Cell Phone Techs

Thunderbolt: The phone after your dream phone?

2011-03-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow cellphonetechies! I just want to go ahead and admit: I have a problem. I am addicted to new phones. That's right. I got a new Droid X in August of 2010 and since December I have been contemplating on getting a new phone. One of the phones I have recently looked into is the HTC Thunderbolt. Ever since the HTC EVO came out I always wanted one due to the excellent reviews on other sites such as phonearena.com. It rated great for overall performance so I was always very interested, the problem was I have Verizon Wireless. I wouldn't call it a bad thing but let's just say I can make phone calls 99.9% of the time. Since I am a techie I am blessed to be able to work with people around me that have similar interests.

Two if my coworkers have an HTC EVO on Sprint service. Each of them hardly ever have their phone wi them because their phone is not wireless because of the demand they have to charge it as often as they can. So let's face it the battery life SUCKS but me being the geek I am I bypassed that potential problem. When I began to hear rumors of the new HTC Thunderbolt coming out I thought my prayers were answered, an EVO for Verizon. So it was announced as the first 4G phone coming to Verizon in January. It was advertised as the big and bad. By February we all began to hear rumors from various phone reporters about release dates. The dates began to get pushed farther and farther back. This concerned me and it also concerned the Android community. Later It was discussed that HTC was working through "issues" on battery life with the device. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Bad thing is users might encounter the same battery life issues the HTC EVO has but the good thing is Verizon makes sure every device is thoroughly tested before it is announced and released to the public.

Yesterday the HTC Thunderbolt was officially released with Verizon and Retailers. Meanwhile I wait around for a big in depth review on the battery life and the phone overall. The first things I find is the 4G speeds. Ok, that's great but tell me more about the phone. Still no in depth reviews but one thing that turned me off to it. Phonearena.com did a speed test using a 4G service on the Thunderbolt and 3G service n the Motorola Droid X. Guess who won? Not who you think. The Motorola Droid X was slightly faster in rendering pages compared to the Thunderbolt. Big disappointment. So those of you thinking about one. Think carefully, I'm sure it's a fine phone but it has slow 4G and it IS 2011. This would have been great last year where dual core processor phones were not on the rise. I'll keep an eye out on the Thunderbolt. If I find a goof in depth review, I will be sure to let you all know.

-Shante' Stallings
Shansheezy
Taetay706gul

ATTENTION New Potential Verizon iPhone Customers!!!!!!

2011-02-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

I think this video says it all. Gotta love CNET.

First Impressions: Droid Pro

2010-10-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well guys, this is it. The Droid Pro world phone. Besides the global phone capabilities, what do you think about it?

Droid Pro "DROID PRO is a new, powerful, stronger and faster solution designed to meet both business and personal needs. The first Android™-based smartphone optimized for business use, DROID PRO is also a global-ready Android smartphone, allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice service in more than 220 countries and data coverage in more than 200 countries." - Via Android Central

My take: When I first see this device I ask myself, is Motorola trying to fit in with the BlackBerry users or trying a different approach toward the business world. I must say it looks like a good stab they took at it but honestly, the business users I come in contact with like the themed touch screen keyboard capability with the Android devices where BlackBerry failed with the capacitive touch screen on the Storm and Storm 2 which have not been favored as phones you don't plan on punching out long emails with. The main plus that I liked and that business users liked was the feel of the keys on the keyboard. The first thing i want to do when i put my hands on this phone is feel the keyboard. Not many manufacturers can perfect the ergonomics when it comes to mobile keyboards because it's all where your timber lay.....almost as if thumbs have a mind of their own but you have to keep them happy too!

CNET'S first impressions:

"he Motorola Droid Pro is Motorola's attempt at a business-centric smartphone. It ships with Android 2.2 and it boasts Exchange security features as well as complex password support and device management, like the ability to remotely wipe the phone."

According to Android Central

Pricing and Availability

"DROID PRO will be available at http://www.verizonwireless.com/ and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in the coming weeks. Pricing will be announced closer to launch."

If it has the same feel as the BlackBerry keyboard, I think this could be a prize winner. Keep an eye on this one if you have your stock on BlackBerry.

TaeTay706gul

10-6-10

Jawbone 2 : My Official Hands On

2008-10-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Who would've thought I would ha

ve the Jawbone 2 right now. Well, it all only happened by inconvinience and a good discount.

I have always been a fan of Cnet and products that have the editor's pick. Honestly, it feels great to know you have a product that was an editors pick by researching but there are always those that run by the store and pick an item just because it's their favorite color.

Sound
The sound quality is great. I made sure to turn Echo off on my Blackberry so there would be no conflicts with noise cancellation. Also, people on the other line can hear me clearly. I'm a person that hates to repeat things and that is something that I heaven't had to do. I have done my sound test also. I have two 12 inch speakers in my car with two tweerters beside my head. One day I was driving and I decided to turn it up to a point that a regular headset would not perform. The user on the other line heard me just fine and they didn't know I had music on. T

hat sold me that the Jawbone 2 is the ultimate headset for sound cancellation.

Features
The Jawbone has a few features that I should add but not a long list. When the headset is turned on, the Noise Assasin is automatically on so it is best to use all the time. Another feature that I like that my BlueAnts have had is that ability to turn off the blinking light. It's great for when in dark quiet places like the movie theatre. One feature that I do miss from my Blue Ant Z9 is the shirt clip. Most bluetooths don't come with that option but they atleast come with a lanyard hoop so if you want to take it off, keep it somewhere safe. I can say that I truely miss my volume rocker from other headsets. It uses the volume options from your cell phone but you can also turn it up and down using only one button. It's just that some headsets that I have had have the rocker and it makes the volume go higher than the phone would.

Design
The design is really sleek but I felt like something was still missing....buttons। The Jawbone 2 has 2 buttons. Both are hidden so no one can see. There is one button that handle's Noise Assaisin/Volume and one for Answer and hand up. Looking at it made me think it would be hard to distinguish the two but it really wasn't. The nice diamond design and leather hook helps this headset look good for any executive but for plain old Sam, he'll have to get used to quality at its बी

Feel
Even though it may look a tiny bit bulky it was the very lightest on my ear. One complaint I do have is that there are times it may hang out of my ear a bit but my ear may be larger or smaller than others.

All together this headset is the best. Thought it is not for everyone it is without a doubt the easiest to use.

TaeTay706gul
Cell Phone Techs
10/8/08

Motorola W755: The Story of a Love Child

2008-07-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the Motorola W755. When I first viewed this phone, it was like Motorola, Nokia, and Sanyo all jammed in one.

Same keyboard as the Moto v9M Has a similar Nokia front plate

Has the same type of flip as the Sanyo Katana DLX . Also has a similar camera as the Nokia.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

-TaeTay706gul

Finally! The new 3G iPhone is now available.

2008-07-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

The 3G iPhone released on Friday in which made consumers very eager to buy. When the phone released in the 22 countries that it did it had a drastic response: Long lines. Seems that everyone likes that iPhone. I have been wondering for the longest and now I know. The only improvement to the iPhone is 3G service and a navigation chip embedded. These both were needed indeed but I was hoping for a little more eye candy but I have read that the iPhone will come in colors. The first thing I thought, hmm....rumors......but then chiks digg colors lol. Also, I saved the best for last. This phone cost $199!!!!!
Image from Pocket Lint . Also check out iPhonetricks.net .

Soldier Knows Best. Always a good reviewer.

-TaeTay706gul

Coolio Themes for Your Blackberry

2008-06-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Blackberry users can sometimes get tired of their same old theme with the same colors, same icons, with limited layouts. Many Blackberry users like me don't like to pay for themes but would like a quality one would find interest in this site. I found a neat site called Nancy Drew's Hot Blackberry Themes .

Guys, I know what you are thinking. The site IS a bit girly.........ok, ALOT girly but you may take interest in some themes also. There's a unique Super Bros Theme.

Anywho, I have to show you my favorite......

-Shante' Stallings
TaeTay706gul

Alltel! Poof! BE GONE!

2008-06-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

I know you have all heard it already but if not, let me refresh your memory.

"Verizon Wireless has entered into an agreement with Alltel Corporation and Atlantis Holdings LLC, an affiliate of private investment firm TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, to acquire Alltel Corporation in a cash merger. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).

Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon Wireless will acquire the equity of Alltel for approximately $5.9 billion. Based on Alltel’s projected net debt at closing of $22.2 billion, the aggregate value of the transaction is $28.1 billion." refer to Verizon .

I think this is sort of a sad story for some, a blessing for some, and confusion for some. What's going on in people's minds? For the sad part, some will surely miss the My Circle plan they once had. I hear that Verizon will honor it but my a acquaintance with Verizon and from what I know, Verizon will take it away. For the longest time I heard of Alltel about to be bought out because many companies have been trying to. I have heard that Allltel has been so expensive to buy and now I know why. Alltel was in deep debt. I was almost sure that Alltel was bought out in 2007 and the new company wouldn't go into effect until 2009 but they just bought Alltel's shares....that's all. Read "Alltel shareholders approve private equity buyout" . Ever since the My Circle plan Alltel released, didn't you ever wonder, where is Alltel making their money from? That's waaay too good of a deal! My friend is an Alltel representative that said Verizon wil honor the My Circle plan but see, years ago when my friend worked for Verizon and he always used to tell me how arrogant Verizon was. If Verizon still was the way they were then, Verizon will not give anyone any type of My Circle. BUT, the clientel will be raising up to make Verizon the #1 largest wireless network so, I guess so many customers will have Verizon that you won't even need My Circle because of mobile to mobile usage.

Another sad thing is that many Alltel employees may lose their jobs. Will Verizon close down Alltel stores or will they just change the sign and change the look?

The good thing is that Alltel will be out of debt and Alltel customers will for then on out be handled by Verizon's great customer service team.

I'm the confused customer.I'm an Alltel customer planning on buying a new phone but now in a frozen state of should I? I really want a new phone but will Verizon program it for me so that I will be able to take advantage of Verizon's special features? Verizon does have a program where they will allow you to bring in almost any phone (or any CDMA enabled phone) and make it compatible for the network. Also, I have a Blackberry and I have known Verizon for having a expensive smartphone plan.

Verizon has many great services and the best coverage I have ever seen but it'll cost ya. All very worthy but always research. I had Verizon last year and what I remember most about them is that their text messages and picture messages got to the users right away. One bad thing I did not like was that Verizon had to lock many great features of a phone so that you will pay for their features instead of gaining a cheaper one or a free one. Verizon had the tendency to lock programs, I had the tendency of hacking them. Alltel on the other hand has great service (almost up to par with Verizon) but many Alltel customers receive text messages late or not at all. In many cases I have missed many calls. I know this for sure because my phone will show voice mails and no missed calls. Alltel is a great money saver but maybe it is their time......

According to Verizon.com, this Alltel-Verizon merge will become effective by the end of this
year.

-Shante' Stallings

TaeTay706gul

Yahoo Says 'LOVE ME!' with Yahoo! Go 3.0

2008-06-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Ever since the e-mailbox Fight Night with Google and Yahoo (Yahoo increased mailbox size due to Gmail's mailbox size), it begins again when Yahoo released with it's beta version, Yahoo! Go that runs on mobile phones. Yahoo is trying to outmatch it's successor Google.

Google has its own mobile program called Google Mobile. Google mobile includes many applications such a news, calendar, sync, rss feeder, gmail, search, goog-411, and even (one of the best they have) Google Docs! Google docs allow you to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on the go with no software download. For one thing, Google mobile downloads its apps as shortcuts that point to their mobile pages. The good thing about Google Mobile is that it saves space on your mobile device and it doesn't take ultimate memory to run.

Yahoo! Go is an application can download onto your phone. Yahoo! Go gives you information from the widgets that you choose to install. It also comes with default widgets but I'm pretty sure they can be uninstalled. The widgets appear on a "carousel" that simply allows you to roll to the widget you would like. When Yahoo Go is ran, it will be constantly connected to the internet to act as a feeder to get the news and information you like. Some of teh widgets include news, ebay, myspace, mail, Fickr, weather etc. (there's so many). Yahoo! Go gives you what you want when you want it without much frustration. Yahoo! Go's interface (GUI) looks great but it can take up a lot of memory too.

The Bottom Line

Google mobile is a great space saver but I consider it to be best for the most business oriented people. Yahoo go is great for the daily user and great for when waiting in line. Both are remarkable products. If you decide to download either, I highly recommend you have an unlimited data plan or "Don't try this at home" lol......

-Shante' Stallings

TaeTay706gul

Silence Please!

2008-05-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

The brand new Aliph Jawbone 2is now available. The Jawbone 2 now includes a new feature called Noise Assassin. The Noise Assassin can separate speech from ambient noise during a call. This is spectacular due to the many bluetooths I have been through that have failed me in good sound precision for the person on the other line. Even my Plantronics Voyager 520 was to be wind resistant in which if the wind was blowing, the person on the other line should not be able to hear it. Ha! Failed terribly.

Someone has once told me, "A Bluetooth is a Bluetooth." I never dared to believe that statement The very first Jawbone had the very best sound quality on the market at the time. This is also due to their revolutionized technology that recognizes the vibrations of a human Jawbone. I never came close to thinking of getting the Jawbone because the size turned me off so'. The new Jawbone brings size, flashy, and even better sound quality to the table. Even though some may think the Jawbone 2 is an ugly ducking but the Aliph Jawbone 2 is truly a sexy new gadget that is great to have. The Jawbone 2 comes in Matte Black, Silver, and Rose Gold. Samsung and LG better step their game up, because they're known to make their own version of a knockoff.

Shante' Stallings
TaeTay706gul

10 Things That Can Sell A Phone

2008-05-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

Cell phone companies do all they can to keep their business good. Whether it's selling to kids, teenagers, young adults, or older adults a cell phone can now be a cool thing in many different

Kid security. Phone services such as LG's Migo phone which was made for young children to be able to contact emergency contacts such as mom..........dad......maybe say 911 (lol)? For a parent to know that their child is able to reach them whenever they need gives a sense of comfort and security to a parent about their children. Verizon advertised child security.

So Sexy. As a mentioned earlier in a previous post, popular designers and celebrities sell phones. Stick a name on the phone with a pretty color or one extra cool feature and teens and young adults would love to get their hands on it because it then makes them "exclusive." "Betcha ain't got this!"

Copy Cat. Besides a celebirty or designer actually selling their phone, watching a celebrity use a phone may make someone a soon to be customer for that phone brand and that phone provider. "Ooh! John Mayer uses a Blackberry! May be I should get one.....MOM! Can I get a blueberry?!"

Easy to use customizeable faceplates. Have you ever gotten tired of looking at the same phone with the same color? Some people haven't and for those who have, there is a brand new "_________!" that comes with customizable faceplates that slide right on and off. Some of the good things that might appeal to parents is that their child may tend to keep their phone more instead of losing it, throwing it on the wall, and keep em' happy so that when that big arguement comes about, momma's got the I bought you a 'fly' phone card.

Pocket size. Some people like everything in life simplified, which isn't a problem, so that phone calls can come in and they can say hello-goodbye and be able to fit in the pocket without notice from anyone else. Also great when sneaking a phone into school too. SHHH!!!
WiFi. The revolution is here and everyone's already prepared with their Wifi devices to check their e-mail, check the weather, to get school work done, to get work work done......to get your life done. Started from laptops to cell phones to mp3 players but if you're a heavy internet user that needs faster speed, it's always great buying a phone that has Wifi and how so convenient it is checking your e-mail without having to carry in a larger sized device called a latop. Feed me Wifi or feed me 3G!

Push E-mail. If a phone can push e-mail, watch business users crowd your doorways cell phone service providers! Receiving an e-mail can sometimes be more important than receiving a phone call. I like to call them distance loves because push e-mail phones always leave them connected.

Text Messaging. Man, have we come so far to have a full QWERTY keyboard on a cell phone that's easy to use. Whew! And I thought that T9 was kickin butt! Most phone services now have simplified cell phones made especially for text messaging and that is simple to use because of the QWERTY keyboard. Gotta love it.

Heavy Duty. Heavy duty type phones, such as Nextel phones, are made to be dusty, rusty, and some can be watery. Great for contruction workers and workers that work in heavy environments. Also great for those who continue to break phones on occuasion. These phones will save you money but most don't have many features for high tech users.

Last but not least, features! All high tech users like to know what comes with the phone and what it can do! If it can move fast, we want it; if it can play videos, we want it; if it can do abnormal things to wow friends we want it. Glitz and glam isn't just the looks, it's the features that count.

-Shante' Stallings

TaeTay706gul

Boosting Your iPhone

2008-05-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

"Yes and I just love my new-." Your phone call is interrupted by dead silence. You have been a victim of a dropped call. Who likes that? I mean, don't you get offended sometimes? I know my mentallity is, I KNOW HE DIDN'T HANG UP ON ME! Well at least iPhone users have some hope avoiding that problem. The ClearBoost, antenna booster, makes it so you have a 5 foot antenna in your hand. That means better call quality, less dropped calls, and even faster downloads when using your cellular connection. I know most of the time my phone service is good but a little more security is even better. The case wraps around the phone to help protect it bumps and bruises you "baby" may be prone to. I have to say, if I had an iPhone, this would be on my "I want it" list. Check it out below.

HTC Still Touchin'?

2008-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

When I first saw this phone I thought, it's about time! Who likes using a touch screen all day? Well......there are some.......The HTC Touch Dual supports the touch screen AND the sliding keyboard. Although the Dual is still small, of course it will be thicker but it's no biggie. The Dual is a GSM version (damn it!). For it to be a GSM phone, it sure does have some pretty low talk time. I mean...... 3 hours MAX! Still supporting the Windows 6.0 or 6.1, Dual may still have some of the bugs that the OS (Operating System) may have had inprevious versions. I am a fan of big screens and I feel that it is great when you want to take pictures, watch movies, etc.

My main isue with touch scren phones is if you want to dial with one hand like with driving. Plus the numbers are alligned sorta like a regular phone so dial with your eyes closed (just not while driving). What some may not like is if they are spoiled with their QWERTY boards, then they may shy away from this product but who knows? I went from QWERTY to SureType. Their keyboard is sorta like the Samsung's Blast keyboard. This has a 400 MHz processor as opposed to the original HTC Touch, 200 MHz processor. Hopefully consumers will receive a little less lagging as far functionality goes.

That is it for the HTC Touch Dual! There is no official release date for it yet but rumors are that it may be October or November. I think HTC did a great job in making ths decision.

Sleekest Sony Slider (SSS)

2008-05-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

Hello! Shante' reporting again at May 3, 2008 2:47 am. I am here to tell you about the Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman Black.

Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman Black

I have seen the W580 being used by both teens and adults. The phone can fit for anyone because they come in different colors. The Sony Ericsson W580 comes in White, Baby Pink, and Black. I particularly like the black color because it has a flat look and it brings out the 262,144 colors in the screen. Sony Ericsson has always shown such great GUI (Graphical User Interface) on their past phones. Even though the keys may seem abit crowed, it looks really slick. It's such a slim and small phone with so much style. ALSO, Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman HAD TO ADD the music features. You can use some of the from menu keys to navigate through the media music. This phone may also be good for those who exercise. The phone has a Fitness feature that will track the distance passed and the energy used. 2 stars for S.E.! What I have personally noticed is the sensitivity of the on/off key at the top of the phone. The key may be easily turned on when inside a phone pouch or so. I reccommend the W580 to besic phone users who like stick their phone in the back pocket and ride out. The only problem may be is remembering to take it out because it's so slim and lightweight. The phone is actually a little more basic than other S.E. music phones but to some, just add a bag of chips.

-Shante' Stallings
TaeTay706gul

Can You enV This? I'm not sure.....

2008-05-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

The LG enV2 released into Verizon online store on yesterday. The enV2 sports a full QWERTY keyboard as it's ancestor, the enV, did. I can say that the color for this phone reminds me of the chocolate 2 and it looks a little less "teenageish". For such a small CDMA phone, it has an excellent battery life: Talk: 5.3 hours max. (320 minutes)
Standby: 520 hours max. (21.7 days) .

Even thought it is the upgrade of the enV, it still has the 2.0 mega pixel camera but if you think about it, if the mega pixels were higher, the phone would cost a lot more. The 2.0 mega pixel is now considered standard compared to older models with 1.3 mega pixel, at least that's what I think.

The music player is always an essential feature to the phone but it would be also be a little better if you didn't have to use VCAST'S media player........ :( . But, like some LG phones, there may be a small hack that will unleash a hidden LG music player like the LG 8100 had. But if you do want to listen to music, the enV2 supports up to 8GB of memory. You know, it seems that with the new enV2, when you take one away you gain another. That is what I call the screens. The Outer screen is so much smaller. It is almost more than half less of the outer screen that the first V and enV has. I see that as being just like that annoying Sprint phone, the Samsung Upstage. I think we all will need glasses soon as the screens get smaller.
If the teens are buying it, LG strives to get their attention.
-Shante' Stallings ::Taetay706gul

Getting With the Program

2008-04-28T15:40:00.001-07:00

HTC Touch

Looks like Verizon finally got with the game and they are now selling the HTC 6900 (HTC Touch). Like always, Verizon is usually last in distributing new phones due to long testing times. NOW, they have it! Alltel came out with a Rev A. Version of it and the main idea of it was to give users GPS capability and EVDO (Evolution-Data Optimized)
Rev A. speeds. The upgrade is not quite official yet so use at your own risk if you get it.

If you are considering the HTC Touch, know that it sports a 2.8 inch touch screen with a 2 mega pixel camera. I have seen it before in person and let's just say that it is small enough to go inside a Mot V3 pouch without much strain. Not too small, but convenient size. The battery lasts about 3.5 talk time; a little less than many smart phones but you should always expect that from a CDMA phone. When considering this phone, remember that it is all touch and not many buttons at all.

But you know what really sucks?

We should also point out that the new $29.99 Data Plan that Verizon launched on April 14th is currently not available with the XV6900. This leaves consumers with the following four choices:

1. Pay-as-you-go, which will charge you $15.36 per MB (1.5 cents per KB).
2. 10MB of data usage for $24.99/month, with overages costing $5.12 per MB (1/2 cent per KB).
3. Unlimited data (5GB cap) for $44.99/month.
4. Data Block, which will block all incoming and outgoing data.

Que Pasa Verizon? QUE PASA!!!!! (That's "what's up in Spanish")

Designers in the Cell Phone Industry

2008-04-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

When I heard about the Prada phone and Georgio Armani phone, I decided to see if there was a Versace phone......AND THERE IS! What's up with designers and cell phones now? Ever since the Dolce and Gabana Razor, the cell phone craze has grown into different industries trying to grab different audiences. People that know designers don't care about cell phone features, just how it looks. May be that was what Armani, Prada, and Versace were thinking when they decided to come out with their phones. Stick a name on it and sell that.

Welcome!

2008-04-22T15:37:00.002-07:00

Heyah!
Welcome to Cell Phone Techs!! The one place to be to
find out the new on the coolest phones coming out, tricks and tips on
present phones, and cell phone
service providers!

2008-04-22T14:52:00.002-07:00