Mark Prigg puts the new crop of smartphones through their paces
It’s been an astonishing year for smartphones, with almost every month seeing a new “must-have” model released as manufacturers fight it out in this hugely lucrative market.
Traditionally, Apple has ruled at the top end but more recent times have seen Android, Google’s mobile operating system, catching up and, in terms of overall sales, overtaking Apple (although it’s not a wholly fair comparison, as Apple only sells one type of phone while there are dozens of Android handsets).
As Android has risen, some big names are struggling. Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has faltered terribly in recent months, with huge infighting in the firm and a fairly disastrous attempt at making a tablet. It has not been a good year for RIM, and many analysts are sounding the death knell for a firm that once ruled the corporate smartphone market.
It’s also been a disappointing time for Microsoft. Its Windows Phone 7 software launched to great critical acclaim but has failed to set the world alight, although a new version due in the autumn claims to offer improvements.
Despite the woes of some of the longer-established manufacturers – and spare a thought for Nokia, which has been forced into an unlikely partnership with Microsoft to try to save itself – there is no better time to invest in a smartphone. The level of design and innovation being seen means today’s handsets can do more than ever, for longer than ever.
iPhone 4
From free
apple.com/uk
By smartphone standards it’s a little old now, but the iPhone 4 still rules the market. The 3.5-inch retina screen is stunning, and Apple’s app selection has only got better – there are now more than 425,000. At 115mm x 59mm x 9mm and weighing 137g, it’s a well built, solid-feeling handset.
The release of iOS 5, the latest version of the software for the iPhone and iPad, will bring a major update in the autumn, adding an entirely new notification system and including the iCloud server-based storage system, which lets you automatically send content to all of your Apple gadgets and back them up on Apple servers (see “Cloud cover”, businesstraveller.com/archive/2011/july-august-2011) – although outside of the US you won’t get the music sync service until a later date.
Overall, iOS 5 gives the iPhone a much-needed overhaul and does just enough to keep it well ahead of the rest of its competitors. However, with the new iPhone 5 handset expected this month, which is believed to include a faster processor, new design and improved camera, it would seem the iPhone 4 is approaching the end of its life.
- PROS Unrivalled app selection, retina screen still impressive
- CONS New model expected this month
HTC Desire S
From free
htc.com/uk
The latest version of the brilliant Desire, the Desire S does not fail to impress, taking what was already a great phone and giving it a major speed boost. Crucially, it also runs HTC Sense, a superb custom interface, on top of Google’s Android software.
The Desire S is intuitive, fast and lovely to look at thanks to the excellent work of HTC in making the phone’s software far slicker than any other Android handset.
However, the design is a little disappointing – it’s functional rather than stylish, and definitely in need of a bit of magic for the next version, especially given that many of its rivals are now Apple-esque in their high design standards.
Still, the HTC makes up for its physical limitations with some great features, such as the ability to pinch in and out to see the seven different homescreens on offer, good corporate email integration, and an excellent weather and clock app that has now become the benchmark for almost every other manufacturer.
It’s reasonably slim, measuring 60mm x 12mm x 115mm, and it weighs 130g. The 3.7-inch screen is good, but not brilliant, especially when compared with the iPhone 4. On the whole, though, this is a capable all-rounder and cements HTC’s reputation as one of the world’s best smartphone makers.
- PROS Great interface
- CONS Design feels a little dated
Samsung Galaxy S2
From free
samsung.co.uk
Samsung’s Galaxy S2 is a great attempt at rivalling HTC in the high-end Android phone market, and is well thought-out. It’s also extremely thin, measuring 125mm x 66mm x 8mm, and weighing 116g.
The 4.3-inch screen is superb, being both bright and sharp – on a par with Apple’s screen, in fact. The camera is also excellent, boasting 8 megapixels, and the image quality rivals the best camera phones I’ve seen. It’s also an extremely fast and responsive handset, even when playing back HD video. However, this is reflected in the battery life, which is poor – you’ll certainly need to recharge it every evening.
Samsung has added its own software on top of Android, called Touchwiz, and it’s quite impressive, although very Apple-like in its look and feel. There are also some neat touches, such as the ability to scroll up and down web pages by tilting the phone forward and back, and the ability to organise your apps into folders.
Unfortunately, the S2 is let down by poor build quality – it feels flimsy and easily breakable. It’s a big step forward for Samsung, but does go to show that Android handsets still struggle with battery life.
- PROS Good interface
- CONS Poor build quality, battery life
Blackberry Torch 9800
From free
blackberry.co.uk
Blackberry has long toyed with the idea of a touchscreen phone, although its first attempt, the Storm, was not well received. It then struck upon the idea of combining a touchscreen with the keyboard that Blackberry fans love, and came up with the Torch 9800.
This is the second generation of Torch, and its well thought-out design makes it a quick, easy-to-use touchscreen phone, albeit with a relatively small 3.2-inch screen, with a slide-out keyboard for longer emails. At 161g, it’s one of the heavier handsets here, and it measures 111mm x 62mm x 15mm when closed. Blackberry has gone to great lengths to improve its app store, although the quality of its 20,000 applications remains disappointing. Still, some, such as Twitter, have come on in leaps and bounds.
For hardcore Blackberry fans, the Torch provides the best of both worlds. For the corporate market, where email is the main thing people care about, a more traditional Blackberry may be the better bet, but for those eager to try a touchscreen, the Torch offers a great compromise.
- PROS Slider design works well
- CONS Limited apps
Motorola Atrix
From free
motorola.co.uk
Motorola has struggled in the smartphone market but with the Atrix, has decided to do something truly radical and create a phone that aims to replace your laptop.
It’s a big, chunky handset, measuring 118mm x 64mm x 11mm with a weight of 135g. However, packed in is an excellent four-inch screen and an extremely fast processor. Running Android, it’s great for watching videos, and apps really shine. There’s also a neat security feature in the shape of a fingerprint reader on the power button, which is effective and simple to set up.
The Atrix has one more trick up its sleeve. Slip it into the back of Motorola’s £250 keyboard dock and it instantly becomes a full laptop, running the Firefox web browser. It’s a good idea for those who don’t want to carry around a laptop – although, annoyingly, you could buy a cheap netbook for the same price.
The Atrix is an interesting concept and for power users is definitely a handset to consider. As a laptop replacement it doesn’t quite work, but hats off to Motorola for trying to do something different.
- PROS Inventive accessories
- CONS Extremely large
HTC 7 Trophy
From free
htc.com/uk
Microsoft’s entry into the world of smartphones hasn’t quite gone according to plan, with disappointing sales for the first batch of its Windows 7 handset, for which HTC was one of the key manufacturers. However, the HTC 7 Trophy is one of the more interesting models available and is free on most contracts.
Windows 7 uses a tile-based interface, with the ability to show information – such as the number of unread emails you have – inside the email tile, for instance. It works well, and feels incredibly fluid in use. Measuring 119mm x 62mm x 12mm and weighing 140g, the Trophy offers a good screen, and Windows 7 does seem to benefit from the relatively large 3.8-inch screen, with the 5-megapixel camera and flash also offering good value.
The jury is still out on Windows Phone 7. It has failed to set the world alight, and the number and quality of apps available for download is a disappointment, but it nevertheless offers one of the fastest, most intuitive interfaces. If you haven’t seen it in action, it’s worth spending time with the Trophy – it’s proof that Microsoft is back in the running for smartphone dominance, albeit with a lot of work to do.
- PROS Innovative interface
- CONS Poor selection of apps
INQ Cloud touch
From free
carphonewarehouse.com
INQ is a name you’ve probably never heard of, but the London-based firm scored a huge coup when it became the first firm Facebook chose to work with to develop a mobile.
The Cloud Touch is a well-made handset and, while it runs Google’s Android software, it has its own “skin” on top, which makes the interface a lot more fun. Facebook is everywhere – the homescreen populates itself with your friends and feeds the first time you log in, and it’s easy to share pictures and videos.
The Cloud Touch may be aimed at the youth market but underneath the funky menus is a highly usable smartphone. Its email client is impressive, and it has all the other business functions of an Android handset – just all looking as though they’ve been designed by a Japanese anime artist. At 122g it’s very light, and small at 114mm x 62mm x 13mm. For fans of social networking, it’s definitely worth considering alongside the more established brands, and for frequent travellers, it could be great for keeping in touch with friends and family.
- PROS Great social networking integration, easy to set up
- CONS Design is not for everyone
LG Optimus 3D
From free
lge.com/uk
At first glance, the Optimus 3D looks like any other Android phone, albeit a heavyweight one, at 168g and measuring 128mm x 68mm x 11.9 mm. It has a huge 4.3-inch screen – turn it on and the screen immediately jumps out at you, as this is the first phone to have a 3D display.
Thankfully, it’s not a TV-like display that requires you to wear glasses but instead a lenticular one similar to that found in Nintendo’s 3D games console. The effect is excellent, although getting content is an issue (there is a good selection on You Tube, and LG preloads some good demos).
There is a pair of cameras for recording your own 3D movies, and it’s fun to play around with. You can also plug it direct into your living room TV (if it’s 3D) to watch your handiwork back. Apart from all this, it is a blazingly fast handset, and the screen looks reasonable – although not exceptional – in 2D.
At the moment, the Optimus 3D is a bit of a gimmick, unless you’re a film buff or want to experiment with 3D filming. It’s a powerful phone but ultimately the screen just isn’t as good as the competition in 2D, which is what you’ll be using most of the time.
- PROS 3D screen
- CONS Heavy and chunky, 2D screen isn’t great
Headphones
While Shure’s SE535 in-ear headphones (shure.co.uk) have been around for a little while and are horrifically expensive (though if you shop around you can find them much cheaper than the £479 RRP), they are still the best I’ve tried. They’re very comfortable, and the recently released Shure S115M+ iPhone remote and microphone (£133) allows you to make calls without taking your phone out of your pocket – a handy feature for commuters.
You’ve undoubtedly seen their distinctive design on the tube, or on the ears of footballers, but the £169 Beats by Dre Solo HD headphones (beatsbydre.com) are a slightly less garish, smaller version of the over-ear ones. They sound great, are incredibly comfortable and, crucially, fold up, so are great for taking on long flights.
