The 41megapixel Nokia 808 gets tested…
The Nokia 808 PureView might have been delayed until July but that hasn’t stopped the king of Symbian, Steve Litchfield getting his hands on one and putting it through its paces.
May 28, 2012 By
June 21, 2011 By
Nokia N9 Smartphone Announced
Nokia has today announced its first and last Meego phone, the Nokia N9, with rumours suggesting that it may be launched within a month.
Meego was intended to be Nokia’s future platform, but has been canned along with Symbian now that the Finnish giant has decided to focus its efforts on the Windows Phone OS. So, will this one of a kind handset prove why Nokia was the leader of the smartphone market for so long, or will it reiterate the struggle that Nokia’s platforms have faced against the growing popularity of competition OS’s such as Android and iOS?
Going by the spec sheet and some of the initial hands-on videos/photos, it looks like the N9 will certainly be a device to get excited about. It will include some of the high-end smartphone features that Symbian models have lacked in the past, providing the World’s first ever ‘pure touch screen’ experience. Below is the full spec list and a hands-on video posted over at TracyandMatt. There is also a quick hands-on description with photos over at Engadget.
- Networks: Pentaband WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 1700, 2100, Quad band GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
- Speed: HSDPA Cat10: 14.4Mbps, HSUPA: Cat6 5.76Mbps
- Display: 3.9″ WVGA (854×480) AMOLED display with curved Gorilla glass, no air gap, anti-glare polarizer
- OS: MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan
- Memory: 1024MB RAM, 16GB/64GB storage
- Camera: 8Mpix auto-focus Carl Zeiss, wide-angle lens, 2x LED flash, Video capturing MPEG-4 SP 720p @ 30fps, 2nd camera for video calls
- Size / Weight: 116.45 mm x 61.2 mm x 7.6-12.1 mm (L x W x T) / 76 cm3/ 135 g
- Connectivity: BT 4.0, GPS, A-GPS, WLAN 802.11abgn, NFC, 3.5mm AV connector, micro USB connector, USB charging
- Processor: ARM Cortex-A8 OMAP3630 1 Ghz, PowerVR SGX530
- Audio: MP3 player, Audio jack: 3.5mm,
- Supported codecs: mp3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, FLAC.
- Battery: 1450 mAh
Operating Times
- Talk time: (GSM/WCDMA) up to 11 h / up to 7 hours
- Standby time: Up to 450 hours (WCDMA), up to 380 hours (GSM)
- Video playback (720P): up to 4.5 hours
- Music playback: up to 50 hours
March 6, 2011 By
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Coming to Android & iOS
It has been widely reported this week that RIM’s popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service will be made available to Android and iPhone users in the near future.
At the moment, BBM is a strong selling point for RIM – it allows quick and easy messaging between BlackBerry users, as well as media and location sharing. Messages can be shared for free from any location provided that there is an active connection to the internet.
At the moment it is not clear whether RIM will make the service available for free on alternative platforms, or if there will be a download/subscription charge. However, it is believed that it will not offer the full functionality that is available on a BlackBerry, only the text messaging service.
The convenience of BBM on Android and iOS will be welcomed by users for its convenience and ease of use. While there are already third-party apps available, such as Whatsapp, that allow a messaging service between BlackBerry, Android, iOS and Symbian, an official app from RIM will likely make communication even simpler.
At the moment there is no ETA for the arrival of BBM in Android and iPhone, although it is expected to be sometime this year.
Via SlashGear
February 11, 2011 By
Nokia: Symbian Out, Windows Phone In
There has been a lot of talk about Nokia over the last day or so, following the admission from Chief Executive Stephen Elop that the company was losing out to rivals such as HTC and Apple.
Having been the market leader with Symbian for so many years, Nokia has recently seen its popularity slip with the uptake of smartphones running the likes of Android by more commercial markets. According to research firm IDC, Nokia’s share of the smartphone market fell from 38% to 28% in 2010.
However, Nokia has come out fighting and has now announced a “broad strategic partnership” with Microsoft. This means that its famed Symbian platform will be gradually side-lined and it will instead use the Windows Phone OS on its handsets. However, while Symbian will become a “franchise platform”, the Finnish manufacturer still expects to sell another 150 million devices in the future.
According to reports, Microsoft’s Bing will power Nokia’s search features, while Nokia Maps will be used for Microsoft’s mapping features.
The decision to take on the new Microsoft OS could be a good move for both companies. While Nokia could have opted for Android, there are many companies such as HTC, Motorola and Samsung that already have a strong position in the market. Taking on the Microsoft OS will give Nokia something different to offer. At the same time, the move will bolster Microsoft’s attempt to get back into the smartphone market. Having recently launched it’s revamped OS, it has seen some success with Windows Phone 7 handsets, although major manufacturers still look to prefer Android. With the full backing of Nokia, we could see some great handsets emerge over the coming years.
There is a Nokia & Microsoft partnership event being held today, so no doubt we’ll have a few more details to report later.
Via BBC
February 1, 2011 By
Android outsells Symbian Q4 2010, 100m smartphones sold globally
Some interesting stats have come to our attention this afternoon, confirming that smartphone’s using the Google Android OS overtook those using Symbian to become the most popular platform.
Statistics from analyst house Canalys estimate that 32.9m Android devices were shipped in Q4 2010, compared to 31m that were running the Symbian OS. This shows just how popular Android is and shows that it is well on its way to overtaking Symbian as the most used OS.
Last year saw the release of some hugely popular Android devices, including the HTC Desire Range, several Motorola handsets and the Samsung Galaxy S, which has clearly contributed to the surge in handset shipments.
Total smartphone shipments for the last quarter of 2010 reached a whopping 101.2m, a year-on-year growth of 89%. Total shipments for the year were just under 300 million, another staggering figure.
This year, we can surely expect this growth to continue. New technology such as dual-core processors and near field communication will push smartphones to the next level via devices such as the Motorola ATRIX. Exciting times ahead!
Via nma
January 9, 2011 By
Smartphone Essentials Issue 109– Battle of the Smartphones
Now, I’m sure most of you reading the Clove Blog are familiar with Smartphone Essentials. It’s a great magazine for either the first-time buyer of a smartphone, or the fanatic who follows the world of mobile technology on a daily basis.
I have found this months edition of Smartphone Essentials particularly useful, it really is packed with great articles. Below is a very brief run-through of the magazine’s contents, if you’re interested you will be able to pick on up in a good newsagents, or alternatively head over to the Smartphone Daily webpage to purchase a copy.
The cover story for this months magazine is an ‘Ultimate Battle of the Smartphones’, in which Windows Phone 7, iPhone OS, Android, Symbian and BlacKBerry OS are matched up against one another. The different operating systems are compared in terms of usability, features, apps and gaming, business, multimedia and web.
There’s also an interesting article on 4G connectivity, which promises incredible internet speeds on smartphones once it does become available. There’s an article explaining how to shoot better videos on your Android phone, App reviews, Cloud music, the first 24 hours with your (new) smartphone, advice section and much, much more!
November 4, 2010 By
Five Cool Things You Can Do with WaveSecure
Think you know WaveSecure inside out? Here’re five useful tips to keep in mind.
1. Find your misplaced phone without a PC
Most users log in to WaveSecure’s web site to manage their phones. Few people know they can do this remotely using another cell phone. There is no need to install an additional app for this.
If you have misplaced your phone but have a brief idea where it is, just send a text message to your phone to sound an alarm and find its location easily. It works even if your mobile is set to silent.
Simply text “Secure lock alarm 123456” to your phone. Remember to replace 123456 with your actual PIN. You can also lock, locate and wipe using the commands found in this post.
2. Automatically backup your data
Set and forget about it. WaveSecure offers scheduled backups so you don’t need to worry if you have the latest copy of your data backed up. Your personal information like contacts and SMS messages can be saved securely and automatically. The best part is, WaveSecure is intelligent enough to back up only new data to avoid unnecessary and expensive data charges!
3. Migrate your data to a new phone
One of the pet peeves of upgrading to a new phone is the transferring of contacts and other personal information from the old mobile to the new one. Thankfully, if you have your data (including SMS) backed up on WaveSecure, you can easily restore them to the new phone. It works across the various supported platforms.
WaveSecure currently runs on Android, BlackBerry, Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile. You can check if your handset is supported here.
4. Locate your phone the battery-friendly way
WaveSecure doesn’t track your phone’s location continuously, and for good reason. What good is a tracking service if it runs down the battery quickly? Without power, there is no way to locate the phone, sound an alarm or back up your data remotely. Instead of polling actively, WaveSecure lets you set the tracking interval to every 15, 30 or 60 minutes. The handset’s location will then be tracked for the next 6 hours.
5. Find out who the thief is calling
WaveSecure tracks the SIM in your phone, even if the thief swaps out yours for his. If attempts to get him to return the phone fails, hunt down whom he is calling and get them to help.
Choose to back up call logs and text messages remotely from the WaveSecure site. This way, you will be able to find out the various numbers the thief called. Perhaps someone on the list will be more sympathetic to your situation and lend you a helping hand!
These are just a few of the great things you can do with WaveSecure and at the moment, if you spend £20 with Clove, we shall give you a 3 month FREE subscription to WaveSecure so you can try it out for yourself.
September 13, 2010 By
Android to compete with Symbian for top mobile OS b 2014
Not that we need stats to tell us that the Android OS is growing more and more popular by the day, but according to research firm Gartner, the much-loved Google platform will overtake the Apple and RIM mobile operating systems later this year in terms of market share. It will then be second only to the Symbian platform, which powers most low-end smartphones (feature phones).
It is expected that the number of handsets using the Android OS will total 47.5m this year, compared to 107.7m devices using Symbian, which currently gives it a 40.1% market share.
However, Gartner predicts that by 2014, the two operating systems will be neck and neck in terms of market share. This can be attributed to a growing demand for smartphones as they continue to penetrate mainstream markets. According to Gartner, the number of Android handsets is predicted to reach 259.3m in 2014, giving it a 29.6% market share, compared to 30.2% predicted for Symbian.
via nma
August 11, 2010 By
WaveSecure- 3 Month Free Trial with Clove Orders
Clove is now including a 3-Month subscription to WaveSecure with every order over £20. This ingenious software is compatible with Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Phone and Java and maximizes the chance of recovering your device (or wiping personal data) if it is lost or stolen.
Having tried WaveSecire on Android, I must say it works very well and is simple to use. This trial subscription gives you full access to all WaveSecure features for 3 months, giving you plenty of time to decide whether or not you need the software.
The full version of WaveSecure is $20 (about £13), a fee that will seem nominal once you’ve tested the range of features that the App offers.
Here’s a lost of the features that WaveSecure offers for Android. For more info on other supported platforms or to purchase the software, visit the WaveSecure Website:
Uninstall protection for Android
Want to prevent WaveSecure from being uninstalled on your Android phone? Now you can with WaveSecure UPA (Uninstall Protection Add-on). Once loaded, WaveSecure and WaveSecure UPA watch out for each other. If you uninstall WaveSecure UPA, the main WaveSecure app locks. If you remove the WaveSecure app, UPA kicks in to secure the device.
WaveSecure prompts you to load UPA from the Android Market once registration is complete. Users who do not have access to Android Market can get the latest UPA here.
Back up your data for protection
Choose to back up data straight from your Android phone or remotely on the web. Important personal information such as SMS, contacts and call logs can be stored securely on the WaveSecure web site. In addition to keeping your data safe, you will be able to access them with a web browser. Anytime. Anywhere.
Don’t lose your photo and video memories. With WaveSecure for Android, you can back up and keep them safe, too.
Restore your data when needed
WaveSecure lets you restore your SMS and contacts stored online to your phone. If you find that a hassle, trigger a restore of your backed up information from the WaveSecure web site. This will send your personal data wirelessly from our servers to your mobile.
Lock and secure your Android phone
What happens when your Android phone is stolen? Don’t fret if you have WaveSecure. Our mobile security service will automatically lock your phone once it detects a SIM change. This prevents unauthorized use and makes the phone worthless to the thief.
Choose to display a message on the device to prompt the the finder to return the device. If you want, you can sound an alarm remotely to warn the thieft and increase the chances of recovering your phone, too.
Track and locate your mobile
Once WaveSecure detects the insertion of a new SIM card, your buddy will get a SMS alert so you can contact the person who has found or stolen your device.
In addition, WaveSecure lets you track the current location of your phone and even plot them out on a map.
Wipe your data
Pulled out all the stops and still not able to recover your lost phone? You can still opt to protect your privacy. Trigger a remote wipe from WaveSecure site to delete all private data on your Android phone. Contacts, messages, photos, videos including those on your removable media card can be deleted, too.
July 6, 2010 By
Western European Mobile Phone Market Grows
Via PDA247
IDC (International Data Corporation), has published figures of the growth of the Western European mobile phone market. As may have been expected, Smartphone growth has increased while traditional mobile phone growth has decreased slightly. For the first time, the Android OS shipped more units than Windows Mobile, while Symbian has continued to lose market share.
Interestingly, Samsung has become the market leader in traditional mobile phones and could well overtake Nokia as the overall market leader for mobile phones in 2010. HTC, Apple and RIM all experienced 100% growth in Q1 of 2009, further demonstrating the increasing popularity of Smartphones. Continue reading for the full IDC Press Release.