Dynamics Hong Kong Limited

Acer Liquid

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:32:10 +0000

The Android meter is ticking. Acer want a piece of the pie. We all add two and two together. Yesterday, Acer didn’t know the first thing about phones (if you can say that for a household name in notebooks), today they’re betting on two horses in the mobile OS race. After their neoTouch running on Windows Mobile 6.5, Acer decided to dip their toe into another kind of water - the free and open source world of Android. This time attention goes to the Liquid - the company’s second Snapdragon powered device.

We have to admit we weren’t as impressed as we wished by the neoTouch and its almost naked Windows Mobile OS. It was less the price and more the really strong competition that drew our attention away from it.

Acer Liquid official photos

We’re certain it’s not how Acer planned it to be and their answer was immediate - the sexy Liquid powered by Android 1.6. Just like the neoTouch, a Snapdragon core is ticking inside the Liquid and does all it can to run the OS flawlessly despite the slightly lower clock rates.

Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
Android OS v1.6 with Acer UI 3.0
3.5″ capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 768 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM
5 megapixel autofocus camera with video recording
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver
Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn-to-mute
Digital compass
Standard miniUSB port for charging and data
Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
microSD card slot with support for up to 16GB cards (2GB one included)
Standard 3.5mm audio jack
Direct access to the official Android Market
Main disadvantages
Camera lacks flash or lens cover, has outdated features
No smart dialing, no voice dialing, no video calling
No web Flash support
Acer UI 3.0 offers only minor changes to the original interface
Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability
No DivX or XviD video support or a third-party application to play that
Poor MP4 playback performance - any videos over QVGA res are barely watchable
No proper file manager out of the box
No TV-out port
No FM radio
Both lists give us a sense of deja-vu. It was a similar case with the neoTouch, but this time the situation is a bit different. Some of the Liquid’s weaknesses are inherent to the Android OS (especially its first iteration, the Donut). It’s not that they won’t count against, but it’s at least fair to note most of those are not Acer’s fault.

Acer Liquid live photos

Anyway, the Liquid will be measured against the likes of HTC Magic, HTC Hero, Samsung Galaxy and Samsung Galaxy Spica and it sure has a few things to offer that they won’t. WVGA resolution and sky-high processing speeds are enough of an edge against competitors. The excellent capacitive screen and all-round connectivity are perhaps no news for the Android species.

So, Acer are newcomers but they’re keen to bring value. Let’s see how their Android fits in that plan.

Black Berry Bold 9700

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:11:45 +0000

Some handsets will work their socks off to have their fifteen minutes of fame, others are simply born into stardom. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is certainly fortunate to carry a name that stands for popularity and excellence in the RIM family of phones. But this kind of fame can be less a blessing and more of a curse if the successor fails to live up to the standards set by its illustrious namesake.
These high expectations have quite often turned otherwise decent handsets into a byword for failure. It’s simply not enough to provide incremental improvements when upgrading an iconic handset. The iPhone somehow gets away with that, but Apple usually does. But for regular mobile phone manufacturers it takes something new and it certainly takes something better for the successor to achieve the same kind of success.
Key features:
• 2.44″ 65K-color TFT landscape display with a resolution of 480 x 360 pixels
• Comfortable four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS and BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 3.15 autofocus megapixel camera, LED flash
• 624 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v5
• Responsive trackpad navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• DivX and XviD video support
• Good web browser
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Decent audio quality
• Smart dialing
• Great battery life
• More compact body and lighter weight compared to the Bold 9000
• Good build quality
Main disadvantages:
• Many features are locked without a BlackBerry Internet Service account (plan)
• Mediocre camera performance and features
• No FM radio
• No video-call camera
• No TV-out functionality
• No built-in accelerometer
• No built-in compass
It’s pretty obvious where the RIM R&D team is heading with the BlackBerry Bold 9700. It’s hard to really overhaul a handset that was considered almost perfect by most of its users without testing their loyalty, so they embarked on optimization instead. It’s not a bad formula for success to just keep the same functionality, stick it in a smaller, fitter body and improve the performance wherever possible.
One glitch or an important feature sacrificed to fit the compact package and the plan goes down the tubes. The smartphone market is increasingly competitive and smaller companies like RIM know they have little room for error. The new Bold 9700 looks fit and hot, no doubt about that. Let’s see if it performs to our expectations, and yours.

Black Berry Storm II

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:05:19 +0000

RIM are a company with style and simply hopping on the touchscreen bandwagon with another iPhone wannabe just wouldn’t suit them. They certainly realized the importance of having a full-touch device in their portfolio but wanted a clear and legible BlackBerry imprint on it.
The BlackBerry Storm 9500 was a truly intriguing device but never really managed to find its place in the new market it was built for. Too bold and unusual for the BlackBerry-loyals and yet too conservative for the rest of the world, it didn’t quite get the results it was hoping for. But the successor might use the publicity the first Storm generated for its own good.
Key features
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 2100 MHz 3G with HSPA support
• 3.25″ 65K-color capacitive touchscreen of 360 x 480 pixel resolution
• Improved touchscreen experience with piezo-electric touch feedback system
• 3.15 MP autofocus camera, LED flash
• BlackBerry OS 5
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS with BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 2 GB internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD card slot
• Landscape on-screen keyboard is as close to hardware keys as we have seen on a touch phone
• Nice looks and great build quality
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotate
• Bluetooth v2.1 and USB v2.0
• Document editor
• Good audio quality
Main disadvantages:
• No email support without BlackBerry Internet Service account
• Interface not as quick as competitors’
• Chubbier than most touchscreen phones with similarly-sized displays
• Mediocre camera
• No FM radio
• No web browser Flash support
• No dedicated video-call camera
The good news is RIM decided to honor the Storm2 with a few upgrades over the original. However, none of them seems to be absolutely crucial so the greatest responsibility falls on the brand new piezo-electric touchscreen. The missing link between touchscreen and a hardware keypad is what many keen texters must have been waiting for. Or at least that’s what RIM believe.
Now, the SurePress screen didn’t work out particularly well on the first Storm and a second failure might herald the demise of the entire series. So the BlackBerry Storm2 knows it needs to impress the audience or it might take a spot in history for all the wrong reasons.
But first thing first, let’s check out what you get when you buy a shiny new Storm2. Unboxing follows after the break.

Nexus One

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:57:21 +0000

Nexus One firmware update fixes the 3G issues, brings pinch zoom
Gentlemen, start your updates - your Nexus One should be prompting you to download the new software update as we speak. It fixes the 3G connectivity issues and brings pinch-zoom to several applications, plus a few more changes.
The update started rolling out yesterday and is being released gradually to users, but all Nexus One phones should receive it by the end of the week. Just check your notification bar and when it appears, download it and wait for it to install. It’s an over-the-air update, so you don’t even need a computer.
The Nexus One firmware update brings a fix for the 3G woes that have been plaguing the Google superphone.
Google also flipped the switch on for pinch-zooming - yep, no more fearing Apple, there’s multi-touch for all Nexus One users. Pinch-zoom is enabled in the Browser, the Gallery and in the Google Maps Navigation app. There’s no word on whether pinch-zoom or other multi-touch functionality will be available in third-party applications.
There are two more updates - Google Goggles is now preinstalled on the phone and also Google Maps got bumped to version 3.4. This new version of Maps for the Nexus One knows a few new tricks - it syncs starred items between the phone and maps.google.com and also uses the your history from the site for better suggestions as you search. Finally, Google Maps has a new night mode, which automatically changes the screen at night.

Sony Ericsson Hazel preview

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:19:45 +0000

Introduction
The Sony Ericsson GreenHeart series have been keeping us busy this holiday season, haven’t they? We called the Elm red hot and there goes the Hazel, which is simply … red. Now, no offense is meant here - the Hazel just doesn’t look as unusual as its sibling. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing - another ultimate and classic Sony Ericsson slider can hope for a warm reception by brand-loyal users.

You won’t see “green” written all over the phones in the GreenHeart lineup but Sony Ericsson are taking eco-friendliness seriously. The Sony Ericsson Hazel is made of recycled plastics and the user manual is stored in the phone’s memory instead printed on paper.

In the small, shipping-optimized retail package you’ll also find a low power consumption charger. But what we know already from our Elm preview is that having a GreenHeart is not necessarily a compromise with functionality.

Sony Ericsson Hazel official photos

The Sony Ericsson Hazel packs a great 2.6″ mineral-glass-covered scratch-resistant display, a promising 5-megapixel sharpshooter and all-you-can-eat connectivity. The Hazel is almost identically equipped as the Elm, which we previewed quite recently.

Sony Ericsson Hazel at a glance:
General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100, GPRS/EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA 2Mbps
Form factor: Slider
Dimensions: 102 x 49.5 x 16 mm, 120 g
Display: 2.6-inch 16M color TFT display, 240 x 320 pixel resolution, covered with scratch-resistant mineral glass
Memory: 319MB integrated memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
UI: Proprietary Flash-based UI
Still camera: 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection, smile detection, VGA video recording @ 30 fps
Connectivity: Wi-Fi with DLNA, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, GPS receiver with A-GPS
Misc: Splash-resistant body, accelerometer sensor for screen auto rotation, SensMe, Noise Shield, Clear Voice and Intelligent Volume Adaptation, social networking integration with homescreen Widget Manager, HD Voice Ready
Battery: 1000 mAh BST-43 Li-Po battery
Besides fast network data (up to 7.2 mbps download speed), the Hazel sports Wi-Fi and an inbuilt GPS receiver complete with A-GPS support and Wisepilot navigation.

The real news would’ve been the homescreen widget system with enhanced social networking integration but both GreenHeart handsets we got are early testing samples, so social networking will have to wait until a full review.

The Sony Ericsson Hazel has the curved shape of the Elm but is the more standard looking phone in the pair

You’re probably keen to know more about the next Sony Ericsson all-in-one feature phone that comes to inherit marvelous performers like the W995 and C905. Jump to the next page for a chance to see the Hazel from some new angles.

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 review:

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:12:12 +0000

New realese

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:57:26 +0000

Introduction
Motorola must have enjoyed the feel of ropes against their back. There’s no other explanation for the MILESTONE. They obviously needed to be pushed against the ropes to remember what made them the world’s largest manufacturer. It’s been a long road for them, with plenty of milestones. But that last one marks the end of a particularly steep downhill stretch.
We haven’t seen an Android phone generate so much hype since… the first one, the T-Mobile G1. The Motorola MILESTONE seems to be the powerhouse that the Android family needed and obviously many customers were looking forward to.
Motorola MILESTONE at a glance:
• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 10.2Mbps; HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
• Form factor: Full QWERTY side-slider
• Dimensions: 115.8 x 60 x 13.7 mm, 165g
• Display: 3.7″ 16M color capacitive TFT LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels)
• OS: Android 2.0
• Memory: 133 MB internal memory, 256 MB RAM, microSD card slot (up to 16GB) , 8GB microSD card included in the retail package
• CPU: ARM Cortex A8 550 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
• Camera: 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash and D1 video recording at 30 fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Motonav navigation software, digital compass, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Multi-touch input and pinch-zooming gestures
• Battery: 1400mAh Li-Ion battery
The first Android 2.0 handset oozes with power. It’s a milestone for Motorola, but perhaps for Android too: we’re certainly looking at the most complete all-round device to ever do the droid walk. Given the huge potential of the platform, it’s no wonder Motorola and the MILESTONE are enjoying this kind of interest.
Yet, there are quite a few new droids waiting around the corner so being the best is one thing but staying the best takes quite a push. There is little evidence to suggest that Motorola will come up with a successor any time soon, so the MILESTONE better open a gap on competitors or it won’t be in the same league as the handsets to come in the first half of next year. The company’s future is more or less hinging on the MILESTONE and it’s as simple a case of make or break as it gets. And the handset’s first weeks of sales bode well.
We are already working on a detailed review of the Motorola MILESTONE, but until it is ready we will give you a short preview to keep you warm through the holidays. It might be useful if you are considering getting one any moment now.
Prepare to meet the Motorola MILESTONE in its full might right after the break.

LG GW300 review: No-frills messaging

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:40:28 +0000

Introduction
The LG GW300 is quite a rare bird: it packs a full QWERTY keyboard and looks like a BlackBerry handset, but has a completely different line of business. Even if it was designed with teens and tweens in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised if their moms fell for it too.
Social networking services are all the rage these days and mobile phone makers have duly noticed that. The LG KS360 was among the first devices of the mobile social networking breed targeted specifically at the younger ones among us.
The LG GW300 walks in its shoes and though it isn’t unique in terms of design, the idea behind it helps it stand out in the crowd. Teenagers enjoy texting and social networks are just a more elaborate and more integrated way of staying in touch with friends. So, LG are continuously exploring a market, which doesn’t exactly brim with competing devices.
The specific form factor of the GW300 makes it look much more promising than it actually is. In fact, it only does what it was meant to do. It gives access to Facebook and has a comfy keyboard for fast typing and that’s pretty much your lot. When it comes to the other goodies you may expect from a modern phone - music, camera, etc - you get a pretty limited feature pack.
Key features:
* Quad-band GSM support
* 2.4″ 256K-color TFT display of 320 x 240 pixel resolution
* Four-row QWERTY keyboard
* 2 megapixel fixed focus camera
* Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
* Standard 3.5mm audio jack
* 15 MB internal memory
* Hot-swappable microSD card slot (supporting up to 16GB)
* Standard microUSB port and Mass Storage mode
* FM radio
* Live Square communication manager
* Facebook integration
* Multi-tasking with a proper task manager
* Smart dialing
* Affordable and easy to use QWERTY messenger
Main disadvantages:
* No 3G or Wi-Fi
* Camera has no auto focus or flash
* Video recording no good at QCIF resolution
* No DivX/Xvid video support
* No office document viewer
* Facebook is the only available social networking app
None of the LG GW300’s drawbacks is a real deal breaker since the price is so low no one could’ve expected anything more.
Things would’ve looked better for the GW300 if it came with 3G support and a better camera (2 megapixel fixed focus is a real blast from the past). Wi-Fi would’ve been an even better cure for the data-thirsty Facebook application, which needs almost constant access to the Internet.
And even the single noteworthy application on the GW300 - the Facebook one - is underdeveloped lacking real push support. You have to manually update the Facebook feed instead of getting news the moment they happen. We guess if Push was enabled, the data traffic generated would have scared the life out of the bill payer. And let’s face it, that’s more than likely going to be a parent of a user rather than the user themselves, so maybe this was a wise decision.
As you can see, you sometimes have to see things from a different angle before drawing any conclusions. And with that in mind, let’s get on with the LG GW300 and see if this is the right phone for you (or for you kid).

Motorola MILESTONE preview: First look

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:36:40 +0000

Introduction
Motorola must have enjoyed the feel of ropes against their back. There’s no other explanation for the MILESTONE. They obviously needed to be pushed against the ropes to remember what made them the world’s largest manufacturer. It’s been a long road for them, with plenty of milestones. But that last one marks the end of a particularly steep downhill stretch.
We haven’t seen an Android phone generate so much hype since… the first one, the T-Mobile G1. The Motorola MILESTONE seems to be the powerhouse that the Android family needed and obviously many customers were looking forward to.
Here’s what we mean.
Motorola MILESTONE at a glance:
* General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 10.2Mbps; HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
* Form factor: Full QWERTY side-slider
* Dimensions: 115.8 x 60 x 13.7 mm, 165g
* Display: 3.7″ 16M color capacitive TFT LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels)
* OS: Android 2.0
* Memory: 133 MB internal memory, 256 MB RAM, microSD card slot (up to 16GB) , 8GB microSD card included in the retail package
* CPU: ARM Cortex A8 550 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
* Camera: 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash and D1 video recording at 30 fps
* Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS,
The first Android 2.0 handset oozes with power. It’s a milestone for Motorola, but perhaps for Android too: we’re certainly looking at the most complete all-round device to ever do the droid walk. Given the huge potential of the platform, it’s no wonder Motorola and the MILESTONE are enjoying this kind of interest.
Yet, there are quite a few new droids waiting around the corner so being the best is one thing but staying the best takes quite a push. There is little evidence to suggest that Motorola will come up with a successor any time soon, so the MILESTONE better open a gap on competitors or it won’t be in the same league as the handsets to come in the first half of next year. The company’s future is more or less hinging on the MILESTONE and it’s as simple a case of make or break as it gets. And the handset’s first weeks of sales bode well.
We are already working on a detailed review of the Motorola MILESTONE, but until it is ready we will give you a short preview to keep you warm through the holidays. It might be useful if you are considering getting one any moment now.
Prepare to meet the Motorola MILESTONE in its full might right after the break.

The first Google phone Nexus One is now available in UK and US

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:09:50 +0000

Well, how about that? All the rumors turned out true to the last bit. At an Android press event Google just presented their new Android uberphone and they have novel way of selling it directly to customers.
You’ve probably heard all there is to know about the Google Nexus One. We doubt any of its specifications will come as a surprise to you. It’s got a Teflon-coated body, a 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, GPS, digital compass, accelerometer, light and proximity sensor, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a multicolored status alerting trackball.
There’s also a second microphone on the back used for active noise cancellation during voice calls.
There is a couple of other things we noticed. First off, as far as we know, the Nexus One is the first GSM mobile phone touting 802.11n Wi-Fi support (or is it a typo?). Also we believe Nexus One has the first AMOLED display used by HTC ever. We’ll see more of those on their upcoming phones.
Google Nexus One runs on Android 2.1 - an update version of Eclair. There are five homescreen panels instead of three and there are new news and weather widgets. Users also get a dynamic wallpaper that reacts to your touch on the screen and a 3D main menu (app launcher). Google have also added speech-to-text input, which works on every text field throughout the UI.
Google have teamed up with Cooliris to put the 3D capabilities of the phone to good use in the image and video gallery. Browsing those looks extra cool and there’s even a way to automatically organize photos in albums by their time, date, or location. It can even be used to browse your Picasa images online.
If you want to see all that new stuff in action, you should definitely check out our Nexus One video roundup.
The final new thing in Android 2.1 is the new API that will give devs access to the Android 3D framework. That will surely bring along many 3D graphics applications and even games - much like on the iPhone. To showcase the new 3D features at the conference, Google demoed the upcoming Google Earth app for Android. It offers fluid graphics as you spin the Earth with your fingertip or fly through the landscape from birds-eye view perspective. Thanks to the new text-to-speech engine, you can even use your voice to search for places.
HTC-made, the Nexus One will be the first Android smartphone (or even the first physical product) sold directly by Google themselves. Still, there HTC branding over it unlike the initial samples that leaked online.
No matter whether you want the Nexus One with or without a contract, there’s no need to go to a store. You just need a Google account and a Google Checkout account to purchase and later activate the phone online.
Nexus One is the first phone to use that business model but there will be more. The ordering process even allows you to order a custom text engraved on the back for free