In our lab: Symbol MC70 Enterprise Digital Assistant
Intro:
Product Short Spec: OS provided: Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Phone Edition Installed RAM: 64 MB Processor: Intel 624 MHzXscale Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g Dimensions (W x D x H): 3 in x 1.5 in x 6 in Input device type: Keypad, Stylus, Touch-screen Weight: 11.9 oz Smartphones ShortSpec: Band/mode: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 RAM installed size: 64 MB
Symbol MC70 Enterprise Digital Assistant
Our recommendation: Do not buy
Provided by Blanca Carone - Oxford, Kansas
Keywords: cell phone in italy, mobile phone number anthony knight
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Review: Motorola Razr V3r
Intro:
Note: This product is part of the Motorola Razr series. .
Motorola Razr V3r
The Motorola Razr V3r for Cingular is similar to the carrier's Razr V3i except that it does not support iTunes. Features include a 1.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, and world phone support. For music, the V3r comes with a generic Motorola MP3 player. The Razr V3r is $149 with service. For more on the Razr V3r, see our review of the Razr V3i.
Our recommendation: Buy
Reviewed by Leslie Cortes - Hillsboro, North Dakota
Keywords: free cell phone ringers, coupons sent to mobile phone
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Up next: Nextel Motorola i850
Intro:
Positives: Gorgeous internal display; improved design; speakerphone; VGA camera; Direct Connect walkie-talkie service. Negatives: Bulky and heavy; no flash for the camera; small external screen. Facts: Nextel's chic, clamshell-style Motorola i850 feels as heavy as a brick but packs in all the goodies that the carrier's subscribers have come to expect.
Nextel Motorola i850
Marking only its second camera phone to date, Nextel's stylish Motorola i850 flip phone feels as heavy as a brick but also packs in all the goodies that Nextel subscribers have come to expect, including Direct Connect walkie-talkie service, built-in GPS, and a speakerphone. In addition to all the Nextel regulars, the Motorola i850 ups the ante with a brilliant, razor-sharp internal display and improved navigation controls. The i850's low-wattage VGA camera might not compare to the latest powerhouse camera phones offered by other manufacturers, but business-minded push-to-talk users will appreciate the phone's no-nonsense features and sturdy, reassuring bulk. That said, at $400 (or $200 with a two-year service plan), the i850 ranks as one of Nextel's pricier phones. With no rubberized casing, the Motorola i850 is a bit of a departure from the usual Nextel handsets, but the phone's bulk and weight won't come as much of a surprise. Measuring 3.5 by 2 by 1.1 inches and tipping the scales at 4.3 ounces, this black and gray mobile is plenty hefty. Additionally, considering its thickness and stubby, retractable antenna, the i850 makes for a tight fit in a jeans pocket. Small but heavy: The weighty Motorola i850 is more compact than most Nextel models. While the Motorola i850 isn't exactly featherweight, the phone's sleek black and gray design has more style than most of the carrier's models. The front of the clamshell headset sports a pair of smooth, beveled curves that flank the main, shiny black panel; the tiny camera lens and the self-portrait mirror; and the monochrome external display, which is small at just 96x32 pixels but packs in all the basic info, including the time, the date, signal strength, battery life, caller ID, and the ringer mode. Flip open the phone, however, and you'll find the phone's stunning 262,000-color, 176x220-pixel internal screen: a vibrant, razor-sharp display that stands in stark contrast with the so-so screens on most Nextel phones. The i850's animated menus are reasonably slick and easy to use, although we were annoyed with having to click More to see additional menu options rather than just scrolling down. It's nothing new for a Nextel phone, but it's bothersome nonetheless. Below the display is the Motorola i850's backlit, silver keypad, which boasts big, flat, and easy-to-press buttons. We like the large, five-way navigational toggle, the dedicated Talk/End buttons, the menu key, and the separate camera button. Additionally, the toggle acts as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. The arrangement is a big improvement upon the cramped navigation controls on other Nextel handsets, with the power button now located below the keypad. Yet, we missed having a dedicated Clear key for correcting dialing and messaging mistakes; instead, you must use a soft key to delete errant characters. What's worse, when you're in a secondary menu, pressing the same soft key exits you out of the menus completely rather than just going back to the main menu. On the left side of the Motorola i850, you'll find the familiar rubberized button for Nextel's signature push-to-talk service, with a pair of volume controls just above it and a rubber flap beneath that protects the 2.5mm headset port. Atop the phone and next to the extendable antenna is a modified speakerphone button; if you get a call while the headset is shut, you can press the button to answer the call using the speakerphone while keeping the phone closed; you hit the nearby End button to hang up or reject the call without answering. If the phone is open when a call comes in, you must press and hold the speakerphone button to answer the call in the corresponding mode. While we enjoyed answering calls with the flip closed, we wish the speakerphone could be on with the phone open before a call comes in. Besides being only the second camera phone in Nextel's handset lineup, the Motorola i850 comes with a relatively sparse set of features, including a 600-contact phone book with room in each entry for an e-mail address, an IP address, and seven phone numbers, along with the Direct Connect number; a calendar with month and week views; the aforementioned speakerphone; a vibrate mode; nine-number speed dialing; a WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser; a voice recorder; call timers; a memo pad; text and multimedia messaging; an airplane mode; three-way calling; voice calling and memos; and onboard GPS. You also get Nextel's Direct Connect walkie-talkie service (including Group Connect, which lets you chat with up to 20 others via PTT at once) and Direct Talk, which gives you out-of-network walkie-talkie chat with another Direct Talk handset at a range of up to 6 miles. See me: The Motorola i850's camera lens has a self-portrait mirror but no flash. The Motorola i850's camera gets the job done, but it's nothing to write home about. The VGA resolution simply can't compete with its increasingly prevalent 1.3- and 2-megapixel competitors, although the snapshots we took looked OK, considering the 640x480-pixel resolution. The camera also lacks an LED flash, a feature we've come to expect in a camera phone. At least you get 4X digital zoom; five resolution settings (640x480, 320x240, 176x220, 160x120, and 128x96); two lighting settings; a choice between Normal and Fine picture quality; and a self-timer with settings between 10 and 20 seconds. Once you're done taking pictures, you can send the images to your friends via e-mail or multimedia messaging, use them as wallpaper, and assign them to your contacts for photo caller ID. Unfortunately, if you're looking for image frames, editing, multishot, or autofocus, you won't find those features on this handset. The Motorola i850 has average photo quality for a camera phone. Personalization options on the Motorola i850 are quite good. In addition to turning your snapshots into the phone's wallpaper or assigning them to individual contacts, you can assign five polyphonic ring tones (MP3 and MIDI) to contacts; change ringer profiles, such as Standard, Car, Meeting, Office, Outdoors, and Headset; choose from one of three color themes, including Geometric, Water Drop, and Glow; tweak the backlighting settings; and change the main menu from Icon to List View. When the phone rings, the keypad buttons flash in accompaniment. Apps on the Java (J2ME)-equipped phone include a trio of game demos (Zuma, Aces Hold'em, and BlockBreaker); 1KTV, an on-demand pseudo-TV service; and TeleNav, a subscription-based navigation service that takes advantage of the i850's GPS support. We tested the Motorola i850 (iDEN 850) in New York City and had no trouble with call quality; our callers sounded loud and clear, and they couldn't tell we were on a cell phone. We also tried the phone in our electronics-stuffed living room--complete with a large-screen TV, a Wi-Fi router, and a nearby microwave oven--and didn't encounter any interference. Speakerphone quality was good, but be advised that the speaker is located on the rear of the phone. The Motorola i850's picture quality was good for a VGA camera phone's, with solid color and decent detail, although images looked considerably softer compared with those of the latest 1.3- and 2-megapixel camera phones on the market. Battery life on the handset was painfully skimpy. Nextel promises a mere 2.75 hours of talk time, but we beat it by a half hour. For standby time, we got 3.5 days in a single charge, compared with the rated 3 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Motorola i850 has a digital SAR rating of 1.05 watts per kilogram.
Our recommendation: Buy
Provided by Estelle Tarver - Grass Valley, California
Keywords: cheapest mobile phone, rigid line net by mobile phone
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Review: Samsung SCH-u740 (Champagne)
Intro:
Positives: The Samsung SCH-u740 has a sleek and attractive design with a cool, dual-flip hinge that lets you view the display in either portrait or landscape mode. It has a QWERTY keyboard, access to Verizon's V Cast offerings, and a full array of multimedia goodies. Negatives: The Samsung SCH-u740 lacks a dedicated camera key on the phone's exterior, and the video quality is mediocre. We're also not fans of the touch screen music controls. Facts: The Samsung SCH-u740's dual-flip design and QWERTY keyboard are great for text-messaging fans, and its impressive feature set seals its deal as one of Verizon's strongest multimedia handsets. Note: This product is part of the Samsung SCH-u740 series. .
Samsung SCH-u740 (Champagne)
Despite the recent trend toward touch screen phones such as the NEC N908 and the Apple iPhone, phones with actual buttons are not going away any time soon--tactile feedback is still king in the cell phone world. Handsets with a built-in QWERTY keyboard are especially desirable for many a texting fanatic, and the brand-new Samsung SCH-u740 for Verizon Wireless is one such example. Similar to Cingular's Samsung SGH-d307, the u740 features a cool, dual-flip design that lets you switch between portrait and landscape view for easy messaging. The SCH-u740 is a huge improvement over its predecessor in almost every way -- not only does it have much better navigation controls, the SCH-u740 also comes packed with a megapixel camera, a music player, and access to the full stable of Verizon Wireless multimedia services including V Cast Music and Video. A decent alternative to the LG enV (VX9900), the SCH-u740 is a solid multimedia offering for Verizon customers. It's currently available for $149.99 with a two-year service agreement. Design Unlike the SGH-d307, the SCH-u740 is quite a handsome phone. Its wide yet slim body is a subtle metallic-champagne color, and simple black accents give it a sophisticated and stylish look. Though it's not nearly as skinny as the Motorola Razr (which is 0.5-inch thick) at 3.84x2.04x0.58 inches, the u740 is still thin enough to slip into your pants pocket with ease. It also has a nice heft when held in the hand, thanks to its 3.6-ounce weight, and it cradles nicely next to the ear when opened. Located on the SCH-u740's front flap is a small yet bright 1.1-inch external display that shows the date, the time, signal and battery strength, and photo caller ID. We were impressed with its 65,000-color display, especially because we could use it as a camera viewfinder for self-portraits. When the music player is active, you can use the external screen to view the album art as well as the current track playing. In a nice touch, you can change the wallpaper or clock format of the external display if you wish. Above the screen and the Samsung logo is the camera lens, while touch-sensitive music player controls are underneath the display. Slightly reminiscent of the controls on the LG VX8600, the music player controls can only be used when the music player is on. We aren't fans of the touch-sensitive music controls, which required unlocking every time we want to change the track. It's possible to leave them unlocked, but this might lead to accidental track changes with a quick swipe of your finger. The rest of the phone's exterior is pretty basic: The left spine is home to a Hold button to lock or unlock the aforementioned music player controls, a volume rocker, and the charger/accessory jack; the speakerphone key and a microSD card slot are on the right spine. We were disappointed that there wasn't a dedicated camera button on the phone's exterior, which meant we could only activate the camera with the phone open. The SCH-u740 has a dual-flip design. As we mentioned earlier, the u740 features the same dual-flip design as the SGH-d307. This innovative design lets you open the phone vertically like a traditional clamshell, or you could open the phone horizontally and rotate it so the orientation of the display changes to landscape mode. The hinge felt quite sturdy when opening and closing the phone in both directions. Speaking of the display, we were delighted to see a lovely 2.2-inch, 262,000-color LCD inside. Images were saturated with color, and navigating the phone's colorful and photorealistic menu was a delight. You can adjust the screen's contrast and backlight time, plus the style and the size of the phone's dialing fonts. The SCH-u740 has a QWERTY keyboard. Thankfully, Samsung appears to have learned its mistake from the d307's quirky navigation controls. While the d307's navigation controls did double duty with the QWERTY keyboard, the u740's navigation controls are decidedly separate from the rest of the keypad. There are two soft keys underneath the display when viewed in portrait mode, and a third soft key on the lower-left corner is for use when viewing in landscape mode. The familiar circular navigation controls with a middle OK key is also present, and they double as shortcuts to four user-defined functions. Below the soft keys and the navigation controls are the Send and End/Power key, the camera/camcorder key, the Clear key, and the voice command key. We were surprisingly pleased with the mini QWERTY keyboard and the button layout of the phone. A block of 12 keys at the top double as the number keypad, and they are colored grey to stand out against the black. There is a NumLock key next to the spacebar so you can still type out numbers and make calls when in landscape mode. All the keys were raised above the surface of the phone, and we found the keyboard to be spacious and tactile enough to type out text messages with ease. The backlight time of the keypad can also be adjusted. Features Though u740's improved keyboard was notable by itself, it's the features that make the u740 really shine over its predecessor. The SGH-d307 lacked multimedia features, but the u740 ramps it up with a megapixel camera, a music player, and full access to Verizon's V Cast capabilities. And its phone offerings are pretty good as well. The u740 comes with an address book including room in each entry for five phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, and a note. You can also save contacts to a group and pair each contact with a photo for caller ID or one of 10 polyphonic ringtones. Other basic features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging (AOL, MSN, and Yahoo messengers are supported), e-mail, voice commands and dialing, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a world clock, a stop watch, a notepad, a speakerphone, a wireless web browser, and Bluetooth connectivity. There's also an optional Wireless Sync e-mail feature that lets you sync up with your business or personal e-mail addresses. Wireless Sync supports Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, POP3, and IMAP e-mail systems. The Bluetooth technology on the u740 supports profiles for Vcard Push plus headset, hands-free operation, serial port, and dial-up networking. The u740's EV-DO support comes in handy especially when it comes to accessing Verizon's multimedia broadband offerings like V Cast Music and V Cast Video. It's worth noting that you can only access the music player plus the V Cast services when the phone is in landscape mode. The music player and V Cast interface is similar to that of other Verizon phones, right down to the red-and-white navigation menus. You also have the option of purchasing and downloading other applications such as VZ Navigator, Chaperone Parent, and many more via Verizon's Get It Now service. The SCH-u740 took decent photos. The 1.3-megapixel camera has a healthy array of settings, which include five different resolutions (1,280x960, 640x480, 320x240, 160x120, and a Picture ID setting), three quality settings (Fine, Normal, Economy), up to 4x zoom, color effects, white balance, light metering, flash, a self-timer of up to 10 seconds, auto save, preview mode, multishot, three "ready" sounds ("Say Cheese!", "Look here," and "1,2,3!") plus a silent option, and three shutter sounds also with a silent option. The camcorder has two recording modes: Clips meant for multimedia messages are limited to 15 seconds, but Normal mode lets you record for as long as the available memory permits. Of course, you always can use a microSD card for more space. The quality of the photos was acceptable; though the images appeared a little blurry, they weren't as pixilated as that of a VGA camera, and colors remained bright and bold. The video quality on the other hand was pretty shoddy, especially in low-light conditions. Personalization options are plenty with the u740. Not only can you use the wide array of preloaded wallpapers and graphics, you can download more from Verizon's Get It Now service. The same goes for ringtones and alerts. The u740 doesn't come with any games, but you can download more BREW games from Verizon. We manage
d to download Pac-Man in a mere second, and playing it in the phone's landscape mode was quite fun. Performance We tested the dual-band Samsung SCH-u740 (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless service. We were impressed with the call quality, which was very good, and callers reported little to no static. The speakerphone quality was excellent as well; callers reported that we sounded loud and clear even though we placed the phone a couple feet away. The audio quality did sound a little metallic, and people still knew we were calling from a cell phone, but it wasn't a deal breaker. We managed to pair the SCH-u740 with the Technocel T50 Bluetooth headset without a problem, and call quality from the headset was quite good as well. We downloaded music files via V Cast Music within seconds. Browsing the web was also quite speedy, and video streamed without buffering issues. The video quality was pretty mediocre, however, with a lot of pixilation that was especially noticeable in action shots such as sports video clips. On the other hand, music quality was very good. It sounded loud and clear from the phone's speakers and through a headset. The Samsung SCH-u740 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours and a rated standby time of 8.3 days. Our tests revealed an impressive talk time of 4 hours and 18 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the SCH-u740 has a digital SAR rating of 0.68 watts per kilogram.
Our recommendation: Buy
Written by Evelyn Smit - Manawa, Wisconsin
Keywords: cell phone emf, free mobile phone tracker
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Up next: Sanyo SCP-3100 (Espresso)
Intro:
Positives: The affordable Sanyo SCP-3100 is a solid Sprint clamshell that comes in several colors. It supports Sprint's Ready Link walkie-talkie network, and it features a VGA camera, voice recording, analog roaming, and a speakerphone with great sound quality. Negatives: The Sanyo SCP-3100's monochrome external display doesn't show picture caller ID. Also, the colors on the internal display appear washed out. Facts: The Sanyo SCP-3100 has a solid feature set that belies its simple exterior. While it may not be the most attractive phone, the SCP-3100's Ready Link support, VGA camera, voice recording, speakerphone, and great audio quality add up to a decent midtier mobile. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo SCP-3100 series. .
Sanyo SCP-3100 (Espresso)
The Sanyo SCP-3100 is yet another sign that push-to-talk (PTT) phones are gaining more mainstream appeal. This Sprint clamshell comes in not one, not two, but four different colors--Blue Energy, Always Pink, Espresso, and Pure Silver--which are definitely aimed at a wide audience. The SCP-3100 is also one of very few PTT phones that come with a camera, another sign that it's geared toward more users than just industry professionals. The SCP-3100 is currently available for $199.99, though you can get it for $49.99 after a two-year service agreement with Sprint. At first glance, the Sanyo SCP-3100 may remind you of a kid's walkie-talkie, thanks to the plastic exterior and the large speaker grille; the phone looks a bit cheap as a result. Its size and heft (3.31 by 1.83 by 1.01 inches; 3.5 ounces) are good for smaller hands, but the clamshell too bulky to slip in a jeans pocket. Though it isn't a big deal, opening the SCP-3100 takes some effort due to a springy hinge, but the phone cradles your ear comfortably. The SCP-3100 also has an extendable antenna. The Sanyo SCP-3100 reminds us of a kid's walkie-talkie. Underneath the aforementioned speaker grille is the 1-inch-diagonal, 96x32-pixel monochrome display, which is backlit in bright orange when activated. It displays the time, the signal, battery strength, and caller ID but not photo caller ID. Below that is an LED indicator that flashes when the camera is activated, while at the bottom of the front flip are the camera lens and a self-portrait mirror. On the phone's right spine are the headset jack, a Ready Link button that doubles as a voice-memo button when the phone is on standby, and the volume rocker. On the left spine is a dedicated camera button. Open the Sanyo SCP-3100, and you'll be presented with a rather lackluster 65,000-color, 128x160-pixel display measuring 1.75 inches diagonally. The clamshell's screen seemed more washed out than that of other phones, and we weren't impressed with the color scheme on the main menu. As for customization options, you can adjust the backlight timer for the main screen, the keypad, and the external display. You can also adjust the font size, the internal screen's contrast, the sleep-mode timer, the greeting, and the menu style (grid or list view). Below the internal display is the navigational array, which consists of two soft keys and a five-way toggle that provides shortcuts to messaging, the phone book, the My Content folder (a collection of games, ring tones, screensavers, and applications), the My Favorites folder (a list of shortcuts to frequently used applications), and the main menu. Farther down are the dedicated camera button, a dedicated speakerphone button, a Back button, the Talk and End/power keys, and the keypad. All buttons are well laid out and tactile, as well as easy to press and dial by feel, but we wish the Back button were directly under the toggle instead of the speakerphone key. The keypad has a green backlight when activated. The Sanyo SCP-3100 comes with a slew of features that belie its simple appearance. The phone book holds only 300 entries, but each can accommodate 7 phone numbers, an e-mail address, a Web address, a personalized ring tone, and a picture. Of course, you'll have to open the phone to see the picture caller ID, since the external monochrome screen can't display images, as we noted earlier. There's also a separate Ready Link contacts list with access to 200 personal contacts and 200 business contacts. There are 10 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones to choose from, as well as 8 short tones for message or alarm alerts. Organizational features include an alarm clock, a calculator, a stopwatch, a world clock, and a calendar. In addition, you get text, multimedia, and instant messaging; e-mail; 18-second voice memos; voice dialing; a speakerphone; and a WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. There's also a feature that utilizes GPS technology to detect your location. The Sanyo SCP-3100 has a VGA camera and a self-portrait mirror. While the Sanyo SCP-3100's VGA camera is a bit disappointing, it has a good array of features, including Normal, Night/Dark, Beach/Snow, Scenery, and Soft Focus picture modes; a self-timer that can be turned off or set to 5- or 10-second intervals; Fun Tools (Orange, Blue, Green, Purple, Sepia, Black & White, Aqua Blue, and Normal color tones); a brightness setting; Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Manual white-balance settings; 640x480, 320x240, and 160x120 resolutions; Fine, Normal, and Economy quality settings; two shutter sounds, as well as a silent setting; and an option to view the picture in full-screen mode. Photos were predictably blurry but decent, considering the VGA camera's limitations. The real letdown is the phone's scant 1MB of memory, which is not enough to hold a reasonable number of photos. You can use your shots as wallpaper or send them to friends via Picture Mail. The VGA camera took shots that were decent but still blurry. The Sanyo SCP-3100 has a slew of personalization options. You can choose from a variety of wallpaper and graphics, as well as ring tones and short message-alert tones (as mentioned above). You can also download any of these items, plus games and applications, via Sprint's PCS Vision network. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo SCP-3100 in San Francisco with the Sprint network. Callers sounded good to us and vice versa. The speakerphone audio quality was definitely impressive: loud and crystal clear. The PCS Vision browser was slow, taking a while to load between pages. The Sanyo SCP-3100 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours, but our tests bore out a measly 3 hours of talk time. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo SCP-3100 has a digital SAR rating of 1.28 watts per kilogram.
Our recommendation: Buy
Provided by Joseph Saunders - Wellsburg, Iowa
Keywords: custom cell phone, boost mobile phone signal
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