At a glance:
+Siri is a novel application
+Camera rivals point and shoot devices
+Retina Display still good after a year
-No local Siri support
-Similar design
It looks like the same phone, certainly feels like the same phone, but the iPhone 4S’ changes are under the hood - an upgraded dual core processor, a new camera and more which we will elaborate in the review.
Apple has made a number of changes in iOS, from iReminders to iMessages. There are certainly a lot of new things to chew over for users. Additionally, we will look at iCloud and Siri, which are both big additions to the new iPhone 4S.
The phone has already broken the iPhone 4’s sales records, but will it be worth the upgrade? Read on the find out.
In the box:
-Apple iPhone 4S
-Power Plug
-USB cable
-3.5mm Headset
-SIM eject tool
Exterior, Controls and Screen
As we said earlier it is has the same sleek Apple one piece design, it still has a glass front and back, and a band of aluminium wrapping around the phone. And while there were many enthusiasts who were disappointed with the design, we say it aged pretty well. After 16 months, its design is still one to beat.
There is still a 3.5-inch Retina Display, that one home button, its left spine still comes with a mute button and a volume rocker. It has that nice, dense feeling that iPhones usually come with. This year’s iPhone 4S is a tad heavier compared to the iPhone 4, but the extra weight didn’t register in our hands though.
Underneath the exterior is where the hardware upgrades are most noticeable, it is a dual-core 1GHz processor now with 512MB of RAM, which is the same amount of RAM as the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S feels a little snappier when launching apps and the camera’s processing is noticeably faster too.
Apple also threw in a dual-antenna design to counter the effects of last year’s ‘death grip’. There is also the matter of the new iPhone 4S being a world phone, where it works with CDMA and GSM networks around the world.
The iPhone 4S has a rear 8-megapixel camera with a slew of software upgrades, but the front is still a standard VGA camera. Apple also introduces a 64GB internal memory version in addition to the original 16GB and 32GB.
During the course of our test, the days with the heaviest use included web browsing, phone calls, listening to music and more. The phone lasted a full day with little juice left in the tank before we charged it again.
Software, Applications and Games
Apple has traditionally released a major update to iOS whenever they release a new phone, and as such the iPhone 4S comes preloaded with the latest iOS 5. And this update builds on the previous iOS, so while it is similar to the iOS4, iOS 5 comes with quite a number of improvements of its own.
And right off the bat, we swiped down our touchscreen and found the brand new Notification Centre, there are no longer intrusive pop-ups when someone sends you an email or text message. It comes with built-in weather app and a stock ticker. From the Notification Centre you can deal with app notification individually, and if there are any notifications, it will also show up in your lock screen and swiping the lock screen will immediately allow you take action.
iOS5 supports wireless syncing now, so you can sync apps, music, video and settings over your local network without (technically) plugging in. You will still need to plug-in the phone to a power supply and latch onto the same WiFi network as your desktop before starting. Software updates are pushed over-the-air now, and Apple is only pushing essential files (iOS 5.0.1 is 55MB), so updates are quicker and less tedious now.
Taking heart from BlackBerry Messenger, Apple introduced their own free messaging service called iMessages, which is integrated within Messages app. It works over WiFi and 3G, plus it is free and you are able to send to anyone on iOS 5. Messaging is instantaneous, and you can tell when someone receives your message and when someone is typing via Ellipsis point (they are little periods that blink). You can also send photos, videos, contacts and locations.
iOS 5 sees its first dedicated Reminders app, and it supports locations too. If you were to set a reminder to attend a meeting at the office, once you reach the office you will receive a reminder to attend said meeting. Reminders will automatically update calendars too.
Safari now has the Reading List allowing you to save articles to read later, allowing you to bookmark specific pages. But the ‘Reader’ functionality was the one that really improved our reading experience. Tapping the Reader button on the URL bar optimises the webpage, chucking out ads turning the text into something you would see in iBooks. As long as we are on the subject of reading, the Newsstand app is dedicated to magazines and newspaper, like iBooks. Log on to App Store to purchase newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Newsstand will alert you when there are new issues.
Twitter integration allows you to tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube or Maps. The integration pulls up a textbox so you can add text or do @replies to your friends. You can add locations to tweets too.
Siri, iCloud
There is plenty of talk about Siri already, the intelligent assistant on the iPhone 4S. It is certainly a novel design, combining text-to-speech with logic processing and voice recognition software, allowing the Siri interface to understand requests and perform simple conversations. You can ask Siri to play a certain song, call a friend, wake you at a certain time, search the web, and more.
It not only does requests but understands the contexts of your request. If you ask Siri to play a song, then you can immediately tell it to play, pause, shuffle and more, which it will do without you reiterating the sentence again. Siri is able to understand personal requests such as ‘call my mother’ or ‘text my wife’ once you assign a contact to a specific designation.
Unfortunately, Siri is unable to support locations out of the US that means we can’t ask it for directions and local services here in Malaysia. Plus, it is exclusive to the iPhone 4S and you will need a data connection for it to work.
Siri pushes voice recognition to another level, and while there are some kinks to iron out, like the software mangling up some of our words, we felt that it was more than just a gimmick and could actually help us speed up day-to-day routines on our smartphone.
iCloud is an extension to Apple’s MobileMe and you can back up your email, contacts and calendar along with entire contents of your iPhone. You get 5GB storage for free, and iCloud will take your camera roll, accounts, documents and settings back into the cloud. You can retrieve them from your phone, iPod touch or iPad. You can upgrade that storage for an annual fee - USD $20 for 10GB, USD $40 for 20GB, and USD$100 for 50 GB.
Better yet, iCloud doesn’t count your app, music, books, TV content, or Photo Stream in the storage cloud. You can manually back up your content to the Cloud or let it automatically back up when the device is locked and connected to WiFi.
Connectivity
We spoke about its world phone functionality, and Apple has allowed both CDMA and GSM connectivity on 4S, giving you the ability to use the phone for roaming in most parts of the world. Apple is boasting higher data speeds on the iPhone 4S, up to 14.4 Mbps on the downlink, but for the most part, the standard smartphone connectivity which is WiFi, WiFi hotspot functionality and Bluetooth v4.0 is there.
We haven’t suffered noticeable reception loss when performing the ‘death grip’ manoeuvre on the iPhone 4S, and blocking the antennas (Apple threw in two now) will require a very unnatural grip on the phone.
Camera, Video and Audio
Apple upgraded the Apple iPhone 4's 5-megapixel camera to an 8-megapixel camera on the Apple iPhone 4S, and we can tell the improvements immediately. The new camera took some pretty clean and pretty photos. The sensor is able to record 1080p video with the same clarity as still photos.
Apple said they threw in a bunch of upgrades starting from backlight illumination, and an image signal processor that enables face detection and improved white balance. The camera's sensor is much faster this time around and will only take 1.1 seconds to snap the first shot, and half a second for the next.
There are photo editing functions in iOS5 – Crop, Rotate, Enhance and Remove Red-eye are all in the Photos App. Being terrible photographers we loved the enhance function, one tap and your photo will immediately be spruced up. Removing red-eye will require a little patience as you need to tap each individual eye of everyone in the picture.
On iOS 5, you can launch the camera app right from the Lock screen, which appears after you double-click the home button. And the volume up button works as the shutter button now, however you will still need to tap to autofocus. Use pinch to zoom gesture to zoom in and out, and the camera has grid lines to help you line up a shot.
Photos are supported by iCloud allowing you beam photos straight to the cloud and then stream it to other iOS devices.
Verdict
If you are a fan of all things Apple, own an older iPhone or a new user jumping on the bandwagon from a different platform, this phone comes as an easy choice. There is the Retina display packed inside a design that is still sleek, and a slew of hardware and software upgrades.
But if you are an iPhone 4 owner, the gap or lack thereof between the iPhone 4 and the 4S may deter you from upgrading. Sure there is more processing power, a better camera and Siri on the 4S. However, the same design along with the similar price point to the iPhone 4 may put the brakes on getting said upgrade.
For the most part however, if you do decide to make the jump, there are still many worthwhile features here, and we are betting you will be the talk of the town for a while, at least until Apple decides to launch its next smartphone.
Conclusion: Will win over Apple enthusiasts, upgraders and new users easily. Current iPhone users may want to hold off
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Nokia N9 Review
At a glance:
+ Attractive one-piece design
+ Responsive UI
+ Meego OS is a refreshing change from Symbian
- Camera needs some work
- microSIM and microUSB port are difficult to open
Our office is buzzing with excitement over the new Nokia N9. As promised, it is a very interesting looking phone loaded with a brand new operating system. There is plenty of hype attached to this smartphone, so let’s take a look and see what the N9 is all about.
In the box:
- Nokia N9
- Power Plug
- Charger
- Micro-USB cable
- 3.5mm Headset
- Protective cover
Exterior, Controls and Screen
Our first impression of the phone is that it is a very, very attractive device. The Nokia N9 is a one piece polycarbonate slate, and it has a minimalist design. There are no front-facing buttons, just a volume rocker and a lock/unlock button on the right side of the phone. Its 12.1mm thick chassis tapers off at the edges, giving the edges a sharper look.
First thing you’ll notice is the 3.9-inch AMOLED touchscreen which takes up the front of the N9, and we are pleased how little bezel space there is left. The AMOLED touchscreen displays 480 x 854 pixels. The AMOLED screen display is clear and bright, it also handles colours very well too. With Nokia’s anti-glare technology, we could see clearly under sunlight too, and the screen is protected by damage resistant Gorilla Glass.
Tucked neatly away on top of the phone is the slide out micro-SIM slot located at the top of the phone, and right beside it there is the micro-USB port. The 3.5mm headphone jack is located here as well.
Its eight-megapixel camera and the LED flash are embedded in the back of the phone, so there are no protruding lenses. The speaker grille is barely noticeable at the bottom of the phone. We did experienced difficulty to removing the micro-SIM slot or opening the micro-USB slot which is essential for charging the phone.
Inside the chassis, the device is powered by a 1GHz processor, 1GHz of RAM, and the Nokia N9 comes with 16GB or 64GB internal storage.
Software, Applications and Games
Aside from its exciting design, the Nokia N9 is loaded with the Meego v1.2 (Harmattan) operating system, which Nokia claims, it will only use once on the N9 before discontinuing it. Meego is designed with the N9’s buttonless chassis in mind, meaning it will rely on finger gestures to operate. Nokia has given Meego a distinct look when compared to Symbian. The apps are given that uniform, rounded aesthetic, and basic functions like the phone and clock application are spruced up to increase its visual appeal.
Double tapping the lock screen (or pressing the physical standby button) and the phone will activate, you will then have to swipe end to end (from left to right or vice versa) to unlock the phone. To exit an app, you merely swipe from the top of the screen to the bottom. Once the phone is unlocked you can start swiping to find three screens - social feeds, home screen and finally the multitasking page.
Social feeds combines all your social network into a continuously updated wall, all you have to do is sign in to your favourite social networks either through the app itself or the Accounts app. The home screen is self-explanatory - it has all your applications, which you can reposition with a long press. Then the multitasking view has all your running apps appear as little condensed windows, you can then permanently turn them off by holding down an app and tapping the X button. You can also opt to turn them all off with the close all button.
There is also a notification bar tucked away at the top of the screen, which is accessible with a tap. It shows the classic Nokia profile albeit simplified - there is only silent, beep and ringing. There is also volume control here, connectivity options as well as quick social media management.
As for apps, Nokia promises to keep updating the Meego platform with applications ported from the Symbian platform. The phone itself is preloaded with social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, and there are gaming apps as well including Angry Birds, Galaxy on Fire 2, Need for Speed Shift and Real Golf 2011.
You can download apps and music from the Nokia store and Ovi Music respectively. The onboard web browser only supports one page, so multitaskers need not apply.
Camera, Video and Audio
Nokia devices are usually attached with high-powered cameras with Carl-Zeiss optics, and the Nokia N9 is no different, it comes with an 8-megapixel imager that shoots 3264 x 2448 pixels, it has autofocus and dual LED flash.
Despite all the megapixels, the N9’s camera is a bit of a let down, it has plenty of noise when we left it on auto mode and will require a few tweaks to clean up our photos significantly. Speaking of tweaks, there are plenty of them in the N9 – flash, scene, face detection and much more. The N9 will be able to record 720p video.
Multimedia playback on this device is enjoyable - the N9’s audio is improved by Dolby Digital Plus, so playing music on the N9 is a good experience. Watching videos on the 3.9-inch screen is a great viewing experience too.
Connectivity
The N9 supports HSDPA 14.4Mbps, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS. The Nokia N9 also comes with a Near Field Communications (NFC) reader. NFC allows you to transfer data by bringing the phone physically close to a reader. But since NFC is a relatively new in Malaysia, the only practical usage is to use the N9’s NFC as a control for Nokia’s wireless speakers and headphones. A standard micro-USB port allows data transfers. Plus, the N9 can also turn itself into a WiFi hotspot and allow five devices to connect simultaneously.
Verdict
There is a minor worry about the Meego platform. As Nokia focuses on its Windows Phone 7 hardware, will we still get firmware updates or continued app support? This may deter users who keep their smartphone for extended periods of time. Photo-enthusiasts may also be put off from this device, as the camera performance could be better.
Maybe its a bit to early to call it Nokia’s return to form, but the N9 gets a lot of things right which including its great design, a good screen powered by a surprisingly good operating system. It ties in well together for an intuitive, enjoyable experience. Will Meego win Android and iOS fans over? Perhaps not, but it will give Symbian users an OS to jump onboard before Windows Phone 7 comes along
The Nokia N9 is now retailing RM1799 for the 16GB and RM2088 for the 64GB variant, and the phone is recommended to anyone looking for an attractive, easy to use smartphone.
Conclusion: A great device, too bad there’s only one of them
+ Attractive one-piece design
+ Responsive UI
+ Meego OS is a refreshing change from Symbian
- Camera needs some work
- microSIM and microUSB port are difficult to open
Our office is buzzing with excitement over the new Nokia N9. As promised, it is a very interesting looking phone loaded with a brand new operating system. There is plenty of hype attached to this smartphone, so let’s take a look and see what the N9 is all about.
In the box:
- Nokia N9
- Power Plug
- Charger
- Micro-USB cable
- 3.5mm Headset
- Protective cover
Exterior, Controls and Screen
Our first impression of the phone is that it is a very, very attractive device. The Nokia N9 is a one piece polycarbonate slate, and it has a minimalist design. There are no front-facing buttons, just a volume rocker and a lock/unlock button on the right side of the phone. Its 12.1mm thick chassis tapers off at the edges, giving the edges a sharper look.
First thing you’ll notice is the 3.9-inch AMOLED touchscreen which takes up the front of the N9, and we are pleased how little bezel space there is left. The AMOLED touchscreen displays 480 x 854 pixels. The AMOLED screen display is clear and bright, it also handles colours very well too. With Nokia’s anti-glare technology, we could see clearly under sunlight too, and the screen is protected by damage resistant Gorilla Glass.
Tucked neatly away on top of the phone is the slide out micro-SIM slot located at the top of the phone, and right beside it there is the micro-USB port. The 3.5mm headphone jack is located here as well.
Its eight-megapixel camera and the LED flash are embedded in the back of the phone, so there are no protruding lenses. The speaker grille is barely noticeable at the bottom of the phone. We did experienced difficulty to removing the micro-SIM slot or opening the micro-USB slot which is essential for charging the phone.
Inside the chassis, the device is powered by a 1GHz processor, 1GHz of RAM, and the Nokia N9 comes with 16GB or 64GB internal storage.
Software, Applications and Games
Aside from its exciting design, the Nokia N9 is loaded with the Meego v1.2 (Harmattan) operating system, which Nokia claims, it will only use once on the N9 before discontinuing it. Meego is designed with the N9’s buttonless chassis in mind, meaning it will rely on finger gestures to operate. Nokia has given Meego a distinct look when compared to Symbian. The apps are given that uniform, rounded aesthetic, and basic functions like the phone and clock application are spruced up to increase its visual appeal.
Double tapping the lock screen (or pressing the physical standby button) and the phone will activate, you will then have to swipe end to end (from left to right or vice versa) to unlock the phone. To exit an app, you merely swipe from the top of the screen to the bottom. Once the phone is unlocked you can start swiping to find three screens - social feeds, home screen and finally the multitasking page.
Social feeds combines all your social network into a continuously updated wall, all you have to do is sign in to your favourite social networks either through the app itself or the Accounts app. The home screen is self-explanatory - it has all your applications, which you can reposition with a long press. Then the multitasking view has all your running apps appear as little condensed windows, you can then permanently turn them off by holding down an app and tapping the X button. You can also opt to turn them all off with the close all button.
There is also a notification bar tucked away at the top of the screen, which is accessible with a tap. It shows the classic Nokia profile albeit simplified - there is only silent, beep and ringing. There is also volume control here, connectivity options as well as quick social media management.
As for apps, Nokia promises to keep updating the Meego platform with applications ported from the Symbian platform. The phone itself is preloaded with social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, and there are gaming apps as well including Angry Birds, Galaxy on Fire 2, Need for Speed Shift and Real Golf 2011.
You can download apps and music from the Nokia store and Ovi Music respectively. The onboard web browser only supports one page, so multitaskers need not apply.
Camera, Video and Audio
Nokia devices are usually attached with high-powered cameras with Carl-Zeiss optics, and the Nokia N9 is no different, it comes with an 8-megapixel imager that shoots 3264 x 2448 pixels, it has autofocus and dual LED flash.
Despite all the megapixels, the N9’s camera is a bit of a let down, it has plenty of noise when we left it on auto mode and will require a few tweaks to clean up our photos significantly. Speaking of tweaks, there are plenty of them in the N9 – flash, scene, face detection and much more. The N9 will be able to record 720p video.
Multimedia playback on this device is enjoyable - the N9’s audio is improved by Dolby Digital Plus, so playing music on the N9 is a good experience. Watching videos on the 3.9-inch screen is a great viewing experience too.
Connectivity
The N9 supports HSDPA 14.4Mbps, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS. The Nokia N9 also comes with a Near Field Communications (NFC) reader. NFC allows you to transfer data by bringing the phone physically close to a reader. But since NFC is a relatively new in Malaysia, the only practical usage is to use the N9’s NFC as a control for Nokia’s wireless speakers and headphones. A standard micro-USB port allows data transfers. Plus, the N9 can also turn itself into a WiFi hotspot and allow five devices to connect simultaneously.
Verdict
There is a minor worry about the Meego platform. As Nokia focuses on its Windows Phone 7 hardware, will we still get firmware updates or continued app support? This may deter users who keep their smartphone for extended periods of time. Photo-enthusiasts may also be put off from this device, as the camera performance could be better.
Maybe its a bit to early to call it Nokia’s return to form, but the N9 gets a lot of things right which including its great design, a good screen powered by a surprisingly good operating system. It ties in well together for an intuitive, enjoyable experience. Will Meego win Android and iOS fans over? Perhaps not, but it will give Symbian users an OS to jump onboard before Windows Phone 7 comes along
The Nokia N9 is now retailing RM1799 for the 16GB and RM2088 for the 64GB variant, and the phone is recommended to anyone looking for an attractive, easy to use smartphone.
Conclusion: A great device, too bad there’s only one of them
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
LG Optimus 3D Review
At A Glance:
+ 3D record and playback
+ HSDPA capable
+ HDMI capable
+ 5MP main cameras, 3D capable
- Froyo
- Big and heavy
The LG Optimus 3D is the first in a new niche segment of 3D phones. Another of which is the HTC Evo 3D, also launched at the same time and directly competing with the LG Optimus 3D. These two 3D phones are Android devices, and they work just like any other Android device in its class, save for the fact that there is a small subsection which allows you to access 3D content such as photos, videos and games. Of course, with 3D content being a fairly new category, you would have to create much of the 3D content yourself.
The LG Optimus 3D has a dual-core processor, a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 running at 1 GHz. It is using the slightly outdated Android 2.2 (Froyo) in a time when most other devices are announced with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
In the box
Transceiver unit
1 standard battery
Charger set
Headset
Manuals
Exterior, Controls and Screen
The LG Optimus 3D is indeed a humongous device. At least for this day and age, it outweighs and outsizes competing devices. That is what you get to carry around in return for a huge 4.3-inch screen that is great for watching videos and for fitting in lots of widgets on the homescreens.
There are four haptic-response buttons across the bottom of the screen. There is also a 3D button and the volume toggle on the right side of the phone. Everything else must work from with the OS interface itself. However, said haptic-response buttons light up once when the screen is unlocked, and do not light up again until they are pressed. That is to say that you will have to remember where each haptic-response button is located, or else it will be very much a game of “Surprise, you have got the wrong button!”
The 4.3-inch screen is a huge one, the largest yet for an LG phone. The data/charging port is on the left edge of the phone, together with the HDMI port that mirrors the display of your phone on a compatible large-screen display.
The 480 x 800 pixel resolution comes up a little short for a 4.3-inch display. It did not affect the usage of the device very much, but a little more effort was expected from LG for a premium device with a premium price such as this one.
Software, Applications and Games
As we mentioned earlier, the LG Optimus 3D comes with an outdated OS, although not by very much. Android 2.2 (Froyo) is still fairly decent but the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) would have been a great plus point for the LG Optimus 3D.
The upside of this is that the tuning of the Android 2.2 OS to the hardware is done fairly well. Apart from the occasional system freeze, the LG Optimus 3D was fairly reliable for the most part.
Thank goodness that LG decided to take out the large amount of bloatware that we found on the Optimus Black. This one was a lot better. The top half of the menu is for 3D-related applications. Next comes the main menu with the built-in applications. Anything else you install will show up in a separate section at the bottom of the entire menu section.
The usual PIM services of Clock, Notes and Calendar supplement a Polaris Office Suite that tried to go to some website and download something. Being a Google phone, Youtube, Facebook and Gmail shortcuts were all there. So is a GPS application.
There are three 3D games in the phone. Actually, they are all placeholders and require downloading the actual game files from an Internet connection. The games are Let’s Golf, 2, Asphalt 6 and Nova and the first two require something like an additional 700MBs of data before it will work. There is also a Gulliver’s Travels picture book that will have to do for the 3D demonstration until you get that large amount of data downloaded for the games.
We were told to go get our 3D fix on LG world. LG World is a website that supposedly supports a lot of 3D content, primarily for LG phones. At the time of writing, the LG World website was a poor experience. Navigation was difficult and the site was slow. Let’s see some improvement there before I can recommend buying a 3D phone.
The storage is fairly decent. Apparently, 1 GB is allocated to applications. Another 7 GB is for all the 3D junk that you will be filling the phone with. Slot in a 32 GB microSD card and you will have something like 40GBs at your disposal. There was a time not too long ago when laptops only came with 40GB drives.
Camera, Video and Audio
The main camera on the LG Optimus 3D is 5-megapixels, just like with the LG Optimus Black. Unlike the LG Optimus Black, this time around LG does not say how much the front-facing camera is rated. But it does not look like the LG Optimus 3D has outdone the 2-megapixel rating given to the front-facing camera of the LG Optimus Black.
The video playback and recording is something of note, particularly because this is a 3D phone. Supposedly, the 3D video records at 720p. This is also what is claimed by the HTC Evo 3D. However, there were some allegations of over-estimation by both manufacturers. To put it in simple terms, the manufacturers’ method of calculating 720p for the 3D video did not agree with another method of calculation. We can tell you that either method will give you a headache from staring at the screen for too long.
The video playback was fairly good. The device played back a few MP4 files without complaining. The volume was a little too soft but using earphones solved the problem and gave you a much better surround sound effect anyway.
Internet Connectivity
This is a HSDPA 14.4 Mbps device. It also supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, tri-band UMTS / 3G and quad-band GSM. Bluetooth 3.0 is supported and the microUSB plugs into a computer and auto-syncs your data if you want it to, just like any other Google Android device.
Editor’s Opinion
The LG Optimus 3D impresses very much. There has been very little change in the world of handsets over the last five years or so. True, the cameras get better, the processors get faster and the storage capability increases. But there has been precious little to excite one who plays with such toys every day for a living.
The innovative 3D section of the phone was a breath of fresh air. It was really long overdue. Although the 3D is only a small part of the phone and its contents come under the 3D category, the end result was still a lot better than what I first thought when reading about a 3D phone.
It is quite a leap when you consider that the next step in video technology for phones might well be the holographic projector used in Star Wars movies.
Conclusion: The wow factor of 3D content justifies giving this one a second, even a third look.
+ 3D record and playback
+ HSDPA capable
+ HDMI capable
+ 5MP main cameras, 3D capable
- Froyo
- Big and heavy
The LG Optimus 3D is the first in a new niche segment of 3D phones. Another of which is the HTC Evo 3D, also launched at the same time and directly competing with the LG Optimus 3D. These two 3D phones are Android devices, and they work just like any other Android device in its class, save for the fact that there is a small subsection which allows you to access 3D content such as photos, videos and games. Of course, with 3D content being a fairly new category, you would have to create much of the 3D content yourself.
The LG Optimus 3D has a dual-core processor, a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 running at 1 GHz. It is using the slightly outdated Android 2.2 (Froyo) in a time when most other devices are announced with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
In the box
Transceiver unit
1 standard battery
Charger set
Headset
Manuals
Exterior, Controls and Screen
The LG Optimus 3D is indeed a humongous device. At least for this day and age, it outweighs and outsizes competing devices. That is what you get to carry around in return for a huge 4.3-inch screen that is great for watching videos and for fitting in lots of widgets on the homescreens.
There are four haptic-response buttons across the bottom of the screen. There is also a 3D button and the volume toggle on the right side of the phone. Everything else must work from with the OS interface itself. However, said haptic-response buttons light up once when the screen is unlocked, and do not light up again until they are pressed. That is to say that you will have to remember where each haptic-response button is located, or else it will be very much a game of “Surprise, you have got the wrong button!”
The 4.3-inch screen is a huge one, the largest yet for an LG phone. The data/charging port is on the left edge of the phone, together with the HDMI port that mirrors the display of your phone on a compatible large-screen display.
The 480 x 800 pixel resolution comes up a little short for a 4.3-inch display. It did not affect the usage of the device very much, but a little more effort was expected from LG for a premium device with a premium price such as this one.
Software, Applications and Games
As we mentioned earlier, the LG Optimus 3D comes with an outdated OS, although not by very much. Android 2.2 (Froyo) is still fairly decent but the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) would have been a great plus point for the LG Optimus 3D.
The upside of this is that the tuning of the Android 2.2 OS to the hardware is done fairly well. Apart from the occasional system freeze, the LG Optimus 3D was fairly reliable for the most part.
Thank goodness that LG decided to take out the large amount of bloatware that we found on the Optimus Black. This one was a lot better. The top half of the menu is for 3D-related applications. Next comes the main menu with the built-in applications. Anything else you install will show up in a separate section at the bottom of the entire menu section.
The usual PIM services of Clock, Notes and Calendar supplement a Polaris Office Suite that tried to go to some website and download something. Being a Google phone, Youtube, Facebook and Gmail shortcuts were all there. So is a GPS application.
There are three 3D games in the phone. Actually, they are all placeholders and require downloading the actual game files from an Internet connection. The games are Let’s Golf, 2, Asphalt 6 and Nova and the first two require something like an additional 700MBs of data before it will work. There is also a Gulliver’s Travels picture book that will have to do for the 3D demonstration until you get that large amount of data downloaded for the games.
We were told to go get our 3D fix on LG world. LG World is a website that supposedly supports a lot of 3D content, primarily for LG phones. At the time of writing, the LG World website was a poor experience. Navigation was difficult and the site was slow. Let’s see some improvement there before I can recommend buying a 3D phone.
The storage is fairly decent. Apparently, 1 GB is allocated to applications. Another 7 GB is for all the 3D junk that you will be filling the phone with. Slot in a 32 GB microSD card and you will have something like 40GBs at your disposal. There was a time not too long ago when laptops only came with 40GB drives.
Camera, Video and Audio
The main camera on the LG Optimus 3D is 5-megapixels, just like with the LG Optimus Black. Unlike the LG Optimus Black, this time around LG does not say how much the front-facing camera is rated. But it does not look like the LG Optimus 3D has outdone the 2-megapixel rating given to the front-facing camera of the LG Optimus Black.
The video playback and recording is something of note, particularly because this is a 3D phone. Supposedly, the 3D video records at 720p. This is also what is claimed by the HTC Evo 3D. However, there were some allegations of over-estimation by both manufacturers. To put it in simple terms, the manufacturers’ method of calculating 720p for the 3D video did not agree with another method of calculation. We can tell you that either method will give you a headache from staring at the screen for too long.
The video playback was fairly good. The device played back a few MP4 files without complaining. The volume was a little too soft but using earphones solved the problem and gave you a much better surround sound effect anyway.
Internet Connectivity
This is a HSDPA 14.4 Mbps device. It also supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, tri-band UMTS / 3G and quad-band GSM. Bluetooth 3.0 is supported and the microUSB plugs into a computer and auto-syncs your data if you want it to, just like any other Google Android device.
Editor’s Opinion
The LG Optimus 3D impresses very much. There has been very little change in the world of handsets over the last five years or so. True, the cameras get better, the processors get faster and the storage capability increases. But there has been precious little to excite one who plays with such toys every day for a living.
The innovative 3D section of the phone was a breath of fresh air. It was really long overdue. Although the 3D is only a small part of the phone and its contents come under the 3D category, the end result was still a lot better than what I first thought when reading about a 3D phone.
It is quite a leap when you consider that the next step in video technology for phones might well be the holographic projector used in Star Wars movies.
Conclusion: The wow factor of 3D content justifies giving this one a second, even a third look.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
LG Optimus Pad Review
One of the more exciting devices from MWC 2011, the LG Optimus Pad, has finally decided to grace our office. LG touted it as a tablet that will challenge the iPad and that that the focus of the device will be productivity and that people will be able to edit video, among other advanced activities. So is it able to topple Apple’s tablet? Let’s take a look.
At a glance
+ 3D video cameras
+ Snappy performance
- Non-native 3D screen
- Only does 3D recording
In the box
LG Optimus Pad
Charger
Exterior, Controls and Screen
As one of the few 8.9-inch tablets out there, the Optimus Pad looks like an elongated novel and is turned into a widescreen when held in landscape. It is 12.7mm thick and weighs 621g, which is slightly heavier and thicker than the WiFi + 3G iPad. The front of the device is an 8.9-inch slate covered with black plastics, the back is covered in matte brown material and we liked the grip it offered, which is handy if we were operating it with one hand.
Speaking of grip, the tablet feels more intuitive when held in portrait to type as the elongated landscape design makes it difficult for our thumbs to reach into the middle of keyboard. Then as our webpage finishes its loading, we turn in horizontally to read webpages.
The 8.9-inch LCD screen displays 768 x 1280 pixels, and appeared bright and sharp. The viewing experience was enjoyable. When in landscape, the 15:9 ratio of the screen should ensure most movies push all the way to the edge of the screen, which should satisfy movie junkies who hate black edges on their flicks.
But the screen does not natively support 3D, and will require 3D glasses (which will come with the retail package) or an HDMI-output to a 3D TV to enjoy your recorded videos.
The screen is surrounded by a black bezel, which holds the Optimus Pad’s front facing camera. When held in portrait, the tablet’s volume rocker is located on its right spine. Meanwhile the microUSB and HDMI-out ports is located the left spine. On the top of the tablet, you will see the charging port, 3.5mm jack and the power/standby button.
Flip the tablet to the back, and you will be able to crack open the cover to insert a SIM-card for data. The dual cameras capable of 3D are here, and are separated by a metal plate.
And underneath all that, the Optimus Pad comes with a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor with 1GB RAM. That translated into quick app launches, smooth multitasking, and our 720p videos played without lag. There is 32GB internal storage but no expandable storage capability.
Software, Applications and Games
Equipped with the Android 3.0.1 (Gingerbread), you can expect a uniform Android experience across all tablets. There are still five customisable homescreens, and a long press on the homescreen (or tapping the plus sign) will bring up a host of widgets, app shortcuts, and wallpapers to modify your tablet with. At the bottom left of the screen there is a set of touch buttons – a back, a home and a multitasking button. Touching the Recent App button will immediately shows you five recent apps that you have used and you can quickly switch between apps.
On the right, there is the time, your signal strength and battery levels. Tap here and you will be able to access the settings page of your tablet. Honeycomb’s notification is designed to remain in the background, and will not bother you when you are running certain apps - when viewing full screen video from YouTube or Gallery, the touch buttons will hide themselves, only revealing small illuminated glows to remind you of their presence.
As far as productivity is concerned, the LG Optimus Pad is loaded with Polaris office, allowing you to create word documents, spreadsheets and presentations. As for working on it, placing it in landscape mode is a very standard typing experience – it works but it will not be the most comfortable way to type. But typing in portrait mode with our thumbs is possible as we are able to use the tablet like an oversized smartphone.
Camera, Video and Audio
Arguably the tablet’s most exciting prospect is its 3D video recorder, and the Optimus Pad records with its dual 5-megapixel camera to produce 3D videos. Granted you will have to brave a few uncomfortable stares when recording but that comes with the tablet territory. The 3D recording seems legitimate, which you can fine tune the settings to suit the type of device you are viewing your recorded 3D on. Mixed is used for glasses-less 3D TVs, and anaglyph recording points to the red and green images that will require glasses to view right on the tablets screen. There are additional options to record in side-by-side or with a single camera.
LG claims that it records up to 720p video in 3D and 1080p in 2D. There are a few settings controls – there is white balance support, the ability to change the depth of field, and basic audio controls.
Sadly, the Optimus Pad is not able to take 3D still images. But you are able to take a standard photo, there is autofocus, and there are plenty of settings like flash, white balance and more. But we felt that the produced images were washed-out with white and there were plenty of noise in it. There is also a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for vanity shots and video calls over data.
Internet Connectivity
To clarify, this device is not capable of GSM calls, but does support a variety of data connectivity including HSDPA 10.2 Mbps, WiFi, GPRS and EDGE. With a SIM-card, you can turn the Optimus Pad into a WiFi hotspot for up to five devices. There is also Bluetooth 2.1 support.
Verdict
The LG Optimus Pad is no hardware slouch – a dual-core processor, a large enjoyable screen and the 3D recording camera. It can stand toe to toe against most Android devices and put the iPad’s camera to shame. So if you are an amateur 3D filmmaker looking to make a few flicks, and won’t mind holding a tablet while doing so, we certainly think this is the device for you.
But for RM2199, if you aren’t keen on 3D recording or a mid-end imager, the device is maybe a little pricey if you compare it to Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 which has similar hardware and performance (at a lower price point). In portrait mode, it could act as a productivity tool, so there is that slight advantage. Additionally, the Honeycomb operating system feels generic and will operate no differently that the Motorola Xoom or the slew of other Honeycomb tablets out there.
Can the LG Optimus Pad beat Apple’s iPad? It is a tall order when the Optimus Pad plans to challenge Apple’s device with a pair of 3D recorders.
At a glance
+ 3D video cameras
+ Snappy performance
- Non-native 3D screen
- Only does 3D recording
In the box
LG Optimus Pad
Charger
Exterior, Controls and Screen
As one of the few 8.9-inch tablets out there, the Optimus Pad looks like an elongated novel and is turned into a widescreen when held in landscape. It is 12.7mm thick and weighs 621g, which is slightly heavier and thicker than the WiFi + 3G iPad. The front of the device is an 8.9-inch slate covered with black plastics, the back is covered in matte brown material and we liked the grip it offered, which is handy if we were operating it with one hand.
Speaking of grip, the tablet feels more intuitive when held in portrait to type as the elongated landscape design makes it difficult for our thumbs to reach into the middle of keyboard. Then as our webpage finishes its loading, we turn in horizontally to read webpages.
The 8.9-inch LCD screen displays 768 x 1280 pixels, and appeared bright and sharp. The viewing experience was enjoyable. When in landscape, the 15:9 ratio of the screen should ensure most movies push all the way to the edge of the screen, which should satisfy movie junkies who hate black edges on their flicks.
But the screen does not natively support 3D, and will require 3D glasses (which will come with the retail package) or an HDMI-output to a 3D TV to enjoy your recorded videos.
The screen is surrounded by a black bezel, which holds the Optimus Pad’s front facing camera. When held in portrait, the tablet’s volume rocker is located on its right spine. Meanwhile the microUSB and HDMI-out ports is located the left spine. On the top of the tablet, you will see the charging port, 3.5mm jack and the power/standby button.
Flip the tablet to the back, and you will be able to crack open the cover to insert a SIM-card for data. The dual cameras capable of 3D are here, and are separated by a metal plate.
And underneath all that, the Optimus Pad comes with a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor with 1GB RAM. That translated into quick app launches, smooth multitasking, and our 720p videos played without lag. There is 32GB internal storage but no expandable storage capability.
Software, Applications and Games
Equipped with the Android 3.0.1 (Gingerbread), you can expect a uniform Android experience across all tablets. There are still five customisable homescreens, and a long press on the homescreen (or tapping the plus sign) will bring up a host of widgets, app shortcuts, and wallpapers to modify your tablet with. At the bottom left of the screen there is a set of touch buttons – a back, a home and a multitasking button. Touching the Recent App button will immediately shows you five recent apps that you have used and you can quickly switch between apps.
On the right, there is the time, your signal strength and battery levels. Tap here and you will be able to access the settings page of your tablet. Honeycomb’s notification is designed to remain in the background, and will not bother you when you are running certain apps - when viewing full screen video from YouTube or Gallery, the touch buttons will hide themselves, only revealing small illuminated glows to remind you of their presence.
As far as productivity is concerned, the LG Optimus Pad is loaded with Polaris office, allowing you to create word documents, spreadsheets and presentations. As for working on it, placing it in landscape mode is a very standard typing experience – it works but it will not be the most comfortable way to type. But typing in portrait mode with our thumbs is possible as we are able to use the tablet like an oversized smartphone.
Camera, Video and Audio
Arguably the tablet’s most exciting prospect is its 3D video recorder, and the Optimus Pad records with its dual 5-megapixel camera to produce 3D videos. Granted you will have to brave a few uncomfortable stares when recording but that comes with the tablet territory. The 3D recording seems legitimate, which you can fine tune the settings to suit the type of device you are viewing your recorded 3D on. Mixed is used for glasses-less 3D TVs, and anaglyph recording points to the red and green images that will require glasses to view right on the tablets screen. There are additional options to record in side-by-side or with a single camera.
LG claims that it records up to 720p video in 3D and 1080p in 2D. There are a few settings controls – there is white balance support, the ability to change the depth of field, and basic audio controls.
Sadly, the Optimus Pad is not able to take 3D still images. But you are able to take a standard photo, there is autofocus, and there are plenty of settings like flash, white balance and more. But we felt that the produced images were washed-out with white and there were plenty of noise in it. There is also a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for vanity shots and video calls over data.
Internet Connectivity
To clarify, this device is not capable of GSM calls, but does support a variety of data connectivity including HSDPA 10.2 Mbps, WiFi, GPRS and EDGE. With a SIM-card, you can turn the Optimus Pad into a WiFi hotspot for up to five devices. There is also Bluetooth 2.1 support.
Verdict
The LG Optimus Pad is no hardware slouch – a dual-core processor, a large enjoyable screen and the 3D recording camera. It can stand toe to toe against most Android devices and put the iPad’s camera to shame. So if you are an amateur 3D filmmaker looking to make a few flicks, and won’t mind holding a tablet while doing so, we certainly think this is the device for you.
But for RM2199, if you aren’t keen on 3D recording or a mid-end imager, the device is maybe a little pricey if you compare it to Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 which has similar hardware and performance (at a lower price point). In portrait mode, it could act as a productivity tool, so there is that slight advantage. Additionally, the Honeycomb operating system feels generic and will operate no differently that the Motorola Xoom or the slew of other Honeycomb tablets out there.
Can the LG Optimus Pad beat Apple’s iPad? It is a tall order when the Optimus Pad plans to challenge Apple’s device with a pair of 3D recorders.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
HTC Salsa Review
THE word Salsa brings to mind something that is fun and exciting and in some ways, HTC's latest mid-range Android phone of the same name, wants to embody those exact qualities.
The HTC Salsa together with its sibling the ChaCha, are a new breed of HTC phones that capitalise on social networking integration with a built-in Facebook function.
On the outside, it is an elegantly designed phone with a sleek metallic casing and a build quality that is on par with higher-end phones like the HTC Desire S. It also feels remarkably light and comfortable in the hand.
It actually bears close resemblance to the last year's HTC Legend. In fact, the two look almost identical save for the fact that the Salsa has a slightly larger 3.4in screen.
The screen quality is one area that the phone is lacking. Though the HVGA resolution (320 x 480-pixels) has good contrast and decent viewing angles, the screen's low resolution makes text on full webpages appear small and unreadable.
This means you will need to zoom in and out a lot when browsing pages on the Web. We liked how there's a proper camera button on the Salsa as it is something that we rarely see on smartphones these days. You can even do a half press to pre-focus and snap a picture by fully pressing down.
There isn't much to see around the back except for the Salsa's 5-megapixel camera and speakers. Everything else is where you would expect them to be - the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top while the volume rocker and microUSB port can be found on the left side of smartphone.
In use
The Salsa's performance is generally fluid for most regular tasks thanks to its 800MHz Qualcomm processor. However, it is not well suited for running processor-intensive games - less demanding games such as Angry Birds run fine on the device.
Another downside is that the browser does not support Flash, so you will miss out on watching certain Flash videos and playing Flash games from Kongregate on your mobile.
Running on Android 2.3.3, the Salsa comes with the usual HTC Sense interface that is overlaid on top of the default operating system. For the most part the Sense interface feels similar to other HTC phones but there's a new interactive lock screen that you can use to access commonly used apps like the Phone, Messages, Camera and Mail.
All you have to do is drag one of the icons into the circle to instantly open the app so you can read your messages, make a call or snap a picture right away. It is a simple yet effective feature that greatly improves the phone's usabilty.
The default browser handles tabbed browsing in a unique way. Just pinch the screen and a scrolling icon list of opened webpages comes up, similar to how it appears on your desktop browser.
It's not perfect though, as the zoomed out view responds slower when pages are being loaded.
The Salsa's battery performance did not impress us. Considering that this a social networking phone that needs to be constantly updated it was rather disappointing.
After using the phone to check on our Facebook updates, browse the Web, post pictures and make the occasional call, we found that the phone could just barely get through the day on a single charge.
All about Facebook
What makes the Salsa different from your run-of-the-mill Android phone is its Facebook integration. It has a dedicated Facebook button that streamlines the processing of posting content directly to your Facebook wall.
The feature works across multiple applications so when you take a photo for instance, the button will glow to indicate that you can upload it to Facebook.
Similarly you can use the button to share links viewed on your web browser, share videos and tell everyone what music you're currently listening to.
By "long pressing" on the button, you can check in at your current location via Facebook Places. You can also instant message your Facebook contacts using the included FB Chat app on the phone.
Additionally there's a ticker at the bottom of the clock application on the home screen showing you the latest Facebook updates.
Though it only shows a single update, you can click on it to take you to HTC's new Sense Facebook interface. Here you can get a full view of all Facebook updates from your friends and even sort them by links, check-ins, videos or photos shared.
While it is a nice app to have to sort through your friend's updates, it does seem redundant against the existing Facebook app that you can get off the Android Marketplace.
You're not limited to just Facebook though, as you can also get updates from other social networks Twitter and Flickr on the Salsa.
Not great for pictures
The Salsa's 5-megapixel camera is good for taking casual pictures, or the occasional video, to upload on Facebook.
However the camera isn't the best that we've seen - the picture quality is passable at the very least and only performs well when shooting outdoors. Shutter lag is quite significant on the camera so it is next to impossible to capture moving subjects on it.
The LED flash does help when snapping pictures in the dark though the results often come off as being too artificial or washed out by the flash.
The video quality of the camera isn't anything to shout about. In an age where HD video capture is increasingly common, the Salsa's VGA quality recordings look sadly outdated. You can also shoot in widescreen (720 x 480-pixels) but there's not much difference in terms of quality.
Still, the camera is good for taking close-up shots and the quality is acceptable for uploading to Facebook.
Speaking of which, since this is a Facebook-centric phone after all, the Salsa has a useful auto upload feature that can be set to upload pictures directly to your Facebook account after they are taken.
It's cool feature to have if you want to immediately share your pictures with your friends. However, it indiscriminately uploads anything you record or snap, so be sure to switch it off to avoid uploading embarrassing pictures by accident or using up all your mobile data for the month.
Conclusion
As a social network orientated phone, the HTC Salsa has got some things right, like having a dedicated Facebook button to make it easier to share your thoughts, links, pictures and videos with your friends.
Furthermore, the new interactive lock-screen is very useful for accessing frequently-used apps, and web browsing feels good thanks to the improved handling of tabbed browsing.
The phone does, however, have a couple of low points - the camera is poor and its weak processor makes it underpowered for playing games or run processor-intensive apps.
All in all, if you are just looking for a smartphone that specialises in social networking and has integrated Facebook functions, then the HTC Salsa might be right up your alley.
Pros: Sleek design; Facebook integration; tabbed browsing; interactive lock-screen.
Cons: Low resolution screen; poor camera; weak processor; no Flash support; unimpressive battery life.
HTC SALSA
Social networking smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread)
DISPLAY: 3.4in capacitive multi-touch screen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels autofocus; LED flash; VGA video recording; VGA front camera CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi 802.1, micro USB
MEMORY: 512MB RAM; 512MB internal phone storage
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD, up to 32GB
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 530 hours/ 7 hours 50mins
OTHER FEATURES: Facebook integration, interactive lock-screen
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 109.1 x 58.9 x 12.3mm
WEIGHT: 120g
WEBSITE: www.htc.com
PRICE: RM1,499
RATING: 3/5stars
The HTC Salsa together with its sibling the ChaCha, are a new breed of HTC phones that capitalise on social networking integration with a built-in Facebook function.
On the outside, it is an elegantly designed phone with a sleek metallic casing and a build quality that is on par with higher-end phones like the HTC Desire S. It also feels remarkably light and comfortable in the hand.
It actually bears close resemblance to the last year's HTC Legend. In fact, the two look almost identical save for the fact that the Salsa has a slightly larger 3.4in screen.
The screen quality is one area that the phone is lacking. Though the HVGA resolution (320 x 480-pixels) has good contrast and decent viewing angles, the screen's low resolution makes text on full webpages appear small and unreadable.
This means you will need to zoom in and out a lot when browsing pages on the Web. We liked how there's a proper camera button on the Salsa as it is something that we rarely see on smartphones these days. You can even do a half press to pre-focus and snap a picture by fully pressing down.
There isn't much to see around the back except for the Salsa's 5-megapixel camera and speakers. Everything else is where you would expect them to be - the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top while the volume rocker and microUSB port can be found on the left side of smartphone.
In use
The Salsa's performance is generally fluid for most regular tasks thanks to its 800MHz Qualcomm processor. However, it is not well suited for running processor-intensive games - less demanding games such as Angry Birds run fine on the device.
Another downside is that the browser does not support Flash, so you will miss out on watching certain Flash videos and playing Flash games from Kongregate on your mobile.
Running on Android 2.3.3, the Salsa comes with the usual HTC Sense interface that is overlaid on top of the default operating system. For the most part the Sense interface feels similar to other HTC phones but there's a new interactive lock screen that you can use to access commonly used apps like the Phone, Messages, Camera and Mail.
All you have to do is drag one of the icons into the circle to instantly open the app so you can read your messages, make a call or snap a picture right away. It is a simple yet effective feature that greatly improves the phone's usabilty.
The default browser handles tabbed browsing in a unique way. Just pinch the screen and a scrolling icon list of opened webpages comes up, similar to how it appears on your desktop browser.
It's not perfect though, as the zoomed out view responds slower when pages are being loaded.
The Salsa's battery performance did not impress us. Considering that this a social networking phone that needs to be constantly updated it was rather disappointing.
After using the phone to check on our Facebook updates, browse the Web, post pictures and make the occasional call, we found that the phone could just barely get through the day on a single charge.
All about Facebook
What makes the Salsa different from your run-of-the-mill Android phone is its Facebook integration. It has a dedicated Facebook button that streamlines the processing of posting content directly to your Facebook wall.
The feature works across multiple applications so when you take a photo for instance, the button will glow to indicate that you can upload it to Facebook.
Similarly you can use the button to share links viewed on your web browser, share videos and tell everyone what music you're currently listening to.
By "long pressing" on the button, you can check in at your current location via Facebook Places. You can also instant message your Facebook contacts using the included FB Chat app on the phone.
Additionally there's a ticker at the bottom of the clock application on the home screen showing you the latest Facebook updates.
Though it only shows a single update, you can click on it to take you to HTC's new Sense Facebook interface. Here you can get a full view of all Facebook updates from your friends and even sort them by links, check-ins, videos or photos shared.
While it is a nice app to have to sort through your friend's updates, it does seem redundant against the existing Facebook app that you can get off the Android Marketplace.
You're not limited to just Facebook though, as you can also get updates from other social networks Twitter and Flickr on the Salsa.
Not great for pictures
The Salsa's 5-megapixel camera is good for taking casual pictures, or the occasional video, to upload on Facebook.
However the camera isn't the best that we've seen - the picture quality is passable at the very least and only performs well when shooting outdoors. Shutter lag is quite significant on the camera so it is next to impossible to capture moving subjects on it.
The LED flash does help when snapping pictures in the dark though the results often come off as being too artificial or washed out by the flash.
The video quality of the camera isn't anything to shout about. In an age where HD video capture is increasingly common, the Salsa's VGA quality recordings look sadly outdated. You can also shoot in widescreen (720 x 480-pixels) but there's not much difference in terms of quality.
Still, the camera is good for taking close-up shots and the quality is acceptable for uploading to Facebook.
Speaking of which, since this is a Facebook-centric phone after all, the Salsa has a useful auto upload feature that can be set to upload pictures directly to your Facebook account after they are taken.
It's cool feature to have if you want to immediately share your pictures with your friends. However, it indiscriminately uploads anything you record or snap, so be sure to switch it off to avoid uploading embarrassing pictures by accident or using up all your mobile data for the month.
Conclusion
As a social network orientated phone, the HTC Salsa has got some things right, like having a dedicated Facebook button to make it easier to share your thoughts, links, pictures and videos with your friends.
Furthermore, the new interactive lock-screen is very useful for accessing frequently-used apps, and web browsing feels good thanks to the improved handling of tabbed browsing.
The phone does, however, have a couple of low points - the camera is poor and its weak processor makes it underpowered for playing games or run processor-intensive apps.
All in all, if you are just looking for a smartphone that specialises in social networking and has integrated Facebook functions, then the HTC Salsa might be right up your alley.
Pros: Sleek design; Facebook integration; tabbed browsing; interactive lock-screen.
Cons: Low resolution screen; poor camera; weak processor; no Flash support; unimpressive battery life.
HTC SALSA
Social networking smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSPA 900/2100
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread)
DISPLAY: 3.4in capacitive multi-touch screen (320 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 5-megapixels autofocus; LED flash; VGA video recording; VGA front camera CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi 802.1, micro USB
MEMORY: 512MB RAM; 512MB internal phone storage
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD, up to 32GB
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 530 hours/ 7 hours 50mins
OTHER FEATURES: Facebook integration, interactive lock-screen
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H): 109.1 x 58.9 x 12.3mm
WEIGHT: 120g
WEBSITE: www.htc.com
PRICE: RM1,499
RATING: 3/5stars
Friday, February 10, 2012
Nokia E6 Review
The E6 is the latest in Nokia's long -running line of E-series business phones. It is an interesting device that combines elements of both a Qwerty keyboard-centric mobile phone and a touchscreen device.
On the outside, the Nokia E6 closely follows the classic E series design though it has been updated with rounded curves and there are thick silver accents running around the phone.
It's a very compact phone that measures just 10.5mm thick and it has a remarkably sturdy build quality. Around the sides, the E6 cleverly hides its microUSB port and microSD card slot with protective covers that helps keep dust out.
The lock slider on the side is great for quickly locking the phone and easier to reach than the power button that is located on the top.
A little bit of both
The 2.46in screen doesn't look like much but it is actually a capacitive touchscreen with a 600 x 480-pixel resolution.
The mixed Qwerty and touchscreen -interface takes some getting used to but it provides the best of both worlds when it comes to -navigation with the touchscreen and easier text input with its physical buttons.
You can customise the layout of the icons by 'long pressing' on them but the space provided is so limited that you can't change much.
One notable widget that played well to the E6's -messagingcentric nature was the pre-installed Social -widget that pulls feeds from Facebook, Twitter and your instant messages.
Improved with a few -touches
While Nokia is -switching to the Windows Phone -platform, that hasn't stopped it from launching an updated version of its Symbian 3 -operating system. The E6 is the first Nokia device to run on the updated Symbian Anna operating system.
To be honest, Symbian Anna doesn't bring many improvements to the table save for the improved web browser and Nokia Maps.
Nokia Maps is actually a full-feature -navigation application that's pretty handy for finding your way around an unfamiliar part of town.
It comes complete with global maps, drive and walk voice navigation - not bad for something that's completely free.
We found it intuitive and easy-to-use when looking for new destinations. Even satellite locks were relatively quick.
In terms of actual navigation, we did find that it tried to lead us on a longer way around to a destination, but re-routing was very quick so we didn't get lost and still made it to our destination.
However, due to the small size of the screen on the E6, we found it difficult to view the map while driving. Web surfing also feels smoother and faster on the E6. The experience can be a bit limited considering the small size of the screen but it didn't prove to be a problem when we tried browsing through our regular pages.
However, the E6 doesn't quite feel as polished in some areas - common -functions like messages are a little slow to load -compared to speedy -smartphones and some -applications took a long time to load on a few occasions. But this is probably to be expected from a phone in this category.
One notable application that we liked that came with the phone was JoikuSpot, which is an -application that allows you to turn the phone into a WiFi hotspot using your 3G -connection.
In terms of battery -performance, the E6 is pretty energy efficient and managed to last a day and half on a single charge. This is even after we used the phone to browse the Web, check e-mails and make phone calls -throughout the day.
Camera
The E6's 8-megapixel camera gives it the edge over many other Qwerty -keyboard phones. Though it is a fixed-focus -camera, the E6 still -managed to produce pictures that were nicely -saturated especially when taken in well-lit -conditions.
In addition, it has features like face -recognition and a dual-LED flash to help -illuminate -subjects in the dark.
On the downside, the lack of autofocus makes taking close-up shots -difficult and it doesn't shoot well in dark -environments.
The E6 is, at the very least, up to date with modern smartphones in terms of HD video capture - it can record videos at 720p -resolution at 25 frames per second.
The results were quite decent and still looked good when viewed on a bigger screen. That's not to say that it will perform as well as a dedicated video-recording device but it's a handy feature to have. The LED flash also serves as a light that can be turned on to -illuminate subjects when it's dark.
Conclusion
For RM1,155 there's a lot of value to be found in the small but feature-packed Nokia E6. It is a well-built phone that offers a decent -camera and great battery life. Nokia Maps also extends the phone's usefulness beyond calls and text messaging.
Though it may seem weird, the phone's hybrid physical button and touch interface works well for surfing the Web and general phone usage.
The only major downside to the phone is its small 2.4in screen that is ill-fitting for a touchscreen device.
Though the E6 is a very capable business phone, it is hard to ignore the fact that much of Nokia's current efforts are clearly focused on its upcoming Windows Phone models, which are due later this year. Only time will tell if we will ever see a follow-up to the E6.
Pros: Improved web browser; good -battery life; able to record 720p HD video, Nokia Maps provides GPS navigation.
Cons: Screen is too small; Symbian Anna does not offer many new features; fixed-focus camera.
Nokia E6
Symbian Anna smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100
CPU: ARM 11 680MHz
OPERATING SYSTEM: Symbian Anna
DISPLAY: 2.46in TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen (640 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 8-megapixels, fixed-focus, dual-LED flash, 720p HD video recording (25 fps, H.264)
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi (802.11b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 256MB RAM; 1GB ROM; 8GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 681 hours/ 14 hours
OTHER FEATURES: A-GPS with Nokia Maps navigation; Qwerty keyboard
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 115.5 x 59 x 10.5mm
WEIGHT: 133g
PRICE: RM1,155
RATING: 3.5/5 stars
On the outside, the Nokia E6 closely follows the classic E series design though it has been updated with rounded curves and there are thick silver accents running around the phone.
It's a very compact phone that measures just 10.5mm thick and it has a remarkably sturdy build quality. Around the sides, the E6 cleverly hides its microUSB port and microSD card slot with protective covers that helps keep dust out.
The lock slider on the side is great for quickly locking the phone and easier to reach than the power button that is located on the top.
A little bit of both
The 2.46in screen doesn't look like much but it is actually a capacitive touchscreen with a 600 x 480-pixel resolution.
The mixed Qwerty and touchscreen -interface takes some getting used to but it provides the best of both worlds when it comes to -navigation with the touchscreen and easier text input with its physical buttons.
You can customise the layout of the icons by 'long pressing' on them but the space provided is so limited that you can't change much.
One notable widget that played well to the E6's -messagingcentric nature was the pre-installed Social -widget that pulls feeds from Facebook, Twitter and your instant messages.
Improved with a few -touches
While Nokia is -switching to the Windows Phone -platform, that hasn't stopped it from launching an updated version of its Symbian 3 -operating system. The E6 is the first Nokia device to run on the updated Symbian Anna operating system.
To be honest, Symbian Anna doesn't bring many improvements to the table save for the improved web browser and Nokia Maps.
Nokia Maps is actually a full-feature -navigation application that's pretty handy for finding your way around an unfamiliar part of town.
It comes complete with global maps, drive and walk voice navigation - not bad for something that's completely free.
We found it intuitive and easy-to-use when looking for new destinations. Even satellite locks were relatively quick.
In terms of actual navigation, we did find that it tried to lead us on a longer way around to a destination, but re-routing was very quick so we didn't get lost and still made it to our destination.
However, due to the small size of the screen on the E6, we found it difficult to view the map while driving. Web surfing also feels smoother and faster on the E6. The experience can be a bit limited considering the small size of the screen but it didn't prove to be a problem when we tried browsing through our regular pages.
However, the E6 doesn't quite feel as polished in some areas - common -functions like messages are a little slow to load -compared to speedy -smartphones and some -applications took a long time to load on a few occasions. But this is probably to be expected from a phone in this category.
One notable application that we liked that came with the phone was JoikuSpot, which is an -application that allows you to turn the phone into a WiFi hotspot using your 3G -connection.
In terms of battery -performance, the E6 is pretty energy efficient and managed to last a day and half on a single charge. This is even after we used the phone to browse the Web, check e-mails and make phone calls -throughout the day.
Camera
The E6's 8-megapixel camera gives it the edge over many other Qwerty -keyboard phones. Though it is a fixed-focus -camera, the E6 still -managed to produce pictures that were nicely -saturated especially when taken in well-lit -conditions.
In addition, it has features like face -recognition and a dual-LED flash to help -illuminate -subjects in the dark.
On the downside, the lack of autofocus makes taking close-up shots -difficult and it doesn't shoot well in dark -environments.
The E6 is, at the very least, up to date with modern smartphones in terms of HD video capture - it can record videos at 720p -resolution at 25 frames per second.
The results were quite decent and still looked good when viewed on a bigger screen. That's not to say that it will perform as well as a dedicated video-recording device but it's a handy feature to have. The LED flash also serves as a light that can be turned on to -illuminate subjects when it's dark.
Conclusion
For RM1,155 there's a lot of value to be found in the small but feature-packed Nokia E6. It is a well-built phone that offers a decent -camera and great battery life. Nokia Maps also extends the phone's usefulness beyond calls and text messaging.
Though it may seem weird, the phone's hybrid physical button and touch interface works well for surfing the Web and general phone usage.
The only major downside to the phone is its small 2.4in screen that is ill-fitting for a touchscreen device.
Though the E6 is a very capable business phone, it is hard to ignore the fact that much of Nokia's current efforts are clearly focused on its upcoming Windows Phone models, which are due later this year. Only time will tell if we will ever see a follow-up to the E6.
Pros: Improved web browser; good -battery life; able to record 720p HD video, Nokia Maps provides GPS navigation.
Cons: Screen is too small; Symbian Anna does not offer many new features; fixed-focus camera.
Nokia E6
Symbian Anna smartphone
NETWORK: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100
CPU: ARM 11 680MHz
OPERATING SYSTEM: Symbian Anna
DISPLAY: 2.46in TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen (640 x 480-pixels)
CAMERA: 8-megapixels, fixed-focus, dual-LED flash, 720p HD video recording (25 fps, H.264)
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi (802.11b/g/n), USB 2.0
MEMORY: 256MB RAM; 1GB ROM; 8GB internal storage
EXPANSION SLOT: microSD (up to 32GB)
STANDBY/TALK TIME: 681 hours/ 14 hours
OTHER FEATURES: A-GPS with Nokia Maps navigation; Qwerty keyboard
DIMENSIONS (W x D x H): 115.5 x 59 x 10.5mm
WEIGHT: 133g
PRICE: RM1,155
RATING: 3.5/5 stars
Friday, February 3, 2012
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was initially announced during MWC 2011 with thicker dimensions and an 8-megapixel camera. Not until Apple unveiled its next generation iPad 2 which is thinner and lighter, did the engineers in Samsung go back to the drawing board and give the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 some crucial modification. Then, in CTIA 2011, Samsung re-announced the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with a thinner and lighter profile.
At a Glance
+ Fast and responsive + Sleek and light + TouchWiz UX + Long battery life - Does not support full HD playback (only works on certain video formats) - Lack of apps for tablet
In the box:
- Tablet
- Power adapter
- USB cable
- Headset
Exterior, Controls and Screen
On the surface, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 does not look any different than the other competing 10-inch Honeycomb slates. Of course, the key selling point of this tablet is that it is 8.6 mm sleek and carries a weight of 565g. It is 0.2mm thinner and 36g lighter than its primary rival – the Apple iPad 2. To be honest, it is hard for us to spot any differences between these two tablets. The tablet is comfortable enough to hold it at a portrait view with a single hand, without feeling fatigue.
It has a 10.1-inch PLS-LCD capacitive touch screen display with a whopping 1280 x 800 widescreen resolution. PLS stands for Plan to Line Switching, which Samsung Mobile Display touted for its great viewing angle over the IPS display that could be found in the Apple iPad 2 and Asus Eee Pad Transformer. The display is surrounded by a black bezel, leaving the front facing camera and light sensor on the top. The display of the tablet also acts as a fingerprint magnet. Make sure you have a wiping cloth on standby. like any other Android Honeycomb tablet in the market, the screen is completely free from any physical buttons.
We are glad that the power button of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sits on top of the tablet, which is extremely convenient for us to reach it, rather than lifting the tablet to press the power button on the back such as with the Motorola Xoom. Next, you will see the volume rocker, followed by the headphone jack and SIM card slot. A USB data connector slot is located on the bottom of the tablet, leaving the rest empty except for the speaker grills on both sides of the tablet. Protecting the back of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a smooth white plastic cover.
Hardware
Samsung initially decided to power the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with its own customized Exynos chipset, but later decided to switch to Nvidia’s Tegra 2 SoC (System-on-a-Chip). The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, coupled with 1GB of RAM. Storage-wise, the review unit we had has a 16GB internal storage, and does not support microSD cards. The tablet is equipped with a Li-Po 7000 mAh battery. In our opinion, it could last about two days’ time of normal usage (including web browsing, listening to some music, watch some YouTube and activate GPS for navigation) with WiFi on at all time.
Software
Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that was launched in the States, the tablet we have here is preloaded with Samsung TouchWiz UX user interface on top of Android 3.1. The TouchWiz UX offers Live Panel, Quick Panel and Mini Apps Tray that enrich user experience on the Android 3.1 operating system. Live Panel allows user to resize widgets on the home screens. The revamped Quick Panel lets you to have quick access to WiFi, Notification, GPS, Sound, Auto-rotation, Bluetooth and Flight mode. You can even control the screen brightness from there.
Our personal favourite is the Mini Apps Tray. You can pick your favourite music without moving away from your current app. A simple tap on the arrow button located on the System Bar at the bottom of the screen will show a tray of six apps, including Task Manager, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo, Calculator and Music. Any apps that are launched from the Mini Apps Tray always stay on top of the screen, allowing you to switch apps uninterrupted. A screenshot button could be found on the System Bar too.
We certainly miss the stock Honeycomb Music app which has the 3D carousel album display as Samsung has replaced the default Music app with its own. Other apps added by Samsung including Photo Editor and Social Hub.
Booting up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 only requires approximately 38 seconds, which it immediately displays the lock screen to indicate that it is ready to for you to Tab. Nevertheless, our experience with Android 3.1 is quite smooth and better than the original 3.0, though it is still not perfect yet. Unfortunately, there are not many apps catering for Android tablets at the time of writing.
Benchmark Scores
Hardware Performance
BenchmarkPi: 558
Quadrant Standard: 2183
AnTuTu Benchmark: 4698
Web Browser Performance
Acid3 Test: 100/100
SunSpider: 2300.5 ms +/- 1.8%
Camera, Video and Audio
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is equipped with an auto-focus 3-megapixel camera with LED flash. It does a decent job on snapping sharp and clear photos. It is also able to record HD video at 720p. We definitely welcome Samsung’s skinning on the camera/video app, making more intuitive than the default Honeycomb UI. The speakers on the tablet deliver solid sounds even at maximum level. The only disadvantage is the tablet we had refused to play full HD video at 1080p.
update: Apparently, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is able to play Windows Media Video (.wmv) at full HD. A Samsung clarifies that full HD video only works on certain video formats. alternatively, you can follow our Tips and Tricks on encoding your videos for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has all the necessary connectivity options including 3G HSDPA 21 Mbps, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and USB data connectivity port. GPS performance in this device is superb, as it could manage to get a location lock from a cold boot within 4 seconds. This device does not support charging via USB while plugged to the computer.
Verdict
Ultimately, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is sleek, light and powerful. However, it is still not powerful and fast enough to consider as a laptop replacement. It is great for people who are multimedia-centric or business users who need to use the Internet and view and edit documents on the go.
At a Glance
+ Fast and responsive + Sleek and light + TouchWiz UX + Long battery life - Does not support full HD playback (only works on certain video formats) - Lack of apps for tablet
In the box:
- Tablet
- Power adapter
- USB cable
- Headset
Exterior, Controls and Screen
On the surface, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 does not look any different than the other competing 10-inch Honeycomb slates. Of course, the key selling point of this tablet is that it is 8.6 mm sleek and carries a weight of 565g. It is 0.2mm thinner and 36g lighter than its primary rival – the Apple iPad 2. To be honest, it is hard for us to spot any differences between these two tablets. The tablet is comfortable enough to hold it at a portrait view with a single hand, without feeling fatigue.
It has a 10.1-inch PLS-LCD capacitive touch screen display with a whopping 1280 x 800 widescreen resolution. PLS stands for Plan to Line Switching, which Samsung Mobile Display touted for its great viewing angle over the IPS display that could be found in the Apple iPad 2 and Asus Eee Pad Transformer. The display is surrounded by a black bezel, leaving the front facing camera and light sensor on the top. The display of the tablet also acts as a fingerprint magnet. Make sure you have a wiping cloth on standby. like any other Android Honeycomb tablet in the market, the screen is completely free from any physical buttons.
We are glad that the power button of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sits on top of the tablet, which is extremely convenient for us to reach it, rather than lifting the tablet to press the power button on the back such as with the Motorola Xoom. Next, you will see the volume rocker, followed by the headphone jack and SIM card slot. A USB data connector slot is located on the bottom of the tablet, leaving the rest empty except for the speaker grills on both sides of the tablet. Protecting the back of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a smooth white plastic cover.
Hardware
Samsung initially decided to power the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with its own customized Exynos chipset, but later decided to switch to Nvidia’s Tegra 2 SoC (System-on-a-Chip). The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, coupled with 1GB of RAM. Storage-wise, the review unit we had has a 16GB internal storage, and does not support microSD cards. The tablet is equipped with a Li-Po 7000 mAh battery. In our opinion, it could last about two days’ time of normal usage (including web browsing, listening to some music, watch some YouTube and activate GPS for navigation) with WiFi on at all time.
Software
Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that was launched in the States, the tablet we have here is preloaded with Samsung TouchWiz UX user interface on top of Android 3.1. The TouchWiz UX offers Live Panel, Quick Panel and Mini Apps Tray that enrich user experience on the Android 3.1 operating system. Live Panel allows user to resize widgets on the home screens. The revamped Quick Panel lets you to have quick access to WiFi, Notification, GPS, Sound, Auto-rotation, Bluetooth and Flight mode. You can even control the screen brightness from there.
Our personal favourite is the Mini Apps Tray. You can pick your favourite music without moving away from your current app. A simple tap on the arrow button located on the System Bar at the bottom of the screen will show a tray of six apps, including Task Manager, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo, Calculator and Music. Any apps that are launched from the Mini Apps Tray always stay on top of the screen, allowing you to switch apps uninterrupted. A screenshot button could be found on the System Bar too.
We certainly miss the stock Honeycomb Music app which has the 3D carousel album display as Samsung has replaced the default Music app with its own. Other apps added by Samsung including Photo Editor and Social Hub.
Booting up the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 only requires approximately 38 seconds, which it immediately displays the lock screen to indicate that it is ready to for you to Tab. Nevertheless, our experience with Android 3.1 is quite smooth and better than the original 3.0, though it is still not perfect yet. Unfortunately, there are not many apps catering for Android tablets at the time of writing.
Benchmark Scores
Hardware Performance
BenchmarkPi: 558
Quadrant Standard: 2183
AnTuTu Benchmark: 4698
Web Browser Performance
Acid3 Test: 100/100
SunSpider: 2300.5 ms +/- 1.8%
Camera, Video and Audio
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is equipped with an auto-focus 3-megapixel camera with LED flash. It does a decent job on snapping sharp and clear photos. It is also able to record HD video at 720p. We definitely welcome Samsung’s skinning on the camera/video app, making more intuitive than the default Honeycomb UI. The speakers on the tablet deliver solid sounds even at maximum level. The only disadvantage is the tablet we had refused to play full HD video at 1080p.
update: Apparently, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is able to play Windows Media Video (.wmv) at full HD. A Samsung clarifies that full HD video only works on certain video formats. alternatively, you can follow our Tips and Tricks on encoding your videos for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has all the necessary connectivity options including 3G HSDPA 21 Mbps, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and USB data connectivity port. GPS performance in this device is superb, as it could manage to get a location lock from a cold boot within 4 seconds. This device does not support charging via USB while plugged to the computer.
Verdict
Ultimately, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is sleek, light and powerful. However, it is still not powerful and fast enough to consider as a laptop replacement. It is great for people who are multimedia-centric or business users who need to use the Internet and view and edit documents on the go.
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