Iphone 3G 3.0 OS: All the best bits

At a special event held last week,Apple announced the eagerly anticipated new iPhone 3.0 OS update and revealed some tantalising new additions along with some long awaited features. Thought your iPhone 3G was perfect? Read on to see what you’ve been missing and what you’ve got to look forward to when the update hitsphones in the summer…

First up (and not exactly a surprise due to the amount of speculation in the run up to the press conference) the iPhone gets full cut and paste functionality. From copying text from a web page to adding text or contacts to a message or IM, simply double tap the text, select the amount to be copied/ cut and then drop it into the desired application. Made a mistake? Simply shake the iPhone to undo your last action.

Next, Apple have finally added MMS to the mix. Multimedia messaging on the iPhone 3G will allow you to send photos, contacts, audio files and locations. With the lack of MMS a long running gripe of iPhone users (and a point of much amusement for those who resisted the iPhone’s charms), Apple have answered their critics and given the people what they want.

Apple have also added a useful search tool to the iPhone so you can search your phone for files and content. Email has been given an overhaul with the phone now letting you compose mails in landscape giving you a bigger and more user friendly QWERTY keyboard. Creating voice memos is now an option and stereo Bluetooth has been added so you can stream music to a compatible wireless headset.

Among some other, more minor updates (SMS forwarding, shake to shuffle playlists etc.), one of the most exciting aspects of the new OS will be the new software development kit for App developers. In addition to improved usability for developers, Apps will now be able to offer in-app purchases such as subscriptions, additional game levels and new content. Paving the way for even more exciting, new applications, the Apple App store just goes from strength to strength.

Bet you’ve never been so excited about a software update!

Pink Samsung Pixon now in stock!

The Pink Samsung Pixon, Samsung’s all conquering 8.0 Megapixeltouchscreen phone has now launched . The huge touchscreen was destined to dressed in pink and looks right at home amongst previously released pink phones.

The Pixon’s stand out feature is of course the 8.0 Megapixelcamera sporting top of the range camera features such as face detection and an image stabiliser resulting in some truly staggering photos. The 3.2 inch display also makes for the perfect view finder with touch sensitive shortcuts giving you access to a plethora of camera settings. Video capture is also handled with similar aplomb capturing at a maximum resolution of 120 frames per second making for slick and fluid playback.

Built in GPS allows you to Geo-tag photos so you can show off to your friends while HSDPA connectivity ensures you’ll be on the fastest internet connection available when web browsing or downloading content. An excellent MP3 and movie player supporting DivX movies, Bluetooth v2.0 and expandable memory round off the features of an impressive touchscreen phone.

Samsung Beat DJ coming soon!

Following hot on the heels of the excellent Nokia 5800 XpressMusic,Samsung have announced their own touchscreen music phone in the shape of the Samsung Beat DJ and first things first, the phone looks absolutely stunning! The Beat DJ has rounded edges giving it a great feel when held in hand and is made from classy, textured materials. But enough of how it looks, what makes this phone tick?

Well the phone, also known as the M7600, gets its name from the Beat DJ application pre-installed on the phone enabling users to mix music and live out their DJ fantasies with a host of scratching, filtering and sampling tools all used with the excellent 2.8 inch TFT touchscreen. With its circular edges and textured finish you can definitely sense the inspiration from a set of mixing decks. Sound quality is also somethingSamsung are taking seriously with the Beat DJ, enlisting the help ofBang & Olufsen for an unparalleled listening experience. A 3.5mm audio jack also means you can use your own headphones if the ones included aren’t to your liking.

The Beat DJ features a comprehensive multimedia player supporting most music formats as well as high resolution video including full DivX support for fast and fluid video playback. A built in accelerometer rotates the screen to give you an excellent display for watching movies and enjoying the Beat DJ interface. From here on out you might of thought Samsung would hold back on the features due to the focus on music, right?

Wrong! The Beat DJ features HSDPA connectivity for lightning quick web browsing and downloads, plus a built in GPS receiver for location based services not to mention Geo-tagging photos taken with the excellent 3.15 Megapixel camera. The camera even gets a taste of high end Samsung camera phone features thanks to autofocus, face detection and smile detection. Bluetooth v2.0, expandable memory and the obligatory (for a Samsung phone at least) document viewer round off a very impressive package.

The Samsung Beat DJ, the budding DJ’s weapon of choice, is set to launch in the summer of 2009. 

Nokia N97 hands on: First impressions

This week i was one of a privileged few to get to grips with the brand new Nokia N97, Nokia’s first Nseries entrant in touchscreentechnology, For our first impressions on what is set to become one of the biggest phones of 2009, read on…

The first thing people tend to notice about a phone is how it looks and in this department Nokia have outdone themselves. Having previously only seen the phone in White, dressed in Black the N97 is one sexy piece of kit. When closed the screen dominates the front of the phone with only one physical button (menu) and two touch sensitive buttons (call end and answer) present. This minimalist design makes the N97 look classier and more understated than some of its touchscreen peers.

On picking up the phone, the N97 definitely has a substantial weight to it; at 150 g this is no feather weight but this serves a s a positive giving the phone a premium feel in the wake of some rather flimsy and light weight Nokia phones. When closed the phone feels solid and there is little give in the slide mechanism. The slide itself, reminiscent of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, is excellent. Working on a hinge, the slide is smooth and gives the impression of quality and a solid build that wont fail somewhere down the line. When open, the screen arcs up providing a better viewing position and presenting you with a full QWERTY keyboard. The keyborad is also very well made. Compared the the Xperia which was small and fiddly to use, the N97 keys are spaced out leaving little room for error whilst the directional keypad on the left is also very user friendly.

So the N97 is well made, what about how it operates? Powering the phone on is a pleasurable experience in itself as you are presented with the awesome 3.5 inch touchscreen. The display itself is bright and vivid with excellent levels of detail and, thankfully, this great screen quality is paired up with an even better touchscreen experience. Navigation is quick and easy and the N97 is incredibly responsive; there is no delay between selecting an icon from the menu and entering into it. The boost in screen dimensions also means the touchscreen interface is a lot easier to get to grips with; after 5 minutes using the phone i was browsing like a pro. The home screen presents you with the familiar lay out of Symbian shortcuts but with a new focus on social networking and messaging. Icons for Facebook, MySpace and Nokia’s own Ovi service sit alongside the usuals suspects such as messages, calendar and contacts. A simple jab on the relevant icon takes you where you want to be and of course, as with any Symbian phone, shortcuts are all customisable.

Though i wasn’t able to upload any images for closer inspection, the camera on the N97 looks to perform very well. The interface is simple and easy to use and opts for physical camera buttons rather than on screen for things like zoom and capture. The powerful LED flash also provides ample illumination for low light situations. Video capture is equally as impressive capturing at 30 frames per second and with the 3.5 inch display plus TV output, video playback is well catered for.

And sadly this was it, my brief play with the Nokia N97 was over. Though i would have loved to have delved a little deeper and taken a look at the web browser and GPS capabilities which should feel right at home on the excellent screen. None the less, the N97 was more impressive than i had imagined (and i was already a big fan) and this brief play test has left me wanting more. 

Sony Ericsson W705

The W705, announced last year, packs an award winning audio experience into a classy slide form factor. Comprising a smooth brushed metal finish on the front and matt black plastic on the back, the W705 certainly excels in the looks department. And as a member of the Walkman family, the W705 takes music seriously too. Alongside the latest Walkman Player 3.0, the W705 supports a host of different audio file formats including MP3 and AAC. The new W705 also features premium Sony Ericsson music features such as TrackID, Shake control and SensMe playlist. Expandable memory gives plenty of storage space and stereo FM radio boosts your listening options further.

Away from music, the W705 features a 3.2 Megapixel camera with a powerful LED flash for great photos every time, HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity for high speed web browsing and downloads plus full support for YouTube.