Kin One and Kin Two camera

Kin One sample pictures (slide show):

Kin Two sample pictures (slide show):

After unboxing Kin One and Kin Two and briefly using the ill-fated devices, I switched my attention to the cameras, hoping to find some redemption there. I didn’t!

What I did find was more of the same half-baked recipe – mostly decent hardware hindered by poor software and crappy user experience. More after the break…

Podcast: Talking with tnkgrl #25 (HTC EVO 4G special)

It’s time for another podcast (44 min):
- Audio version
- Video version

Both Matthew Bennett (Nokia Daily News, US Mobile Industry) and Tony Peric (fone frenzy) joined me this week… Thanks guys, and props to Tony for the editing!

We covered the HTC Incredible, the upcoming HTC EVO 4G, the Sharp/Microsoft Kin, the Apple iPad 3G, and the (now official) Nokia N8.

Other topics include the Sierra Wireless Overdrive, and Matt installing MeeGo on his Asus Eee PC, and Android on his iPhone – madness :)

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Unboxing the Kin One and Kin Two

Last week the friendly folks at Verizon sent me not one, but two review units: the Kin One and Kin Two!

Both devices are made by Sharp and run a social networking-centric OS based on the upcoming Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft.

The hardware is of typical modern smartphone fare, with a capacitive touchscreen, a full set of radios and sensors (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS & accelerometer), and a physical landscape slider keyboard…

Podcast: Talking with Matt #11

It’s time for another podcast (16 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

So between the gay high holiday month and the June tsunami things have been a wee bit crazy around here lately :)

The bad news is that I’m just over 2 weeks behind with posting this podcast, the good news is that after all this time, it’s still interesting. I’ve edited out the Palm Pre unboxing, since it’s a lot more compelling on video…

In this episode we discussed the Sharp/T-Mobile Sidekick LX, the Palm Pre, the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), the Nokia N97, the HTC Magic, and the Apple iPhone 3GS!

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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.

Unboxing the Sharp/T-Mobile Sidekick LX

Last Friday I received a Sharp/T-Mobile Sidekick LX to review from the folks at T-Mobile… It’s a lovely “orchid” color!

So what’s so special about this device?
- It’s the first Sidekick with 3G, GPS, and a potentially worthy camera (3.2 megapixel, auto-focus, macro, LED flash, geo-tagging)
- It’s the first device in the world (perhaps?) with built-in Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace integration
- It’s the first phone in the US with a 854×480 pixel display (WVGA)
- It’s my first time using a Sidekick, and my first Sharp device

And what’s missing?
- WiFi
- Google Talk and Jabber support

Here are some unboxing pictures and a video.

Podcast: Talking with Matt #10

It’s time for another podcast (25 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This Last week we discussed the HTC Touch Pro/Fuze, the Nokia E75, and the Sharp/T-Mobile Sidekick LX!

Other topics include what we baptized “the June tsunami” of upcoming devices: the Palm Pre, the Nokia N97, the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD) and of course the next iPhone…

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Hello kitteh

Oh hai! I can has Sharp/T-Mobile Sidekick LX for review, and it’s “orchid” purple… PURPLE :)

More soon.