Nokia C5-03

When touchscreen became affordable its popularity skyrocketed – affordable smartphones are all the rage now. The Nokia C5-03 is the result of both these trends and while it borrows a lot from the C6-01 in terms of design, its pricing is a good deal lower.
Designed for a lower price bracket than its Symbian^3 lookalike, the Nokia C5-03 has some of its specs taken down a notch.

Nokia C5-03 official photos
The Nokia C5-03 is a grandson of the best-selling Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and though it might be the last hurrah for Symbian^1 (or Symbian S60 as old-timers call it) it tries to deliver the same level of satisfaction on the bang for buck meter.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Tri-band 3G with 10.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA support
• 3.2" 16M-color TFT LCD resistive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
• 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera and VGA video @ 15fps recording; geotagging
• Symbian S60 OS
• 600 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g; UPnP
• GPS receiver with A-GPS support and free lifetime voice-guided navigation; free city guides and traffic information
• Digital compass
• 40MB on-board storage, microSD expandable up to 16GB; 2GB card included
• Built-in accelerometer
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• microUSB port (charging)
• Flash and Java support in the web browser
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.0
• Very good audio quality
• Voice commands

Main disadvantages

• Symbian S60 hasn’t aged well
• Relatively limited 3rd party software availability
• Screen has poor viewing angles and behaves badly in the sun
• The camera is a fixed-focus unit with no flash, shutter key or lens protection
• No office document editing (without a paid upgrade); No PDF viewer
• No proximity and ambient light sensors
• No DivX or XviD video support out of the box
• No video-call camera
• No smart dialing

The C5-03 is a very eco-friendly gadget – 80% of the phone body is recyclable, while half of the packaging comes from recycled material (and all of it is recyclable in turn).
It’s a low-price phone with some high-speed connectivity with 10.2Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA. The C5-03 also packs the fastest CPU available on a Nokia S60 device – at 600MHz the old but efficient Symbian just flies.

Nokia C5-03 live shots
The free voice-guided navigation is the single biggest advantage of Symbian-powered Nokias, one that is still unmatched by any other brand or platform. The Nokia C5-03 is a trusty SatNav unit, which will work anywhere in the world and free of charge – you can download all the maps you need (won’t cost you a thing) and Ovi Maps don’t need a data connection to work.
Navigate to the next page for a tour of the Nokia C5-03 hardware – but first, we make a stop at the retail box and the 360-degree showroom.

LG GT540 Optimus

We can’t be sure but it does look like LG are still feeling the Android water before taking the plunge. Or they might just be too careful not to cast doubt on long standing commitments. You know, the soon-to-be Windows Phone 7. In any case though, their first Android attempts have enough in them to get us excited. The LG GT540 is not the kind of phone to make big headlines but fresh smartphone converts wouldn’t want a big-fuss, high-maintenance gadget anyway.

LG GT540 Optimus official photos
The LG GT540 will not aim at the top-end where Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and HTC are battling it out, but will target more sensible users instead. Well-rounded connectivity and good design, with just the right touch of extravagance, will certainly open doors for the GT540. It can count of course on our warm reception but the exit will be entirely up to its performance.
Update 30 Sept: The rollout of the Android 2.1 update for the LG GT540 Optimus has started in Europe. Check out our scoop and first impressions in our blog.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G (with HSDPA) support
• 3" resistive touchscreen of HVGA resolution
• Android OS v1.6 (now upgradeable to 2.1, Sept 2010)
• Accelerometer for auto screen rotate
• 3 megapixel autofocus camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver, digital compass
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• 139 MB internal memory
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (supporting card with capacity of up to 16GB)
• Standard microUSB port and Mass Storage mode
• Social networking service integration
• DivX/XviD video support
• Stereo FM radio with RDS

Main disadvantages

• Poor sunlight legibility
• No video-call camera
• No Flash support for the web browser
• No voice dialing
• Video recording maxes out at VGA@17fps

Pet-named Optimus, the LG GT540 aims to give first time smartphone users the right balance of features in a friendly package. That’s really easier said than done. The GT540 is an entry-level smartphone and LG have no problem saying it out loud. It doesn’t look though like they’re lowering people’s expectations to give the phone an easier ride.

The LG GT540 at ours
The LG GT540 forms a nice duet with the other LG Android-running handset, the GW620. Giving users a choice between QWERTY keyboard and compact size (and perhaps lower price) is great, while the extra development costs just shouldn’t have been too high.
We’re about to see if the form factor change has had any consequences to the LG GT540 overall performance. One thing that’s sure to have changed are the ergonomics and we are to check those out right after the jump.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

There's a lot to fall for in Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Possibly the hottest looker of a PocketPC is also heavy on skill. Heavy enough to not just scratch out a living as a one-hit-wonder but aim for the WinMo top.
The extra solid metal looks, gorgeous screen and the right pinch of novelty called XPERIA panels look to us as good enough reasons for the X1 to be hyped and romanticized. By the way, romance or not, Sony Ericsson and HTC have hit their perfect shape with that one.
The XPERIA X1 is surely the most eagerly anticipated device in the world of Windows Mobile. Getting our review out was surely quite a wait too, we know. Better late than ever, as some folks say. We'll still have our say 'cause for the XPERIA it's a load of high expectations to live up to.

Key features:

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus HSDPA 7.2Mbps
• 3-inch 65K-color WVGA touchscreen
• Qualcomm MSM7200 528 Mhz CPU and 256 MB DDR SDRAM
• 3.15 MP auto focus camera with VGA video recording
• Four-row full QWERTY slide-out keyboard
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS
• X-Panels interface
• Optical trackpad
• Exquisite and solid metallic body
• Standard miniUSB port and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
• microSD memory expansion
• FM radio with RDS
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• MS Office Mobile document editor
• Opera 9.5 web browser
• Excellent video playback performance
• Superb audio quality

Main disadvantages:

• Body is a bit on the bulky side
• User interface is hardly thumb-optimized
• Mediocre camera performance
• No built-in accelerometer
• Poor display sunlight legibility
• Records low quality VGA@30fps video in 3GP format
• No TV-out port
• No full Flash support for the browser (hence no full-featured YouTube)

The XPERIA X1 is one of the best-equipped Windows Mobile devices to ever set foot on the market. But hey, is it not the most elaborate and charismatic PocketPC too? As to skills, the high-res 3" screen and the full QWERTY keyboard seem the most important parts of its magnificent ammo though its processing power is not to be neglected either.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 in our office
Many devices find their identity in standing up to a rival. The XPERIA though is fatefully bound to always have one foot on alien ground. The haunting name for the X1 is HTC - manufacturer and main competitor.
As you probably guessed by yourselves the main alternative to the XPERIA X1 is HTC Touch Pro. It has a smaller screen than the XPERIA X1 and features a slightly lower resolution. In addition it is heavier and, if we were to be asked, not nearly as hot as the XPERIA.
However, the QWERTY keyboard of the Touch Pro is well ahead of what the X1 has to offer. The Touch Pro accelerometer and active magnetic stylus are small but nice touches that add to its allure. There are other advantages too, but we'll try to list them in the dedicated chapter of this review.

HTC Touch Pro
Furthermore, the Touch Pro had a nice two-month advantage since it hit the shelves back in August and this could be quite decisive for the sales. After all two months is quite a long time in the world of mobile phones, isn't it?
Let's not waste any more time now and get rolling with the actual review of Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Unboxing is this little jump ahead.

Samsung S8500 Wave

Smartphone for the masses or feature phone of the future? Samsung would gladly have it either way. The question rather is, will the Bada OS keep up the pace of its debut device. We’ve been following the new smart platform since its first public appearance. It’s not a particularly hard one to follow anyway, with a single phone announced so far and potential successors of the Samsung S8500 Wave only a whisper of a rumor.
It will certainly take more – and equally convincing – devices for Bada to do as well as Samsung want it to. Proper developer support and a fast growing app store will be a must too. So, it’ll take hard work but there’s something to be optimistic about – the firstborn is promising. OK, cautiously optimistic is more like it with Android, Windows Phone 7 or Symbian ^3 predators lurking around.
We’re about to see what the Samsung S8500 Wave is really capable of. We’re getting ready to enjoy it. The S8500 Wave did well in our preview and - fingers crossed - unpleasant surprises are not on today’s menu. The OS is trying to combine feature-phone ease of use with the versatility of smartphones. The Super AMOLED touchscreen is the envy of the industry, with image quality that no other phone display could match.

Samsung S8500 Wave official photos
Being the first of a kind has its implications. Some may be willing to forgive a few flaws but a brand new OS needs a flagship capable of facing up to the competition. The S8500 Wave fits the bill. Trademark Samsung exterior and premium build are inviting enough to encourage exploring a wealth of features.

Key features

• 3.3" 16M-color Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, WVGA (480 x 800 pixels), multi-touch input support, scratch-resistant glass surface
• Solid 10.9mm-thin metal body
• Bada OS with Samsung Apps
• ARM Cortex A8 based 1GHz CPU
• Quad-band GSM support with dual-band 3.6Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n connectivity with WPS support, Wi-Fi tethering app
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support, digital compass, Samsung Mobile Navigator
• 5 MP autofocus camera with touch focus, geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection and LED flash
• 720p video recording at 30fps
• 390MB user available memory, 1GB Bada apps storage and 550MB messaging storage
• microSDHC card slot
• Standard microUSB port and Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack, TV out
• Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM recording
• Webkit-based Samsung Dolphin Browser 2.0 with full Flash support
• YouTube client, Facebook and Twitter integration
• DivX/XviD video support
• Impressive audio quality

Main disadvantages

• Limited number of available applications
• No lens cover
• Card slot under the battery
• Inbuilt SatNav software has only a 30-day navigation license
• No ambient light sensor to change screen brightness dynamically

The S8500 Wave tries to give it all and hopes the Samsung app store will eventually catch up. As good as this phone looks and feels, and for all the technology it holds inside, its success or failure hinges on the developer support it will get. The Apple app store took a year to open after the launch of iPhone but look at it now.
Anyway, there just aren’t enough Bada OS compatible applications yet so there’s little difference (beyond hardware) between the Samsung S8500 Wave and a Samsung S8000 Jet. Although it excels in user-friendliness, the Samsung Wave doesn’t quite feel like a smartpone just yet due to the limited third-party software.

Samsung S8500 Wave live shots
As for the other features, the S8500 Wave is powered by a Samsung-made 1GHz processor and has a great connectivity package. You get both HSDPA and HSUPA support, as well as Bluetooth v3.0 and Wi-Fi with WPS and Wi-Fi tethering. There’s a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording at 30fps, and an inbuilt GPS receiver.
That’s on the inside though. Now, jump to the next page for a closer look at the Wave’s exterior and ergonomics.

Apple iPhone 4

Identify

You can't make a phone that everyone loves and Apple is not even trying. Much like any other iPhone so far, the iPhone 4 is a phone that everybody loves AND hates.
Apple’s latest is always the greatest – you have to give them that. Sometimes it seems they put less effort into making it than in letting people know they did. But with the Apple iPhone 4, they were obviously hard at work. The 4th generation iPhone has an all new look, new feel and plenty of new skill. We already caught a glimpse of the iOS4. But there’s much more: a 1GHz chip, two cameras, HD video and of course the Retina display – the highest-res screen we’ve seen so far on a GSM phone.

Apple iPhone 4 official photos
Surely there are still enough blank spots on the feature list but that’s Apple and its iPhone. Compromises are being made in every phone out there anyway. But the simple fact is Number 4 is the best iPhone to-date. Let’s see how good that is.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 3.5" 16M-color LED-backlit TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 960 px resolution
• Scratch-resistant glass front and rear, with fingerprint-resistant coating
• 1GHz Apple A4 SoC; 512MB of RAM
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and touch focus
• 720p video recording at 30fps
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
• 16/32GB storage options
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor and three-axis gyro sensor
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary microphone
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Excellent audio output quality
• Slim waistline at only 9.3mm
• Secondary front-facing camera
• Some degree of multitasking
• Rich AppStore

Main disadvantages

• Hardware design is prone to reception issues
• MicroSIM card support only
• No Flash support in the web browser
• No true multitasking for all applications
• FaceTime video calls work only over Wi-Fi
• No file transfer over Bluetooth or USB Mass Storage mode
• No hardware shutter key for the camera
• No FM radio
• No stereo speakers
• No microSD card slot
• No smart dialing
• Too dependent on iTunes for loading multimedia content
• Poor loudspeaker performance

As you can see, most of the main disadvantages are simply passed from one generation to the next but - whatever iPhone you’re coming from - the Number 4 will tick most of your boxes. Upgraders will be used to the shortcomings, and unbiased observers will have less points to complain against.
It just seems some features will be forever missing. The iPhone’s memory isn’t expandable and you can’t use the thing as an external drive (this also means that files are only transferred via iTunes, again). Bluetooth has been upgraded to cover not only for music and calls but a compatible wireless keyboard too. File transfers however are a no-go.
The lack of Flash support in the Safari browser is no surprise given the Apple-Adobe feud. Luckily there’s the good old YouTube app to partly make up for that but Flash games are still out of the question.
There is now a secondary video-call cam but the “reinvented” FaceTime video calls feature only works over Wi-Fi (for now) and between two iPhone 4’s.
As for the multitasking, this is the closest the iPhone has ever gotten but there is no true multitasking, and certainly not for all apps.
You've probably also heard of the user reports of reception issues and you're wondering how much of that is true. Well, we've checked that in detail, too.

The Apple iPhone 4 is a thing of beauty
All that (and a bit more) aside, the new goodies seem to merit at least some of the iPhone 4 hype. The Retina display is gorgeous. The 3.5” capacitive TFT touchscreen has four times the resolution of the older iPhones. At 640 x 960 pixels, it’s the best we’ve seen – statistically. But perhaps the most impressive too, for its actual performance.
There’s a generational leap in imaging too. The first two iPhones had a single 2MP fixed focus camera on board. Last year’s 3GS tried to make some sense with a 3-megapixel autofocus snapper. With the iPhone 4, Apple are finally beginning to look good. The primary 5-megapixel autofocus camera not only takes impressive images but shoots 720p videos too. Oh, and it has a LED flash.
Now, let’s see what else is in that tiny white retail box and check out those shiny glass panels. Let the iPhone 4 unboxing begin.

Nokia N8

Introduction

We’ve come to take Nokia for granted in the low end or the business class but it seems it has lost the knack for killer phones, run out of royal blood. It’s up to the Nseries to fix it all up. The Nokia N8 may just turn out to be the right cure. With that kind of hardware, it’s a smartphone you’d be mad to ignore. For a change we are not talking netbook-grade processing power or loads of RAM. Nokia have instead given their flagship an industry-leading camera and stuff like HDMI port and USB-On-the-Go.

Nokia N8 official photos
The Finnish engineers often like to make a point about Symbian being the most resource-effective OS. We’ve seen it run reasonably fast indeed on even slower CPUs. This time though it’s Symbian ^3, so we’ll have to see it again to believe it.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Penta-band 3G with 10.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA support
• Sleek anodized aluminum unibody
• 3.5" 16M-color AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
• 12 megapixel autofocus camera with xenon flash and 720p@25fps video recording
• Camera features: large 1/1.83” camera sensor, mechanical shutter, ND filter, geo-tagging, face detection
• Symbian^3 OS
• 680 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 256 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• microHDMI port for 720p TV-out functionality
• GPS receiver with A-GPS support and free lifetime voice-guided navigation
• Digital compass
• 16GB on-board storage, expandable through the microSD card slot
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• DivX and XviD video support
• Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter
• microUSB port with USB On-the-go support
• Flash and Java support for the web browser
• Stereo Bluetooth 3.0
• Nice audio reproduction quality
• Smart and voice dialing
• Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display

Main disadvantages

• Symbian^3 is still behind Android and iOS usability standards
• No video light
• Camera interface is decidedly outdated
• Relatively limited 3rd party software availability
• No office document editing (without a paid upgrade)
• Video player has some issues
• Battery life is not on par with best in the business
• Battery is not user-replaceable

There’s certainly a lot of pressure on the Nokia N8. People are probably expecting more from it than the very guys who designed it. But the N8 was never meant to compete with the iPhone 4 or the Galaxy S. At least, that’s what Nokia will gladly have you believe.
You see, with the Nokia N8 it’s not about who the competition is. Not about the business benefits of a smartphone, not about the available apps. It’s about the best camera in the business. Now, we’ll have to see about that. Again.

Nokia N8 at ours
The N8 already managed to put a dedicated digicam to shame in our recent blind test. But it will take more than that to get the thumbs up at the end of a full review. The camera is certainly impressive but it’s the overall balance and bang-for-buck that count most in our books here so the N8 better have more aces up its sleeve.
We pop the box open after the break.