Freedom Input has launched a new pocket-sized keyboard for the iPhone 4, iPad and other mobile devices. The Freedom i-Connex Mini Bluetooth Pocket Keyboard is roughly the same size as an iPhone 3GS and has 49 keys including dedicated iPhone keys for home and copy/paste.

This is the second in Freedom’s range of keyboards, alongside the near-full-sized i-Connex.

The Pocket Keyboard is available now, priced £29.99, while the i-Connex is priced £59.99.

The device will be available from www.nokia.co.uk/N8 during the last week of September, before arriving at Carphone Warehouse, O2, Orange, Phones4u, T-Mobile, Tesco Phone Shops, Three Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone from Friday 1st October.

The N8 is the first Symbian^3 smartphone, and includes features such as a 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon flash, HD quality video recording, full social network integration, and an improved and more responsive user interface.

Android lacks a top class sports scores app – with almost all being from unofficial sources they tend to lack the polish you might expect. Soccer Score Centre, although focussed on only one sport, is arguably the best of the bunch so far.

The look and feel is inspired by Sky Sports News, with a useful videprinter function showing all the latest scores in the bottom half of the screen, while featured games can be accessed through the top half.

Most major leagues and competitions are supported, and you can set up alerts for your favourite team or for individual matches. There are more advanced features showing league tables, teams, match commentary and a link to Sky Bet.

Price: Free
Rating: 7/10

Smartphone gaming has become a serious business over the past two years, mainly thanks to the iPhone, and the big names in the industry such as EA and Gameloft have jumped on the bandwagon to take advantage of an ever growing market.

Indeed, mobile phone gaming is now so popular that Sony and Nintendo are seeing revenues fall as the PSP and DX struggle to compete against games which are almost identical, yet priced much lower, on smartphones. It is likely that you take your phone everywhere and thus there are many opportunities to play a quick game and this extends the appeal even further.

You can equip a modern smartphone with games from every popular genre and still pay less than you would for one game on a dedicated portable gaming system. The comparison is often stark and one example is Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown on the iPhone which retails for £5.99. It is £24.99 to buy for the PSP and the versions are very similar indeed.

Smartphones also naturally come with flexible communication options which allow online multi-play and the ability to upload scores to social networking sites such as Facebook.

One other important factor is that as the popularity of smartphones grow, so does the potential market that software developers can target. Potentially smartphones will attract a much bigger market than dedicated consoles and this will cause games developers, hardware manufacturers and the makers of the mobile operating systems to increase video capability to the point that what we see as console gaming now will become normal on a phone.

The fact that millions of people will be using smartphones and that there will be no retail stores needed for delivery also means that the games will represent better value for all of us.

As technology has moved forward the days of playing simple card games and 2D strategy adventures are over, for most platforms, and this is another reason for the hardware manufacturers to push the boundaries of what is possible on a mobile phone.

You can now play well known games like The Sims and Call of Duty on an iPhone and some of the more popular titles are making their way to the Android platform as well. Nokia entered the market with a professional setup earlier than the rest via the N-Gage platform which sadly did not gain enough followers to continue, and this has now been replaced by the Ovi Store.

The likes of Windows Mobile and the now defunct Palm OS also have thousands of games running on the platforms, and many of these have been spruced up and released on the more popular platforms today. Smartphone gaming is not new, but it is without doubt now a credible choice for leisure time and one that will grow bigger as each day passes.

Let’s take a look at gaming on some of the biggest smartphone platforms.

Symbian
The Symbian platform has not historically been seen as a gaming platform, but there is great scope for developers to exploit a huge consumer market. The current selection of games is, on the whole, quite simplistic in comparison to some other platforms and the Ovi Store houses many games which vary in quality.

There are some superb titles available which show what is possible, but at this time there are too many which offer little entertainment value for the price. The very best games are still available via N-Gage and some of these rival the very best available; if you are looking for serious gaming on Symbian this is the place to go.

Amount of games: 1000’s
Type of games: All genres covered, but most are simplistic in their implementation.
Overall quality: Poor to average.
Hardware performance: Most games are built to work on all Symbian phones and thus hardware performance is very consistent.
Best Symbian gaming devices: The Nokia N97 and Nokia 5800 have large touch screens and offer a superior Symbian gaming experience.
Game rating: ***

BlackBerry
The BlackBerry platform was not designed for gaming, or for many other non-business activities, and this is starting to become more apparent as the competition heats up.  Despite many enhancements to the operating system, there is still some way to go before we will see this platform compete with the best in terms of gaming.

There are some immersive games which will keep you happy for a few minutes, but none which push the boundaries of mobile gaming. However, some of the board games and puzzlers do stand up to scrutiny so it’s not all lost. If you purchase a BlackBerry device to get things done you will be more than happy, but don’t consider gaming to be a big feature.

Amount of games: 100’s
Type of games: Most genres catered for, but ambitious titles are sadly lacking.
Overall quality: Poor.
Hardware performance: The BlackBerry operating system stops the development of complex gaming so hardware performance is good. Most BlackBerry’s are not designed for gaming though.
Best BlackBerry gaming device: BlackBerry Storm- more games are made to work on the large touch screen.
Game rating: **

Android
The Android platform is growing quicker than any other and games developers have realised this. At this time the number of titles are growing steadily, but we are still not seeing the blockbuster titles available on the iPhone and this is mainly due to the fact that third party games can currently only be installed in internal memory.

When this changes, so should the number of big titles available and with popular games like Doodle Jump and Paper Toss already on the platform it is likely that many of the rest will follow. At the moment the Android platform is a sleeping giant in the mobile games market and is the only likely challenger to the iPhone in the near future.

Amount of games: 100’s and growing quickly
Type of games: All genres catered for apart from complex 3D titles.
Overall quality: Good.
Hardware performance: Very good due to the limitations currently in place for developers.
Best Android gaming device: The HTC Desire and Google Nexus One have big screens and lots of power which is perfect for gaming.
Game rating: ***

iPhone
The iPhone completely changed the mobile gaming industry and to this day the changes continue at a frightening pace. The range of titles available is so immense that the biggest problem is finding the genuine showstoppers which are often priced at less than £3. With so many genres covered and some classic new titles already commanding attention it is hard to knock such a complete service.

Whether you want a casual puzzler or a full-on combat shooter, a game will be available that suits your needs. The large number of iPhone and iPod Touch users also ensures that titles can be priced at throwaway amounts which only fuels the industry further. If smartphone gaming is high on your wish list, the iPhone should be as well.

Amount of games: 10’s of 1000’s and growing every day.
Type of games: All genres catered for and many exceptional titles available.
Overall quality: Excellent.
Hardware performance: With so few iPhone models available, and with Apple’s developer restrictions in place, the performance is superb. The only hindrance is battery life.
Best Android gaming device: iPhone 3GS.
Game rating: *****

Written by Shaun McGill

For finding your way around
Google Maps (All platforms)
Not exactly a hidden gem, but if you’re not using Google Maps for Mobile then you’re missing out. Not only does it deliver the best pick-up-and-go routing for basic navigation but it is developed at such a great rate that every new version is almost a completely new app to the last.

The most recent new addition is for biking directions on Android, to go with the full turn-by-turn navigation. Across all versions you get location sharing, Wikipedia layers, Street View, live traffic and, of course, a powerful local search engine.

For making notes
3banana Notes (iPhone, Android)
Whether you want to add a reminder to a photo, or jot down an idea worthy of the next series of Dragon’s Den, you phone is a perfect notetaking device. The best apps go beyond being a mere digital Post It pad. There are two things that make 3banana a better bet than other established favourites like Evernote.

One is its integration into other apps, making it a breeze to grab info from web page, for example. The other is its use of hashtags for organising notes. A process that will be familiar to Twitter users, you simply append a keyword with a # symbol, and can then view all tagged posts together.

For dealing with calls
HulloMail (All platforms)
If, like us, you leave you phone on vibrate all the time, you probably miss more calls than you answer. It makes voicemail essential, and it’s a pretty sorry story: long-winded to navigate and very limited in function, barely changed since mobile phones were first invented. HulloMail is infinitely better.

Voicemails are diverted through the service, and accessed in MP3 format in your email, or even through a dedicated app on some devices. You can reply to them, keep them forever, or forward them on to others, as well as many more advanced functions, while still accessing the usual voicemail services like custom greetings.

HulloMail is seamlessly integrated into your phone service, uses your regular mobile number, as is completely free to use on any network. Truly indispensible.

Providing access to over 100 publications around the world, Newspapers is one of the most definitive news apps for the Android platform.It’s a basic tool, essentially just a collection of bookmarks to the mobile versions of newspaper websites, yet for that convenience alone it is worth a download.

Although light on features – there’s no widget or cached content, everything downloads in real time as you access it – and with a navigation system that could use a little improvement, Newspapers more than earns it space in your smartphone’s memory.

Better still the app is also available in an ad-free edition for a nominal fee.

Price: Free
Rating: 8/10

A new iPhone is always greeted with a certain amount of fevered hype and expectation. In the case of iPhone 4 it is deservedly so. With the first genuine redesign of the hardware since the original model and a number of new features in the software this device represents a real leap over what has gone before.

The competition to the iPhone is tougher than it has ever been, however, so is Apple really surpassing its rivals, or merely catching up with the competition?

Although the design sticks with the trusted formula – large screen, single home button – the iPhone 4 has undergone a radical redesign. The smooth curves of its predecessors are gone, replaced with sharp lines in an industrial design with a retro appeal.

It’s undeniably a beautiful piece of hardware and makes the older models seem distinctly dated by comparison. Not to mention fatter as well: iPhone 4 shaves 3mm off the thickness of the 3GS and noticeably so. It’s weightier than you might expect, but not in a bad way as the device feels extremely solid, with build quality unrivalled in any other smartphone.

The front and back are made of toughened plastic which feels tough but is not completely scratch proof so we would recommend a case. The edges of the phone offer genuine innovation in that the assorted wireless antennas are built into the actual casing. Although we could replicate issue signal drop issue when holding the phone in a certain way, we could not get it to drop calls. In any case the addition of one of Apple’s bumper cases solved any concerns.

The undoubted highlight of iPhone 4 is its screen. It has a pixel density of 326ppi, and Apple calls it a Retina Display because it says that once you get beyond 300 pixels per inch the eye can no longer make out the difference. It sounds like marketing hype, but it’s not.

It’s extraordinarily good. You could, if you wanted, read text on web pages when fully zoomed out, and at no point can you make out the individual pixels. It is also bright and reasonably viewable in sunlight, and has a near free viewing angle. Naturally this doesn’t suddenly render all other high res displays terrible, but this does set a new standard.

Elsewhere the improved hardware performed well. The new 1GHz processor ensured there was no lag when navigating the phone’s menus or apps. The Wi-Fi signal strength was outstanding, and the upgraded camera, now five megapixels and with a larger sensor than in most smartphones, could now be considered a realistic alternative to a compact.

HD video recording was also among the best we have seen on a phone.

iPhone 4 runs the new iOS4, of which the standout feature is what is best described as pseudo-multitasking. It isn’t full multi-tasking, and apps won’t automatically continue running in the background. Many are simply suspended when you switch away from them, and then continue exactly where you left off when you switch back.

In areas where they are allowed to run in the background, such as music streaming or uploading files, apps need to be specially written to take advantage of the feature. Apple hasn’t added any of its usual unique touches to the UI for this task switching, a simple double tap on the home button shows a row of running or recently launched apps that you can move between.

Even though this isn’t full multi-tasking in the way that Android or Symbian provide it does present the perception of multi-tasking. Apps continue running when needed, and switching between suspended apps is quick enough. For most users that will be enough. Whether any limitations in the implementation arise remains to be seen.

The much vaunted FaceTime – video calling – works, but only over Wi-Fi to other iPhone 4 users. Video calling on mobile devices has proven a tough sell to date, and will likely continue to be so even with Apple pushing it.

The other new software features are fairly minimal and often fill in some of the more noticeable gaps in functionality. Being able to sort apps into folders, for instance, is welcome and long overdue.

But some of the areas where the iPhone software had fallen behind Android remain. Opportunities to customise the phone are very limited, there is still no support for home screen widgets, and the notifications system remains as clunky as before.

iPhone 4 is quite different from what we have seen before, but it turns out it is not different enough to change anyone’s mind about the product. If you love the style, ease of use and bountiful App Store then you will continue to love it – and the iPhone 4 is a pretty tempting proposition even for current 3GS users.

But if you think ease of use is a euphemsism for ‘lack of functionality’ or dislike the vice-like grip Apple has on the entire ecosystem (nothing is allowed on an iPhone without the official seal of approval, remember) then you are unlikely to be won round, no matter how pretty the phone is.

Price: £499 SIM-free
Web: www.apple.com

Essential verdict
Performance: 9
Design: 10
Feature: 8
Value: 8
Overall score: 9/10

The very first thing to say about Acer’s beTouch E110 is that it is not a bells and whistles Android-based smartphone. It sits at the bottom of the pile, in specs terms, of the quartet of handset the company has recently launched, and it is designed unashamedly to be low cost.

It is pitched as having social networking and multimedia goodness, the mobile Internet, Acer widgets, 3G, GPS and a friendly user interface. There is a 3 megapixel camera. It is more a rival to feature phones not a rival to the very top end of the Android spectrum.

So, the beTouch E110 runs Android 1.5. There are no Google Mobile services – which rather sadly means no access to the Android Market. For all your wanting to produce a low cost handset, Acer, the Android Market is a real selling point for smartphones, and its omission is probably a mistake.

For example, the full version of Twitdroid is pre-installed which Tweeters may find a lure. But with no Android Market keeping it up to date is going to be difficult. You can manually install Android apps downloaded from websites, but that requires several extra steps that this phone’s target audience might not want to make.

There’s no Wi-Fi either, so you are reliant on your network for all over the air data services. The handset’s 3G support runs to 3.6Mbps downloads, 384Kbps uploads, and outside of 3G coverage areas you’ll find browsing slow going.

The E110 is a small format device. It measures just 103.5mm x 54mm x 13.4mm. It is a shame it just tips over the 100g mark at 105g. The screen is necessarily squeezed at 2.8-inches and its 320 x 240 pixels are way behind the leading edge. It is a bit on the tiny side for Web browsing, and we found text entry fiddly too. There is no accelerometer so you don’t even have the benefit of a wide-mode keyboard to tap at.

The touchscreen is supplemented by a row of four touch buttons sitting beneath it, for Home, Search, Back and Menu functions. These are quite small and we didn’t always hit them accurately.

Beneath these are large Call and End/On/Off buttons, and a big D-pad with left, right, up and down actions and a central select button. A 3.5mm headset connector is a welcome addition, and the microSD card slot is side-mounted for easy access.

Acer has given Android its very own user interface. In the face of very stiff competition from HTC’s superb Sense UI this is a brave move, but for the most part it works well.

There are five home screens between which you can flick with a finger sweep. You can populate these with widgets, including some from Acer that include Spinlets for music streaming and some rather nice carousels for accessing media and Web pages.

These latter don’t occupy a full screen but they don’t leave space for further widgets either. You can put app shortcuts on a screen with them, though.

There’s an arrow at the bottom of the screen which you pull up to get to the main app window. It is weird and not a little annoying that if app names are more than about seven characters long they cut off! There’s no pull down notifications area, something we really missed from our HTC Android handsets.

As well as the already mentioned Twitdroid app there is a Facebook client, FM radio and GPS Tracker application. You can use the beTouch E110 as a modem, though you will have to watch that data usage.

The Acer beTouch E110 is not the smartphone to choose if you want the very best of what Android has to offer. It can be a bit fiddly to use at times, and with its features stripped back the bare minimum it seems quite expensive. We aren’t sure we’d recommend it.

Price: £180
Web: www.acer.co.uk

Essential Verdict
Performance: 7/10
Design: 7/10
Features: 5/10
Value for Money: 6/10
Overall score: 5/10

Review written by Sandra Vogel. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials magazine.

Recent versions of the Android OS come with some built-in tools to help you analyse your battery life – useful if you’ve noticed a recent drop in the amount of time you get from a charge.

Spare Parts goes a step further, unlocking some of Android’s hidden settings, giving you even more information than before. As a result you can see which apps are running the most, and what technologies (such as Wi-Fi or GPS) they are using, and consuming power with.

Spare Parts also enables you to tweak a few settings, such as the nature of screen transitions and power management. However while the app can be useful for troubleshooting the practical benefits of any of the changes is difficult to determine.

Price: Free
Rating: 6/10

Look into any app store and you will find a plethora of single-function applications that will go unused for long periods, before prove themselves utterly invaluable when you really need them.

RAC Traffic is one such app. It uses GPS and Google Maps on your smartphone to locate the position of your car as you drive and indicate on the map areas of traffic congestion around you. The data it uses is real time and accurate – not only using reports from national traffic services, but also vehicle data as well.

With text-to-speech support it is possible – and safe – to use as you drive; only the occasional software crash let it down.

Price: Free
Rating: 8/10