Reviews

Initial Look at the N8 Hardware

by Simon 10.16.2010

It’s no surprise that The Fanatics have the N8. We went to Nokia World. We did the whole “look at us with these shiny new devices” thing. Well, we’re back and we’re taking a look at the N8.

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Nokia E5 vs. E71 photos with the E73 mixed in

by Mike Macias 09.30.2010

I’ve been using the Nokia E5 for about 3 weeks and so far I’m extremely impressed. It’s a great phone for those looking to upgrade from the Nokia E71, E72, or maybe you’re sick of your Blackberry device but want something similar. I know I have a ton of followers from my E71 Fanatics days who are still clinging to their E71, mainly because they haven’t seen anything as powerful and reliable come out of the Nokia camp with a price range of under $300. If you follow me on Twitter you’ll know that I’ve been harping the past few weeks about the stability Nokia E5 and how amazed I am at the price. Right now Amazon has the black and white E5 for $200 (prices vary). Sometimes the white .....

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Nokia E7 hands-on preview, photos galore

by Mike Macias 09.29.2010

It was 2 weeks ago at Nokia World when Simon and I got a chance to get our hands on the next big thing out of Finland – the Nokia E7. This announcement by Nokia was a big one, mainly because it’s almost the end of the year and still no major smartphone has been released. They have little to no room to get this launch wrong – and so far they’ve done a great job in getting the word out about the E7 and receiving some decent reviews from tech blogs all over the web. Winning over the hearts of consumers will be another challenge – but I think they have a winner here with the Nokia E7. I’ve seen a few critical reviews – most are about the .....

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Photos of Nokia E7 vs. N97 side by side

by Mike Macias 09.24.2010

If you’re a Nokia N97 user you’ve lasted longer than me, or just recently got yours. As of today I am no longer an N97 Fanatic. I have finally parted ways with the device that I so highly anticipated just over a year ago. I am glad I held onto it long enough to snap a few shots of my N97 (classic, not mini) next to the E7 when I was at Nokia World last week. This was something I made sure to do since both phones share the same hardware design when it comes to the slide-out keyboard and tilted screen. Check out these side by side photos we snapped for your enjoyement…

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Root: A Vibrant Tale

by Timi Cantisano 09.22.2010

While the Samsung Vibrant is a wonderful device, there were some things that I did not enjoy when I first started using it. I researched on ways to improve/change these and to my surprise all of the issues could be solved with one word : ROOT. Its a procedure that needs to be performed in order to gain access to the core system files. Once accomplished you open yourself to interesting possibilities such as expanded assortment of applications and custom ROMs. While it may seem like something only an enthusiast might need, it’s also required for simple things like taking a screen shot on your Android device. I’d like to break down my process and why I decided to ROOT the Vibrant to gain access to the tools I needed .....

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Nokia C7 hands-on review and Q&A video session with project manager at Nokia World

by Mike Macias 09.21.2010

It wasn’t until day 2 at Nokia World last week that I realized how capable the Nokia C7 is and how much of a player this phone will be in the smartphone market when it lands in stores. It’s a poor-man’s version of the Nokia N8, with watered down specs and a different design. That’s not a knock – it’s a compliment when you factor in the price and everything it CAN do. The Nokia C7 can put up a fight against any Android device and even the iPhone. I hate comparing any Symbian device to the iPhone but that’s what everyone LOVES to do, and for that reason I will NOT be mentioning the iPhone again in this article. Instead I’ll give you my thoughts after handling the device .....

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A “Vibrant” Thang! Samsung Galaxy S Hands On – Part 2

by Timi Cantisano 09.08.2010

It has been nearly two years since the release of the first Android device, the G1/Magic. Back in 2008 the handset debuted with a 3.2 megapixel camera without flash. In almost two years not much advancement has been made. But than again there doesn’t seem to be many companies that are attempting to push the envelope when it comes to hardware design and specifications. The Samsung Vibrant comes in the same mold as many Android devices but with one exception, it does NOT have a flash. Yes, a high end Android device (released in 2010) with a 5 megapixel camera and NO flash. What was Samsung thinking and why would they not include a flash on one of its most important releases to date. While its hard to understand their decision, .....

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Review: Nokia E73 Mode qwerty smartphone for T-Mobile

by Mike Macias 08.30.2010

Last weekend I told you that Nokia invited me to a beach party right here in Southern California to promote the Nokia E73 Mode. Needless to say we had a blast, did everything from kayaking, volleyball game, jet skis, and plenty of booze! Check out some of photos from the day at the E73 Mode Party Flickr Group if you’re interested. We left the party with a Nokia E73 Mode in our hands to trial for a few weeks. Nokia was even nice enough to put a pre-paid T-Mobile sim card inside so we can get some real use out of it. This was huge for me since I’m an AT&T user. So far I’m impressed with the Nokia E73 Mode, although I have a few problems with the software .....

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A “Vibrant” Thang! Samsung Galaxy S Hands On – Part 1

by Timi Cantisano 08.26.2010

What happens when Samsung decides to horde its stock of S-AMOLED screens and not share with the rest of the world? They create the Samsung Galaxy S. The worlds largest S-AMOLED device measuring in at 4 inches. The launch for the Galaxy S has been one of the most aggressive campaigns recently with an attempt to saturate the world with this device. Samsung will release this device in over 100 countries and while I cant verify that this has been achieved, I can say that in the U.S. they have successfully penetrated the 4 major carriers (ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon), along with numerous smaller carriers. While holding out so long for something that would be a perfect fit for me (I struggle to find something that will overtake the need .....

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My thoughts on the Nokia N900 & Maemo

by Mike Macias 07.31.2010

Last month I got a chance to use the Nokia N900 for a few weeks. It’s about time that I finally write this article; right? For a few reasons I will hold back from giving a full & detailed review of the N900 and instead just let you know how I felt about the device after only a few weeks of use. Reasons for the short analysis? Here they are… 1) You can find plenty of huge reviews all over the internet. View the official N900 page here. 2) The N900 has been out for awhile now and is no longer hyped up & exciting to read about. 3) I have been a Symbian S60 loyalist for years now. Two weeks is not nearly long enough to learn a new .....

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