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HTC Mogul

Tom Edwards — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:15:15 -0600

To the surprise of some, companies continue to make handsets even after the Jobsian conception of the Jesus Phone, or, as it’s more commonly known to PC users, the iPhone. Rather than proving itself to be the phone of phones (see review here), it is clear that we remain in a polytelephonic universe in which a number of devices, including HTC’s Mogul, show themselves to be worthy mobile handset options.

With a 2.8-inch screen, speedy EVDO broadband compatibility (upgradeable to Rev A), and Windows Mobile 6, the Mogul is a solid choice for those who need to get work done while away from the office but don’t necessarily always want to lug around a laptop. The included Office Mobile app and handy integrated keyboard allow users to edit and create Word and Excel files and view PowerPoint docs, and to stay connected, you can also access Exchange, POP3, and IMAP email accounts as well as send standard text messages (MMS, however, is not an option); the full slide-out keyboard is responsive with keys that are big enough to keep you from making too many typos, though you will have to use both hands to type. Overall, voice quality was good.

Accessing commonly used apps is easy thanks to the numerous buttons on the sides and face of the device. The Mogul allows for one-press access to email, Explorer, the camera, voice dialing, and the Comm Manager. A scroll wheel on the side and D-pad on the face also let you navigate menus. While the ease at which you can get to popular apps is a plus, the placement of the scroll wheel makes it easy to accidentally depress the power button.

Although seemingly built as a work device, the Mogul also features a number of multimedia options, including a 2MP 2x-zoom camera with video capture, Windows Media Player, and digital media downloads from Sprint’s music store. While it’s nice to have these features, the Mogul won’t supplant your camera and MP3 player.

The Mogul presents a good mix of power and portability. If you need access to Office apps while you’re on the road but still want an array of multimedia options, it’s a good, if pricey, choice.

Apple iPhone

Roman Loyola — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:43:09 -0600

Hey did you hear? Apple came out with a mobile phone. Of course you heard—the only way you could’ve avoided the iPhone hype machine was to move to Antarctica, shut yourself in an igloo, and avoid all contact with other humans. But in case you’ve just crept out of your ice house, the iPhone is Apple’s new gadget that combines a mobile phone, iPod, and Internet access into one handy bundle that fits in your pocket.

As a mobile phone, the iPhone is quite capable. Audio is clear and loud enough not to be drowned out by an arriving subway or boos at a Yankees game. Visual Voicemail is awesome, letting you pick and choose which voicemail messages you want to hear without listening to any tedious instructions. And after a couple of months, we have yet to experience one dropped call. But how can a phone this expensive not have voice-activated calling? Custom ringtones aren’t available either, unless you decide to use a hack from the Internet.

It’s also Apple’s best iPod yet. There’s no click wheel, but the iPod interface is just as easy to use, if not easier. Cover Flow, which uses album art to sort songs, is a fun way to sift through your music. The audio is iPod-esque—good midrange and midtone without bass that doesn’t drop heavy. The stunning 3.5-inch LCD makes it possible to enjoy a full-length movie without squinting.

The iPhone’s abilities as an Internet device may be the deal breaker. The problem is the EDGE data connectivity—to say EDGE sucks is putting it lightly. Even Steve Jobs was reported as saying that he prefers the faster 3G technology, but 3G is extremely power hungry and not as widely available as EDGE. Regardless, it’s a treat to see full web pages on a mobile device, instead of stripped-down WAP versions, despite the fact that you can’t view sites that rely on the ubiquitous Flash plugin.

The iPhone is far from the savior of mobile phones—third-party developers are restricted to simple AJAX web apps, firmware hacks are wiped out after each update, and the fixed battery has sparked litigation. But there’s also the innovative multitouch touchscreen and sensible interface, the no-nonsense syncing and activating through iTunes, and the tough-as nails screen and case (our test iPhone remains scratchless). If you’ve waited this long, you might as well keep waiting—iPhone 2.0 is bound to be what the iPhone should’ve been in the first place.

Note: When this issue went to press, Apple had not yet announced its SDK.

BlackBerry 8820

Tom Edwards — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:11:05 -0500

Ostensibly designed for business users who can’t have a cameraphone in the workplace, the BlackBerry 8820 is, in fact, a consumer-friendly device that includes one major upgrade over its predecessor, the 8800: Wi-Fi. And while this addition allows for speedier web browsing and better connections in spotty coverage areas, it comes with one major caveat—AT&T has chosen to allow Wi-Fi to carry only data, not voice, so VoIP, isn’t a possibility. That said, the inclusion of Wi-Fi is welcomed, particularly because RIM has made searching for and logging onto a network so simple.

The 8820 continues BlackBerry’s dominance as the device of choice for those who need constant access to email while outside the office. While push email has become ubiquitous on mobile devices, we appreciated this device’s ease of use. Setting up email accounts on the 8820 was as easy as entering our user names and passwords, and the Blackberry works with up to 10 accounts, including Exchange, POP3, and IMAP accounts. Additionally, unlike keyboards on many smartphones, the keys on the 8820's full keyboard are raised up enough and provide enough response to minimize typos.

Real-time driving directions via the built-in GPS are available through an optional TeleNav account ($10/month). We found that the phone connected and downloaded maps from the service quickly and was able to promptly redraw maps across the 8820’s 2.5-inch screen when necessary. Additionally, the option of creating a route based on current traffic patterns was a great benefit—particularly during a trip to Los Angeles.

BlackBerrys have never been known for their prowess as media devices, but lately, RIM has tried to change that perception. While the 8820 won’t replace our MP3 player, the included media management software at least made listening to music a possibility. XM radio (streamed over the Internet) is also available for nine dollars a month.

Overall, voice quality was good; however, we encountered some static on two separate occasions. Since these seemed to be isolated incidents, we’re willing to give the device the benefit of the doubt. People on the other end of our conversations had no complaints about sound quality.

The 8820 delivers plenty of value, but people who often travel overseas should also consider the BlackBerry 8830 (which operates on the CDMA network in the United States but allows for roaming on GSM networks). That device, however, lacks Wi-Fi. And those who just can’t live without a low-quality camera jammed into their phones will be attracted to the latest Curve, which includes Wi-Fi but lacks GPS. Of the three devices, though, the 8820 is our choice for its inclusion of WiFi and GPS.

Netgear SPH101

Will Smith — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:49:44 -0600

Now this phone is sexy. And its tiny candy-bar formfactor, shiny, white fascia, and knobby plastic buttons make it not only attractive, but easy to use—plus its sound quality was noticeably better than the SMC phone’s. Battery life is roughly the same as a good cell phone—about three hours of talk time; 15-20 hours of standby.

The SPH101 uses the same interface as the SMC phone, which should be familiar to Skype users. After the initial configuration, you’re presented with an easily navigable interface, which mimics the Skype software interface.

The only problem we had with the SPH101 was in compatibility with certain post-802.11g Wi-Fi hardware. Despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t get the phone to connect to a Linksys WRT54GX4—a router that was eventually deemed incompatible by Netgear. That said, we were able to connect the SPH101 using a wide variety of other hardware without a problem, so it’s possible this is an isolated problem.

For Skype-aholics who need a Wi-Fi fix today, this is the phone to buy. But we’re going to wait for second-generation hardware before spending our cash

Month Reviewed: December 2006
+ GUGLIELMO MARCONI: Everything works and sounds great! Call anyone in the world (who has Skype) for free!
- DAVID ALTER: Pretty expensive; compatibility problems.
Verdict: 8
URL: www.netgear.com

SMC WSKP100

Will Smith — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:29:01 -0600

SMC’s Skype phone is proof positive that consumer electronics design in 2006 is largely inspired by the iPod. Shiny, white plastic design? Check. Rounded edges? Check. Flat face? Check. Poor user interface that frequently doesn’t work right, and a screen that sometimes shuts off at random? Oh wait, Apple’s products don’t have that.

And that’s the crux of the problem with the WSKP100. When it works, it sounds great, is comfortable to use, and performs as promised. If you jostle it the wrong way, however, the screen turns off—making it difficult to dial, hang up, or even tell if the phone is on. Even worse, some of the soft keypad buttons inexplicably don’t work. In order to dial a 9, you sometimes have to mash the button three or four times. Boo, hiss.

On the brighter side, the SMC phone handily beat Netgear’s product by being 100 percent compatible with the access points we tested it with—including commercial APs designed for public use, as well as a variety of 802.11b, 802.11g, and Draft-N hardware you’ll find in people’s homes. The phone also worked fine with APs that use WPA2-PSK encryption.

Expect to get a full day’s use from this phone on a single charge—and recharge anywhere you want using a standard mini-USB connector.

Month Reviewed: December 2006
+ 2.4GHZ: Decent sound quality; cheaper than the competition; worked with all routers.
- 900MHZ: Buttons work inconsistently and screen randomly shuts off.
Verdict: 6
URL: www.smc.com

Linksys CT200 Skype Phone

Todd Haselton — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 08:22:03 -0500

This phone is sexy. Sounds funny doesn’t it? Cordless phones are supposed to be boring, black or gray, and for the most part, featureless. The CIT200 looks like a slightly oversized cellphone—it even has a color screen and easy-to-use menu options. Once you’ve juiced up the phone and installed Skype and the handset’s drivers, you can plug in the phone’s USB transmitter and you’re good to go.

When you’re ready to Skype your aunt in Idaho just select Contacts, scroll to her name, and if she’s signed into Skype, you can click Call. The phone held a solid signal around our office, which has plenty of walls, and the voice quality remained good within about 85 feet of the transmitter.

We have one bone to pick with this phone, however—it doesn’t have support for typical analog phone lines. If you’re going to use this in conjunction with the line already running into your home, you’ll need a separate phone for that. Unlike the stand-alone Skype phones(which are much more expensive), your PC must be turned on to use the CIT200. And while you can make and receive land-line calls to and from normal phone numbers with it, you’ll need to subscribe to the SkypeOut and SkypeIn subscription services to do so.

Month Reviewed: October 2006

+ GI JOE: Easy to use; color screen; sleek look and feel.

- BARBIE: Doesn't work with land lines.

VERDICT: 7

URL: www.linksys.com

New Tech DualPhone

Todd Haselton — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 18:32:41 -0500

Double cheeseburgers, dual videocards, Nickelodeon Double Dare. Things that come in pairs always seem to be good, and the Dualphone is no exception. Plug in the phone, hook up its base via USB to your computer, and plug in the phone line. As long as you have Skype installed, you can receive and make calls via your computer through your Skype connection.

Voice quality is excellent for Skype calls. Most phones stop at this option, but the Dualphone keeps going. If you want to make or receive calls through standard telephone lines, you can. The phone has two call buttons, both sport green telephone icons, except one is labeled “PC”, so you know you’re making a VoIP call instead of a normal phone call.

Still, we have a few problems with this phone. For one thing, it’s ugly—really ugly: It looks like a standard, gray, boring, cordless phone with a poorly lit monochrome screen. And trying to figure out the menu navigation is frustrating. Without icons, the menu is confounding—we found ourselves constantly referring to the instruction booklet.

The good thing is that, unless you’re storing numbers in speed-dial memory, you’ll only need to use the menu to contact friends on the Skype list. If they’re online, their names show up, otherwise they won’t be on the list.

The manufacturer advertises a 1,000-foot talk distance for the Dualphone; we were only able to receive a clear signal up to about 90 feet in our office, but the sound quality was noticeably better on this phone than on the Linksys CIT200. It’s hard go fall in love with something so hideous, but the phone works as both a cordless phone and a Skype phone, which is pretty attractive.

Month Reviewed: October 2006

+ GUI: Clear reception; supports both land lines and Skype VoIP calls.

- DUI: Ugly; confusing menu.

VERDICT: 8

URL: www.dualphone.net

nXZEN Plus

Michael Brown — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 15:42:40 -0600

Talking on a cellphone while you’re driving or sitting in a restaurant doesn’t exactly display mastery of the social graces, but needs sometimes trump manners. If you must yak in public, do the rest of us a favor and use good equipment.

If your phone supports Bluetooth, Gennum’s nXZEN Plus is a fabulous wireless headset. It’s tiny and lightweight, and it sounds great. Gennum’s secret weapon is a powerful DSP chip paired with two highly directional microphones; together, they do an excellent job of canceling background noise.

We tested the headset in a variety of noisy environments, including a crowded bar, while driving in a convertible at freeway speeds with the top down, and even standing between two loudspeakers at very high volume. We never felt the need to speak above a conversational level to compensate for the racket. Listening on a cellphone at the other end of the connection, road noise was perceived as a soft whoosh, bar chatter was reduced to a dull murmur, and we could barely hear the speakers.

Four buttons control all the headset’s functions. We found the large side-button (on/off and call answer) simple to locate and use, but the volume control and “pinch” (mute/unmute) buttons proved a little more cumbersome.

In addition to sounding great, the nXZEN comes with thoughtful features: plug a second, cabled earpiece into the headset and your MP3 player and you can listen to music in stereo. The headset will automatically mute your tunes when you receive an incoming call. Laptop users who like to travel light will appreciate the ability to charge the headset using either an AC adapter or a USB cable.

Month Reviewed: April 2006

Verdict: 8

URL: www.nxzen.com