Regarding the iPhone 4

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the iPhone 4 was announced at WWDC, almost a week since pre-orders started (a fiasco that probably deserves its own blog post), and with launch only a few days away, I wanted to share my thoughts on Apple’s latest object of desire…

Unboxing the HTC EVO 4G, part 2

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s initial unboxing of the HTC EVO 4G, here are additional pictures (slide show) and videos (above & after the break)!

The pictures include comparisons between the EVO 4G, the Incredible, the Nexus One, the Hero, and the iPhone 3GS – there’s even an OQO Model 01+ cameo…

Quickie: LG KM900 (Arena)

One of my coworkers recently let me take a euro-spec LG KM900 (Arena) for a spin…

It’s a feature phone that was introduced about a year ago to compete with the iPhone 3G, and while the software is nothing to write home about, the hardware is actually quite decent!

What’s also interesting is that AT&T recently introduced a US-spec Arena (with 3G on the 1900/850 MHz bands).

So how does it stack up? Find out after the break :)

Unboxing the Google Nexus One

Today is my birthday, the perfect day to get my very own Google Nexus One :) Was it worth all the speculation, hype, and scoops? You bet – the Nexus One is the new benchmark of the phone world!

Sure, the Nokia N900 features a better camera, the Motorola Droid a physical keyboard, the Apple iPhone 3GS more applications, the Palm Pre a nicer user experience. But after using the Nexus One for just a few hours, it’s clear to me that it’s a milestone device…

Podcast: Talking with Matt #20 (Anniversary special)

It’s time for another podcast (13 min) with Matthew Bennett (Nokia Daily News, US Mobile Industry):
- Audio version
- Video version

This Last week we celebrated the first anniversary of this podcast (already?) and the 3rd anniversary of my blog :)

Unfortunately, Matt’s camera battery died while recording, so we continued filming with the Nokia N900 but without the mic.

We discussed the cream of the crop for 2009: the Motorola Droid, the Nokia N900, the Palm Pre, and the Apple iPhone 3GS!

Other topic include the Samsung T939 (Behold II), and some commentary on Symbian and the Nokia N97…

Click here to subscribe to this podcast.

Podcast: Talking with Matt #19 (FoneFrenzy special)

It’s time for another podcast (35 min) with Matthew Bennett (Nokia Daily News, US Mobile Industry):
- Audio version
- Video version

This week we were joined by special guest Tony Peric (FoneFrenzy) and his (WiFi-less) Palm Pixi! We discussed the HTC Hero, the Motorola Droid, and the Nokia N900…

We also talked about unlocking and debranding the Sony Ericsson C905a, and we even covered the Acer Aspire 1410 and the HP Mini 311. Enjoy :)

Click here to subscribe to this podcast.

Motorola Droid camera

I’ve been using the Motorola Droid for a week now, and while the device is quite impressive overall, the camera is a mess…

“But wait,” you protest, “those shots look fine.” Sure, the Droid can take pretty decent pictures (slide show). But I’m a camera buff, and do you know how much effort I put into these?

Pictures taken with the Nokia N900

The Nokia N900 camera is really quite good. In fact, even with pre-release firmware, it walks all over the competition!

It’s no surprise. The N900 comes from a long lineage of great 5 megapixel phones from Nokia, such as the N95 and the N82. It features Carl Zeiss optics (with auto-focus and macro), a dual LED flash, and a sliding lens cover – as such, it’s virtually identical to the N97 camera…

Cameraphones have come a long way

I’ve been back from my yearly time on the playa for a few days now, and as I’m looking at my pictures, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: cameraphones have come a long way.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m still impressed with the ongoing improvements. I took 150 pictures, 34 with the Nokia N97, and the remainder with my Samsung T929 (Memoir)…

While the N97′s Zeiss optics clearly reign superior, the Memoir’s sensor wins hands down, especially in low light. I even shot using the digital zoom with great results!

Speaking of Zeiss optics and top notch sensors, there’s a Nokia N86 review unit coming my way, which I’m definitely going to compare with the Samsung Memoir – so stay tuned :)

One last thing. Despite taking my iPhone 3GS on the trip, I ended not doing any videos. However, one of my coworkers made this awesome time-lapse video.

It’s playa time

Tomorrow I’m leaving for my yearly 10-day vacation in Black Rock City…

I’m going to miss Nokia World and the live reports on the super awesome Nokia N900, but it’s OK – I’ll be back just in time for Mobilize (my readers get a 15% discount).

If you’re also going to the desert, look for me at Center Camp Cafe, where I’ll be volunteering most evenings. If you’re not going, follow me on Twitter, where I’ll try posting when possible :)

Beyond satellite service, and the occasional flaky WiFi, there’s extremely minimal mobile service at Burning Man for the first time this year.

I’ll be using my Samsung Memoir & the Nokia N97 for pictures, and my iPhone 3GS for videos.

It’s playa time – catch you later!