If you look back to the last 3 years in the cell phone market we have seen a evolution of what the modern smartphone it all about. Hardware and software technology have caught up with each other and the marriage of the two to create a satisfying user experience is key to surviving in the market today.

As a Windows Phone user, my mouth salivates at the opportunity to get a little insight on what the guys up in Redmond are cooking up in their labs.Windows Phone is a one of a kind operating system. There’s nothing else like it on the market today and I’ll be hard pressed if you can find anything that resembles it from recent memory. As a tech enthusiast, I’ve become all to familiar with the uniqueness and innovation of a product never seeing the light of fame due to the already fierce ecosystem of products. Not to mention the dogs on top will dish out any amount of cash necessary to keep it that way. A perfect example of how great innovation can be hindered by these factors is Palm.

Palm was one of the founders of mobility in your pocket. Their isn’t one person who hasn’t heard of the Palm Pilot and for good reason, it was a device before its time. As time progresses, so does advancement in the boundaries of possibilities and thus began the birth of Apple’s IPhone. In present day, the IPhone is revered as an iconic device, “the beginning of it all”, as Apple fan boys put it. Yet, it wasn’t always perceived this way. In fact, other corporations, analysts and skeptics mocked Apple’s attempt to bring such a device into the mobile space. Heck, the only thing that made Apple relevant at the time was the IPod, and that was a device that only played music! So one could see the skepticism of Apple’s tremendous gamble. Needless to say, we’ve seen the fruits of that bet and the industry hasn’t been the same since. Apple had corporations like Motorola, LG, Samsung, and Palm frantically changing their whole game plan in order to stop the bleeding of their market share. I didn’t even bother to mention Microsoft as one of these top dogs for one reason. Even though Microsoft was a dominant player at the time, their pride and joy was Windows Mobile. For most of us, that would be all I needed to say for you to understand my unwillingness to discuss such an atrocious operating system. Microsoft didn’t innovate with Windows Mobile, they reengineered their PC software and just miniaturized it. A reverse pretense to what Apple did with the Ipad.

While Apple was conquering the world and gobbling up market share never before seen, the tech world was introduced to the birth of Android OS. An open source project acquired by Google.It to changed the industry in ways that not even Apple foresaw. Gives more credence to why Steve Jobs despised Android more then Satan himself and wouldn’t smile until he saw it burned to the ground. Google envisioned a world taken over by handheld green robots, so they based their business foundation on that principle. Not only was Android an entirely new alternative to Apple’s Iphone, it was free. Licensed free to OEM’S like Samsung, Motorola, and any others that wanted to partake in it.

Android was The Messiah for these corporations and they knew it. So thus began the mass production of android phones. Andy Rubin and the Google teams vision was nothing short of genius. I myself was very intrigued by Android. I despised Apple at the time (I still do) and wouldn’t dare dish out $600 for something so small and limited in control.Coming from a Blackjack running Windows Mobile, who wouldn’t be. On October 22nd 2008, I sat in front of a T-Mobile store and awaited my conversion to the first Android phone. The HTC G1. Android took off and never looked back. User experience wasn’t a focal point in terms of speed and fluidity in the beginning years of the smartphone. This was mostly due to the lack off processing power and early stages of innovation in these incredibly advanced devices. But yet again, Apples execution was flawless. They knew that having a tightly integrated system of hardware and software, created and controlled only by them was the key to staying on top; and it showed. Even though Android was increasing in popularity, Apple was still selling millions upon millions of Iphones. The App Store was Apples eternal trump card. It had a priceless value that couldn’t be challenged.

Getting back to this engine of continuous innovation and cutting edge technology in the industry, the mobile space was still in its infancy. There was room for more players and they needed to have a uniqueness to their product in order to compete. The 2009 CES event showcased that uniqueness. Behind the scenes, Palm was creating a product that made current mobile computing look unbearably inefficient and redundant. They called it WebOS and to this day, in my humble yet fierce opinion, has been the only mobile device remotely close to rekindling the wow factor the first generation Iphone did. Even with Jon Rubenstein’s lackluster, non exciting, public speaking tone, I still watch their press event from time to time still amazed.

I wont go through the events the occurred after Palms announcement. Even though I speak of Webos with high praises, I like most former WebOS owners can no longer dwell on the dead platforms glory days. From its financial woes to it’s horrible acquisition deals, one couldn’t help but be left with one pondering question. What if Palm had money…before they had to give away their creator in UI design, Matias Duarte…before those horrific marketing commercials that did nothing but scare the shit out of you… and before the HP acquisition -_-. What if they had the means to justify and flourish their vision, their innovation. This journey has led me to countless sleepless nights hacking my android device for no apparent reason but acquiring that rush of flashing roms, to praying for a screen bigger than 3.1inches and a resolution greater than 320×480.

Now, 3 years later we’ve come to CES 2012. Where overly spec’d devices and the cloud rule the show. If your an obsessive compulsive tech nerd like myself, you would have picked up my focus on 3 distinct forms of success in the mobile space since it’s creation. Tight integration of software and hardware, muchos dineros in the bank, and a uniqueness to your product that enhances the user experience in ways that cant be replicated (without obvious thievery..cough..cough Blackberry Playbooks Card system).

IOS is now in its 5th generation of maturity. Yes, Apple is still selling iPhones like they were a necessity to exist, but dont let the numbers fool you. Apple knows how to suck a consumer dry with standard features and slight advancement in their products from year to year. They’ve gotten comfortable in this system for various reasons. Consumer fall for it, and two it works. But this article is about the best in class operating system. IOS doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Going back to my 3 necessities of success, Apple has the money, the tightest integration on the planet in their software and hardware, but in terms of their uniqueness, app icons spread across multiple sliding panels isn’t unique, its basic. Its comfortable and simplistic, but not intuitive.

Apple gets a score of 2 out of 3.

Android is now on its 4th iteration of software called Ice Cream Sandwich and I must say, its definitely a refresh for the futuristic platform. Android was heading down the same path IOS was with a very complex operating system that became less and less pleasing to the eyes overtime. That was until Google made a decision only matched in importance by purchasing Android, by bringing Matias Duarte from Palm, to the UI team. Matias was basically the father of WebOS and the skill set he brought to the

Android platform was priceless. It took a while, but after a couple months, their acquisition started to produce some drastic changes. Android has hundreds maybe even thousands of devices from various OEMs out in the market today. Big, small, cheap, expensive; their variations are unmatched, but with that comes fragmentation. The fragmentation I’m leading towards is consistency in performance and reliability.Some of the new android devices need a dual core processor just to run OKAY, which is unacceptable, no matter how you put it. Android has become a science project for anyone to tamper with, so with that comes drawbacks and consequences. Android is mediocre at best when it come to tight integration of hardware and software. As for financial backing, it’s reliant on the manufacture that’s producing it so in the grand schemes of things, it gets half a point for effort. Android’s uniqueness resides in its ability to be highly customized and in that area, no one comes close. Its developer community is an advocate for that.

In the end, Android receives a 1.5 out of 3

Many of you may be scratching your head as to whom the MVP of the league is. The player with all the tools and concepts necessary to execute the closest thing to perfection. Windows Phone was released to the masses in 2010 and ever since has gotten mixed reviews. Surprisingly the majority has been positive, but it hasn’t translated to dollars signs for Microsoft. Built from the ground up, Windows Phone can be best defined by its elegance and fluidity. Their our no hiccups, random reboots, or unnecessary steps to get the job done. It just works and it works well. Microsoft decided to take an approach similar to Android by licensing it software to OEMS, but their was a catch. Microsoft made the genius move to have hardware requirements for all devices running their software. Guidelines to make sure user experience was never comprised. Microsoft conquered two birds with one stone here. Not only do you have tight integration with hardware and software, you also have variation. It’s a step above open source. An improved version of it so to speak. As time passed from Windows Phone initial release, it seemed as if it was going to become another WebOS sob story. Great product, not enough awareness. But then I thought, this is Microsoft. They have unlimited resources at their disposal to put into this platform and the way Steve Ballmer spoke of his latest creation, they were all in.

Then came Nokia. Nokia, known for its European dominance and market share of the world was struggling. Its hard to believe the number one phone manufacturer in the world’s outlook over the next few years were making rumors of collapse seem inevitable. Nokia had become complacent in its software department. Symbian was an aging OS and Nokia failed to care. You really can’t blame them. In all actuality, Symbian devices were still selling tremendously well in the European regions of the world. Nokia had become a trusted brand with devoted consumers. That didn’t stop Apple and Android from slowly but surely gaining more and more market share from the likes of the Finnish Corporation.

Before Nokia could respond, they were no longer considered a serious contender in the smartphone market and were projected to keep loosing dramatic market share. To be the number one manufacturer of mobile devices in the world and be considered a non-contender hit Nokia hard. But their stocks were hit even harder. Many poor attempts at making quality smart phones in the Nokia N97 and Nokia N900 were met with more disappointment. Nokia’s solution was pretty obvious to the tech world. Nokia makes the best hardware in the industry. Even better than the likes of Apple. Their design team is composed of talent from around the world that are best in their fields. Where Nokia needed guidance was it’s software. As I

said before, you can have great software and average hardware or amazing hardware and average software. In the end, it won’t be successful. It’s a successful combination of both the will unlock any devices full potential. Their were whispers of Nokia adopting Android OS and it even intrigued me to an extent knowing how amazing the Nokia N97 elegant form was and how it was coupled by horrendous software and specs rendering it Nokia’s worst flagship device to date. Yet I knew Nokia had to much pride to make a drastic decision of that magnitude. Nokia was a self efficient company, similar to Apple, they constructed everything themselves. And besides, even though Android was easily accessible and would greatly compliment Nokia’s hardware, the ecosystem for Android devices were pretty much set in stone. Samsung, HTC, and surprisingly Motorola owned the Android consumer base. All this lead to a partnership that most critics thought would never see the light of day.

Microsoft and Nokia teamed up to make their relevance in the industry known once again. Nokia announced they were adopting Windows Phone OS as their platform for all future smartphone devices. This wasn’t just another OEM partnership to add to Microsoft’s collection.This was the beginning of a merger between two powerhouses that would involve months of integration and precise execution. All or nothing was the letterhead for this collaboration. Why Windows Phone? Why pick an ecosystem that didn’t have more market share than what you sell in a day worth of business. Nokia did it for the long term. It was illuminated to the potential of this young platform and where it would go if it had the rightpieces in place.

A team of unique men and women that just breathe creativity occupy the labs of these two companies. Perfect harmony between software, hardware, and resources was now obtainable for both parties. The power of Nokia names would create greater reach for the platform and destroy any remnants of distaste Windows Mobile left behind. After only 6 months, the product of this collaboration bore its first fruit. The Nokia Lumia 710 and Nokia Lumia 800. The 710 was meant for newcomer’s to the smartphone phone world that wanted something reasonably powerful but cheap. Nokia found the perfect niche with this device. Now we come undoubtedly to one of the most beautifully crafted devices in recent memory. The Nokia Lumia 800 was a redesigned N9 with all new internal guts. Optimized for the perfect Windows Phone experience. If you don’t believe my methodology of the 3 necessities needed in order to have an iconic device, look no further than the accolades it received soon after its release. Both devices were announced mid to later 3rd quarter, so one would think with only a few months left in the year, they couldn’t make much of an impact. The Nokia Lumia 800 received Mobile Device of the Year. Windows Phone OS added to the fray with Mobile Software of the Year. These are key elements necessary to build an ecosystem of quality and best in class.

There was one more frontier this collaboration needed to conquer in order to catch the attention of the top dogs in the industry. CES 2012 became the stage for the first real presence Nokia has ever had in North America. Nokia’s design team built a device specifically tailored for the North American market and they didn’t disappoint. The Nokia Lumia 900 was the S class of the Lumia devices. With its 4.3 inch display, Clear Black Technology, AMOLED 800×480 resolution screen, 4g LTE enabled, incased in that oh so sexy uni-body polycarbonate shell, it turned heads. Though this time, it wasn’t the kind of head turning you’d expect from initial recognition. The tech world already knew Windows Phone was an excellent alternative to their devices. This head turning brought undeniable truth to the platform. Comparison were not only warranted, but necessary with the entry of the Nokia Lumia 900. It expressed every form in which Windows Phone OS wanted to acknowledged for. Relatively narrow set of hardware so its optimization was perfected. This drives performance, consistency, and prolonged battery life. It exuberated Windows Phone concept of deep human connection through social networking. Exposed the platforms uniquely visually designed aesthetics. The confidence of quality and structure of services deeply integrated into the experience.

When combining Windows Phone 7.5 uniqueness its user interface, massive reach and resources backed by Microsoft and Nokia, and the perfect combination of hardware, software, and services baked into the operating system itself. Windows Phone 7.5 comes out with the score of

3 out of 3

T-Mobile wants us to be among the first to experience the HTC One S. The even is happening in New York City next week on April 18th. Not too long ago we were in NYC for Sprint and  HTC announcing the EVO 4G LTE which is a US variant of the HTC One X. Rumors are that the launch date for the One S on T-Mobile is April 25th and with this press even it looks to be accurate. We’ll have hands-on and more when the event happens to keep it locked here at BWOne.com

Here we have one very popular device the Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T and we have one soon to be very popular device the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint and when you have two popular high-end android phones you can’t help but start the comparisons which we will be looking at the hardware aspects of both phones.

HTC EVO 4G LTE

The EVO 4G LTE is the new kid on the block with a 4.7 inch Super LCD display, 1.5 Ghz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, 2000 mAh battery, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, HD Voice, Beats Audio, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with a f2.0, 1080p HD video capture and 5 stage LED flash. The camera takes advantage of having HTC’s ImageChip camera processor and HTC’s ImageSense software. While the EVO 4G LTE has Android 4.0 it use Sense 4 UI on top. HTC is trying to recapture the essence of the original HTC EVO 4G and take it to the next level here. It’s looking like there will be a new King of the EVO series for Sprint.

Samsung Galaxy Note (AT&T)

The Galaxy Note is a hybrid device combining features you would find in a tablet and smartphone. First thing you will notice is the massive 5.3 inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 1280 x 800 resolution. Behind that screen is a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, 2500 mAH battery, 2 megapixel front facing camera and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture, LED flash and f2.0. A unique feature of the Galaxy Note is the S-Pen which give you the ability for handwritten input, drawing and precision touch input. It’s running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with TouchWiz but will be upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the near future. The Samsung Galaxy Note is the bridge between phone and tablet.

Check out the hardware comparison video below, share your thoughts and be sure to stay tuned for more coverage.

Today Sprint has announced the new HTC EVO 4G LTE. The EVO 4G LTE is as flagship phone exclusive for Sprint. The EVO 4G LTE comes with a 4.7 inch AMOLED 720p display, 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 2000mAH battery, 8 megapixel camera with HTC’s ImageChip image processor and ImageSense software. It will come with HTC Sense 4 the latest version of HTC Sense UI on on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The HTC EVO One will take advantage of Sprint’s Network Vision and be the first phone in the U.S. to have HD Voice with crystal clear clarity. It’s made of space aluminum to make it lightweight and extremely durable and has a kickstand for optimal video viewing.

Press Release:

HTC EVO 4G LTE, Exclusively from Sprint, First HD Voice-capable Smartphone Available in the U.S.;

Offers Best-in-Class Features, including Beats Audio,

Amazing Camera and HD Display

 

Next-generation EVO offers the ability to enjoy industry-leading features

without fear of overage charges or throttling with unlimited data plans

for new and existing Sprint customers

 

Available in Q2 for $199.99; Register for updates at www.sprint.com/evo4glte

 

NEW YORK – April 4, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE: S), the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network¹, and HTC, a global designer of smartphones, announce the next evolution of the award-winning HTC EVO™ family: HTC EVO™ 4G LTE. HTC EVO 4G LTE focuses on exceptional improvements in camera technology, audio and voice quality on both the network and device.

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE will be available in the second quarter for $199.99 (excludes taxes and surcharges). The availability date will be announced later. Customers can sign up for updates today at www.sprint.com/evo4glte, and pre-order will begin Monday, May 7, at www.sprint.com.

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE is built on Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, integrated with HTC Sense™ 4. HTC EVO 4G LTE boasts brilliant features, including a vibrant 4.7-inch HD display, HD voice capabilities, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, large 2000mAh embedded battery and dual-cameras (8-megapixel rear-facing and 1.3-megapixel front-facing) with instant capture capability. HTC EVO 4G LTE brings back the fan-favorite kickstand built into the smartphone’s refined, slim design.

 

With the launch of HTC EVO 4G LTE, Sprint becomes the first U.S. carrier to announce plans for a nationwide HD Voice network beginning in late 2012 as part of Sprint’s Network Vision program.

 

HD Voice is the next-generation evolution of voice quality and the future of voice communications for mobile phones. The service will provide fuller, more natural-sounding and less fatiguing voice quality and should reduce troublesome background noises often found in a cafe or on the street.² Users should expect to identify voices and hear every word better than ever. Sprint’s commitment to HD Voice starts with HTC EVO 4G LTE, Sprint’s first HD Voice capable device.

 

“Sprint has a long history of leading the wireless industry in innovation, and the debut of HTC EVO 4G LTE marks another chapter in that innovation story,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “Once again, we are partnering with HTC to deliver the benchmark Android device for the year with the next generation of our award-winning EVO brand. We know our customers will appreciate the focus on audio and voice quality with EVO 4G LTE, including the addition of Beats Audio and HD Voice capability.”

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE is Sprint’s first device with HTC’s Authentic Sound experience integrating Beats Audio™. The technology enables customers to hear music the way the artist intended with unique audio tuning that delivers thundering bass, soaring midrange and crisp highs.

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE incorporates Beats Audio across the entire phone experience, including playing music stored on the device, streaming from a favorite service, watching a movie or YouTube™ video, or playing the latest hot game. HTC Sync Manager software also lets users easily get their music on the device from their PC, and it works with current programs, including iTunes^®.

 

“The partnership between HTC and Sprint has resulted in one of the most popular and successful smartphone brands of all time with over 7 million EVO devices sold to date,” said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Corporation. “With HTC EVO 4G LTE, we’ve created a desirable successor that is sure to excite the millions of current EVO customers and beyond with HTC’s distinct design, amazing camera and authentic sound.”

 

ADVANCING SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

HTC EVO 4G LTE makes mobile photography and video easy and intuitive.

• The on-screen photo and video buttons are right next to each other so users don’t have to switch modes. This allows the user to take video and still photos concurrently.
• It makes the whole idea of “video mode” or “photo mode” irrelevant. While shooting a video, the user can just tap the shutter button and it captures a still image of that exact moment. Still images can also be captured during video playback.
• HTC EVO 4G LTE’s camera has a super-fast start-up time and auto-focus. With the fast auto-focus, users can easily stay with a moving object or person, taking numerous pictures just by holding the shutter button.

 

In addition, HTC ImageSense™ technology combines hardware and software advancements to the camera lens, sensor and software, including integration of a new custom HTC ImageChip, to take great photos even in adverse conditions. The best-in-class f/2.0 camera lens lets in 44 percent more light than the lenses used on most camera phones. The Smart Flash also adjusts the flash strength based on how far away the object is, so users won’t get photos where everything looks washed out.

REFINED STYLE AND DESIGN

Crafted from aluminum spaceframe in an anodized black finish, HTC EVO 4G LTE delivers cutting-edge function and style in a thin and distinctive design. The smartphone’s 4.7-inch display and 80-degree viewing angle makes it easier to share pictures and video with others. The multiposition kickstand allows users to watch videos hands-free.

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones³ – a savings of $40 per month vs. Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB Web, or $10 per month savings vs. Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB Web.

 

Sprint recently announced Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio are expected to have 4G LTE and enhanced 3G service in mid-year 2012. Sprint 4G LTE will enable faster speeds for data applications, and the enhanced 3G service promises better signal strength, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better in-building performance. The launch of these large metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. Sprint customers in these areas will soon enjoy ultra-fast data speeds and improved 3G voice quality. Whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a video, checking the Web via a mobile hotspot, Sprint 4G LTE will make it easier. And, when someone makes an important voice call, they can expect to find a clearer connection and a stronger signal in more areas. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visitwww.sprint.com/4GLTE.

 

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 55 million customers at the end of 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint atwww.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

 

About HTC

Founded in 1997, HTC Corporation (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC’s portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by HTC Sense™, a multilayered graphical user interface that vastly improves user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com.

The long wait is over for many of you that have been waiting for Instagram to finally make its way to android. Starting today you can download it for Android 2.2 devices and higher. The app brings the same look and feel of the iOS so don’t expect  a native android feel here. In our hands-on we use the Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX which is running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The app operates almost the same on both platforms with the only different is the camera interface is different for Android 4.0 devices.

As far as performance Instagram runs as expected and should work well for android users. I’m hoping when we see more ICS phones out there that Instagram will give the app a more android look and feel.  Check out our screenshots and hands-on video below.

I’ve been using a Windows Phone handset as my daily phone for a few months now and one of the things that is definitely missing compared to Android and iOS is a dedicated notification section. In Windows Phone the Live Tiles on the home screen give syou updated information about that particular application…as long as you have it pinned to the start menu. If you don’t have it pinned you will need to hope the app has push notification enabled (many apps make you pay for this feature) and that you see it when it happens or you will miss it completely and never know unless the app has access to the lock screen to show updates but now only core apps such as e-mail, text message and phone have access to that.  Also you can end up pinning a ton of apps on the home screen and the list could end up being just as long as your apps list and tiles can be slow to update at times also you’ll need to scroll down to find the app with the new notification if its not at the top of your home screen. There just needs to be a central place to grab all this info in one place.

Microsoft needs their own notification center to make things easier and to never miss an update. The best idea I’ve seen to make this work  is in the main photo of the article. Utilizing the left screen space in Windows Phone will allow the experience to stay elegant and simple while provided you with better usability. There should be a beacon on the side when your on the home screen to let you know that there is new updates and you should swipe over. Every app should be able  to use this section and there should be a universal icon for the lock screen to let the user know that you have a brand new update. This will keep the lock screen from getting too cluttered while still having updates for core features such a texts, e-mails, voicemail and missed calls.

This is such a simple feature Microsoft needs to include this honestly compete better with the competition and will attract more power users to the platform which is the main group for any mobile OS to survive. Share your thoughts below and let us know if you agree or disagree.

Image Via WMPoweruer

The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone made by Nokia. Nokia is well-known for its excellent hardware and design when it comes to phones and the Lumia 800 is no exception with its 3.7 inch AMOLED ClearBlack display for solid viewing angles and the ability to see the phone in direct sunlight. There is also an 1.4 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 16 GB of storage and 8 megapixel camera. It comes in a unibody design with no removable battery or the ability for expandable storage. The 1450 mAH battery non-removable battery is good enough to get the job done through a full days usage. The sim card slot is an interesting design. You have to slide the micro USB port cover to the side to open the micro SIM card slot and isn’t the smoothest process. All in all a solid unique design from Nokia.

Another thing Nokia is known for is cell phone cameras. They have some of the best in the industry and the Lumia 800’s 8 Megapixel camera shows it. Image quality for still pictures is great and video quality is also solid with clear audio with it. You can check out our sample pictures and video at the bottom of the review.

The Lumia 800 runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango with exclusive Nokia applications such as Nokia Drive for turn-by-turn voice navigation which is something not native to the OS, Nokia Maps which includes public transit systems which is something not included in Bing Maps and Nokia Music. Each application runs as it should but still need some more work to really get them working seamlessly in the platform. There were several times with both Nokia Drive and Nokia Maps that the GPS just wouldn’t locate.

Check out more about the Nokia Lumia 800 in our video review.

Most phone users have experienced the frustration of the battery dying on them at a time and place when they do not have access to a power outlet. Modern smart phones get used for applications like web surfing and gaming that are heavy on power demand. These phones require recharging at least once a day, depending on usage. New technology being developed by a team from the University of Cambridge could soon result in a self charging smart phone with built-in photovoltaic panels.

These panels will generate power from the light falling on the phone face to continuously trickle charge the phone battery. This technology could help create a new phone that never needs plug-in charging.

The solar panel technology

The research team from the University of Cambridge has developed a thin film amorphous silicon photovoltaic panel that could be included as a layer in the fabrication of the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) panels that serve as the phone display. The solar panel generates power from the light falling on the display screen. This will include direct sunlight as well as light from the indoor lighting used in our homes and work places. The addition of this solar panel layer would have no impact on display clarity or touch screen functions.

The research team estimates that the solar panel could generate 165 mill watts of power per square centimeter of display area. Since modern smart phone displays are 5 square centimeter or larger, the power output could be over 800 mill watts that could recharge a drained phone battery in about 6 hours. The expectation, however, is that the solar panel on the phone would continually harvest light energy and maintain battery charge. The phone user only needs to leave the phone open to light during the periods when he is at one place.

The Cambridge team noted that in an OLED screen, only some 36 percent of the light energy is productively used for the display and the rest escapes as waste around the edges of the screen. They have recommended harvesting this light energy by surrounding the display screen with the thin film solar panels. With this improvement, the efficiency of their solar panel would be 11 percent average and 18 percent peak. Further gains in efficiency could be achieved by better materials and by focusing the ambient light by means of creating tiny lenses on the inner surface of the glass shell that covers the display.

The Cambridge team has also addressed the problem of variation in power output due to light conditions by building in a thin film transistor circuit to stabilize the voltage. In addition, the power generated from the solar cell is stored in a thin film super capacitor, which is then used to charge the phone battery.

Other similar developments

A French technology start-up company named Wysips (acronym for “What You see is a Photovoltaic Surface”) had demonstrated their own development of a phone solar panel in early 2011, promising commercialization in 2012. They had claimed that the solar panel would only cost about $1 each, which would make it easy to incorporate into any phone. Wysips is now working as part of a consortium funded by the French government, to develop a 4G tablet computer with a built-in solar panel. Wysips is also working on outdoor lighted advertising display panels that get powered by thin film solar panels.

Previously Motorola in 2007 and Apple in 2009 have obtained patents for mobile phone displays incorporating solar power panels. Neither company has announced any further work on the technology after the patent filings.

Wrist watches with solar panels built under the display dial are already in the market. The watch, of course, needs much less power than a phone display. Several designs of solar powered mobile phone chargers have been available in the market for use by campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Some companies have developed solar panels to be applied on window panes of commercial high-rise buildings to harvest sunlight.

Work from these diverse fields is sure to result in a mobile phone that would never need plug-in recharging.

About the author: Claudia is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on luxury and technology. She recently read an article on hybrid cars that attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on Lotus evora.

The Samsung Rugby Smart is a rugged smartphone that has some pretty high-end feature for this class of phone. It packs a 3.7 inch Super AMOLED display, 4 GB of Ram, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, 5 megapixel rear facing camera with 720p video capture. It’s mld-std-810f military spec and waterproof up to 1M for 30 minutes.

Android 4.0 ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) is the latest version of the Android  mobile operating system made by Google. They have revamped the OS and combined features of what you find in Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Android 3.x Honeycomb. For many this will be the first time they have used an Android device and may need some help in getting themselves going. In this series of videos we should you the best way to use it and get the best Android experience possible. You can watch the first video which is the full version of the video or see our 4 part breakdown.

Full Version

Part 1 -  Navigating the Android User Interface

Part 2 – Home screens, folders, app menu and widgets

Part 3 – Search, Voice Search, Text To Speech, Settings

Part 4 – Camera, Photo and Video Editing and Music