Quickie: Samsung Reclaim

The Samsung Reclaim reminds me of the Samsung Instinct s30 – it’s not particularly compelling, but then again, I’m not the target audience!

Is it green? To quote Jemery Clarkson: “Yes, very.” Some of the plastic parts are actually made of corn, but I don’t think this phone is any more biodegradable, considering all the electronics…

Quickie: HTC Touch Pro2

Quickie is a new column wherein I’ll provide quick reviews of devices I’ve used for a few days, complete with pictures & video, pros & cons, and camera samples.

The HTC Touch Pro2 (Sprint version) is a lot like the HTC Touch Pro, but bigger & heavier…

Unboxing the BlackBerry 9630 (Tour)

With all the brouhaha caused by the Motorola Droid, I’ve been neglecting some of the other recent arrivals. Last week at the Sprint Open Developer Conference, in addition to getting a free HTC Hero, I also scored a free BlackBerry 9630 (Tour)!

In the past, I’ve enjoyed the BlackBerry 8320 (Curve) and, although the BlackBerry 9530 (Storm) was a total disaster, I was impressed with its CDMA+GSM radio and its excellent camera. The Tour is the best of both worlds – a traditional BlackBerry like the Curve with the same trick radio and camera as the Storm…

Unboxing the HTC Hero, US version

What’s the first Android device with CDMA and the Sense UI? The HTC Hero, US version, of course!

A few days ago, I was lucky to attend the Sprint Open Developer Conference (thanks Tony) and to receive a free Hero (like the other participants). But then the Motorola Droid crashed the party :)

So here is a proper Hero unboxing, albeit slightly delayed. Enjoy my pictures above and my video after the break…

Unboxing the Nokia 7705 (Twist)

What? Another CDMA phone from Nokia? Madness!

Behold the Nokia 7705 (Twist), a feature phone with a QWERTY keyboard and an ultra cool swivel form factor that’s exclusive to the US market (Verizon).

Like the Nokia 6790 (Surge), it’s primarily a messaging device. Contrary to the Surge, it’s not running Symbian, which is FoF (*)…

Sure, there’s 3G (EVDO), a 3 megapixel camera (with auto-focus, flash, and QVGA video recording), GPS, and a 2.4″ QVGA display.

But unfortunately, WiFi is missing, the audio connector is of the 2.5 mm variety, the battery is only 860 mAh, and there’s no Java support, which is again FoF (*).

(*) Full of Fail.

Oh well – enjoy my pictures and video :)

Samsung Instinct s30 hands-on

The story reads something like this. Once upon a time, I contacted the friendly people at Sprint and asked for a Palm Pre review unit in time for launch day…

Unfortunately, they were unable to accommodate my request due to lack of devices, so instead, I just picked up a Palm Pre on launch day and returned it within 30 days. As a consolation prize, they were kind enough to provide me with a Samsung Instinct s30!

But wait, the Samsung Instinct s30 is a CDMA touchscreen feature phone with a basic camera. I only review smartphones, or phones with cameras that, at a minimum, feature auto-focus with macro. I only deal with GSM devices, and rarely cover CDMA phones. Oh noes :)

Well, I did the graceful thing – instead of a full review, I did a hands-on, all the while keeping an open mind and adjusting my expectations.

Unboxing the Palm Pre

Here it is – the eagerly anticipated Palm Pre!

Check out my unboxing pictures and video…

More soon :)

CTIA: Palm Pre walkthrough

During CTIA I visited the Sprint VIP lounge and I recorded this exclusive 45-minute video walkthrough of the Palm Pre! I also snapped a bunch of pictures…

Life with the BlackBerry Storm

I only have 2 words to describe my 3 weeks with the BlackBerry 9530 (Storm): epic fail! From the day the Storm was announced it was clear to me that some nasty weather was heading this way from Canada. Hold this thought as a segue for moment.

Podcast: Talking with Matt #5

It’s time for another podcast (26 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week we discussed the BlackBerry 9530 (Storm) and the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, amongst other things. Enjoy :)

Click here to subscribe to this podcast.