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14JulThe Galaxy S Invasion marches on. Samsung Vibrant, July 15 on T-Mobile, $199 after rebate. Unboxed by Mr Noah from PhoneDog dot com.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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14Jul
Overview
What's Good: Nice QWERTY keyboard; good battery life for an Android device.
What's Bad: Haptic buttons below touchscreen froze occasionally; device was laggy at times.
The Verdict: The Intercept is a nice device for those that don't want (or need) an EVO 4G. Be sure to check out the buttons and overall speed of the unit in store prior to purchasing, though.
Introduction
Samsung is at it again, and they're expanding their Android horizons by focusing on more than one demographic. Hot off the Galaxy S announcements a few weeks ago, the mid-range Intercept has landed at Sprint. Complete with Android 2.1, a full QWERTY keyboard, and 3G connectivity, the replacement to the Samsung Moment offers a nice feature set at a reasonable price. That being said, the focus seems to be around high-profile devices like the EVO 4G, DROID X, Incredible, and iPhone 4. What's more, the innovation surrounding smartphones have driven prices down. At $99.99, does the Intercept stand out in the field of sub $100 smartphones?
Design & Features
The device comes in a mid-size box that contains the phone, battery, AC adapter, USB cable, 2 GB microSD card (installed in the phone), microSD card adapter, and instruction manuals. It feels thin and light in the hand, which is a departure from the bulky design of the Samsung Moment. Coming in at 4.43 inches long by 2.19 inches wide by 0.60 inch thick, the device weighs 4.9 ounces, making it easy to carry in a tight pocket, purse, or briefcase.
The Intercept offers a few external buttons. On the left side, the volume rocker and microSD slot can be found, while the 3.5mm headphone jack and camera button are on the right side. The microUSB charging port is on the top, and the 3.2-megapixel camera is located on the back. The Intercept offers a 3.0-inch WQVGA display with 240 x 400 pixels and 16 million colors. Given the Intercept's mid-range status, it's perfectly acceptable, and worked well in every task I threw at it. Having said that, I'm spoiled by high-resolution displays, and immediately noticed the difference. If you're migrating from a high-end device to the Intercept, you'll probably notice too.Usability & Performance
The Intercept ships with Android 2.1 and a custom Samsung "skin." Unlike Sense UI and MOTOBLUR, Samsung's customizations are minor. You'll immediately notice Sprint includes Sprint TV, Nascar Sprint Cup Mobile, Sprint Football Live, and Sprint Zone. Sprint Navigation isn't installed on the Intercept, and my initial thought is that Sprint realized the redundancy of having Sprint Navigation and Google Maps on the same device.
Overall performance was decent thanks to the 800 MHz processor, though there were a few times where I experienced lag. Every now and again, the entire device would freeze up for 5-10 seconds, and wouldn't respond to any of my gestures. I also experienced a lesser version with the four haptic buttons (menu, home, back, search) below the touchscreen. Throughout my testing, there were several times where the four buttons neglected to register my gestures. I would inevitably tap the button five or six times, and it would spring to life, suddenly registering all six gestures at once and opening random applications. It was frustrating, and I found myself pulling the battery a few times.
With a full QWERTY keyboard, the Intercept is a great device for those that text and e-mail on a regular basis. The keys are large and tactile, making it easy to tap out a message on the go. The overall layout of the keyboard is a bit funky and centered to the left due to the arrow navigation keys, and Samsung placed the "Z-M" row in between the space bar, making it slightly different than using a normal QWERTY. Despite the differences, I was able to get used to the layout after a few days.
Sporting a 3.2-megapixel camera, it's no match to the 5.0 and 8.0-megapixel alternatives on the market, but picture quality was decent given the right amount of natural light. The pictures I took after dusk and in low-lit areas were grainy, thanks to the lack of a flash. Editing options include scene mode, white balance, color effect, metering, picture size, picture quality, and focus mode. In addition to the camera, the Intercept offers a video camera, and it works well for the occasional recording. You have the option of setting it for 30 seconds (for sending via MMS), 10 minutes, or 30 minutes.
I've worked with the Intercept in the Charlotte metro area, and call quality has been good. Call quality has been consistently strong on my end, and my callers told me that they could hear me well and that I was easy to understand. I tested the speakerphone in a busy department store, and though background noise was present during my test calls, callers were able to understand most of the conversation. I paired one my Plantronics Voyager Pro headset to the Intercept, and callers were pleased with the audio quality.
The Intercept uses Sprint's EVDO (3G) network for data, and while it uses Rev. 0 instead of the faster Rev. A, device, speeds were generally decent for a mid-range device. CNN's mobile website loaded in roughly 14 seconds, and the full PhoneDog homepage loaded in about 40 seconds. Data-heavy apps like Sprint TV, Google Maps, and various downloaded apps worked without issue.
The device ships with a 1500 mAh battery, and despite being an Android device, the battery life was surprisingly decent. WIth moderate use including calling, text messaging, instant messaging, browsing the internet, use of Google Maps (I'm a navigation junkie), I was able to make it just over a day before the device powered off. Given the battery challenges plaguing the high-end behemoths like the EVO 4G, DROID X (both of which I have to charge during the business day), it's a welcome change.Conclusion
The Android platform is expanding at an exponential rate. From the occasional device here and there to a new phone every week, it's hard to keep track of the growth. In a sea of summer releases, the Samsung Intercept is one of the nicer mid-range devices I've worked with. The full QWERTY keyboard is roomy and perfect for typing, and it's yet another form factor for prospective buyers to consider. Hardware aside, Sprint pre-installs quite a few free perks on their devices, and their price plans are generally cheaper than the competition. My only concern is the occasional lag and the issues I had with the haptic buttons below the display. Be sure to test the device (and the buttons) in store prior to purchasing. The Intercept is available at Sprint retail stores and online for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and new customer agreement.
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Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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14JulBig, fast and smooth: Noah reviews the Motorola Droid X Android phone for Verizon. Part 1 of 2.Become a PhoneDog Fan on Facebook and don't forget to "Spin to Win!" today Know something we don't? E-mail us or post it in our forums
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14Jul
We've been hearing that Apple was planning on releasing a new version of iOS 4 in the near future that it says will remedy the reception issues people are experiencing with the iPhone 4, and today we got the first evidence of that. Apple has released the first beta of iOS 4.1 and iPhone SDK 4.1 to developers, but it's unclear exactly what the update contains. Rather than just release an incremental 4.0.1 update to fix only the signal issues, however, Apple has most likely included that patch along with other bug fixes in version 4.1. It's hard to tell how many beta revisions the 4.1 software will go through before it's finally released to the public, but at least we know it's on the way.
There are people waiting patiently for Apple to release iOS 4.1 for many reasons. Some people are hoping that the fix will correct the reception problems they are experiencing with the iPhone 4 like Apple promised it would. Others, however, want to see the update pushed out quickly so that a jailbreak and unlock method for iOS 4 can be released to the public. Either way, I think we can all agree that we want iOS 4.1 to be released sooner rather than later. If you're an iPhone developer with access to the iOS 4.1 beta, let us know about it!UPDATE: It appears that Apple's fix for the signal issues is included in the beta, as expected. You can see in the photo below that the bars are slightly taller than in previous versions of iOS. The modem firmware has been updated from 01.59.00 to 02.07.01. There's no word yet on whether the changes have actually resulted in an improved signal.
Via MacRumors(1), (2)
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14Jul
Microsoft's new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, is coming along nicely and should be set for its launch this holiday season. One thing that the company has gone great lengths to ensure is that the OS will have a good selection of quality apps for users, which is important in this app-obsessed culture we live in. We've heard rumors that Microsoft has been paying developers and giving out free devices to entice devs to their platform, and now we can confirm those rumors thanks to Microsoft director Todd Brix. Speaking with BusinessWeek, Brix revealed that Microsoft is giving out all kinds of incentives to bring devs to WP7, including free test handsets, development tools, and even cold, hard cash. The company has even promised some developers revenue guarantees, stating that they will make up the difference if a developer's apps don't sell as well as expected.
While some may view Microsoft's moves as unethical, there's nothing really wrong with what the company is doing. With the popularity of Windows and Office, they certainly have the money to entice developers to their platform. Considering the growing success of competitors like Apple and Google, Microsoft needs to do everything it can to gain a foothold in the mobile space. With the release of Windows Phone 7 only five and a half months away (at the most), hopefully Microsoft has some grade "A" apps ready for launch to go along with its new OS to compete with the iPhone and the multitude of new Android phones that will surely be released.
Via Engadget, BusinessWeekBecome a PhoneDog Fan on Facebook and don't forget to "Spin to Win!" today Know something we don't? E-mail us or post it in our forums
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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14Jul
Motorola's Charm, headed for T-Mobile, has been featured in a T-Mobile poster in the past, and now we're seeing it pop up again. Engadget has received a tip that the Motorola Charm, which still doesn't have a release date, will be free when purchased with a T-Mobile family plan. Surrounded by several new dumbphones, the Moto Charm seems to be the most capable device of the bunch featured. It may not be the highest-specced Android device on the market, but for the low, low price of free, it's hard to argue against the Charm. So, T-Mobile, considering we know just about everything else about the phone, how about giving up the Charm's release date?
Considering that the Charm is the first portrait QWERTY Android phone (besides the original prototype device shown off at Android's unveiling), I'm sure that it will gain some considerable interest no matter the price or specs. When it's free on contract, there are going to be more than a few customers looking for a first smartphone that will snag the Charm, especially since it does have a physical QWERTY. Now T-Mobile needs to offer the Charm for free on any contract and it'll be sure to charm a ton of users.
Via EngadgetBecome a PhoneDog Fan on Facebook and don't forget to "Spin to Win!" today Know something we don't? E-mail us or post it in our forums
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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14Jul
Congratulations to J. Massey of TX for winning our first HTC myTouch 3G in white with 3.5mm headset jack. He did this on Wednesday July 14, 2010 at 1:04PM. "I can't believe it! Have played everyday for about a year, and it paid off!! Thanks a million PhoneDog!!!"Become a PhoneDog Fan on Facebook and don't forget to "Spin to Win!" today Know something we don't? E-mail us or post it in our forums
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14Jul
A lot of you have been wondering about Best Buy's inventory of the Motorola DROID X, and now we finally have some news for you. Droid Life has received a tip that DROID X shipments have begun arriving at some Best Buys and that they should have enough devices to cover any pre-orders made before July 4th. Some users are reporting that their local Best Buys have said that customers won't be able to pick up their DROID X tomorrow because shipments haven't arrived, so if you've got a pre-order, you should call your local store to see if the devices have arrived. Wouldn't it be disappointing if you got to Best Buy only to learn that they haven't received their DROID Xs yet?
It makes sense that Best Buy would only have enough DROID Xs to cover the first pre-order period considering they cut off reservations for a short period of time. When the second pre-order phase began, it was stated that those customers on the second list were being put on a waiting list and may not receive a DROID X on launch, so hopefully you got your name on the first list. Considering the demand for the DROID X, I'm sure that Motorola, Verizon, and Best Buy will be trying hard to make sure plenty of devices are shipped to stores, so I'm sure that customers on the second waiting list at Best Buy won't be waiting terribly long. So, those of you that pre-ordered at a Best Buy, did you make it in before the July 4th cutoff?
Via Droid LifeBecome a PhoneDog Fan on Facebook and don't forget to "Spin to Win!" today Know something we don't? E-mail us or post it in our forums
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14Jul
A report by life assistance company CPP warns that millions of people are suffering from “numerical amnesia” because mobile phones store numbers for them. The report presumably goes on to warn about how no-one knows how to shoe a horse, and an almost terminal lack of qualified Stone Axe Grinders too.“Buzzword” doesn’t sound so great, yet with very good reason, and any time you hear a new catchphrase your first thought should be “Is this made up gibberish?” “Numerical amnesia” sounds extremely serious, especially to those who fear technology to begin with, but it’s based on an online test which gave users one attempt to memorise a ten digit number. That’s not a scientific study – no-one has ever been able to do that, because before we had the technology to remember them for us we simply didn’t need numbers that big! No farmer has ever had ten billion cattle, and if he had he certainly wouldn’t need to know the exact number. He’d be too busy digging a bunker to survive the flood of dung.
A more important, non-catchphrase part of the study is the fact that two-thirds of those surveyed feared losing their contacts but only two-fifths actually backed them up! But don’t worry, the UK isn’t 25% ninnies – remember, this is an online survey so not everyone has been able to have a go.
But while we’re here: have you backed up your contact list?
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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14Jul
A report by life assistance company CPP warns that millions of people are suffering from “numerical amnesia” because mobile phones store numbers for them. The report presumably goes on to warn about how no-one knows how to shoe a horse, and an almost terminal lack of qualified Stone Axe Grinders too.“Buzzword” doesn’t sound so great, yet with very good reason, and any time you hear a new catchphrase your first thought should be “Is this made up gibberish?” “Numerical amnesia” sounds extremely serious, especially to those who fear technology to begin with, but it’s based on an online test which gave users one attempt to memorise a ten digit number. That’s not a scientific study – no-one has ever been able to do that, because before we had the technology to remember them for us we simply didn’t need numbers that big! No farmer has ever had ten billion cattle, and if he had he certainly wouldn’t need to know the exact number. He’d be too busy digging a bunker to survive the flood of dung.
A more important, non-catchphrase part of the study is the fact that two-thirds of those surveyed feared losing their contacts but only two-fifths actually backed them up! But don’t worry, the UK isn’t 25% ninnies – remember, this is an online survey so not everyone has been able to have a go.
But while we’re here: have you backed up your contact list?
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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