Yesterday we had our hands on the all new Samsung Galaxy Alpha and we ran into some issue with video transfer,today we bring you a hands look of the new metal clad device from Samsung and a quick tour of the device itself.
Amid the recent news and what people say is the death of Nokia with Microsoft killing the Nokia branding on the last Nokia devices which is said to be the 730/830 which are due to hit the stores soon Nokia is not dead,far from it,remember the deal what was the conditions of this deal yes we are all aware and no need to bore you once more,time is moving fast and maybe to fast for some..
Lets be all honest Nokia has a place in everyones heart,everyone has had a Nokia device at one stage in their lives and there is many collectors just like me,which my personal collection stands at 160 or so devices,no big deal to most just happens i stuck with the brand because i liked it,just like other fanboys or other companies,and to be fair i just dont use nokia devices i use others,been a blogger and reviewer i test phones,Nokia and Android are my daily drivers..Lets also not forget Nokia networks either something now i am keenly now interested in,recently been here in Ireland NOKIA NETWORKS are very much alive..
Some of today’s press reports related to rumours about Microsoft dropping the Nokia brand have declared the death of the Nokia brand. But, to paraphrase Mark Twain, “reports of our death are an exaggeration.” Yes, we have sold our mobile phone business to Microsoft. But the Nokia of today is financially robust and has moved from weakness to strength. We have one of the world’s best telecom infrastructure businesses, a global leader in the mapping and location business, a stellar intellectual property portfolio and some of the finest innovation capabilities of any company anywhere. Remember, Nokia started almost 150 years ago with just one paper mill. Over time we have repeatedly and successfully reinvented ourselves. We may not be the same Nokia of several years ago, but we are here, we are strong, and our brand is very much still alive. Not to mention kicking!
So its something to think about Nokia as a company is not dead far from it,its just the devices that we all love and know so well we will not see that infamous NOKIA logo on anymore.A glimmer of hope in the future perhaps ??
So as it was said to me on a certain forum, I WILL JUST LEAVE THIS HERE!
Today we had the opportunity to have a sneek peek at the upcoming device from the Samsung,The all new Samsung Galaxy Alpha..
First impressions of the new Metal edged device are nothing special by no means and little has been changed apart from the metal rim but the back cover has a nice rubber typed feel and its grippy compared to the usual plastic or leather faux we now see in the later devices such as the Galaxy Note 3.However the underside is of course plastic.
The back of the device has a nice feel to it with a rubber finish its soft yet grippy and its actually nice to hold and feels good in hand,this is a good change from the regular plastic finish we are use to apart from later devices that has plastic backs which are slippy.
Underneath the cover we have access to the sim card area so no hot swap here which people prefer but im sure nobody will complain about it,everything is tucked away,there is also
Moving up to the top we can see we have the camera 12 MP and flash also we can see the headphone socket and a mic you might also notice the hump,breaking the line which takes the seamless edge away why this was done is another thing but its not really a big deal.
The bottom of the device hols the USB slot,and another mic,also a speaker to one side,one other thing is you will notice the two bands on each edge same applies to top these are separated by plastic by the way.
On the right hand side all on offer is the power key nothing else,you can also see the ledge which allows you to remove the back cover,you will need nails to remove this,i found it awkward,been a guy and no nails and all that..
On the left hand side all we get is the volume toggles,up/down nothing more so as you will have noticed by now there is no dedicated camera key ,not really an issue although most phones today come with on screen options for camera but lots like the traditional camera key.
Looking at it from the front it does not look much different than most samsung devices only the metal edge is noticeable with the chamfered line going around the whole device,we also have one physical key and two soft keys,also we have the front facing camera and sensors on top with an earpiece over the samsung logo.
First impressions are,its nothing we have not seen before its a samsung with a metal body to be honest however the fact that samsung have moved away from metal will be a welcome move for most who are fed up with the plastic feel they are use to,it does feel good and solid in hand and you can get a good grip with the rubber back.
I would feel it will do well since marketing has kicked off a pre register options have opened samsung fans will no doubt want to try it out.
We only had some limited time today and actually had a video which seems to have got corrupted somehow hopefully we will have one up shortly..
Nokia News Ireland has received the great news today that we have been nominated in the Web Awards 2014 we are delighted to have made it here in such a short time we are running.
I would like to personally thank everyone that voted for me and took the time to vote it means so much,thanks to all the followers on the blog and all my twitter friends whom we speak with on a daily basis,its a great community.We are a non funded fans of tech and just love it.
This is great news for me and i cant thank our followers enough.I would also like to thank my extended team Ronan Coughlan and Mitchell Goudie Go for their contributions to this site who also write on my other site JimbosTechNews.
Well done to all the other nominees too in the Web Awards 2014.The quarter finalists will be announced 19th September 2014.
The Nokia Lumia 530 has finally hit Ireland ,a couple of days later than what we had been told some weeks ago,but nonetheless its finally here at last.
Today on Facebook Nokia Ireland made the announcement..this is the latest handset in the portfolio at the entry level bracket priced at €99
Emobile have also posted the device on their Facebook page.
Whilst Meteor mobile has a competition running to win the Lumia 530.
Currently there is no listing for O2 regarding the device nor is it live on the websites just yet,we will update when the info comes in.But we have received the following info. This is from the latest brochure.
Three Ireland will also sell the device which is expected this week.
The device is expected to be in the region of €89/99 euros and as confirmed by others,this concludes with the info we received prior to today.
Amongst the devices announced today we also got some more in the means of wireless charging,Nokia have been know to push wireless charging for some time now and we have been there from day one and we have a similar unit still going strong today which is the DC-50
Above is the DC-50 and below is the DT-903 They do look similar but they are not..
The DC-50 is more so portable than its updated version as it can work alone with-out been plugged into a wall when fully charged for instance,where the DT-903 HAS A FIXED CABLE attached but this is not really an issue for been in the go once power sources are at hand.
Whats nice about these are that is you dont need to search for a spot unlike previous models and there is a light that glows at the bottom which tells you that the battery is low.
Multi purpose notification light.
Know what’s happening on your phone without looking at it. When you have paired your Lumia with the DT-903, the notification light on the charger glows for missed calls and messages – setting it up is easy.
Smart charging.
Do more with your wireless charger. Pair a Bluetooth Low Energy enabled Lumia with the DT-903 and a soft light will ‘breathe’ from beneath the charger when the battery is low. A subtle reminder to charge your phone makes wireless charging even more convenient.
Specs.
Connectivity
Charging connectors2: USB
USB: USB 2.0
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
NFC: Pairing
Power
Charger input current: 2500 mA
Charger input voltage: 5 V DC
Usage
Operating temperature: -5 – +45 C
User Interface
UI features: Device Hub 3.6
Operating keys: Multifunction key
LED indicators: Charging indicator, Low battery indicator, Missed event indicator
Dimensions
Width: 76 mm
Height: 159 mm
Thickness: 8.9 mm
Weight: 150 g
Cable length: 150 cm
Environmental features
Materials: Free of PVC, Free of nickel on the product surface, Free of BFR, rFR as in Nokia Substance List
Recycling: 100% recoverable as materials and energy
User guide: Small printed guide, full on nokia.com
At a very busy day from IFA Berlin we saw several different devices announced, two of those included the Sony Smartwatch 3 and Smartband talk. With LG to announced another smartwatch and the Moto 360 en route, here’s sony’s bid for smartwatch glory.
The Smartwatch 3 continues the range and this watch rocks swappable bands and provides a less Rolex and more swatch type look in my opinion. Available in Classic Black or Sport Lime, the watch core actually pops out of the silicon strap, also in pink and white. It’s not designed to do this everyday more that if you fancy a change after a few months, it can be done. The strap itself has a clasp to keep it in place and though we prefer a standard watch strap as on the G Watch, that’s down to personal preference and it does at least feel secure.
Elsewhere, the SmartWatch 3 is the first Android Wear device with GPS. Completing the killer combo is 4GB of on-board storage and a standalone Walkman app so that the SmartWatch 3 can be paired with Bluetooth headphones to track runs and provide tunes without a smartphone. The Smartwatch 3 has a big ish 1.6 inch screen but still seems a good size especially as this is aimed more at runners etc. The Smartwatch 3 is expected to come in at about €229.
Check the spec included battery below.
Screen: 1.6in 320×320 TFT LCD touchscreen Processor: 1.2GHz quad-core ARM A7 RAM: 512MB OS: Android Wear Battery: 420mAh (claimed 2 days) Storage: 4GB Water & Dust Resistance: IP68 Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC Compatibility: Android 4.3+ Dimensions: 36 x 10 x 51mm Weight: 38g (Classic), 35.7g (Sport) Colours: Classic (Black) and Sport (Lime), straps avaialble in white and pink
The Sony SmartBand Talk.
The SmartBand Talk, Sony’s €159 wearable e-paper screen on a silicon strap, is a curious beast.
With a 288×128 e-paper screen that’s non touch and an odd mix of features it’s stuck somewhere in the middle. The altimeter is great as that means the SmartBand can track when you are going up stairs as well as the usual steps and distance to add to your Lifelog. Auto sleep detect is a nice addition too as on Sony’s this mode had to be activated by a button press. IP68 dust and waterproofing is another plus.
And it can talk. Well, you can talk to it. The SmartBand can handle calls, with a mic, speaker, HD Voice technology. Check the spec below.
The Sony Xperia Z3 brings the same omnibalance design Xperia Z products have become known for, but refines it slightly with a more rounded design. The signature side power button is still present in this latest edition.
There is an aluminium frame with the Xperia Z3, along with nylon corners to protect the device if you drop it and you’ll find the same tempered glass flat front and rear. Nice! The Z3 features a 5.2-inch display as well as a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display on which provides a pixel density of 424ppi. Sony has opted for a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor along with 3GB of RAM to power its beast. This beast is powered by a 3100mAh battery to keep you going through the day!
Finally the camera element of the Sony Xperia Z3 is an area of focus for the Japanese company and just like the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z2, Sony has popped a 20.7-megapixel sensor onto the newest flagship. Sony has also upped the ISO sensitivity to 12800, which it claims is a first for a smartphone and it has added a new wider 25mm G Lens. These improvements will help with low light pictures and enable you to get more in the shot respectively. On the front, the Z3 has a 2.2-megapixel camera.
The Xperia Z3 is available in 4 colours and will be available soon within the coming months.