Mobile Phone | Phone Reviews

Whether you have an iPhone, a Blackberry, or a Nokia phone, various brands and models of cell phones these days are already capable of running all sorts of cell phone apps.

From gaming applications to apps for instant messaging and even social networking, various software applications definitely make it easier for people on the go to stay connected. As one of the more popular social networking sites today, Facebook actually has its own downloadable cell phone application already. Now you can easily access your Facebook page as well as your contacts even without using a computer.

Are you now interested in installing cell phone apps for your phone? Read on and follow these simple steps:

Do a quick search for free cell phone applications on the internet. Don't worry because there are loads of websites that carry this kind of download. In order to download such applications though, sometimes you have to supply your cell phone number to the website as well as the brand and model of your cell phone. The website needs this to be able to send you the application in its compatible format so it can be installed to your phone. Make sure that you also know your country and area code as these are also important information that you need to supply to the website.

Once that's done, all you need to do is to wait for the application to be sent to your phone and you're all set.

Another way to download cell phone apps for your phone is to get it through peer sharing sites and download it directly to your computer. Now you will need your phone's USB cable to connect to your computer. Open your cell phone's file folder and drag the cell phone application to it. After that, you can now start using the application on your phone.

However, with whatever kind of download that you end up with, make sure to always have your antivirus program updated daily. This way you would not have to worry about your computer or your cell phone getting infected with a software virus. Scan your downloads first before opening it just to be safe.

So you see, downloading as well as installing software applications to your cell phone is not really that hard. Aside from checking the quality of your downloads, make sure that you also have sufficient memory for all the applications that you are transferring to your cell phone. If you cell phone also makes use of an external memory card, try to get one which has at least a 2GB capacity so that your cell phone won't suddenly crash because you have already used up its memory.

I've always admired the Nokia Communicator series from afar, waiting for the right time to switch up to the beasts. As I see it, there are two necessary requirements for owning one of these phones. Firstly, you have some need to check your emails on the go - maybe you travel away from your computer a lot - and secondly you need to wear a suit for work. For some reason these phones just seem perfect to fit into a suit pocket.

Sadly it doesn't seem as though I will be fitting either of these criteria in the near future. The umbilical link between myself and my laptop shows no sign of being severed any time soon and I work in shorts and a tee-shirt. Woo hoo! The joys of working at home.

The latest installment - the E90 - is one of the most advanced, feature-packed mobile phones ever released. Interestingly, the phone uses a Symbian S60 operating system as opposed to the S80 used on the 9500 and 9300. This may seem like an unusual step, but S60 offers E90 users access to a much wider range of applications. A quick straw poll suggests that S60 is every bit as easy to use as the newer system and ultimately more flexible. Good work Nokia.

This is a business phone. Smart features include onboard GPS and a high-resolution screen. The system can handle PDF files and read documents in Microsoft office. Unlike the previous generation of Communicator, the E90 comes fully-loaded with 3G, which can only be good news.

Features which you may be surprised to find on this phone include an FM radio and 3.2 Megpixel camera. Many businesses do not like to have cameras onboard business phones (however employees generally love them). I imagine the phone is there for those long, dull train journeys from London Euston to the Midlands to meet clients. Hmm... maybe that's fair enough.

In the early years of mobile telephony, handset manufacturers were clambering over each other to load on as much technology as possible. Handset design was generally 'functional' to say the least, which lead to phones like my old favourite, the Motorola Graphite. Mmmm... retro.

Nokia were the first to really crack the concept that a cute-looking mobile with features such as snake and an genuinely intuitive menu system - pictures, anyone?

Nowadays, ugly handsets are the exception rather than the rule. True beauty, on the other hand, is rare. I have recently highlighted the Apple and Prada phones: two shining (and shiny) examples of handsome handsets.

Here are a couple of other lookers currently doing the rounds.

LG Chocolate (Black Label daaaahling)

So stylish it can only be carried in £1000+ handbags by supermodels, the LG Chocolate Black Label is half 2001 A Space Oddessy and half the way Silk Cut adverts used to look before those meanies banned fun ads from telly. LG's populist Chocolate is a big seller and a particularly handsome handset. The Black Label editions are something a little special to look at. The pictured handset is a Black Label Platinum, which glows with sexy red buttons when it gets the signal or you touch it right. Phwoar.

Sony Ericsson z750

One for the Americans, this is. A hot little number from the Swedish/Japanese partnership, the Z750 is superbly understated and rather reminiscent of a post-surgery Motorola Pebble. It is heavy on technology too, with great compatability (it offers 3G service in the States and the rest of the world). The thinking man's crumpet.

Nokia 8800 Sirocco

Nokia have come up with this little beauty. While the original 8800 was a handsome, high end handset, it was rather limited by its terrible battery life. It was similar to a Lambourghini Diablo if you like - more status symbol than practical tool. The Sirocco edition, on the other hand, is more Audi S6 - stylish and powerful. The steel slider is a beauty when closed up, which wouldn't look at all out of place on the passenger seat of a supercar as it whipped along the Monte Carlo coastline to the casino.

Sony Ericsson has recently revealed a raft of new handsets which are causing something of a stir.

The K530i is my personal favourite.

Looking remarkably similar to the K510, this is a lightweight 3G phone with a QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera and expandable memory. It is the first Sony Ericsson handset to work with the HGE-100 GPS Enabler, which is an exciting development.

As you have probably gathered, I am a big fan of 3G technology and firmly believe that the public should be more aware of its usefulness. Tied in with the GPS enabler, phones like the K530i are nudging us towards locally targetted mobile internet services, which is where we will see the next great breakthrough in mobile technology.

Another new handset revealed by Sony Ericsson is the impressive W960i.

A walkman phone, the W960i has 8GB of memory and features a touch-screen display which is sure to set hearts racing. Another model aimed at crossing the boundaries between electronic devices, this handset offers TV quality video playback and a 3.2 megapixel camera to boot.

This is a straight upgrade to the W950i and is surprisingly feature laden, while not compromising on style.

The Nokia Aeon is a lovely new concept phone from the Finnish giants:

I was a little slow on the uptake with this one but what a phone! Nokia have taken the touch screen to another level... the phone consists of two separate screens held together in the middle by a fuel cell. You can apparently assign the two screens to do whatever you want.

The review says it should be wipe-down. Couldn't agree more when it looks that good.

Concept phones are all well and good, but there are some real beauties out on the market already. Check out the LG Chocolate Black Label, for example:

It's stylish, yes, but I still prefer Scandinavian phones. They just seem to make more sense and have less frivolous features. It's like putting an Audi next to a Lexus, y'know?

So here's something a bit tasty and Scandinavian:

I really wanted to show a good looking Ericsson handset but... ermmm... here's the Nokia 8600 Luna anyway. It's very much like the 8600 Sirocco Gold, but more understated. Lovely huh?

With a little help from Vodafone, my next handset has been decided.

Ladies and gentlemen, the next phone to grace Cellfella's Levi's shall be...

The Nokia N95 8G.

No great surprises there, then.

To be honest, I was holding out for an N82 but there's every chance that this little beaut will never make it all the way to Vodafone. I can't change network either because Voda is the only one to cover both my office and flat.

Still, I didn't even bother asking for an upgrade, just went straight to the "You really want to leave Vodafone?" department and said I wanted to change networks. For some reason they are much more receptive to negotiation that way!

Why would I have preferred an N82? Well, look at it:

Some bloggers have been a bit critical of the design. James Burland's review on Youtube is very positive about the phone's features but quite negative about the design. I, however, am not a big fan of sliders and would much rather have an old school block in my pocket.

Having not played with one yet (O2 has bad reception in this part of the world, hence no N82s to investigate) I can't confirm or deny what the review says about the fiddly buttons.

Anyway, it's all water under the bridge now. I'm going slidey for the next twelve months.

Now I'm just waiting for Vodafone to deliver the thing...

Nokia has announced an iPhonealike preliminarily called the Nokia Tube.

Details are sketchy but it does look rather like the return of the mac, doesn't it?

This is Nokia's return to touchscreen technology after the unpopular 7710, which was painfully slow and generally a bit crap.

There are no more details available at the moment, but as a dedicated Nokia fan I am really looking forward to this one. The only question is...

will it Finnish the iPhone?

It is sooooo wonderfully understated and Scandinavian to include an accelerometer in the flagship N95 and not make a fuss about it. Apple included exactly the same feature in the iPhone and made it one of the central parts of their advertising strategy:

"WOW... LOOK... A phone that knows when you are moving AND has internet browsing"

The Finns, in their understated way, just put it in there and didn't really do anything with it. Third Party developers (you don't get them with the iPhone) have gone wild with the device and you can now use the N95 for such varied tasks as... err... playing starwars, playing bouncy ball and.... umm... playing Space Invaders. Nokia's own Activity Monitor app is quite cool, although it won't do your battery life any favours.

Anyway, this is just another reason that I love the N95. Thanks Nokia!

(Sorry if this blog has got a bit boring of late... you know how people get when they are in love. Normal business will resume once a younger model comes along =)

Well, I'm back from Argentina and faced with something of a dilema.

My trusty 6630 is really in it's dying days now. It still calls ok and sends text messages. The alarm still wakes me up bright and early in the morning for my work as an SEO copywriter. The screen still works and the ringtone still scares people. That, however, is about all.

The camera died a death before I left the country. The video camera passed away long before that. Since my return, the menu system also appears to have come unstuck. It is rather like driving through a large city in rush hour traffic.

The good news, however, is that I am now out of contract and free to hunt down the best contract and handset. Well, within limits... there is no reception in my flat for Orange and O2, leaving me the options of T-mobile and sticking with Vodafone.

Both of these present their own problems. Firstly T-mobile. Now, I'm not normally one to bear a grudge, but I have had some experince with T-mobile in the past and I'm afraid to say it wasn't good. My first ever mobile phone (a dearly departed Siemens which was so heavy that it has left me walking with a limp ever since) was registered with 0ne-2-one. The deal included free evening and weekend calls for two and sixpence monthly, which seemed like a clincher.

The problem, and my lasting resentment, stems from the fact that you had to stand on top of a towerblock in the middle of London to get one bar of reception. Honestly, it was like a bloody Rabbit phone. Even the one-2-one store in my native Watford didn't have reception, which struck me as enduringly crap.

My problem with Voda is that they won't offer me any decent handsets as an upgrade, depsite my having been a loyal customer for 5(ish) years and always paying my bills on time with minimal fuss.

All I want is an N82!!! Or even an N95. EVERYONE HAS AN N95. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?!?

Anyway, I'm keeping my eyes open for good deals. Any advice please let me know. Anyone working for Voda want to explain why you're not nicer to loyal customers? Anyone from T-mobile got reception?

I spent last week at the Le Mans 24 Hour race in France.

This was the view from the top of the famous ferris wheel at 4am:

This was a snap from Tertre Rouge:

And this was the back of the Peugot Pit late at night:

After a week of camping sans airbed, I am now going back to bed.

While the photo makes it look like the new Nokia N97 has fallen off the back of a lorry, this is arguably the most stylish N Series handset the Finns have ever made.

Supposedly a step down from the two way sliders, the N79 is a fine slab of technology WITHOUT the sharp edges that many people find offensive about the more angular N Series phones.

It is also as feature laden as any of the bulkier N Series handsets, such as the N95 8gb. The onboard camera is of the same standard as the chunkier handsets and has the added advantage of a lens cover (which is sadly missing from the N95 8gb). The megapixel count is high (five) but, as ever with these Nokia cameras, what is really impressive is the quality of the images produced.

I guess the only area where this handset falls down a little is in the size of the display, which is significantly smaller than the top end N Series phones. But then did anyone actually watch Spiderman 3 on their handsets anyway? I doubt it.

All in all, a great new addition to the Nokia range and well worth considering if you are looking for a practical compromise between form and function.

17 September 2009 – Operators today are taking a far more pragmatic approach to mobile broadband in emerging markets than in developed markets, focusing more on the service offered (web access) than the technology or device. According to this report, operators are selling mobile broadband services based on everything from GPRS to WiMAX.

That said, HSPA will undoubtedly be the dominant technology in emerging markets for the next five years, accounting for two-thirds of next-generation access connections in 2014. “The opportunity for mobile WiMAX in emerging markets is certainly greater than in developed markets, but the more rapid adoption of LTE will see the two next-generation technologies almost on parity by 2014”, says Steven Hartley, senior analyst at Ovum and co-author of the report.

Another crucial practicality to consider is the cost involved in launching and running mobile broadband services, as with all emerging market services. “It is vital that operators build and then run highly efficient networks to handle the resulting data traffic,” Hartley explains. “ARPU will be low and margins negligible without a clear understanding of the building and operational costs associated with these services. Nonetheless, costs will not be solely in the network. The additional support needed for more complex services and devices should also be carefully considered”.

Pragmatism is also evident in the approach to deployment; however, the competitive landscape will dictate the strategy that operators should adopt. “Operators should take a more conservative view of technology and service rollouts to ensure demand and profitability before committing too much finance, where competition (or the threat of it) from fixed and mobile operators is limited.”

This may seem counterintuitive to operators with a mature market background, but those operating in markets with low ARPU and potentially high costs (such as fuel supplies to remote base stations or international connectivity) must be sure that a new service launch is viable. Therefore, operators are best ‘skimming’ the most profitable segments of the market if they can. “If competition already exists in the market then they may be forced into a broader, mass-market approach from launch”.

As a result of the heightened cost-consciousness and careful deployment of mobile broadband in emerging markets, customer segmentation is critical for success. The services, marketing and pricing for small-screen (handset) and big-screen (PC) devices will differ depending on the customers targeted. And the segments targeted will depend on the strategy adopted.

Unfortunately, the success or failure of mobile broadband in an emerging market may still be outside an operator’s control. “Governments have a major role to play in providing an environment conducive to success; spectrum policy is the clearest example of this, either through its release to operators or through global harmonisation to benefit from economies of scale”, says Daniel Subramaniam, analyst at Ovum and co-author of this report.

Governments also hold the keys to unlock several other stimuli for deployment and uptake. “Reducing taxes on telecoms services, encouraging competition and boosting investment in power supply and international connectivity could all result in lower prices to end users”, adds Subramaniam. Universal service obligations to bridge the digital divide can also be implemented to boost uptake. These may be less attractive to operators, but could be the stick compared to the carrot of the former measures. ♠ JC

Steven Hartley and Daniel Subramaniam, Ovum

Nokia recently announced the N97, which is the latest in a long line of business phones from the Finns. The most notable thing about the handset is the great touch screen (which Nokia finally appear to have "got right") and the raft of features that put the handset up there with most mobile internet PCs like the Eee and its raft of imitators.

Nokia Maps has had an upgrade. This was perhaps inevitable, for two reasons. Firstly, people love the GPS functionality. Personally, I use Nokia maps regularly, especially when stumbling around a big city like London, or when sitting on a train and curious. The second reason for stronger GPS functionality on phones is probably more significant.

Location based mobile marketing is being touted as the "next big thing" in advertising/marketing - just ask NMA magazine (not to be confused with the rather less rock 'n roll NME). It has, of course, been touted as such for about five years but the technology is finally reaching a point where people are regularly consulting their handsets for directions. "Wow" say the marketers, "if people are looking for directions, what better time could there be to shove advertising down their throats? GO TO CAFE NERO. GO TO CAFE NERO". This is, of course, a dramatisation, but the techology is becoming more and more popular and mobile marketers are pushing clients hard to go down this route.

Back to the handset. Good camera (same as the N95), good keyboard (nicely spaced), useful tilty screen (to help with glare), good MP3 and video compatibility and 32gb of internal memory make this an attractive proposition. The digital compass is a nice touch too.

All in all, another strong offering from Nokia.

Merry Christmas!

Yesterday evening I updated the Firmware on my N95 8GB. This was something of a pain in the ass, largely because it took around 10 minutes to shift Spiderman 3 from the handset to the laptop on which I was backing up the phone.

Spiderman 3 came loaded for free on a number of N95 8GB mobile phones. The only drawback was that you had to sign in to a website to validate it... or something like that... and I really couldn't be bothered. And frankly, who could? Spiderman 3? On a two inch screen? Meh.

Anyway, once Spiderman had squeezed its way through the USB cable, data transfer was quick and painless, which is a big step forward for Nokia PC Suite; one of the most loathsome programs ever conceived.

So, on with the installation.

I got an early indication of how it feels to be out of touch with "the young people today" when PC Suite told me that I was on Firmware version 15 and the new install would be version 20something. Horrible.

Anyway, the upshot is that I can finally use the GPS on my phone after months of angling it on a windowsill, waiting 20 mins and then occasionally connecting to a satellite. And, what's more, it's actually fully integrated with Google maps so you can get lovely images as an option. Which is great.

This is going to make navigation of London streets much easier, although at a cost... Vodafone data transfer is not cheap and Google maps is very data intensive. They do offer an add on at £7.50 per month which allows up to 120mb of data transfer, but I'm not sure that I will use that much data.

All in all... the update is a very good thing indeed. I am now tempted to go for a long walk just to use the GPS. Maybe I'll find a nice park bench, take a seat and watch Spiderman 3.