At a glance
+ Premium design
+ Unique monochrome UI
+ NFC-ready
- Monochrome UI drowned out by colourful icons from installed apps
27 April 2012 – Manufacturer LG and designer label Prada’s partnership can be traced back to 2007, when the two companies released the first LG Prada device, which proved surprisingly popular, as one of the earliest devices to feature a capacitive screen.
Fast forward to 2012, the LG Prada 3.0, as the name implies, is the third iteration of the series, so let us see if it manages to retain the glory that its predecessors once had.
Exterior, Controls and Screen
True to the Prada name, a lot of effort has been put into the design of the phone itself, with its premium look and finish. However, the construction material could have been better, as it felt somewhat plasticky for our tastes. Still, it serves as a great fashion accessory to the brand name-conscious, just as its designers had intended.
This black slab is adorned with classy round buttons at the top, which adds to the overall aesthetics of the device. The capacitive buttons that appear when the phone is unlocked also meshes well with the theme of the device.
The 4.3-inch WVGA display is a rather standard affair for smartphones of this size, although we would appreciate a higher resolution than the 480 x 800 one on the LG Prada 3.0. Still, the less than optimal resolution is offset by the rather nice monochrome user interface, which trumps pretty much any default ones we have seen by other manufacturers.
Software, Application and Games
Joining the long line of devices that have yet to migrate to Ice-Cream Sandwich, the LG Prada 3.0 will still have you munching away at whatever the Gingerbread has still to offer. To their credit, LG took special care to include a load of rather decent applications that not only takes full advantage of the aging version of Android but the UI as well.
The Desk Home, for example, is a simple flip-over clock which meshes really well with the monochrome theme, while Car Home, is an alternative home screen that is tailor-made for when driving, should you ever have the need to.
Taking a cue from HTC, the LG Prada 3.0 also included its own weather app.
Camera, Video and Audio
The 8-megapixel shooter fitted onto the LG Prada 3.0 is not exactly the best we have seen, but it will do a fine job of taking photographs under most conditions. The controls are very intuitive, although we would have preferred more options in terms of filters to play around with.
Video playback on the phone proved to be a relatively enjoyable affair, as while the resolution could have been higher, the audio was loud and crisp.
Connectivity
The LG Prada 3.0 excels in this part, with Wi-Fi b, g, and n connections, Bluetooth 3.0 and A-GPS at the core. There is also DLNA, which is always welcome, especially if you have compatible devices to use it together with.
Then there is the implemented Near Field Communications (NFC) - While at this point there is not much use for it at the moment, you can expect to see it being prevalent in the coming year. With 1080p video recording possible on the phone, a mini HDMI connector would have been a good addition, but alas, there is none.
The battery life on the device was fairly reasonable, as we managed to squeeze a full day's usage out of it with moderate usage, including making calls, tweeting and listen to music.
Verdict
With specifications that would have made it a great contender last year, the LG Prada 3.0 does not bring too much to the table in 2012. Still, it is a very solid device that has been given a cosmetic enhancement that is bound to please even the most fussy of fashionistas. Get it if you want a high end device that also doubles as a fashion statement.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Acer ICONIA Tab W500 Review
Double the fun
JUST about every computer manufacturer is in the Tablet computer race and Acer isn't one that is going to be left out.
It has two Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) Tablet computers in the pipeline, and has just released the Iconia Tab W500.
The W500 is a different beast - it runs a full version of Windows 7 Home Premium.
So, is running a desktop operating system on a Tablet computer more practical and attractive than the Android or iOS mobile platforms? Read on to find out.
Design
Whenever I used the W500, it drew curious looks. People would often stop by to ask whether it is a netbook or Tablet computer.
The answer is that it is both. The W500 has a unique design - its keyboard can be detached which instantly transforms it from a netbook to a Tablet.
Even when the keyboard was removed, the Tablet felt thick but solid. The smooth metallic back is a nice touch but doesn't provide much grip.
It weighs 970g which is quite heavy for a Tablet which means it'll be uncomfortable to hold for very long with one hand. With the keyboard attached, the device weighs 1.5kg which is still light enough for taking it with you wherever you go.
When you need to do serious work, just plug in the keyboard and the device transforms into a netbook.
The keyboard easily attaches to the Tablet but the docking mechanism didn't feel solid and the connection was a little loose. Also, you can't close the device like a regular netbook because doing so will probably damage the docking mechanism.
The chiclet-styled keyboard felt comfortable to use and the keys are well spaced out. The only problem I had was the arrow keys which were crammed into a tiny area, making it easy to accidentally press the wrong keys.
Another downside is that the keyboard doesn't come with a trackpad and instead has a trackpoint. If you are not used to one, you will find it uncomfortable to use like I did.
The keyboard also has two USB ports - one on each side - for hooking up peripherals. Unlike most Tablet computers, it also has an Ethernet port for plugging it into a wired network.
The 10.1in touchsreen is sharp, bright, and has good viewing angles. However, the screen is a fingerprint magnet and needs constant cleaning. Also, it is very reflective so it is quite difficult to view the screen when using it outdoors on a sunny day.
We tested two first-person shooter games - Left 4 Dead 2 and Far Cry 2 - and the device was able to handle them both. However, the graphics had to be toned down significantly and some effects like antialiasing had to be turned off for the games to run smoothly.
Less demanding games like Torchlight ran without any problems on the W500.
In terms of navigation, the touchscreen was responsive and it felt quite intuitive to tap on the screen to navigate, run applications and move icons around.
Browsing the Web felt quite natural be it using Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer.
The only drawback is that you have to rely on the virtual keyboard for text input and it's quite clunky.
There is also a handwriting recognition feature but it often incorrectly guessed the character I was trying to write.
In terms of battery life, the W500 ran out of power after about three to four hours depending on usage.
Without external power, you'll be able to get some work done but not play a long game or watch a movie.
Speaking of movies, the W500 plays back standard definition videos fine but it can't seem to handle 720p HD videos. The HD videos appeared jerky and were not watchable.
The built-in speakers were decent and sounded better when the keyboard was attached. When the keyboard was removed, the speakers sounded flat.
Still, you are better off with a pair of headphones or external speakers for a richer audio experience.
Conclusion
The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is an interesting hybrid device that tries to be both a Tablet and netbook. The problem is that it doesn't really excel as one or the other.
When used as a Tablet, Windows 7 works pretty well but is let down by a number of things. The main shortcoming is the clunky virtual keyboard which makes text entry a nightmare.
This really spoils an otherwise wonderful experience of being able to use full applications such as Outlook for e-mail.
Of course, this can be easily solved by attaching the keyboard which effectively turns the W500 into a netbook. Sure, it's a hassle to lug the keyboard around but it's good to have the option.
The W500 isn't a particularly powerful machine - it can pretty much handle what most netbooks can but with one exception. In our tests, it faltered when it came to playing HD videos which is a big letdown. The speakers were also not that great and sounded average.
The addition of an SSD is both good and bad. The drive helps the device start up very fast but 32GB is very little space.
Overall, the Acer Iconia Tab W500 works better as netbook than a Tablet.
If you are looking for a lightweight netbook primarily for surfing the Web, the W500 fits the bill nicely.
Pros: Unique design; runs standard Windows apps; handy removable keyboard; sharp screen with good viewing angles; SSD is fast.
Cons: Windows 7 not optimised for Tablet computers; virtual keyboard is clunky; SSD offers little storage space; won't play 720p HD videos.
Iconia Tab W500
(Acer)
Tablet/netbook hybrid computer
PROCESSOR: Dual-core 1GHz AMD C-50 Fusion processor
MEMORY: 2GB RAM
DISPLAY: 10.1in (1,280 x 800-pixels) LED back-lit
GRAPHICS: AMD Radeon HD 6250
STORAGE: 32GB SSD
CONNECTIVITY: WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 10/100 Ethernet port, Bluetooth 3.0
PORTS/SLOTS: Two USB 2.0 ports, card reader (SD, MMC), HDMI port, headphone and microphone jacks
BATTERY: Three-cell lithium-ion polymer
OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit)
OTHER FEATURES: Two 1.3-megapixel cameras with ambient light sensor
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 27.5 x 19.0 x 1.6cm
WEIGHT: 0.97kg (1.5kg with keyboard)
WEBSITE: www.acer.com.my
RATING: 3.5
JUST about every computer manufacturer is in the Tablet computer race and Acer isn't one that is going to be left out.
It has two Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) Tablet computers in the pipeline, and has just released the Iconia Tab W500.
The W500 is a different beast - it runs a full version of Windows 7 Home Premium.
So, is running a desktop operating system on a Tablet computer more practical and attractive than the Android or iOS mobile platforms? Read on to find out.
Design
Whenever I used the W500, it drew curious looks. People would often stop by to ask whether it is a netbook or Tablet computer.
The answer is that it is both. The W500 has a unique design - its keyboard can be detached which instantly transforms it from a netbook to a Tablet.
Even when the keyboard was removed, the Tablet felt thick but solid. The smooth metallic back is a nice touch but doesn't provide much grip.
It weighs 970g which is quite heavy for a Tablet which means it'll be uncomfortable to hold for very long with one hand. With the keyboard attached, the device weighs 1.5kg which is still light enough for taking it with you wherever you go.
When you need to do serious work, just plug in the keyboard and the device transforms into a netbook.
The keyboard easily attaches to the Tablet but the docking mechanism didn't feel solid and the connection was a little loose. Also, you can't close the device like a regular netbook because doing so will probably damage the docking mechanism.
The chiclet-styled keyboard felt comfortable to use and the keys are well spaced out. The only problem I had was the arrow keys which were crammed into a tiny area, making it easy to accidentally press the wrong keys.
Another downside is that the keyboard doesn't come with a trackpad and instead has a trackpoint. If you are not used to one, you will find it uncomfortable to use like I did.
The keyboard also has two USB ports - one on each side - for hooking up peripherals. Unlike most Tablet computers, it also has an Ethernet port for plugging it into a wired network.
The 10.1in touchsreen is sharp, bright, and has good viewing angles. However, the screen is a fingerprint magnet and needs constant cleaning. Also, it is very reflective so it is quite difficult to view the screen when using it outdoors on a sunny day.
We tested two first-person shooter games - Left 4 Dead 2 and Far Cry 2 - and the device was able to handle them both. However, the graphics had to be toned down significantly and some effects like antialiasing had to be turned off for the games to run smoothly.
Less demanding games like Torchlight ran without any problems on the W500.
In terms of navigation, the touchscreen was responsive and it felt quite intuitive to tap on the screen to navigate, run applications and move icons around.
Browsing the Web felt quite natural be it using Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer.
The only drawback is that you have to rely on the virtual keyboard for text input and it's quite clunky.
There is also a handwriting recognition feature but it often incorrectly guessed the character I was trying to write.
In terms of battery life, the W500 ran out of power after about three to four hours depending on usage.
Without external power, you'll be able to get some work done but not play a long game or watch a movie.
Speaking of movies, the W500 plays back standard definition videos fine but it can't seem to handle 720p HD videos. The HD videos appeared jerky and were not watchable.
The built-in speakers were decent and sounded better when the keyboard was attached. When the keyboard was removed, the speakers sounded flat.
Still, you are better off with a pair of headphones or external speakers for a richer audio experience.
Conclusion
The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is an interesting hybrid device that tries to be both a Tablet and netbook. The problem is that it doesn't really excel as one or the other.
When used as a Tablet, Windows 7 works pretty well but is let down by a number of things. The main shortcoming is the clunky virtual keyboard which makes text entry a nightmare.
This really spoils an otherwise wonderful experience of being able to use full applications such as Outlook for e-mail.
Of course, this can be easily solved by attaching the keyboard which effectively turns the W500 into a netbook. Sure, it's a hassle to lug the keyboard around but it's good to have the option.
The W500 isn't a particularly powerful machine - it can pretty much handle what most netbooks can but with one exception. In our tests, it faltered when it came to playing HD videos which is a big letdown. The speakers were also not that great and sounded average.
The addition of an SSD is both good and bad. The drive helps the device start up very fast but 32GB is very little space.
Overall, the Acer Iconia Tab W500 works better as netbook than a Tablet.
If you are looking for a lightweight netbook primarily for surfing the Web, the W500 fits the bill nicely.
Pros: Unique design; runs standard Windows apps; handy removable keyboard; sharp screen with good viewing angles; SSD is fast.
Cons: Windows 7 not optimised for Tablet computers; virtual keyboard is clunky; SSD offers little storage space; won't play 720p HD videos.
Iconia Tab W500
(Acer)
Tablet/netbook hybrid computer
PROCESSOR: Dual-core 1GHz AMD C-50 Fusion processor
MEMORY: 2GB RAM
DISPLAY: 10.1in (1,280 x 800-pixels) LED back-lit
GRAPHICS: AMD Radeon HD 6250
STORAGE: 32GB SSD
CONNECTIVITY: WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 10/100 Ethernet port, Bluetooth 3.0
PORTS/SLOTS: Two USB 2.0 ports, card reader (SD, MMC), HDMI port, headphone and microphone jacks
BATTERY: Three-cell lithium-ion polymer
OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit)
OTHER FEATURES: Two 1.3-megapixel cameras with ambient light sensor
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 27.5 x 19.0 x 1.6cm
WEIGHT: 0.97kg (1.5kg with keyboard)
WEBSITE: www.acer.com.my
RATING: 3.5
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Asus Transformer Pad TF300T Review
Value for money
IN A mostly black and white world of Android tablets, the bright red Asus Transformer Pad TF300T is a welcome sight.
The TF300T is the latest model to be rolled out from the entry-level Transformers Pad series and it promises to offer value at an affordable price.
So, you won't see a metal back cover or Super IPS+ panel like with the premium Transformer Prime. But you can expect solid performance as the TF300T houses the same quad-core nVidia Tegra 3 processor.
As this is a Transformer model, it comes with a keyboard dock that has a multi-gesture touchpad which makes text input a breeze.
The dock also has a USB 2.0 port, SD card slot and a built-in battery that provides the tablet with an additional five hours of battery life.
If you think the red is too hot a colour for you to handle, the TF300T also comes in blue and white.
At first glance, the TF300T may look like the Prime, but on closer inspection you will see that the TF300T is slightly thicker (9.9mm vs 8.3mm) and heavier (635g vs 585g).
The tablet's IPS (in-plane switching) display has the same 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution as the Prime's Super IPS+ screen.
But the most noticeable difference is that the TF300T's display is slightly dimmer than the Prime.
Also, the TF300T is available in two capacities - 16GB and 32GB while the Prime is also available with 64GB storage.
Moving on, the design only allows the tablet to be docked in landscape mode - with the power button on top and the proprietary 40-pin connector at the bottom.
Along the left and right sides of the tablet, you will find the volume rocker, mini HDMI out, microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack.
While the back, like most tablets, is bare save for an 8-megapixel camera and a speaker grill.
For productivity
The TF300T runs the latest Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system with further minor customisation by Asus.
Along with the standard Google app suite, you'll find some interesting apps such as SuperNote (a word processing and note-taking app), Polaris Office (an office suite that handles Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files) and MyCloud (Asus's cloud storage solution that offers 8GB of storage).
The quad-core Tegra 3 processor handles all apps with no fuss.
The keyboard dock is quite comfortable to use and this entire review was typed using it.
Having a keyboard dock has its own advantages. It features both tablet-specific functions and keyboard shortcuts to most used options like cut, copy and paste.
The USB port can handle not only thumbdrives and external hard disks but also a mouse which comes in handy when playing some games.
For fun
When it comes to multimedia capabilities the TF300T doesn't disappoint. It supports pretty much all the popular media formats such as DivX, MPEG4, H.264, MP3, FLAC and WMA.
The tablet handled everything we played on it including 1080p videos without a hitchYou can also download others like Mobo Media Player Pro to enable it play back downloaded FLV files too To see the full power of the nVidia processor and GPU at work we ran games like Glowball: Tegra 3 Only, Guerilla Bob, SoulCraft THD and Temple Run on the machine. Suffice to say, we were not disappointed.
Just like the Prime, the TF300 sports an 8-megapixel camera with backlit CMOS sensor albeit with a slightly larger aperture of f/2.2. The Prime only offers f/2.4.
The larger aperture allows the TF300 to take better images in low light environments but with no LED light present it's better to stick to well-lit areas.
Images generally turned out good with low noise and 1080p videos were equally detailed.
Conclusions
Affordability and versatility, that's what the Transformers Pad series promises.
In terms of performance it is as good as the Prime and you'll be paying a few hundred ringgit less for the same experience.
Also, the keyboard dock makes typing faster and more comfortable and adds a few extra goodies along the way. The only catch - the TF300T is priced slightly higher than an average 16GB 10in Android tablet but that's probably because it comes with a keyboard dock.
Still, the TF300T was a fun Android tablet to use and we hated to send it back.
Pros: Solid performance; good camera; versatile keyboard dock.
Cons: A tad pricey.
TRANSFORMER PAD TF300T
(Asus)
Android Tablet with keyboard dock
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
PROCESSOR: 1.2GHz nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor
GRAPHICS: nVidia GeForce 12-core chip
DISPLAY: 10.1in WXGA (1,280 x 800-pixels) touchscreen
CAMERA: 8-megapixel (back), 1.2-megapixel (front)
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi, micro HDMI out for tablet; SD card slot, USB2.0 for dock
MEMORY: 16GB storage, 1GB RAM
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD slot (up to 32GB supported)
OTHER FEATURES: A-GPS, 1080p HD video recording, gyroscope, accelerometer
BATTERY: 22-watt lithium-polymer (tablet), 16-watt lithium-polymer (dock)
SIZE (W x H x D): 263 x 180.8 x 9.9mm (tablet), 263 x 180.8 x 10.2mm (dock)
WEIGHT: 635g (tablet), 546g (dock)
RATING: 4 stars
IN A mostly black and white world of Android tablets, the bright red Asus Transformer Pad TF300T is a welcome sight.
The TF300T is the latest model to be rolled out from the entry-level Transformers Pad series and it promises to offer value at an affordable price.
So, you won't see a metal back cover or Super IPS+ panel like with the premium Transformer Prime. But you can expect solid performance as the TF300T houses the same quad-core nVidia Tegra 3 processor.
As this is a Transformer model, it comes with a keyboard dock that has a multi-gesture touchpad which makes text input a breeze.
The dock also has a USB 2.0 port, SD card slot and a built-in battery that provides the tablet with an additional five hours of battery life.
If you think the red is too hot a colour for you to handle, the TF300T also comes in blue and white.
At first glance, the TF300T may look like the Prime, but on closer inspection you will see that the TF300T is slightly thicker (9.9mm vs 8.3mm) and heavier (635g vs 585g).
The tablet's IPS (in-plane switching) display has the same 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution as the Prime's Super IPS+ screen.
But the most noticeable difference is that the TF300T's display is slightly dimmer than the Prime.
Also, the TF300T is available in two capacities - 16GB and 32GB while the Prime is also available with 64GB storage.
Moving on, the design only allows the tablet to be docked in landscape mode - with the power button on top and the proprietary 40-pin connector at the bottom.
Along the left and right sides of the tablet, you will find the volume rocker, mini HDMI out, microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack.
While the back, like most tablets, is bare save for an 8-megapixel camera and a speaker grill.
For productivity
The TF300T runs the latest Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system with further minor customisation by Asus.
Along with the standard Google app suite, you'll find some interesting apps such as SuperNote (a word processing and note-taking app), Polaris Office (an office suite that handles Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files) and MyCloud (Asus's cloud storage solution that offers 8GB of storage).
The quad-core Tegra 3 processor handles all apps with no fuss.
The keyboard dock is quite comfortable to use and this entire review was typed using it.
Having a keyboard dock has its own advantages. It features both tablet-specific functions and keyboard shortcuts to most used options like cut, copy and paste.
The USB port can handle not only thumbdrives and external hard disks but also a mouse which comes in handy when playing some games.
For fun
When it comes to multimedia capabilities the TF300T doesn't disappoint. It supports pretty much all the popular media formats such as DivX, MPEG4, H.264, MP3, FLAC and WMA.
The tablet handled everything we played on it including 1080p videos without a hitchYou can also download others like Mobo Media Player Pro to enable it play back downloaded FLV files too To see the full power of the nVidia processor and GPU at work we ran games like Glowball: Tegra 3 Only, Guerilla Bob, SoulCraft THD and Temple Run on the machine. Suffice to say, we were not disappointed.
Just like the Prime, the TF300 sports an 8-megapixel camera with backlit CMOS sensor albeit with a slightly larger aperture of f/2.2. The Prime only offers f/2.4.
The larger aperture allows the TF300 to take better images in low light environments but with no LED light present it's better to stick to well-lit areas.
Images generally turned out good with low noise and 1080p videos were equally detailed.
Conclusions
Affordability and versatility, that's what the Transformers Pad series promises.
In terms of performance it is as good as the Prime and you'll be paying a few hundred ringgit less for the same experience.
Also, the keyboard dock makes typing faster and more comfortable and adds a few extra goodies along the way. The only catch - the TF300T is priced slightly higher than an average 16GB 10in Android tablet but that's probably because it comes with a keyboard dock.
Still, the TF300T was a fun Android tablet to use and we hated to send it back.
Pros: Solid performance; good camera; versatile keyboard dock.
Cons: A tad pricey.
TRANSFORMER PAD TF300T
(Asus)
Android Tablet with keyboard dock
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
PROCESSOR: 1.2GHz nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor
GRAPHICS: nVidia GeForce 12-core chip
DISPLAY: 10.1in WXGA (1,280 x 800-pixels) touchscreen
CAMERA: 8-megapixel (back), 1.2-megapixel (front)
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi, micro HDMI out for tablet; SD card slot, USB2.0 for dock
MEMORY: 16GB storage, 1GB RAM
EXPANSION SLOT: MicroSD slot (up to 32GB supported)
OTHER FEATURES: A-GPS, 1080p HD video recording, gyroscope, accelerometer
BATTERY: 22-watt lithium-polymer (tablet), 16-watt lithium-polymer (dock)
SIZE (W x H x D): 263 x 180.8 x 9.9mm (tablet), 263 x 180.8 x 10.2mm (dock)
WEIGHT: 635g (tablet), 546g (dock)
RATING: 4 stars
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