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Nov

Initial Impressions Of The DROID DNA: This Could Be The DROID You're Looking For

Posted by David Ruddock in DROID DNA, News, Phone Reviews, Verizon Wireless

The DROID DNA is, without a doubt, the most exciting HTC phone to come to Verizon since the original Incredible. And I can already tell you that it doesn't disappoint - this is a serious effort from HTC, whose US handset sales have dropped sharply in the last year. It could be the phone that catapults them back into relevance.

After spending a short amount of time with it, I'm going to try and give you my first-blush reaction to this spec sheet titan. (The full review should be coming some time next week.)

The Display: Not the jaw-dropper we were expecting.

Nov

Sony Xperia Miro Review: The Ford KA Of Phones - You'll Get From A To B, But The Ride Might Be A Little Rough

Posted by John Thompson in Phone Reviews, Vodafone, Xperia miro

It was only a couple of months ago that Sony introduced its new budget smartphone - the Xperia tipo - but after implementing a few spec boosts and increasing the size of the screen, they're ready for round 2, and this time they've brought the Xperia miro into the ring.

There's no doubt that the miro is still very much a budget smartphone, it's available for £150 SIM-free, but Sony has managed to make it look and feel the part thanks to a nice plastic material covering the back, and an LED which shines between the screen and capacitive touch buttons each time you turn on the display.

Nov

Xperia TX Review: Just Another Pretty Sony Phone That Isn't Very Good

Posted by David Ruddock in Phone Reviews, Xperia T

Last Updated: November 7th, 2012

If you're not much a classic car nut, and you were to walk up to a stylish little 1968 Opel GT, like this one, you'd probably think "Wow, is that... Italian? It must be fast (for its age)."

Of course, you would be wrong. The Opel GT is, in fact, based on the rather pedestrian Opel Kadett - seen here. The GT was not particularly quick, expensive, or really even that rare. In fact, Opel sold over 100,000 of them. And why? Because they were small and pretty and, even in the US, a lot cheaper than a Corvette.

Oct

[Review] Motorola DROID RAZR HD: Far From Perfect, But I Love It Anyway

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in News, Phone Reviews, RAZR HD / RAZR MAXX HD, Verizon Wireless

As we all know by now, Google purchased Motorola in August of 2011 for a whopping $12.1 billion. Nerds rejoiced, analysts balked, and the general public didn't really notice or care. But Motorola's newest wave of handsets - the excellent Razr M and the new Razr HD/ Razr Maxx HD - aren't the result of Google ownership. They were already in the pipeline, so they're products of the old Motorola.

I'm happy to report that the analysts' skepticism was unfounded. The Razr M hinted that Motorola was already on the right track before being acquired; the Razr HD confirms it. Although it has some silly software flaws, it's one of the most lovable devices I've used in ages.

Oct

Optimus G Review: Has LG Finally Entered The Big Leagues?

Posted by David Ruddock in AT&T, Optimus G, Phone Reviews, Sprint

Every once in a while, we have one of those moments in our lives when we try something for the first time, and we think to ourselves "I'm going to remember this moment - the moment when I discovered this thing." Be it food, some sort of gadget, a television show, or a musical artist, it's the kind of thing that sticks with you, at least for a while.

And when it comes to smartphones, there haven't been too many devices that really gave me that feeling. The iPhone - for just changing the shape of the industry. The Nexus One, as the first Android "superphone," and my personal introduction to the OS.

Oct

LG Escape For AT&T Review: The Best Budget Phone I've Ever Reviewed

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in AT&T, Escape 4G LTE, Phone Reviews

When it comes to the newest generation of phones, "budget" is closer to "flagship" than ever before. Two months ago, I reviewed the free-on-contract Pantech Marauder and came away highly impressed. Ron, too, reviewed the $100 Motorola Razr M and said "This is what budget phones are like now? Where do I sign up?" The old budget formula of taking last-gen hardware and slapping it in a cheap chassis has given way to current-gen hardware in a better chassis - not to mention that the optimizations and polish of Android 4.0 make the experience better than ever on virtually any level of hardware.

Sep

LG Intuition Review: Quirky Can Be Fun - Unless You Sacrifice Everything To Get There

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Intuition, Phone Reviews, Verizon Wireless

If you're a close follower of tech, you're probably familiar with the LG Intuition, or at least its European brother, the Optimus Vu. The major selling point: a 5", 1024x768 (4:3) display. Sure, the other specs are noteworthy in that they match other high-end phones, with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU, 1GB RAM, Android 4.0, and LTE. But that massively wide screen is undoubtedly going to be the talking point.

And talk people will. It's hard not to remark on just how ridiculous it looks and feels. At first, anyway. After using it for a few minutes, though, it suddenly seems somehow normal that it's so absurdly large.

Sep

Huawei Mercury Ice For RadioShack Wireless Quick Review: A Burner Phone For A More Civilized World

Posted by David Ruddock in Cricket Wireless, Mercury, Phone Reviews

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gee, I wish I could get a real smartphone for $150 with no contractual commitment"? Well, you can. One with a 4" display, front and rear cameras, a microSD card slot, and a 1GHz processor. For half the price of the original Motorola Pebl (that thing cost $300 back in the day).

Oh, how far we've come.

But do you want a $150 smartphone? I mean, that all depends. Do you conduct most of your "business" via the web? Push email can be a real lifesaver. Real-time Google Maps navigation will always get you to the right empty lot as quickly as possible, and Google Calendar reminders will make organizing your protection money collection schedule a breeze.

Aug

T-Mobile MyTouch Q Review: There Are Good Budget Phones, And Then There's The MyTouch Q

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in myTouch Q, News, Phone Reviews, T-Mobile

With a 1.4GHz single-core CPU, a majorly outdated version of Android, and a $50 price tag, the MyTouch Q is a hard sell to enthusiasts. (In fact, I'd bargain that literally no enthusiasts would buy it.) But as I explained just a few days ago, there's a lot more to the smartphone picture than devices that cost a few hundred dollars and can do everything short of make breakfast. A very large percentage of consumers have no desire to use their phone as a media streaming device or a mobile gaming powerhouse. They instead prefer to buy something simple that won't overwhelm them with gizmos they don't need, and save some cash in the process.

Aug

Pantech Marauder Review: "Budget" Isn't Such A Bad Place To Be

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Marauder, Phone Reviews, Verizon Wireless

While everyone loves to gush over flagship phones, the truth of the matter is that for many customers, cheaper phones - be they last-gen's flagships or this-gen's budget devices - are the route of choice. Traditionally, the former route tended to work out better, especially for enthusiasts; after all, generation-old flagships tend to still outperform and out-feature current-gen budget devices. Plus, high-end devices generally have a ton of developer support and are usually better supported by the manufacturer. But is buying a used flagship still the better option for a budget-conscious consumer? After spending some time with a brand new budget phone from Pantech and Verizon, I'm not so sure.