The Best from Mobile World Congress 2015

Mobile World Congress took place a couple of months ago, debuting the newest devices from some of the biggest mobile phone manufacturers in the world. This year's conference was a little underwhelming compared to previous years, though there were some major announcements from big companies, specifically HTC and Samsung. Other companies, like Blackberry, Microsoft and Huawei also unveiled new smartphones though they paled in comparison to things like the One M9 and the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. So let's check them out.

HTC One M9

When you first lay eyes upon the HTC One M9 you'll probably think to yourself, "Man, that sure does look a lot like the previous model." And that's what a lot of people think at first. However, HTC realizes that the current style of the phone is working and that a full-blown aesthetic revamp wasn't necessary. That doesn't mean, however, that nothing's changed because, actually, a lot of things have changed.

First off the new version is slightly narrower, shorter and fatter and also comes with wider left and right edges. A dual anodization process allows for different finishes and color, making it look really nice. A Snapdragon 810 is included along with 3GB of RAM, which helps keep things running smoothly. A metal lip runs around the edge of the phone, which some users found irritating despite the fact that it's purpose is for you to have a better grip.

The volume button has been split into two buttons and the power button has been moved to sit right under the volume buttons on the phone's right edge. A pop-out microSD slot is located above these buttons. One of the BoomSound speaker grilles on the front of the device has been reduced in size to make room for a slightly larger front-facing UltraPixel camera but other than that there's not really a lot that needed fixed from the M8.

Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

The last time Samsung was at Mobile World Congress it debuted the Galaxy S5 with that bandage-style back that you either loved or hated. This year the company brought with it the S6 and S6 Edge, smartphones that show you that the company has decided to slim down and push a few buttons.

These two devices are basically exactly the same in every way that matters. Both phones support bodies made of aluminum that is stuck between two layers of Gorilla Glass 4 and come with a 5.1" Quad HD Super AMOLED screens. Both come with Samsung's latest octacore chipset that are paried with a quad-2.1GHz processor with a quad-1.5GHz one and 3GB of RAM. LTE cat. 6 is supported by both phones and both are currently available.

Both phones look amazing but the Edge is the one that's going to draw most of the aesthetic attention. It is easily the best-looking, best-feeling smartphone Samsung has ever made. The screen gently curves away from you on both sides of the phone, leaving just enough room for the power and volume buttons. None of the wraparound apps created with the Note Edge SDK will work on the S6 Edge though you can swipe through notifications and news but there isn't much more to it than that.

Both devices run very smooth and feel nice in your hand. There are also a lot of new features that come with these phones, like the ability to multitask and run multiple apps at the same time, which is very nice. You can also open the camera app from any screen, even the lock screen, by doubletapping the home button.

Conclusion

Mobile World Congress 2015 wasn't the best conference by far but it did give us a look at some really exciting and new phones, especially the HTC One M9 and the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. When it comes to Android, these two phones and companies will definitely be the leaders of the market in 2015 and Apple has some serious competition.

Content originally published here

Samsung's Galaxy S6 Has The World's Best Smartphone Camera

Well it seems that the accolades for the soon-to-be-released Samsung Galaxy S6 just keep rolling in. We recently published an article where the Samsung Galaxy S6 was awarded the world's best smartphone display and now it has another "World Best" award to add to its repertoire. According to some reports, the Samsung Galaxy S6 has the World's Best Smartphone Camera.

Photo Credit: Lisa Eadicicco

The other real competitor to the Galaxy S6 is, obviously, the iPhone 6 but a lot of reports are saying that the Galaxy S6 has a slightly better camera, albeit with some nuances and small details. Other smartphones, like the new HTC One M9, don't even compare to the S6 or the iPhone 6, which is good  news for Samsung as the HTC One M9 will probably be the only real competitor on the Android front to the S6.

When it comes to smartphone cameras most people only tend to focus on the megapixels, which refer to the size of the image. However, the megapixels are only a part of the equation that makes up a good smartphone camera. Smartphone cameras typically don't need more than an 8 MP camera. What's more important is how well the cameras take images in different situations, like low light, how well they reproduce color and how much detail they can capture.

Recent photo images show that the Galaxy S6 camera allows you to see a lot more detail and the color reproduction is also a lot better than the iPhone 6. When you take pictures in low light the differences are a little less visible. But even though the two phones are similar in the low light category the S6 does have one other advantage.

If you double tap the home button on the S6 you can automatically launch your camera app. In addition to that, the camera sensor is always on too. This allows you to start shooting right away without having to wait a few seconds for the image to appear on screen. The iPhone 6 camera has to boot up for a second before you can start taking pictures, which could be annoying if you need to capture a picture on the fly.

The Samsung Galaxy S Series is the undoubted leader of the Android smartphone market and is the only (in my opinion) real Android competitor to the iPhone from Apple. With each new version of the Galaxy S Series the smartphones keep getting better and better and the Galaxy S6 is pulling out all the stops in its attempt to be the number one smartphone in the world. Content originally published here

Second Chief Designer Leaves HTC in Under a Year

Just 11 months after HTC's longtime Chief of Design, Scott Croyle, was revealed to be leaving the company, one of his former allies who stepped in to fill the void has also departed. HTC has confirmed that Jonah Becker has left the company, having previously served as its head of product design. Becker and Croyle joined HTC six years ago, when their design studio One & Co was acquired by the Taiwanese company.

When the new HTC One M9 came out, the company caught a lot of heat because the design was way too close to some of the other phones that they have put out. Was this the reason that Industrial Design Lead Jonah Becker decided to leave the company? Or maybe the lazy design of the phone was a product of him just not caring that much and trying to finish the product so that he could leave on a good note? It's hard to tell what the real reason is, but it seems that he has followed Croyle out the door now that the project is done

After Croyle left the company last year, Claude Zellweger and Becker took over the industrial design team. Zellweger spent most of his time on products like the HTC Grip fitness band and Vive VR headset and Becker focused his energy on smartphones. Now that Becker is gone, Daniel Hundt is going to be taking his position. Hundt has been a part of the HTC design team for quite some time now, so things should still move fairly smooth.

According to The Verge, this is what HTC had to say on the matter:

"We can confirm that Jonah Becker has left HTC; he had been with the Company since HTC acquired One & Co over six years ago. We would like to thank Jonah for his work with HTC, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. He has been succeeded by Daniel Hundt, based in our San Francisco design office."

Within just a month of the HTC One M9, HTC has went through a ton of huge changes. They changed CEOs, and now they are putting a new person in charge of designing smartphones. There has been a lot of concern about this, with everyone wondering if the company will be able to operate the way they always have and continue with the same amount of success. But, with these new huge changes, it does give HTC a chance at a fresh start. They could take this opportunity to be inspired by the new faces and make some really incredible things happen, just like they always have and maybe even more so.

Sourced here

Will Windows Phones Be Successful in 2012?

Recently, there has been a lot of talk concerning the lack of success of Windows phones; however, according to Greg Sullivan, senior product manager for Windows Phone 7, things are not over for Windows phones. Sullivan said that 2012 should prove to be a great year for the phone line.

At CES the HTC Titan II and the Nokia Lumia 900 were debuted featuring Microsoft’s platform. It seems that Sullivan feels that these are just two of the many great Windows phones that will help get Microsoft’s numbers back on track.

"We're seeing great hardware from all our partners. AT&T is clearly very excited and is putting a lot behind the platform. It's not just a piece of software that got thrown over the transom to succeed or fail," Sullivan said.

Although Windows Phone seems to be having some success with AT&T, that does not mean that the other major U.S. carriers are just as excited about it. Earlier at CES, executives at Sprint were expressing their concerns about the sales numbers for Windows phones.

"We have a Windows device in our lineup, but honestly, it hasn't done well enough for us to jump back into the fire. We told Microsoft: You guys have to go build the enthusiasm for the product. We'll train our reps on why it's great...[but] the number-one reason the product was returned was the user experience," said VP of Sprint’s product realization David Owen.

Lois Fagan, director of product development for Sprint, also commented, "We want to participate in the market, but we can't build that brand by ourself. We're cautiously optimistic, but [Windows Phone] just hasn't taken off."

Sullivan responded to these remarks saying, “That's something that our Sprint team and the folks back in Redmond can work on. We're working closely with carriers to help show how Windows Phone can meet their needs across an array of slots."

Sullivan also made sure to back the statements that Nokia CEO Stephen Elop had made concerning the false rumors about Microsoft buying Nokia’s smartphone business.

"It would make it more difficult for us to have as thriving a third-party hardware ecosystem if we were directly competing with them," he said. "I think that's a challenge Google is going to face with the Motorola mobile acquisition."

Sullivan believes that there is plenty of time for Microsoft to catch up with other phone operating systems.

"This is like the PC market in the early to mid-80s. If you were going to declare a victor then, what would it have been? CP/M? Apple II? I think declaring the smartphone space locked up and done is like declaring CP/M the victor in the early '80s."

Short-throw projectors only require half the projection distance of traditional projectors. The projector can be placed just a foot or so from the screen. This is nice because it keeps the projector and screen near each other instead of having a long throw projector that people can accidentally block.

China Ships More Smartphones Than the U.S. in the Third Quarter

According to a report from Strategy Analytics in terms of the shipment of units in the third quarter, China has surpassed the United States and become the largest smartphone market in the world. Strategy Analytics reported on Wednesday, November 23 that almost 24 million smartphones were shipped to China during the third quarter. During the same time period, the United States came in a close second with just over 23 million units.

"Smartphone shipments grew 58 percent sequentially to reach a record 23.9 million units in China during Q3 2011," Strategy Analytics Analyst Linda Sui said in a statement. "In contrast, smartphone shipments fell 7 percent sequentially to reach 23.3 million units in the United States. China has overtaken the United States for the first time to become the world's largest smartphone market by volume."

Nokia became the market leader in China during the third quarter, shipping more than 6.8 million smartphones to the country or 28.5 percent of all units that were shipped. Samsung came in second with a 17.6 percent market share and shipping more than 4.2 million smartphones. According to Strategy Analytics, all other vendors made up the other 12.9 million devices unaccounted for which is 54 percent of the smartphone market in China.

"China is now at the forefront of the worldwide mobile computing boom," said Strategy Analytics Executive Director Neil Mawston. "China has become a large and growing smartphone market that no hardware vendor, component maker or content developer can afford to ignore."

"In the coming one or two quarters, it's going to be a seesaw game," Strategy Analytics director Thomas Kang said. "But going into next year, China will outstrip the U.S. market continuously. China is going to be larger every quarter."

In the United States it was HTC that came out on top, shipping the most smartphones in the third quarter. The company shipped more than 5.6 million units throughout the United States, 24 percent of the smartphone market. Apple came in second shipping more than 4.8 million iPhones, 20.6 percent of the market. All other smartphone manufacturers shipped a combined 12.9 million units, taking 55.4 percent of the smartphone market.

"China's rapid growth has been driven by an increasing availability of smartphones in retail channels, aggressive subsidizing by operators of high-end models like the Apple iPhone, and an emerging wave of low-cost Android models from local Chinese brands such as ZTE," said Kang.

Although China did take the spot as largest smartphone market in the world in terms of units shipped, Strategy Analytics did note that the United States remained the largest smartphone market in the world in terms of revenue.

Source: PCMag - China Passes U.S. as Top Smartphone Market by Volume and PCWorld - China Overtakes U.S. in Smartphone Shipments, Says Research Firm

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Android Ice Cream Sandwich to Add Native Stylus Support

Android OS 4.0, adorably nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich, has just let loose information on another new feature that will be gracing your Android devices when this highly anticipated operating system update hits handhelds in the future. The newest feature to be revealed is native support for smartphones and tablets with a digital stylus, a feature confirmed by Google.

This new feature will include pressure recognition, hover tracking and nib-tilt with a differentiation between pen and finger use. In addition to that, a specific stylus API, which was discovered by Reddit, will be able to differentiate between stylus, finger, mouse and eraser and will even support pens with up to three buttons. Before this, devices like the HTC Flyer and Samsung Galaxy Note required custom pen-control systems to be created in order to handle their digital styli.

Google is expecting big things from this feature including its capability to be used to improve Android phones and tablets in drawing and sketching applications. Google also hopes that it will help in boosting precision for gestures as well. Handwriting and shape recognition are also a few possibilities, even though Android currently lacks a native handwriting recognition engine.

In addition to all of this, Google has added a basic painting app, known as TouchPaint, to its API demo code. This allows developers to become capable with the different elements of the new functionality. However, it is still unknown what HTC and Samsung will do in regards to their own custom APIs. Samsung released the Galaxy Note source code on October 20 as a part of its strategy to get third-party developers to produce apps for the S Pen stylus. The HTCdev team has also stated that it too was prioritizing the Flyer, as well as the Jetstream, pen API in its developer outreach.

Source: SlashGear - Ice Cream Sandwich adds native stylus support to Android

Power Point Projectors
Most business class projectors will do a good job displaying your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a small presentation group, a 2000 lumen LCD projector will be able to produce a nice and clear picture. For larger audiences you should consider a 5000 lumen LCD projector.

The "Facebook Phone" is Hitting Stores Soon

Are you one of those people that are simply addicted to Facebook? If you are, soon you will be able to satisfy your addiction with a phone that won’t drain your pockets. The HTC Status, also known as the Facebook phone, will be available at Best Buy stores and online starting July 17 for $49.99 with a two year contract.

Pre-orders for the HTC Status are already being accepted.

The HTC Status, which is also known as the ChaCha overseas, is a small Android-based smartphone. It features a dedicated Facebook logo button at the very bottom of the keypad that allows users to instantly update their Facebook wall with status, photos and URLs.

The phone also has a 5-megapixel front-facing and rear-facing camera. This can be utilized by users for Facebook’s new Skype-enabled video chatting. You will need a Wi-Fi connection to use the video chatting, but I wouldn’t think that this should be too much of an issue for most people.

The integration of aspects of Facebook can be found throughout the entirety of the phone. When a friend calls you, you will automatically see their most recent status update, all Facebook chat and e-mail messages will be pushed together with your regular text messages and emails, and the interface itself features a Facebook chat widget that allows users to see who is online at the time.

AT&T claims that the HTC Status is the first of the HTC devices carried in the U.S. to come standard with an enhanced version of HTC Sense UI. Sasha Segan, a mobile analyst at PCMag, says the enhanced version is among one of the more “thoughtful of the manufacturer Android software extensions.”

The Status will come in four different colors: black, silver, pink and blue. Best Buy will also be offering an exclusive mauve version of the device.

Although this is the first Facebook phone to be released in the U.S., there have been plenty of such phones offered overseas. Why is this, you might ask? I honestly do not know. I do know however that this phone is sure to be a success. A very inexpensive smartphone entirely focused around Facebook…how could that not be a hit with teens and young adults? I’m sure that HTC has got a winner here!

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Verizon's HTC Trophy Windows 7 Phone Available May 26

Hey, everybody! Check out the HTC Trophy, Verizon's first Windows Phone set to be available starting May 26th online! However, if buying things online isn't your thing, you can always wait until June 2nd when Verizon ships the HTC Trophy to actual stores so you can buy one in person. In addition to the early online date, Microsoft is also offering a freebie to Verizon customers. Anybody who purchases a Windows Phone from Verizon before July 15th will be eligible to receive a free Xbox 360 game. Customers will be able to choose from one of three titles: Lode Runner, Kinect Sports or Halo Reach.

You can pick up the HTC Trophy online on May 26th or in stores on June 2nd, like I said above, for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. This is all, of course, if you commit to a new 2-year contract with Verizon. Since this is a smartphone, customers will, in addition to picking their talk and text plan, have to sign up for an unlimited data plan for an additional $30 a month. However, Verizon has just confirmed that they plan on eliminating unlimited data plans in lieu of tiered data plans. When this will officially go into action is still unclear though Verizon has stated that it will begin this summer.

This first Windows Phone from Verizon has experienced a tough start in the market. The HTC Trophy was originally expected to launch in March. However, the device was delayed several times for various reasons. Verizon's leaked spring outlook also originally revealed an April 15th release date. However, we saw that date come and go and saw no HTC Trophy. Many Verizon customers have been frustrated by these delays,, customers who are very interested in buying a Windows 7 device.

One good thing is that this Windows Phone will ship with Microsoft's "NoDo" copy and paste update. "NoDo" is Microsoft's first platform update and also includes improved application start-up and resume times. Verizon recently posted support articles that referenced Microsoft's own fixes for issues known to Windows 7 Phones. The HTC Trophy Windows 7 Phone from Verizon was seen out and about back in February with more photos leaking in March following confirmation that the device included all of Verizon's branding.

Full specs of the HTC Trophy include:

• 1 GHz Snapdragon processor


• WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen


• Surround sound through SRS WOW HD


• 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash


• 720p HD video capture


• 16GB on-board storage


• Wi-Fi connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n


• Global ready


• HTC-hub customization via downloadable applications


• View and Edit Microsoft Office documents

Source: WinRumors - Verizon Windows Phone 7 HTC Trophy officially available May 26

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Asus Releases Source Code for Upcoming Transformer

Well now, it appears that Asus has already released the source code (no relation to the movie) for the up and coming, though yet to be released, Asus Transformer Tablet/Laptop. Asus actually released a new website completely dedicated to the Transformer and now things look to be getting even better. Just in case you didn't know or you were curious, the Asus EEE Pad Transformer is pretty much a top of the line Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet with a lot of very nice specifications attached to it.

Some of these specs include a 10-inch IPS display, the usual Tegra 2 dual-core processor and everything else you would expect to see in a respectable tablet these days. However, where this device is different is in its ability to plug into a keyboard-like device and "transforming" it (see what I did there?) into a full-fledged tablet and laptop, just like the Atrix from Motorola.

The tablet by itself recently popped its head up at Best Buy for $400, keyboard thingy not included. This is a really good price. While it isn't as good as the Xoom, which has 32GB of storage as opposed to the 16GB on the Transformer, it may be something to tease your eyes away from the iPad 2. The sad news is that the Transformer is not even on store shelves yet, well, not for us here in America at least, which makes this release of the source code seem a little premature.

However, a lot of people are praising Asus for doing this and think that other companies should take notice of this early source code release. Overall, this looks like a pretty cool device and definitely looks like it is worth the price you will be paying for it. Plus, who doesn't like things that transform and give you two separate devices for the price of one?

Source: Android Community - Asus Transformer Source Code Released Already, Shows HTC How It's Done

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SquareTrade Research Reveals the Most Reliable Smartphone

There are tons of smartphones available from a multitude of service providers these days: the Droid from Verizon, the iPhone from AT&T, the HTC EVO from Sprint, etc., but which phone is the most reliable? Well, according to SquareTrade Research, a company that analyzes more than 50,000 different phones, Apple’s iPhone is the most reliable smartphone available to date.

The study that SquareTrade Research conducted analyzed four different phones from four different smartphone manufacturers: Apple, RIM, HTC, and Motorola. The last time that the company had conducted research concerning the reliability of a smartphone was back in 2008 when they analyzed phones such as the iPhone 3G, BlackBerry, and Palm Treo.

For their recent study SquareTrade Research utilized four months of data from the iPhone 4, one year of data from BlackBerry, and eight months of data for both the HTC and Motorola smartphones. The study utilized the Droid, the Droid X, and the Cliq to evaluate Motorola. To look at HTC’s smartphones, SquareTrade Research used the Nexus One, the EVO, the Droid Incredible, the Aria, and the Hero. For Blackberry observations, they used the Curve, the Bold, the Storm, the Torch, and the Pearl.

The study, which was conducted in November of 2010, found that the iPhone 4 was the most reliable phone, but it also found that the Android-based Motorola and HTC smartphones were actually pretty comparable to the iPhone when it came to dependability. Within the first 12 months of the iPhone’s existence, 2.1 percent of the phones were “projected to have non-accident malfunction.” In comparison, the Motorola smartphone had a malfunction rate of 2.3 percent, and the HTC smartphone had a rate of 3.7 percent. The study clearly showed that the RIM’s BlackBerry devices were much less dependable compared to these other smartphone options. It showed that in the first 12 months, the phones had a 6.3 percent malfunction rate.

The study did clarify that 75 percent of smartphone malfunctions were a result of “accidental damage.” In this area, BlackBerry did better than the other phones. These “accidental damages” only occurred in 6.7 percent of BlackBerrys. The iPhone 4, which did so well when it came to dependability, had the highest rate of “accidental damage,” coming in at 9.4 percent, which is nearly 1 in 10 of the iPhones researched.

The study stated, “There is a good deal of variance in the failure rates of different smartphones. The iPhone 4 is the most reliable phone in the study, but also has the highest risk of accidental damage. BlackBerrys had the least risk of accidental damage and may be the best choice for the clumsiest consumers but had a relatively high malfunction rate.”

It can be extremely difficult to decide on the smartphone that is best for you. If you just go into your service provider's store, you will most likely be overwhelmed and not know which direction you should go, but if you do a little research and consider some of the things that were discussed here, you will be able to march into your service provider’s store and make an educated decision. Don’t let buying a new phone stress you out. There are plenty of options out there that will fit any of your smartphone needs.

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Completely Green Phone from Sprint

Sprint is now introducing the newest edition to there environmentally friendly line of phones. The LG Remarq is an adorable, compact, eco-friendly, sliding messaging phone that is complete with a QWERTY keyboard.

So some of the basic specs on the Remarq include the fact that it has excellent call quality and features access to social networking apps. You can easily update your Facebook or Twitter status with the phone. It does only have 22 MB of internal memory, but it has a microSD slot, so if your looking to improve its memory you can just pick yourself up an inexpensive micoSD card to beef everything up.

Another one of the drawbacks to the Remarq is its poor photo quality. Its 1.3 MP camera just doesn’t seem to get the job done. The camera is even awkwardly located which makes picture taking somewhat inconvenient.

Although the LG Remarq does not posses all the high-tech features in many of the phones today, its still a nice, easy to use, affordable messaging phone. Also, the Remarq is made from almost 100% recycled or recyclable materials. Even the packaging is recyclable, and all images and text on the box and instruction manuals are made from 100% soy ink. It received the Green Tech Approved award.

The Remarq is a perfect phone for kids or teens buying there first cell phone. It is now available through Sprint for free after a $50 mail-in-rebate. This really is a great value.

If you're looking for a touch phone from Sprint with a ton more features, read all about the HTC EVO 4G.

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The New HTC EVO 4G from Sprint

If you are looking for the best possible phone for Internet surfing look no further than Sprint’s new HTC EVO 4G. It is the nations very first WiMAX phone, and it features more Internet than any other phone in the United States including the HTC Droid Incredible and the iPhone 3GS.

There have been WiMAX handhelds in the U.S. before but they weren’t fully functional and capable 3G phones. The EVO comes standard as a fully operative 3G smartphone with the option of boosting it to a 4G experience. Even in 3G form though, the EVO is an incredible phone for Web users.

The EVO has a very simple design. It features a 4.3-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolution. Unfortunately, the screen is incredibly reflective making it very difficult to see anything outdoors, but it looks fantastic inside. The phone is completely reliant on its touch screen and therefore has no physical keyboard. Although it has decent touch response, it is not even close to being as simple or accurate as the iPhone’s touch screen keyboard. One feature that can be quite useful on the EVO is the kickstand that can be found on the back of the device. This can be utilized when viewing videos and such.

Although there is the 4G option with the EVO, calls cannot be made over the 4G network as of now. Unfortunately, Sprint is not exactly known for their outstanding 3G network. The call quality with the EVO is certainly not the best. The calls are loud but not exactly clear. They are more rough and harsh sounding.

The phone runs Google Android 2.1 OS with HTC’s Sense UI extensions. There are car mode options, FM radio, two different GPS options, a Twitter client, a social-networking client called Friend Streaming, Microsoft Office and PDF document readers, and Sprint’s streaming TV.

So many may ask what the difference is between using the device in 3G mode or 4G. As merely a 3G smartphone the EVO is still quite impressive, but when utilizing 4G with the EVO, there is more Internet access available with a faster response time. Almost everything that you will be streaming to the phone will not have to take any buffering time. With 4G coverage, web pages stream anywhere from 40 to 250 percent faster than when using 3G.

The problem with Sprint’s 4G network is that only a few dozen cities are covered under the network. Also when using the 4G network, battery life is not even close to being as good as when in 3G mode. The advantage is that you can easily switch back and forth between 3G and 4G. It seems best to utilize 3G most of the time and only using 4G when you need an extra boost.

As mentioned before, the EVO does wonderfully when handling the Internet. You can flip through different web pages quite quickly, zoom in on pages with a mere pinch, and select different browsers from the Android market. The phone comes standard with an 8 GB memory card which is all the memory you could possibly need.

The HTC EVO features two different cameras. On the front of the smartphone there is a basic 1.3-megapixel camera, and at the rear of the phone is an 8-megapixel camera with 720p hi-def video recording. Although they may not take the best pictures, they are much better than most camera phones.

Overall, the HTC EVO 4G is the best available phone from Sprint. It is in the same category as the HTC Incredible, Google Nexus One, and the iPhone 3GS. Although it has its issues with call quality, the phone is still the best Internet browsing phone available to date. If you like to utilize Internet on your phone, the EVO is the phone for you. It will be released by Sprint on June 4 for $199.99.

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Voice Navigation with Bing Maps

Microsoft has recently announced that they have just added voice navigation to their Bing maps for Windows Mobile 6.x phones. This feature allows for turn-by-turn, voice-enables directions.

The company stated that Bing directions will have a new Navigate button that will calculate routes for users and guide the user through the entirety of the drive. It will also offer users the option of picking the fastest or shortest route, while still taking into consideration traffic issues and toll roads. It will also allow users to see arrows on their phone while also being verbally alerted when an turn is coming up.

There are a whole range of devices that the new voice navigated Bing maps will work on. Some of these include the HTC HD2 and the Motorola Q9c. Any Windows phone on Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T can utilize the navigation.

They have also redesigned the home page to give people easier, quicker access to searches like traffic and movies.

These updates for Windows phones are a welcome change and boost these phones closer to the more feature-filled cell phones. I think it’s a great improvement from Microsoft.

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Verizon's HTC Incredible May Be Closer Than You Think

Confirmation has set in. A word from sources at Verizon Wireless announced that the highly anticipated HTC Incredible is supposed to begin arriving at Verizon stores in two weeks. This isn't that surprising considering the fact that Verizon recently announced that it was beginning a test deployment of Android 2.1 to the Motorola Droid smartphones. Android 2.1 is the OS that is speculated to power the Incredible.

Android 2.1 has a lot of cool features. It adds pinch-to-zoom in the browser, better voice-to-text support, animated wallpapers and tweaks to Google Maps. The Droid is already operating under the Android 2.0 OS but received a slight bump up to the Android 2.0.1 OS through an over-the-air update. But most people are focused on the HTC Incredible, which may turn out to be the slickest Android handset on the market.

According to most reports on the device, the Incredible will boast a 1GHz Qualcomm QSD 8250 SnapDragon ARM CPU as well as 512MB of DRAM, exactly like the Nexus One. Different from the Nexus One, the Incredible's CPU will be underclocked to 768MHz. Some people may frown on the underclocking but even so it should prove to be more than enough speed to run almost any app as well as providing longer talk time than the Nexus One.

The Incredible comes with an 8-megapixel camera with a noticeably larger lens than that of the Nexus One. The camera does make the Incredible ever so thicker than the Nexus One coming in at 117.5x58.5x11.9mm. Another rumor floating around about the Incredible is the addition of 6GB of flash, a microSD expansion slot and an FM tuber with a standard 1300 mAh battery. What carrying the Incredible could mean for Verizon is that they may hold off on the Nexus One for now. However, Sprint is wasting no time on getting the Nexus One out on the its powerful 3G network.

A lot of people are excited for the HTC Incredible. It looks like major U.S. networks besides AT&T have, for the most part, abandoned the Apple iPhone. Most companies are now hotly pursuing the deployment of new Android handsets. The next iPhone is supposed to come out this summer and could see a substantial challenge from the Nexus One an Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile as well as the HTC Incredible on Verizon.

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Verizon's HTC Droid Eris

So as much hype as there has been about the new Verizon Wireless Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris, sales have started out relatively slow. Friday was when the phones officially went on sale across the country. There were very short lines or no lines at all outside Verizon stores on Friday morning. Reports claimed that if there were any lines outside one of the many stores, they really only consisted of about 15-20 people.

A Verizon spokesmen said that the lack of lines outside the stores was not a concern at all. He said that what Verizon really wants is not a line but a steady stream of people coming throughout the day and the following few weeks to examine the new phones.

Some people claimed that they liked the look and the feel of the HTC Droid Eris better than the Motorola Droid. Compared to the Motorola Droid, the Eris is basically just a slimmed-down, lighter, less powerful Droid phone. It is based off the HTC Hero that Sprint has, but it has been reworked.

The Eris measures 4.45 x 2.19 x .51 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.23 ounces. The front of the phone features a 3.2 inch touch screen. Below the screen is a navigation trackball and several physical buttons. The Eris does not feature an actual physical keyboard but instead has two virtual keyboards.

Although the Eris and the Motorola Droid share a name and 12,000 Android applications, they are very different phones. The Motorola Droid runs Android 2.0, while the Eris runs Android 1.5 with HTC’s Sense extensions. The differences that these bring up include various things. With the Eris’s Web browsers you use mutitouch pinch-to-zoom, while with the Motorola Droid you double tap to zoom. The Droid Eris has seven home screen panels and some very useful widgets, and the Motorola Droid has only three panels and a lot less interesting widgets. The virtual keyboard is much more accurate and easy to use than the keyboard on the Motorola Droid. You can keep going and going on all the various differences between the two phones, but none of them are really huge. Most of them involve personal preferences.

The Eris handles messaging well. It supports Microsoft Exchange, Google, and POP3/IMAP e-mail. Unfortunately for some, it does not support Yahoo mail. There is an SMS/MMS application for text and picture messaging, but regarding instant messaging there is nothing included but Google Talk. Fortunately, you are able to download a free IM application from the Android Market.

The music player on the Eris is quite decent. It supports tracks in WMA, AAC, and MP3formats. The video player on the phone though definitely has some issues. The playback of most videos is fuzzy and disappointing. The 5-megapixel camera is also very frustrating with the soft images that it captures. If you looking for a good video recorder and camera, the Motorola Droid is definitely the better phone for you.

So to pick between the Motorola Droid and the Droid Eris, you really just need to consider what it is that you want in a phone. Your decision should be purely based on preferences. They are both great phones from Verizon and are both going to serve you well. I hope you are able to figure out which phone suits you best and then go on to thoroughly enjoy your new Droid smartphone.

The HTC Snap

The HTC Snap is one of the new phones in Microsoft’s line of business-oriented, low-cost, Windows Mobile smartphones, and although it has a quick and easy performance, it doesn’t really do much to stand out among the multitudes of new smartphones that have been released this year.

For starters, the Snap’s design is not too much to talk about. It’s made out a slab of black plastic that has a somewhat cheap feel, and measures 4.5 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches (HWD). It features a 2.4-inch LCD screen with the usual 320 x 240 resolution and an LED backlight. The QWERTY keyboard isn’t too bad with its curved four rows of raised keys, although they do make a very distinct click when pressed.

Concerning calls and reception, the Snap does pretty well. The quality of calls is good with the well-balanced pitch in the earpiece and wind rejection for the mic. The Snap has great reception with an EV-DO signal, and the speakerphone also does great and has plenty of volume.

When it comes to e-mail on the Snap, the phone can utilize Microsoft’s Direct Push E-mail and syncs with Microsoft Outlook and Exchange Server. A cool feature that can be considered very helpful with searching through e-mails would be HTC’s Inner Circle feature. This allows the user to select a contact from their address book and consolidate all the e-mails from that contact all into one spot. The Snap cannot create Microsoft Word and Excel documents but it can view and edit them, and it cannot edit Powerpoint presentations but can display them.

Internet Explorer Mobile 6 is what the Snap uses for its web browsing. It includes zoom support and a mouse cursors. If users of the Snap purchase Sprint’s Simply Everything plan they are able to access TeleNav-powered Sprint Navigation, live Sprint TV, and Sprint’s NASCAR and NFL Mobile Live portal.

The camera on the Snap is certainly not anything to really talk about. It’s not awful, but it’s definitely not special. It features a common 2-megapixel sensor, which means that most of the pictures you take will be too soft and not have enough contrast. The smartphone has no flash and no autofocus to assist with the blurriness or contrast, so pictures are really just about average.

Sprint is offering the HTC Snap for $149.99 (with a two-year service contract and mail-in rebates.) This phone isn’t bad, but it’s most certainly not a fantastic option when you consider all the other smartphones available for about the same price. If your looking for a great, reliable smartphone that caters to all your business needs, I personally would say that you should look in a different direction.

The HTC Touch Pro2

The most business oriented phone has just been discovered. The HTC Touch Pro2 is all about meeting any of your business needs and helping you communicate in every way possible. Whether you want to have a quick chat, send an important e-mail, or make a conference call, the Touch Pro2 is ready to cater to any of your needs.

The Touch Pro2 is equipped with a 3.6-inch, touch-sensitive, adjustable tilt screen with WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution. This comes in handy when you need to surf the web, check e-mail, sort through contacts, or send a quick text. Incase you have a longer task such as an email to send, the Touch Pro2 also features a sliding 5-row QWERTY keyword.

The speakerphone advancements on the HTC Touch Pro2 are phenomenal. When in a conference call, nothing can be more frustrating then not being able to hear what everyone else is saying. The Touch Pro2 has provided a solution to this problem by developing crystal clear sound quality and voice reception. It features loudspeakers and a noise-cancelling microphone that make hearing everything in a conference call a breeze.

The Touch Pro2 has many other attention-grabbing features such as its TouchFLO 3D finger swipe navigation and a touch-sensitive zoom bar. It also has Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional capabilities and Pocket Office which includes: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and PDF viewer.

The HTC Touch Pro2 includes all of the other basic features of any phone in its class, but the outstanding touch screen and sound quality developments of the Touch Pro2 make it stand out among all the rest. Although not yet released in the United States, I believe that this phone will accommodate all the needs of any businessperson and will most definitely exceed their expectations.