HTC HD2

HTC has come a long way since its inception to become one of the best PDA/smartphone manufacturers in the world. I would have to say that I've started noticing it when O2 launched their XDA Orbit and EXEC PDA/phone years ago. Back then, the most criticised feature of a PDA/phone will be the battery standby power and the OS. Usually, a PDA/phone will only have around 24 hours of juice if you keep on using it throughout the day. When it comes to the OS, it is no other than Microsft Windows Mobile 5.

Time has come to reveal a true champion - the HTC HD2. It is probably the only one to be able to exceed the expectation of a consumer for now. Look at the specifications of the HTC HD2. It comes with a 4.3" capacitive screen, loaded with 512MB RAM and 448MB ROM; bluetooth 2.1+EDR, wi-fi, a memory slot, Windows Mobile 6.5, mp3 player and it is capable of voice recording and video recording at 720p!!! That will be a first for HTC because there has never been a HTC phone that could superceed the Apple Iphone! The heart of the HTC HD2 is an ARM Snapdragon 1Ghz CPU! That is simply marvellous!!! It is almost twice as fast as the Iphone 3GS and certainly normal recording is much better than the Iphone 3GS! It comes with a 5MP digital camera with a flash.

I have to say that you guys need to go to your local Vodafone shop to experience the HTC HD2. I have played with it for a while and the menu speed is so much better than the 4.1" Toshiba TG01! The HTC HD2 is slimmer than the TG01 and lighter than both the TG01 and the Iphone 3GS! The best of all is that the HTC HD2 could be yours for free on Vodafone's £40 a month for 18 months or £35 a month for 24 months. It's your call guys.

I do believe that it will be much better for you to take out a contract online or give Vodafone customer service a call. This is because you will get an additional 300 minutes and free internet apart from the 900 minutes and unlimited text (on the £40 a month, 18 months contract). I don't think that you will get the same deal if you were to take out a contract in a shop.

More could be seen here. Enjoy!

Nokia N97 (Thumbs Down)

Well, what is Nokia doing? First of all, they are trying to cut off Ovi as it is not making money as much as they have expected (unlike the Apple Iphone store). Well, to lift hardcore Nokia fans, they are going to release the upcoming Nokia N97 simultameously in 75 countries by this month! Wow, that is a good one.

I really hope that they will deliver because it has been such a long time since they have announced their flagship (back in February 2009).Personally, I don't feel that it is worth while buying the Nokia N97. It is true that with the N95 and later the N95 8GB had some 'omph' in it but with the N96, I have lost interest conpletely. Do you know why? The N96 is not a radical change from the N95 8GB. However, having said that, the N97 supports touchscreen and it is equipped with the latest Symbian OS, just like the Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic. Hum, are you convinced?

I am not convinced though. I feel that Nokia is trying to sell their products ahead of the launch of Apple's new Iphone, dubbed the Iphone 2009. With Toshiba releasing their Toshiba TG01 in the UK soon (which is equipped with a 1Ghz CPU), I don't think the N97 can match the firepower of the Toshiba TG01. Certainly, many people will stick to traditional phones like Nokia and will drift away from touchscreen phones but the Apple Iphone is nontheless, worth while if it is on offer.

Nokia should come up with a whole range of better phones...Right now, I think I will stick to my Iphone 3G. I don't care if the new Iphone were to be released next month because it is going to be very expensive anyway, just like the Iphone 3G when it was first launched. I only got the Iphone 3G when they started slashing their Iphone 3G prices from £157 to £57 since April 2009.

Toshiba 1.3Ghz baby?

Back in March 2009, I have written a comparison between Toshiba's TG01 vs Apple's Iphone 3G. Now, we have another surprise!!! Remember Toshiba's TG01? It was running on the 1Ghz Qualcomm cpu, right? Look no further, we have a winner today! The same company which manufactured the 1Ghz baby have released the upgraded version - the 1.3Ghz Snapdragon. Wow! I'm totally blown away by this. The Qualcomm's QSD8650A seems to deliver the goods this time. Frankly, I had the opportunity to play around with the Toshiba TG01 and I feel that the UI is just a tat short of the Apple Iphone. It is still not as good as the Apple Iphone. It will be good if Apple were to adopt the 1Ghz Snapdragon at least for their Iphone 2009. It will be wonderful, isn't it? Dream on!!!

Toshiba TG01 vs Apple Iphone 3G

It seems that O2 UK is going to get their hands on the ever awaited killer - The Toshiba TG01. As I have mentioned, the PDA/phone is equipped with a cpu which runs at 1Ghz and it is preloaded with WinMo 6.1 Professional. It boast a screen size of 4.1" supporting TFT 256k colours and it is merely 9.9mm in thickness!). The phone was featured during the recent WMC 2009 in Barcelona. I think that is one of the reasons why O2 stores in the UK have stopped displaying Apple Iphone 3G in their stores. I have asked their employees why they have stopped displaying the Apple Iphone 3G. They were tight lipped about the whole issue about it. Since O2 has secured a deal with Toshiba, I think they are going to display the Toshiba TG01 instead of the Apple Iphone 3G.

I think Toshiba wants to move towards the Apple's path whereby they want exclusive royalties from O2. It is just like Apple where by they only offer the Apple Iphone 3G to O2. The Apple 3G is locked to O2 in the UK and unlocking it through jailbreak will invalidate the phone's warranty. Oh dear...

I think the TG01 is an Iphone Killer. Having said that, the UI plays a big part, not only the speedy cpu. The Apple Iphone 3G can really work for many hours without the need to recharge the unit. Question is whether the TG01 can maintain the status?

Update: 01/07/2009 - UK will receive the much anticipated Toshiba TG01. We'll have to see about it then as it is only a week to go before going on live.