From Skype Today regarding it’s iOS4 upgrade and multitasking:
At Skype, we believe that better call quality and better availability (which is achieved with an app capable of multitasking and/or making calls over 3G) lead to increased call frequency and longer calls. We also believe that the mobile world is in a period of significant change, for example, with some operators starting to move to tiered pricing models.
In light of that, we no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G. We’re delighted to make it easier for you to talk for even longer and do even more together using Skype.
This sounds like a positive move and not charging for additional calls over 3G is a good thing.
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Skype released their much awaited upgrade to the iPhone 4 and iOS 4 system today with version 2.1. The biggest upgrade is it allows Skype to run in the background and allow for incoming calls without using voice minutes. An indicator referencing an incoming call shows up and you just answer. No video or front camera calls with this version, but we’ll assume it’s upcoming. Check it out at skype.com or on the iTunes App Store.
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In the past month, the smartphone scene has changed a lot and Apple has a lot to do with that change. Apple released the iPhone 4 and iOS 4 operating system to the mobile world and it’s an exciting time to be a smart phone owner. The iPhone 4 features a lot of cosmetic and structural changes to the phone as well as a much needed increase of camera and video functionalities. The iPhone 4 now has a camera which is a 5 megapixel camera and you can now take 720p video on the iPhone which you can upload to youtube and other services.
The iOs4 operating system is a snappier operating system which now features folders and a great new way of organizing applications. You can now bundle your applications into business, work, games, utilities, and other folder options and each folder can now hold 12 iPhone applications. Multitasking is also now possible with the iPhone which now lets you switch between applications easily.
The iPhone 4 most importantly is now a faster and more efficient phone. It features the new A4 processor which speeds up the phone and you’ll notice that when you switch between applications and operate within the phone.
We overall highly recommend the iPhone 4 and the new operating system which you can also upgrade on the 3GS phone.
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Courtesy of the folks over at Womworld, we got the chance to try out the Nokia 6220 classic. This worked to be a great small and compact cell phone with a terrific camera and S60 abilities. This comes unlocked as most Nokia advanced phones come and offers a ton of software and utilities onboard. We were able to pop in a T-Mobile SIM chip and use the phone within seconds. It comes with a quad band GSM ability and 3G abilities as well bundled with VOIP capabilities. 128MB of memory comes with the phone and you can add more via a microSD slot that comes on the side of the phone. We found the phones call qualities very acceptable and the camera with crisp pictures. If you’ve had the opportunity to use the higher end Nokia’s, such as the N95 or E71 you’ll be very familiar with the camera controls.
The size of this phone is remarkable though, being only 3oz + battery and having a sharp screen and vibrant colors to match. Wi-Fi and GPS come with the phone as well and we were able to browse the internet with moderate speed via the bundled browser. The S60 platform features a number of built in programs and the ability to add a secondary browser such as Skyfox or Opera Mini is there if wanted.
Overall, we liked the phone and it’s picture taking, but found the slowness of the operating system a little slow for flipping between features. If on the phone and quickly wanting to take a picture, the phone loaded the camera software slowly and then allowed the picture to be taken. The GPS feature also proved slow as with most assisted GPS phones. The GPS signal took a while to acquire and by the time the GPS loaded, you forgot what you needed it for.
We do like the phone despite the minimal flaws and is available online via most retailers. We give it an 8/10 and thank Womworld and Nokia for the use and trial.
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Recently we got the ability to review the external battery backup for the iPhone produced by Richardsolo.com and we thought it was a great product. In the past few weeks we received the RichardSolo 1800 for the iPhone and when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it did. If you remember our previous review, the Richardsolo battery allows you to carry an external battery for your iPhone or iPod Touch and not have to worry about 3G speeds slowing your phone’s life down.
The new RichardSolo 1800 provides 50% more power than the original battery and features a unique latching mechanism that holds the iPhone and battery in place. The latching allows for a secure connection between the battery and device and avoids any snapping of connectors of either connection. To charge the battery you can either use the AC Adater or a newly developed dual-port USB car charger that comes with the package. During your sleep you can charge both your iPhone and external battery together and throw both in your case for travels.
What truly sets this battery option apart from other external batteries are a white LED flashlight and a built in laser pointer. Yes, you read that correct, it features two buttons on the battery that house a laser pointer and a LED flashlight that you can use to get to your car or door in the dark. C’mon, you don’t see other manufacturers adding this do you?
In our tests we loved this external battery option and now with a longer life on it, gives you no reason to complain about the iPhone’s 3G battery woes. You can have all day battery support for your device and now have two ways to charge it during the day. This should be an essential item for your iPhone 3G and gives you a great holiday gift for the iPhone 3G fan.
The RichardSolo 1800 for the iPhone is $69.95 and is available at RIchardsolo.com. It gets a 9/10 in our review and makes a top product even better than before. Kudos to the design team at RichardSolo for making an essential product this easy to use.
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Sprint has the HTC Touch Pro up on their site and it’s a beauty. This is the crown jewel of the new HTC releases and is going for $299 after rebate. 3.2 Megapixel Camera, Wifi, Full Qwerty keyboard, the fast Sprint network, Sprint TV & Music, MP3 Player, and more. It also features the revised Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. It’s an interesting addition to the Sprint line and should be successful. Have one yet? Leave your comments..
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If you’re on the T-Mobile network and looking for a new 5 Megapixel, candybar type phone, the newest from Motorola might be yours. It is a quadband phone from Motorola and operates on the T-Mobile EDGE system. It’s going for a low $99 on the 2 year contract.
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It’s been tinkling around the net for a while but the Q11 from Motorola has been made official on the Motorola site. A fully featured Motorola Windows Mobile experience, Quad band, 3 MP camera, full video support, GPS, 128MB Flash, 64 MB RAM of memory, and more. Looks like a sweet phone and fully featured as well. No mention of release date or carrier.
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The long speculation about the Blackberry Storm has now gone official with Blackberry and Verizon teaming up to present the first touchscreen Blackberry unit. Full touchscreen integration, the latest 4.7 software upgrade, the support for Bluetooth Stereo, GPS, and a 3.2 megapixel camera. No Wi-fi is onboard for this unit though which is a disapointment. Overall, it looks like a very promising phone with the Blackberry architecture built-in. Photos included courtesy of RIM. Launches in November so put it on your holiday shopping list.
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Recently it appears as RIM has announced the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220. This was formerly known as the Blackberry Kickstart and launches itself as the first flip design for the Blackberry platform. According to the Press Release it features all the designs of a flip phone with the abilities of a Blackberry phone. T-Mobile will be launching it soon.
Press Release From Blackberry:
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