This blog post is quite late but none the less still appropriate.  I’ve had the BlackBerry 9780 for a few months now and want to share my thoughts on it.  This isn’t going to be a traditional review like most others, I’m just going to tell you what I like and dislike about it.  But essentially I liked it and would recomend it to someone who wants a good BlackBerry but doesn’t want to spend the big bucks to get the new 9900.

First off for the positives:

• It’s a BlackBerry so it obviously has a good keyboard.  It’s not the best I’ve used, that would go to the Nokia E6 or E71, but it’s pretty darn good.
• I like that it has a flash I can use as a flashlight (torch for my British friends) with the proper app.  But that’s something that should come built in to the phone from day one, it shouldn’t need a 3rd party app to be done.
• The screen is really nice, well at the time it came out I really liked it, it’s a bit dated now but none the less it does the job without a doubt.
• UMA is a life saver in my home/office.  It’s on the T-Mobile network in the US that seems to work everywhere but in my house even though the coverage map says it should.  So UMA makes it useable allowing voice and data to go over my wifi versus the TMO data network.
• Reception is surprisingly good though in my home even without the UMA, I’m still able to make calls but they do break up sometimes, where as on my Android phones I can’t even make a call.
• The feel of the 9780 is a bit bulky but very solid in my hand.  You won’t forget it’s in your pocket like you might with a BB Curve but if you like to FEEL your phone this is the way to go.
• Most importantly for me is the email, it is race car fast and always shows up.  If email appears on my iPhone or computer before the BB I think for a second, Is the BB broken? Yes it’s just that fast.
• Data consumption is minimal on this beauty, just like every other BB I’ve ever used.  I only used 35mb of data even installing new apps and syncing my expansive address book.  On other phones I can easily burn through hundreds and hundreds of mega bytes of data but the BB has never gone above 35mb.  This is key when traveling and potentially roaming in foreign countries where you are charged on a per MB basis from your carrier.  I personally use a Tru sim when I go abroad.  It’s literally saved me almost $40 on 1 single week long trip.
• Lastly and almost most importantly is battery life.  I’m a sucker for a good battery, something that will go the whole day, into the night and maybe even into the next work day.  Having kids I feel it’s a necessity to always be reachable and the excuse “my battery died” doesn’t help when your wife is calling frantically.  It’s also important when you’re jumping from airport to airport all day with no time to stop and play the iPhone game I like to call “Where’s the closest outlet?”.

So I’ve had the Sprint LG Optimus S for a few weeks now.   My first impression was this is nice and small. Then I started playing with it and I couldn’t stop using it. I made it my own for a few weeks and took it everywhere with me. I don’t always do that with review phones but I really like the Optimus.

A few weeks later my wife’s best friend needed to get a new phone and service, I had my Optimus with me at her house and let her play with it, she was coming from a really old smart phone. She loved the color, simplicity but depth of Android 2.2 and everything else about the device. Within a week or so she and her husband had switched from their previous carrier and they both got LG Optimus’s.

The low down is that the Optimus has great battery life, it was able to last a full day with out having to top up the battery during the day which is a big deal for me. It runs Android FroYo 2.2 which includes some amazing features including turning your phone into a wifi hotspot. The camera is adequate, nothing to write home about but it does have a dedicated camera button to activate the camera as well as take the shot.  Being Android the Optimus has access to the tens of thousands of Android apps on the Android Market.

The biggest thing on most peoples minds is the price. The Sprint Optimus is one of those phones that may change Android forever. It is a reasonably specked phone but what’s game changing about it is that it’s only $50 from Sprint at the time I got it. Now it’s selling for $20 at Sprint. What’s great is that that’s what you pay when you get the phone. It doesn’t look like there’s any mail in rebates. The reason this is a game changer is because it is a very capable Android smart phone in a price range that many people can afford. I would imagine this is very appealing to parents buying their kids a phone as well as young and old alike who want a phone to do it all at a reasonable price point.

I have personally recommended this phone to a handful of Sprint customers and even got a few friends (I mentioned above) to switch carriers just to get this device. It’s that good. Yes if I’m telling my friends to get it I really do feel that way and am not just paying lip service to Sprint or LG.

Have you used it? What do you think? Let me know.

I’ve had the N900 for a few weeks now and I have so many different and conflicting feelings about it.  I have been a huge fan of the tablets since I first layed eyes on the N770 many years back.

PROS:
The N900 is a stupendious device

The web browsing has been amazing
The built in Conversation app with IM and SMS is nearly exactly what I’ve been wanting to see for a while now
The camera is the best 5mp camera phone I’ve used
The handset build feels very good also
The screens is stupendous
I love that it has a kickstand
The QWERTY keyboard was easy to get used to
The full version of GMail runs on the N900
Almost daily apps are rolling out for the N900, including Witter for Twitter and BarrioSquare for FourSquare

CONS:

I’m really impressed with so many different aspects of this device

But I’m extremely disappointed with the email integration on it
I can’t find a way to create a shortcut to have the inbox on any of my 4 homescreens
Profiles (like vibrate or night) are basically gone.  You only get 2 options, Silent and General
The battery life is dismal, I mean really bad.  I’ve heard that with a software update it will be significantly better
Google Maps for mobile doesn’t work on the N900 yet, that’s because of Google, not Nokia or the developers
Some apps should just run in mobile mode on a device this size

I have one last huge gripe with the N900. There is no built in way to hard reset it.  The only way I’ve heard really works is to download a bunch of programs on to a PC and run them, then type in some command line stuff and reset it.  This is totally unacceptable.

I found the N900 to be an amazing device, BUT it seemed like you had to know how to deal with a little programming to get the darn thing to do what you want.  I don’t believe it’s for the average mobile user.  I also don’t think it’s available software is 100% baked.  Here’s another big BUT, but I do think it can and hopefully will be in the next few months.  I also believe it’s a revolutionary device for Nokia as well as Maemo and they should both be very proud of it.

Here’s the big question.  Will the N900 be ready for ME in a few months?  NO.  Though that is only because of my personal preference of device formats.  I like the E71 style.  I think an average mobile user will be ready for the N900 shortly.

So as all of my readers know I’m a hard core Nokia E71 fanboy.  I’ve been infatuated with the E71 since I first heard about it roughly 2 years ago.  Now I’m impatiently waiting for the much anticipated E72 but I decided to whip out the E75 I was graciously lent for review and have been using it for 4 days now.  Hot shit, this phone is great.  I forgot how much I liked it.  It’s not perfect but I’m really digging it.  I forgot how much I liked it when I first used it.

S60 3rd edition feature pack 2 is really a nice upgrade to the E71′s feature pack 1.  There are so many little things I like more about it, but what the E75 is missing is memory/RAM.  The E75 seems to stall out sometimes and needs a reboot but that’s really my only single complaint about the software.  Of course it could be a little faster and of course it could have more of this or smarter that, but in general it’s all around solid software.

As far as the hardware goes it’s a candy bar style with a side slide QWERTY keyboard that’s 90% great and 10% ehh because of the lack of tactile feedback on the QWERTY portion.  I find it to be very useful and descent to type on.  You do need 2 hands to type on it because of the width of the keyboard which is good or bad depending on your preference.  Personally it is not my taste but I know quite a few people that are gaga over this style and particularly the E75.

Software wise the E75 does support the 4 apps I can’t live without and of course many many more apps but in particular
emoze – a push email and content client (my companies client)
Truphone – mobile VOIP offering me cheap international calls around the world and to my home country when I’m traveling
JoikuSpot – an app that turns my phone into a wifi hotspot by rebroadcasting the 3G it pulls in
Nimbuzz – an instant messaging (IM) client that supports GChat, Skype, MSN, AOL, Yahoo and ICQ

All in all the E75 is a solid piece of kit that doubles and triples as multiple devices.  Regular phone, VOIP, email, IM and wifi hotspot one by one or all at once.  This phone won’t disappoint and won’t let you down.  I have high regard for it but it’s not perfect because of the minimal RAM.  Most people would never miss it but I like to run everything all at once so if you’re a power user hold out a little longer for the E72 or something else otherwise I say pick one up and enjoy.

I want to start off by thanking WOM World once again for sending me the amazing Nokia N97.  It is without a doubt in my mind one of the most technically advanced and good looking mobile phones on the market to date.  It blows many handsets out of the water, chews them up and spits them out, in some ways.  In other ways it’s inferior to much older phones produced by Nokia also.

To start with it’s beautiful when opened up.  I’m a fan of phones with a QWERTY keyboard and this bad boy sports a pretty reasonable keyboard when it’s opened up.  The buttons don’t give much feedback at all but sometimes that nice.  The phone feels good in your hand and in my pocket, it looks big in some aspects like thickness but it really isn’t all that thick compared to other similar devices.   Physically the N97 is just splendid, it incorporates so many aspects and does it well.

Now when it comes to the software it fails miserably in my opinion.  It’s not a phone for the meek.  I consider myself a well versed and competent Nokia phone user and in so many cases I stumbled around with the N97.   I have been able to hand almost any other Nokia S40 or S60 phone to my Dad and he can easily figure it out, I would not even attempt to give this phone to my Dad.  He would be lost and frustrated.  For example the auto rotation doesn’t always work when the phone is slid shut and going back and forth from vertical to horizontal and back.  The response is also quite slow to a point that I’m hitting things again because I think I missed it the first time and then I’m getting into the wrong app when it finally catches up.

I have had the N97 browser crash more times then I can count.  I think it may have something to do with the lack of built in Ram.   How can Nokia let that happen to a flagship phone?  I expected these problems to go away as soon as the first firmware update rolled out.  I even waited to write up my review till I had that infamous first firmware update but the update came and went and I continued to have the same issues.

There are a ton of great aspects to the N97 including it’s camera, 3.5mm audio jack, video out, slider lock and many many more points.  I have tried giving it chance after chance but it just kept failing me.  Battery life and lack of ease of use are two big points without tearing it apart.  I can’t in good faith suggest that you go out and buy this phone at this point.  I hope that we will see additional updates and I hope I get to give the N97 another try.  It has some awsome aspects to it but to many major draw backs.

I was visiting CTIA last week in Las Vegas and got reintroduced to the Nokia E75.  I was handed a brand new topaz colored handset.  I was told I needed to update the firmware on it before I should start using it but do you think I was going to wait till later that afternoon to play, NO WAY.  So I started in with it and set up my email and started downloading apps.  I instantly fell in love.  It was pretty good from the get go but figured I shouldn’t install to much because I would have to update the firmware and have to start over fresh.  Well low and behold when I got the updated firmware every single app was still right where I left it.  That was a very nice way to start this new and enjoyable relationship.

The first thing I did when I got the E75 was start playing with the slide out QWERTY keyboard.  It’s pretty good.  The slide itself is rock solid.  The E75 is a true E series in terms of strength and it gives you a great feeling in your hand.  I also learned that it is supposed to be the evolution of the E90 Communicator.

For me one of the exciting new additions with S60 3rd edition feature pack 2 is a really strong new email app.  Well it’s much nicer then the old one but not as nice as I expected.  I have been using Emoze and it is better then the built in email app. Don’t get me wrong, the built in app is not bad or lacking by any means, it just doesn’t seem as polished as it could be.

Some of the things I really like about the E75:

• Tri band 3G and quad band GSM radios. Meaning both the European and North American (NAM) versions will work in most countries around the world.
• Camera has dedicated shutter button that also acts to start the camera (a bit slow to start but it works).
• Ovi Contacts (Ovi instant messenger) appears on the home screen when downloaded and activated.
• I can go to either of my 2 emails I have on the phone directly from the home screen by highlighting that account versus going to just my default account or the email home screen which lists both accounts.
• The user interface (UI) is pretty snappy and nicely polished.
• The battery life seems like it’s pretty good.  I will have to test it more but I get the feeling it will go the distance.
• The rotation from standard phone interface to having the QWERTY keyboard slid out is nice and fast.
• I really like the fact that the phone can be charged via Micro USB or the traditional prong charger.
• Lastly the handset just feels good.  It has a comfortable and strong feel in your hand.  It’s not plastic feeling at all and has some heft to it.  Along with that fact, I consider this a huge plus, my wife wants it.  She wants to steal it from me.  Her only request was that she get it in white.  Now I know that there’s a white one floating around somewhere so if the white variant doesn’t go to market can my wife have it when your done with it?

Now there are some things I don’t like about this handset also:

• First off and most annoying is the fact that my handset (and I’ve heard at least one other handset also has this problem) is VERY mushy in terms of response when you push the D pad down. I have a real issue with this as it’s one of the most common key presses on phones.  I’m hoping it’s just one or 2 of these handsets and not a whole run of them but it’s something that a buyer needs to keep in mind.
• I don’t find the slide out QWERTY keyboard to be all that pleasurable to type on,  This is a pure preference thing for me, I just prefer the form factor of the Nokia E71.  As far as the keyboard goes though it is very good.  The tactile feedback is nice and so are the keys themselves.  I don’t find I have very many missed key presses in general.
• I have a real problem with Nokia’s decision on their implementation of the predictive text.  Every time I want to use the question mark I need to press the right direction on the Dpad to “disconnect” from the word so an apostrophe doesn’t appear instead of the question mark.  I find this unbelievably annoying and don’t think very much hands on testing of the handset was done.
• This last thing is not a big issue but still and issue.  I don’t like having the red “end” button used as power on and off.

All in all I think the Nokia E75 is an absolute gem of a handset.  It does everything it’s supposed to and does it all VERY well.  There are some new tweaks and additions to it that make it an upgrade from any other E Series and N Series device.  Of course there are some things I don’t like about it but it’s my job to find those things and point them out so you the reader can make an educated purchasing decision without ever holding the handset in your hand.  To help you make that decision I will say that I give this phone a big thumbs up.  I would recommend purchasing it without hesitation to anybody.  Keeping in mind it’s limitations, for example it’s not made for taking pictures.  All in all for someone who does a lot of email or texting it’s a great handset.  It’s also nice to have the dedicated calendar/email buttons and a dedicated stand alone S60 phone on the front.

It’s a great phone and I recommend it.

Okay, so I’ve had the Nokia N85 NAM for about 2 months now and I have thoroughly enjoyed using it for the most part.  The UI speed is amazing.  It connects to the 3G/EDGE and wifi super quick.  I’m using it on AT&T.  The browser is fast.  The build quality is absolutely amazing (though I’m not a big fan of sliders).  Let’s not forget how utterly fantastic the picture and video quality is, it’s so good Channel 10 news in Israel used some pics I took with it.  I mean it’s far and away the best 5mp camera I have ever used.  It’s even better as a point and shoot then my old Canon Elph.  It is slow in processing the images but I have heard from sources at Nokia that this issue will be fixed in the upcoming firmware upgrade and I’ve seen it fixed in upcoming handsets like the N86 and N97.

Now I’m a big fan of Nokia and love to get these devices to review, but if I didn’t tell you what I didn’t like about the phone it wouldn’t be fair to you.  So here we go, 2 big gripes.

The screen sucks.  Let me be blunt, it’s hard to see the N85 screen when outdoors in direct sunlight.  That is to say I can see the screen but not what’s on it. This might have to do with the new amazing technology utilized by the screen called OLED.  Well it sucks.  Didn’t anybody take the phone outside to test before it went into mass production?  Now they can easily fix this issue on the next model by just putting in the older technology or turning up the brightness on the phone.  Don’t get me wrong, it is bad but the phone is definitely usable outdoors, it will just take a little extra work to see the screen.

My other gripe about the handset which I think is even more of a detraction is the stiff buttons around the D pad.  The menu, clear, and 2 soft keys are all to difficult to press.   You will notice this from the first moment you start using the phone.  Again this is an easy fix and I don’t think I need to explain it Nokia, they have already taken notice and the N86 is a whole lot better.

If you need a new handset today from Nokia I would say you won’t be disappointed with the N85, but if you can wait a few more months then I suggest you do and get the N86.  I like this handset and will continue to use it on and off but it’s not my daily phone.  That honor this week goes to the Nokia N79 and I have a review coming soon.

For the second time in so many years I ate at Kafool Hummus Fool (I have no idea how to spell this in English so I tried to spell it phonetically) and again was very pleased. It’s at 2 Nachlaot Benyamin in Tel Aviv and is a tiny place with seating for no more then 10 inside but many more outside. This time I had the chicken hummus and was surprised at how good it was. My wife had a soup and it was so big she couldn’t finish it. The atmosphere is great and the service is even better. They speak English and have no problems with large groups. We were served quickly and with a smile. I spoke with the owner Asi who told me they had been there for 4 years. I hope to make another trip there before I leave, but if I don’t make it I will without a doubt come back on my next visit to Israel. They are at the end of the street called Nachlaot Benyamin where an art fair held on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is just next to Shook HaCarmel which goes on everyday besides Saturday.

Make sure to visit them on your next trip to Tel Aviv, I highly recommend them.

Kafool Hummus Fool is at #2 Nachlaot Banyamin and their phone number is +972 3 5108408 .

Batay Avon

I have a Nokia N85 waiting for me when I return home from vacation in a few weeks, but instead of letting it sit unused while I’m gone I told my Dad to play with it.  I didn’t know if he would or what he would think, he has been using my old E61 for a while now and has been enjoying it.  I’m glad that he’s been using it and here is his short review.

“Hi Jeb,

I like the N85.  I put my sim card in it and it never got below 3 bars here at my desk.  It takes nice pics with modest zoom lens, has beautiful screen, prints $100 bills that look real (sorry – just wanted you to wake up).  Anyway, it never went under 3 bars, so is it the 3G that gives it better reception?  Whatever it is, I like it.  It is an awesome phone.  I am beginning to understand that it becomes fun to do all these things on such a device.”

I think I’ve found my new reviewer.  Anyways, I’m really jealous my Dad is playing with the phone I’m supposed to have.  Anyways, just so you have some understanding, my Dad was a basic S40 phone user until recently and now enjoys all the S60 goodness.  If you have any questions about the N85 feel free to post them and I’ll ask my Dad to answer them.