Designing a different-looking phone is always a hit-or-miss proposition. Fortunately for the Motorola Crush, the design quirks doesn't affect its usability all that much, although they would take some getting used to.
Physically, the aforementioned kookiness is glaringly obvious - it puts the lock and call buttons on the top, instead of the bottom. Combined with the touchscreen shortcuts placed at the top of the display, you'd think the phone was playing some accelerometer trick on you. It's not that big of an issue, but will take a couple of spins before becoming second nature.
The screen is a bit small at only 2.8 inches (400 x 240 resolution), but they do offer ample brightness, clear lines and good response - very, very acceptable for this price range. It also boasts a solid build and a comfortable feel in hand.
As a phone, the Crush delivers a very positive calling experience, with clear sounds and no interference. It could use a little more volume, though. The speakerphone performed the same way - admirable but lacking more power. It has a rated battery life of 4.3 hours of talk time, which should be good for a day or more of moderate use.
Features are strictly midrange. You get the basics, including a 1,000-entry phonebook, PIM tools and a full range of messaging capabilities. Notable additions include a built-in GPS, stereo Bluetooth, a pedometer and a full HTML browser. The phone supports the CDMA2000 1X 3G standard, but there's no Wi-Fi.
It comes with a 2.0 megapixel camera, with almost zero options (yep, nothing but digital zoom). Resulting quality is decent for such a low-res module, though. The media player is rather basic, but it does support a good range of formats. You can load media onto the device via microSD card (up to 16GB).
Overall, the Motorola Crush isn't the kind of phone you'll develop an infatuation for. At $249.99 without a contract, though, it's an incredibly affordable touchscreen with all the midrange features you need to make it a worthwhile purchase.
Motorola Crush Brings Quirky Design, Good Usability, Midrange Feature Setunratednoel2010-01-20 15:15:45
Phone ReviewsMotorola Crush Brings Quirky Design, Good Usability, Midrange Feature Set
Samsung's naming conventions tend to get very confusing and the new Samsung OmniaPRO B7610 (formerly rumored as the Samsung Louvre) suffers from the same. Like its namesake (the OmniaPRO B7320), the latest business-ready handset also comes with a QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the former's candybar form-factor, however, this one's a side-slider with a full touchscreen in the front panel.
Physically, the B7610 looks like a standard Samsung touchscreen phone, with the side-popping QWERTY actually proving to be a surprise. Oddly enough, the back panel (not seen in the photo) is more visually unique, decked with red, light-reflecting elements. It's largely built of plastic and feels like it, although the construction does feel sturdy with a good sliding mechanism.
It sports a 3.5-inch AMOLED screen, which delivers gorgeous displays. The QWERTY keyboard offers ample size and decent travel, but the sensitivity needs some getting used to. Early in our use, many of our keypresses just weren't registering.
As a phone, the Omnia PRO B7610 makes for decent call quality. You can have conversations clearly, but not without the occasional interference and muffled sound. The speakerphone, however, is barely usable with very low volume. Battery is rated for over six hours of talk time and it lasted us a good 1.5 days of very heavy use.
The phone runs Windows Mobile 6.5 and brings an 800MHz processor to make sure it handles the OS capably. Unfortunately, TouchWiz 2.0 (which covers the entire phone) remains sluggish at times. It's not terrible, but the lags are tough to swallow when you see guys like HTC doing Windows Mobile with acceptable speeds.
It comes with all the usual Windows Mobile features, from solid messaging support to a bevy of onboard apps. Samsung's updates to the default WinMo PIM tools are very much welcome (large buttons, bigger menus), along with the inclusion of an onscreen keyboard. As a business phone, it gets the job done handily.
For web access, the handset comes with both Wi-Fi and 3G, along with Opera Mobile 9.5. It's as good an experience as you can expect from a Windows Mobile device, although the aforementioned sluggishness does rear its ugly head occasionally. Media playback (both audio and video) is excellent, with native support for DivX, Xvid and H.264. Other notables include a fast GPS and an average-performing 5.0 megapixel camera.
Overall, the Samsung OmniaPRO B7610 is a solid contender if you're in the market for a business phone with both a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard, If Windows Mobile is indispensable to your daily work, then your high-end choice will likely have to be either this phone or the HTC Touch Pro2. I tend to fall in favor of the latter, although this is a quality performer all the same.
Samsung OmniaPRO B7610 Brings Excellent Business Phone Hardware, Mixed Performance Resultsunratednoel2010-01-11 11:39:09
Phone ReviewsSamsung OmniaPRO B7610 Brings Excellent Business Phone Hardware, Mixed Performance Results
The Samsung S5560 Marvel is a mid-range touchscreen handset. While it doesn't look all that much different from the Korean company's stockpile of models, it does set itself apart in terms of features, bringing a specs sheet that sits between the entry-level Samsung Star and the more high-end Samsung Jet.
Physically, it doesn't veer far away from Samsung's tried and tested designs. There's a 3-inch WQVGA screen (excellent quality indoors, terrible under sunlight, impressive touch response for a resistive panel) and three front buttons (send, end and home). It's not much of a looker, but is adequately attractive with a good overall build.
As a phone, it only manages average quality calls. There's a feeling of the caller being distant through the earpiece, which was odd. Volume is fine, though, and people on the other end reported no issues. Battery life is extremely impressive. Rated at 9.5 hours, it lives up to the promise over regular use (three days and it's still alive).
It runs TouchWiz 2.0, which should be familiar to anyone who has handled one of the newer Samsung touchscreens. As we've said before, this particular UI is highly-usable and allows for a good range of expansion in terms of widgets and apps.
You'll get the usual range of features, such as a few default apps (lots of social networking stuff), PIM tools and messaging capabilities. The email setup isn't as brainless as it happens on Blackberry and Nokia phones, though, which is a tad disappointing. Overall, the basic features work well, especially the highly-responsive keyboards (both orientations).
For online connectivity, you're stuck with either Wi-Fi or EDGE as the Marvel doesn't support 3G. It's a shame since the Webkit-based browser is well-done, with decent loading speed, smooth scrolling and a useful zoom facility.
The 5.0 megapixel camera module is average, boasting excellent shutter speed, a good range of editing options and acceptable quality of images (a little oversaturated). Video capture is bad, though. Onboard music player is actually better than the one on the Samsung Jet, with the hardware managing good audio quality (provided you replace the bundled buds). Video is decent, too, with support for MPEG-4 and H.264 encoding.
Overall, there's nothing about the Samsung S5560 Marvel that really sets it apart from the mass of feature phones in terms of functionality. What it does bring is a solid touchscreen device with a good range of features and an extremely impressive battery life. If the latter is a critical requirement for you, then it could well be worth the price (which sits at between $450 to $500 unlocked, depending on where you buy).
Samsung S5560 Marvel Review: Mid-Range Touchscreen Feature Phone With Excellent Battery Lifeunratednoel2010-01-04 11:56:25
Phone ReviewsSamsung S5560 Marvel Review: Mid-Range Touchscreen Feature Phone With Excellent Battery Life
The Samsung Caliber is a well-executed multimedia touchscreen phone. It's no surprise, considering that the Korean company has been putting out non-stop releases in that category throughout the year.
Physically, the handset is slim and lightweight, with smooth curved corners and a general aesthetic that mirrors similar qualities as Samsung's other mid-range touchscreens. The chassis is largely plastic, contributing to the lighter weight, with a sturdy and comfortable construction.
It has a good-looking 3.2-inch touchscreen display, with a 240 x 400 resolution, managing bright and vibrant colors and images. Samsung probably has some of the best resistive touchscreens around and the one on the Caliber falls somewhere along the middle. It responds well enough to taps, but a stylus will ensure best operation. The well-worn TouchWiz UI rounds out the device's software.
As a phone, the Caliber manages clear and natural-sounding calls, with only a slight hint of distortion in the background. The speakerphone was loud too, although it created a little more echo. It supports 3G connectivity, making for fast-loading web pages. Video streaming is supported, but, like most handsets, provide mostly pixelated results. Battery is rated at 5 hours of talk time, making it good for at least a couple of days under normal use.
It comes with all the basic handset features, including a 500-entry phonebook, stereo Bluetooth and standard messaging capabilities (SMS, MMS, IM and web mail). The 3.0-megapixel camera comes with a good set of editing options, but only produces very average photos. Unfortunately for the Caliber, I've seen several 2.0 megapixel camera phones (including ones from Samsung) that managed better shots.
The full HTML browser was good, offering fairly accurate page rendering and a useful range of controls. It also comes with Flash Lite and manages to play most online video services. The onboard music player is similar to Samsung's other offerings. Quality is good, but the lack of a standard 3.5mm audio jack is disappointing. Other features include onboard GPS and Wi-Fi.
Overall, the Samsung Caliber is a nice-looking device that's really no different from the deluge of feature phones the company has put out this year. It's available unlocked for $340 and with contract from US Cellular for $130.
Samsung Caliber Looks Like The Company's Other Multimedia Touchscreen Phones, Performs Similarlyunratednoel2009-10-30 11:06:32
Phone ReviewsSamsung Caliber Looks Like The Company's Other Multimedia Touchscreen Phones, Performs Similarly
While the Blackberry Storm didn't exactly turn other touchscreen smartphones on their head, it wasn't all that bad. With a series of software improvements and beefed-up hardware, though, there are high hopes for its successor, the Blackberry Storm 2.
Physically, RIM's new touchscreen device isn't a big departure from the original Storm. It sports the exact same dimensions and similar weight, but adds a few subtle touches. The capacitive touchscreen measures 3.2 inches with a 480 x 360 resolution. It comes with a built-in accelerometer and a proximity sensor. The latter feature detects when a face is close to the screen, automatically turning it off to avoid mispresses.
The biggest update here, by far, is the revamped SurePress touch interface. Instead of a mechanical suspension system, like in the original Storm, the new handset uses electronic activators beneath the display to simulate clicks. The result is basic multi-touch support, improved touch response, faster typing and key rollovers. Along with some nifty UI enhancements, it makes for a touchscreen facility that can finally rival some of the best smartphones around.
As a phone, the Storm 2 manages excellent voice calls, with a rich and clear sound that's free from any background interference. Speakerphone was similarly loud and clean-sounding. Overall phone performance is pretty snappy, while the 3G facility makes for very good data transfer rates. The onboard browser appears faster than on other Blackberry phones, but it could also be the increased memory assisting the speed. Battery has a rated talk time of 5.5 hours, which makes it useful for about 2 to 3 days on normal use.
RIM thankfully decided to add Wi-Fi to the mix, making the Storm 2 one of the more interesting world phone (yes, it supports both quad-band CDMA and dual-band GSM) choices around. It also comes preinstalled with OS 5.0, which adds numerous enhancements to the handset's various applications. Messaging, of course, remains a major strength (it syncs with literally everything), while the browser (with Google Gears, Blackberry Widgets and streaming support) has received notable improvements. They even threw in DataViz Documents To Go Standard Edition to supplement the attachments viewer.
The onboard 3.2 megapixel camera is pretty good, with plenty of additional niceties (image stabilization, flash, lots of settings) and decent quality. Other features include aGPS (with Blackberry Maps), a media player with wide format support, stereo Bluetooth and microSDHC expansion.
Overall, the Blackberry Storm 2 is a serious touchscreen smartphone contender. The world phone capabilities, wide range of connectivity options, improved OS and SurePress technology makes it an attractive device for jetsetting business users.
Blackberry Storm 2 Adds Wi-Fi, Faster Performance, Improved Touch Facilityunratednoel2009-10-18 19:58:26
Phone ReviewsBlackberry Storm 2 Adds Wi-Fi, Faster Performance, Improved Touch Facility
