Mobile Phone Reviews

Put on your dance shoes U.S. Cellular customers because the LG Apex is set to hit the dance floor starting November 19. In an effort to expand the carrier’s Android line up, LG and U.S. Cellular made the Apex official this morning via the usual press release. Highlights to the LG Apex include a 3.2-inch touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Android 2.1 and a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash.

The LG Apex is set to go on sale on November 19 for $79.99 after an $80 mail-in rebate both in store or online at uscellular.com. The new era of affordable Android smart phones is upon us, U.S. Cellular is the latest in a long line of carriers taking notice. Anyone have a guess at opening day sales totals for the LG Apex?

Count em, one million LG Optimus One Android phones have been sold worldwide. Even more exciting for the Korean-based manufacturer is it only took 40 days to hit the mark. The likely catalyst for the impressive sales totals is the widespread availability and even more important, the price. According to the press release, LG plans to introduce the LG Optimus One to a staggering 120 carriers and partners worldwide, spanning Europe, Asia and North America.

Whether you know it as the Optimus S on Sprint, Optimus T on T-mobile or the Vortex on Verizon, this affordable little Android handset is becoming a holiday blockbuster. As far as which carrier is offering the best deal, we’d be biased towards T-mobile’s free after rebate offer.

Here’s your LG Optimus One refresher: 600 MHz processor, 1500 mAh battery, 3.2 HVGA (320×480 pixel) capacitive touchscreen, dual-band WCDMA, quad-band GSM, 3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 2GB microSD card included

The Droid 2 Global is now officially the fast Droid on earth, packing a 1.2 GHz processor, the first for an Android handset.  The Droid 2 Global brings a variety of radios to the table- CDMA 800/1900, CDMA EVDO Rev. A 800/1900, WCDMA 850/1900/2100 MHz and GSM 850/900/1800/1900.  There’s little doubt you’ll find a problem connecting to a network, unless of course you venture out of the supported 220 countries.

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Running atop the 1.2 GHz TI OMAP processor is Android 2.2 Froyo along with the indispensable Adobe Flash Player 10.  A 1420 mAh battery provides the power to get through the day and a 3.7-inch WVGA (480 x 854) capacitive touchscreen delivers the goods.  Inside the device is 8GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot expandable to 32GB, an 8GB card is included in the box to start you off with 16 GB of total storage.  On the back of the Droid 2 Global is a 5-megapixel camera with Dual LED Flash.  Other noteworthy features include 3G Mobile HotSpot, pinch-to-zoom, Stereo Bluetooth, aGPS, Google Maps Navigation and playback with DLNA.

The Droid 2 Global will be released in Q4 2010, no pricing or exact release date information was included in the press release.  Previous rumors indicated a Nov. 11 release date.

Taking a page from the Samsung Alias, the upcoming Samsung Zeel brings a dual-hinge design with a unique E Ink keyboard that changes based on the user’s needs.  The Zeel will be priced at $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate on a new 2-year service agreement starting November 11 in Verizon retail stores or online at verizonwireless.com.  Beyond the dual-hinge design, the Samsung Zeel offers support for corporate email via MS Exchange, a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, VZ Navigator, Media Center, Skype Mobile, full support for text/picture/video messaging and a microSD card slot with support for up to 32 GB.

Now for a little more information on that dual-hinge design and E Ink keyboard.  According to Samsung, the Zeel can open vertically like a flip phone with a traditional numeric pad and change to an alpha-only keypad.  When opening the phone in landscape mode, the phone displays a QWERTY keypad that can change to numeric with symbols.  The change in keypads is a result of the E Ink technology, making the keys adapt to a given scenario which in this case is simply orientation.  There’s no word on whether the keys will be customizable by the user, but the idea sounds enticing especially if you wanted custom keys for mobile gaming or possibly video playback.

The first QWERTY slider entering the Windows Phone 7 octogan at launch is officially the LG Optimus Quantum.  The Optimus Quantum will be making a debut in Canada with a couple buying options; CAD $99.95 on a three year contract or CAD $449.95 contract-free. Here in the states we know the Optimus Quantum as the less verbous, LG Optimus, set to release in the coming weeks on At&t.

There’s plenty of Windows Phone 7 series devices debuting across the globe, but we always have a wondering eye when we see a nice hardware QWERTY keyboard.  Beyond the keyboard, the LG Optimus Quantum features a 5-megapixel camera, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 3.5-inch WVGA display and 16G of onboard storage.

Looking for a slim clamshell with a robust feature set then the MetroPCS Samsung Contour has you covered.  The colorful flip phone features an integrated VGA camera, Internet access through MetroWEB and a variety of messaging options.  Powering the interface on the phone is Iron Carousel, a convenient solution for one touch messaging, calendar and speakerphone right at your fingertips. Simply put, the Contour is a no frills, get the job done, type of phone that delivers as promised.

Here’s a more extensive rundown of the specs for the Samsung Contour (SCH-r250): CDMA 800MhMHz/PCS 1900 MHz, AWS Band 1700/2100 MHz, 1.7”L x .54”W x 4.2”H ,3.04 ounces, 2.0” QQVGA TFT and Sub Display :1.07” CSTN, Talk Time: Up to 3.3 hours* and Standby: 200 hours and Memory (FLASH/RAM): 1G + 512.

The forthcoming BlackBerry Storm 3 is rumored to be released in Q1 2011 and could be RIM’s first LTE BlackBerry device.  According to BBleaks, the Storm 3 features a 5-megapixel or 8-megapixel, fixed focus, dual-LED flash camera. Memory will consist of either 8GB or 16GB storage with the option to upgrade to a 32GB microSD card while internally there will be 512MB or 1GB of RAM and 1GB ROM.  The display will match the Droid Incredible with a 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, showcasing 16M colors. Controlling the device will consist of the touchscreen, but also an optical trackpad, much like the trackpad seen on the new BlackBerry Bold and Curve models.  Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, WiFi, USB, GPS, 1200 mAh battery (BL-4D) and HSDPA 10.2 Mbps downlink and HSUPA 2 Mbps uplink are all in tote.

There’s still plenty of time for the specs to change so please keep in mind that these are preliminary specs, better known as rumors.  The device pictured above is most likely the BlackBerry Storm 3 and if all goes as planned we will see a Q1 2011 release date announcement at CES in January.

According to iSuppli, the Samsung Galaxy Tab carries a bill of materials of $205.22, significantly less than iSuppli’s $264.27 estimate for the 16GB 3G version of the iPad.  These preliminary results were compiled following iSuppli’s normal teardown analysis where the company dissects some of the most popular gadgets on earth.  If you are wondering why the Samsung Galaxy Tab costs less in materials than the iPad, the cost is largely the result of the smaller 7-inch display.

“Instead of matching up with the iPad on a feature-by-feature basis, the Galaxy Tab really is larger version of Samsung’s Galaxy S smart phone,” said Andrew Rassweiler, director, principal analyst and teardown services manager for iSuppli. “While the design approach makes the Galaxy less expensive to produce than the iPad 3G, it also makes for a product that lacks the same usability. The Galaxy Tab’s screen resolution, size and technology are not at the same level as the iPad. This is a critical difference, given the fact that the display is a key differentiating factor for the iPad.”

While it may be true the Galaxy Tab lacks the screen of the Apple iPad, it does bring some special features.  For example, the Tab includes a MEMS sensor for gaming, a primary 3-megapixel camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera and most important, it has native support for Adobe Flash.  When all is said and done, the Galaxy Tab has a $9.35 manufacturing cost, bringing the grand total of parts and labor to a cool $214.57

The Verizon Wireless Motorola Droid 2 Global Edition is scheduled for a Nov. 11 release date according to various reports surfacing across the Internet, including internal documents leaked from Verizon.  The leaked documents have been followed by a Verizon Wireless product comparison chart which shows off the specs and how the Droid 2 Global edition compares to other smartphones such as the iPhone 4, Samsung Fascinate and Droid Incredible.  Interesting enough, this might be the first time we’ve seen Verizon branding on a document with the iPhone 4, is it coincidence or fate?

The Motorola Droid 2 Global Edition will feature a best-in-class 1.2GHz processor and be available in two colors, Dark Sapphire or Winter White.  The 3.7-inch 854 x480 resolution display and 5-megapixel camera with low light capability, auto-focus and dual-led flash will remain unchanged.  The global capabilities include dual-band CDMA radios, Quadband GSM and Tri-band UMTS.  Input methods will include the hardware QWERTY keyboard and on-screen keyboard which features SWYPE technology.  16GB of total memory out-of-box will consist of 8GB internal and an 8GB microSD card with the possibilty of up to 40GB if you purchase the optional 32GB microSDHC card.  Other important features include 3G Mobile Hotspot, Adobe Flash 10 support, remote wipe of device and SD card, document editing, filter email by unread / flagged / sender, invite attendees to meetings with GAL and free / busy lookup for participants.

Overall the Motorola Droid 2 Global Edition is looking like a winner for Verizon Wireless.  The carrier has started to lower the price of the existing Droid 2 by $50, giving credence to a possible end of life (EOL).  On Nov. 11 when the DRoid 2 Global edition is released will the Droid 2 Global Edition make your short list of worthy upgrades?

This may surprise you, but Sprint and Samsung still sell basic phones and the latest device for that segment is the Samsung M360.  The M360 features a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, threaded text messaging, a web browser, 3.5mm headphone jack, 64MB of RAM / 128MB of ROM and a 2MB download capacity.  The screen is small, but runs at 320 x 240 pixels internally and 128 x 128 pixels on the external display.  Talk time is rated at 6.2 hours thanks to the 1,000 mAh battery and Sprint has priced this baby to sell.

The Samsung M360 is free from Sprint after $159 in instant savings and a $50 web special price discount.  Of course, you’ll need to sign a 2-year service agreement to take advantage of the offer, but it’s hard to argue with free.