Techno Review Spot

Samsung Galaxy Beam With Built-in HD Projector

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:56:00 +0000

The world’s leading provider of smartphones, Samsung has introduced its new powerful and stylish Samsung Galaxy Beam, which Samsung claims as its first Android device that built-in HD projector, impressive features 4-inch WVGA TFT touch screen display, a 5.0-megapixel rear-facing camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and microSD card slot to enhance users experiences. The built-in projector situated at the top of the phone that capable of beaming photos, videos, presentations, and so forth. The projector comes with brightness of 15 lumes, resolution of 640 x 360 pixels, and LED bulb, which has a life span of almost 20,000 hours.

Features of Samsung Galaxy Beam:
4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (480 x 800) display
Built-in projector 640 x 360-pixel resolution
1GHz dual-core processor
768MB of RAM
8GB built in storage with microSD memory card slot (up to 32GB)
5-megapixel rear camera LED flash and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
HSPA 14.4+ connectivity, WiFi networking
Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection
High capacity 2,000mAh battery to power the entire set up
Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform

Samsung Galaxy Beam which measures 124 x 64.2 x 12.5 mm and weighs 145.3g is slated to hit the market during the second quarter but its exact launch date are yet to be known.

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G Refreshingly compact

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:40:00 +0000

In a world where smartphone displays are getting more and more gargantuan, the 3.97-inch display on the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is refreshingly compact. Not everybody needs a 5.3-inch display on their phone (Galaxy Note, I'm looking at you!), and it's nice to see a more pocketable phone for those consumers. In addition, the Galaxy S Blaze 4G ($150 with a two-year contract on T-Mobile; price as of March 20, 2012) has fast data speeds (thanks to T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 network) and smooth performance powered by a dual-core processor. But regrettably, the phone is riddled with carrier and manufacturer bloatware that you can't easily remove.

Design and Display
The Blaze has a fairly basic, Samsung-esque design with a glossy black face and rounded corners. The soft-touch, textured back gets fingerprint-greasy fast and seems to be a magnet for dust, crumbs, lint, and whatever else is in your pocket or bag. It's easy enough to clean, though. The Blaze looks a bit chunky, measuring 4.8 by 2.48 by 0.46 inches thick. It weighs a satisfactory 4.51 ounces.

The Blaze's 3.97-inch 480-by-800-pixel display is roomy enough for watching videos and playing games. Viewing angles are excellent on the Blaze's display, which uses Super AMOLED technology. Unfortunately, like other Super AMOLED displays we've encountered on Samsung phones, the Blaze's looked oversaturated in our color-bar and grayscale tests. In our color-bar test, the colors bled into each other; in the grayscale test, we had trouble differentiating the light-to-dark shades from one another. Still, oversaturation isn't always a bad thing: Colors looked rich and bright, and blacks were deep.

Software and Extras
Instead of the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, the Blaze runs Android 2.3.6, (Gingerbread). Like other Samsung Galaxy phones (but not the Galaxy Nexus), it runs Samsung's TouchWiz user interface over Android.

Consumers (and reviewers) have a love/hate relationship with TouchWiz. On the one hand, it's relatively light and fast, and it adds some needed color to Android Gingerbread. On the other hand, the borderline cheesy, cartoony look of the user interface is a bit of a turn-off.

This phone comes with a ridiculous amount of carrier-and manufacturer-added software. From T-Mobile, you get 411, Game Base, More for Me, Netflix, Lookout T-Mobile TV, T-Mobile Name ID, T-Mobile Video Chat...and the list goes on. Sure, you might want some of these apps, like Netflix and Lookout, but the collection as a whole is unreasonably large. Some of the "apps" aren't even real; they're just links to app stores or trial versions of services. Samsung adds a few apps of its own; and again some--like Kies Air and AllShare--are useful, but others are merely pseudo-apps that require a separate download to get up and running. When you open the Samsung MediaHub, for example, a message informs you that you must install a separate app and create an account before you can run the app. Really?

One lovely thing about Android is the customization features and the bevy of apps available to you in Google Play. When carriers and manufacturers add all this junk to phones, they take some ownership away from the consumer. The phone you just bought with your hard-earned money doesn't feel like your phone--and that's unfair. Even worse, you can't remove many of these extra apps. On some Android phones, you can go into your settings and manually remove unwanted apps. But on the Galaxy S Blaze 4G, as far as I could tell, there is no such option for any of the added apps. Unless you root your phone, you're stuck with the bloatware.

Performance
The Galaxy S Blaze 4G is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1GB of RAM. We ran both Qualcomm's Vellamo benchmarking app as well as a third-party app, Quadrant. On Vellamo, the Galaxy S Blaze achieved an admirable score of 1071, putting it just below the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

We take these scores with a grain of salt, as the Blaze has a Qualcomm processor and Vellamo is developed by Qualcomm. Oddly, on Quadrant, the Blaze scored better than the Galaxy Nexus. The true test of a phone's performance, in my opinion, is how well it handles the most heavy-duty apps and high-resolution video. I tested a handful of graphics-heavy games on the Blaze including Anomaly HD and Osmos HD. Both games ran flawlessly with the Super AMOLED display beautifully showcasing the 3D graphics.

The Galaxy S Blaze supports T-Mobile's faster HSPA+ network, which has theoretical speeds of up to 42 mbps. I tested the Galaxy S Blaze in various parts of San Francisco, using the FCC-approved Ookla Speedtest.net app, and achieved average download speeds of 6.77 mbps and upload speeds of 1.45 mbps. Signal strength varied around the city: Some areas produced speeds on par with Verizon's 4G LTE while other areas had more 3G-like speeds.

Call quality over T-Mobile was good, with ample volume and praiseworthy clarity on both my end and my contacts'. We haven't yet run battery testing for this model, but Samsung claims that the battery delivers 7 hours of talk time and 9 hours of standby. The Blaze 4G lasted for a full day (about 8 hours) of regular use before I needed to plug in again.

Camera
The Blaze's 5-megapixel camera took good pictures indoors and out. My outdoor pictures had bright, natural colors, though details were slightly fuzzy and I detected a bit of graininess (see the blue sky in the photo of the San Francisco Bay Bridge). My indoor photos had a little more graininess, but good colors. Details, such as the Furbies' fur, were lost, however. Still, for a 5-megapixel camera, it produced very satisfactory pictures. The TouchWiz camera interface is clean and easy to use, and it offers a few advanced controls such as white balance and exposure value, as well as some shooting effects (sepia, black-and-white, and others).

Bottom Line
The Galaxy S Blaze 4G has the performance and the specs of its Galaxy S II siblings but at a smaller size and a more affordable price. The bloatware is the phone's only real weakness, but the fact that users can't easily remove these carrier/manufacturer-added apps makes me hesitant to recommend the Blaze 4G enthusiastically.

If you're a fan of Samsung's Galaxy series and want the latest and greatest smartphone, you might want to hold out for a few months as the Samsung Galaxy S III is rumored to be launching soon. Another phone that might be worth waiting for is the HTC One S, which is headed to T-Mobile in the next month or two and has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, and 16GB of internal memory. It's unclear whether it will be plagued with the same bloatware issue, however.

LG Connect 4G - The impressive-looking phone

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:23:00 +0000

For too long, prepaid phone users have been treated like second-class citizens when it came to smartphones. Aside from the occasional gem, most prepaid smartphones were hardly worth your time or money--and even the most expensive prepaid phones had only middling specs. All of that is about to change. The LG Connect 4G ($320 on MetroPCS as of 3/7/2012) is the first prepaid phone that we've seen to have specs equal to or better than those of similarly priced smartphones on contract carriers. With an impressive processor and price, the Connect is an enticing option if you're thinking of making the jump to a contract-free carrier.

Design
The LG Connect is one impressive-looking phone. With its piano-black finish, the Connect doesn't look out of place next to other high-end models like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The overall design is simple: The volume rocker and the microUSB port are on the left spine, while the power button and the 3.5mm headphone jack sit comfortably on the top. Like most modern smartphones, the Connect has two cameras, but we'll get to those a bit later.

In size, the Connect isn't much larger than the original HTC Droid Incredible or the iPhone 4S. The phone has a 4-inch display, but it's nice and compact, and it should fit comfortably in most bags or pant pockets. At only 4.83 ounces, it should be light enough to hold comfortably for long periods of time.

While the Connect felt well designed on the whole, the plastic battery cover really detracted from the experience. The material feels drastically different from what LG used on the phone's front face, and it does cheapen the Connect's feel. It might not be a big deal for most people, but I was not a fan.

Specs and Performance
With a beefy 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and 1GB of RAM, the Connect easily handled all of the games I threw at it. Even more-demanding games like Dead Space were no match for the Connect's graphical prowess.

The touchscreen, on the other hand, was flaky at times. More often than not, I would have to swipe or tap the screen repeatedly before it would register the input. This occasionally happened when I tapped out a text message and or typed a webpage address into the browser. The problem seemed to be limited to preinstalled apps--the aforementioned Dead Space registered my swipes and taps without issue. So this may just be a software issue that can be fixed with an update in the future.

The Connect's call quality was considerably better than that of another MetroPCS phone I recently reviewed, the Samsung Galaxy Attain. Here in San Francisco, voices came through clear, if a little on the quiet side. Call quality will vary depending on your location, so check coverage maps to make sure you have good service in your area.

That 4G at the end of its name isn't just for show, as the Connect can connect to MetroPCS' LTE network. In my tests, though, the Connect achieved average download speeds of only 2 megabits per second (mbps) and upload speeds of about 2.5 mbps. These speeds are slow when compared to other LTE networks from AT&T or Verizon (which can achieve speeds of around 25 mbps), and fall more in line with what you get using Sprint's WiMax 4G network. My results were in an area with good LTE coverage so you'll probably see slower speeds in areas with poor reception.

One downside to having LTE is that it eats away at your battery life. With its 1540 mAh battery, I made it through about half a day of moderate usage before I needed to plug the phone into a power source. This usage included browsing the Web over LTE, downloading apps, and playing games on my hour-long commute. Your mileage will vary depending on how much you use your phone and which apps you have installed, but if you're a power user, you will definitely want to have a charger with you on longer excursions.

Software
One of my biggest problems with the Attain was the number of extra apps that came preloaded on the phone. Before I could even sign into my Google account, I saw several screens in the app drawer already populated with apps I knew I would never touch. Unfortunately, the same can be said about the LG Connect. Some of the preinstalled apps merely take you to the Android Market where you can download the app to your device (that's right; apps that ask you to install apps), while others are simply bookmarks that open a page in the browser. You can't remove either of these types of apps, so they'll always take up space in the app drawer. Of course, not all of the preinstalled apps are like this; some, like Rhapsody Music, can actually be useful.

The MyExtras app (of which I am not a fan) is back, along with a shortcut to a MetroPCS-branded app store. The selection in the MetroPCS app store is pretty limited, though I did see both Fruit Ninja and Tweetcaster available. Downloading an app from the MetroPCS app store requires you to manually install the app yourself once it has been downloaded. As such, the phone ships with the ability to install apps from other sources by default. This can be a bit of a security risk--most Android phones come with this option off--so you may want to uncheck it in the settings once you have set up the phone.

The Connect ships with Android 2.3 (aka Gingerbread), with, currently, no word on an update to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) any time soon. The Connect does have a custom interface overlay, similar to what we have seen on other LG phones. While it dramatically changes the way Android looks, I actually enjoyed the extra features that this overlay added to the Connect. You have quick access to the settings via the notification bar, and all of your notifications appear in a notification center titled "What's New." Both are useful features you won't find in the standard version of Android.

Entertainment
Thanks to its dual-core processor, the Connect should be able to run most of the apps in the Google Play Store (née Android Market). I tried out only a small handful of games, but in my time with the phone, I never ran across an app I couldn't run. Movies streamed fine over a 4G LTE connection, but I did notice that the screen would occasionally flicker while playing movies or other media--it's subtle, but it's definitely something to be aware of. The Connect makes use of Dolby technology in playing back music, but I didn't notice much difference between audio playback on the Connect and my Galaxy Nexus. The Connect ships with 2GB of internalstorage and a 2GB microSD card, but you can upgrade to a larger one should you need the extra space.

Camera

Photos taken with the Connect's 5-megapixel camera were dark and not especially sharp. Indoor shots, especially, didn't look that much better than a photo you would get from an old flip phone; in one indoor shot, we noticed what appeared to be dithering in a solid-color backdrop. The Connect is capable of recording video at 720p resolution--though videos were blurry and the lens would take too long to focus on a subject. The Connect has a front-facing VGA camera that you can use for video calls, but the quality is subpar compared with front-facing cameras on other phones. In short, the Connect won't replace your stand-alone point-and-shoot camera anytime soon.

Bottom Line
Even with its weak camera, the Connect is still the phone to get if you're looking for a contract-free smartphone. With specs better than those of most contract-bound devices, the Connect really raises the bar for what to expect from prepaid phones in the future. I hope LG remembers to update the Connect to Ice Cream Sandwich later on, but as it stands, the Connect is an excellent phone for an excellent price.

LG ELectronics Viper 4G - The Platinum

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:20:00 +0000

The LG Viper ($100 with a new two-year contract from Sprint; price as of 4/12/12) is Sprint’s very first LTE phone. But the Android-running Viper is a little early to the game: Sprint hasn’t rolled out its 4G LTE network yet. Despite being stuck with 3G speeds, though, the affordable LG Viper packs some high-quality specs for the price. The dual-core processor handled everything I threw at it with ease, the 5-megapixel camera took good pictures, and the addition of Google Wallet is not too shabby.

Design and Display

The Viper has a “platinum” rating by UL Environment for its sustainable build and packaging. According to Sprint, the phone’s body is 50 percent recycled plastic. Earth-friendly phones aren’t generally the most stylish-looking models, but the Viper is an exception. The piano-black face is nicely complemented by a chrome border around the phone’s edges. The silver plastic backing has a “brushed” finish, giving it a sophisticated look. It feels a little chunkier than the other smartphones we’ve recently reviewed, measuring 4.59-by-2.44-by-0.46 inches thick, but it weighs a manageable 5 ounces.

The 4-inch WVGA display’s resolution is somewhat lower than top-tier smartphones at 480-by-800 pixels (the highest-end Android phones come with 1280-by-720-pixel screens). If you plan on using the Viper only to browse the Web, check e-mail, and do some casual gaming, the display should be sufficient.

Like many smartphone displays, the Viper is a little oversaturated. This was apparent in our color bar tests, where the color gradients bled into each other. It tended to wash out skin tones a little bit, too, but it didn’t add a reddish tint, as we’ve seen some AMOLED displays do.

Softwares

The Viper runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with an overlay from LG and Sprint that runs atop it. The overlay is fairly lightweight and looks similar to the vanilla Android Gingerbread interface, but you’re stuck with a dedicated SprintID (Sprint’s app package service) navigation button on the display. Sprint confirmed that the Viper will eventually be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, but the company did not say when we could expect that update.

Other than the permanent SprintID button, you can remove pretty much all of the carrier-added software (or, in some cases, bloatware). I wasn’t able to remove SprintZone, but I could remove Sprint NASCAR, NBA Mobile, TeleNav, and other added apps.

One useful included application is Google Wallet, which uses the built-in NFC chip in the Viper to let you make payments with your phone. For a complete overview of Google Wallet, check out our hands-on review.

Camera

I snapped a few photos indoors and out with the Viper’s 5-megapixel camera. My outdoor photos looked pretty good, with clear details and good color reproduction. My indoor photos had a bit of a dark cast to them (see the sample photo) and looked a little grainy in certain areas.

The Viper also has a front-facing camera and can shoot video in up to 1080p. As you can hear in the sample video below, the Viper's microphone was very sensitive to wind. Colors overall looked a bit dark, but the Viper could handle fast-moving objects without any artifacting or pixelation.

Performance

As mentioned, the Sprint LTE network has not been rolled out yet in the United States. Sprint recently announced that it would roll out LTE in a handful of cities in mid-2012, but San Francisco, sadly, isn’t one of them for the time being.

When you switch on the Viper, you’ll have to immediately go into the settings and turn off the LTE. If you don’t, the phone will constantly try and search for a non-existent network and drain your battery. Until LTE comes to your city, you’re stuck with 3G. One nice thing to look forward to is that Sprint will offer unlimited data on its LTE network, so you’ll be able to use your data to your heart’s content--without getting throttled.

I ran the FCC-approved Ookla Speedtest.net app to measure 3G data speeds in San Francisco. I got an average of 0.92 megabits per second (mbps) for uploads and an average of 1.83 mbps for downloads in various parts of San Francisco. These are pretty good speeds for 3G, but nowhere near some of the LTE 4G speeds we’ve seen on AT&T's and Verizon’s networks. For example, the Nokia Lumia 900 achieved an average download speed of 13.27 megabits per second and an average upload speed of 7 mbps in San Francisco.

The Viper might be a “budget-friendly” phone, but it’s no slouch. Powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor, the Viper felt snappy throughout the user interface. I loaded a couple of graphics-heavy games on the Viper including Osmos, Edge, and the World of Goo. All three games ran smoothly, without any issue. I also ran two different benchmarks on the Viper: Qualcomm’s Vellamo benchmark and the third-party Quadrant benchmarking app. According to Quadrant, the Viper got a score of 3009, considerably higher than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which got a score of 2000. On Vellamo, the Viper scored 1221, which also put it ahead of the Galaxy Nexus.

Call quality over Sprint’s network was okay. The Viper was extremely sensitive to external noise, such as wind or passing cars. On a particularly windy day in San Francisco, I couldn’t hold a conversation without my friends on the other end asking me to repeat myself—the wind had completely overpowered my voice. Indoors, the Viper did a lot better. My friends’ voices sounded clear and natural, while they reported that they could hear me perfectly.

We have not yet completed our formal battery tests, but we will update this review once the results are in. In my hands on use, however, battery life wasn’t very good on the Viper. It seemed slow to charge, and I had to plug it in twice during a full day of fairly heavy use.

Bottom Line

The LG Viper is a solid introduction to Sprint’s incoming family of LTE phones—even though there isn’t a Sprint LTE network yet. The Viper might not be a top-of-the-line smartphone, but its dual-core processor keeps it running smoothly, and the camera snaps solid photos. But the Viper seems as if it is jumping the gun a bit. Being stuck on a 3G network with an LTE-capable phone is a little sad; and while Sprint did say the Viper will get the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, there’s no telling when that will be. If you don’t mind waiting for Sprint to switch on its LTE network (especially if you live in one of the first few cities on Sprint’s roll-out list), the Viper is a good choice. If you’re looking for higher-end LTE phones on Sprint, you might want to wait a bit and go for the incoming HTC Evo 4G LTE or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Source : PCWorld

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:21:00 +0000

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus 16GB (Dual Core, Universal Remote, WiFi)

Introduction:

Hard to believe it, but it has been only a year since the Samsung Galaxy Tab came knocking on our doors bringing Android into the tablet market. In that short time, we’ve surely seen our fair share of quality products. Even though the original model didn’t quite have a profound impact during its time, namely because of its out of character pricey purchase cost, its siblings in the face of Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 seemingly fared considerably better. Back for round two, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus reinvigorates the original line with some upgraded hardware and Android’s tablet optimized platform Honeycomb – thus, possibly resulting in better adoption this time around.

The package contains:

USB cable
Wall Charger
Stereo Headphones
Guides

Design:

The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus sticks with the design characteristics established by the Tab 8.9 and 10.1. Although it’s not the sleekest (0.39” thick) of the bunch, it’s still compact enough to hold with one hand, and at the same time, it’s sturdy in build to instill us with some confidence of durability against the elements. Yes, it might appear to be a metallic exterior, but in fact, it’s nothing more than a plastic casing, which contributes to its lightweight figure (12.17 oz).


The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is compact enough to hold with one hand

We’ve been fond of the PLS LCD displays used by Samsung’s recent line of Galaxy Tabs, and rightfully so, we’re feeling a bit of the same way with the 7” 1024 x 600 PLS LCD display being used by this one. The resolution is right there with the rivals as it’s able to produce tolerable and distinguishable details. Naturally, some might be taken back by Samsung’s choice to use a PLS LCD display, especially when the Galaxy Tab 7.7 features an AMOLED panel, but we’re grateful to find its color reproduction to be on the natural and realistic side – as opposed to the overly saturated tones exhibited by AMOLED.



The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus uses a 7” PLS LCD display

One can easily confuse the tablet to be a super-sized smartphone, namely because of the narrow earpiece and front-facing 2-megapixel sitting above its display when it’s held in portrait.


	2-megapixel front-facing camera

Along the left side of the device there are a microSD slot, and a SIM card slot if you happen to pick up the cellular enabled version of the tablet.
Another peculiarity is found on the right side, where we have an infrared port, which combines with the Peel Smart Remote app to offer us some light home theater functionality. Finally, Samsung continues to utilize a proprietary charging port for its tablets, which is very similar to that 30-pin connector found with all iOS devices. So, don't think you'll get away with your trusty microUSB cable.


Charging port (bottom)	microSD and SIM card slots (left)	3.5mm jack (top)

Turning our attention to the rear of the tablet, we’re again seeing it sporting the same 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash used by its siblings.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:26:00 +0000

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 WiFi+3G P6800 16GB

The 7 inch Android tablet market has been rather hit and miss so far, with the first iteration of the Galaxy Tab being the only real contender and most of the focus on the 10” category, and for good reason – that’s been the mainstay of Apple’s iPad up till now, and manufacturers have been innovative and creative with their offerings in order to stay relevant and have a chance of competing in that space.

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 takes a completely different tact, being lighter and slimmer than, well, any Honeycomb-based tablet we’ve seen so far. Compared to the original Tab which relied on a reworked mobile phone OS, it’s a much more mature product and fits snugly between a smartphone and large screen tablet. This may actually be the product to redefine what a small screen tablet is capable of.

Small, sleek and ready to slip into any size handbag or pouch.

Spec-wise, the Galaxy 7.7 is powered by a dual core 1.4GHz processor with 1GB of RAM, and will apparently come in three flavours – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. It has N wireless on board, Bluetooth 3.0 and has a built-in GPS.

Samsung’s new 7 inch Android tablet sports a slightly larger screen, at 7.7 inches, but offers the exact same resolution features as its 10” cousins – 1280 x 800. Combine that with the Super AMOLED Plus screen, and you’ve got gorgeous detailed images and bright, rich colours. Because the pixels are so densely packed together, the screen display is second-glance-worthy. The small amount of video files we had played back smoothly in high definition.

Video playback up to 1080p on the Galaxy Tab 7.7.

I really haven’t held a tablet as light as this one. It’s only 340 grams, but it’s hard to describe what that means after holding various iOS, Android and Windows tablets – sure, this one is smaller than they are in terms of size, but the experience of holding one is amazing. I once commented in an earlier article how I’ve injured myself by falling asleep and dropping a first gen iPad on my face while reading… you’re in no danger of self-mutilation or embarrassment here.

Audio is pumped through these stereo speakers either side of the proprietary connector.

Did I mention how thin the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is? We’ve seen the Transformer Prime come in at 8.3mm, but the 7.7 takes “slim” to yet another level – it’s a sliver of a tablet at 7.89mm. To pick it up and rotate its dimensions in your hand is quite the chuckle producer – you don’t believe how thin and light it actually is.

Ridiculously thin... The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is lighter and thinner than pretty much any tablet on the market.

This is definitely a one-handed tablet – your fingers do need to spread, but you can also cup your fingers and hold it for a long time without fatigue. The cool metal backing does equalise with your hands temperature after a while, but put it down and the cold feel of stainless steel will once again greet your fingertips.

That’s a great segue into the materials and construction of this latest Samsung Galaxy Tab. Some other 7 inch Android tablet offerings have been rather thick, and felt a little fragile – squeeze the body and creaks have been heard from lesser machines. The engineering on the 7.7 is superb, we could detect no give between the body and screen; they are almost fused together. The metal back provides a stiffness and therefore top-shelf handling experience.

Maybe it's my long fingers that make this pic look odd... In any case the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is easily held in one hand, piano fingers or not.

Walking around this tiny pocket rocket and you can see how Samsung have achieved this degree of slimness: like the iPad and its own family of tablets, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 keeps ports down to an absolute minimum. All we have are a headphone jack, a micro SD card slot and Samsung’s proprietary 30-pin connector. Where most tablets try to offer a complete solution with inputs and outputs, particularly to differentiate against the iPad, the 7.7 follows its own path and offers instead adapters that can be fitted to connect various outputs.

Blink and you'll miss it... An external port on the Galaxy Tab 7.7, in this case a Micro SD Card Slot.

Is that going to be an issue for users? Based on the interest in the 10.1, which offers the same limited connectivity, no. It’s actually more sensible for this Galaxy Tab to eschew those I/O burdens as it’s probably closer to a smartphone than a tablet in some respects (the screen is actually a larger clone of the Galaxy S II). The option is there but you have to really feel the need in order to go to the effort of purchasing an adaptor.

The brushed metal back provides great rigidity to the Galaxy Tab 7.7.

Like all other HoneyComb tablets, there is a front and back camera setup, with a 2 megapixel camera on the front and 3 megapixel camera on the back. The back camera has an LED flash and 720p HD video recording capability. I think there is an inverse proportional relationship of the number of shots taken on a tablet to the size of the screen. Because the 7.7 is so light, it’s much easier to be spontaneous and shoot some off-the-cuff pics and video.

3MP camera and LED flash... The smaller the tablet, the more this will get used.

There is one black dot on the Galaxy Tab 7.7, but its existence helps give it a gold star for functionality. The black dot (not figuratively speaking, an ACTUAL black dot) on the side of the 7.7 is an infra-red transmitter. There is a program pre-installed on the 7.7 called Peel, and it actually converts the 7.7 into a universal remote control. If you’ve ever found remote controls to be clunky or not really that helpful, Peel may change your view on that.

Now not only do I not have to get up to change the channel, I don't even need to find the remote. She says lazy, I say efficient.

Setting it up is a breeze, and so is the actually use, just point at the device you’ve programmed in and it’s as if you’re using the original remote. But this functionality is a stunner, because you can browsing, reading or playing a casual game, use Honeycomb’s built-in multitasking to switch to Peel, change the channel/volume/input, and switch back to your previous activity, and the 7.7 never leaves your hands.

Software-wise, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 uses the same Touch Wiz overlay that their smartphones use, making the transition for Galaxy phone users a no-brainer. There is improved software such as video editing, image editing and even image management, letting you sort by a range of different criteria such as size, location (if geotagging can be found) or date/time.

Galaxy S II users will find no trouble using the Galaxy Tab 7.7.

The Galaxy also retains the “Hub” areas of the smartphone, and apparently the Music Hub will be available soon as well, but only for music, not for videos. I tried the Social Hub out and I liked its aggregation of my different social feeds in one easy to view panel. Being Honeycomb, this is a live widget that updates on screen so you can snack on bite-sized pieces of your connected world.

Manage all your social feeds into one panel on the Galaxy Tab 7.7.

The 7 inch Android tablet market is not as big as the 10 inch segment, by any means. It looks like Samsung has managed to carve itself a little niche with a product that doesn’t rely on third party programs to succeed, and adds little quirky features like remote control and revamped image/video apps into its sleek shell to give users a true out-of-the-box experience.

Best Price Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 WiFi+3G P6800 16GB is $599.99

Source : http://ritchiesroom.com

Nokia 808 Pureview 41-MP camera

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:17:00 +0000

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia announced the 808 Pureview, a flagship Symbian device with a 41-megapixel camera. In addition to superior still imaging technology, the Nokia 808 PureView, also includes full HD 1080p video recording andplayback with 4X loss less zoom and the world's first use of Nokia Rich Recording.

This is the first smartphone to feature Nokia PureView imaging technologies, bringing together high resolution sensors, exclusive Carl Zeiss optics and Nokia developed algorithms, which will support new high-end imaging experiences for future Nokia

The Nokia 808 PureView features a large, high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology.

In addition to superior still imaging technology, the Nokia 808 PureView, also includes full HD 1080p video recording and playback with 4X . Rich Recording enables audio recording at CD-like levels of quality, previously only possible with external microphones.
The camera will use its over-the-top resolution capabilities to "over-sample" the image you shoot, says Nokia, so that if you shoot at 5 MP, each pixel in the final picture.
The Nokia 808 PureView also features Dolby Headphone technology, transforming stereo content into a personal surround sound experience over any headphones and Dolby Digital Plus for 5.1 channel surround sound playback.
With superior low-light performance and the ability to save in compact file sizes for sharing in email, MMS, and on social networks, the Nokia 808 PureView makes it possible for.
The device uses a 1.3 GHz processor, comes with 16GB of storage and runs a 4" screen at 360 x 640, which is below HD resolution.

Mary McDowell, the firm's executive vice president for mobile phones, said the company's engineers had been working on the product "for years".
Source: yahoo.com

Top 5 upcoming tablets

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:16:00 +0000

Eyeing the increasing competition, we may also expect manufacturers to keep the prices of expected tablets reasonable. Despite lower than expected sales, Android tablets remain hot favorites of the handsets vendors - this further gains ground if we look at the number of tablets lined up for launch this year.
Moreover, these new tablets are likely to come with better design and features. Eyeing the increasing competition, we may also expect manufacturers to keep the prices very reasonable.

Sony Tablet P:

Launch time: February 10th -15th in India.
Design and build Quality: The biggest USP of this tablet is its form factor. It has two screens measuring 5 inch each; together they give you 10 inch space and when folded gives you a form factor of a large smartphone. How it performs in the market is something that needs to seen but this PSP (Playstation) certified certainly has a lot going for it.
Features and Specifications: Under the skin, this tablet houses a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 mobile processor and runs on Android Honeycomb OS. Sony P has a 5 megapixel camera at the back and a 0.3 megapixel camera in the front. It has quite a unique design and the interface is programmed to use both the screens combined and individually. The device is with both 3G and WiFi connectivity and build in around 4 GB of internal memory.

Asus Transformer Prime TF201:

Launch time: In February.
Design and build Quality: This awesome tablet has unique form factor. Like its predecessor, Asus Transformer, this tablet has a keyboard docking station which transforms it into a laptop.
Features and Specifications: Transformer Prime TF201 features a 10.1 inch touchscreen display. It houses a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 mobile processor and will run on Android 3.2 Honeycomb, though Ice Cream Sandwich update already lined up for it. In terms of connectivity also, the tablet is fully loaded with 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth etc

.

Samsung Galaxy 7.7:

Launch time: Samsung Galaxy 7.7 to be launched in a couple of months.
Design and build Quality: This tablet will come with a 7.7 inch Super Amoled Plus display supporting 1280x800 pixel resolution. Inside, it would pack a dual core 1.4 GHz microprocessor with Mali-400MP graphics chip to power the Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system.
Features and Specifications: Samsung has added Universal Remote Controlfunctionality in Galaxy 7.7 that will let you control your television as well as home entertainment systems through your tablet.
Samsung Galaxy 7.7 will support SIM calling and has a 3 megapixel camera at the back while a 2 megapixel one will be there in its front. It supports 3G and WiFi and will come in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB storage options along with support for micro SD card of up to 32 GB capacity.

Acer Iconia A200:

Launch time: Its yet to be announced, we expect it to be launched by March.
Design and build Quality: This one is a mid range 10 inch tablet from Acer. It boasts a 10.1-inch display with a native resolution of 1280x800 pixel, and has a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor with an integrated low-power GeForce graphic chip which is capable of playing 1080p HD videos.
Features and Specifications: The tablet runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system and will be upgraded to Android 4.0 later. In the front, Acer has only 2 megapixel front camera for HD video chats.
Acer Iconia A200 has a full USB 2.0 port, which means that it will support 3G dongles. The Iconia Tab A200 doesn't offer SIM slot and is entirely dependent on the WiFi for Internet connectivity. Bluetooth, GPS are there. It has also dual speakers for good audio experience.

Motorola Xoom 2:

Design and build Quality: The Xoom tablet did not get the cash register ringing for Motorola. However, the company will be hoping to change this with the upgraded Xoom tablet that is loaded with many interesting features and a stylish design.
There are two versions of the Motorola Xoom 2 tablet with screen sizes of 8.2 and 10.1 inches, but both have the same display resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels and even the same hardware.
Features and Specifications: The 10.1 inch Xoom 2 has a detachable key board as an accessory. Motorola has also included Infra-red in the tablets that helps it work as a universal remote for all your gadgets. Other connectivity options are present in full force.
Motorola Xoom 2 tablet with screen sizes of 8.2 and 10.1 inches Both tablets have an LTE version and a WiFi only version. Apart from that they use a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and run on Android 3.2, which will be upgraded later.

Top 10 best smartphones

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:52:00 +0000

Android rules - The top 10 best smartphones. Take a look...
1. Samsung Galaxy Nexus:
Samsung I9250 Galaxy Nexus 16GB (Unlocked)

Review: Sleek and Speedy

The best Android phone to date, the Galaxy Nexus dazzles with its curved display, sleek design, fast performance, and, of course, the Ice Cream Sandwich update.
Pros:

4G/LTE is very fast
Ice Cream Sandwich is a real treat
Slim, curved design

Cons:

No expandable memory
No Google Wallet support
Camera is just okay

Price: $673.

2. Samsung Epic Touch 4G: Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

Review : Slim and Speedy
The slim and speedy Samsung Epic Touch 4G is excellent for gaming, Web browsing and watching video, but the plasticky design feels a bit on the cheap side.
Pros:

Bright, clear Super AMOLED Plus display
Superb performance
Excellent camera

Cons:

Lots of bloatware/preloaded apps
Plasticky build

Price: $120.

3. HTC Evo 3D: HTC EVO 3D 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

Review: Dual-Core, 3D Display, 4G Speeds

Uneven call quality doesn't stop the Evo 3D from being the best phone currently available on Sprint.
Pros:

Fast dual-core speeds
Ultimate entertainment phone
Gorgeous design

Cons:

3D cool, but gimmicky
Call quality uneven

Price: $49.53

4. T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide: T-Mobile myTouch Slide 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

Review: Best Phone Camera Ever

The MyTouch 4G Slide has one of the best cameras we've ever tested--and the rest of the phone is pretty amazing as well.
Pros:

Outstanding camera
Latest software and chipset technology
Wide range of shooting modes and editing tools

Cons:

Keyboard is difficult to type on
No HDMI port

Price: $120.

5. Samsung Galaxy S II (T-Mobile): Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android Phone (T-Mobile)

Review: A High-Quality, Top-of-the-Line Phone

Like the rest of the Galaxy S II series, the Galaxy S II on T-Mobile is one of the best phones currently available, hands down.

Pros:

Massive and colorful display
Extremely powerful mobile processor
NFC chip

Cons:

No MicroSD card included
Small bezel around the screen

Price: $589.

6. Apple iPhone 4S 16GB: iPhone 4S Review (AT&T): A Solid Update

The iPhone 4S might not be the most exciting update, but the improved camera, faster performance and the addition of Siri make it a top-ranking smartphone.

Pros:

Faster, smoother performance
Superb camera
Beautiful display still better than competition

Cons:

You can only upload video in 1080p
Siri not always accurate

Price: $890

7. Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX: Motorola Droid Razr Maxx Review: Now With More Battery Life

The Droid Razr Maxx packs in a dual-core processor, large battery and LTE in a very thin frame.

Pros:

Dual-core processor keeps phone running smoothly
Excellent battery life over LTE

Cons:

Doesn't run latest version of Android
Camera is just average

8. Motorola Droid Razr: Motorola Droid Razr Review: Thin and Fast, but Short on Battery Life

The thin and elegant Motorola Droid Razr is smoking when it comes to data speeds and performance, but the short battery life is a disappointment.
Pros:

Verizon LTE is ridiculously speedy
Dual-core processor keeps phone running smoothly
Thin, sturdy design

Cons:

Dismal battery life
Pricey

9. Motorola Droid Bionic: Motorola Droid Bionic: Full-Featured, Fast, and Expensive

The long-awaited Droid Bionic is blazing fast and has a slew of great entertainment andbusiness features, but the high price might make it a hard sell.
Pros:

Dual-core and Verizon 4G is a speedy combination
Assortment of entertainment and business features
HD 1080p video capture
Lots of compatible accessories

Cons:

Pricey
Call quality is uneven
Display disappoints

Price: $79.53.

10. Samsung Focus S: Samsung Focus S: A Standout Windows Phone

The Samsung Focus S is the best Windows Phone available with smooth performance, a great camera and a gorgeous display.

Pros:

Gorgeous Super AMOLED display
Good 8-megapixel camera
Smooth performance

Cons:

Faint hiss in background of some calls
Windows Phone 7 has some limitations
Phone feels a bit plasticky

Price: $200.
Source: PC World

If you have any question regarding "Top 10 Cell Phones: Take a look before buying", Don't hesitate to comment in comment Box below.

Most Popular Cell Phones

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:15:00 +0000

Cell Phones are not only used for communication but often used as an entertainment or gaming device. It has become a status symbol and here are the most popular or best cell phone models. The below list is based on sales and user review at various online stores like yahoo shopping and amazon.com.

1. iPhone 4 32 GB White/Black Smartphone

There is no need to explain about iPhone. It is one of the best selling phone in the world. Many waited for years to replace the black iPhone for white iPhone. White iPhone is more popular than black due to its style and has a different look than any other phones in the market.

2. Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

It is tough and challenge for Samsung to compete with American giants like Apple and Motorola. In spite of many legal battle, Samsung’s Galaxy is most popular smart phone after iPhone. If you are looking for android phone or non-Apple phone, Samsung Galaxy is the right choice and it has more features than Apple iPhone for lesser price.It has same look and feel of iPhone with larger screen size.

3. Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone, 32GB (Verizon Wireless)

Droid Bionic 4G is sold with 8.0MP camera and it is the considered as the best android phone.This phone can be connected to your HTDV and mirrored. It has other features like front facing camera for video chat, bluetooth stereo music and 10.8 hours of talk time.It is the first LTE device with a dual-core processor and it is a great phone for android lovers.

4. Apple iPhone 4S 16GB - FACTORY UNLOCKED -

iPhone 4s is popular and is the smartest phone available today due to SIRI a new personal assistant software. More than 4 million were sold with in first week and it proves the popularity of iPhone 4s. The disappointment is, it has same exterior like iPhone 4 and Apple didn’t care about improving its look or style.

Apple iPad 2 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Techno Review Spot) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:33:00 +0000

The Apple iPad 2 is neither a revolution nor a revelation. Rather, it's an evolutionary bump over its predecessor, which is enough for iPad 2 to be competitive with, and stay ahead of, its tablet competition, even if only by a hair. While the iPad 2 still leaves much room for improvement, it delivers a largely satisfying tablet experience at an appealing price (in 18 variants, starting at $443 for a 16GB, Wi-Fi-only version).

The iPad 2's industrial design follows the model established with the first-generation iPad and with the iPhone 4: The 9.7-inch display dominates the device, with a home button on front, a volume rocker and slider switch on the side (now usable as either a mute button or rotation lock, your choice), and a power button up top. The back and sides continue to be anodized aluminum--a design trait that enables Apple's new Smart Cover (in 12 colors and two materials; prices start at $39.95) to attach on the underside using magnets, and to flip over the display to "smartly" lock and unlock the screen. Nifty. Regrettably, the aluminum back is highly prone to scratches--so if you don't put some sort of protective sheath over the back, you're bound to end up with scratches just from putting it on a surface.
Compared with the original, the iPad 2 is physically streamlined: At 0.34 inch deep, it's thinner than the original's 0.5 inch, and its chassis is now surround by tapered edges, which make it easier to hold. The tablet weighs 1.33 pounds (Wi-Fi version; the AT&T and Verizon models weigh 0.01 and 0.02 pounds heavier, respectively, to accommodate the 3G radio). The 12 percent to 17 percent weight reduction as compared to the original iPad--which weighed 0.17 and 0.26 pounds more for the Wi-Fi and AT&T 3G varietals--truly does make a difference, particularly when holding the tablet in one hand. And you will use any tablet one-handed: Anytime you don't use the tablet when resting on a surface, you'll at some point have to hold it one hand while you use the other hand to navigate the screen. While the change in weight isn't enough for me to say I'd hold the iPad in one hand for reading a book for an hour, I found it did make the one-handed general operation much more pleasant and viable. And I found the difference in weight very obvious compared with the Motorola Xoom, an Android 3.0 tablet that weighs 1.6 pounds.

This model's tapered edges provide a single unibody-style design, leading to a flat back (the first-gen iPad had a slightly curved back that left it wobbly on a surface). The buttons are now located along this curve, as is the dock connector. Though I had no issues with the button placement, the curve repeatedly made it challenging for me to properly align and insert the cable into the port.

The tapered edges also required moving the speaker. Previously, it was located flush on the bottom bezel, facing downward. Now, it's along the taper, running about half an inch up to the back. The new location gives you a chance of getting audio even if you rest the tablet directly with the bottom edge on your lap (before, audio would be muffled in this position). But now, audio can be muffled if you lay the tablet flat on its back and expect to hear output from the speaker. The speaker still sounds tinny and barely passable, but it's there if you need it. For better audio, flip that Smart Cover around to the back; the audio will reflect off the cover, amplifying the sound.

Like its predecessor, you won't find any ports, slots, or connectors (beyond the 30-pin dock connector and the headphone jack). Video-out is handled via a bulky but effective dock connector to HDMI cable.

Display:

While the iPad 2's display is one of the best I've seen on any tablet in use today, it still disappoints. Here's why. The display is unchanged from the first-generation iPad: It's bright, with 1024-by-768-pixel resolution, at 132 pixels per inch. After using an iPhone 4 for the better part of the past year, though, I couldn't help but wish we had the Retina Display (960 by 640 resolution at 326 pixels per inch) on the iPad instead. I've seen some reports that say the display is comparable to the iPhone 4's, but I find that the sharpness of both images and text suffers on the iPad 2 versus the iPhone 4.

Text, in particular, is a sore point for me: The pixelation and fuzziness in many fonts--including the font for the icon labels, and the standard text I see in the Web browser or in iBook--borders on unbearable, in the same way that I cringe when I go back to my iPhone 3GS after using my iPhone 4. I imagine that some of these complaints could be solved by better antialiasing in the iOS operating system to compensate for the lack of native resolution, but no such tweak is evident in the version of iOS shipping on the iPad 2 (iOS 4.3).

Those complaints aside, in comparison with the Motorola Xoom and the (7-inch) Samsung Galaxy Tab, the iPad 2 display more than holds its own. Of the three, the Tab has the sharpest text and images, but its colors are oversaturated. The Xoom is fuzzy, and suffers from similar antialiasing issues in text--despite its higher-res 1280 by 800 display. Though the iPad 2 has issues with fuzzy, pixelated text, too, it's colors are pleasingly balanced and accurate, and images are reasonably sharp.
Performance

The guts of the iPad have been stepped up to include 512MB of RAM (twice the RAM of the original iPad), a 200-MHz bus, and the new dual-core A5 chip. The inclusion of a dual-core CPU was necessary; competing Android 3.0 tablets all use a dual-core chip. The RAM on the iPad 2 is half that on the Android models, but whether this will truly impact usability or is merely a reflection of Apple's home-team advantage as both hardware and operating system manufacturer remains to be seen.

Our performance tests showed the iPad 2 completed the Sunspider 0.9.1 Javascript test in 2.1 seconds. That result is full 1.2 seconds faster than the iPad 1, and was twice as fast as the iPhone 4. Moreover, the iPad matched the Android 3.0, dual-core Tegra 2-based Motorola Xoom, and it was three times as fast as Samsung's single-core Galaxy Tab. The iPad 2 hammered the Motorola Xoom in startup time; it was 43 percent faster, requiring just 26 seconds to the Xoom's 46 seconds.

I didn't need a benchmark result to confirm the zippier feel of iPad 2. Some things didn't feel especially different (like swiping between home screens), but scrolling in iTunes felt faster, as did navigating photo galleries, for example. And I found the iPad 2 could actually keep up with my fast, touch-typist fingers; neither iPad 1 nor Xoom could do so.

The Cameras:
The iPad 2 adds both front and rear-facing cameras, for use in FaceTime chats and for video and still capture. Sadly, Apple's approach to cameras in iPad 2 feels cursory, as if the cameras are there just as a checkbox item; the company hasn't made tweaks, or included good enough hardware, for either camera to produce a truly satisfying experience. That stands in stark contrast to Apple's approach with the 5-megapixel, 720p iPhone 4 camera (which has satisfactorily captured over 3000 images and videos, and counting).

My casual snaps with the iPad 2 proved not worth the trouble; I'd only use the camera if I had no other available. This isn't surprising, since Apple doesn't state a spec for its rear-facing camera for still images, and in PCWorld's photo tests, the iPad 2 scored a Poor, in line with what the iPod Touch scored for its camera. By comparison, the iPhone 4 scored at the high end of our Fair rating, besting both the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The iPad 2 did do better than the Tab on video, and performed comparably to a Cisco Flip Ultra HD 2HR, earning a rating of Fair. For video, the camera can capture 720p HD, at up to 30 frames per second. The front-facing camera also underwhelmed. It's rated at just VGA (640 by 480 pixel resolution), and as such, I found video looked pixellated during Facetime video chats with another iPad user over Wi-Fi.

Another gripe: Apple doesn't endow its cameras with any additional controls to enhance image capture. Furthermore, iOS 4.3 doesn't do anything to adjust the location of the camera's capture button on screen, so it's positioned at horizontal right center, as, oddly, it is on the iPhone. Without repositioning, most hands will have difficulty reaching the capture button (in horizontal orientation, in falls to the lower center of the screen--nowhere near where you fingers will be holding the tablet at the left/right edges).

iOS 4.3 and Software:
Apple has done little to push iOS's evolution. While this is disappointing, given its recent updating patterns that's not entirely unexpected: The company has announced major new iOS revisions at its Worldwide Developer's Conference, and released those updates tied to iPhone's summer bump first (last year, iPad didn't get its big iOS update until fall).

But the incremental updates in iOS 4.3--while welcome (hooray for choosing whether the switch on iPad's side is a mute button or a rotation lock, and for providing Home Sharing)--are frustrating. They do nothing to refresh or improve upon iOS, and that's something that feels necessary in the face of the pressure coming from competing operating systems on current and forthcoming tablets (Google's Android 3.0, HP's WebOS, and RIM's PlayBook OS). Notifications, widgets, and multitasking are all topics that need revisiting now that Apple's iPad is no longer the only tablet around (at least to speak of).

Likewise, Apple's reliance on iTunes to facilitate all data transfers and backups is getting increasingly tiresome. On Windows, iTunes is more kludgy and more limiting than it is on Macs; and ultimately, it's wrong to require consumers to connect a tablet to a PC for basics like data backup and software updates, especially if the tablet is supposed to replace the computer.

One point worth noting about software: The iPad has 65,000-plus apps that are optimized for its large screen. While we've seen much interest in Google's Android, both from game makers and others, Android 3.0's tablet apps, at this point, rank only in the hundreds (optimistically), not thousands. I believe Android 3.0 app development will ramp up considerably in the next six months, just as app development stepped up rapidly for Android 2.X smartphones; but, if you're after a breadth of apps today, be aware that Android--at least for version 3.0--is a still-evolving marketplace.

Battery Life:
In my hands-on, I experienced no discernible difference in battery life compared with the iPad 1. Macworld's battery life tests confirmed this real-world usage impression; there, the 32GB iPad with AT&T 3G lasted 504 minutes, just 14 minutes longer than a 16GB iPad 1 with AT&T 3G. After using the Motorola Xoom, however, I must say I found the iPad 2's lengthy recharge time highly annoying: Compared with the Xoom's rapid recharge, the iPad 2's wall-connected recharge seemed to progress at a trickle.

Pick an iPad 2:

Apple provides no fewer than 18 different variations of the iPad 2, with the differentiators tied to color, capacity, and connectivity. You have a choice of white or black, Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi/3G on either AT&T or Verizon. The capacity options remain unchanged from last year: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.

And the prices corresponding to those capacities also remain unchanged: $499, $599, and $699. Add another $130 for the Wi-Fi/3G version, regardless of the carrier you choose. The 3G models have one cosmetic difference versus the Wi-Fi models--a black piece of plastic at the top, to enhance 3G reception.

The iPad 2 is the first Apple tablet to come in black and white varietals. Although some might consider the white to be the epitome of Apple chic (as on the iPhone), on the iPad you might want to think twice before getting the white bezel. Unlike the iPhone, where the white is really limited to the outside of the device, here the white is the bezel surrounding the display. And as on other e-readers and televisions, the display can be harder to read, and you'll have a perception of less pop and poorer contrast compared with a black bezel.

Should You Buy an iPad 2?
No question that the iPad 2 lacks some elements that would make it a complete package. It has no built-in hotspot, it's cameras are weak, and the OS needs better notifications and greater flexibility for file handling and updating without a computer.

If you're considering upgrading from the iPad 1, you'll see your most satisfying boosts in the lighter weight and zippier performance. Gamers will want the new model for its graphics handling, which is improved thanks to the new processor design.

If you're in the market for a tablet today, though, iPad 2 remains the class act to beat. Yes, it has limitations and omissions in its hardware, but on balance, it is the tablet that is best prepared, right now, for the mass-market consumer. The question that remains to be seen is whether iPad 2 can hold its crown for a year, as its predecessor did.

Source: PC World