It is pretty rare to see that a network produces a cell phone from scratch and hence I was surprised to see the O2 Cocoon. This phone is made by O2 and is manufacturer by Pantech. This is a unusual move and there is more to this handset than what meets the eye at first sight. The phone is available on a monthly contract for free and you get can also get it on pay as you go basis for £300. The O2 Cocoon joins the bandwagon of cool-in-white theme and there is a trendy having black interior and sides. It is a bit chunky as compared to the Ultra Edition phones from Samsung but will still fit easily in the pocket. Unlike a lot of clamshell cell phones, this device is curved at bottom and top and this creates a profile which looks oval. One advantage of the rounded ends here is that the phone easily goes in to the pocket  [...]

LG Renoir KC910 is a high end cell phone and the best part about it is the eight megapixel high end camera. It comes with a wealth of options and you can rely on this to replace an entry level point and shoot camera. Schneider-Kreuznach optics here have been improved since Viewty and I got to take some really good looking and exciting photos. Just like most of the mobile phones out there, this one works the best when you put it in optimal conditions – natural and bright sunlight. I did have some luck while talking pictures in dark rooms using Xenon flash but the subjects had to be really close for it. Testing macro feature on the LG Renoir KC910, I took pics which replicated a depth of field very well and this is difficult to achieve using fixed focus camera phone lens. While reviewing the images, I saw natural and good color reproductions when flash did not fire and the artefacting too was very little. The photos that  [...]

Nokia has announced Nokia Astound and this handset will be covered by T-Mobile. The handset is a lot like Nokia C7, both the phones have similar specs. For instance, there is the same three and half inch AMOLED display and eight megapixel camera which can capture 720p videos. These specs were announced last year too and we think the only difference between the two phones is the T-Mobile branding (that should change to AT&T branding soon). The looks of this phone are pretty cool with a bottom chin and platform kind of thing. Our sources tell us that the browser has been refreshed here and it also supports QWERTY keyboard layout. One unique feature here is that the service provider is providing WiFi calling just like on the E73 Mode. You will be able to do unrestricted video calling through Qik using the front facing camera.  [...]

Since a long time, AT&T has been criticized for having poor network. They have been struggling to meet the demands of growing cell phone data usage and there have been a lot of complaints about it. It seems that the carrier has now found a solution to the problem. AT&T has bought T-Mobile USA for an astonishing sum of $39 billion. The transfer will not be easy, there will be regulatory hurdles to take care of and the deal might take months or even years to complete. T-Mobile USA will get 8% of the directors seat at AT&T and AT&T will become the biggest cellular service provider in the US. Both these giants have 25% more users than Verizon Wireless. But we all know that this purchase is not just about increasing the number of customers, it is for improving the quality of network. AT&T is working hard  [...]

Sony Ericsson W595i is a slider phone having a 3.2 megapixel camera and it is the successor to the W580i which was really popular in the market. The specs are upgraded here and this sweetens the deal further. The cost of the phone is £225 without any contract obligations. This phone has a lot of features carried over from the predecessor and they look like siblings. The position of the camera has been changed, the USB port is moved and the shape of the enclosure too is a bit different. However, if you are looking for some ground breaking changes on the phone, you will be disappointed. Sony Ericsson W595i is still pretty decent with a good layout of the keys. It is easier to type text messages on other phones but practice of about one week will make things alright. My biggest complaint here is that there is no 3.5 mm headphones jack and this is really disappointing since this is a music centric phone. If you have the W580i, I won’t  [...]

Sony Ericsson K770i is a CyberShot phone but there is more to this phone than just taking good pictures. I loved the feature set here including music player. This phone is offered for free on 3 along with some contracts. It is also available SIM free or pay as you go for £200. My Sony Ericsson K770i review model came from 3 and it had purple striking color scheme which is not available on other carriers. However, this handset looks really good even without the purple color. Metallic strip keypad on the device gives it a business look and the device feels well proportioned in the hand. Sony Ericsson K770i is a cyber shot phone and you’d expect the camera to be better than what you’d find on other phones. In my tests, it didn’t disappoint all. The 3.2 megapixel shooter is activated when you slide open the cover on the phone’s rear. There is also a shutter button on the phone’s right edge for starting the camera. Sony  [...]

Motorola W180 is a new user friendly and flat phone from this Motorola and it comes with all the tools that you’d need in an entry level cell phone. It is a very attractive and user friendly phone with high quality chassis and crystal clear sound quality. There is also music player along with FM radio. The manufacturer has also bundled headphones in the pack for listening to radio. The phone has everything you need – music, data, and cellular service. All this is controlled through a very intuitive user interface. Friendly interfaces for SMS and FM radio combined along with big display and a very sleek keypad make sure that you get a good navigation experience. You don’t have to shout or raise your volume for talking on the phone and the person on the other side can be heard clearly as well. The Motorola W180 has Crystal Talk technology for smooth talking experience. There are enhanced and normal ringtones which can be heard clearly even in noisy environments.

Sony Ericsson K330 is a very stylish mobile phone and it is very user friendly too. This phone comes in two different color options - Black & Green and Black & Gold. Both of them are glossy and look sleek and stylish. This gadget is from the K series of cell phones and other members of this family include SE K630i, SE K770i, and SE K660i. The screen is 1.7 inches big and has a resolution of 128x160 pixels with support for 65k colors. This makes viewing colorful and clear. The phone has a candy bar design with dimensions of 100mm by 45mm by 12mm and it weighs 75 grams. The K330 sat very comfortably in my palm and you can easily put it in jeans pocket without any problems. I was impressed by the talk time as well – a single charge gives seven hours of talk time and the standby time is 300 hours. Sony Ericsson K330 has a  [...]