Monday, 11 July 2011
Some photos from the mobiler meetup!! 7//7/11
Here are some photos from the meetup at Samsung HQ in Chertsey last week.. :)
Friday, 8 July 2011
Samsung Mobiler Mission 1: Compare Android to RIM
Hi everyone, Today i received details of my first Samsung Mobiler mission and it is to compare Android to RIM, I will try to make the comparisons fair and will give my own honest opinions.Over the past 5 years i have used a vast variety of phones including Symbian's, iOS, Blackberry and most recently Android so i think I am in a fair position to judge constructively.
Only a few years ago RIM had the monopoly of the business world due to the great QWERTY keyboards and push email service that was rivaled by no other and an instant messaging service that allowed Blackberry owners to speak to each other instantly via a unique push message service. Over recent times Google's Android OS has become a huge rival to RIM and hopefully in this post i can point out the strengths of both OS and my personal preference and why etc.1. Comparisons
*Push Email and Instant Messaging*
As i mentioned in the intro to the article, Blackberry are renowned for there Push Email service and BBM instant messenger which allows users to keep in touch and share photos and other files easily although this is restricted to Blackberry users only.
From an Android owners point of view i can honestly say this service is now matched if not beaten by the Google alternative, firstly i use a Gmail address and Android will natively push my emails and give me a notification in the status bar that is easy to access at any time by a pull down menu. Secondly the Android market boasts over 200,000 apps which includes several FREE instant messenger applications such as Whatsapp and Liveprofile, unlike BBM you can add friends who are using iPhones, Blackberry's or any other android device and share files in the same way you do on RIM's BBM.
Winner: Android
*App Stores*
Currently the Blackberry App Store hosts around 37,000 apps and most of them are paid applications, Android offers 200,000 apps and over 80% of them are free!
Winner: Android
*Ease of use*
Blackberry have always had quite a learning curve, up until OS 6.0 the menus were plain white with text and many of the key settings and options were embedded into different categories that made things hard to navigate.
OS 6.0 has somewhat improved this but still requires a bit of learning by the user. When i had my Bold 9780 i always made sure the first thing i did was install a theme that changes the way you navigate. The slider at the bottom to change through Media, Settings, Internet etc was just too cumbersome. As far as i remember there wasn't a way to set your favorite apps or to place anything on the screen. Messaging was somewhat easier though with all your emails, sms and push notifications going into one unified inbox, this was a nice feature that i sometimes miss on Android.
Android has come a long way since i first used 1.6 Donut, i can honestly say its the most pleasurable OS i have ever used (2.3 Gingerbread). The ability to place widgets on your home-screen and receive up to date news, or a constant view of your twitter feed saves the need to go flying through 4 or 5 different apps to check your information.
On other popular mobile Operating Systems you don't have an option where to place your icons, they are all snapped into a grid but on Android you can place them wherever you want to. Android also has a pull down menu from any screen which will show any missed notifcations and has quick access to Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS etc..
Winner: Android
*Web Browsing*
There isn't a lot that can be said on this one because Android wins hands down. The Android browser support flash which can give you desktop like browsing on your mobile. Blackberry improved the browser in OS 6.0 by using a new webkit but without gestures and flash i feel this is an area where RIM really need to improve if there to keep up with the times.
Winner: Android
*Media Experience*
Once again there isn't any real contest here, Android has a rich music player experience, a dedicated youtube app and then other media apps such as Spotify, Last FM and Soundhound. Also with most of Samsung's offerings they have multiple video codec support which means far less hassle in playing different types of video format.
Also on top end Android phones now cameras of 5 and 8 megapixels come as standard, on top if this you can download several different types of photo editing software from the android market! This makes an android phone the perfect mobile snapper!
Overall i think Android wins on media aswell!
Winner: Android
*Conclusion*
After taking a brief look into some of the key features of both operating systems i see no real reason to pick a Blackberry over android now. Blackberry's tend to have an outstanding keyboard, great battery life and good call quality but after using the Samsung Galaxy Pro i can honestly say its the right time to convert! Android has a far better selection of apps, a better web browser, navigation and maps and a much richer media experience.
It might seem my article was a little biased but i have used both extensively and i can honestly say Android is the present and the future, it will only improve even more. Rim will need a massive update to even get close to catching up.
Thanks for reading, any questions please ask!
Samsung Galaxy Pro - Quick Review
So i have spent the last 24 hours using the Galaxy Pro that was given to me by the lovely people at Samsung HQ yesterday and thought it would be nice of me to write a quick review!
I will do the review in 4 stages. Design, Features, Performance and a Conclusion
1. Design
When Samsung give me a brand new Galaxy Pro on Thursday i couldn't wait to get the box open and have a play with another new toy! The first thing that struck me was how light the phone actually is, Samsung surely have a way of packing top quality components into some of the lightest shells on the market and this is no exception.
The Galaxy Pro is based around the Candy-bar design that has become popular with Blackberry's such as the Bold and Curve range. You get a 2.8 capacitive touchscreen accompanied by a very capable QWERTY keypad (more on this later). The Pro is easy to hold in one hand and its thin and lightweight design means it would be easy to use for long calls.
The build quality is solid and the phone is housed in a silver aluminum like casing, all the features are easy to use with a standard headphone jack on the top of the device, power button on the right side and the volume rocker on the right. You have a menu, home, back and search key located under the screen that give a nice click feel when pressed.The usb/charging slot is located on the top of the phone and is protected by a sliding cover that was also seen on the Galaxy S.
2. Features
The biggest appeal of the Galaxy Pro is of course the QWERTY keypad that is also accompanied by a capacitive touchscreen, Android OS is now the biggest phone operating system in the world but so many of the android devices are based on a touchscreen interface but Samsung are offering something different with the Galaxy Pro.
I have found the GP keyboard to be really easy to use despite me having big fingers, I did own a Bold 9780 before but the keys are flat and very close to each other which meant it was actually no easier than a touchscreen and i often found that my thumbs hurt after typing out a long email or message. Samsung have countered this by making sure the keys on the Pro are large and well spaced, they keys also have a rubbery feel which aids comfort when your rocking out them long business emails or detailed Facebook messages.
Having a capacitive touchscreen with a QWERTY keyboard works really well, it means you can type really efficiently but also navigate through your gallery, web browser and home screens by simply swiping or tapping as you would on a normal android touchscreen device. Colours are vivid on the display but its not the best screen for reading big PDF files or eBooks due to a low pixel density, but the screen is perfectly adequate for editing a few documents or responding to emails. Display was usable under daylight conditions but i often found myself putting the brightness on full.
The Galaxy Pro runs Android Froyo 2.2 and Samsung's own touchwiz launcher which makes placing widgets and applications on your homescreen a breeze. Touchwiz gives you 3 homescreens which is plenty for a device of this size but if you wanted to add more there's always the option of downloading launcher pro or an alternative launcher from the market.
The GP also comes with Samsung's social hub! This allows you to keep up to date with your twitter, Facebook and other messages all in one location! You can also set it up to receive instant push email, from my first few hours of testing it works very well indeed.
Battery life has lasted me through the day so far but its hard to comment on how good it actually is without more testing!
The Galaxy Pro runs on a 800mhz processor but ill discuss that more in the next section
3. Performance
Over my first 24 hours of use the GP has remained snappy throughout everything i have tried to do, i have been able to send emails, texts, browse the web, install apps without any noticeable lag at all. Underneath the hood the Pro is housing a 800mhz processor, this may seem a little low compared to the 1.2ghz dual core that's in the flagship Galaxy S 2 but for what this phone is meant for it handles it all perfectly.
The Galaxy Pro isn't marketed for high end media power users, its aimed towards former Blackberry owners who want to make the change to Android without sacrificing there beloved QWERTY keyboard or for business users who need to type out long emails everyday. The GP features Wireless N which means your internet browsing and other internet based activities will be completed at top speed if your using a compatible router.
The GP packs a 3 megapixel camera on the back which is adequate for taking quick snaps but there isn't a flash so you wont be taking any great night photos.
4. Conclusion
I can honestly say that my first 24 hours using the Galaxy Pro have been pleasurable ones. The keyboard has been a nice change from using a touchscreen all the time and the phones battery life has lasted me all day without the need to rush to a charger.
The GP is perfect for any Blackberry owners that are looking to convert, it gives the Blackberry QWERTY experience but provides you with one of the best mobile operating systems, better web browsing, over 200,000 apps and other benefits that comes with the android package such as GPS navigation and gmail support.
I would definitely recommend this device to anyone who cant afford the flagship SGS2!
Thanks for reading, any questions feel free to ask :)
I will do the review in 4 stages. Design, Features, Performance and a Conclusion
1. Design
When Samsung give me a brand new Galaxy Pro on Thursday i couldn't wait to get the box open and have a play with another new toy! The first thing that struck me was how light the phone actually is, Samsung surely have a way of packing top quality components into some of the lightest shells on the market and this is no exception.
The Galaxy Pro is based around the Candy-bar design that has become popular with Blackberry's such as the Bold and Curve range. You get a 2.8 capacitive touchscreen accompanied by a very capable QWERTY keypad (more on this later). The Pro is easy to hold in one hand and its thin and lightweight design means it would be easy to use for long calls.
The build quality is solid and the phone is housed in a silver aluminum like casing, all the features are easy to use with a standard headphone jack on the top of the device, power button on the right side and the volume rocker on the right. You have a menu, home, back and search key located under the screen that give a nice click feel when pressed.The usb/charging slot is located on the top of the phone and is protected by a sliding cover that was also seen on the Galaxy S.
2. Features
The biggest appeal of the Galaxy Pro is of course the QWERTY keypad that is also accompanied by a capacitive touchscreen, Android OS is now the biggest phone operating system in the world but so many of the android devices are based on a touchscreen interface but Samsung are offering something different with the Galaxy Pro.
I have found the GP keyboard to be really easy to use despite me having big fingers, I did own a Bold 9780 before but the keys are flat and very close to each other which meant it was actually no easier than a touchscreen and i often found that my thumbs hurt after typing out a long email or message. Samsung have countered this by making sure the keys on the Pro are large and well spaced, they keys also have a rubbery feel which aids comfort when your rocking out them long business emails or detailed Facebook messages.
Having a capacitive touchscreen with a QWERTY keyboard works really well, it means you can type really efficiently but also navigate through your gallery, web browser and home screens by simply swiping or tapping as you would on a normal android touchscreen device. Colours are vivid on the display but its not the best screen for reading big PDF files or eBooks due to a low pixel density, but the screen is perfectly adequate for editing a few documents or responding to emails. Display was usable under daylight conditions but i often found myself putting the brightness on full.
The Galaxy Pro runs Android Froyo 2.2 and Samsung's own touchwiz launcher which makes placing widgets and applications on your homescreen a breeze. Touchwiz gives you 3 homescreens which is plenty for a device of this size but if you wanted to add more there's always the option of downloading launcher pro or an alternative launcher from the market.
The GP also comes with Samsung's social hub! This allows you to keep up to date with your twitter, Facebook and other messages all in one location! You can also set it up to receive instant push email, from my first few hours of testing it works very well indeed.
Battery life has lasted me through the day so far but its hard to comment on how good it actually is without more testing!
The Galaxy Pro runs on a 800mhz processor but ill discuss that more in the next section
3. Performance
Over my first 24 hours of use the GP has remained snappy throughout everything i have tried to do, i have been able to send emails, texts, browse the web, install apps without any noticeable lag at all. Underneath the hood the Pro is housing a 800mhz processor, this may seem a little low compared to the 1.2ghz dual core that's in the flagship Galaxy S 2 but for what this phone is meant for it handles it all perfectly.
The Galaxy Pro isn't marketed for high end media power users, its aimed towards former Blackberry owners who want to make the change to Android without sacrificing there beloved QWERTY keyboard or for business users who need to type out long emails everyday. The GP features Wireless N which means your internet browsing and other internet based activities will be completed at top speed if your using a compatible router.
The GP packs a 3 megapixel camera on the back which is adequate for taking quick snaps but there isn't a flash so you wont be taking any great night photos.
4. Conclusion
I can honestly say that my first 24 hours using the Galaxy Pro have been pleasurable ones. The keyboard has been a nice change from using a touchscreen all the time and the phones battery life has lasted me all day without the need to rush to a charger.
The GP is perfect for any Blackberry owners that are looking to convert, it gives the Blackberry QWERTY experience but provides you with one of the best mobile operating systems, better web browsing, over 200,000 apps and other benefits that comes with the android package such as GPS navigation and gmail support.
I would definitely recommend this device to anyone who cant afford the flagship SGS2!
Thanks for reading, any questions feel free to ask :)
Thursday, 7 July 2011
First Mobiler Meeting!
Hey all,
I have just got back from my first Samsung Mobiler meeting and i had a really enjoyable time! While at the event i got to see the new range of Galaxy Tab's and was also given a Galaxy Pro smartphone courtesy of Samsung!
I will get a quick review of the Galaxy Pro posted sometime over the weekend, its certainly a nice device.
I cant wait for the Mobiler missions to start and would like to thank Samsung again for giving me this opportunity!
I have just got back from my first Samsung Mobiler meeting and i had a really enjoyable time! While at the event i got to see the new range of Galaxy Tab's and was also given a Galaxy Pro smartphone courtesy of Samsung!
I will get a quick review of the Galaxy Pro posted sometime over the weekend, its certainly a nice device.
I cant wait for the Mobiler missions to start and would like to thank Samsung again for giving me this opportunity!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)