But the cheap priced and compact notebooks do actually fulfill the regular need of the user, although they have some flaws that are generally overlooked by a regular user. The flaw could be in the keyboard or in the track pad of the device. Nevertheless, price does seem to allure people in the market and they are ready to bear few burdens for a reduced price.

Lenovo ideapad u300s fits exactly in that category where you get it for a fairly lesser price than others in the market and a good performance in general. This review was quite hard to make as the more flaws we took out in this notebook; the more difficult it was to place in its respective category.

On one hand if we say it’s a notebook with many flaws, yet on the other hand it comes in just $1095 with an awesome display, a fast boot up time and keyboard that has backlights! Tough isn’t it? Well, anyways, lets jump into the review and see what is in store for us.

ideapad u300s

Design and body

At the very outset, it appears that Lenovo ideapad u300s does not try to look very good and sleek. The design looks more like a closed book with pages stuffed in between. The center of the upper flap and the bottom flap are at a little distance more than the edges. There is nothing ergonomic about it as it weighs about 2.95 pound in hand and does really give any great grip. It appears that the makers of this notebook paid absolutely no attention to its physical design and outlook, much of which others in the market do as looks sell really well.

ideapad u300s left

The body of Lenovo ideapad u300s is made up of one complete sheet of aluminum and covers smoothly the upper and bottom lids, interior and bezels. You do not find any screws, or knobs or any openings in the entire body, except for the logo (which is metallic) on the upper cover and the four legs at the bottom. The body of this kind is prone to scratches and for a person who wants to keep it in the bag needs to buy a sleeve that protects it. Among all the colors available, the “Clementine Orange” looks cool, or rather better than others. The graphite gray is also pretty good looking.

ideapad u300s right

The overall look of the Lenovo ideapad u300s shows that it is well made just like the Acer’s Aspire S3 and MAC Book Air. It just looks a little different and appeals to a different audience altogether. There is one thing missing in this sized notebook and that is Memory card slot, which is quite uncommon for notebooks of this category. Apart from this, all other necessary ports are available on it. Lenovo did not get the memory card slot back since it omitted it in its previous model Lenovo ideapad u260. Thank God, at least the backlit keyboard is back!

Trackpad and Keyboard

The keyboard of Lenovo ideapad u300s is the similar kind that you see on any netbook, particularly the previous Lenovo netbooks. The keys are well placed and are easy to type. However, they are too flat on the surface of the keyboard. The trackpad has been improved by the makers and it is as smooth as the one you find in the MAC air book. The friction on the pad is pretty less which makes it easy for the cursor to move around.

The keypad of Lenovo ideapad u300s is the best that has been seen in any of the Ultra netbooks until now. But that doesn’t necessary make it the best in the market.

Sound and Display screen

Lenovo ideapad u300s has a 13.3” screen with a 1366×768 resolution, which is pretty low when compared to its competitors. Imagine who would prefer this netbook when Zenbook UX312 has a resolution of up to 1600 x 900? But still this shouldn’t be a drawback for U300 as it can hardly be identified.

The viewing angles of Lenovo ideapad u300s display varies between the top view and side view. The clarity is good from side angles; however, watching the screen from top is nearly impossible. Additionally, it comes equipped with the Intel wireless Display, which was not present in any of the Ultra series netbooks previously. So, this is a good add on. Now you can simply stream any video on TV or monitors without the hassles of wires.

As far as audio is concerned, Lenovo ideapad u300s gives an acceptable output. Nothing new to discuss about it except that it has SRS speakers.

Lenovo ideapad u300s is priced at $1095 and above. With such a price tag, it surely isn’t a good choice as compared to its competitors in the market. But it surely is one of the good Ultrabooks, it not the best netbook!

The device doesn’t really look like something new as the specs are same old with only the display being bigger. Much more was expected from HTC, especially after 8 months of releasing the HTC sensation. The HTC Vivid doesn’t come for a cheap price. It is priced as per its specifications and fits in the same row as the sensation and EVO.

Here are the main features of the HTC Vivid smartphone:

• Support for Triband 3G; Quad-band GSM
• 5.76 Mbps HSUPA & 21 Mbps HSDPA
• Compatibility for LTE network
• 4.5 inches LCD touch display with 540×960 pixels and gorilla glass
• Android Gingerbread Operating System version-2.3.4 with HTC Sense 3.0
• Snapdragon S3 chip from Qualcomm; 1.2 GHz dual Scorpion CPUs
• 16 GB storage space builtin and 1GB RAM; 32GB (upto) microSD slot
• 1.3 megapixel front camera and 8 MegaPixel autofocus back camera with LED flash
• 1080p and 720p video recording
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA; HTC Portable Hotspot; GPS with A-GPS
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor and an auto-brightness sensor
• Stereo FM radio with RDS; 3.5 mm Standard audio jack (SRS enhancement)
• stereo Bluetooth v3.0 and microUSB port (for charging)
• MHL TV-out (requires MHL-to-HDMI adapter)
• Voice and Smart dialing
• DivX/XviD video support
• HTCSense.com integration
• Office document editor

Drawbacks

Although HTC Vivid comes as a fully loaded smartphone, the performance of the screen is not up to the mark. The phone is also much heavier than expected with a net weight of 177 grams. The black color version of this smartphone faces heavy dust and fingerprints problem, mainly due to the fine glossy finish of the body. Lastly, surprisingly there is no separate button for the camera on the phone.

In the box

The retail box of HTC Vivid has one important accessory missing and that is the earphones. For some reason HTC threw it out of it and included a few booklets along with the regular charger and a cable for USB. It is well understood why HTC removed the extra SD cards, but its hard to assume why earphones went missing.

HTC Vivid retail box

Body and Design

There is nothing much to say about how beautiful this phone looks as it sports the regular “HTC look”. But this isn’t a drawback for this Smartphone as there are many HTC fans out there in the world who love to go by its look. In fact, many prefer the looks to be as it is and that only the functionality of it should improve. Amazing isn’t it?

The built of HTC Vivid is very strong and solid from outside; however, the same cannot be said about the internal parts. From outside, it’s dressed up in glossy plastic which can bring in the problem of fingerprints and smudges, especially if the color is black. HTC surely disappoints its fans in this case as all the previous built of the smart phones were free from this problem.

HTC Vivid top and bottom

The body weighs 177 gms at 128.8×67.1×11.2 mm size. This weight isn’t pocket friendly as most of the android phones with 4.5 inches screen are lighter. This Smartphone is available in both white as well as black color thus covering most of the audience.

As far as the 4.5 inches display goes, HTC Vivid falls back in line just like all its predecessors. HTC always had this flaw in their Smart phones, especially the angle of view and outdoor usability. The phone is nowhere closer to the super AMOLED plus unit of Galaxy Samsung II in terms of the display.

Below the display, HTC Vivid sports the 4 regular touch buttons. Earpiece, proximity sensors, LED notification light, front camera and ambient light are all placed above the display.

On the right of the unit is the volume control while on the left you find MicroUSB which also serves as the charging port. On the top of the HTC Vivid, you find 3.5 mm audio Jack along with the Lock/Power button.

The back of Smartphone has a neatly finished metal cover which is slightly textured. It is here that you find the main camera of 8 megapixels with LED flash light. The speakers are placed just beside it. The MicroSD and SIM cards are not hot swappable.

HTC Vivid back

The battery in HTC Vivid is 1620 mAh is awesome and above the regular expectations. After using it for 1 hour each for Video playback, web browsing and phone calls, the phone needs recharge after 42 hours. This is pretty good for such a heavily loaded Smartphone.

Let us now look at the HTC Vivid’s software part.

HTC Sense 3.0 and Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread

The software line up of the phone is similar to the previous HTC releases. HTC sense 3.0 and Android 2.3.4 can be found on many smart phones including the EVO 3D, Amaze 4G and Sensation 4G.

User Interface

The UI of HTC Vivid comprises of a similar look as the previous phones. The lock screen has 4 shortcuts and a ring at the bottom. When you move the shortcut icons into the ring, respective application opens up. When you move the ring to the center of the screen, the phone gets unlocked. One can easily customize the 4 shortcuts. Apart from these, you see the time clock and home screen when the phone is locked.

The HTC Vivid has different home screens (seven) which can be further customized. The arc given at the bottom indicates the home screen you are on. By clicking on the home button you get all the screens at once. It also comes with a new option known as Skins. The Skin is like a theme that changes the feel and look of the buttons, applications, menus etc.

Hardware

The HTC Vivid sports the chip from Qualcomm, called the Snapdragon S3, having 1 GB RAM and 1.2 GHz dual core. Tests have shown that 1.5 GHz dual core CPU performs much better than the 1.2 GHz. This Smart phone however did not come out with flying colors in the test. The browser also isn’t too impressive rather HTC Vivid is left behind in this too. However, the daily routine can easily by carried out on this phone without much of hassles.

Camera and Camcorder

HTC Vivid also features the 8 mega pixels camera that can give still shots of resolution 3264×2448 pixels. Its camcorder can record up to 1080p video at 30 fps. There is dual-LEF flash and surprisingly, a video light too. The low light performance is managed by the wide aperture lens.

The virtual shutter is at the center and controls are on the right side of the viewfinder. The focus can be managed by just touching the screen and it makes a sound which makes you understand that it is adjusting. The loading speed of the camera is pretty good as it takes half a second to come up. HTC Vivid can take high detailed pics with excellent colors and low levels of noise.

The camcorder shoots video in 3gp format and has full HD quality. You can select the 1080p on FullHD to open the full screen of the video. In short, the video shots are excellent and camcorder works perfectly and produces excellent quality result.

Networking and Connectivity

HTC Vivid features the Tri band 3G and EDGE/Quad band GSM/GPRS and benefits much from Snapdragon S3 chip. The compatibility with LTE network is the additional benefit of it and can easily deliver speeds up to 50 Mbps for downloads on the brand new 4G network of AT&T, which is much faster than what people usually use. Full DLNA support and Wi-fi b/g/n forms the local connectivity part in it. It also features HTC portable hotspot.

Other features

HTC Vivid features the HTC’s well known phone book that has a deep integration with social networking. It works and maintains data in organized manner even though there is constant communication between phone book and other social networking platforms. Various tabs are provided in the phone book so as to select the group, call log or use the menu drop down to filter out contacts from various platforms. When it comes to being a networking tool, HTC Vivid is surely a winner. Nearly all the platforms like facebook, twitter, flickr, gmail, etc work like a charm.

It features both smart as well as voice dialing. The dialer on the screen has a keypad, a tab for call log and another one for fetching contacts. The ringer can be muted by turning the phone upside down while loudspeaker can be enabled by turning it upside down during the call. The volume of the ring automatically increases when the phone is kept in the pocket. The Proximity sensor comes into play here.

Conclusion

In April 2011, HTC sensation 4G thrilled everyone with its new design, look and feel and of course with the entire set of new features. A great effort was put by HTC in making it. Having raised the bar for themselves, HTC was expected to take out something different from what is now usual for its smart phones. It’s December 2011 and yet we see a similar phone like sensation coming out with just few upgrades and added features. This could have been taken out as an upgraded version of HTC Sensation or EVDO 3D. Well, let’s hope that after HTC Vivid, they do think about something different!

Check out the hands on video review of HTC Vivid below:

The other features include opera touch browser, Easy Mode with large icons which are all dedicated to the touch capabilities. Asus Eee Top also provides you with the Eee Cinema multimedia center and SRS library manager for entertainment purpose.

ASUS Eee top appears to be more like an LCD monitor, but it is more than just that. From the picture you can make out that it does not require to be connected to a cpu or require a keyboard or a mouse. As a matter of fact, the optical drive is not missing and can be found on the right side. This is quite surprising as that is the most basic thing required in nearly all gadgets that are called computers.

ASUS Eee top

ASUS Eee top includes all the capabilities to go wireless as well as go video conferencing online. It includes a web camera that is integrated on the top. The performance of the wireless and related devices is pretty good and can be used for business purposes. Behind the system is a handle that makes it easy to carry from one room to another.

ASUS Eee top backside

Here are the specifications of ASUS Eee top:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (T6600) at 2.2GHz
• Memory: 4GB or 8GB RAM (DDR2)
• Hard drive: 500GB SATA @ 5400 RPM
• Optical drive: DVD+/-RW SuperMulti drive
• Sound: High Definition audio Integrated
• Display: 21.6″ screen with a display of resolution 1920×1080; Touch Screen
• Microphone, mouse, wireless keyboard, 5-in-1 card reader and 1.0MP webcam
• Video card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
• Wireless networking: Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11/b/g/n
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Dimensions: 21.60 x 1.90 x 17.70 inches (WxDxH)
• Warranty (limited): 1 year on labor & parts

Since it is a touchscreen and other external accessories are absent, the screen had to be of descent size. The screen comes in 21.6 inches size diagonally. The body of ASUS Eee top is covered with plastic, a thin plastic, which gives you the feel of ancient mobiles that had touchscreens initially.

In addition to this the Eee Memo is a desktop notepad application with handwriting recognition. Now you can leave a note on the memo in your kitchen for your husband not to forget to buy fruits just with the use of a little finger or a stylus. Asus Eee Top is portable and comes with a handle so that it can be carried anywhere. By the way, there is no need to buy an external webcam as the ASUS Eee top comes with a built in webcam now you can do the video conferencing any time. As touchscreen is one of the redeeming features of Asus most of the applications are touch sensitive.

Advantages: It is easy to carry, can be moved around easily, good all in one computer for such a purpose. Few good apps with touch design.

Disadvantages: There are more competitors in the market and this one falls below all belonging to its category. The software for touch is really horrible.

The only thing that will drive this gadget is its price tag, portability and simple applications.

Check out the video review of ASUS Eee top below:

Today we would like to review the new Nokia E75. Announced officially at MWC 2009, It is the latest from Finnish Manufacturer in the business series segment. Claiming this phone to be the best they ever made in the messaging segment of mobile phones, the manufacturers said that they have been heavily influenced by the experience they gained from their Communicator series. The phone has a side slide, full-fledged QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash, HSDPA, Wi-Fi and A-GPS. The camera also offers that offers Macro shooting mode.

Nokia E75

In the box

Well, you can find the regular contents that any Nokia phone box. The Nokia E75 box contains the following:

• a mobile charger
• Cable for microUSB
• user manual,quick start guide
• stereo earphones
• 4GB microSD card

Body and Design

When you first look at the Nokia E75 it looks similar to Nokia E51 because it gives you the feel that it does not open and sports the same metal edging and back cover. But as we all know the famous saying that the looks can be deceiving. The Nokia E75 comes in silver black, red and copper-yellow colors. If you look at the dimensions of the phone then it is quite slender 14.4mm when you compare it with the other devices with the similar design and weighs around 139 gms.

Nokia E75 features a 2.4 inch screen having 16 million colors and 240×320 pixel resolution. Talking about colors it is worth mentioning that the Nokia E75 delivers a good image quality with saturated colors. It might get worn out in the sunlight but you can still read. Right above the display you can see the earpiece, video call camera and the light sensor.

The navigation keys aren’t easily visible which might get annoying at the start but the user will get used to it quickly as all buttons are clearly felt. The keypad of Nokia E75 is simply perfect as its easy to use any key. On either sides you can see the microSDHC and microUSB card slots both covered with a secure rubber flaps, the volume keys, voice recognition button and camera shutter. You can also find a 3.5mm jack on the top side which is a nice extra feature.

When you slide the QWERTY keyboard of Nokia E75 it feels fairly easy to push open the sliding mechanism is simply awesome. The buttons are finely aligned and arranged in four rows. The keys are large enough for the people with thicker fingers. Very soon you will get used to the keys as pressing those feels clearly discernible. There is a metal part which runs along the middle part of the keyboard and ends just above the space button. The keys are very impressive and the best we have ever come across.

The Nokia E75 is certainly the best messaging phone Nokia has ever manufactured and it is thinner than any other sliding phone and features the best QWERTY keyboard. Additionally, the new Nokia messaging app makes your life easier in terms of email correspondence, giving you speed, comfort and ease of use.

Unfortunately you may have to compromise with the in-call quality as we expected it to be far more from a high range phone. But the voice of people when using the headset was barely audible and sometimes muted whereas the person on the other end could hear loud and clear and claimed the sound to be very realistic though it was getting a bit sharp at times. The built-in loudspeaker is also not loud enough and near to impractical. The battery is supposed to provide 5 hours of talk time or 280 hours of continuous standby, but to our surprise the battery lasted for two days. But we have to admit that Nokia E75 comes with quite a price tag when compared to the other devices.

Check the video review of Nokia E75 below:

The ASUS N10 comes in sleek light gold color and mostly aimed for the business sectors. It is available both at the retailer as well as the reseller. If you buy it from the retailer then you will not be able to upgrade the hard drive or memory or any other component as it would void the warranty, but if you buy it from the reseller then you might be able to customize your notebook.

ASUS N10

Today let’s review the ASUS N10 JC. The specifications for this netbook are:

• Screen: 10.2 inches 1024 x 600 Glossy LED (WSVGA ), with Ambient Light Sensor
• Processor: Intel Atom N270 processor @ 1.66Ghz
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• Nvidia 9300m GS DDR2 256MB
• Memory: 1GB PC-5300 667 DDR2
• Hard Disc: 160GB 5400 rpm with Freefall Sensor (Seagate)
• Wireless: Bluetooth V2.0 + EDR, Atheros AR92X Wireless Network Adapter (A/B/G/N)
• Ports and Slots: microphone input, VGA monitor out, 3 USB 2.0, HDMI, Kensington lock slot, headphone jack, Line-out/ S/PDIF, Ethernet 10/100, ExpressCard/34, Microphone-in, and 8-in-1 SD card reader (SDHC compatible)
• Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3 + Express Gate.
• Features:  Fingerprint reader; Built in 1.3Mp Camera; Microphone
• Battery: 6 Cell Lithium 11.1v 4800mAh 53Wh

The build and design of ASUS N10 is too classy. The glossy look and the gold color have a sparkle and draws attention. The blue status lights are not so visible during day but when in dark it gives N10 a gaming edge. The made of battery is a bit disappointing as it is made of plastic and it is not so durable.

The glossy 10.2” WSVGA LED backlit screen reflects like a mirror. There is some reflection due to the look but if that is not a problem then it should not be a major issue. The resolution of ASUS N10 display is not up to the mark. When you think of a notebook one would think that they would offer a higher resolution choice but the limiting WSVGA resolution may make some web pages hard to view and multi-tasking virtually impossible.

Nvidia 9300m GS is being used which is quite enough to play general games on the notebook. With the dedicated graphic card and its little size one would expect the notebook to produce more heat and noise. But it is quite opposite here. The ASUS N10 produced little to zero noise and heat was also considerably low. But the notebook vibrates a lot due to the hard disk movements. The keyboard is a Japanese keyboard and they keys are very smooth with sharp edge and easy to type.

On the right side of the ASUS N10 you can find the USB 2.0, Headphone(S/PDIF) out, Microphone in, VGA out, Ethernet (10/100/1000) AC power jack and ExpressCard 34 slot.  The ExpressCard slot dummy can be used to store an SD (HC) Card.

The left side is covered by Wireless On/Off, two USB 2.0, HDMI out, Graphics Toggle switch, Kingston lock.

On the front SD/MMC/MS/Pro Card reader and no ports at the back side of the notebook. The ASUS N10 has an Atheros wireless card with good range and connects almost everything. The 6 cell battery lasts for around 7 hours. On the whole the ASUS N10 does qualify as a notebook. The plus points of ASUS N10 are Switchable graphics, Easy to type keyboard/Large touchpad, good battery backup, portable, low heat and noise and its sleek design and the negative points are its dull screen, no eSATA port, the bad quality of battery.

Check out the video hands on review of ASUS N10 netbook:

Part 2:

ASUS Eee Top PC is a PC version of Apple’s iMac and is an all in one PC that keeps the wire hassle away. Then ASUS brings to you ASUS Eee Box which is again a PC version of Apple’s Mac Mini, ultra-portable PC. Now, it’s time for keyboards. ASUS Eee Keyboard PC does look like an Apple keyboard but this time this gadget is not just a keyboard, it’s a complete featured PC which appears in the form of a keyboard.

asus eee keyboard

ASUS Eee Keyboard PC is a unique gadget which was recently introduced to the public. The very sight of it reminds of the beginning of the PC era where computers were placed inside the keyboard, for example ZX Spectrum.

The ASUS Eee Keyboard comes with interesting and modern features like 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, 16 or 32 GB SSD, and a full pack of wireless protocols, including Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi and mysterious Wireless HDMI.

asus eee keyboard ports

On the right side of the gadget is placed a small 5 inched touch screen display. It can be used as a main display or an external display can also be attached via VGA port as an additional display for media player, internet surfing and few other purposes. Yes, it will be supported by the OS as an additional display and can be used for almost everything.

asus eee keyboard Touch screen

The use of modern Intel Atom platform helped ASUS to become energy efficient which was specifically done for netbooks and low-power applications. It’s true that the Intel Atom cannot bring the same processing power like the others; after all it’s a fully featured PC. But it is definitely a powerful device which will enable you to do almost every task that modern user wants to do. Performance was sacrificed to increase the battery life and we must say it was a really smart move as battery life is the most important parameter of portable devices.

Well, sorry to say but these are the only known features as of now as the ASUS Eee Keyboard did not reveal all the characteristics of the device. It is still under manufacturer’s observation. You might see few changes in the final version but no major changes will be done. It is estimated to be tagged at around $400-$600, it is worth a device. ASUS with its innovative ideas have amazed us again; let’s just wait until we get to see the ASUS Eee Keyboard when they hit the stores.

Check out the hands on review of ASUS Eee Keyboard in the video below:

Mercedes benz 2011 CL550 4Matic has many features for the convenience of the driver like night vision system, blind spot detection and also lane change warning. The navigation system is also impressive with over the top features displaying the structures in 3D and also showing detailed land routes. There is also traffic information system available.

Mercedes benz 2011 CL550 4Matic is equipped with Harman Kardon audio system which gives very impeccable sound. Mercedes has come up with a very hi tech machine that caters to customers who like luxury along with technologically advanced cabin design features. One nice feature is that seat belts need not be attached to the sides but to the seats itself. This is quite commonly seen in all the executive cars these days.

Mercedes benz 2011 CL550 4Matic is built with a 4.6 liter engine that gives a smooth ride even on a bumpy road. However at slow speeds the cruising is not optimal. For the ultra modern features that this car comes with, the price may be overlooked.

The huge V-8 engine has now been replaced with a much smaller in size one, which sure increase the fuel efficiency of the car. It increases the efficiency with air and direct injection of fuel. This is a 4.6 liter V 8 engine that will become a common engine to be used across all Mercedes cars.

This engine comes with a button that toggles between sports and economy modes. The economy mode is good enough to kick off the vehicle on the ground. But once in sports mode, Mercedes benz 2011 CL550 4Matic runs at a velocity that will amaze everyone.

Check out the below for the Road test of this vehicle:

BlackBerry Milan was a phone with 4.2 inches screen and running the blackberry’s latest upcoming Operating System 10. This OS 10 is known as BBX. The design and look of Milan was similar to Blackberry London.

The leaked information about Blackberry Milan described that the reason for cancelling its release was mainly due to hardware issues. No information was released as to what those hardware issues were.

Milan was a slider (in portrait) with a 4+ inch screen. This is a rare design for a smartphone which may not be liked by many. Although the information mentioned here about screen size maybe wrong, but the hardware issues are confirmed. One of the hardware reasons could be the clumsy handling of this phone as it is very long with a long extended keyboard.

Although this Blackberry Milan has been called off, yet RIM still can launch it as it includes BB’s new OS 10 which is set to be launched in the 3rd quarter of 2012 year. Qualcomm is yet to handover the LTE enabled chip-sets with dual core processors. Once RIM receives it, it will use it in its latest phones.

This information mentioned here could lack information, so just keep it in mind that its about an unconfirmed device, BlackBerry Milan, which got cancelled. There are many such prototypes that don’t come up to the market.

Once analyzed, it easy to make out that BlackBerry Curve 9380 is nothing but a downgraded version of Torch 9860, with a much weaker and smaller processor and absolutely nothing better to offer.  The only aspect that might allure the consumers is the price tag.

Let’s quickly look at its specifications, before going deeper into reviewing the phone.

Key specs:

3.2″ 16M-color TFT touch screen of HVGA resolution (360 x 480 pixels) / Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA / Single-core 800MHz processor / 512MB RAM / BlackBerry OS v7 / BlackBerry’s proprietary email service and data security / Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity / GPS receiver and BlackBerry maps / preloaded / 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera and a LED flash / VGA video recording @ 30 fps / 150MB of inbuilt storage / 2GB MicroSD card pre-bundled / physical buttons at the bottom / Optical track pad / Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB) / DivX and Xvid video support / Office document editor / 3.5 mm audio jack / Smart dialing / Ultra-fast boot times / Solid build quality.

Disadvantages of BlackBerry Curve 9380:

All the features of the phone cannot be enjoyed unless you have a proper BlackBerry Internet Account / A perfect deal breaker for a BlackBerry is the absence of physical QWERTY / Shockingly no front camera or video calling / The web browser does not have Flash support / Surprisingly FM Radio is missing / Screen has no haptic feedback / Loud speaker and Audio quality is pathetic.

Most of the above mentioned disadvantages are typical BlackBerry and only a frequent or hardcore BlackBerry lover can accept them. Of course how can one ignore the heavy BlackBerry Internet Service plans and high priced (but low quality) applications.

Unpacking the Box

A 2 GB MicroSD card comes along with the standard contents as a complimentary. A USB cable, charger and headphones are the regular contents of the box.

Design and Quality

The BlackBerry Curve 9380 weighs only 98 grams! Thanks to the absence of metal on it as the entire body is made up of Plastic. Even though it is very similar to Torch 9860, yet there is absolutely no use of metal on it.

The Curve 9380 has glossy plastic used across its body thus leaving the door open for smudges, finger prints and marks. The only area that is not made of this glossy plastic is the place where you find the controls. In these areas, a little rubber has been used.

With 188 PPi Pixel density, the 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen occupies most of the front part of the phone. The display is pretty good with clear viewing angles and very good color contrast. It works perfectly in sunlight too.

Just below this display, you will find the BlackBerry exclusive control combination of keys. The keys as usual include Menu, Back and call buttons. These have been made pretty big for comfortable use, unlike most of the phones in the market. The only downside to this is that all the 4 keys are a part of single plastic plate, thus making it tough for the other two keys to be used comfortably.

The MicroUSB port used for file transfer and charging is present on the left side of the BlackBerry Curve 9380 and is placed neatly. On the right of the phone are the volume keys and mute button. The mute button combines with play and pause function. There is also a separate button for camera.

On the top of the BlackBerry Curve 9380 is the lock button which again is very difficult to press. There is also a 3.5 mm jack which is left unprotected. The bottom of the phone features only the pinhole for microphone. The Camera (5 megapixel) is placed at the back along with LED flash, surrounded by rubber protection.

BlackBerry OS 7

Although this platform has been used in many other phones available in the market, it is worth mentioning about it here. This version 7 will be the last version of this Operating system before switching to the all new QNX platform. The Operating System 7 has brought about many changes that are worth mentioning like the HD video experience. The user experience has also improved a lot.

The new OS 7 is more to do with higher graphics hardware requirement and this is precisely why it cannot be used in the older BlackBerry phones. The looks of this OS 7 are essentially inspired by the Playbook’s QNX based tablet Operating System. The user interface icons look exactly like those in QNX based tablet.

Performance

The BlackBerry Curve 9380 is equipped with the latest RIM’s operating system which on many phones in the market. The only difference between this OS and previous versions is that this is touch optimized. This phone happens to be the first touch phone in the Curve series.

There is nothing much to say about performance as it is a BlackBerry and the name itself speaks about performance. But if you are looking for some positive surprises, then this phone doesn’t really have any. The battery performance is average giving just about 39 hours of backup.

BlackBerry Curve 9380 is a pocket friendly phone and very easy to manage. The phone has no creaking sound or it does not wobble. It is neatly built and works like a charm.

The home screen of BlackBerry Curve 9380 has all the icons in a row thus allowing you to toggle quickly between Bluetooth, NFC, Wi Fi and cellular. This setting also gives quick access to the menu and alarm. You can change the active profile by simply clicking on the loudspeaker icon. You can also begin search by clicking on the magnifying glass. There is also a mic activation button.

The phonebook in BlackBerry Curve 9380 has not been changed and is as same as before. Smart search makes it all the more easy to browse through the contacts. Just like before, you can either put your contact in personal or in business group. You can make various other groups as well.

The quality of the call is as usual excellent in BlackBerry Curve 9380. One can hardly find any issues with the reception and call quality in BlackBerry phones. A simple tap would bring up the smart dial or the virtual Qwerty keyboard.

The gallery is exactly same as that was in Operating System 6 in previous BlackBerry phones. The grid and standard list view is available in it. Zooming and panning of pictures is very soft and fast. The picture browsing is also very fast. One difference that can be mentioned here between iPhone 4 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 is that when you try to pinch and zoom a picture, in Curve 9380 it takes about two seconds for the picture to get clear while in iPhone this happens instantaneously.

The audio output or sound output is pretty bad when it comes to music. If a person wants to buy smartphone for a good audio output, then stay away from BlackBerry Curve 9380. Another major drawback of this phone is that it cannot record HD videos as its processor clock is slow. The maximum it can do is record a video at 30fps.

As far as connecting to network is concerned, there are plenty of options as one can expect from smartphone, especially BlackBerry Curve 9380. The web browser is pretty good but it does not have flash support. That means you will face issues when it comes to sites running on flash multimedia.

Conclusion

There is nothing new that BlackBerry Curve 9380 is offering that can amaze its fans. If one looks at the features of this phone, it would be wiser to go for the previous Torch 9860 as it had wider and bigger screen (3.7 inch) and better performance. But then, its on the BlackBerry fans to either check out everything, or simply turn their blind eye to it!

Check out the video review of BlackBerry Curve 9380:

Although specifications of this Smartphone are impressive, yet operating system is the center of attraction. The chip-set and GPU in Samsung Galaxy Nexus is not as powerful as in the Galaxy S II, yet it has a different look and feel. This phone is completely different from the regular Smartphone of the company, giving both Google and Samsung, a new feel in the market.

samsung-galaxy-nexus

The Main features of Samsung Galaxy Nexus includes Penta-band 3G support, Quad-band GSM; HSUPA 5.76Mbps, HSDPA 21Mbps; Stock UI in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System; 4.65” Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen with HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, oleo phobic surface, 16M colors; At 8.9mm, it sure is slim, , TI OMAP 4460 chipset, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, , Dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU; 1GB RAM, 32/16 GB built-in space; Camera at 2592×1936 pixels (5 megapixel) having LED flash, autofocus with 1.3 Megapixel front-facing camera; 1080p video recording @30fps, touch zoom during recording; Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n; DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot; ; Excellent audio quality; Charging MHL microUSB port with TV-out (1080p) support; NFC connectivity; Accelerometer, proximity & gyro sensors, compass, barometer; GPS receiver with A-GPS support; Back cover made of Hyper Skin material for increased grip; Bluetooth 3.0 with ADP.

However, there are some disadvantages of Samsung Galaxy Nexus too which cannot be overlooked. For example, it falls short in the resolution of camera as compared to other models available in the market. The battery life is also pretty bad and falls way below average. Surprisingly there is no separate key for camera, which is an essential feature in all Smartphone. The FM radio is also missing in it. Even though the OS is pretty high end, there will be many compatibility issues for the applications available in the Android market as most of them may not be updated and ready for Android 4.

The super AMOLED screen with a high definition resolution in Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone is best feature in hardware, something that is not found in other Samsung Smartphone. The amazing contrast ratio is clubbed up with excellent viewing angles in the display, along with a huge size of the screen which goes along perfectly with the new OS.

To find place in the market and increase sales, Samsung had to remove few features which are in Galaxy S II. Simply having a big sized screen will not let the sales go up. The change in hardware needed to be geared up with proper features which give a new feel. This is precisely what Samsung Galaxy Nexus tried doing.

Contents of fully packaged retail box

The package contains Samsung Galaxy Nexus, along with a pair of ear buds, charger and USB cable. This is the standard set of things that come along with any cell phone.

Design and body

At 135.5 x 67.9 x 8.9 mm, this Nexus is quite visible and cannot go unnoticed. It weighs 135 grams, which is pretty light for a phone with packed features.

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone is very slim and curvy. The screen is huge when compared to the previous Galaxy model; however, the size of the phone is nearly the same. The design is quite unique for a Samsung phone, with only 2 buttons for hardware on it. The screen is slightly curvy and goes well with the entire design of the body. The color contrast of the body is also great thus making it a unique Smartphone in looks in the market.

The back of the phone, called “Hyper Skin”, is made of plastic with good grip which ensures that no fingerprints are left behind. The Oleo phobic screen does the same. One may find metal completely missing in the body, which gives it an advantage in weight.

The screen is a whopping 4.65 inches in size, which makes it one of the largest screens that a phone has in the market equipped with the super AMOLED screen with HD resolution. The contrast ratio gives a perfect blend to the pixels, making viewing an awesome experience.

Moreover, below the screen there is no hardware button, making the phone look quite neat and sleek. On the other hand, you can find the proximity sensors, ambient light, earpiece, along with the front facing camera just above the screen. On the left of the phone, you find volume adjuster and on the right you find lock/power key. There is nothing on the top of the Galaxy nexus, except a small latch to remove the battery cover.

At the bottom are the ports for MicroUSB, ear piece and 3.5 mm Jack. This is same like the Nexus S. The main camera is at the back, just beside the loudspeaker.

The overall body and its quality is very good. The hyper skin prevents any damages if the phone is dropped. Samsung Galaxy Nexus, even with its huge size, is a charm to use.

UI (user interface)

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus happens to be the first Smartphone to have the latest version of Android 4.0 ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich). This version has been improved so that it works with both Smartphone and tablets. The Gingerbread has been completely removed from this version.

The unlocking system has a circle around a padlock at the bottom of the screen. If you slide it towards right, the phone unlocks while if you slide it towards left, phone unlocks and camera starts.

A new feature in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is that you can unlock the phone by pointing it towards your face. It identifies the face and unlocks the phone. This is the fastest way to unlock the phone.

Another major change in this version of Android OS is that the home screen is completely different. There is absolutely no use of the hardware buttons in this version of OS. There are 3 buttons that are arranged in a row at the bottom. The buttons are Back, Home and Recent apps. The Menu tab keeps appearing on the right of the recent apps. Pressing it is not comfortable enough as the other tabs don’t move at all.

Above this is the dock called the “favorites tray”, which holds four shortcuts to the applications. Google search bar permanently sits on the top, even when you scroll through the home screens. The area where notification is received also changed a lot.

Moreover, most of the applications found in Android market needs to get compatible with this version of OS. So probably, those who buy this phone now may face a lot of problems downloading the current apps from market.

All in All, Samsung Galaxy Nexus has all the features that can make it one of the best phones in the market. It is surely set to change the trend in the Smartphone market. But you never know, this market keeps evolving!

Check out the video review of Samsung Galaxy nexus: