Apple iPhone getting geared to hit T-Mobile USA too

GadgTechWorld.blogspot.com

 

What do we have here? A white prototype iPhone 4 running on the T-Mobile USA 3G network has been spotted. It looks like the magenta-loving carrier will be getting the Apple iPhone too, just like like Verizon did a few months ago.

Now, the phone hasn’t entered mass production or anything - it’s just a prototype, but this means that we could actually see the next generation iPhone run on T-Mobile USA network as well.

For the uninitiated, T-Mobile uses the rare AWS 3G band (1700Mhz). None of the iPhones released so far has supported that band so what we are seeing here is obviously a new device.

The prototype iPhone 4 is running a test version of the iOS. It includes internal Apple apps such as Apple’s employee directory and Radar app, so it's almost certain that it's the real deal. To further prove this, the device has a new model number - N94. The Verizon version is N92 and the GSM model is N90.

Despite the ongoing AT&T and T-Mobile USA merger that’s pending approval of the US authorities, a T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 looks pretty certain.

Nokia N8

GadgTechWorld.blogspot.com

Introduction

We were almost starting to suspect mobile phones of giving up and playing soft. They seemed unstoppable you know. They went from 5 to 12 in no time and there was nothing to suggest that digicams will ever get a timeout for a much needed breather.

Surprised or not, the game is back on and Nokia are pulling the big guns out. The N8 is the new wannabe king of cameraphones. Fat numbers on the specs sheet and all that shining armor, the new Nseries flagship is hitting hard and playing tough.

The Nokia N8 has two massive tasks on its hands: beat digicams at their own game and bring Symbian back to its past glory. The hardest thing perhaps is to tell which one is harder. But if anyone should be trusted to perform a seemingly impossible stunt, (still) market leaders Nokia are a safer bet than many.

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
	Announced	2010, April
	Status	Available. Released 2010, October

Size	Dimensions	113.5 x 59.1 x 12.9 mm, 86 cc
	Weight	135 g

Display	Type	AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches
		- Multi-touch input method - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display

Sound	Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes, check quality

Memory	Phonebook	Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
	Call records	Detailed, max 30 days
	Internal	16 GB storage, 256MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
	Card slot	microSD, up to 32GB, buy memory

Data	GPRS	Class 33
	EDGE	Class 33
	3G	HSDPA, 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2.0 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, UPnP technology
	Bluetooth	Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support

Camera	Primary	12 MP, 4000x3000 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, Xenon flash, check quality
	Features	1/1.83'' sensor size, ND filter, geo-tagging, face detection
	Video	Yes, 720p@25fps, check quality
	Secondary	VGA videocall camera

Features	OS	Symbian^3 OS
	CPU	680 MHz ARM 11 processor, Broadcom BCM2727 GPU
	Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS; FM transmitter
	Games	Yes + downloadable
	Colors	Dark Grey, Silver White, Green, Blue, Orange
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support; Ovi Maps 3.0
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.1
		- TV-out (720p video) via HDMI with Dolby Digital Plus sound - Anodized aluminum casing - Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic - Digital compass - MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ player - DivX/XviD/MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player - Voice command/dial - Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) - Video/photo editor - Flash Lite v4.0 - Predictive text input

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200 mAh (BL-4D)
	Stand-by	Up to 390 h (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 12 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 30 min (3G)
	Music play	Up to 50 h

Misc	SAR US	1.09 W/kg (head)     0.85 W/kg (body)
	SAR EU	1.02 W/kg (head)

 As you see the hardware is all there – there’re not too many devices out there that can match the Nokia N8. Some will understandably frown at what looks like unimpressive CPU clock speed and scarce RAM. Just remember that it’s the performance to be judged here and not the sheer numbers.
Different platforms have different needs so we’ll only know if Symbian^3 can do without a 1GHz Snapdragon after we’ve seen the N8 in proper action.

Bluetooth Rearview Mirror with Built-in GPS Navigation

Boyo VTG43 Rear View Mirror with 4.3-Inch Touch Panel LCD with Navigation/Bluetooth is the best crazy cool gadget you'll ever have in your car. Substitute your typical rearview mirror with this all-in-one Bluetooth Rearview Mirror for hands-free cellular phone calling, inbuilt GPS navigation, and exquisite multimedia on-the-go! Also featuring a 4.3 inch touchscreen, this sophisticated rearview monitor is among the safest and smartest car crazy gadgets you'll ever find.


General Features...

• Bluetooth for safe and hands-free calls
• Built-in GPS navigation
• 4.3 inch touchscreen
• Fits over your standard factory mirror
• Free 4GB SD card included for storing maps, pictures, videos, etc.
• Built-in battery, speakers, and mic

Samsung is sued by Apple over Galaxy products

Samsung Electronics is sued by Apple over Galaxy products. They claim that the new products from Samsung copies the iPhone and iPad concept design. Although they use different OS, Apple still claims that Samsung copied design features, the look and the icons. Apple is bringing 16 claims against Samsung, including unjust enrichment, trademark infringement and 10 patent claims.

It's clear that Samsung is the Apple's real competitor when it comes to tablets. Does this mean that they are afraid of the competition?

via reuters

Fiat 500 Amazing 360-degree vertical loop

AutoRAI 2011 opened with a spectacular Shell V-Power loop sunt. Steve Truglia drives a Fiat 500 into a prepared eleven meters high loop. This performance, unprecedented in the Netherlands, stands and falls with the right technology, speed and engine performance provided by Fiat 500. And do not forget the courage and achievements of the stuntman who dares physical and technical boundaries.

Nokia E6 review and video

This is Nokia E6 review, the new high-resolution touchscreen phone from the Finnish cell phone company. At 10.5 mm thin, 59 mm wide, the Nokia E6 is very compact and has battery up to a month's stand-by time. Yes, you heard me. Up to a month's stand-by time.

Oher features includes 8 Megapixel camera with fixed focus and dual LED flash, 640 x 480 pixels resolution, ARM CPU processor and the new Symbian ‘Anna’ Operating System.

Nokia E6 has 8GB of internal memory and support for MicroSD cards up to 32GB.

Industrial Dual-Arm Assembly Robot

This is Frida, an ABB concept robot for industrial dual-arm assembly applications. It comes as a portable dual-arm unit with a torso integrated controller. It's facile to carry and mount it. As you can see, safety is really important.

Visit ABB website

Amazing LEGO Mindstorm 20 modules

Lego Mindstorms is a line of programmable robotics/construction toys, manufactured by the Lego Group. It comes in a kit containing many pieces including sensors and cables. This guy used 20 GBC modules built by him, 4 modules(screw,sweeper,shovel,pump) based on Philo's. The module at 5:24 based on Isogawa's and the pneumatic module at 7:00 using Linmix's image. Some other modules were inspired by GBC fan's.

I liked the fact that at 2:33 the module is sorting the balls by color. Too bad they are mixed together after that. I was hoping for something more.

info: wikipedia

The Evolution of Mobile

The Evolution of Mobile is a viral video presented by Vodafone using 3D projection technology. What's interesting is that this is the first small-scale projection mapping installation. In order to achieve these effects they used a hand-held camera.

It's interesting to see how far we've come! What's next?

Top 2011 Awaited Gadgets

Folding laptop concept

This amazing concept is called LIFEBOOK X2 and starts from an amazing idea: a folding laptop. The best thing about this laptop is its compactness and it's amazing design.

As you can see in the pictures, the laptop has 4 superimposed components that could be opened in two ways.

What I like about this concept design is that you have a full size laptop if you unfold all the components, but you can have a compact laptop if you unfold only two components.

The downside of this design is the middle line of the screen. When in full size, a line can be observed in the middle of the screen. This cannot be avoid due to the unfolding concept. But I'm sure you'll get used to it!

How do you like the folding laptop concept?

Rube Goldberg Photobooth

This Rube Goldberg Machine Photobooth was filmed with Canon 5D Mark ii. Amazing video

New Apple iPod Nano

GadgTechWorld.blogspot.com

Apple released the 4th generation of the iPod Touch that featured a camera and now according to a report by Apple.pro the latest iPod Nano will also feature a camera.

Previously the iPod Nano went in for a major redesign in which it got smaller and got the multi-touch controls of the iPod Touch. The image released by the Apple.pro suggests the outer frame of the iPod Nano will have a camera similar to the one seen on the iPad 2 while it will retain the same "nano" size.

The iPod Nano is an extremely popular version of the Apple iPod. It is the smallest version of the device ever produced. It features a small touch-screen display, a capacity of up to 16 GB and a FM radio.

 

Technical Specifications

Size and weight

Height:

1.48 inches (37.5 mm)

Width:

1.61 inches (40.9 mm)

Depth:

0.35 inch (8.78 mm) including clip

Weight:

0.74 ounce (21.1 grams)¹

Volume:

0.614 cu inch (10,056 cu mm) including clip

Capacity

• 8GB or 16GB flash drive²

Sensor

• Accelerometer

Environmental requirements

• Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
• Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
• Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
• Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

iPod nano embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

• Arsenic-free display glass
• BFR-free
• Mercury-free
• PVC-free
• Recyclable aluminum enclosure
• Smaller, more compact packaging (45% smaller, 46% lighter)

Display

• 1.54-inch (diagonal) color TFT display
• 240-by-240-pixel resolution
• 220 pixels per inch

Audio playback

• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• User-configurable maximum volume limit

FM radio

• Regional settings for Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Japan
• Live Pause feature for pausing a radio broadcast and rewinding (within a 15-minute buffer)

Headphones

• Earphones
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Impedance: 32 ohms

• Impedance: 32 ohms

Battery and power³

• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Up to 24 hours of music playback when fully charged
• Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter (sold separately)
  • Fast-charge time: about 1.5 hours (charges up to 80% of battery capacity)
  • Full-charge time: about 3 hours

  Languages

• 29 UI languages: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese (Traditional Chinese), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish
• Song, album, and artist information can also be displayed in Bulgarian, Serbian, Slovenian, Ukranian, and Vietnamese. For Arabic and Hebrew language support, some UI elements are not right to left.

In the box

• iPod nano
• Apple Earphones
• Dock Connector to USB Cable
• Quick Start guide and Important Product Information

VoiceOver

• 29 VoiceOver languages: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia, UK, U.S.), Finnish, French (Canada, France), German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Mexico, Spain), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

VoiceOver

• 29 VoiceOver languages: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia, UK, U.S.), Finnish, French (Canada, France), German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Mexico, Spain), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Accessibility

• VoiceOver gesture-based screen reader
• High-resolution LCD display with adjustable backlight settings for easier reading in low light
• White on black display
• Mono Audio

System requirements

• Mac computer with USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later, and iTunes 10 or later⁴
• PC with USB 2.0 port; Windows 7, Vista, or XP Home or Professional (SP3) or later; and iTunes 10 or later⁴
• Internet access required; broadband recommended; fees may apply

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc Review

GadgTechWorld.blogspot.com

Introduction

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc is back for a second round (not counting the Lorem Ipsum bit) and this time it will stay a while longer. The company’s new flagship did great in our preview and we’d gladly have more of it.

The statement just couldn’t have been stronger and clearer. The new BRAVIA screen and the impressively slim and fit body are exactly the way to treat a flagship. Android Gingerbread too is as good as it gets in the smartphone world these days.

Just months ago that combination would’ve equaled a license to kill – which the Arc would’ve used without second thoughts. But the competition is insanely intense today and no one is given a second to think.

It takes more than a few outstanding features these days, and they’d better be backed by solid performance across the board. Omissions are not easily forgiven so the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc better stay focused.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM /GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 4.2" 16M-color capacitive LED-backlit LCD touchscreen of FWVGA resolution (480 x 854 pixels) with Sony Mobile BRAVIA engine
• Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread
• 1 GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chipset
• 512 MB RAM
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging
• 720p video recording @ 30fps with continuous autofocus
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• microSD slot up to 32GB (8GB card included)
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Voice dialing
• Adobe Flash 10.2 support
• microHDMI port
• Ultra slim (8.7mm at its thinnest point)

Main disadvantages

• Display has poor viewing angles
• No front-facing camera
• Main competitors have dual-core CPUs and better GPUs
• No smart dialing
• microSD card slot is not hot-swappable
• Camera key isn’t particularly comfortable

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc is a sweeping update of the X10. A new generation chipset, more screen estate and a microHDMI port in a well done facelift make the Arc an easy pick even over a Gingerbread-powered XPERIA X10.

 

However, in-house competition is by far not the XPERIA Arc’s biggest problem. Competitors have moved so much forward over the past year or so that the question really is whether Sony Ericsson have managed to keep the pace.

LG and Samsung have already gone dual-core and got Full HD video recording, while Sony Ericsson – and HTC – are so far choosing to focus their efforts elsewhere. This review should help us answer – among other things – the question of who made the right call and who will have to play catch up.

Organizer

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc comes with a solid set of organizing options, including a document viewer.

The app in question is OfficeSuite and it has support for viewing document files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF, including the Office 2007 versions). For editing, you will need to get the paid app.


The OfficeSuite reader

Reading documents is quite comfortable on The large, high-resolution screen and panning is blazing fast.


The OfficeSuite enables you to view Office documents on XPERIA Arc

The doc viewer integrates with the Gmail app, which makes viewing attachments a cinch. You can’t download them to the phone’s internal memory however. Attaching all kinds of files is possible though.

The calendar has four different types of view - daily, weekly, monthly and agenda view. Adding a new event is quick and easy, and you can also set an alarm to act as a reminder.


The organizer centerpiece - the calendar

Agenda view shows a list of all the calendar entries from the recent past to the near future. It’s a very handy tool when you need to check your appointments for the next few days.

There is also a calculator aboard. It is nicely touch optimized - the buttons are really big and easy to hit.


Regular Calculator • Scientific Calculator

The alarm clock app allows a huge number of alarms to be set, each with its own start and repeat time. Unfortunately you don’t have the Stopwatch, Timer or World Clock options. You don’t get a Voice Recorder either.


The Clock • Creating alarm

But all of the applications missing on the XPERIA Arc can be downloaded for free off the Android Market in a matter of minutes, so it’s not a big deal really.

GPS and navigation

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc comes with a GPS receiver, which locked onto satellites in about 2-3 minutes with A-GPS turned off.

Google Maps is the main application and its Street View mode is probably the best part of the deal in places where turn-by-turn voice navigation isn’t yet offered. If the Street View is available in the area you're interested in, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the area. Zoom is supported through pinch and double tap gestures. When the digital compass is turned on it feels like making a virtual tour of the surroundings!


Google Maps 5.0 • Vector 3D maps

Turn-by-turn voice guidance using Google Maps Navigation is only available in select countries and unless you live in one of them the best you can do is plan a route in advance and keep an eye on your current location during travel.

Our XPERIA Arc came with Maps 5 out of the box, which gives you access to some great features. Offline rerouting is one – if you stray off course, Maps will recalculate the route without the need for an Internet connection. You can’t change the destination without connection though. There are also 3D buildings (where available), two finger rotation, tilting and so on.

Android Market has plenty of apps

The XPERIA Arc runs the latest version of Android and has a WVGA screen, giving you access to the whole Android Market (some apps won’t run on older versions or low-res screens).

The structure of the Android Market is quite simple – featured apps on top and three buttons (Applications, Games and My apps). There is also a shortcut up there for initiating a search.


The Android Market • Market categories

The Applications and Games sections are divided into subsections (e.g. Communication, Entertainment etc.) so you can filter the apps that are relevant to you. Of course, there is also an option of displaying them all in bulk, but you’ll probably need days to browse them all that way.


App description • Category

There are all kinds of apps in the Android market and the most important ones are covered (file managers, navigation apps, document readers etc.).

 

Final words

A year ago it seemed Sony Ericsson’s lack of inspiration was becoming chronic. With delayed updates and boring uniform looks the XPERIA lineup was going nowhere.

But something happened and they’re now keen to make up for lost time: a whole new generation of Android smartphones, new type of displays and camera sensors, the PlayStation phone. They’re even about to unlock the boot loader of the new XPERIA family – something Sony Ericsson have been denying developers for years.

The XPERIA Arc is a big part of that – probably the most important part of the plan. The Arc is Sony Ericsson’s first Gingerbread droid, the first to have the new Reality display and Sony’s new Exmor R camera sensor. They’ve given it the best they have but the tech inside doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s the bold lines and compelling elegance that show Sony Ericsson know how to treat a flagship.

The company’s slimmest smartphone is easily the most beautiful to date. The phone looks so good we’re wiling to forgive some of the design choices that were probably forced on the team: the lens and shutter key placement, the non-hot-swappable memory card slot or the lack of auto brightness control.

The Arc has it all in terms of features: big quality screen, awesome 8 megapixel camera and HD camcorder, the latest Android. Not less important, the phone has a soul and spirit.

Probably the only place it falls short is not being quite as future proofed as a proper flagship should be. It will be a while before dual-core phones start hitting real hard but when they do, the Arc will be vulnerable. 

Samsung S8530 Wave II Review: Riding the wave

GadgTechWorld.blogspot.com

 

Introduction

They shall come in wave upon wave. Or so it seemed in the beginning. Samsung certainly wanted a strong start for their own Bada OS and they had it. It is usual for sequels to be questioned and belittled. That’s one thing the Wave II doesn’t have to worry about. It’s bigger and heavier than the original.



When the second gen phone has a familiar sounding model name with an actual ordinal number in it – that doesn’t mean a complete lack of imagination. It’s a way to promote continuity. The Wave II has this base covered too – it’s nearly the same phone as the first Wave but presumably upgraded to reach to a more high-end market segment. Here’s a quick recap of its specs: 

 

Key features

• 3.7" 16M-color Super Clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, WVGA (480 x 800 pixels), multi-touch input, scratch-resistant glass surface
• Slim and solid metal body
• Bada OS 1.2 with Samsung Apps
• ARM Cortex A8 based 1GHz CPU
• Quad-band GSM support with dual-band HSPA
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n connectivity with WPS support, Wi-Fi tethering
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support, digital compass, Samsung LBS powered by ROUTE 66
• 5 MP autofocus camera with touch focus and LED flash, geotagging, face, smile and blink detection
• 720p video recording at 30fps
• 2GB internal storage, microSDHC card slot
• Standard microUSB port and Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack, TV out
• Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM recording
• Webkit-based Samsung Dolphin Browser 2.0 with Flash support
• YouTube client, Facebook and Twitter integration
• DivX/XviD video support
• Good audio quality

Main disadvantages

• Limited number of available applications
• Super Clear LCD can’t match SuperAMOLED
• Card slot under the battery
• No lens protection
• SatNav software only a 30-day trial
• No ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness automatically
• Poor loudspeaker performance

Wave II over original Wave

• Latest Bada OS 1.2
• Swype-like T9 Trace text input
• Over-the-Air software updates
• Larger 3.7" touchscreen

Yep, we know, it’s not a great update. Plus the first three differences over the original Wave are about to be washed away once it receives its due software update to Bada OS 1.2.

The Samsung S8530 Wave II may not be the upgrade that all users have been waiting for, but the phone runs the latest version of the Bada OS and has kept all the great features of the original: from the powerful CPU, to premium connectivity and HD video recording.

And all this is delivered on a larger 3.7-inch display. Sure, it’s no SuperAMOLED screen but Samsung promises the LCD screen is not your ordinary screen, too. You see, good things come in limited number and Samsung is pressed to supply enough SuperAMOLEDs for their Android and Windows Phone 7 operations.
Bad luck for the Wave II, we guess. Even worse for the original Wave – this phone will be as good as discontinued when the stocks run out. The Wave II will take over and that’s that.

Anyway, Samsung are probably not giving up on their Bada OS. If it eventually becomes the base platform for all their midrange touch phones, they will be extremely well positioned to adapt to the new market reality.

It’s not about the business benefits or the multitasking – it’s as simple as apps. Users love to have them and makers love to sell them. Imagine being able to do that on all levels – from the most basic feature phones to the top-of-the-line smart devices. That must be enough reason for Samsung to keep their commitment to Bada.



 

Like it or not, the Samsung S8530 Wave II is just a step in the process. We’re about to see whether it’s as compelling as its predecessor. As usual, we start with the design and hardware, and then put Bada 1.2 under the microscope.

Organizer and apps

The Samsung S8530 Wave II comes with the Picsel Viewer on board. It works like a charm and is capable of pinch zooming. Both panning and zooming are fast and the overall performance of the Office viewer is excellent.


Picsel Viewer on Samsung Wave II

The calendar has three different types of view - daily, weekly and monthly. Adding a new event is quick and easy, and you can also set an alarm to act as a reminder.


The organizer centerpiece - the calendar

The Samsung S8530 Wave II features a decent alarm clock application which allows a huge number of alarms to be set, each with its own start time and repeat pattern. It also hosts the world clock, stop-watch and timer functions. There is also a calculator aboard. It is nicely touch optimized - the buttons are big enough and easy to hit. Oh, the Wave II packs a voice recorder as well.


The Clock app has the alarm options, the world clock, the stop-watch and the timer • Calculator

Samsung have included the My Files app – a simple to use but functional file manager, which also doubles as an image gallery. It can move, copy, lock and rename files in bulk, even send multiple files over Bluetooth.


The My Files app

The System Manager is the first telltale sign the Wave II is actually a smartphone. It consists of four tabs. The first one shows the device information (model number, firmware version, MAC addresses), the second one displays the battery info, while the third and the fourth inform you on the CPU usage and the memory status, respectively. Along with the CPU usage you can also see the currently running apps and you can start the Task manager.


The System Manager

The Memo and Mini Diary are self-explanatory. The first app works with only text, while the Diary lets you also attach pictures.


The Memo and Mini Diary

Social Hub is the messaging and media sharing Holy Grail – this one app allows you to create a message (it may pack media content too) and then send it to various services – SMS/MMS, email, social networks.


The Social Hub

Samsung also added native Twitter and Facebook clients on the Bada OS. They are nicely touch optimized and have similar looks and functionality as the respective apps for the iPhone and Symbian.


Facebook • Twitter

The Smart Search works on everything in your phone – contacts, images, music, videos, emails, history, apps, etc. It works excellent and helps when you have lots of content. It also offers internet search with Google or Bing.


The Smart Search

Games

There are two full games pre-installed on the Wave – EDGE and Parachute Panic. You also get the Tumbling dice application.

The Tumbling dice app uses the built-in accelerometer. Shaking the phone for an occasional roll of the dice is a fun way to try your luck, and while it's free, it's not practical or particularly entertaining.

The EDGE is a very simple game, which also uses the accelerometer to control a cube over a space platform. Your goal is one - to make it to the end of the level.

Parachute Panic is very cute game – some guys jump from planes and you must open their parachutes and help them land on the ships below. The game has very nice paper drawing styling and is quite fun.


Tumbling dice • EDGE • Parachute Panic

There is also a bunch of demo games. They give you only about two minutes of gameplay each.

Unfortunately, Bada OS is still very young and its gaming potential is yet to be revealed in the future.

The Samsung Apps store

The Bada OS offers a native application repository from its start – the Samsung Apps. Samsung Apps is very similar to the Android Market. It has three tabs – featured, top and category view. There is also a download section and search option.


Samsung Apps

At the time we reviewed the original Wave we found only 60 apps over at the Samsung Apps store and now a total of nearly 3000 applications (both free and paid) are at your disposal.
And while this growth sure is impressive, the Samsung Apps store is far behind Apple’s App Store, Google’s Android Market or even the Windows Marketplace of the recently launched Windows Phone 7 platform.

GPS navigation comes at a price

The preinstalled navigation software on the Samsung S8530 Wave II can easily turn the handset in a fully functional SatNav system - especially thanks to the sensitive GPS receiver on board.

Wave II comes supplied with the Samsung LBS app, which is based on the ROUTE66 mobile application. Though its maps graphics have somewhat outdated looks, feature-wise there's really nothing missing. It has voice-guided navigation and a huge number of additional features, but the extra features come at a price.


The GPS nagigation software

The navigation software comes with 30-day trial license for voice-guided navigation (drive and walk). After that you’ll need a subscription, which is quite expensive. All other goodies require some extra payment and the whole package will cost you a lot.

There is no native Google Maps at this stage, but we hope the app will hit the Bada OS application store soon.

 

Final words

If you have the feeling the Wave II came out of nowhere you’re not alone. This is not your usual upgrade – it’s an emergency response to what might one day be known as the 2010 SuperAMOLED crisis. Just kidding really, but we guess it always helps to keep good humor when things don’t go quite as planned.

In a nutshell, the difference between SuperAMOLED and Super (Clear) LCD is about the same as that between Superman and Super Mario. The major novelty is in fact a major liability for the Wave II and it’s not the phone’s fault. A 3.7” Super Clear LCD touchscreen can’t match a 3.3” Super AMOLED but Samsung had no choice but try and make this work. The Bada OS is by the way not the only casualty of the AMOLED shortage.

So yes, we do think losing the SuperAMOLED screen was the worst thing that could happen to the Wave II. But in all honesty, they did try to make the whole thing less painful. Making the screen bigger seems the right thing to do. And other than the screen, it’s the same phone with the whole set of top notch features intact.

You get the same 5 megapixel still camera and HD video recording and a complete connectivity package including Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and TV out. There’s the impressively fast CPU and premium finish. And not least, the Bada OS has just been updated to v1.2.