Samsung Reality

Measuring 4.23 inches long by 2.09 inches wide by 0.65 inch thick, the Reality almost matches the Rogue in terms of shape and size. It shares the Rogue's same boxy look, with curved corners and rounded edges, though it is a little lighter at 4 ounces as opposed to the Rogue's 4.94. The Reality also has a decidedly glossier sheen all the way around, which makes it much more susceptible to fingerprint smudges. It comes in both black and red, and has an interesting grid pattern on the back.

The display is where we start to really see the difference between the Rogue and the Reality. Instead of the stunning 3.1-inch AMOLED of the Rogue, the Reality gets a relatively pedestrian 3-inch WQVGA display. This isn't to say it's bad-- we actually quite like the 262,000 color support and the 240x400-pixel resolution--but it just doesn't match up to the Rogue. You can adjust the backlight time, the shortcut icons on the main menu, the dial font size, the menu font style, the color of the lock screen font, the clock format on the home screen, and the transition effect between menus.

Like many other Samsung touch-screen phones, the Reality comes with the TouchWiz interface, which is a collapsible tray on the left side of the home screen that consists of several widgets and shortcuts. One of the widgets new to the Reality is a Communities widget that offers quick access to seven social networks and photo/video sharing sites, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Friendster, MySpace, PhotoBucket, and YouTube.


You can have up to three different home screens on the Reality, and the TouchWiz is accessible on all of them. You are also free to customize each home screen by dragging and dropping different shortcuts from the TouchWiz tray. Along the bottom row of each home screen are shortcuts to the phone dialer, the contacts list, the messaging menu, and the main menu. The phone dialer offers a roomy virtual keypad plus shortcuts to the contacts menu, groups, and favorites. You can also tap out a new text message via the virtual keypad and the T9 method if you don't want to use the physical keyboard for some reason.

The resistive touch screen is not as responsive as capacitive ones, but it's still intuitive and easy to use. You can add haptic and audio feedback to your finger taps if you'd like, and you can then adjust the vibration intensity, the sound effect, and the volume level.

Aside from the touch screen, you also get a few physical controls. There are the Send, Back/Clear, and End/Power keys underneath the display, and the volume rocker and screen lock key on the left spine. The charger jack is on the left side as well. On the right are the microSD card slot, the voice command key, the speakerphone key, and the camera/camcorder key. The speakerphone and voice command keys double as zoom controls for the camera. On the back is the camera lens and a self-portrait mirror. A 3.5-mm headset jack sits on top.

Slide the phone to the right, and you'll reveal a full four-row QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is spacious and we like that each key is slightly raised above the surface for faster typing. There's a dedicated number row, a navigation array, and the typical shift and function keys. The A, W, S, D keys plus the navigation arrows are grayed out for gaming purposes. Unfortunately, the Reality's keyboard is much more cramped than the Rogue's and the keys themselves are smaller.

When you slide open the phone, the display changes orientation from portrait to landscape mode. The Reality also has an internal accelerometer that can change the screen's orientation without you having to open the phone, though this only works with certain applications, like the Web browser.

The Reality has a 1000-entry phone book with room in each entry for five numbers, two e-mail addresses, an instant-messaging screen name, two street addresses, a company title, a photo, a birthday, and a note. You can then assign contacts into groups and pair them with one of 17 ringtones and alerts.

Basic features include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, a calendar, a calculator, an alarm clock, a stop watch, a world clock, a notepad, a sketchpad, and a timer. There's also voice command, USB mass storage mode, a file viewer that lets you read Microsoft Office documents, GPS with VZ Navigator support, and stereo Bluetooth.

HTC Droid Incredible

HTC-made, Verizon-locked device sporting a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 8GB of internal storage, 748MB of ROM, a microSD slot (with support for up to 32GB cards), an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and autofocus, 480 x 800 AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, and most importantly, Android 2.1 with HTC's Sense UI on-board. The combo of America's largest (and some say best) 3G network with a super-fast, Sense-equipped Android phone is a match made in nerd heaven. We've seen a near-exact device in the HTC Desire -- basically the Incredible for the European market -- and the internals and screen technology are almost identical to the Nexus One, but the Incredible has a personality that's all its own.

In general, the Incredible's display was very reminiscent of the Nexus One screen -- that should come as no surprise, they're identical -- though the touch response seemed notably better here, likely a software issue. Because these displays are the same, it means they share the same issues; we disliked the color intensity on the Incredible just as we did on the Nexus One. Reds and oranges, in particularly, look overwhelmingly saturated here, and other colors aren't truly represented. It's just too colorful, if you can believe it. Another somewhat major issue that we struggled with on the Incredible (just as we did on the Nexus One) was the awful screen visibility in bright daylight. We had numerous occasions where we simply could not answer a call or take a picture due to the AMOLED display's poor showing outdoors. In overcast settings (such as the one above) it was usually bearable, and If you crank the brightness all the way up on sunnier days you can get some visibility, though once you're outside and can't see the display, that's a bit of a challenge. In all honesty, we love certain aspects of these screens, but we're perplexed as to why HTC continues to use this same display when it's clear the daylight performance is hamstrung.

The camera is one of the big selling points of the Incredible. At 8 megapixels, it's obviously one of the highest resolution smartphone shooters on the market. The Incredible also does fairly high resolution video -- up to 800 x 480. We would have liked to see a 720p option here, but we realize we're being hopeless romantics. Regardless, the higher res video did a decent, if somewhat pixelated and slightly stutttery, job at capturing a beautiful Brooklyn sunset. We had better results at VGA resolution, but both modes were more than acceptable for basic shooting. Just don't expect this to stand in for your HD camcorder.

In a somewhat new move for Android phone, HTC has equipped the Incredible with 8GB of internal storage as well as a MicroSD slot which can handle an additional 32GB -- giving you a whopping potential 40GB of space for your goods. We love the idea of a hardwired option for content storage, but HTC has some problems with this implementation. Firstly, many apps currently available in the Android Market which utilize an SD card for offloading data aren't able to see the internal storage at all, which means if you drag some APKs you want to install or want to download some data when you're in an app, you're out of luck.The earpiece on this device is loud and clear, but never painful on the 'drums, while the speakerphone is excellent for both conversations and video / audio playback. It's a really solid speaker which should be more than sufficient for conference callers and voracious media snackers alike.

The Sony Ericsson C905a

The Sony Ericsson C905a Cyber Shot is well knowned in the market for it's high quality 8.1 megapixel camera and it's 16X digital zoom. It also has image stabilization, auto focus, face detection and a xenon flash. It weighs 4.8 ounces and measures at 4.09 inches by 1.93 inches by 0.71 of an inch. It has a 2.4 inch display at 320 x 240 resolution.

The C905a is a Tri-band world phone which has a 3G for high speed wireless. It possesses a music player with streaming radio and built in FM radio. It also has a Music ID that can track the music you're listening to. C905a has a video share and also games like: puzzles, sport, action, cards, racing and more.......

As other cell phones this phone also comes with calender, alarm clock, personal organizer and address book. It also has handsfree speaker phone, voice dailing and voice commands. 

The facilities also include web browser and mobile email. As usual bluetooth is not a new item which is applicable to transfer datas and a short range wireless. Other facilities include call waiting, call barring, conference call and also call forwarding. You can also do multi tasking as using voice and data simultaneously. 

Motorola Droid

Motorola Droid's sleek, touch screen handset runs on Google's Android 2.0 operating system and features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, removable battery and preinstalled 16GB microSD card.

The Wi-Fi-enabled phone also comes with preinstalled Google Mobile apps, including a GPS-enabled Maps app that offers voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions. Users who text messaging but don't like paying fees will love the Google Talk app, which lets users to exchange instant messages with their Gmail contacts.

Capable of running six apps simultaneously, the Droid's 550MHz processor, high-speed 3G Internet and 3.7-inch screen make for a painless video-watching and Web browsing experience.

The Droid also features a 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, a mail app that integrates multiple accounts (including Microsoft Exchange) and Facebook and Twitter widgets that provide real-time updates -- performing like a small computer.

Droid inspires science-fiction visions of extra-terrestrials from faraway galaxies. The masculine, glossy black handset is chunkier than the iPhone, with a rectangular body and beveled edges. It's large, vibrant 3.7-inch screen takes up most of the front and toggles between horizontal and vertical view when the phone rotates -- all similar to the iPhone.

Designed with a minimalist flair, the Droid is slightly larger and heavier than the iPhone -- weighing 6 ounces compared to Apple's 4.8 ounce device -- for a solid feel.

Right next to the headset jack, the power button along the top edge of the phone also serves as a "wake" function. The volume rocker and dedicated camera shutter are located on the right edge. On the left side, a micro-USB port recharges the unit and connects it to a computer.

Four touch-sensitive keys sit just below the screen: "back," "menu" (with changing menu choices depending upon which screen is open), "home" and "search." Users can type on the phone's on-screen keyboard in vertical or horizontal view -- or they can use the roll-out keyboard.

When the Droid is opened, buttons on the keyboard are "sticky" and require a firm push or press -- adding to the solid feel of the phone. White and brown characters on the keys glow with a backlight, making them easy to read.

The wide keyboard was built for big hands, but small thumbs. That's because the keys are flush with the surface of the keypad and hard to distinguish. Users will get used to the feel of the keyboard, but first attempts at typing are awkward.

The keyboard can also be programmed with shortcuts to functions. To the right of the keyboard a directional key with center select greatly enhances navigation.

The back of the device features a 5.0-megapixel camera lens as well as the battery and memory card. The battery cover is user-friendly and comes off easily. Out of the box, the Motorola Droid comes with a standard Li-Ion Battery, USB/wall charger, 16GB microSD card and User Guide.

The Apple IPhone 4

The iPhone 4 is the biggest upgrade to Apple's smartphone since the iPhone 3G. It's also the showcase handset for Apple's newest operating system, iOS 4, which adds a selection of long-overdue features.

Though the iPhone 3G and the 3GS models simply tweaked the original handset's design, iPhone 4 marks a sharp departure from those previous models. Admittedly, we never had a problem with the look of the previous handsets, but we approve of the iPhone 4's changes. The front and back sides are glass, both surfaces are flat, and a stainless steel border circles the entire phone. Though it's a tad boxy, it also has a clean, svelte, and unmistakably Apple look. What's more, we love that the flat back means that the phone no longer wobbles when resting on a table. You can get the iPhone 4 in both black and white.

Despite the oleophobic coating on both the front and back sides, the glass attracts smudges by the ton.The iPhone 4 has a solid, sturdy feel, though we didn't love its sharp corners. It survived a few drops to a carpeted floor, but we wonder how it will withstand traveling in a pocket with keys and coins. Luckily, the Apple-supplied bumper will offer needed protection, even if it takes away from the handset's sleek profile.

At 4.5 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.37 inch deep, the iPhone 4 is as tall as the iPhone 3GS, but slightly thinner--25 percent, to be exact--and narrow when measured across its front face. It does feel smaller when compared with its predecessors. It weighs about 4.8 ounces, which is back to what we had with the first iPhone (both the 3G and 3GS models were slightly lighter).

The remaining exterior elements are largely unchanged. The Home button is in its normal place below the display; the 3.5mm headset jack and power key sit up top next to the aforementioned noise-cancellation microphone; and the 30-pin connector, microphone, and speaker are where they belong on the iPhone 4's bottom end. Unfortunately, and to no one's surprise, you still can't remove the battery.

Samsung Captiva

Part of the Galaxy S series, the Captivate is by far AT&T's most powerful and feature-rich Android device, boasting a gorgeous Super AMOLED touch screen, a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, and some great multimedia features. Captivate delivers and is a great alternative to the IPhone 4.

Like many of today's touch-screen smartphones, the Samsung Captivate features a slate design that's not particularly sexy. In fact, it's rather lackluster, but the look is clean and simple. At 4.18 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide by 0.39 inch deep, the device is a bit of a handful, but Samsung managed to keep the handset pretty thin, so you can still slip it into a pants pocket. Plus, the Captivate has a much more solid build than the Vibrant, which comes at a price of a little extra weight (4.5 ounces vs. 4.16 ounces), but we much prefer that to a cheap-feeling mobile.

The front of the device rocks a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen, which supports 16 million colors and a WVGA resolution (480x800). It's one of the best-looking screens we've seen on a smartphone, showing off rich and vibrant colors and a sharpness that makes text easy to read. Aside from the brilliance and crispness of the display, there are a number of other advantages to Super AMOLED screens, including wider viewing angles and improved responsiveness. They also consume less power.

The Captivate's touch screen was responsive and fast. We were able to quickly swipe through the various home screens and menu pages, and the scrolling experience was smooth, as was the pinch-to-zoom gesture. The display also has a six-axis accelerometer, which comes in handy for gaming, and it was fast to change the screen orientation whenever we rotated the phone.

Below the screen, are four touch-sensitive Android shortcuts: menu, home, back, and search. On the left side, there's a volume rocker, and a power/lock button sits on the right. There's a 3.5mm headphone jack on top, as well as a Micro-USB port, which is protected by a sliding cover. As usual, the camera is found on back.

The RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800

The RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800 is the first device to ship running BlackBerry OS 6 and will be available starting August 12 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. The slider phone--a first for RIM--brings together a touch screen and a physical keyboard into a solid, compact design. The new OS brings some much-needed and welcome additions, including a better browser, an enhanced multimedia experience, and improved user interface. Sure, in the grand scheme of things, none of this is new but at least it puts RIM back on track. It's just unfortunate that RIM didn't upgrade other parts of the phone, such as the display and processor, as the Torch doesn't quite stack up to some of the latest smartphones. Still, there's enough there to keep BlackBerry fans happy.

The BlackBerry Torch marks new territory for RIM. It's the company's first slider phone and isn't meant to be a one-off design, but rather, the start of a new series. RIM and AT&T actually began work on the device about a year and a half ago, and when creating the phone part of the goal was to offer a design that not only combined the best of all worlds--touch screen, full keyboard, and track pad--but also a familiar experience to previous and current BlackBerry users.

The Torch's shape is a little bit BlackBerry Storm and a little bit BlackBerry Bold. The look is certainly appropriate for the corporate scene, where BlackBerrys still dominate. In its closed state, the Torch measures 4.4 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and weighs 5.7 ounces. It's a rather hefty handset, but it feels very solid, with a textured soft-touch finish on back. It's also thin and short enough to comfortably slip into a pant pocket.

On front, the Torch features a 3.2-inch half-VGA (480x360 at 188 pixels per inch) capacitive touch screen. Overall, the display is clear and bright enough for reading text and viewing Web pages, photos, and video. However, compared with many of today's smartphones, such as the HTC Droid incredibleand Samsung Captivate, the difference in resolution is noticeable and Torch's screen falls a bit flat.

HTC Touch Diamond II

The HTC Touch Diamond2 is said to be the new evolution of the HTC Touch Diamond, that has been made easy to fit perfectly in the hands of the buyers. Touch Diamond2 has a larger 3.2 inch high resolution wide screen VGA display for a greater viewing area in a design just 137 mm thick. The Diamond 2 also includes a new touch sensitive zoom bar for even faster zooming of web pages, e-mails, text messages, photos or documents.

Combined with the HTC's Touh Flo's 3D experience with a people centric communication approach and the HTC's new Push Internet Technology, the Touch Diamond2 offers an advanced touch experience that is optimized for one-hand use operation.

The Touch Diamond2 brings the most sophisticated capabilities to a broad consumer audience looking for the professional benefits of a smartphone without a sacrificing size, looks or functionality with fifty-percent better battery life, a five mega-pixel auto focus camera, expandable memory, gravity sensor and an ambient light sensor.

HTC Aria

Android or iPhone? The Aria is an Android phone thrust into Apple's land, namely AT&T. As HTC's flagship phone, the device competes directly with the new iPhone 4.

They both have a large touch screen display, 5.0-megapixel cameras and music players, Wi-Fi and high-speed HSDPA Internet and Bluetooth and GPS capabilities.

But there are slight differences between the two -- the iPhone 4 has a higher-resolution screen, while the Aria has an expandable microSD slot. Android integrates Google's online services -- Gmail in particular -- along with a sense of openness and hardware choice. Apple's iPhone has a best-in-class user interface, a stylish build quality, the largest available mobile app catalog and tight media integration through iTunes.

There is no doubt these two phones are top-of-the-line. So smartphone buyers will, no doubt, be asking: How does the Aria stack up against the iPhone?HTC decided on a minimalist design. The Aria sports a black and chrome look, with a slytlish dark face. It's also small -- nearly 10 percent shorter and 20 percent lighter than the iPhone -- for a very pocketable and very good feel in even the smallest of hands.

But the trade-off is a smaller touch screen. And the Aria's 3.2-inch display is nearly a half-inch smaller than the iPhone's.Below the display, four capacitive-touch buttons -- home, menu, back and search -- are etched into the glass. They're completely smooth, which means users will have to look at which button they're pressing. An optical joystick below that helps users navigate through the menus.The back of the Aria has a 5.0-megapixel camera, without flash, and a speaker grille. When the back cover is removed, the battery and microSD card are revealed -- both which aren't accessible on the iPhone.

Around the sides of the device, there's a micro-USB port for charging and connecting to a computer, a 3.5mm headphone jack to use headphones and a volume rocker.Overall, the Aria is a well-designed visual package: from the hardware to the software, everything is black with chrome accents and gives a cohesive and professional feel, rivaling the industry-leading iPhone.It's also very light and won't put a strain on your hand if you talk for hours.

While the Aria is not a top-end smartphone, it can hold its own against its more expensive devices.Out of the box, the HTC Aria comes with a standard battery, USB wall charger, headphones and the customary user guides and manuals. and an envelope to recycle your old phone -- all encased in an eco-friendly package.