Reviews Apple iPad 2 review: Love and hate 2.0

Introduction

The Apple iPad 2 is about to hit European shelves, fresh form a diet and exercise regime that’s helped it shed weight and build muscle. Faster, thinner and lighter is an accurate account of what’s been going on in the year that divides the two editions of Apple’s tablet.

Apple iPad 2 official photos

Apple is taking it easy with the upgrades as usual – everything is carefully planned to ensure smooth traffic of new and repeat customers. It’s weirdly inconsistent with the hype about every new release. Anyway, faster-thinner-lighter is a fair deal to offer new users without making the original iPad adopters feel duped.

Apple iPad 2 official photos

It’s a sequel from the creators of a blockbuster. The iPad 2 is in no mood to start a revolution. But evolution should be good enough considering the original iPad is yet to be beaten.

Key features

• 9.7” capacitive IPS touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels; oleophobic coating
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity
• Optional 3G connectivity (data only)
• Optional GPS with A-GPS support
• Apple A5 SoC – 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, PowerVR SGX543MP2 graphics
• 512MB RAM
• iOS 4.3
• 16/32/64GB of onboard storage
• Weight of 601 grams (607 grams for the 3G version)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• 10 hours battery life
• Accelerometer, compass and three-axis gyro-sensor
• Compatible with every iPhone app without any modifications
• The cheapest version costs less than an unlocked iPhone
• 0.7MP auto-focus camera, 720p video recording at 30fps
• VGA secondary camera capable of Facetime calls
• Impressively slim 8.8mm waistline
• Four and five-finger gestures (locked by default, but easy to enable with a Mac and a $5 app)
• 1080p TV-output with the Apple Digital AV Adapter (purchased separately for $39), 720p video streaming
• Magnetic Smart cover ($39 or $69)

Main disadvantages

• iTunes required for uploading content
• No Flash support in the web browser
• Poor still cameras – though, really, this thing isn’t meant for taking candids
• No standard USB port
• No kickstand – it cannot stand on a table without the help of a dock stand or a Smart cover
• Non replaceable battery
• No stereo loudspeakers
• No GPS receiver for the Wi-Fi only version
• No memory card slot
• 3G model uses micro-SIM, instead of a regular size SIM
• iPhone apps designed for HVGA resolution squander screen real estate or look pretty bad uspcaled

The list of disadvantages of any iOS device is the usual long read. Apple’s iOS has limitations that we all have to live with. Apple will never bring Flash support, allow regular file management or make iTunes (or at least the mandatory cable connection) optional. As to the actual iPad 2, if you want real GPS functionality you have no choice but to opt for the 3G-enabled model, which adds $120 to the regular bill.

But if you’re willing to forgive the shortcomings, the iPad 2 brings both a performance upgrade and a redesign. The tablet is powered by the new Apple A5 SoC, with a dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor, PoverVR SGX543MP2 graphics and 512MB RAM.

The Apple iPad 2 comes to address one of the main issues of the original iPad: weight. And while the handling is improved we’re less certain about the aesthetics. True, it’s an impressively thin tablet (slimmer than the iPhone 4) but uses the older generation iPhone design.

Apple iPad 2 live shots

Anyway, the speed boost is all there and we’ve enjoyed some impressive performance in our early tests. The Facetime video-calls and 720p videos are nice add-ons too. Unfortunately, higher screen resolution is too much of an upgrade to ask for in only the second release.

The iPad 2 has its ups and downs but, like it or not, it will sell in millions just like the original. But Apple is probably keeping a wary eye on the Android army readying a massive deployment in the coming months.

That’s still to come though. For the time being, the Apple iPad 2 gets our full attention. Follow us on the next page where we start exploring Apple’s new tablet.

Unboxing the iPad 2

The iPad 2’s retail package brings no surprises. Only a tad wider than the device itself the box holds your brand new iPad 2, a short manual, a very compact charger (think the original iPhone’s) and a USB cable.

Unboxing the iPad 2

If you opted for a Smart Cover the only thing you’ll really miss is a headset. Their thinking must be that this is not a phone but a computer. You don’t get headphones when you buy a MacBook. Or maybe it is more likely for iPad buyers to have an iPhone than not.

Design and construction

Apple kept the aluminum unibody but gave the iPad 2 the tapered edges typical of the older generations of the iPhone.

A metal case is always a premium feature especially with the iPad’s thickness of just 8.8 mm. It’s the slim girth and the reduced weight that make the iPad 2 notably more comfortable to use and handle. However, we do find the original sharper and more attractive with its hard square edges.

The iPad 2

The first iPad looked more like the iPhone 4 while the iPad 2 returns to the curvy shape used in the first three generations of iPhones and the iPod Touch family. The new design and the somewhat different choice of materials make the iPad 2 more comfortable to hold in hand. You will instantly feel the difference to the slippery first-gen iPad.

The curvy-shaped iPad 2 next to its predecessor

This time, the iPad’s back is completely flat so it doesn’t wobble when you place it on its back. It also won’t scratch badly around the Apple logo as the original one did. It’s not to say that the iPad 2 will better cope with the daily wear and tear. It’s just that the design doesn’t make a particular part of the device more vulnerable.

The back of the first-gen iPad after a year of use

The iPad 2 doesn’t have many hardware controls: there’s the Home key on the front, of course, the power/screen lock key on top, plus a volume rocker on the right.

Just above the volume rocker is the screen rotation lock, which doubles as a mute button – you can assign either function to the key.

The volume rocker and the rotation lock/mute button

The top of the iPad 2 features the 3.5mm audio jack, the Power/Lock key and the microphone.

Topside of the iPad 2

At the bottom is the proprietary Dock connector and the single loudspeaker. The connector position on the tapered edge of the device so plugging a cable is a bit trickier than usual.

The iPad’s bottom houses the Dock connector and the lone loudspeaker

Above the screen is the front-facing camera (VGA). There’s also a hidden ambient light sensor, which is in charge of the automatic adjustment of the screen brightness levels.

The FaceTime camera at the front

The only thing to note at the back is the tiny 0.7MP camera lens (and the centrally placed Apple logo). The rear facing camera can also be used in FaceTime but its more important feature is the 720p video capture.

The Apple logo and camera lens at the back

Smart cover

You’ve seen the promo videos for the Smart Cover – the nifty little accessory that magnetically attaches to your iPad 2 and protects its screen/back. It can also easily be converted to a stand to use when you need to type or watch movies.

The Smart Cover

You should know though that despite losing more than 100 grams, the iPad 2 is still quite heavy and likely to tire your hand fast (in case you are holding it with just one hand).

The Smart Cover

Using the iPad 2 with two hands is pretty hard too in some scenarios. For example, it’s almost impossible to type properly unless you have very long thumbs (or huge hands). It’s also uncomfortable to interact with most of the apps this way.

Holding the iPad

So, for long browse-a-thons you’ll want to rest the iPad in your lap or on a desk. Using the Smart covers or another type of case as a stand would make all the difference.

The official iPad 2 dock

A slightly better display

The iPad 2’s screen has the same size and resolution as the first-gen iPad. In fact, it should be the same LED-backlit IPS-TFT display as before. Well, we guess it’s just too early for that 2048×1536-pixel screen that had the rumor mill rolling. And the reasons might go beyond the sheer manufacturing costs. The new resolution might have led to serious performance issues and larger storage requirements for apps.

The screen is pretty good

There are some improvements in the new gen iPad though. The viewing angles are better, with far less contrast loss. That makes the difference between the two noticeable, despite the fact that color shift when viewed from extreme angles is about the same on the two iPads.

The colors are slightly warmer on the iPad 2, and we think this is more accurate.

The iPad 2 screen has excellent viewing angles

Sunlight legibility is decent but we have certainly seen better. The screen is very reflective and being so big it’s pretty hard to find a proper angle for working with it. Plus, the iPad 2 screen picks lots of fingerprints and those really hurt the outdoor usability.

iPad vs iPad 2 screens viewed from angle

Still, if you take your time wiping the screen and find a suitable angle text is readable enough. The screen is not as bright as the iPhone’s though, even at the brightest setting. So, while it is possible to read e-b ooks on the iPad in those conditions, it’s not as nice an experience as on E Ink readers regardless of what Apple says.

iPad vs iPad 2 screens viewed from angle

In general, we find the iPad 2 screen to be pretty good, despite the low resolution. The excellent colors and viewing angles put your privacy at risk though so be careful with viewing sensible information in public places.

Display brightness and contrast

And here comes the newest test that we have introduced to our reviews. With manufacturers refusing to share the contrast ratio and brightness levels of their devices and giving confusing figures when they decide to do so we though the it would be best if we just measure that ourselves.

Normally, the brightness measurement is repeated twice for each devices – once with it’s the display brightness set to 100% and once with the brightness reduced to 50%. Different units have different behavior when you reduce their brightness – some get an increase in contrast, while others do worse than they would at full brightness.

To demonstrate the viewing angle improvements that the iPad 2 screen brings this time we also added the measurements at 45° viewing angle and with the tablets rotated to 45°, which we found to be one of their weakest spots. You can see that despite the pretty similar performance in the first test, the iPad 2 has a huge edge here. While the new Apple tablet does lose plenty of contrast (also notice the huge drop in luminance) when you look at it that way it still remains way nicer than its predecessor.

iOS on the iPad – the basics

The iPad is still a big iPod Touch. And it will stay like this until iOS reaches Mac OS X in terms of capabilities (if that ever happens) or until the tablet gets powerful enough to run the actual Mac OS X. In case you are not familiar with the iPad user interface, we’ve prepared a quick walkthrough for you.

The iOS looks slightly different on the iPad mostly due to the larger screen and less importantly – the higher resolution. And while there are not too many UI tweaks to make better use of the extra space, most of the system apps have been reworked and use split screen allowing you to see more content and saving you a few taps.

The homescreens on the iPad UI support landscape orientation too and the dock can harbor up to six icons. The iOS 4.3 saw the addition of a screen brightness slider to the multi-tasking bar.

The iPad lock and home screens

Great examples of the iPad-specific UI are the email client, the settings menus and the contacts app. As you can see from the screenshots below their interface is divided in two columns – the left one for navigation and the right – for displaying content.

The email, settings and contacts apps

Not all the apps keep the split-screen view when the iPad is in portrait mode, though. The navigation bar in the Notes and Mail apps (for example) gets integrated into a pop-up balloon and can be accessed from the upper left corner at any time.

Notes in portrait and landscape view • Email in portrait view

Most other system apps have some extra eye-candy and usability improvements over the iPhone and iPod Touch too – those include Contacts, Calendar, iPod, YouTube, Notes, Safari, App Store, iTunes, etc. . The looks and design can even fool someone the iPad uses a different iOS version from those on the iPhones and iPods.

Calendar • YouTube • AppStore

Finally, the drop down selectors and pop-ups no longer occupy the whole screen but only a part of it as is more natural. Tap-and-hold now works in more places and other similar tweaks were also present.

The iOS pop-ups

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab review: An expanding universe

Introduction

Not so long ago the tablet was a futureless species, stuck in an evolutionary dead-end. The technology and the the operating systems didn’t offer the right balance of portability and usability to suit its needs. But just look at it now…

It was the Apple iPad that made the first splash and many other tablets are on their way on following its steps. We guess Samsung’s had an easier job than Apple bringing it to market. They already had the Samsung Galaxy S in the works and just had to make it bigger. Plus, they didn’t need to go to great lengths explaining what a tablet is and what it does.

Official photos of the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab

If nothing else, the Galaxy Tab makes the S in Galaxy S meaningful. But the Tab itself is not size XL. In a nutshell, the new Samsung tablet is a Galaxy S with 3 inches added to the screen and 2 megapixels taken away from the camera. The Tab is equipped with the same 1GHz Hummingbird processor and PowerVR SGX540 graphics accelerator, 512MB RAM, a complete connectivity set and 16GB internal storage. The whole thing’s running on Android’s latest – v2.2 Froyo.

Key features

• 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm, 380g
• Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support, 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
• Full GSM phone calling functionality
• 7″ 16M-color TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen of WSVGA (600 x 1024) pixel resolution, Gorilla Glass
• Android OS v2.2 with TouchWiz 3.0 UI customization
• 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird CPU
• PowerVR SGX540 graphics accelerator
• 512 MB of RAM
• 3.2 MP autofocus camera with smile detection and geo-tagging
• D1 (720 x 480 pixels) video recording at 30fps
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n support
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
• 16GB internal storage, microSD slot
• DivX and XviD video codec support, Full HD video playback
• HD video out (with a proprietary dock)
• Accelerometer, ambient-light and gyro sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• 30-pin connector and stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• Office document editor
• Secondary video-call camera
• Swype predictive text input
• Adobe Flash Player 10.1 support
• Stereo speakers
• 4000 mAh Li-Ion battery
• Great audio quality

Main disadvantages

• No FM radio
• Poor viewing angles
• Picture ghosting due to slow LCD response
• Some apps incompatible with the new resolution
• Gallery displays downsized images only
• Quiet loudspeaker

That’s a long list of features but the full phone functionality is perhaps what sets it apart from the arch-enemy. Soon enough however, the Galaxy Tab will have other things to worry about than a certain Apple slate. With the likes of Dell Streak and even RIM’s PlayBook around, the Samsung tablet will be trying harder to convince users it’s the perfect fit between a phone and a laptop.

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab live shots

When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab they stated that its purpose was not to rival the iPad but to bring something different to the tablet market. This might have just been a face saving statement but it’s obvious the iPad and the Galaxy Tab are each aimed at quite different types of users.

Samsung Galaxy P1000 Tab over Apple iPad

• Lighter and smaller, easier on the pocket
• Telephony (including 3G video calls)
• 3.2 MP camera with D1 video recording @ 30 fps and LED flash
• Android OS v2.2 Froyo
• Proper multitasking (though the iPad is getting that too in a couple of months)
• microSD card slot for memory expansion
• Uses regular size SIM card
• 16:9 widescreen display
• Adobe Flash player 10.1
• DivX/XviD 1080p video playback
• Bluetooth 3.0

Apple iPad over Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab

• Larger and better screen
• Metal body
• iOS 3.1.3 with more than 25 000 apps tailor-made for it
• Larger internal storage (iPad 64GB)
• Better battery life
• YouTube app streams higher-quality footage

The Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab compared with the iPhone 4 and the Apple iPad

It’s not about which one is superior: more powerful or better looking. It’s about what you need the tablet for. Some will call the Galaxy Tab plain smaller. To others it will mean more pocketable, manageable and easier to handle. Some need to make calls on their tablets, to others it’s irrelevant. Where some will see a small screen, others will appreciate the better DPI.

For all the good and bad of it, the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab has finally arrived at our place and we are ready to give it a test ride. Everything you may want to know starts right after the jump.

Unboxing the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab

The Samsung Galaxy Tab retail box is not nearly as exciting as the tablet itself. It has the basics covered and that’s that – an Apple-influenced charger, a 30-pin USB cable and a one-piece wired headset.

No, it’s not the best, but at least the package is better than the iPad’s, which only had a USB cable/charger combo included.

The Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab comes in a modest retail package

Of course we would have really appreciated a carrying case, a QWERTY keyboard or an HDMI dock, but these are things you’ll need to buy separately.

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab and its optional QWERTY keyboard • HDMI dock

Design and construction

In the Galaxy Tab design the sides match the color of the front rather than the back panel, and the body is curved in the opposite direction. And the result is really smooth and convincing despite the all-plastic build. The white rear is quite sleek too and surprisingly fingerprint resistant.

The plastic body also brings another advantage – it lowers the Galaxy Tab overall weight to a manageable 380 grams. Of course it’s much heavier than any phone, but feels light as a feather next to the iPad.

Unfortunately, the front glass, Gorilla or not, is the usual fingerprint-prone surface we find on most devices today. Whatever you do, no matter how often you clean it, the glass will be always covered in smudges.

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab

The front of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is mostly about the 7” WSVGA (1024 x 600 pixels) LCD touchscreen. It has great picture quality for an LCD unit and even though the contrast isn’t quite as impressive as on SuperAMOLED, it’s good enough to rival the iPad. Of course the higher density (192 ppi) also helps here.

However when it comes to viewing angles the Galaxy Tab appears to be behind the Apple tablet. It seems the colors start to wash out at much wider angles than on the iPad. This is not to say that you are unable to see the Galaxy Tab display from an angle – the colors might not be accurate but the image is still there.

The 7″ screen of the Tab has great picture quality but small viewing angles and just descent contrast

While browsing the gallery we noticed one more thing we didn’t much like about the display – picture ghosting. Some fast scrolling through the image gallery revealed some unpleasant ghosting, especially on darker images. This issue is probably caused by a slower LCD response time (16ms or higher).

The bright side is the sensitivity of the Samsung Galaxy Tab touchscreen, which is simply superb. But hey, that is hardly any news when talking about a capacitive unit. It may make styluses and gloves a no-go but every single touch of your bare fingers is sure to register.

Above the display we find the video-call camera and the ambient light sensor.

The video-call camera on top

Below the display we find four capacitive buttons. Those include Back, Home, Context menu and a dedicated Search key. They are all large enough and comfortable to use. And since the keys use the same technology as the screen, the transition is as smooth as it gets.

Four Android keys under the screen

The right hand side (assuming portrait is its default position) of the Galaxy Tab is quite busy. Samsung has placed the volume rocker and the power/screen lock keys there, as well as the SIM card tray and the microSD card slot. There are small plastic lids covering the two slots so they’re safe against dirt and moisture.

The right-hand side of Samsung Galaxy Tab is quite busy – two key combos and two card slots

By contrast, the 3.5mm jack is exposed and it’s the only thing of interest to find on the top of the device. There is one more concern too – the jack position. When you plug the headphones in, they easily become an obstacle for your left hand in landscape use.

On top there’s only the 3.5mm audio jack

The left is also pretty bare, with the microphone pinhole the only thing to note. It’s located near the top so it’s harder to muffle with a finger when holding the phone.

The left-hand side is empty save for the mic pinhole

The bottom of the Galaxy Tab is where the stereo speakers and the 30-pin connector are located. Samsung did consider using a standard microUSB port instead, but that would’ve ruled out accessories such as HDMI cables, so they went for the proprietary connector.

Unfortunately the Galaxy Tab does not charge over the USB cable, you’ll need to plug the charger in for that.

If you look closely at the USB cable you’ll find that it’s exactly the same unit (length, connector, shape of the USB plug) as the one used with Apple’s iPad/iPhone 4. Just don’t try using either cable on the wrong device, it won’t fit. The cables use completely different pins and any attempts will result in damage on the wrong receiving port.

At the bottom you can see the stereo speakers and the proprietary 30-pin connector that looks like Apple’s

We conclude our trip at the beautiful white rear where we find the 3.2 megapixel camera and its LED flash. Samsung has never considered the Galaxy Tab as a device that you can use to take photos all the time. Instead they placed the camera as a tool that enables more apps to run on the Galaxy Tab. There are plenty of apps in the Android market that need the camera to work and that’s the main reason why the snapper is there.

The 3.2MP camera with LED flash is on the back

The battery of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is not user removable. In the event that you need to change it, you’d have to visit an authorized service center. Samsung claims the 4000 mAh unit is good for 7 hours of video playback (we are assuming SD content here). This doesn’t sound bad at all but the iPad does 10 hours of that on a bigger screen so it’s not exactly great either.

The general impression of the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab hardware is very positive. The display is not as good as we hoped, but the controls are large enough and there are generally no ergonomic blunders. We are sorry they had to go for a proprietary connectivity port but at least that does allow HDMI output (via the optional dock), which makes good sense on a 1080p DivX-capable device. We would have been definitely happier with a higher-res (5MP or so) camera with HD video recording.

Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab held in hand

The Samsung Galaxy Tab handles great in general and that’s down to its slim profile, narrow bezel and light weight. It is also pretty compact and you might even be able to squeeze it in a wider pocket depending on your clothes that day. This is all, of course, only true if you look at it as a tablet. If you want it to replace your phone on the other hand, things look quite differently.

Okay, so now that we have the hardware covered, let’s see what the Galaxy Tab has to offer on the software side of things. Join us after the break.

User interface: Froyo XL

For the Galaxy Tab user interface, Samsung has used the latest reincarnation of the Android platform, 2.2 Froyo, but unlike their Android smartphones kept the customizations to a lower level. This means that you won’t be getting the full TouchWiz experience, though most of the important parts are here anyway.

It’s more Froyo and less TouchWiz with the Galaxy Tab

The homescreen offers you up to nine panes to populate with widgets. You are free to rearrange them as you see fit and delete the ones you do not need to speed up the navigation. The easiest way to manage your homescreen is to pinch zoom out and than use the Samsung equivalent of HTC Helicopter view.

Pinch zoom out the homescreen and you are in editing mode

As usual Samsung has added a few widgets of its own to the standard Android selection, but this time there’s no separate entry for them when adding content to your homescreen. Anyway, with so many widgets (and even alternative homescreens) available from the Android market this is hardly considered as big a differentiating factor as it was before.

The set of widgets that comes with the Tab

Unlike the Galaxy S and the rest of the TouchWiz gang, the Samsung Tab has three buttons docked at the bottom of its homescreen and only the middle one remains visible when you open the menu. It’s the one used for alternating between your main menu and you homescreen.

The other two take you to the email and stock web browser by default but you are free to change them as you see fit.

The main menu consists of side-scrollable panes, much like the homescreen. You can add new pages manually, by dragging an app to a new screen while in edit mode. Unlike most Android smartphones however the Tab offers landscape mode here.

When the launcher is in edit mode, you can uninstall applications (only the ones that you installed) just by tapping their right corner.

Managing the main menu

The task switcher has been updated too and now features shortcuts to the eight (as opposed to six) most recently used apps. There is also a button that takes you to the Samsung home-brewed task manager, which turned out to be rather capable.

The task switcher and task manager of the Galaxy Tab

It allows you to close running apps or even uninstall them completely. You can also move an application to the SD card (as long as the app supports it). In contrast, this requires a 3rd party app on the Galaxy S even after the Froyo update.

Finally, the task manager also brings an app monitor widget, which if placed on you homescreen, will warn you if there are any running apps that might consume your battery.

The notification area has the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and sound toggles, but this time also adds auto-rotation switch (which can disable the accelerometer-based rotation) and brightness slider. With all those a single swipe away, you will rarely need to enter the Settings menu on your Galaxy Tab.

The notification area now has a brightness slider

When you turn on Wi-Fi your Galaxy Tab automatically connects to any known network in the vicinity. If there are no known Wi-Fi networks, a pop-up appears that lets you pick a network. It doesn’t get much simpler than that really.

Unlike the Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Tab comes with the stock Android lock screen, where you need to swipe sideways and place the padlock icon over the green dot to unlock. There are cool alternative unlocking patterns too when you have a missed event – a message or a call. Not only do they indicate what events you have missed but they also take you straight to the call log/messaging app when you use them.

Also bear in mind that the Android market offers several apps that allow you to customize your unlock screen beyond recognition. You can change the image, the unlock pattern, the presence and location of the clock etc.

Some interesting touches by Samsung are to be noticed in the Galaxy Tab settings menu. This is the first Android-running device that we can think of to offer display settings such as saturation and contrast.

The performance of the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab was quite impressive. The ghosting (which as we told you is probably the hardware’s fault) aside, everything is as smooth and quick as you could hope for.

Now according to Samsung’s official information, the Galaxy Tab is supposed to have the same amount of RAM as the Galaxy S (512MB each). Yet the tablet has access to over 400MB of those in the task manager, while the smartphone gives you just over 300MB. So you can be sure that the Tab will have enough free operating memory at all times.

On a side note, that difference between the two will further fuel the rumors about the Galaxy S not having the full promised 512MB RAM inside.

We’re now giving you a short video demonstrating the Galaxy Tab real life performance.

Finally, we ran the usual benchmarks on the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab and it did pretty well. As you can see the Tab’s performance is not much better than that of the Galaxy S running Froyo.

The Galaxy Tab benchmark results

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S benchmark results (Android 2.2 Froyo)

Nokia World 2010 live coverage: Nokia E7, C7, C6, N8, C3

Introduction

Nokia World 2010 has already started and we are reporting live from the event. We will be publishing the live photos and videos of the newly announced devices in this article along with our first impressions so make sure to keep an eye on it.

This year’s Nokia World 2010 started a few hours ago. Here’s a video from the grand opening:

The official announcements of the Nokia new business flagship – E7 and the mid-range touch-driven Nokia C7 and NokiaC6-01. All three new devices run on the Symbian^3 OS so unless we see another announcement tomorrow MeeGo fans will leave London disappointed.

The progress Nokia has made from the first Communicator to the E7 and the rest

As the Nokia Executive Vice President in charge of Nokia’s Mobile Solutions Anssi Vanjoki put it the new OS keeps the familiar interface but performs a lot better and adds plenty of new features. Well we will see about that soon, after we spend some quality time with each of the new phones.

A few photos to give you a feel of the Nokia World event

Oh and we’ll have a chance to check out that N8 monster of a cameraphone so there’s every reason for you to stay tuned. The first portion of live images follows after the break.

Nokia E7

The Nokia E7 has a tilting 4″ AMOLED touchscreen with nHD resolution and a four row slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It’s got high-end connectivity – 10.2Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and Cell-ID positioning along with USB On-The-Go.

Nokia E7 official photos

The Nokia E7 highlights list continue with an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, 720p video capture, and 16GB of built-in storage. Unfortunately though, it turned out that the promising shooter is lacking autofocus, which takes some of the fun out.

There’s HDMI port with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound support. The Nokia E7 weighs a hefty 176 grams – but that’s because it’s made of anodized aluminum.

The Nokia E7 display uses the new ClearBlack technology, which promises darker blacks, better sunlight legibility and lower power usage. The E7 is expected to cost around 495 euro (637 USD) before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia E7 hands-on

Having already spend some time with the E7 we can easily agree with the description of Anssi Vanjoki – this thing is BIG. But luckily those bits about its great build quality and sleek design turned out true, too.

By the way, here’s a hands-on video of the Nokia E7 that we shot at the event.

The Nokia E7 is certainly not easy to handle if you have smaller hands but it certainly is great to look at. The keyboard feels very comfortable as one would expect from a device that claims to succeed the omnipresent Nokia E90 communicator. Just how can the successor sport a resolution lower than its predecessor is a whole different question, which we can’t answer at this point.

Nokia E7 live photos

The resolution aside, the Nokia E7 Clear Black display does look pretty good. Its viewing angles are comparable, although not quite as good as the ones on the iPhone 4. The typically high for AMOLED screen contrast makes everything go live on the screen and the display doesn’t seem to have too many reflections, which suggests that it will be easily visible under direct sunlight.

Nokia E7 in silver

Finally, a quick thought about the user interface. It does seem to do everything they promised at the announcement – fix most Symbian^1 flaws, but retain the same structure. Now depending on how you look at it that second part could either be good news or bad news but we would rather stay positive at this stage.

More Nokia E7 live photos

After all Symbian is still the most popular smartphone platform out there so people are quite used to it. And that means they will be able to find their way around the Symbian^3 OS quite easily too.

Nokia C7

Next, we’re moving on to the Nokia C7 – this stainless steel beauty is just 10.5 mm thin. It has an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash and 720p video, and the same excellent connectivity features as the E7, except the HDMI – it relies on the more traditional composite video-out instead.

Nokia C7 official photos

The Nokia C7 has a 3.5″ AMOLED screen with nHD resolution and 8GB of built-in memory. But unlike the E7, the C7 memory is expandable through the microSD card slot. The Nokia C7 is expected to cost 335 euro (430 US dollars).

Nokia C7 hands-on

The Nokia C7 may not be able to outdo the E7 but it is destined to sit on top of the Nokia most popular (in terms of sales at least) series. Symbian^3 and the larger screen alone should be enough to make C7 undisputed leader there but the top of the Cseries is already well above the entry-level territory so it will face tough competition from outside.

Nokia C7 live shots

Weather or not the Nokia C7 will be up for the challenge is a bit hard to say at this point. Sure the device is nicely slim and feels great to handle. Metal is used a lot for its body and that gives it the solid feel that we appreciate so much.

Nokia C7 live shots

The performance is also there so it won’t be annoying in normal day to day use and the connectivity options are more than adequate.

The Nokia C7 AMOLED compared to the Apple iPhone 4′s IPS LCD

Yet Symbian has earned itself quite bad reputation as a touch-driven OS so we are not sure that the pricing is properly chosen. People will need more persuasion to buy a Symbian device now than they did a couple of years ago and we somehow don’t see the C7 as a package as attractive as the other two devices announced today.

But then again it’s way too early to judge now as we need to spend far more time with the device before we confirm or deny those speculations.

Here’s a hands-on video of the Nokia C7:

Camera samples

We managed to get our hands on several samples from the Nokia C7 camera. Unfortunately the photos are taken with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which may fit the screen perfectly but doesn’t make use of all the sensors so they come in 6MP resolution.

Those photos have plenty of fine detail indicating that the Nokia C7 packs fine optics. The noise is also rather low so the potential seem to be all there. However, understandably at this stage of the development of the handset, the image processing still needs some tuning. Still even at this stage most of the images look pretty well and while we can’t say anything about the shooting conditions this is still encouraging.

Much like the E7 however, Nokia C7 lacks autofocus and relies on the so-called full-focus (or extended depth of field) instead. Yet this doesn’t allow photographing objects that a less than a meter away from the camera so it’s by far not the real thing.

Nokia C7 camera samples

Nokia C6-01

Last of the three newly announced phones is the Nokia C6-01 (not to be confused with the C6-00). It’s shorter than the C7 – 103.8mm vs. 117.3 mm. The screen size has been reduced – 3.2″ AMOLED touchscreen with nHD resolution using the same ClearBlack technology as the E7.

The Nokia C6-01 boasts the same camera and connectivity features as the C7 (sans TV-out) and its 8GB built-in memory is extended by a 2GB microSD card in the box. It too has a stainless steel body though it’s quite a bit thicker than the C7 – 13.9 mm.

Nokia C6-01 official photos

The Nokia C6-01 is the cheapest of the bunch, it is expected to cost 260 euro (334 USD).

Nokia C6-01 hands-on

Nokia C6-01 certainly isn’t the most interesting of the bunch announced today but from where we stand it might be the one with the best prospects on the market. Bringing the nicely looking 3.2″ ClearBlack AMOLED screen at a lower price is a feat that might make quite a lot of people consider it when picking their next phone.

Nokia C6-01 live photos

And the contrasty display (which is also smaller so the nHD resolution looks perfectly acceptable) isn’t the only thing that C6-01 puts to the table. We are huge fans on the extensive usage of metal for its body, which is not something we often see in this price range. And the fact that recycled materials have been used will be music to the environmentalists’ hearts.

Nokia C6-01 live photos

Finally, and probably most important, the Nokia C6-01 brings a performance identical to the more expensive C7 and even the E7. Symbian might not be the flashiest OS out there but it is certainly one of the most functional and now that its latest ^3 reincarnation addresses most of the user-friendliness issues things start to look better and better for the C6-01.

The Nokia C6-01 ClearBlack screen compared to the Apple iPhone 4 retina display and the Samsung M8910 Pixon12 AMOLED unit

Nokia N8 hands-on

Unlike the other handsets we met so far the Nokia N8 wasn’t announced now. However it is still not available on the market so paying its corner a visit was the only chance to get to see it in flesh.

The metallic unibody of the handset grabs your attention straight away and it feels so good to touch that you wouldn’t want to let go of it. Okay that might be taking things a little too far but the N8 is one sleek device indeed.

The Nokia N8 is a real beauty

We are even willing to live with the fact that the Nokia N8 battery isn’t user replaceable (as long as that 1200 mAh unit doesn’t turn out completely inadequate) if that was what it took to achieve the excellent build quality.

More Nokia N8 live shots

Unfortunately, the large image sensor that Nokia stuffed into the N8 took its toll on the device waistline and it isn’t as slim as most of its competitors. Yet the camera is certainly the handset’s key feature and seeing its output we cannot help but feel that the few millimeters of added thickness were well worth it.

Plus the N8 brings the same S^3 goodies as the E7, C6-01 and C7. That means that both user friendliness and performance are better than in previous Nokia touch-driven Symbian smartphones.

Symbian^3 comes with an updated camera interface and web browser

Again we are giving you a short demo video so you can see what the N8 real life performance is like.

Nokia N8 vs Samsung M8910 Pixon12 shootout

We conducted a brief shootout between the Nokia N8 and the Samsung M8910 Pixon12 to see how far Nokia has gone with their N8 12 megapixel flagship cameraphone. The Samsung Pixon12 is currently on top of the cameraphone food chain so naturally we had one handy on site to do some comparative head-to-head shooting with the Nokia N8.

Nokia N8 • Samsung M8910 Pixon12

As it turns out the two cameras had quite different approach to shooting in the low-light conditions we had to work in. The Pixon12 chose to keep the ISO low minimising noise levels, but that resulted in a massive speed drop to about 1/15. Normally that would make clear, blur-free hand-held shots almost impossible. We used a tripod for this test so that’s a bit of an unfair advantage for the Pixon12.

Nokia N8 • Samsung M8910 Pixon12

Even so the Nokia N8 produced sharper, more detailed images even though it has a wider viewing angle so it fits more stuff onto its 12 megapixel sensor. It’s also got some livelier color output. It didn’t however manage to impress with low noise levels as much as we hoped.

We also noticed that the Samsung M8910 Pixon12 images suffer from barrel distortion noticeably more than the Nokia N8 shots. Kudos to Nokia for achieving this, despite having to work with wider-angle lens (28mm vs 30mm on the Pixon12).

Still this test is far from scientific and we will have to wait until we get to spend more time with an N8 before we pass a final judgment.

Nokia N8 • Samsung M8910 Pixon12

Nokia N8 camera samples

Nokia put a lot of eggs in the camera basket with the N8 and they are really keen to prove that all the hype is worth it (and hopefully generate even more hype). What we have for you here is a boatload of sample images that Nokia say come straight from the N8 camera.

To call them impressive will be a vast understatement… you know what, we won’t try to comment on each one of them. Just check them out for yourselves. It’s quite obvious that a LOT of hard work and preparation has gone into making such nice shots and what we are looking here is the N8 at its best. In your regular day-to-day usage you will hardly achieve the same level of results but it’s good to know that you could if you wanted.

Now it’s time for the show to begin.

When we reviewed the Nokia 6700 classic we loved it – the smooth metal body gave the phone an amazing feel. That’s why we were really excited when we got our hands on the new Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type.

Introducing the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type

Anyway, here’s a hands-on video to give you a better feel for the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type.

It has the same finish as the 6700 classic, the back cover is especially reminiscent of what we dubbed “Sirocco Lite”. It’s a whisker slimmer than 6700 classic too – just 11mm thick. And it’s lighter too – 100 g – but it’s just enough to give it a pleasant heft.

Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type hands-on photos

Series 40 devices rarely had exciting specs but the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type chock full of them. It’s not just the touchscreen, which will aid navigation quite a bit, but won’t do much for the ease of text input.

The Nokia C3-01 has got dual-band 3G with HSPA for speeds up to 10.2Mbps and Wi-Fi b/g/n so it will be a while before the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type gets outdated in terms of connectivity. The camera is the same as the one on the E5 – 5MP, fixed focus, with LED flash and VGA@15fps video recording. Fixed focus? Perhaps this is where they lost us.

The Nokia C3-01 is 11mm thin and covered in stainless steel

The Facebook and Twitter integration is welcome, but it may put a strain on the keypad.

The Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type which was unveiled a month ago is company’s first handset to pack a touchscreen and a regular alphanumeric keypad simultaneously. It is also the first S40 touch-driven device to get a global release.

Despite its low standing in the food chain, the Nokia X3-02 packs excellent connectivity with WLAN (including the new N standard), 3G with HSPA, Bluetooth and microUSB all on board. The music fans will also appreciate the 3.5mm audio jack.

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type

The Nokia X3-02 touchscreen measures 2.4″ in diagonal and sports QVGA resolution. This is one of the smallest touchscreens on the market so we really hope that Nokia did a good job of optimizing the interface.

The final noteworthy feature of the 9.6mm slim device is its 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera that is also capable of recording video.

Nokia X3-02 should hit the shelves by the end of the month in White Silver, Dark Metal, Petrol Blue, Pink and Lilac color versions. Its estimated retail price is 125 euro before taxes or subsides.

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type hands-on

After spending a few minutes with the X3-02 Touch and Type we can finally share with you our first impressions of the device. Before we go on, we should first note that the thing looks as nice in reality as on those official images posted above.

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type hands-on photos

The first thing you’ll notice once you touch the device is the missing navigation buttons. There is no D-pad, soft keys or whatsoever. And this is where the touchscreen comes in handy. With its help you can easily browse the menu, the image gallery, you name it.

A closer look at the first S40 touch-driven device

The touchscreen feels responsive enough and the image quality is fine too. The interface is responsive too with rare occasional lags. It’s well touch optimized, with large on-screen buttons and well thought menu structure.

More X3-02 Touch and Type live shots

The Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type feels nice when held in hand. You may need a little while to get used to it but once you’re done with that there, should be no issues with the phone’s ergonomics.

The thin body and the great built quality are just another plus.

HTC Wildfire review: Desire Mini

Introduction

Occasionally HTC takes a little break from high-end smartphones and dips its toes in the waters of the lower midrange. The HTC Wildfire is a down-sized, down-clocked and down-priced version of the HTC Desire. If Sony Ericsson can do it with the X10 mini, then HTC have all the right in the world to make a Desire mini too.

HTC Wildfire official photos

But while the Desire was something that easily snatched everybody’s attention, the Wildfire is a bit more toned down despite its fire-some name.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
• Android OS v2.1 (Éclair) with Sense UI
• 3.2″ capacitive touchscreen of QVGA resolution
• Multi-touch support
• Qualcomm MSM 7225 528 MHz CPU, 384 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and touch focus
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver
• Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
• Turn-to-mute, lift-to-tone-down
• Proximity sensor
• Smart dialing
• Standard miniUSB port for charging and data
• Bluetooth with A2DP, file transfers
• microSD card slot, a 2GB card in the box
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Social network integration: Facebook, Twitter and Flickr through Friend Stream
• Flash-enabled browser
• Direct access to the official Android repository
• Stereo FM radio with RDS

Main disadvantages

• Poor screen image quality, QVGA doesn’t do Android OS and the display size justice
• No video-call camera or videocalling whatsoever
• CIF@15fps video recording (352 x 288 pixels) is below par
• No voice dialing
• No DivX or XviD video support out of the box
• No TV-out port

The Wildfire is certainly the right phone for those who like to always stay in touch. The high-end connectivity is all there, along with solid social network integration and browsing. It seems the display and CPU are the only downgrades from the Desire.

But that’s still a lot. Android phones with QVGA screens have failed to impress and the size of the Wildfire’s display gives no reason to be optimistic here.

HTC Wildfire at ours

On the other hand, the Wildfire boasts the premium finish of the Nexus One and the HTC Desire. Not only is a touch of style always welcome in the lower tiers of the market but users will probably appreciate the compact size too.

So, repackaging a flagship device to sell to a wider range of customers is easier said than done, so let’s see what the Wildfire has to offer. By the way, choosing a name that’s so much catchier is a good way to start.

Retail package: good enough

Considering the lower price range, the HTC Wildfire’s package is fairly complete. It has the essentials and a couple of small perks: a 2GB microSD and a one-piece headset with music controls. The headset uses the a standard 3.5 mm audio jack so you can use your own instead, but you will have to live without the remote.

Unboxing HTC Wildfire

The microUSB cable plugs into the charger so you will need both to charge your HTC Wildfire the old fashioned way. USB charging is enabled too. A bunch of manuals complete the list of items in the box.

HTC Wildfire 360-degree spin

Keeping it compact was high on the Wildfire designers’ priority list. At 106.8 x 60.4 x 12 mm the device can easily slip in any pocket – let alone a purse. The phone certainly hopes to appeal to both male and female customers, and has the color range to do it. The Wildfire will be available in white, black, brown and red.

The Wildfire next to the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8

Design and construction

So, the Wildfire is a pretty close replica of the Desire (and the Nexus One). It doesn’t have the kind of looks to make your heart skip a beat, but it’s a subtly stylish and solidly built phone – and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Ok, it’s a phone that will grow up wearing its older brother’s old clothes. But we don’t have to worry about its self esteem. The designers were after decent functionality in an attractive looking package and we think they’ve done a pretty good job. The only thing to be concerned with is the screen. WVGA AMOLED was a treat in the Desire, but sadly the Wildfire is nowhere near that.

At 3.2” and QVGA resolution, the HTC Wildfire touchscreen offers the lowest pixel density we have seen lately and that’s a real disadvantage for the picture quality. 125 ppi is pretty good for a computer screen but you look at it from a much greater distance. The Wildfire you are meant to hold in your hands.

The contrast levels of the LCD unit are also quite underwhelming and we’re particularly disappointed with the depth of blacks on the Wildfire screen. The brightness levels are good but they are not enough of a boost for the overall poor picture quality.

And the Wildfire isn’t any better when exposed to direct sunlight either. You will struggle to find a proper angle for working with the phone when outside on a bright sunny day.

In general, the screen is where most of the cost-cutting has been done on the Wildfire. This doesn’t seem like a particularly smart move. The fact is, on a full-touch device the screen is almost all you look at and use. Having such a relatively large yet low-res screen creates a rather negative effect for the whole user experience.

On a positive note, the sensitivity of the capacitive touchscreen is excellent, plus 3.2” is more than enough space to press on. But still, a smaller display to make the low resolution less prominent might have made more sense, and the device would’ve been even more compact too. We just can’t see the point of making such a big QVGA screen. Neither Android nor HTC Sense looks good on it.

Below the display we find four capacitive controls. They are in charge of bringing you back to the homescreen, opening the context menu, taking you a step back in the menu navigation and getting you to the quick search box.

There are four touch-sensitive keys below the display

Sufficiently spaced and sensitive enough, those cause no usability problems whatsoever. The transition between them and the screen is seamless.

Under those four keys we find the optical joystick, which by the way is of pretty limited use. It will work in some menus to replace sweep gestures and can be used to take the occasional photo but that’s about it. Most users would probably never notice even if it didn’t work at all,– you can get by just fine without it.

Above the display we see the earpiece, the proximity sensor and the status LED.

The status LED and the proximity sensor are next to the display on top

The left side of the Wildfire features the large volume rocker and the exposed microUSB port. The right side of the device is completely bare. A dedicated camera key would have certainly been nice.

The volume rocker and the exposed microUSB port • The right side is perfectly bare

At the top there are a couple of elements to note. The silver key in the right corner is the power/screen lock button, the 3.5mm audio jack is at the other end.

The audio jack and the power key are on top

The tiny mouthpiece is the only thing of interest at the bottom.

The mouthpiece is as usually, on the bottom

The 5 megaxpixel camera lens is near the top of the back cover, flanked by the loudspeaker grill and the LED flash. The lanyard also attaches at the back, near the bottom of the phone. You do need to remove the cover to attach it though.

The camera lens is flanked by the loudspeaker and the LED flash

Under the cover you will find the microSD card slot and the 1300 mAh battery. The Li-Ion unit is quoted at up to 480 hours of stand-by or 7 hours and 20 minutes of talk time in 2G networks, and 690 hours and 8 hours in 3G mode.

The microSD card slot is under the battery cover

Those are some impressive numbers indeed but here’s one case perhaps where the low-res screen does count in its favor. The Wildfire did last for about three days of moderate use (10 minutes of calls and just under an hour of using the other features a day), which is still good but not that great.

The HTC Wildfire feels nice in the hand. Its size is just perfect for single-handed use and the screen sensitivity is a point in favor too. It’s ultimately the same screen though that puts the whole package in question. Users coming from touchscreen feature phones will probably not notice anything wrong. But upgraders from the Magic or the Tattoo might be disappointed.

Handling the Wildfire feels nice

We have no arguments with the build quality and the finish. The Wildfire is a solid looking and stylish phone that will suit conservative tastes. There’s a selection of paintjobs too for those looking for something more expressive.

Now let’s go through the software side of things.

Eclair and HTC Sense deserve a higher-res screen

HTC Sense and Android have had a god run so far. From the Hero to the Desire, users have been treated to a wealth of graphics and features. Even the entry-level HTC Tattoo has the company’s custom interface, which we found to blend well and do a good job. It just didn’t look its best on the QVGA screen.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’d know the HTC Wildfire is having the same problem. And this time, the same number of pixels is stretched over 3.2 inches.

The Wildfire still has a clear advantage over the Tattoo. The capacitive display has excellent response. You’ll find the latest Sense UI too on the HTC Wildfire.

The main differences between this version of the Sense UI and back on the Tattoo are the new context icons, a few new wallpapers and the unified Widget section. Whether you are using the People, Mail, Music or Gallery Tabs, the scrollable icons at the bottom will please you with new color skins. We like it this way – the old ones looked a bit dull against the otherwise graphically rich and colorful UI..

The lock screen • some of the homescreen panes

The left key at the bottom of the screen launches the main menu. This time around you simply tap to get to it, you can’t drag the menu out, though you can drag it back in.

The middle key is a shortcut to the Phone app and the right key brings up the “Add to Home” menu. And there’s plenty to add to the homescreen but more on that later.

The scrollbar at the bottom is just an indication of which homescreen you’re on – it can’t be used for actual scrolling. HTC have extended the homescreen to a total of seven panes instead of the usual three. With all those widgets at hand (which are quite useful too) they may not even be enough.

The HTC Sense UI revolves around Scenes, which are essentially six custom homescreen setups (Work, Travel, Social, etc). Each scene changes the wallpaper and the widgets on the homescreen – for instance, the Work scene has a stocks widget, while the Social offers a Twitter widget.

You can’t modify the scenes but if you rearrange the current homescreen you are prompted to save changes as a new scene.

The Clean slate scene lets you start from scratch – it’s just the default Android setup with a Clock and a few shortcuts underneath.

Switching between scenes takes a couple of seconds but sure allows wide customization – the business and personal modes that some competing phones offer seem quite limited compared to the HTC Scenes.

Social scene on the left and Work scene on the right

Now back to the other stuff beyond the homescreen and the available Scenes. The changes brought by the Sense UI go deeper than just the homescreen.

For instance, the main menu has the typical grid layout, but you can switch it to a list similar to in TouchFLO in HTC WinMo phones. With it, you can use an alphabet scroll, which makes locating apps faster.

The grid layout • the list layout • alphabet scroll

The widget section has been revamped since the HTC Tattoo and now both types of widgets (custom HTC and stock Android) are placed on one page. There are so many of them that you may find the seven homescreen panes insufficient.

Plenty of HTC widgets • you can even add program shortcuts

When you select a widget you are prompted to choose between several versions – most widgets have at least two styles. The different versions typically offer at least two sizes of the widget and a different look (There are twelve different clocks. That’s right, twelve!).

Some different Clock widget styles

And some widget styles even offer different functionality. Take the Twitter widget for instance – one version will show updates for the people you follow, while the other version only lets you tweet from the homescreen. There’s nothing stopping you from using both of course.

Two versions of the Twitter widget for different functionally

The HTC widgets offer a better level of interaction than the stock widgets – there’s a Favorites widget that keeps a list of your favorite contacts you can scroll through, meaning there’s no need to dip into the contacts list.

The People widget and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth setting widgets

The Photo album widget is a “stack” of photos that shows all the photos in some folder and you can flick them to view the next photo in line. This is quite fun but the experience is somewhat ruined by optimization. During the animation of the photo going up and the next one settling in, the widget uses low resolution previews of the photos and it takes a couple of seconds for the next image to load up in full quality. Higher-res photos suffer the most from this, of course.

Photo widget is smoothly animated, not smoothly drawn

The Messages and Mail widgets work much the same way, but instead of photos, you flick messages. And you don’t get the pixelation issue.

The Mail widget • Messages widget

The Wildfire has the fancy way of accessing any of the homescreen panes without scrolling. With a single tap or pinch, Leap view displays the thumbnails of all seven homescreen panes at once.

Leap View lets you quickly toggle

You can pinch to “zoom out” on any of the homescreen panes but tapping on a screen will do the trick too.

The Android 2.1 in the Wildfire packs the app sharing application for posting your impressions on mobile applications via Twitter, SMS or email. It’s very simple but helps you share or receive app impressions from various social services.

Leap View was available back on the HTC Desire – it’s nice to have it in the budget package too. However, one thing the Wildfire obviously lacks is Live Wallpapers. The weaker CPU and the QVGA screen just can’t handle them.

Well, that’s about the part of the Sense UI that’s closest to the surface. There’s more to it but we’ll discuss those bits and pieces throughout the review.

The HTC Wildfire UI is fast enough, the only place to notice lags is in widgets that need internet connection to refresh content.

The trackpad is an auxiliary navigation tool here – given the responsive capacitive touchscreen. You can swipe, scroll and precisely select elements with the trackpad but we were barely using it except in the camera app. It serves as the shutter key there but it’s far from essential, as the touch focus works well.

Two more things – most apps won’t run without a microSD card inserted and screen vibration feedback works on the virtual QWERTY keyboard but not elsewhere throughout the homescreen.

Socialized phonebook

HTC Wildfire features the same powerful phonebook we first saw on the Hero. It resembles the one from the HTC TouchFLO but considerably extends its functionality.

Selecting a contact displays the basic details: name and photo, numbers, emails and such. What you’d notice though is that there are another five tabs at the bottom and you’re just viewing the first of them.

Viewing a contact

The next tab holds the messages received from the contact – it would have been a lot more useful if it held the entire conversation, but for that you’d have to go to the Messages app.

The third tab holds a list of emails you’ve exchanged with the contact. The next two tabs are quite interesting and can turn the Wildfire (or in fact any phone running the Sense UI) into a powerful social networking tool.

The first holds Facebook contact updates, and the other – called “Albums” – pulls the albums that contacts have created on Flickr and Facebook.

Facebook updates • Facebook and Flickr albums • call history

The last tab shows the call history for the contact.

The entire People app (the phonebook) is tabbed too and with more tabs than the stock Android. You have all contacts, groups (including favorite contacts there), as well as a call log and “Online directories”. The latter holds information for all your buddies’ online profiles.

Phonebook • favorite contacts • groups • online directories

With Android 2.1, the HTC Wildfire packs the new Quick contacts feature. It lets you use the contact photo in the phonebook and call, text, or email the person with a single click.

The contact editing screen looks exactly as in the HTC Desire. There’s no plus key to add a new detail of a certain type, just a delete detail key. This saves some space (one line per each category) but you have to scroll down to the bottom every time you want to add a new detail.

Editing a contact • Quick contact

There is a lot of information you can store per contact as usual, and searching the phonebook is very easy – just press the search button.

Telephony

Voice quality in calls is good and the volume levels are excellent. We experienced no reception issues with the HTC Wildfire.

The dialer features a keypad, a shortcut to the call log and a list of contacts beneath (you can hide the keypad). Smart Dialing is also enabled.

Thanks to the built-in accelerometer, the HTC Wildfire has turn-to-mute enabled. You can mute the ringer by simply turning the phone face down on the table. There’s an extra feature too – the ringing volume will go down as soon as you lift the handset up.

The dialer • calling Dexter

The built-in proximity sensor makes sure the screen automatically switches off when you hold it next to your face during a call. That way you don’t risk pressing any keys by mistake with your ear or cheek.

The call log shows the latest dialed, received and missed calls all in one.

The call log holds incoming, outgoing and missed calls

The HTC Wildfire doesn’t have voice dialing but what at least some users are more likely to miss is video calling.

We conducted our traditional loudspeaker test and here is how the Wildfire stacks among some other handsets.

Speakerphone test	Voice, dB	Pink noise/ Music, dB	Ringing phone, dB	Overall score
Apple iPhone 4	65.1	60.3	66.2	Below Average
HTC Wildfire	74.3	66.6	75.7	Good
Google Nexus One	69.9	66.6	79.1	Good
HTC Hero	76.7	71.9	77.7	Very Good
HTC HD2	75.7	72.8	78.0	Very Good
HTC Legend	78.0	74.3	79.7	Excellent

Messaging

The HTC Wildfire can handle all common types of messages – SMS, MMS and email. Google Talk is in charge of instant messaging. Email support is excellent with support for Exchange out of the box and social media buffs will be pleased with the level of integration of that content as well.

The on-screen full QWERTY keyboard on the HTC Wildfire works in both portrait and landscape modes. Button size is decent and sensitivity just fine and we had no problems using the keyboard.

The on-screen QWERTY is quite good in landscape

Composing a message is a little frustrating as the text box only takes a small part of the screen even if you hide the keyboard, which really only gives you little to work with.

To add recipients, just start typing a name or number and choose from the contacts offered. After choosing a name it’s added in a bubble under the main textbox, where you can view or remove it by single tap.

Adding recipients

A press-and-hold on the text box gives you access to functions such as cut, copy and paste. You are free to paste the copied text into any other application like email, notes, chats, etc. and vice versa.

Copy, cut and paste are here

Adding multimedia content to a text message will turn it into MMS. You can just add a photo or an audio file to go with the text, or you can choose to go into a full-blown MMS editor depending on your needs.

Attaching a media file turns texts into MMS

Two Email clients as usual: HTC Mail and Gmail

Gmail is one thing that you can’t expect to have changed much compared to other Android handsets.

Batch operations lets you manage multiple conversations • reading emails

The extended Gmail features include spam report and of course conversation-style email view mode.

When replying to an email you can opt for either Gmail or the generic mail client, and set one of the two options as default. The reason behind most Android handsets coming with two email clients is the added corporate Exchange ActiveSync support.

The standard HTC Mail app is the same too. The general Inbox displays the last sync time, the sort order, the email account in use and the actual messages of course.

At the bottom there are five virtual buttons that let you filter the inbox. You may opt to view conversations, emails with attachments only, unread mail only or display the messages from your VIP mail groups.

The standard HTC email app

Email sorting is possible (in either ascending or descending order) by date, subject, sender and size. The chosen filter is displayed in the top right corner of the display.

There’s hardly anything the HTC Wildfire lacks in terms of email features. What you basically have is a local copy of your Gmail account bundled with its main functionality plus a Microsoft Exchange compatible alternative client, which can manage multiple POP and IMAP accounts.

Socialized phonebook

HTC Wildfire features the same powerful phonebook we first saw on the Hero. It resembles the one from the HTC TouchFLO but considerably extends its functionality.

Selecting a contact displays the basic details: name and photo, numbers, emails and such. What you’d notice though is that there are another five tabs at the bottom and you’re just viewing the first of them.

Viewing a contact

The next tab holds the messages received from the contact – it would have been a lot more useful if it held the entire conversation, but for that you’d have to go to the Messages app.

The third tab holds a list of emails you’ve exchanged with the contact. The next two tabs are quite interesting and can turn the Wildfire (or in fact any phone running the Sense UI) into a powerful social networking tool.

The first holds Facebook contact updates, and the other – called “Albums” – pulls the albums that contacts have created on Flickr and Facebook.

Facebook updates • Facebook and Flickr albums • call history

The last tab shows the call history for the contact.

The entire People app (the phonebook) is tabbed too and with more tabs than the stock Android. You have all contacts, groups (including favorite contacts there), as well as a call log and “Online directories”. The latter holds information for all your buddies’ online profiles.

Phonebook • favorite contacts • groups • online directories

With Android 2.1, the HTC Wildfire packs the new Quick contacts feature. It lets you use the contact photo in the phonebook and call, text, or email the person with a single click.

The contact editing screen looks exactly as in the HTC Desire. There’s no plus key to add a new detail of a certain type, just a delete detail key. This saves some space (one line per each category) but you have to scroll down to the bottom every time you want to add a new detail.

Editing a contact • Quick contact

There is a lot of information you can store per contact as usual, and searching the phonebook is very easy – just press the search button.

Telephony

Voice quality in calls is good and the volume levels are excellent. We experienced no reception issues with the HTC Wildfire.

The dialer features a keypad, a shortcut to the call log and a list of contacts beneath (you can hide the keypad). Smart Dialing is also enabled.

Thanks to the built-in accelerometer, the HTC Wildfire has turn-to-mute enabled. You can mute the ringer by simply turning the phone face down on the table. There’s an extra feature too – the ringing volume will go down as soon as you lift the handset up.

The dialer • calling Dexter

The built-in proximity sensor makes sure the screen automatically switches off when you hold it next to your face during a call. That way you don’t risk pressing any keys by mistake with your ear or cheek.

The call log shows the latest dialed, received and missed calls all in one.

The call log holds incoming, outgoing and missed calls

The HTC Wildfire doesn’t have voice dialing but what at least some users are more likely to miss is video calling.

We conducted our traditional loudspeaker test and here is how the Wildfire stacks among some other handsets.

Speakerphone test	Voice, dB	Pink noise/ Music, dB	Ringing phone, dB	Overall score
Apple iPhone 4	65.1	60.3	66.2	Below Average
HTC Wildfire	74.3	66.6	75.7	Good
Google Nexus One	69.9	66.6	79.1	Good
HTC Hero	76.7	71.9	77.7	Very Good
HTC HD2	75.7	72.8	78.0	Very Good
HTC Legend	78.0	74.3	79.7	Excellent

Froyo may not be tablet-ready, Galaxy Tab to go the CDMA way

Samsung have adopted a different strategy than Apple’s – instead of carrier exclusivity, most major US carriers are getting a Galaxy S phone. Reportedly, Samsung will be taking the same approach with the Tab making it available on most US carriers including AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.

The Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab is running Google’s latest – Android 2.2 Froyo – but Hugo Barra, Google’s Director of products for mobile says that Froyo is not designed for tablets and some apps won’t run correctly and won’t be accessible from the Android Market on tablet devices. He said it’s unit specific, but nothing concrete about the Tab. Current gossip is that Android 3.0 Gingerbread will be the tablet-friendly branch of Android.

Still, the Wall Street Journal quotes three people saying that the Samsung Galaxy Tab will be available for GSM and CDMA carriers, maybe even WiMAX. So, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are said to be getting a Galaxy Tab (strangely, no T-Mobile, not yet anyway).

That’s not beyond Samsung’s capabilities – with different variants of the I9000 Galaxy S for the different carriers, they sure have the hardware for it. The pricing is still unannounced, but the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab will probably cost between 200 and 300 US dollars in the States.

Samsung plans to sell 10 million Tabs – so putting their eggs in more than one basket sounds like a good idea. Of course this is still unconfirmed, but Samsung will be unveiling the Tab for the US on September 16 – then we’ll know for sure.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S vs. Apple iPhone 4: Collision course

Introduction

It’s not like you’re out of options. Here’s one. Another one would be to get a friend’s iPhone 4 and another friend’s Galaxy S, put them on a table, close your eyes and… tell your friends to bugger off. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way. Flip a what?

Now seriously, do we need another iPhone vs. insert phone of choice thing? Well, do you need Retina display when it’s more than the human eye can see? Do you need a 4” Super AMOLED when 3.5” would’ve been just fine – and easier to handle?

Apple iPhone 4 • Samsung I9000 Galaxy S

Yes, we’ll be comparing the best screens in business. But it’s not even the beginning of what this is all about. There’s not just muscle being flexed here – it’s about ideology too. It’s open source Android against control freaks Apple, democracy against the royalty.

And technically, the Samsung Galaxy S is not alone in this fight. It’s backed by an army of overseas mercenaries, marching to take on the Apple phone on different markets: Samsung Vibrant, Samsung Captivate and the Epic 4G.

The different call signs aside, we have two of the best phones you can get today and this is not a kill-or-get-killed game. The first thing we try to find out when reviewing phones is who they are for. The tech inside is always exciting but ultimately it all comes down to whether the right users are getting the right treatment.

The specs are the players – the phone is the team. You can always tell a star player. But the winning team isn’t always the one with the better players. And sometimes you don’t even want to look at the score. That’s when we know it’s been a hell of a game.

Samsung Galaxy S over Apple iPhone 4

• Android 2.1 Éclair, 2.2 Froyo update just around the corner
• 4” SuperAMOLED display with a 15:9 widescreen aspect ratio
• Regular SIM card support
• DivX/XviD video support
• FM radio with RDS
• Notably cheaper

Apple iPhone 4 over Samsung Galaxy S

• iOS 4
• 640 x 960 pixel Retina display
• Scratch-resistant, high-quality glass panels
• LED flash
• Precise movement tracking via a gyro sensor

It’s Android’s finest against the iPhone but that’s how we tend to look at it on our side of the pond. The truth is, there are meaner and keener droids out there. The Motorola DROID X and the HTC Evo 4G are obviously not part of our story but are the kind of phones to merit a place in history.

Anyway, there’s enough firepower here even without the US heavyweights. Screen and OS are the most powerful weapons of both the Galaxy S and the iPhone 4. SuperAMOLED came first and impressed the world but now the Retina display is claiming the crown.

With platforms it’s a mirrored image of the same events: iOS (known as iPhone OS at the time), redefined touchscreen usability but Android claims to have leapfrogged it with Froyo.

To further complicate things, even absolutely identical specs don’t produce the same performance. The cameras on both devices may look similar but the rival camps took a completely different approach to processing – that holds true for both still imaging and video recording.

At times, it will look like the Galaxy S is competing against a first-gen iPhone. There are still things Apple will never bother put in their phones. Elsewhere, the Samsung Galaxy S might find it hard to match the stature and eloquence of the iPhone. That’s how we like it though – punches flying both ways. Be right back.

Design and construction

Say what you will about specs but they’re not the first thing you notice about a handset. What we have here is some amazing pieces of technology – phones you’ll want to show off. But a touchscreen bar isn’t exactly the form factor to let designers unleash their creativity. Plus, a large, bright, high-res screen is enough to make any handset a looker.

We have two completely different approaches here. Design is a rather broad concept: there’s handling and ergonomics – and there’re engineering choices that affect the actual performance. In terms of pure looks though, the iPhone is having a walkover here.

Apple deserves much credit for the styling of their latest phone. They did a complete overhaul of one of the most minimalist designs ever. The iPhone 4 has the right measures of simplicity and sophistication. And it’s all meaningful. It’s the latest in a line of phones that redefined user-friendliness but it’s the next generation too in features and technology.

The new iPhone 4 has a brand new design

Samsung on the other hand, don’t seem to care too much about the packaging. The Galaxy S does little to stand out among the multitude of affordable mass-market touch phones that the company has been churning out. The simple and plasticky phone is quite in line perhaps with Android’s egalitarian nature.

Simplicity was key for Apple too, but premium finish for their latest and greatest must’ve been a matter of noblesse oblige. Some of Apple’s innovative design solutions are questionable to say the least but the glass-covered, metal-framed iPhone 4 is a joy to behold.

Choosing an all-plastic case for the I9000 Galaxy S, Samsung were able to keep the phone’s weight to the incredible 119 grams (the iPhone 4 weighs in at 137 g). Quite an achievement this one – don’t forget we’re talking a 4″ screen. Among other things, the plastic body makes the Galaxy S much cheaper to make too.

The Samsung I9000 Galaxy S is amazingly light for a 4″ phone

Now depending on how you look at it, the lower weight might be an advantage, as it makes the handset less of a burden in the pocket, or a disadvantage, as it takes away some of the solid feel we’ve come to expect in premium phones.

The glossy plastic body of the Galaxy S doesn’t look quite so nice after a short while – it doesn’t take long for it to become a greasy mess. The rear of the phone is less affected by this unpleasant effect. The bluish dots on the back cover were also an attempt perhaps to give the premium handset a bit of personality. The subtle holographic depth effect might have seemed relevant to the phone’s name too.

One aspect where the Galaxy S does beat the iPhone 4 however is handling. The Samsung handset has a subtle chin at its back that makes the handset both comfortable and more secure to hold. A 4″ screen does push the limits of comfortable single-handed use but the Galaxy S feels good in the hand – especially with the tapered edges, which previous iPhones had too.

The Apple’s latest on the other hand has top-notch finish but this is somehow at the expense of secure handling. The iPhone 4 is so slick and smooth with all that glass up and front that it makes you take extra care not to drop it.

The iPhone 4 has a quality finish and feels great in the hand

This brings us to the next aspect of design – durability. Firstly, the iPhone 4 has a clear advantage as far as day-to-day wear and tear is concerned. The scratch-resistant glass panels can suffer quite a lot of abuse and will look as good as day one.

However glass, sturdy as it may be, is still pretty sensitive to dropping. Early tests showed that the iPhone can survive landing on its face, but falling on a side is likely to cause a nasty crack on the front or bacl. And with glass panels that are pretty hard to replace this is not something you want to have to deal with.

A bumper case is usually good enough to stay out of trouble but those cheap looking (but pretty expensive to buy) pieces of plastic do take away quite a lot of the device’s appeal.

The plasticky Galaxy S on the other hand is far easier to scratch but is less vulnerable to dropping. Not to mention that replacing its full-face back panel is far easier and cheaper and requires less technical knowledge. We’d rather call it a tie here.

The Samsung Galaxy S is plastic all around

On a final note we’d like to point out the size difference. The 4″ screen of the Galaxy S is marvelous to look at but might be an issue for some users. We guess 3.7 inches is as far as phones should go to. Our two rivals here are keen to support that claim. It just seems the iPhone puts the majority of people at ease. The big screen of Galaxy S will delight power users, but might turn off the average Joe.

Telephony

The fact aside that telephony is still one of the main jobs of a mobile phone, we don’t think we would have normally included such a chapter in a shoot-out. But this has quite a lot to do with design, as many unfortunate iPhone 4 users have come to learn the hard way.

If you are reading this, chances are you already know everything there is to know about the so-called Antennagate. In the end, it’s not about a weak spot in a phone that’s pitched as the pinnacle of evolution. It’s about how Apple handled the whole thing.

The iPhone 4 dialer

Apple thought it had nailed it with their all-new antenna design giving the iPhone 4 better signal reception than any iPhone before it plus keeping thing as compact as they come. But it didn’t quite work the way they hoped. It could’ve been an oversight. Or they knew contact with skin will most certainly interfere with the antenna and cause the phone to lose signal – but didn’t care to act when they should have.

Either way, the thing was blown out of proportion, fueled by Apple’s own high-octane mix of arrogance and denial. It seems it’s all heading towards a happily-ever-after. Our own tests showed iPhone’s reception was mostly problematic in areas of spotty coverage . And bumper cases are certain to sort all issues out.

So there you go, Apple decided to give away free bumpers.

Of course not every iPhone 4 owner is happy to have a piece of plastic wrapped around their shiny handset. Not to mention that depending on the bumper you choose it might take up to 3 months for it to arrive. Not quite the best way to treat the customers, who paid good money for your device.

And to make matters worse, the antenna isn’t the only problem of the iPhone 4. Proximity sensor issues have been reported since day one and this has nothing to do with external factors like the cellular network. We’ve done our own investigation into the issue and you can see, the problem is very much real.

The Samsung Galaxy S has some clever ways to dial

The proximity sensor on the iPhone 4 is somewhat buggy and the screen will sometimes turn on even though you are holding the phone right next to your face. Accidental presses are likely resulting sometimes in dropped or muted calls, which can be quite annoying. At least Apple owned up to this one and promised a fix in the next iOS version (in fact the iOS 4.1 beta is already available and early reports suggest it does fix things up).

Next up is video calling. The Apple FaceTime videochat service only works over Wi-Fi (unless you have a jailbroken device) and both parties must have an iPhone 4. So it’s not exactly the most widely adopted option for video chats.

The Galaxy S has video-calling enabled too. And what do you know, the other person doesn’t even have to have a Galaxy S, just any 3G handset will do (well, okay, most of them). The Galaxy S also brings contact widgets, quick contacts and that neat little feature that allows you to dial or text a contact in your phonebook by a swipe gesture.

Apple iPhone 4: 4/10 • Samsung I9000 Galaxy S: 9/10

Display

This is where it gets serious. The best displays in business, the pride and joy of Samsung and Apple.

In the Galaxy S corner is a 4” SuperAMOLED display of WVGA resolution (800 x 480 pixels). Across the ring we have the iPhone 4 and the Retina display – a 3.5” S-IPS LCD unit at 960 x 640 pixels. Both of course have support for up to 16M colors, so banding isn’t an issue.

There isn’t much to say about the sensitivity of the two touchscreens either – they are both superb. We see capacitive at its best here and with screens this big and interfaces so well optimized you’re likely to enjoy yourselves.

The iPhone 3G, iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S indoors

The SuperAMOLED technology is superior to LCD, especially on hand-held where its relatively shorter life span doesn’t really count. The iPhone 4 has higher nominal resolution, for finer, sharper image quality.

Besides the LCD mounted on the iPhone 4 has out-of-this-world viewing angles and manages to do something we never believed possible. It turns out that from extremely tight viewpoints the iPhone actually looks a bit better. However, considering that no one actually looks at their phone screen from such steep angles it’s a fact interesting to scientists but irrelevant to users.

Now for the resolution – the iPhone 4 is certainly impressively sharp, with pixel density unmatched by a GSM phone. No matter how close you look at it, it’s virtually impossible to see individual pixels. That’s certainly a welcome upgrade over previous iPhones, which had incredibly low pixel density but is not to say that the Galaxy S is the sad loser here.

The three phones outside in the sun

Right on the contrary – the Samsung I9000 with its WVGA resolution is pretty sharp too. What’s more, the way you normally hold your phone (at just under an arm’s length away from your eyes) the difference between the two is hardly that big.

Even at that distance, however you can easily see the superior contrast of the Galaxy S SuperAMOLED screen. Those kind of displays, unlike LCDs, are able to display pitch-black and much more saturated colors in general, which is really what we all want to see. It’s also what makes the difference when watching a movie on your mobile phone, giving the Galaxy S an edge here.

And speaking of video playback, the Galaxy S has another advantage over the iPhone 4. Its widescreen 15:9 display is much better suited for watching movies, which all tend to come in 16:9 aspect ratio or even wider. You still need to lose a small part (where black bars appear) of the screen or crop the edges of the frame, but the iPhone has it much worse here.

Viewing angles compared: Samsung I9000 Galaxy S, Apple iPhone 4 • iPhone 3G

All that said, we really believe that the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S takes an edge on the more important parts of the display performance. Plus it gets an extra point for the extra size to win this one.

Still camera

The 5 megapixel snappers of the two devices in question are not their key selling points. You can get better still imaging on a phone for half the price. Yet it doesn’t hurt to have a quality camera on board and with the specs so evenly matched it was inevitable that we will compare them.

The iPhone 4 sets off to a good start here with its LED flash. Not that it is that much good with its limited range but the Galaxy S has nothing to offer in return so it’s still an advantage.

As we said in the introduction, despite the similar specs the two cameras actually have completely different outputs. The iPhone 4 doesn’t process its photos much, fighting with chroma noise, but leaving luminance noise alone. The Galaxy S on the other hand tries to eradicate all kinds of, which given the qualities of the cameraphone sensors easily results in lost detail.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4 • 100% crops

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4 • 100% crops

So the iPhone 4 gives you slightly noisier but more detailed images, which depending on your preferences might be a good or a bad thing. We don’t mind some luminance noise in our images (it is certainly far less objectionable than the colored chroma noise), so we are siding with the iPhone here.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4 • 100% crops

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4 • 100% crops

However what we do mind is the iPhone 4’s tendency to overexpose and oversaturate the camera shots. In more contrasty conditions this leads to irritatingly blown highlights and even in less uncomfortable conditions leaves to negative side effects. For example take a look at the crop of the flower – the iPhone 4 shots lacks any detail, because the oversaturated red channel has clipped. Apple have obviously tuned the camera for on-screen use only compensation for the slightly undersaturated display output. Somehow it hasn’t occurred to them that getting images to look fine on the iPhone4 screen would ruin their viewing on any other screen.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4 • 100% crops

On the other hand if you are only used to looking at photos on you smarphone’s screen the boosted colors will probably impress you more than such defects will bother you. Still there’s little point in 5 megapixel cameras if you are to only look at photos on your mobile, so we are leaning towards the Galaxy’s take on the color processing. We gotta note however that there are times such as this sunset, where the iPhone 4 oversaturation provides for an extra striking image.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4

Finally there’s another issue with the iPhone 4 camera. It tends to get the color balance wrong more often than not. Even in the world of mobile phones, which are famous for their poor color accuracy the iPhone 4 overly saturated yellow-tinted shots can look really bad.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4 • Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4

And as luck would have it the conditions in which that phenomenon is most pronounced are not quite so rare. Those include outside shots on a sunny day and indoor photos with bulb lighting in the room. The second case is much worse, the photos ranging from bad to downright unusable.

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4 • Samsung I9000 Galaxy S • Apple iPhone 4

So as far as image quality is concerned it’s about even between those two. The iPhone 4 gives you more detailed and more saturated images that in proper lighting look much nicer. However camera tuning is all about compromises and the one the iPhone makes here is reliability. So while the Galaxy S photos sometimes will go down to being okayish, the iPhone 4 shots can get really ugly.

However the Samsung Galaxy S has an advantage here that helps it to the victory. Camera interface is almost completely absent on the iPhone but the Samsung I9000 offers a whole load of settings in a nicely thumbable tabs.

iPhone 4 camera interface

You get different scenes and effects for the rookies and more advanced settings like metering, contrast, saturation and sharpness for the more experienced users. So if you fiddle with them for a while you could probably achieve result close to what the iPhone can give. Going the other way around isn’t possible though. Not to mention that the Galaxy S offers extra features such as self-timer and face and blink detection.

Galaxy S camera interface

iPhone 4: 6/10 • Samsung I9000 Galaxy S: 7/10

Video recording

While a 5 megapixel still camera won’t inspire any geek, the 720p video recording most certainly will. There is still no mobile phone on the GSM market capable of recording anything better than the 720p@30 fps movies that those two offer. And all that processing power has allowed for pretty decent quality of the videos too.

The LED flash of the iPhone 4 matters more here as it can be used as a video light. Again, it’s range is limited but videos need less light than still photos so it’s certainly good to have one of those.

And again it’s the Galaxy S striking back with a more functional, but still well organized camcorder interface. Of course nothing can beat the iPhone 4 for simplicity of use but that’s just because it has no options whatsoever.

Galaxy S camcorder interface

The only extra feature the iPhone 4 offers is the manual touch focus that happily works during video recording. In response to that the Samsung Galaxy S offeres continuous auto focus but it works too slow and is somewhat unreliable in close ups.

iPhone 4 camcorder UI

As far as image quality is concerned the iPhone 4 produces striking 720p videos that are way more detailed than those made by any other phone. As you can see it is able to resolve much more detail than the Galaxy S, producing much sharper clips.

Here are a couple of crops that demonstrate that pretty well.

100% video crops

Those crops are taken from the following videos (combined in a playlist). You can open them fullscreen to see the difference more easily. It’s like the iPhone was made to shoot test charts like this one – it’s that good.

Samsung Galaxy S lands in two more countries, Brazil and Chin

Samsung Galaxy S made it to Brazil and it seems that along the way it has picked up a strange appendix pointing from its top. Yup, it’s a digital TV antenna. Unlike the other Galaxy S versions spread around the globe, the Brazilian Galaxy S comes with ISDB-Tb Digital TV on board. Oh, and it’s pretty overpriced.

As for the rest of the features, you should be familiar with them since those are common for the Brazilian and the non-Brazilian Galaxy S variants. So, you’ll find the same gorgeous 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen of WVGA resolution as well as the 5MP autofocus camera on the back which is capable of shooting HD videos (720p@30fps).

Live images of the Brazilian version of Samsung Galaxy S

To refresh your memory, the Galaxy S is powered by a fast 1GHz processor and packs an impressive 1500mAh battery. At its launch the Brazilian version will run Android 2.1 (a.k.a. Eclair) but an official Froyo update should follow up pretty soon.

The only downside of the Brazilian Samsung Galaxy S is its price. The SIM-free handset is said to cost good 2400 Brazilian reais (around 1036 euro). Hopefully, the Brazilian operators will offer a better subsidized price at the launch of the phone (some time in September).

Samsung I9008 Galaxy S

By the way, China will apparently get the Galaxy S as well (versions for both China Mobile and China Telecom are expected). The one on the picture above is called Samsung I9008 Galaxy S and should become available at the China Mobile stores soon.