Unboxing the Motorola Droid, part 2

Sure, the Motorola CLIQ and HTC Hero are very nice, and the HTC Magic and T-Mobile G1 are pretty good, but this phone takes Android to a whole new level!

You’re looking at HAL 9000 the Motorola Droid, the first Android device with 2.0 (Eclair) and a 848×480 pixel screen – possibly the slimmest (and hottest) QWERTY slider ever designed…

Feast your eyes on my unboxing pictures, and if you’re still hungry for more, check out my unboxing video :)

Unboxing the Motorola Droid, part 1

The Motorola Droid is here! Take a look at my unboxing video, and come back later today for my unboxing pictures…

Motorola CLIQ hands on

Another day, another Android device… Orly?

Today at Mobilize, Motorola announced its first Android phone, the Motorola CLIQ.

My ninja monkeys spent some time with it and took some pictures of it. The verdict? This may just be Motorola’s comeback device :)

First impressions? The CLIQ is definitely the nicest Android phone I’ve used so far. From the glass screen to the metal bezel to the solid slide mechanism, it’s built like a tank (something Motorola is famous for).

The camera seems quite good (albeit limited to QVGA video recording), and the keyboard feels great. As for the UI, it’s reasonably snappy and nicely executed.

I’m definitely looking forward to playing with it some more!

Podcast: Talking with Matt #13

It’s time for another podcast (35 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week we discussed the Nokia N97, the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), and the Nokia E75!

Other topics include Matt’s adventures on the N97 24/7 Tour, plus a few other things, all while sitting outside of Cafe Flore…

Click here to subscribe to this podcast.

Samsung T929 (Memoir) camera

It’s been almost 6 months since I picked up the Samsung T929 (Memoir), the first subsidized 8 megapixel cameraphone in the US, and I’m overdue for a review :)

Over the years, I have tested a plethora of 5 megapixel devices – the i-mobile 902, the Nokia N95/N95-3/N95-4, the Sony Ericsson K850i, the Nokia N82, the Motorola ZN5 (ZINE), the Nokia N96, the Nokia N85, the Nokia N79, and more recently the Nokia N97…

There are now several 8 megapixel cameraphones available from Samsung (Pixon, Memoir, INNOV8, Omnia HD), LG (Renoir, Viewty Smart), Sony Ericsson (C905, W995), and Nokia (N86 8MP) – not to mention upcoming 12 megapixel units.

I’m getting a Nokia N86 8MP review unit soon, but so far I’ve only played with the Samsung i8510 (INNOV8), the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), and of course the Memoir.

For over 4 months I used it as my primary imaging device, and 1000+ pictures later, I have to say that the Memoir features the best camera I have ever enjoyed on any phone – and by a wide margin!

Pictures taken with the HTC Magic

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The HTC Magic camera is identical to the T-Mobile G1 camera, and similar to the HTC Touch Pro camera – if you’ve read my review of the G1 camera, you’ve read my review of the Magic camera :)

Apple iPhone 3GS vs. Palm Pre camera

iPhone 3GS sample pictures (slide show):

Pre sample pictures (slide show):

OK, you’re probably thinking this is a bit of an unfair comparison – although the Apple iPhone 3GS camera lacks an (arguably useless) LED flash, the Palm Pre camera lacks the (absolutely essential) auto-focus, as well as video recording…

But, other than the difference in camera and storage specs, the missing GSM/UMTS radios, and the limited selection of apps, the Pre provides 95-105% the iPhone 3GS user experience and features a QWERTY keyboard – that is pretty impressive!

People currently looking for a subsidized über-phone in the US are going to compare the iPhone 3GS and the Pre (and perhaps even the T-Mobile G1 and the Blackberry Storm). So what about the 3 megapixel camera on each device?

The HTC Magic is here

A few days ago I scored an HTC Magic… Mind you, it’s not just any HTC Magic – it’s the limited-edition, unlocked device that was handed out to developers at Google I/O!

This phone is noticeably more compact and attractive than the T-Mobile G1. Check out the specs:

- Android 1.5 “Cupcake”
- 3.2″ 480×320 TFT capacitive touchscreen
- 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, macro, geo-tagging, and QVGA video recording at 30 fps
- 3G (2100/1700 HSDPA), 2G (quad-band EDGE), WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, GPS, compass
- Micro-SDHC card slot, standard mini-USB compatible (ExtUSB) connector, no standard 3.5 mm audio connector
- Thin, no hardware keyboard

I’m a couple weeks late to the party, but here are some pictures and a video. Enjoy :)

Life with the Sharp/T-Mobile Sidekick LX

So the friendly people at T-Mobile recently provided me with a Sharp/T-Mobile Sidekick LX to review. After unboxing it, I played with it for a couple weeks. The result? My first time using a Sidekick. The verdict? A mixed bag.

- Hardware:
The Sidekick LX is a deceptively large device. But it’s relatively light, and it’s well proportioned – its extra size is only noticeable when placed side-by-side with other phones. It looks thin, but it actually matches the T-Mobile G1 in the X dimension.

Build quality is fine – it looks and feels a lot better than other Sidekick devices I’ve sampled, with tasteful chrome accents and a lovely purple-ish color on this “orchid” model. I wouldn’t call this phone attractive, but it’s not offensive either.

Nokia N97 vs. Samsung i8910 camera

Tonight I attended the “Drinks with Nokia” event here in San Francisco, together with [name dropping] Ewan MacLeod (MIR, MDTV), Matthew Bennett (Nseries US, UMI), Dennis Bournique (Wap review), Kevin Neely (Rubbernecking), and the lovely crew from Ubergizmo, amongst others [/name dropping]…

Once again I was able to play with the Nokia N97 and the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD) – better yet, I was able to take pictures and make videos with each. The N97, although a prototype, was running the latest firmware, and was rock solid. The i8910 was running the Orange production firmware, but was less stable. Both devices are great, and I can’t wait to get my hands on them!

Here are my pictures and videos, including cameos by my Palm Pre and the HTC Magic (a phone I can’t take a clear picture of, apparently).

Update: Full sets of pictures and additional videos here.