Introduction

Modern always-on web-connected generation need so much equipment to get through the day it’s a small wonder they don’t have to lug tool bags around – the small wonder in this case is the Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro. It’s a full-featured smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard for great messaging and 720p video recording, all in an impressively compact body.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro official photos

The term “cameraphone” emerged soon after pictures taken with a mobile phone began to look less like impressionist paintings and more like actual photos. Today we’re at a point when 5MP are nothing to write home about.

So, this here pro is the lesser cameraphone of the Vivaz pair. And “camcorderphone” does sound clumsy. But if competing phones are any indication, 5MP stills and 720p video is quite an exciting combo.

Less attention grabbing, but no less useful is the hardware QWERTY keyboard. Sure, there are plenty of phones around with a full keyboard, but how many of them can match the Sony Ericsson Vivaz feature set?

To answer that, we need to know what those features are of course, so here’s the traditional list of pros and cons.

Key features

• 3.2″ 16M-color resistive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, face and smile detection, geotagging and touch focus
• HD 720p video recording @ 24fps with continuous auto focus
• Symbian OS 9.4 S60 5th, topped with a custom-brewed homescreen and media menu
• 720 MHz CPU, PowerVR SGX dedicated graphics accelerator
• Quad-band GSM support
• 3G with HSDPA 10.2Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps support
• Wi-Fi b/g; DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS support
• microSD card slot (up to 16GB, 8GB card in the box)
• Built-in accelerometer; Turn-to-mute
• TV out
• Wisepilot navigation software preinstalled (30 day trial)
• Four-row QWERTY keyboard
• Office document viewer
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS; TrackID
• microUSB and stereo Bluetooth v2.0
• Web browser with full Flash support
• Decent audio quality

Main disadvantages

• Camera downgraded from 8MP on the regular Vivaz
• No camera lens protection
• The S60 5th edition UI isn’t the best in usability
• No auto locking of the screen during a call
• No DivX or XviD support out-of-the-box
• No smart or voice dialing
• No secondary videocalling camera

The scales are swinging both ways. A point in favor of the Vivaz pro is the mature Symbian platform. It cannot hide its age and is struggling to catch up with the best in business. But it’s been around since the dawn of time (the time of smartphones that is), which makes it well supported and very reliable.

The QWERTY keyboard, the document viewer and the ActiveSync support are real must-haves for the business crowd. High-quality photos and videos may be a teenage thing but they can help be creative with a presentation too.

Another way to look at the Vivaz pro is as a great travel companion. Posting status updates on Twitter and Facebook is a breeze thanks to the keyboard and dedicated apps. And so is uploading 720p videos to YouTube. There’s even voice guided navigation included.

How the Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro stacks up against the competition

Follow us on the next page to explore the hardware of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro and find out how the form factor and keyboard affect handling.

Introduction

Cookies just won’t stay put – they need more space to do their thing. The LG KM570 Cookie Gig steps right into LG Arena territory. With looks and camera to match and a Cookie-grade price tag, this phone is on track to go platinum. The Dolby mobile logo at the back hints at a knack for multimedia and the 4GB of built-in memory means there’ll be plenty of room for your music.

But we’ll not let the pretty face fool us, the Cookie Gig has its highs and lows – here they are in summary.

LG KM570 Cookie Gig official photos

Key features:

• 3″ 256K-color resistive TFT touchscreen of WQVGA resolution (240 x 400 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps)
• Widget-enhanced interface and Livesquare homescreen
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with face detection
• D1 video recording @ 30fps, QVGA time-lapse and QVGA slo-mo video
• 4GB of built-in storage
• microSD card slot, up to 16GB
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging)
• Dolby for Mobile audio enhancement
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotate; turn to mute
• Landscape on-screen QWERTY keyboard
• FM radio with RDS and FM transmitter
• Office document viewer
• Social networking integration
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages:

• No Wi-Fi
• No GPS
• Low resolution screen (compared to LG Arena)
• Camera has no flash or protective cover
• Records video in 3GP only
• Poor sunlight legibility
• Maximum email attachment size is 2.2MB only (both ways)
• No DivX/XviD video support
• No handwriting recognition support

So, the LG KM570 can’t quite match the LG Arena, but no mistake – it’s a king amongst Cookies. The camera has the same high-end features as the LG Arena’s, and the inclusion of Dolby mobile and some iPod trickery earn the audio player high marks.

The user interface is borrowed from the LG GD510 Pop. It’s the regular LG touch UI but with a coat of S-Class paint over it. And it works – it’s nice to look at, ready to multitask and the homescreens are full of widgets. There’s also a bit of pointless fun with Livesquare.

The LG KM570 Cookie Gig chats with other touch phones in our office

So, the LG KM570 Cookie Gig is a marked improvement over the original Cookie and the updates that came after it. But the competition wasn’t sleeping – there are several phones that compete directly with the Gig in its price range, including even the LG Arena.

Just a quick note – the LG KM570 has quite a number of aliases. So it might be called differently where you live. The Cookie Gig is also known as LG Cookie Music, LG Surf 4GB and LG Arena II.

Never mind the name, let’s see what the Cookie Gig has to offer before we pass judgment on it. As always, we start with opening the box – join us on the next page to see what we find.

Introduction

Long-time Sony Ericsson users may find the Hazel the perfect cure for nostalgia. Monster gadgets like the Vivaz and the XPERIA X10 are trusted to get the brand back on track. But for all we know, it takes a good old-fashioned slider to rekindle the romance.

The Hazel falls in the company’s GreenHeart line of phones. The echo-friendly vibe is perhaps supposed to make up for the missing Cybershot and Walkman magic. The green credentials are all there anyway. The phone is made of recycled plastics and uses waterborne paint. There’s a power-efficient charger in the tiny, shipping-optimized retail box and no user guide (it’s on the phone’s memory instead of being printed on paper).

GreenHeart is Sony Ericsson’s way of saying they care. We all do – but a phone is as likely to save the planet as it is to give you a direct line to Elvis. Either way, it’s not the phone’s fault. So, the Sony Ericsson Hazel will be considered for what it is and what it does. Not for the color of its heart.

Sony Ericsson Hazel official photos

The Sony Ericsson Hazel isn’t just another feature phone. It can’t afford it on a market like today’s where cheap smartphones and touchscreen lurk behind every corner. GreenHeart implies some sacrifices but users won’t have to give up on phone features. The Hazel is a high-performance handset with an ample 2.6” mineral glass covered scratch-resistant display solid imaging and all sorts of connectivity options. Not to mention it’s totally weather-proof.

Key features

• Splash-resistant body with “human curvature” design
• 2.6″ 16M-color TFT screen, 240 x 320 pixels, scratch-resistant surface and nice sunlight legibility
• Quad-band GSM support
• Dual-band 3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash; geotagging, face detection; VGA@30fps video recording
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS; Trial version of Wisepilot navigation software
• Wi-Fi with DLNA
• FM radio with RDS
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.1
• microSD card slot, 280 MB internal memory
• Eco-friendly package and materials
• Social networking integration, widget enhanced interface
• NetFront v3.5 web browser with full Flash support
• Active noise cancellation
• Excellent audio quality

Main disadvantages

• No standard USB port
• No bundled data cable or memory card
• No 3.5mm audio jack
• No DivX/XviD video support
• No document viewer
• No camera lens cover
• Feeble loudspeaker
• Navigation gets expensive when the trial period expires

In terms of connectivity, the Hazel sure is a handful. Along with the HSDPA/HSUPA support (for data transfer speeds reaching 7.2 Mbps), the slider also boasts Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a built-in GPS receiver to top it off.

The Sony Ericsson Hazel knows social networking is essential these days and it gives it all – right on the homescreen. The nifty widget set gives you on-screen live updates from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

The Sony Ericsson Hazel has the curved shape of the Elm

Of course, the Sony Ericsson Hazel has its flaws as well, and we’re not going to let them by. But before we dig in deeper, let’s first take a look at the retail package and check the phone’s build and feel. Jump to the next page for a chance to see the Hazel from some new angles.

It seems there’s more to Nokia N8 camera than what meets the eye on the marketing materials. That’s why we turned to a seasoned professional over at Nokia to tell us a little bit more about the technical aspects of Nokia N8 imaging and video capabilities.

Some of you have probably heard of Damian Dinning (pictured right). As Senior Manager at Solutions Planning he has played a key role in projects developing the imaging experience and the camera/video quality for high-end products such as the Nokia N95, Nokia N73, Nokia N82, Nokia N86 8MP, among others, and currently he’s using his expertise in the making and fine tuning of Nokia N8 camera.

Along with all that Damian is also a wonderful interviewee and you’ll see there’s a lot you can learn about the N8 and cameraphones in general from him.

We don’t normally do interviews but Nokia N8 is easily one of the most interesting devices this year and it currently tops our popularity charts scoring record high interest from our readers.

But getting back to the business at hand, here’s the full transcript of our interview with Damian. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

Still photography

GSMArena: Damian, our team has always had a soft spot for capable cameraphones so we’d love to learn some more technical details about the N8 camera. Nokia N8 marketing materials are staking a lot on the large sensor size so let’s start with that. We’ve been trying to guess the exact size, but it would be nice to hear it from you as an official source.

Damian Dinning: The optical format is quoted as 1/1.83″.

Nokia N8 official photos

Introduction

Affordable touch phones are all over the place so the Samsung S5620 Monte will have to win the old fashioned way – by giving more and better features. Done deal: with full-suit connectivity, the Monte aims to deliver great touch experience and social networking features plus some distinguishable styling.

Samsung S5620 official photos

The Samsung S5620 Monte has both 3G with HSDPA and Wi-Fi for browsing and data, and a built-in GPS receiver for location services. The Monte has a capable web browser (with Flash support) and a decently sized 3” screen. The GPS can also transform the Monte into a proper SatNav unit thanks to the free NaviExpert app. However, the free license is available for phones sold in the Czech Republic.

For the impatient readers, here’s a rundown of the Samsung S5620 specs – the good and bad of it.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/EDGE, UMTS 900/2100, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
• 3″ capacitive TFT touchscreen of WQVGA resolution, 256K colors
• TouchWiz 2.0 Plus user interface with multitasking support
• 200 MB onboard storage, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• 3 megapixel camera with smile detection, QVGA video @ 15fps
• Secondary video-call camera
• Wi-Fi connectivity (b/g)
• GPS receiver with A-GPS; Free GPS navigation with NAVTEQ maps
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB v.2.0
• microUSB slot (with charging support)
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• DNSe sound enhancements
• Find Music recognition service
• FM radio with RDS
• Office document viewer
• Smart unlock
• Social networking integration with direct file uploads
• Accelerometer for auto screen rotate, turn to mute

Main disadvantages

• Free GPS navigation is for Czech Montes only
• No on-screen QWERTY keyboard
• Flash in browser eats too much RAM, can’t play YouTube videos
• No games preinstalled
• Task manager cannot be used for switching between apps

Samsung S5560 in our office

If you’ve read our preview you’d know the S5620 Monte was orange-on-grey back then. Samsung have obviously changed their mind since and put a tux on the Monte – it’s now grey on black – a bit more conservative.

The preview was written before the Samsung Bada OS came about but now that we’ve played with it too, we can do a better comparison. The Monte is a feature phone and Bada is a smart platform but in the end they both share the TouchWiz DNA. What that means is that the interface of both is pretty similarly – at least graphically.

So, we have the Samsung S5620 Monte back for a proper check-up. See what has changed and what stayed the same in hardware on the next page.

Introduction

If you are on the hunt for a stylish smartphone but you run a tight budget, chances are the Nokia C5 is on your radar already. The compact Symbian-running handset looks well, costs little and can give you all the smart you need in a phone.

Nokia C5 official photos

Even more so if you need your mobile phone to do voice-guided navigation. The Nokia C5 comes with a lifetime license that costs exactly zilch. Now, isn’t this one of the handsets to claim the best bang for your buck on the market? As always there’re compromises involved, but the price tag hanging on that metal body won’t make you think twice.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G (900/2100) with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA
• Neat and well built, metal on the body
• 2.2″ 16M-color QVGA display, excellent sunlight legibility
• Symbian OS, S60 3.2 user interface
• ARM11 600 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM
• 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera with LED flash
• VGA video recording at 15fps
• GPS receiver and free lifetime voice-guided navigation license
• Stereo FM radio with RDS, Visual radio
• Bluetooth (with A2DP)
• Standard microUSB port (with charging support)
• microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 2GB included)
• Smart dialing
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Great audio quality
• Document viewer preinstalled

Main disadvantages

• No WLAN
• Small screen
• No accelerometer (hence no auto screen rotation)
• Fiddly memory card slot
• Document viewer doesn’t support editing

Last week we reviewed the Nokia 6700 slide and while it wasn’t a revelation, it did well to reassure us Nokia still have it when it comes to neat, compact and affordable smartphones.

The Nokia C5 is not so much a rival of the 6700 slide, but a partner in the lower end of non-touch smartphones. We won’t get tired of saying that giving the user a choice is a good thing – you can have (and pay for) only the features that you do need.

The Nokia C5 all over

One thing that the Nokia C5 won’t give you is WLAN. We’ve been there already with the 6700 slide. It certainly doesn’t look good on the spec sheet, but we hope the performance and ergonomics will make up for that.