CHOICE OF A NEW GENERATION
Palm Pre
Pros: easy to use, great navigation system, superb multi-tasking
Cons: no additional apps, suspect battery life, too-small keyboard Price: from free on O2 bill-pay (O2 only)
Palm has always occupied its own universe when it came to phones and PDAs. Fifteen years ago, it led the world in mobile computing devices. Five years ago, it was on its knees. But today, it has a hit model: the Pre. The Pre does not set out to be an iPhone-killer. Instead, it sets out to be a Blackberry-killer.
Its screen is slightly smaller (3.1 inches) than most of its rivals and it does not try to compete on multimedia prowess such as watching videos, music or camera shots (even though all of these things are executed competently). Nor does it try to compete on looks, being fairly ordinary-looking. But what the Pre does, it does very well.
Multi-tasking
One of its strengths is its user-friendly multi-tasking ability. You can flick between several open applications quickly and efficiently, which makes a big difference in a hurried state of affairs.
Screen
The Pre’s 3.1-inch touchscreen system works very, very well. Not quite as well as the iPhone’s; there is little of the awkward mistouches that sometimes afflict Samsung and Nokia touchscreen devices. It is powered by a swipe bar under the screen, which allows one-handed operation using a thumb, rather than a forefinger (which requires two hands).
The Pre, impressively, also has multitouch. That means you can expand or shrink images or screens using more than one finger at a time. But far from being just a total touchscreen device, the Pre sports a pull-down Qwerty keyboard with teeny-tiny keys.
Networking
From a physical networking perspective, one of the best things about the Pre is that it does not require a CD-Rom or any other piece of software to connect to a computer.
Plugging it into a PC or Mac, it shows up on the desktop as an external hard drive. Transferring files (music, documents) onto it is a simple drag-and-drop process.
Other positives
It has a nice synchronisation application called Synergy, which gels with Outlook and social networking sites flawlessly.
Downsides
So what are the smartphone’s downsides? For us, there are two.
(i) Its keyboard is a little small and cramped. Most smartphones now have large screens. With those screens come decent-sized keyboards. This phone is not one of them. It is still possible to tap out e-mails and text messages, but it is more awkward than it should be.
(ii) Lack of a proper app store. Palm’s online app store is yet to take off. That means that you’re largely stuck with what comes pre -loaded on the phone. For some, this won’t be a problem. For those who like additional functionality, it’s a big problem.
We could also say that the phone’s battery life isn’t great, that it doesn’t have a memory expansion slot and that it doesn’t support Flash, which will leave you frozen out of some web videos and animations.
Conclusion
The Pre is generally a pleasure to use. For more conservative phone-users looking to take a step into touchscreen technology, this is a very attractive proposition.
Google Nexus One
Pros: super-fast, great screen, good apps
Cons: incomplete Microsoft Outlook synchronisation
Price: TBA. Expected in April Although its launch is some weeks off, no compilation of business smartphones would feel right without mentioning the cream of the Android handsets, Google’s Nexus One. Computers In Business was given an exclusive opportunity to test this phone and the results were impressive. Whether it has all of the functionality yet to be the best business smartphone or not is unclear: at the time of writing, it still lacks full Outlook synchronisation.
Screen
The phone’s 3.7-inch, bright Amoled screen is a highlight. Compared with all other smartphones, it’s huge. This makes an appreciable difference in getting the most out of the apps, web browser and pre-loaded software on-board. Other than Apple’s iPhone, this is the most sensitive, most accurate touchscreen yet to come our way.
Usability and multi-tasking
The Nexus One uses the latest version of Android, which is (largely)Google’s mobile operating system. Aside from its easy navigation, the best thing about it is its multi-tasking. Instead of just one home screen, you have five: just scroll left or right to switch homescreens.
You can customise each screen with almost any feature or application you like. This sounds geeky, but it becomes addictive.
Once you get used to it, it’s hard to return to a more restrictive operating system. Texting does take a little getting used to. However, when you adjust, it can do everything you want, including forwarding and copying and pasting words and lines from individual SMS messages.
Power/speed
This phone is the most powerful phone device to come into our hands so far.
This is mainly due to the Ferrari-powered processor under the hood: a 1Ghz Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm.
This is almost twice the speed and power of most of its smartphone rivals, including the iPhone, Blackberry and Nokia handsets. And it shows. Opening and closing applications happens in a split second. Moving from screen to screen is instantaneous. On the memory front, it has 512MB of Ram, a sizeable chunk for a machine so small.
Apps and downloads
Other than its large screen, this is the Nexus One’s key selling point. There are almost 25,000 apps available in Android’s online Market Store, which puts Android firmly in second place behind Apple. Numbers of these could be described as productivity applications.
Among the Nexus One’s ambitious features is the integration of voice control into most of the phone’s important functions this includes voice dialling function and its voice-activated web search (it converts your spoken words into a Google search). Neither worked particularly smoothly on the pre-launch handset I was using. It might be ironed out by launch.
And the downsides?
We could only find one, really. Android relies heavily on the ‘cloud’ for application support. This is the main reason that it does not support full Microsoft Exchange synchronisation, a big black mark on the business-user’s scorecard.
In fairness, there are applications you can purchase to help with Outlook synchronisation. When the cloud version of Office 2010 is released later this year, this may no longer be an issue. Until then, though, it most certainly is .
Conclusion
An extremely powerful, impressive smartphone that can do almost anything – except synchronise your office Microsoft Outlook account. For the author’s video review of this device, see www.yourtech.ie
iPhone 3GS
Pros: gorgeous device, easy to use, thousands of business apps Cons: temperamental cellular and Bluetooth connectivity Price: from €40 on O2 bill-pay (available from Vodafone later this month)
The iPhone was never supposed to be a business device. It was launched as a fun, chic accessory that was brilliant at playing your iTunes MP3 collection and browsing the web (over wi-fi). So when did it enter the business arena?
The answer is when large software developers started making business apps for it, in their thousands. Of the estimated 150,000 iPhones apps available on the App Store, at least 5,000 could be classified as ‘business’ or ‘productivity’.
From accounts and CRM packages to credit card processing software, the iPhone can now justify its spot on Irish companies’ corporate phone lists. It is not a completely perfect fit for many businesses, however. Here is the lowdown on its pros and cons.
Design, operation
By now, most people will be familiar with how an iPhone looks, feels and works. It uses an attractive, sensitive multi-touch screen which allows you to scroll, pinch and point your way through applications and files.
The 3.5-inch screen is still one of the best on the market.Recently,O2 Ireland has enabled a tethering facility, allowing you to use the phone as a modem for a laptop to connect to the internet. Its battery life is middle-of-the-road, with no more than a day’s operation to be expected.
Apps aplenty
By far the iPhone’s strongest feature, both in the business and non-business world, is the strength and depth of its App Store. With over 150,000 apps now available, it blows all rivals out of the water. And these do not just reflect the ability to turn your handset into a virtual light-saber.
From Microsoft Office suites to data back-up programs to sophisticated enterprise resource planning software, there is more than enough out there to turn your iPhone into a bona fide productivity terminal. (For a list of recommended business iPhone apps, see www.computersinbusiness.com.)
Drawbacks as a business tool
The iPhone has a few problems that may put potential business users off. The most important of these is the lack of ability to multi-task. Because Apple wants its powerful applications to run smoothly, it does not allow more than one to be used at the same time. So if you want to edit a document, you must exit your internet browser.
The handset also has a few issues with wireless speeds and Bluetooth. Even though it operates on 3G, it often falls back onto a slower speed network called Edge. In our experience, it does this far more than other smartphone handsets, even using the same O2 network. This can slowdown or disable some cloud-based activities.
The iPhone also has issues with Bluetooth, a very useful wireless technology.
Most smartphones have a universally observed Bluetooth standard. But the iPhone’s Bluetooth is temperamental. That means that you need to check the manufacturer of your Bluetooth car kit or headset before purchasing it. (It generally works with the Parrot car kit system, but does not work with some other systems.)
Conclusion
The iPhone is a gorgeous handset to use, though it could not be described as the perfect business tool.
The range and depth of its App Store gives it an edge over some rivals. Although previously only available on O2, it will become available on Vodafone Ireland this month.
Nokia N900
Pros: great keyboard, easy to use, lots of memory
Cons: physically clunky, under-strength app store
Price: €575 sim-free or from €270 on Vodafone bill-pay
Nokia’s latest high-end smartphone is “not a phone’‘, according to Nokia executives. It’s “a computer device that can also be used as a phone’‘.
This sounds pedantic until you actually pick up and use the N900.Almost all of its operation must be conducted in landscape (horizontal)mode, using a (superb) pull-down Qwerty keyboard. The only time it ever shifts to portrait (vertical) mode is when you’re making or receiving a call.
So, right from the off, this is a device that is designed for people who want to use their phone as a productivity assistant. The N900′s shape and form reflects this: it is neither pretty nor chic.
It has over twice the heft of an iPhone (0.77 inches thick, compared with the iPhone’s 0.35 inches).The utilitarian user will not mind this lack of aesthetic pedigree. But will the phone’s new non-Symbian operating cause any ripples?
New operating system
The N900 uses Maemo, a Linux variant created by Nokia. That means that Symbian, which Nokia has sworn by for years, may finally be reaching its sell-by date.
Using the phone regularly over two weeks, we found Maemo to be fast and reasonably user friendly. It excels at multi-tasking, which will please heavy productivity users.
Screen and keyboard
The device’s 3.2-inch touchscreen is resistive (rather than capacitative),which means it is accurate but takes a bit of pressing.
Presumably this is why a stylus comes with the gadget. It does not have an onscreen touch keyboard. However, for those who like to type, the N900′s pull-down Qwerty keyboard is definitely the best smartphone keyboard on the market. Its keys collectively span over four inches from end to end, so mistakes are rare.
Operation
Despite the mini-laptop theme and new operating system, many of its control functions, command structures and feature selections will be familiar to Nokia users. Its main interface is a multi-screen menu that can be customised with short-cuts to applications.
Speed and power
The N900 has an enormous 32GB of onboard memory, enough to satisfy almost any smartphone user’s needs. Despite only having a rather ordinary 600Mhz processor, it speeds through applications impressively.
Apps
Nokia has been caught badly by the industry’s adoption of apps. It is trying to remedy this by promoting its apps store (Ovi) among developers and business users.
Nevertheless, the range (and quality) of Ovi apps is mediocre compared with Apple, Android and (even) Blackberry. Although there are some useful productivity apps available for download, the N900 suffers compared to its main rivals.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a solid smartphone from Nokia, with the promise to be a workhorse for office and web files.
For the author’s video review of this device, log on to www.yourtech.ie
HTC HD2
Pros: gorgeous device, amazing screen, good Microsoft docs and synchronisation
Cons: slow at multi-tasking, few additional apps available, limited customisation
Price: from €50 on O2 billpay
Five years ago, the world’s smartphones were divided into three camps: Nokia (Symbian), Blackberry and Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile promised a lot, especially because it came with Office-style productivity applications and synchronised flawlessly with Exchange. But Microsoft threw it away, with few decent upgrades in recent years.
The software giant has promised a totally new version of the operating system later this year. Until then, is there any point in choosing one of the existing WinMo handsets? Mostly, no. But you would make an exception for this model.
HTC has managed to incorporate all of the useful stuff in a WinMo phone into a user-friendly, attractive, sexy handset. It has done this thanks to its own micro-operating system, Sense, which reorganises the presentation and layout of the basic Windows Mobile template.TheHD2 still has one or two niggling issues, but overall, it’s a nice smartphone.
Operation
The result of HTC’s overlay is an interface that is more reminiscent of Android, a platform that HTC has lots of experience with.
There is a swipeable roll of main applications (browser, e-mail, SMS, Twitter, photos and others) at the bottom of the screen. The Start menu is relegated to a small button on the top left corner of the screen. Hit this and a new screen opens displaying about 25 programs and applications.
Screen and design
If you’re looking for the perfect manifestation of what a touchscreen smartphone should look like, it’sHTC’sHD2.
The device is as close to the ideal design for a handheld touchscreen phone as has ever been launched on the market. It is beautifully slim. And the casing feels almost metallic in a reassuringly solid way. Its giant 4.3inch capacitative screen is clear, bright and superbly responsive (as all HTC touchscreen phones now are).
Colour, YouTube, photos and web pages render brilliantly.
Speed and power
Together with Google’s Nexus One, this is the fastest smartphone on the market. It has a beefy 1Ghz Snapdragon processor and a hefty 450MB of Ram. And it shows in the speed that applications open and close. The speed and power of the phone makes multitasking possible, although I did find that it slowed down a little when I had several applications open.
Productivity
Productivity is clearly one of the phone’s strongest points. As a Windows Mobile device, it comes loaded with Office Mobile (Word, Powerpoint, Excel and OneNote).When you marry the size of the screen with the phone’s fast processor, it outperforms every other smartphone for Microsoft documents.
One downside to the phone is that Microsoft’s app store, Marketplace, is still virtually empty compared to other app stores. This is a big disadvantage.
Conclusion
TheHD2 is as perfect a piece of hardware as we’ve ever seen from a mobile phone manufacturer. It has a stunning screen, great components and is technically capable of just about anything.
HTC has done its best to create a very attractive user-interface to mask the Windows Mobile system underneath, which still sometimes irritates. For those who can live with Windows Mobile, this is an amazing device. For those who cannot, this might still tempt you. For the author’s video review of this device see www.yourtech.ie
BlackBerry Storm 2
Pros: improved operating system, solid Blackberry push e-mail
Cons: screen still lacks accuracy
Price: from €120 on Vodafone bill pay (Vodafone only)
It’s been 18 months since Rim introduced its first touchscreen device, the BlackBerry Storm. Hyped to the gills, it could never have met user expectation – and it didn’t.
While its screen was bright and clear, the touchscreen technology was clumsy to use and the phone performed far too slowly to make it a reliable business device. Rim is back with an updated version. The Storm 2 (also called the 9520) tackles most of the issues that let the first one down. Arguably, it still lacks the precision and speed of some its main rivals. But here’s a summary of how its main features perform.
Push e-mail
Firstly, the core services that you get with a Blackberry are the same. So you can sync the Storm 2 to your company’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) fairly easily to get real-timework e-mail if your e-mail system is Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or other compatible systems.
Screen
Like the first iteration, the Storm’s 3.2-inch capacitative touchscreen is based on what Rim calls SurePress technology. It works by ‘clicking’ when you push down on the screen. It’s supposed to be aimed at first-time touchscreen converts (which many Blackberry users will be, because of their older profiles). This is undoubtedly better than the first version. But it still lacks precision and accuracy, in our view. On the plus side, it features some multi-touch functionality.
Speed and power
Despite not having beefed up its internal processor, this handset is appreciably faster than its predecessor. Applications are, generally, quick to launch and the accelerometer no longer takes two to three seconds to switch aspects. The phone comes with 2GB of memory to start you off, but has a memory expansion slot.
Productivity
Chief among the phone’s pre-loaded productivity software is an application – ‘Documents To Go’ – that allows you to edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. However, if you want to create new ones yourself, you need to pay for the ‘Premium Edition’ (which will cost you €30, though you’ll also get a PDF-viewer app free of charge with this).
Apps
While it has neither the range nor depth of either Apple’s App Store or Google Android’s Market, Blackberry’s AppWorld has some very decent downloadable apps. As you’d expect virtually all of these are productivity programs.
Other features
The phone’s battery life is pretty decent. You’ll get a bit more than a day’s solid use out of it. Although Blackberrys are not pitched as multimedia phone, we found the video, photo and music capabilities of this device to be among the better gadgets on the market. This is despite it having a mediocre, three-megapixel camera.
Conclusion
The Storm 2 could be the Blackberry user’s entry into a more sophisticated, media-rich smartphone. It is not as smooth a touchscreen experience as some of its rivals. But it gets the job done just fine.
