Gadgets Blog » Cell Phones

When I was working at a corporation and was required to have a cell phone so that the soulless leeches could contact me 24/7, I had a cell phone contract maxed out on everything. I maxed on the minutes, texts, data usage and anything they had because that phone was my lifeline to corporate hell.

I checked my e-mail constantly, surfed the Web in the car, texted while I drove (yeah, I was one of those guys) and occasionally talked on the phone. I had the standard contract, and since everything was supplemented with a monthly stipend from work, it never hurt my pocket book.

When I decided to make the change from the corporate world to stay-at-home writer and blogger, the phone that had been so important was pretty useless. My wife and I were home 24/7, so I had my desktop computer to surf the Web and check my e-mail.

We used our landline for phone calls because our cell reception was bad in the house. We didn’t go anywhere because we have three small children and no social life, so why was I spending so much money per month on a cell contract?

We looked into decreasing everything, but I still had tons of leftover minutes on both our phones. Our contract was reaching its end, and we began looking at no contract and prepaid phones as a way to stop wasting money.

Google’s steady move into the mobile phone market has been met with a great deal of success, with their Android operating system finding a home in the hearts of both consumers and developers. The operating system, which has future plans for tablet computers and maybe even netbooks, is still in the process of working out the kinks, but Google’s development team has been committing a great deal of resources to making sure Android is updated frequently, with features that only make it more appealing. Android 3.0, an update dubbed “Gingerbread,” is no different, with a host of new features and minor tweaks that were unveiled by the company earlier last week.

The information was leaked by Phandroid, a website devoted to Android updates and information. A bit of backstory is required before going into the actual updates themselves. Rival smartphone developer Palm has been in a structural shakeup after being acquired by HP, so much so that developer Martias Durate, the lead of Palm’s webOS team, left the company for greener pastures at Google. WebOS has been hailed for its sleek and innovative design, and with information pertaining to visual enhancements in Android, many speculated Durate was in part to thank.

In the world of Apple and Android smartphones, Nokia’s latest entry into the market is a bit of a misfit. Back inFebruary, Nokia first made headlines with the introduction of their N8, a phone boasting impressive hardware that has been on the market overseas for a while. Now the N8 arrives on American soil, prompting a lot of questions for Nokia, a firm that has done well on European markets without ever permeating into the United States with the same amount of success. Is the device worth checking out? That depends on your preferences, but the N8 does have a lot to offer.

As alluded to in the previous paragraph, the N8′s more intriguing feature is its operating system. It runs the Symbian^3 system, which has been a stable of Nokia gadgets for some time. While the operating system lacks the name recognition of its main competitors, it still boasts an intuitive interface that makes the phone a solid choice. Three side-by-side panels display information determined by the user, from three up to six widgets. The flexibility is convenient and should stand as one of the main draws to the system, although users will have to learn the OS when they first pick up the N8.

The world of the smartphone has also become the world of the smartphone application. Ever since folks have taken to toting around mini computers in their back pockets, developers have been creating a bevy of apps, streamlined programs intended for the pint-sized processors. Apps take on all shapes and sizes, allowing you to do everything from reading the newspaper to manipulating your voice with autotune. However, in a news story from earlier this week, a number of applications are creating risk for data theft, potentially leading to fraud and other dangers of 21st century technology.

In a joint study performed by Intel labs, Penn State, and Duke University, researchers determined that many applications perceived as secure have glaring flaws in them that can easily be manipulated by an experienced hacker. Their program centered around the development of TaintDroid, their own app intended to collect information for their research (ironically enough, perhaps). TaintDroid provides real-time updates about how apps downloaded to a smartphone collect personal information off the device, oftentimes beaming this information to other sources. The program tracks the flow of sensitive data both on the phone and to outside sources.

In the study, 30 popular applications were tested for their security. It was discovered that 15 of the 30 beamed the users current location to advertisers, likely so that better-targeted ads could be shown to the customer. Additionally, 7 of the studied apps sent other parties information pertaining to the hardware in use on the phone, including serial numbers on flash memory and on the phone itself. The final results of the study found a staggering 68 instances of information being inappropriately shared by the applications.

In the 19th Century, thousands of everyday people flooded California in the hopes of striking it rich, panning and mining for gold. Instead, most lost everything and only a few found that elusive fortune.

The iPhone and Android have created the modern day version of a digital gold rush, as people download software to build cell phone applications and strike it rich at $1.99 a pop. Many of these developers are professional programmers, but a growing number are average people with a little computer knowledge and a dream of launching the next Pandora.

For the one guy in the Balkan Islands that hasn’t heard of cell phone applications, they are downloadable programs that do everything from ordering pizza and finding public restrooms to trivia games and fart noises. People download these apps to their phone for a small price, if not for free, but they are often ad supported.

Count this as the most recent development in the smartphone wars. With the world taking on Apple’s beloved iPhone, other phone manufacturers are faced with a steep challenge. Ever since its release, the iPhone has been the definitive smartphone, bringing a wide variety of features not previously known to casual phone users.

Recently, however, the battle has intensified. Apple, who for so long seemed invincible, appears to have stumbled during the course of this iPhone antenna debacle. The iPhone, it seems, is no longer perfect as we once thought.

Therefore, today’s news story is perhaps no surprise. According to an article at BBC News, shipments of Android-equipped phones shot through the roof in the 2nd quarter of 2010. The numbers, compared to the same period of 2008, show a staggering 886 percent increase in shipments. The number can be attributed to a number of factors.

First and foremost, Google’s operating system has resonated with developers. Companies from HTC to Samsung have been developing phones with Android, providing a solid opportunity for an operating system that isn’t Apple’s. Google’s reputation as a computing giant is perhaps exactly the type of name-recognition needed to combat Apple.

While Microsoft built its computing empire via agressive expansion tactics and developing products suited to consumer use, the computing giant seems to be lagging behind some of its competitors here in the 21st century. The relatively poor Windows Vista operating system damaged the company’s reputation, hurting their vice-grip on the personal computer market.

At the same time, rival companies like Apple and newcomer Google have managed to create computing empires based upon parts of the market where Microsoft was absent. Today’s news story seems to underscore this trend. Hot on the heels of Apple’s iPhone 4 and just before a slew of Android-equipped smartphones, Microsoft has abandoned its KIN smartphone.

This news, in some ways, was a while coming for the KIN. The device, which was different from other smartphones in several key ways, has been canceled for its European release later this summer.

The smartphone wars have been all over the news this week, and for good reason. Close on the heels of our Tuesday article about Google’s Android operating system overtaking Apple’s mobile OS in total market share, Sprint has unveiled the release date for its very first 4G phone, a gadget that could make some significant waves in the realm of mobile computing.

Called the HTC EVO 4G and sporting the latest version of Android, Engadget reports that the device will be filled with a host of features making it the most advanced smartphone on the market. Seeing as Sprint (and Android) will be beating Apple to the punch with a 4G phone, it’s entirely possible this could be a game-changer for Sprint as a mobile carrier. Engadget reports the following:

In some surprising news this week, sales reports from the first quarter of 2010 revealed quite the interesting trend: Google’s Android operating system might slowly be gaining some ground upon their competitor, Apple. An article published in PC Magazine Online announced the news, which was quite surprising for the future of the smartphone market. While the Apple mobile OS runs exclusively on the iPhone, Android has the advantage of being available on several different models of phone, including Motorola’s Droid. The article itself provided some insight into the new market break-down.

Android phones climbed to 28 percent, above Apple at 21 percent. The numbers are somewhat unexpected, given that other research firms, such as comScore, have placed Android phones, which has placed the Android OS at 10 percent for February.

On Friday, IDC released its first-quarter market share data, placing Nokia and RIM atop the worldwide market, with 39.3 percent and 19.4 percent of the market, respectively. Apple finished third, with 16.1 percent, and HTC was fourth at 4.8 percent. IDC did not reveal its share breakdown for the various OS flavors, however.

Likewise, for the first quarter within the U.S., comScore said that Samsung, Motorola, and LG finished in a virtual dead heat, with 21.9, 21.9, and 21.8 percent of the market. Again, comScore did not break out first-quarter market share for the various Android flavors.

The news is certainly exciting for Google, but should be expected due simply to the varying number of phones available running each OS. What once was regarded as a strength for Apple, brand integrity, appears to be harming them over time. By only having a single phone in the market, Apple has the potential to lose customers who want something slightly less than the expensive iPhone. By using their operating system for a wide variety of phones, Google can gain market share more effectively, a great option for the company as it tries to catch up.

Today’s topic on Best and Worst touches a sensitive spot in my heart. The other day, my beloved cell phone of a year suffered a career-ending injury. As I carried a table up a small set of stairs, I tripped, crushing the touchscreen, and thus rendering the top half of the screen black and unreadable. As anyone who has lost a phone can attest, the hassle that goes along with it is frustrating and time consuming. I was lucky enough to still be under warranty, meaning Verizon (bless them) will have a new device sent my way in a matter of days. However, finding a smartphone that suits your personal needs can be nothing short of laborious, especially considering how difficult it is to determine the long-term use of a phone during a first impression. Don’t be fooled by nice designs or attractive colors, the following phones have issues that make them some of the worst smart phones on the market.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX
This phone is the epitome of style over substance. Its flashy design and attractive touchscreen make it initially appealing, but several design flaws plague the Sidekick. First of all, the structural integrity of the design is a bit suspect, as the screen’s two-axis flip motion can break easily if the phone is subject to any sort of abuse. While the phone sports a full QWERTY keyboard, which can make texting a breeze, the buttons on this particular smartphone are packed together, difficult for anyone with larger hands (or anyone without the fine-tuned motor skills needed to operate a QWERTY keyboard successfully). You’re best off looking for an alternative, such as the T-Mobile Dash, which boasts a great interface based out of Windows Mobile.

Blackberry 8300
As a whole, the Blackberry line of smartphones are quite good, with many features available on a variety of networks. If you’re looking for a device with great business capabilities, web integration, and email, a Blackberry can be a great choice. However, not all Blackberries are created equal, and some, like the 8300, fall flat next to their siblings. The Blackberry 8300, in some regards, is a lesser version of other Blackberry phones, meaning that the interface and keypad aren’t as sturdy and up-to-date. For perhaps the best experience with a Blackberry, check out the Blackberry Storm, which boasts some great unique features.

Nokia Surge 6790
Our final smartphone to avoid also looks like it could be a winner. But, alas, looks are also deceiving, once again. The Nokia Surge has a slim black design and a slide-out keypad, making it one of the better-looking smartphones. The device boasts some great synchronization with Gmail, Yahoo, and Windows Live, even if its operating system is a bit dates compared to competitors. However, there are some puzzling design flaws that make using the Nokia Surge downright frustrating. It’s impossible to dial a number without sliding open the keypad, a flaw that becomes more and more upsetting the longer you have the phone. Also, the small and slightly off-center screen can be hard to squint at in dark environments, as the brightness is lacking. For a similar, but better, alternative, check out the Samsung Jack.