Mobi

By Bonnie Cha

T-Mobile teased us at CES 2009 by introducing the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 but denying us any details on availability date and pricing. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long as the carrier has released the final details and has given us our own review unit.

In short, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is a solid addition to T-Mobile's smartphone lineup and one of the company's top offerings, in our opinion. It replaces the Curve 8300 series, and brings several notable improvements, including a sleeker design that's bolstered by a more solid construction and an amazingly sharp display, a faster processor, a full HTML Web browser, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It also has integrated Wi-Fi with UMA support so you can make unlimited calls over a Wi-Fi network. However, our one big disappointment is the lack of 3G support. It's a feature that could really have given the 8900 an edge over its competition.

Despite this omission and some other minor issues, we would absolutely recommend the BlackBerry Curve 8900. It's a solid device that will appeal to both consumers and mobile professionals, offering a nice balance between work and play and all wrapped up in a sweet little package. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 is available now through B2B sales and will be in retail stores nationwide starting February 11 for $199 with a two-year contract.

Design
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 holds the distinction (though who knows for how long) as being the thinnest full QWERTY BlackBerry to date. The smartphone measures 4.2 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighs 3.8 ounces compared with the BlackBerry Curve 8320, which comes it at 4.2 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and 3.9 ounces. It feels comfortable to use a both a phone and messaging device and fit into a pants pocket. We do appreciate the Curve 8900's sleek profile but even more than that, we're fans of the phone's more solid construction. Though the phone's body is still made of plastic, RIM used different finishes and paint applications to make the handset more durable and you can notice the difference as soon as you pick it up. Our only complaint would be that the battery cover can sometimes shift a little.

Also, while style is subjective, we have to say we dig the look of the Curve 8900 over the previous Curve 8300 series. It has tapered edges like the BlackBerry Storm and the metallic paint gives the 8900 a fresh, modern. It's a lot less corporate and masculine looking than the BlackBerry Bold, so it should appeal to a wide variety of users.

The Curve 8900 features a 2.4-inch TFT LCD that supports 65,536 colors at a 480x360-pixel resolution. It's a better screen than the BlackBerry Bold, which isn't too shabby itself with a 480x320-pixel resolution, but there is an extra level of sharpness and brightness to the Curve's screen that's quite impressive. The Curve 8900 also runs the latest version of the BlackBerry operating system so you get an updated user interface. There's no doubt the UI is more aesthetically pleasing, but we do have one minor complaint: a lot of icons look the same, so it's a bit hard to distinguish different folders and applications onscreen just at a glance.

Below the display, you have your standard navigation array that includes Talk and End keys, a menu shortcut, a back button, and the trackball navigator. The layout is simple and spacious, so there were no problems using the controls or navigating the phone. The side controls, which are outlined below, also allows for easy one-handed operation.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900's keyboard is similar to the one found on the BlackBerry Bold. Since the phone is smaller, the keys aren't as big or roomy but we still found it easy to compose e-mails and text with minimal errors. The buttons provide a nice tactile feedback and the keyboard is adequately backlit, with the number keys highlighted in red instead of white.

On the left side, there's a single user-programmable shortcut key (launches voice dialer by default), while there's a 3.5mm headphone jack, a volume rocker, a MicroUSB port, and another customizable side button (assigned to the camera out of the box). The camera and flash are located on the back, and behind the battery cover are the SIM card and microSD expansion slots. We would have preferred that the expansion slot be on the outside for easier access, and we also weren't huge fans of the little plastic piece that held the card in place. It felt flimsy, so we worry if it'll hold up over time. Finally, while not immediately visible, there's a mute button and a lock key on top the unit.

T-Mobile ships the Curve 8900 with a travel charger, a USB cable, a 256MB MicroSD card, a wired headset, a protective case, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

Features
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 runs BlackBerry OS 4.6.1.114 so aside from the aforementioned updated user interface, you also get new functionality and improved applications. For example, unlike the Curve 8300 series, you can now edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, thanks to the inclusion of DataViz's Documents to Go Suite. Like the Bold and the Storm, only the Standard Edition is preloaded on the smartphone so if you want the ability to create new documents, you will have to upgrade to the Premium Edition.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 also ships with a number of personal information management tools, such as a Calendar, a task list, a memo pad, a voice recorder, a calculator, a password keeper, and more. There's quite a catalog of applications available for BlackBerrys, whether you're looking for new games or software for your job. Be aware, however, that if you have third-party applications on an older BlackBerry model, they may not be compatible with the Curve 8900. T-Mobile includes some suggestions and direct download links on its mobile site, or you can check out Download.com for more ideas.

One of the most-needed improvements was in the area of Web browsing, and the Curve 8900 delivers. You now get a full HTML Web browser with support for RSS feeds and streaming media, including YouTube clips. Browsing and navigating sites is made better by the Page and Column view options and onscreen cursor. There are also zoom in/out functions. The experience hardly matches the Web experience on the iPhone, but it's a definite improvement from previous versions of the BlackBerry browser, which was pretty much atrocious. Baby steps, right?

To get connected, you have two options: Wi-Fi or T-Mobile's EDGE network, which is all well and good but what's more newsworthy to us, is what's missing: 3G support. We realize that the addition of a 3G radio affects battery life and size, but still, T-Mobile has finally rolled out its 3G network and could use more 3G smartphones (currently, the T-Mobile G1 is the carrier's only smartphone to offer 3G). Admittedly, we found that surfing the Web on the Curve 8900 over EDGE wasn't that bad but even so, we still would have liked to see the inclusion of 3G.

Fortunately, you do get Wi-Fi as an alternative, and the other upside of the integrated Wi-Fi is UMA support. This means you can make and receive unlimited calls over a wireless network and not have the minutes deducted from your cellular plan. The caveat is that you will need to sign for T-Mobile's Unlimited HotSpot Calling plan, which starts at $9.99 per month on top of an existing T-Mobile plan.

Other voice features of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 include quad-band world roaming, a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, and text and multimedia messaging. The address book is limited only by the available memory (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts) with room in each entry for multiple phone numbers, e-mail addresses, work and home addresses, job title, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign each contact a photo, a group ID, or a custom ringtone.

Like most of the carrier's handsets, the Curve 8900 supports T-Mobile's MyFaves service, giving you unlimited calls to five contacts, regardless of carrier. Individual plans for MyFaves start at $39.99 a month. You also get Bluetooth 2.0 with support for mono and stereo Bluetooth wireless headsets, hands-free kits, and dial-up networking.

GPS is built in, using both satellites and cellular triangulation to find your position. You can get maps and text-based, turn-by-turn driving directions with applications such as BlackBerry Maps, which is preloaded on the Curve 8900, and Google Maps for Mobile, but if you want any real-time tracking and voice-guided instructions, you'll have to use a location-based service like TeleNav GPS Navigator.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900's built-in media player can play various music and video formats, including MP3, WMA9/WMA9 Pro/WMA20, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, and MIDI music files, and MPEG4, WMV, DivX4, DivX5/6 (partial support), XviD (partial), and H.263 video clips. There's a search function, playlist creation, shuffle and repeat, and you get a full-screen mode for video playback. The included software CD also contains a copy of Roxio Easy Media Creator, so you can create MP3s from CDs and add audio tags as well as the BlackBerry Media Sync application so you can load your iTunes library. The Curve has 256MB onboard Flash memory while the expansion slot can accept up to 16GB cards.

The Curve's camera gets upgraded to a 3.2-megapixel lens (from 2 megapixels) with video recording capabilities, flash, auto focus, 2x zoom, and image stabilization. In camera mode, you get a choice of three picture sizes and three picture qualities. There are white balance settings, and you can add various effects to your photos, such as black and white, and sepia. With the built-in GPS, you can also geotag photos. The camcorder records clips in two formats (normal and MMS) with sound and offers a video light and color effects.

Picture quality was good, as long as we were snapping shots in well-lit areas. Even with the flash or in night mode, we had a hard time getting a photo that didn't look dark or completely blown out by the flash. We also noticed a bit of shutter lag, so be sure not to move to quickly away from the scene after pressing the capture button. Video quality wasn't the best as clips looked pretty grainy, but you can still make out the objects and scenery so it'll be fine if there's a moment that you absolutely must get on film and don't have access to a camcorder.

Despite all these other features, e-mail remains the heart and soul of the BlackBerry. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 can sync with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server, with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise, to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. There's also an attachment viewer for opening Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and more. With BlackBerry Internet Service, you can also access up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. Set up is nearly instantaneous; we simply input our Yahoo log in and password, and within a couple of seconds, we received a message that activation was successful. The smartphone also comes preloaded with several instant messaging clients, including Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live, and Google Talk.

Performance
We tested the quad-band (850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 in San Francisco using T-Mobile service and call quality was satisfactory. There was some minimal background noise that made audio quality a little less pristine than some other smartphones we've tested, but nothing that prevented us from having a conversation or using an airline's voice automated system. There's an Enhance Audio option where you can boost the treble or bass, but we didn't find a noticeable difference. Our friends reported a couple instances of warbled audio, but otherwise no major complaints. We didn't experience any dropped calls during our review period. The speakerphone was also OK. There was plenty of volume, but there was some hollowness to the audio, making it sound as if our callers were talking in an empty room. We successfully paired the Curve 8900 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 is equipped with a 512MHz processor and is a fairly responsive device. There were some instances of sluggishness; for example, we encountered some lag when we were trying to access our photo gallery and a couple of times when we launched the camera. It wasn't anything that stopped us in our tracks or left us completely frustrated, and overall, we're pleased with the general performance.

The Curve 8900's speaker can't rival the BlackBerry Bold's rich output, but most of you will probably be listening to your music through headphones anyway, so it's a not a huge issue. Using the handset's 3.5mm jack, we plugged in a pair of Bose On-Ear headphones for a MP3-like music-listening experience. Video playback was quite impressive. We checked out a couple of clips, including an MP4 file, and found playback to be smooth and the picture looked great on the Curve's high-resolution screen. We also watched a couple of YouTube clips from the Web browser, which looked very mushy and blurry, but that's more about a video quality issue than a Curve issue.

Our review unit had no problem finding and connecting to our Wi-Fi network. On EDGE speeds, it took the smartphone about a minute to fully load CNET's Web site, while it took about 15 to 20 seconds to load CNN's and ESPN's mobile sites. Though we weren't hooked up with TeleNav GPS Navigator for real-time navigation, the Curve's GPS radio was able to pinpoint our location within a couple of minutes on BlackBerry Maps.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 features a 1,400mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 5.5 hours and up to 14.5 days of standby time. In our battery drain tests, we were able to get 8.5 hours of continuous talk time from the Curve 8900 on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 has a digital SAR rating of 1.01 watts per kilogram.

By Bonnie Cha

While it may seem that everyone is obsessed with the latest full-featured phones, there is still the need and want for basic handsets, and the Samsung Glint SCH-u350 answers that call for Alltel customers. The flip phone offers a simple design and ease of use and most importantly, good call quality. Samsung even throws in Bluetooth, but if you're looking for any type of multimedia features or Web browsing capabilities, look elsewhere. The Samsung Glint is purely for those who simply want a handset for making calls, and the best part is that you can get the phone for free with a one-year contract and after a $30 mail-in rebate.

Design
Being a basic phone, the Samsung Glint doesn't have a flashy design. Instead, it's simple and functional with a plain but classic midnight-blue-and-black color scheme. The clamshell handset measures 3.78 inches tall by 1.87 inches wide by 0.76 inch deep and weighs 3.35 ounces, so you'll have no problem slipping this compact phone into a pants pocket. Also, while lightweight, the Glint doesn't feel too fragile, though the battery cover is rather plasticky, and the flip mechanism is solid.

On the front, there's a postage-stamp-size display that shows the usual information (time, date, network strength, battery, message notifications, and photo caller ID. You can also change the contrast, wallpaper, and clock format of the external screen. Above the display, you'll find the Glint's VGA camera while the camera activation/capture key is on the right side along with a dedicated speakerphone button, a 2.5mm headset jack, and Samsung's proprietary power connector. A volume rocker is located on the left side.

Inside, the Samsung Glint offers a 1.9-inch TFT screen that shows 65,000 colors at a 128x160-pixel resolution. With a low resolution, graphics and colors didn't look all that great, but the display was clear enough for dialing numbers and reading text messages. Like the external screen, you can change the wallpaper as well as adjust the backlight and dialing font size.

Below the display, you'll find a standard navigation array of two soft keys, Send and End/power buttons, a Clear key, and a four-way directional keypad with a center select key for navigating through the Glint's menu system, which is easy to use and understand. All the controls are large and roomy so we had no problem with any mispresses. The alphanumeric keypad is also spacious with large and easily readable numbers and letters for dialing numbers and text messaging.

Alltel packages the Samsung Glint with an AC adapter and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

Features
The Samsung Glint has a 1,000-contact address book with room in each entry for five numbers and two e-mail addresses. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo, group ID, and/or a custom ringtone. Other phone features include a speakerphone, speed dial, three-way calling, voice commands, vibrate mode, and text and multimedia messaging. Also, while mostly a basic phone, the Glint does offer integrated Bluetooth with support for wireless headsets, hands-free kits, serial port, object push, and phone book access.

Moving beyond voice, the Glint includes a handful of tools for personal organization, such as a calendar, a memo pad, a calculator, a unit converter, an alarm clock, and more. You can shop for more apps through Alltel's MobileShop, but be aware that browsing and downloading apps uses up airtime (the phone warns you of this as well). The same goes for using the phone's WAP browser. You can check your Web-based e-mail accounts as well as other social networking sites through the browser, but given its bare-bones nature and the Glint's low-resolution screen, we'd keep this to a minimum.

The Samsung Glint isn't big on multimedia and only comes with a VGA camera. A 1.3-megapixel camera would have been nice. You can shoot photos in one of three resolutions and one of three quality settings. The camera also offers five shooting modes, including series, mosaic, and night, as well as white balance settings, effects, and a self-timer.

Picture quality was subpar, which isn't that surprising considering the VGA lens. Images looked blurry, and colors were drab and gray. It was also hard to get any close-up shots. After you're done taking pictures, you can upload your photos to Alltel MyPics or send them to friends and family via multimedia message. You can also set it as your wallpaper, use it for photo caller ID, or view them in a slideshow on your phone. The Samsung Glint offers about 52MB of internal memory.

Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Samsung Glint in San Francisco using Alltel's roaming service. Call quality was quite good. We enjoyed rich-sounding audio on our end with plenty of volume. There was very little background noise, though on a couple of occasions, the call cut out for a brief second. Our friends also reported good sound quality and didn't have any complaints until we activated the speakerphone at which point they said we sounded a bit tinny. On our end, we were impressed with the clarity and volume of the speakerphone.

We paired the Samsung Glint with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset with no problem. The handset has an M3 Hearing Aid Compatibility rating.

The Samsung Glint has a rated talk time of 6 hours and up to 12 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Glint has a digital SAR rating of 1.09 watts per kilogram.

By Bonnie Cha

Sprint has really filled out its smartphone lineup quite nicely this summer, offering a little something for everyone. The Palm Pre brought a touch-screen smartphone to the masses; the BlackBerry Tour gave mobile professionals an international e-mail machine; and the soon-to-be-released HTC Hero will certainly please tech-savvy gadget lovers. And now, for power business users, there is the HTC Touch Pro2.

Like the T-Mobile version, the Sprint HTC Touch Pro2 features a gorgeous touch screen and one of the best QWERTY keyboards we've seen to date. It's also packed with features like HTC's Straight Talk Technology for conference call management, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. However, Sprint offers a few more extras on its HTC Touch Pro2 than T-Mobile, such as its various entertainment services, and wait for it...a standard 3.5 millimeter audio jack. Sprint's globetrotting execs will also be pleased to know that it offers world-roaming capabilities. Unfortunately, your wallet will take a hit for all these premium features. The HTC Touch Pro2 costs $349.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate, which definitely hurts, but the powerful smartphone is one the best-equipped devices to meet the needs of the most demanding user.

Design
Sprint's version of the HTC Touch Pro2 more closely resembles the unlocked model of the smartphone than T-Mobile's version, which is fine by us. The tapered edges give the smartphone a more streamlined and smoother look and the charcoal gray color is a classic and attractive choice. The Sprint Touch Pro2 is also actually just a hair shorter and lighter (4.56 inches tall by 2.33 inches wide by 0.68 inch thick and 6.3 ounces) than the T-Mobile Touch Pro2 as well, but overall, this is still a very bulky device.

The smartphone features a gorgeous and spacious tilting 3.6-inch WVGA touch screen. It displays 262,000 colors at 480x800 pixels so whether you're viewing Web pages, photos, or reading e-mails, it all looks good on the Touch Pro2's sharp screen. The touch-sensitive zoom bar below the display also makes it easy to zoom in and out of Web pages and photos.

There is a built-in accelerometer that automatically switches the screen orientation when you rotate the phone, but it only works in certain applications, such as the browser, photos, and e-mail. The accelerometer was fairly quick and didn't freeze up at any point during our testing period. Though we would have preferred a capacitive touch screen versus a resistive one, the Touch Pro2's was responsive overall. The one exception was when we were using the Sprint TV app and had a hard time scrolling through the various channels and program guides.

The Windows Mobile device is easy to navigate, however, thanks to HTC's TouchFlo 3D interface. Sprint added several more tabs to provide easy access to its services, including Sprint Navigation, Sprint Music, and Sprint TV, but you can also remove or add more tabs through the Settings menu. Below the display, you also have a few navigation controls, including Talk and End keys, a Start menu shortcut, and a back button.

The slide-out QWERTY keyboard is largely unchanged, with the exception of some relocated shortcut buttons. It's still a delight to use with its spacious layout and large buttons and remains one of the best keyboards we've used on a smartphone.

While there haven't been too many physical differences among the various versions HTC Touch Pro2, Sprint does offer something the others don't: a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack. Yes, finally! The jack is located on bottom of the device right next to the USB port/power connector, so you're now free to plug in your favorite pair of headphones or earbuds without the hassle of using an audio adapter. There are volume controls on the left side of the device, but if you feel like blasting your music or calls for all to hear, there are dual speakers on back along with a mute button. The camera is also located on back, while the microSD expansion and SIM card slots are behind the battery door.

Sprint packages the HTC Touch Pro2 with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a screen protector, a SIM card, an extra stylus, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

Features
The Sprint HTC Touch Pro2 offers a lot of the same core functionality of the T-Mobile model, including HTC's Straight Talk Technology, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition. Though Sprint hasn't officially announced it, a company representative did say the smartphone has the hardware and software requirements to support an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5 and that it's foreseeable for Sprint to deliver a software upgrade in the near future. For now, you get the usual Mobile Office Suite and e-mail capabilities as well as some extras, including Opera Mobile 9.5, Facebook app with contacts integration.

You can read more about Window Mobile 6.1 and some of the aforementioned features in our full review of the T-Mobile HTC Touch Pro2, but here we'll discuss some of the more Sprint-specific offerings, starting with the world roaming capabilities.

The Touch Pro2 offers dual-mode functionality, which means the handset supports both CDMA and GSM technology to provide seamless international roaming. Domestically, the smartphone works on Sprint's CDMA network, but will then automatically detect and switch to the international GSM bands when you're traveling overseas. The Touch Pro2 comes with a SIM card for international use, and Sprint offers voice coverage in 185 countries and data coverage in 150 countries. Unfortunately, the smartphone does not offer 3G coverage overseas. Also, before you head off on your trip, be sure to check Sprint's international rates, which range from 59 cents to $5.99, so you're not surprised when you receive your phone bill. You can check rates here (PDF).

The HTC Touch Pro2 also supports a number of Sprint services that take advantage of using the carrier's the EV-DO Rev. A network. Sticking with the theme of travel, there's Sprint Navigation, which is powered by TeleNav, and offers 2D and 3D color maps, voice-guided directions, traffic information, and more. For entertainment, the Sprint Music Store offers music downloads and you can watch clips of your favorite TV shows courtesy of Sprint TV or use the phone's dedicated YouTube app. Sports enthusiasts might also enjoy the NFL Mobile Live or NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile apps.

The camera is the same at 3.2 megapixels. It can shoot images in one of five resolutions and one of four quality settings. Unfortunately, there's no flash but there are white balance and brightness controls. You also get ISO settings, effects, flicker adjustment, panorama mode, and other tools. For videos, the Touch Pro2 can capture clips in H.263, 3GPP2, MEPG4, or H.264 formats in one of three resolutions. The HTC Touch Pro2 offers about 288MB RAM, which is supplemented by the microSD expansion slot, which can accept up to 16GB cards.

Picture quality was OK. While images were sharp and objects were easy to indentify in photos, colors looked bland and somewhat hazy. Videos looked a bit grainy but acceptable if you're in an absolute pinch and need to record something.

Performance
We tested the dual-mode HTC Touch Pro2 in San Francisco using Sprint service, and call quality was excellent on our end. We were happy with how rich and clear voices sounded and with the lack of any background noise. Unfortunately, our callers didn't quite enjoy the same experience. Though they said they could hear us just fine, they mentioned that it sounded as if we were in a tunnel with a bit of echoing. Also, callers reported that parts of our conversation occasionally cut in and out when we were using the speakerphone, but once again, we had no complaints on our side of the call and was wholly impressed the volume and clarity of the speakerphone. Unfortunately, we couldn't test the international capabilities.

We successfully paired the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones, and it was a treat to plug our Bose On Ear Headphones straight into the smartphone without having to fiddle with a cumbersome adapter.

Music playback was rich and loud. Video performance was OK, depending on the format. From our personal library, WMV and AVI files played back smoothly with synchronized audio and images. YouTube clips took a few seconds to buffer, but they also played with no major interruption. Unfortunately, Sprint TV didn't fare well in our tests. There were problems from the get-go and navigating through the various channels and clips was jerky. Also, when playing videos, the picture took a while to render and once again, it would occasionally hiccup and freeze up momentarily--not worth the hassle, we say.

Using Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network, CNET's full site loaded in a rather zippy 37 seconds, while CNN and ESPN's mobile sites both loaded in 5 seconds. The smartphone's GPS wasn't quite as quick. In fact, it took a little while for the Touch Pro2 to find our location. We weren't in a part of the city that was dominated by tall buildings and it was a clear day, yet we still kept getting this message for about 10 minutes: "GPS signal is weak. Please move to an open are and remain motionless until getting the GPS location." Once locked on though, it tracked our movements accurately and Sprint Navigation provided accurate directions from the Golden Gate Bridge area to CNET's downtown headquarters. Spoken directions were loud and clear, and the app checked for traffic along the way. Route recalculations were also swift and on point when we purposefully missed several turns.

Powered by a 528MHz processor, the HTC Touch Pro2 was a fairly responsive device. We didn't experience any major meltdowns during our testing period, though we did have to exit out of a couple of applications in order to get a video to play. To help with task management, there is a pull-down menu in the upper right corner of the Start screen where you can see all running programs and you can also close out apps now by tapping the X in the upper right-hand corner.

The HTC Touch Pro2 features a 1500mAh lithium-ion battery with a rated talk time of 4 hours and up to 14 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Touch Pro2 has a digital SAR rating of 1.41 watts per kilogram. Finally, the smartphone has a Hearing Aid Compatible rating of M3.

By Jennifer LeClaire

Despite Nokia World grabbing the lion's share of the wireless industry news this week, Sony Ericsson stole some of the spotlight with its Xperia X2, a new Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone that focuses on 24/7 multimedia communications. A Windows device marks a shift in strategy for Sony Ericsson.

The X2 lets users synchronize their mail and calendar and open and edit Microsoft Office Mobile documents. It also offers a SlideView feature that gives users a quick overview of missed calls, e-mails and text messages so they don't miss an important contact. The Xperia X2 has QWERTY messaging.

"In the fast-moving world we live in, the need to stay connected has never been so important," said Sumit Malhotra, marketing business manager at Sony Ericsson. "We constantly rely on our mobile phones as an extension to the office, and the Xperia X2, debuting with Windows Mobile 6.5, allows users to work quickly and efficiently while on the move."

Partnering with Microsoft

The communications-centric Xperia X2 hosts Skype, Mytopia, Google, games, CNN, Windows Live, and lots of other application panels to help users stay up to date on their interests. The phone's touch interface has been improved and a new 3D signature panel makes way for categorization of business, fun and communications functions.

"Windows phones allow people to manage their whole world -- from work to home to play -- on a single handset," said Stephanie Ferguson, general manager of product management for Microsoft. "The Xperia X2 taps the powerful messaging and multimedia capabilities in Windows Mobile so customers can be in touch, productive and entertained wherever they are."

Although the X2 focuses on communications, there are plenty of entertainment features, including an 8.1-megapixel camera with instant upload to Facebook. The phone also offers the ability to play music, shoot videos, or play games.

Sony Ericsson's Major Shift

This Sony Ericsson-identified need to stay connected 24/7 drove the launch of Xperia Services, a package designed to help Xperia X2 users get the most out of their mobile phone. Sony Ericsson has a specialized technical team standing by to support users and talk them through the phone's features, from troubleshooting to accessing Web sites.

With always-connected communications in mind, the Xperia Services team will help users if the device stops working while traveling internationally. Xperia Services can replace the phone immediately.

The X2 will be available in selected markets early in the fourth quarter. When it debuts, it will mark a definite shift in Sony Ericsson's mobile-phone strategy, according to Mike Disabato, a senior analyst at the Burton Group.

"Sony Ericsson used to run on Symbian. Sony Ericsson used to be one of the biggest manufacturers in the industry and they made some outstanding phones on that operating system," Disabato said. "If they are going to Windows Mobile, that's a big shift."

By Tarmo Virki

Nokia Siemens Networks, the key equipment vendor to British operations of Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom, has most to lose in the merger of the two mobile networks, analysts said Tuesday.

Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom unveiled Tuesday a plan to merge their British mobile units, looking to save 4 billion euros ($5.76 billion) and aiming to get regulatory approval by mid 2010 for the venture.

Analysts said both carriers were likely to hold off from any major investments until the venture starts.

"I don't think there will be major changes in the short term, but the merger will decrease the cake to be shared," said Pohjola analyst Hannu Rauhala.

Nokia Siemens has been the key network gear supplier for both vendors, while also operating Orange's network.

"Nokia Siemens faces the biggest downside risk on the infrastructure side. In supplying both networks, NSN is exposed to almost all of the planned capex savings," Nomura analyst Stuart Jeffrey said in a note.

Nokia Siemens Networks said it was too early to comment on possible impacts to its business.

"We believe we are in a good position to help the joint venture to succeed," Ashish Chowdhary, incoming chief of Nokia Siemens' services unit, told Reuters.

The telecoms equipment market has seen cut-throat competition for new business during the past few years, driven by Asian vendors, and the outlook remains tough.

Ericsson provides managed services to T-Mobile, while also supplying 2G network.

A spokesman for Ericsson declined to comment.

($1=.6950 Euro)

Manila Bulletin

By David Coursey

If you believe technology is supposed to become less expensive over time, Nokia has news for you: Prices for the company’s newest products, introduced last week, are simply shocking.

Still, there is a bit of illusion at work here. The prices quoted are for unlocked phones and don't reflect subsidies paid by U.S. cellular carriers.

Subsidies lower what Americans pay for cellular hardware at initial purchase and make Nokia's non-subsidized list prices appear outrageous by comparison. If you think no phone offered in the U.S. costs as much as what Nokia wants for its new models, this is the reason.

In the case of my 32GB iPhone 3GS, AT&T appears to have paid at least $300 to lower its initial selling price. (You can get a handle on how much the subsidies are by looking at pricing for replacement phones bought before the end of a service contract).

In some parts of the world, handsets are sold by themselves, without subsidies, without service contacts, making these list prices more important than they are in the U.S. And, of course, the list prices don't reflect discounts that resellers offer to consumers.

Let's consider the new-model pricing that Nokia has released, mostly last week at Nokia World in Germany:

• N900 "iPhone killer" handset (Yeah, sure it is) Unix phone: $700
• Booklet 3G tablet: $816
• The N97 Mini handset: $640
• X6 handset: $640

In England, there are subsidies but cellular service costs less, too. You can, for example, get a free iPhone 3GS with a $70-a-month service contract.

A English friend looked at the prices for me, however, and said that by the time they make it to High Street shops, the new Nokia products will be priced to compete with other vendors' products.

Just for comparison, an unlocked 32GB iPhone 3GS sells for $799 in Asia, so my $300 subsidy guesstimate could be a good bit too low.

Taken in a global context, Nokia may seem be asking top dollar, but maybe not top Euro. Global handset pricing is a complex and confusing business, and I think the cellular carriers are happy about that.