Storm: The keyboard and its role in the UI. RIM decided in the BlackBerry Storm's development to eschew the traditional BlackBerry keyboard for two different "touch" keyboards. These both are familiar to older users of BlackBerry phones: The "SureType" style in the 7100 series and Pearl (2 letters per key), active while in Portrait orientation, or the QWERTY style (full keyboard), like in the Curve, 8700, and 8800 series, which is active in landscape orientation.
However, the old keyboard layouts work completely differently in the Storm -- because they are now part of the touch screen and are activated by "clicking" in the entire screen while your finger is over the corresponding button. The screen acts as one giant button that you press in with every letter press, icon click, or menu selection.
I've found typing for any period of time becomes tiresome after only a minute or so, and it seems like way too much work even to just send off a small text message. The auto-correction software (SureType) seems like it isn't as effective as it was in the BlackBerry Curve, and sometimes the phone simply types letters that I didn't press, even though it looks like I'm pressing the right one due to the blue "halo" around my finger as I hover over the letters.
The keyboard isn't completely missing. There are still 4 physical buttons on the front of the phone, which include the typical SEND and END keys, the "Menu" key, and the "Back" key, both of those last two are holdovers from previous BlackBerry incarnations. I'm kind of surprised they couldn't find some way to integrate these into the touch screen.
If this review was trying to convince me to buy this phone, this keyboard would be the deal breaker. I can't stand it. People who might peck one or two characters every 5 seconds might not care about how bad this is, but for me, it was infuriating to use it. I can type on my BlackBerry Curve at approximately 30 words a minute. The iPhone 3G? maybe 20-25. This was much, much less than that. I'm extremely disappointed; one of the huge advantages of BlackBerry was their highly efficient keyboard and the "Pearl" (or scroll wheel in the older generations), and that speed and fluidity is completely obliterated with a keyboard UI that just doesn't work. I had several non-techie users at my office try to type on it who were BlackBerry users, and they either typed incredibly slow or were just confused by the new keyboard.
The Touch Screen, And It's Role In The User Interface
In general, the touch screen functions are a good effort for a phone if you ignore one thing: the existence of iPhone. Apple clearly invested much, much more time into usability and interface design here than RIM did. A few things about the iPhone that you don't notice you miss until you use the Storm are the ability to quickly "flick" through lists of items, multi-touch capabilities like pinch gesturing, double-tapping to zoom smoothly into/out of web pages, and smooth scrolling through websites. All of these things are not something the Storm does well (or at all in some cases), and I'm sure I'm missing a lot more here. Maybe its related to patent issues, but the touch screen in the Storm just seems dumber than the iPhone touch screen. That's about all I can say about it.
Research In Motion has not paid enough attention to the menu UI in regards to making it easy for people to "click" on menu items, either. They are too small for even my (not that large) fingers to consistently press in properly. Making calls from the old UI was simple: Start dialing from the home screen. Now you have to press the SEND button to get to the call area, or click on the call log, which wasn't immediately apparent to any veteran BlackBerry user I showed it to.
The Apps
As of right now, there's really little that is new or interesting about the applications bundled with the Storm. VZ Navigator is included, which is a turn-by-turn GPS application that has a lot of good Points of Interest and other neat features. Unfortunately Verizon charges $10/mo for this feature, which is really not worth paying a monthly fee for. There's not a good turn-by-turn GPS on the iPhone right now, but if it cost $10/mo extra, I wouldn't buy it anyway.
Refinements to BlackBerry OS 4.7 to make it look very pretty are great, but those were done in OS 4.6 already for the BlackBerry Bold (a far superior phone for people who might actually want to type...Read more›
Click Here to see more reviews about: BlackBerry Storm 9530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)
Designed to satisfy the needs of both consumers and business customers, the BlackBerry Storm smartphone offers a revolutionary touchscreen that dramatically enhances the touch interface and enables easy and precise typing. The world's first "clickable" touchscreen responds much like a physical keyboard and also supports single-touch, multi-touch and gestures for intuitive and efficient application navigation. Whether traveling to Europe or Asia, the Storm provides globetrotters the freedom of reliable global connectivity with Verizon Wireless's reliable, high-speed 3G CDMA network here in the United States and compatibility with GSM networks abroad.
It's compatible with the V Cast Music and V CAST Music with Rhapsody services, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon Wireless's fast EV-DO data network. You'll also benefit from the phone's A-GPS receiver, which enables you to access Verizon Wireless's VZ Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth connectivity for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, 1 GB internal memory, MicroSD memory expansion to 16 GB, support for up to 10 personal and corporate email accounts, access to popular instant messaging services, and up to 6 hours of talk time.
Verizon Wireless Service With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon Wireless's multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you'll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.
In addition to the V Cast Music service, this phone is also compatible with Verizon Wireless's V CAST Music with Rhapsody, which enables you to access this exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks and for MTV Networks. V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers. In addition, customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.
The V Cast Video service enables you to stream or download video clips to your phone from a variety of news, entertainment, sports, and weather channels, including CNN, ABC News, E!, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, and VH1.
With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access Verizon Wireless's VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps. And Verizon Wireless's Chaperone service lets you easily locate your loved ones from your cell phone phone or PC in real time. After defining a zone, such as an area designating a school or summer camp, you'll be sent an alert via text message when the Chaperone handset enters or leaves the zone.
With BroadbandAccess Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices.
With Visual Voice Mail, you can delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Visual Voice Mail is the ideal tool for the busy mobile professional who may need to prioritize which messages he or she listens to first.
Global Connectivity The BlackBerry Storm allows for global roaming--from Europe to South America to Asia--and also provides 3G data speeds on select international networks, giving you high-speed connectivity when you're abroad. The Storm offers Verizon Wireless's fast 3G EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA connectivity in the United States, and UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz) and quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS connectivity for use outside the U.S. The Storm comes pre-installed with a SIM card, so customers who plan to travel abroad can activate global service at the time of purchase or by calling Verizon Wireless prior to leaving the U.S. For those who travel abroad frequently, the company's Global Value Plan offers discounted roaming charges on calls made to and from 130 countries.
Phone Features The first BlackBerry to feature a touchscreen interface, the Storm's large 3.25-inch LCD (360 x 480-pixel resolution) actually depresses ever so slightly when the screen is pressed, giving you the distinct feeling that the screen is being pressed and released with a gentle "click"--similar to the feeling of a key on a physical keyboard or a button on a mouse. The "clickable" touchscreen gives you positive confirmation that you've made a selection, resulting in a highly-intuitive typing experience. In addition to the familiar navigation keys (phone, menu and escape) that are common to other BlackBerry smartphones, the Storm adds support for multi-touches, taps, slides and other touch-screen gestures, so you can easily highlight, scroll, pan and zoom for smooth navigation.
The BlackBerry Storm smartphone also features a built-in accelerometer, allowing its touchscreen to automatically switch between landscape mode and portrait mode as the you rotate the handset--RIM's SureType keyboard layout is available in portrait mode and a full QWERTY keyboard layout is available in landscape mode. Other relevant features, such as cut and paste, are only a touch away for the ultimate smartphone experience.
The on-screen SureType hybrid alpha-numeric/QWERTY keyboard, first introduced with BlackBerry Pearl phones, places two letters on each button of the keyboard layout and the Storm automatically determines which letter is the intended one based on what it predicts you are trying to spell. SureType also learns the words you use most often, further enhancing your typing speed.
View your favorite web sites the way they were meant to be seen with the high-performance web browser that works in either portrait or landscape orientation. Navigating Web sites is fast and easy with the touch-screen interface that lets users double tap to zoom in and slide their fingers to scroll and pan. Icons along the bottom of the display allow for quickly accessing Web sites, switching between Page View and Column View as well as the ability to toggle between Pan mode and Cursor mode.The enhanced browser supports file downloading, streaming audio and video (RTSP), and built-in RSS support--enabling content from supported Web sites to be automatically pushed to directly to you.
Whether you're on the clock or out-and-about, the Storm has the tools to keep you productive. Access up to ten supported personal and corporate email accounts, including the most popular ISP email servers, using BlackBerry Internet Service. View and revise Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files using Word To-Go or Slideshow To-Go. And keep your schedule on track with the advance calendar function, which allows you to check appointments or make new ones in just a few clicks.
In addition to the industry's leading mobile email and messaging solution, the Storm supports text (SMS), picture (MMS) and instant messaging (IM) on today's most popular platforms as well as social networking sites. Take your social life on-the-go with Facebook for BlackBerry and Flickr Photo Uploader for BlackBerry applications (pre-installed on the Storm). A Mobile IM feature provides access to Google Talk, MSN, Yahoo!, Windows Live, and AIM instant messaging services.
Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.
The media player can play movies smoothly in full-screen mode, display pictures and slideshows quickly and manage an entire music collection (compatible with MP3, WMA, and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ formats). Playlists can be created directly on the handset and there's an equalizer with 11 preset filters--including Lounge, Jazz and Hip Hop--for customized audio ranges when using wired headphones or external speakers. The Storm has 1 GB of internal memory--enough to store 250 tunes--which can be expanded via optional MicroSD/SDHD memory cards (up to 16 GB in size).
Other features include:
3.2 megapixel camera with variable zoom, auto focus and a powerful flash that also provides continuous lighting when recording video
Built-in GPS supports location-based applications and services, as well as geotagging of photos
An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts backlighting for ideal screen viewing and an accelerometer that allows customers to view applications in either portrait or landscape mode by simply rotating the handset
Visual voicemail allows you to browse your in-box and choose the messages to listen to with just a few clicks.
Record and send verbal reminders to yourself and others with the easy-to-use Voice Notes feature, which allows you to recored, pause, and resume your voice notes in the push of a button.
Enhanced noise cancellation to offset background noise
Low-distortion speakerphone
3.5 mm stereo headset jack
Polyphonic and MP3 real-music ringtones
MicroUSB connector for charging and data transfer
Removable battery
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), PBA (transfer contacts)
Vital Statistics The BlackBerry Storm weighs 5.5 ounces and measures 4.43 x 2.45 x 0.55 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6 hours of talk time, and up to 15 days of standby time. It runs on Verizon Wireless's 800/1900 CDMA/EV-DO frequencies while in the United States, and it can connect to 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks as well as 2100 MHz UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 3G frequencies when outside the U.S.
Click here for more information about BlackBerry Storm 9530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
LG Versa VX9600 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This a great little phone. Its essentially an upgraded LG Dare with an attachable keyboard. I've been through a few Verizon phones, so let me just lay out the good and bad points about this phone.
The good:
- Sensitive touchscreen
- Responsive accelerometer
- Great call quality, with no dropped calls (You really can't beat Verizons coverage)
- Good battery life
- Nice attachable keyboard
- Not as bulky as a smartphone
- Nice browser that supports full HTML and Flash
- A decent MP3 player
- Additional attachments on the way
- Expandable memory
The Bad:
- Screen gets dirty fast, a problem common to touch screen phones
- Battery takes a long time to charge fully
- 2.5mm jack instead of the normal 3.5mm headphone jack, strange considering part of its draw is its MP3 ability
- The attachable keyboard case is not very attractive
- the screen on the keyboard case is lousy - It looks like something you'd find on the cell phones of the 90s.
- No dial pad on the outside of the keyboard case.
-Micro SD card slot is not accessible when the keyboard is attached.
Despite my listed complaints, I still think this phone is a great investment. If you can't afford a smartphone, this is the next best thing. It makes texting a breeze, and looks cool too.
Click Here to see more reviews about: LG Versa VX9600 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)
The LG Versa for Verizon Wireless provides the best of two mobile technologies, combining a 3-inch touchscreen featuring tactile feedback with an attachable QWERTY keypad (sold separately) for easy typing of long messages and email while on the go. This phone is compatible with the V Cast Music and V CAST Music with Rhapsody services, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon's fast EV-DO data network. You'll also benefit from the phone's A-GPS receiver, which enables you to access Verizon's VZ Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions. Additionally, the Versa is compatible with the Mobile Broadband Connect service, allowing you to use the phone as a modem for your laptop.
Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, multi-format digital audio player, Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (up to 16 GB), a full HTML browser with support for Flash and RSS feeds, Visual Voicemail, and up to 4.8 hours of talk time.
Verizon Wireless Service With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon Wireless multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you'll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.
In addition to the V Cast Music service, this phone is also compatible with the Verizon Wireless V CAST Music with Rhapsody, which enables you to access this exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks and for MTV Networks. V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers. In addition, customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.
With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access the Verizon Wireless VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps. And the Chaperone service lets you easily locate your loved ones from your Verizon Wireless phone or PC in real time. After defining a zone, such as an area designating a school or summer camp, you'll be sent an alert via text message when the Chaperone handset enters or leaves the zone.
Getting on the Internet is easy using the Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. The Verizon Wireless Media Center wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Media Center service.
With BroadbandAccess Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices.
Phone Features The LG Versa is an elegant candybar-style touchscreen phone that also has an optional attachable QWERTY keyboard (sold separately) for those times when you need to type a lot of messages while on the go. The 3-inch touchscreen (240 x 480 pixels, 262K colors) features an animated 3D interface and you can customize up to three home screens with favorite features and applications. The built-in accelerometer rotates the screen automatically from portrait to landscape, and you can use rotation movements to steer games. An ambient light sensor controls the brightness on the LCD according to surrounding light, and a proximity sensor turns LCD off when placing a call. The touchscreen also offers a virtual QWERTY keyboard.
The phone securely attaches to the optional folding QWERTY keyboard, which helps protect the screen. When attached to the keyboard, the leather-like back of the phone includes a secondary monochrome OLED screen that provides quick access to current time, signal strength, and battery life.
This phone provides the latest version of Bluetooth connectivity--version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), which makes pairing with the included headset as well as other Bluetooth devices a snap. With EDR, you'll get a faster connection that makes transferring files and using the phone as a modem for your laptop hum along nicely. And with the embedded A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones or other compatible devices. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server (additional charges applicable).
The 2-megapixel camera offers five resolution options--1600 x 1200 (default), 1280 x 960, 800 x 400, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 pixels--and a 2x digital zoom. It offers advanced features including face detection, SmartPic Technology (which helps to compensate face color), customizable brightness and white balance settings, multiple shutter sounds (including silent), and a self-timer. After snapping your pics, you can use the image editor to zoom, rotate, crop, add frames and icons, and write over images. This phone also captures videos with sound in three resolutions--640 x 480, 320 x 240, 176 x 144 pixels (default)--and you can choose to record 30-second videos for sending via messaging or up to an hour for saving to your PC.
The digital audio player offers compatibility for MP3, WMA and unprotected AAC/AAC+ formats, and the phone allows you to multitask while playing music--hide player to send messages, edit contacts, and browse the Web. You can create and manage playlists right on the phone and the library can be organized by artist, genre and album. This phone also has a music-only mode (or flight mode) where the cellular radio is turned off, enabling you to still play music (Bluetooth connectivity is still operable).
The HTML Web browser includes Flash and RSS feed support, and you can keep up to three windows open and switch from one window to the other to view pages. You'll be able to keep up with your personal email with built-in connections to MSN Hotmail, AOL, and Yahoo! accounts. In addition to SMS text and MMS multimedia messaging, you can also access popular instant messaging (IM) services (AIM, MSN, Yahoo!). T9 predictive text entry technology makes it easier for entering text while composing email and text messages.
Other features include:
MicroSD memory slot with support for cards up to 16 GB in size
Visual Voice Mail: delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions
USB Mass Storage: transfer files between microSD card and PC
2.5 mm headset jack
Text, picture and video messaging
Supports threaded messaging
Personal organizer with calculator, EZ Tip Calculator, calendar, alarm clock, stopwatch, world clock, notepad, and drawing pad with character recognition
Speakerphone and voice commands
Bilingual interface – English and Spanish
Phonebook with up to 1,000 entries with multiple contacts
TTY/TDD-capable
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4/T4
In Case of Emergency contacts
Vital Statistics The LG Versa weighs 3.81 ounces and measures 4.16 x 2.07 x 0.54 inches. Its 1100 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.8 hours (290 minutes) of talk time, and up to 430 hours (17.9 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as the Verizon Wireless EV-DO data network.
Click here for more information about LG Versa VX9600 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)
Saturday, October 29, 2011
LG GW525 Calisto Quad-Band GSM Cell Phone with QWERTY Slider Keypad, Full Touch Display, 3 MP Camera --International Version with Warranty (Orange) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I did manage to configure the GW525 with full Internet and MMS functions on the AT&T network. You'll find those at the end of this review. Amazon won't show the username for the AT&T network or the URL for MMS, but those are really easy to find on Google.
The LG GW525 is an interesting little phone in that it doesn't look like it should have the capabilities it has. There's a lot of stuff packed into such a small, cheap and ultimately kiddy looking phone, which gives it a quirky appeal. Unfortunately its features are bogged down by a sluggish interface and functionalites and lackluster UI design.
To compare the GW525 with similar phones like the Samsung Impression for instance, the Impression is a superior phone by far, mainly because of its functionality, intuitiveness and speed. But the GW525 has some things to offer if you're willing to put up with a few nuances.
Pros:
Flexible texting and multimedia features:
The GW525 has feature rich photo and video editors. You can even insert photos into your video and you can export video scenes as photos. And when I say rich I mean you can select videos and photos, drop them into the movie editor with a title, credits, color grading and transitions with a soundtrack. The photo editor is equally good. With enough light the camera takes awesome vivid photos. In low light photos are soft, flat and grainy. Although you can adjust the exposure setting.
Threaded text messages:
This feature is great for keeping track of text conversations. Layout and design is nice and this is one of the phone's best features.
POP3 and IMAP support out the box:
You're able to configure unlimited pop3 and imap accounts including native support for Microsoft Exchange.
Full Address Support:
This is one my biggest peeves for cell phones. My friends have physical homes not just cells and email. So I always look for address books that support home addresses, businesses and websites and fortunately the GW525 supports this and more with business info, web info and birthdays and anniversary settings that automatically ask you if you want these events transferred to your calendar.
Support for Google, gmail, Youtube and Blogger. I use blogger so it's a nice plus.
Document Support: you can view PDFs, Word files, Excel files and Power Point presentations though on the small screen it's a bit of a chore.
So what's the bad?
The touch interface is slow and sluggish with plenty of lag. It can take up to 5 seconds to access your photos, videos and music and it can take as long as 1-3 seconds for the touchscreen to respond to a swipe if you're browsing photos for example. Most of the time though the touch screen response is adequate.
Screen real estate at 2.8 inches is way too small for what the phone can do. Many icons are simply too small to manipulate to the point of needing a stylus to get any consistent accuracy. If you want to add a photo to a contact for example, it's very easy to select the wrong photo while scrolling through your library. Then you have to just start the process all over again. Trying to select the scroll bar on the side is also hit and miss without a stylus.
The browser is a complete disaster. It does not have a dedicated button to call up the hidden browser like on the Impression for example. Touching the screen calls up the browser. So if you want to click a link, you'll call up the browser instead. It took a dozen tries to select the profile link on Facebook. Also the browser will confuse you wanting to scroll around the screen with resizing the page. A simple drag to scroll around the page will instead render your text so tiny it's unreadable. It does allow for tabbed browsing so I guess it's not a complete disaster.
No G3. When you try to view HD videos on youtube this limitation will be very apparent as it chokes on the higher bandwidth. SD video works fine.
This is an unlocked (though not unbranded) cell phone so it's pretty stripped down in terms of software. I never thought I'd miss the stuff AT&T forces you to take, but some things like IM integration (AIM, Yahoo!, Windows Live) I did actually miss.
LiveSquare features Avatars for people who call and text you. They hang out on one of two backgrounds (you can add your own though) and you can interact with these avatars (human or animal) to call or text your friends back, access their contact listing, etc. There is a wide variety of avatar choices though they don't really change all that much. Honestly this is a very gimmicky feature that mainly kids would like, but it is kinda cool.
I like the feel of the keys. Where the keys on the Impression feel sorta soft and mushy the keys on the GW525 are firm and snappy.
Sound quality is ok for calls but the audio for music sounds awesome. No audio jack though that's always a bummer.
I like the feel of the back of the phone. It feels almost like wetsuit material. So if you manage to drop the GW525 in water I believe there's a really good chance it'll survive.
Overall it's a decent phone. If LG increases the screen size to 3.2, optimize the OS so you lose the lag and get G3 working and this would be an awesome phone.
Phone calls and text will work as soon as you put your sim in. But we've got some work to do to get all the other functions up and running. You'll need to manually configure the GW525 for Internet Access, Streaming Access, Java Apps, MMS, and email. Unfortunately these are scattered all over the place but not to worry this will guide you through and get the phone up and running in a few minutes on the AT&T Network.
Touch the main menu button (4 dots in the square) touch settings and connectivity.
First you need to configure your access, so click Access Points and input the following data:
Add Access Point
Name it whatever you want
Bearer: GPRS
Authentication: PAP
Username: [...] (all caps)
Password: CINGULAR1
APN: wap.cingular
That's all done. Now go to Internet Profiles
Title: Whatever you want.
Use Proxy: ON
Proxy server address: 66.209.11.32 (you probably won't be able to enter letters)
(type in 66.209.011.32 and go back to delete the zero in front of the 11.32)
Proxy server port: 80
Access Point: Select the Access Point you just configured and save.
Now let's get the MMS working.
Click Messaging
Scroll to the bottom and click Settings
Click Multimedia message
Scroll to the bottom and click Multi msg centre
Click Add centre
Name it whatever you want
MMSC URL: [...]
Internet profile: Select the Internet profile you configured
Now let's get streaming working or sites like youtube won't work.
Click Connectvity
Go to: Streaming settings
Change the UDP ports to their minimum and maximum.
Internet profile: Select the Internet profile you created
Save
One more to go for when you download an alternative browser and other java apps otherwise they won't work
Connectivity:
Java settings
Profiles
Add Profile
Name it
Select the Internet profile you created
Activate
Configuring your email is straight forward. Regular POP3 and IMAP settings.
Now you're good to go.
Click Here to see more reviews about: LG GW525 Calisto Quad-Band GSM Cell Phone with QWERTY Slider Keypad, Full Touch Display, 3 MP Camera --International Version with Warranty (Orange)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
LG GW525 Calisto Quad-Band GSM Cell Phone with QWERTY Slider Keypad, Full Touch Display, 3 MP Camera --International Version with Warranty (White) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)i bought this mobile but a few days ago and just received it today. first off BIG THANK YOU to the oem shop for great communication & customer service. i actually receieved my phone a day before the estimated delivery!!
they also sent me exactly what i ordered including the international charger which i need when going back to UK for school.
i did order this mobile off of another site and they not only sent me the wrong colour but also with no adaptor so this was a pleasant suprise. aside from that the phone is great and i use it with a combination of at&t and o2 networks and it has no problem recognising my sim. the buttons are very easy to type on and the mobile is a good size-much bigger than the ks360. so far i have no problems with it & i hope to not run into any but for the price i paid this is def worth it :]
Click Here to see more reviews about: LG GW525 Calisto Quad-Band GSM Cell Phone with QWERTY Slider Keypad, Full Touch Display, 3 MP Camera --International Version with Warranty (White)
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