HTC Titan Windows Phone (AT&T) by HTC

Designed for your always-on lifestyle, the HTC Titan for AT&T is powered by the latest Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) operating system, which boasts hundreds of improvements including multitasking, photo and video capture, and threaded conversations that move with you from text to Facebook and back again. And you'll be able to keep yourself entertained with Xbox LIVE gaming and Zune-powered music and videos, yet stay productive on the go thanks to AT&T's 4G (HSPA+) network. And the Sense-powered HTC Hub brings you beautiful weather animations and handy tools to check stocks, take notes, enhance your photos, and more.


It delivers an incredible web and multimedia experience thanks to its extra-large, high-resolution 4.7-inch Super LCD capacitive touchscreen. And you'll be able to capture brilliant on-the-go photos and videos from its 8-megapixel camera/camcorder--which captures video in up to HD 720p resolution.


The perfect portable office, the Titan enables efficient multitasking like viewing a presentation while you're on a conference call or listening to music while composing an e-mail. With its expansive screen and built-in Microsoft Office Mobile, you can create, edit and collaborate on documents quickly and easily. Advanced e-mail features like linked inboxes make it easy to manage multiple e-mail accounts and synchronize your to-do list and calendars in one place.


With AT&T's 4G HSPA+ network, you'll enjoy mobile broadband speeds up to 4x faster than AT&T's already fast mobile broadband network. You also get the AT&T Mobile Hotspot service built right into the smartphone--enabling you to connect additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the phone's mobile broadband signal (requires appropriate data plan). This GPS-enabled phone can also access the AT&T Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions.


Powered by a single-core 1.5 GHz processor, the Titan also features a 16 GB internal memory, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, GPS for navigation and location services, a full HTML browser, and up to 4 hours of talk time.


Vital Statistics
The HTC Titan weighs 5.64 ounces and measures 5.14 x 2.78 x 0.39 inches. Its 1650 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 336 hours (14 days) of standby time. It runs on AT&T's dual-band 4G HSPA+ network (850/1900 MHz; HSPA+/HSDPA/UMTS) plus international 2100 MHz 3G networks. It's also a quad-band GSM phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz GPRS/EDGE).


What's in the Box
HTC Titan rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, quick start guide


The Power of Windows Phone 7.5
The Windows Phone 7.5 operating system has been designed to help you do more in less steps, and keep you updated on the things that are most important to you.
You can customize the Live Tiles on your Start Screen with what you care about--from people to web sites--and they'll continuously scan the web to keep you updated about your world at a glance.
Windows Phone 7.5 also brings together the things you use most on your phone in six Hubs: People, Pictures, Office, Games, Music + Video, and Marketplace. Grouping them in Hubs like this lets you get to what you need, quicker, because you don't have to jump from apps to the web to contact lists.
The latest release of Windows Phone--version 7.5, codenamed "Mango"--has hundreds of improvements and new features. Here's just a sample:


Multitasking. Now you can keep your place in a game while reading e-mail or listen to music apps while texting. Many apps can run in the background, so you don't need to shut one down to use another--plus you can switch between open apps in a flash.
Improved Live Tiles. The Live Tiles on Start dish up more (and quicker) updates on your apps, and they're also a whole lot of fun--the Pictures Tile animates with a slideshow of your favorite snapshots and Group Tiles flash your friends' latest updates.
Threads. Start with a text, and finish in Facebook or Messenger chat (or vice versa). The whole conversation stays in one thread, and all it takes to switch back and forth is a tap.
Send a text with your voice. With Speech, you can text, search the web, and lots more, totally hands- (and sometimes eyes-) free. Your phone can even read you an incoming text, and then you can use Speech to dictate and send your reply.
Local Scout. Powered by Bing, Local Scout teams up search and mapping to show you nearby restaurants, shopping, and activities in a single tap.
Driving directions. Your Windows Phone can get you where you're going by showing you on the map or giving you directions from where you are.
More social networks. Twitter and LinkedIn are now built into Windows Phone, so practically everything you do on your social networks is a tap away. Windows 7.5 also includes new ways to filter all those new contacts and their social updates.
Persistent camera settings. Now if you change camera settings--for instance, photo resolution, brightness, or another option your phone manufacturer might have included--you can save them for the next time you use the camera.
History view. Contact cards now show the history of your recent calls, e-mails, texts, and chats with the person. Just tap in the list to return the call or go to the thread.
Visual voice-mail. See your voice-mails in a list, then listen to them on your phone.
Sync with SkyDrive. You can sync your Office docs between SkyDrive and your phone, so you can edit them on your phone now, then edit some more on your computer later.


AT&T 4G Network

This phone runs on AT&T's dual-band 850/1900 MHz 4G network (UMTS/HSDPA/HSPA+), and with HSPA+ you'll experience mobile data speeds up to 4x faster than ordinary mobile broadband--up to approximately 6 Mbps (download). AT&T has deployed HSPA+ to virtually 100 percent of its mobile broadband network, which enables 4G speeds when combined with enhanced backhaul (via Ethernet or fiber).


Backhaul is one of the major pieces of a telecommunications network. Think of it as the limbs connecting AT&T's cell towers with AT&T's backbone network that provides access to the Internet.


In areas where either AT&T's 3G or 4G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways.


Note: AT&T's 4G mobile broadband coverage is not available in all areas. 4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul; availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment.


Optional AT&T Services
AT&T Navigator: This premium GPS navigation application includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable). AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. You'll be able to find the closes ATM, restaurant, gas station, Wi-Fi hotspot and more with over 10 million business listings.


DataPro 4 GB for Smartphone Tethering: Tethering lets you use your smartphone as a wireless modem or mobile hotspot, enabling you to share your mobile broadband connection to laptops, netbooks, and more. The DataPro 4 GB plan also includes unlimited access to more than 26,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots. And if you go over, you'll get an additional 1 GB automatically for only $10.


AT&T FamilyMap: Locate any phone indoors or outdoors on the AT&T Network. FamilyMap provides peace of mind by being able to conveniently locate a family member from your wireless phone or PC and know that your family's information is secure and private. Want to verify that your child arrives home from school each day? Set up a Schedule Check to automatically get location information sent to you via text message or e-mail.

Connectivity

• Ultra-fast 4G connectivity via AT&T's HSPA+ network (with enhanced backhaul).
• Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
• AT&T Mobile Hotspot capable enabling you to connect multiple devices--from tablets to gaming devices--to the phone's 3G/4G cellular connection via Wi-Fi.
• Onboard GPS for navigation and location services
• Optional AT&T Navigator service includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates, and re-routing options.
• Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP audio streaming Bluetooth profiles.

Hardware

• 1.5 GHz Qualcomm single-core processor speeds up everything--from playing games to watching shows to opening files from work.
• 4.7-inch Super LCD capacitive touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels) with 6-axis gyroscope
• MicroUSB port

Communications & Internet

• HTML 5 web browser for accessing real web sites.
• Text (SMS) and picture/video (MMS) messaging
• Access to popular instant messaging services
• Personal and work e-mail (supports Microsoft Exchange corporate e-mail)

Camera

• 8-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and dual LED flash.
• HD 720p video recording
• 1.3-megapixel front camera for video chats and self portraits.

Multimedia

• Music player compatible with MP3, WMA, and AAC
• Video player compatible with MPEG4, WMV, H.264, and H.263

Memory

• 16 GB internal memory (no expansion slot)
• 768 MB of RAM

More Features

• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Speakerphone for hands-free communication.
• Voice recorder
• Hearing Aid Compatibility: M3/T3

Nokia Lumia 800 and 710: History of Beginning The New Nokia Smartphone

Eight months ago, Nokia announced its new strategy of switching from the Symbian platform and adopt a platform Windows Phone from Microsoft. And now Nokia announced two new smartphones based on Windows Phone operating system.

Nokia Lumia 800

In terms of design, the Nokia Lumia 800 does not differ much when compared to the Nokia N9. But for specifics, there are some differences. Nokia Lumia 800 has been equipped with ClearBlack 3.7-inch AMOLED display (480x800 pixels) of the curve as well as Qualcomm's single-core processor 1.4 GHz with a graphics processor.

For multimedia, available 8-megapixel digital camera with Carl Zeiss lens and 720p HD video recording support. 16GB of internal memory is also available, which is supported with an additional 25GB of SkyDrive account to store images and music.

To access existing files on SkyDrive, you must connect to the Internet. Connectivity to the Internet is also quite good, because it has supported HSDPA 14.4 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76 Mbps and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Lumia 800 Nokia plans to sell about 420 EURO

Nokia Lumia 710

For those who like bergonta casing cover, the Nokia Lumia 710 to the right choice. For performance, it seems not much different 710 Lumia Lumia than 800 since they both use the same processor and both have 512MB RAM.

A little to distinguish, in addition to its design, is the ability of a 5-megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss lens without, and only 8GB of storage capacity. The price is quite affordable, about 270 EURO. Both smartphones based on Windows Phone 7.5 has been equipped Nokia Mango Drive, namely navigation solution with voice guidance first for a Windows Phone device.

Interestingly, this facility is provided free of charge. Both smartphones Lumia uses Micro SIM card as found in the Apple iPhone 4. Apparently the Micro SIM card will also be a new trend in 2012. So, are you prepared to switch to Windows Phone?

Comparison of Android 2.2, Windows 7 Phone, Symbian 3, IOS 4 and BlackBerry 6

Technosian.com- Comparison of Android 2.2, Windows 7 Phone, Symbian 3, 4 and BlackBerry 6 IOS listened interesting because at this smartphone is not just used for talking, but also used as a communication device for e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and chat while at home you can connect it to decide to buy a smartphone PC. Before you sure which system provides all these functions with ease.

Android 2.2: Versatile

Number of Applications: 95,154

App Store: Android Market

Smartphone: HTC Desire

Pros: relatively flexible system Android. Users can combine Apps, Folders, and other some Widgets and download one another in the Android Market interface. Info bar was handy for the user, for example, to find out the application (app) enabled. Relatively fast browser, including when opening a website with flash. Interestingly again, the user can cancel the purchase paid application and get his money back. Condition, the cancellation is done within 15 minutes after the transaction. communicating and each app can use the contacts and schedules. Sense the presence of interfaces and tools sync from HTC increasingly give a positive impression.

Weaknesses: compared with the IOS, Android is still less intuitive. Users still need time to find some opsisistem and third-party file manager. In addition to the less accurate search fungction, many also found the application "junk" that is less useful. Finally without a credit card there is only free applications. Prospective buyers also need to be careful because there are still some Android1.6 smartphones on the market and offers no official update from the manufacturer.

Symbian 3: System Regeneration

Number of Applications: 19,625

Store: Store OVI

Smartphone: Nokia N8

Pros: compared to the previous version, symbian 3 is now more finger friendly and responsive while on-the input data. Some innovative new facilities on the system presented nokia symbian  3, such as Web TV, Real multitasking, multiple homescreen, and USB OTG (USB On The Go). USB OTG provides facilities-based BGI symbian 3 smartphone users, such as the Nokia N8 to direct acces files stored on external USB hard disks, USB Flash Drive (UFD), or any other smartphone (if assigned as a storage medium).

Weaknesses: Like previous versions of Symbian, a user who daily use this smartphone will inevitably complain about the navigation menu is a little less practical and sometimes difficult to understand (the name is too abbreviated menu). In addition, the guidance when navigating the interface was minimal. Indeed this problem on the user occurs only veterans (old) symbian. Performance browser and a standard touch-screen keyboard is also one other disadvantage.

Windows 7 Phone: Newbie

Number of Applications: 292

Store: Marketplace

Smartphone: LG-E900 Optimus 7

Pros: Windows 7 Phone have a different interface than other smartphone interface. Product differentiation that Microsoft deliberately taken their smartphones are "outside" competitors. Its interface consists of two parts, namely a box called a hub and a second part to the Tools and Options. Windows Live is available through the account service mail, contacts, calendar. Users can also access its online store (Marketplace) and free safety facilities. Through the browser and the GPS, users can find the location, block and reset smartphones.

Weaknesses: Microsoft make radical changes in this new system. For example, third-party applications (third party) should not be active in the background, no folders, access multimedia files to go through the Zune, and Office data must be stored online in service of SkyDrive. It is because they are new, arbitrarily potential of mobile platforms is not optimal.

IOS 4.1: Easy of use

Application Number: 252,769

App Store: App Store

Smartphones: iPhone 4

Pros: iPhone excels because of its easy use of the system and its third-party applications that are always consistent with Apple. What is also positive is the grouping of applications in one folder for ease of management. Apple made a big improvement is to make system that supports multitasking though still limited. Through iTunes, the iPhone is now more manageable, eg for synchronize data, backup and search applications on the App Store is still the largest and most comprehensive.

Weaknesses: Although known as a user-friendly smatphone advantage thanks to its interface, the iPhone is less fleksibel in a make certain adjustments to the user. Users will encounter in replacing the standard applications and manage the data on smartphones. Users can not even arbitrarily package data in a folder. Interconnection between users iTunes is also troublesome. Apple designed the iPhone does not seem to do the exchange-swapping songs or Movie clip with fellow users with ease. The same also applies when copying multiple files iPhone to PC.

Blackberry 6: Business Smartphone

Number of Applications: 13,869

App Store: iPhone App World

Smartphone: Blackberry

Pros: Home screen presented in three parts. Two top mobile phone and present the settings on the display screen update news. On the down side screen menus can be opened. This menu contains all the applications that are divided into five categories. Each icon can be quickly used and grouped in folders. Blackberry system also supports the transfer of multimedia data easily via WLAN and PC to the smartphone. RIM's smartphone business aspect is seen in a series of security facilities in the system. Facility data encryption and smartcard for needs such as e-mails are also not left behind.

Weaknesses: The user application is less intuitive. Consequently there should be some configuration via the touch screen and the other is done through the menu button. The presence of the trackpad on the Blackberry 9800 Torch increasingly easier for users in the "manuver" in every part of the interface on the screen. Nevertheless, some menus it becomes complicated and impressive redundant. RIM must continue to refine the input mechanism between the input on the display and slider QWERTY keyboard to be more in tune.(Originated By : Chip Team/CHIP.co.id)

HTC HD7 Windows Phone (T-Mobile)

HTC HD7 Windows Phone (T-Mobile) Review

HTC HD7 Windows Phone (T-Mobile) Review

In this review I'll talk both about the HTC HD7 in general, with another section that focuses somewhat briefly on Windows Phone 7 - starting with the HD7. 


Pros: 
* Sleek design that has a nice heft to it. 
* Huge, vibrant display. 
* The HD7 is quite quick performance wise. 
* 16GB's of storage 
* The screen is extremely durable. 
* Good call quality. 
* Large screen makes the on-screen keyboard a dream to use. 


Cons: 
* Can't swap out Micro SD card without voiding the warranty. 
* The display has some viewing angle issues, and the black levels aren't great. 
* Accidental touches of the 3 main buttons (back, search and home) happen a little too often. 
* Camera and video quality are pretty pedestrian. 
* The battery cover feels ridiculously cheap, compared to the rest of the phones construction. 
* Annoying `GSM buzzing' noise when using headphones. 


Question:
* Touch sensitive buttons are love-or-hate? 
* The kickstand on the back of the phone - why? 

Design and Aesthetics 
The HD7 has a very sleek look to it, there is nothing exceptionally exciting about the look of it but it is certainly quite good looking in general. The phone is big, very big but pretty reasonably thin and also pocket able. Dark chrome sides wrap around the entire side of the phone, with the bezel just around the screen being an un-obstructive black. The back of the phone is a gun metal grey with a few brushed metal accents that look very nice - with the entire back being smooth to the touch. A few more details about the front of the phone that stand out are the touch sensitive buttons, and the two gaps at the top and bottom of the phone that have a mesh grille over them - they sure look like speakers, but alas they are not. Just for looks. Speaking of just for looks, what is with the kickstand? It works fine, but while the display on the HD7 is quite large, it's not large enough to sit on a table with the kickstand up and watch as if it's a television. I just don't understand the need for it. 


The buttons in general are love-hate with me. On the love side, we have the camera, power and volume rocker buttons that work perfectly fine and are designed in such a way as to not stand out in an odd way from the rest of the phone. On the hate (well, maybe more like `annoying') side are the three main touch sensitive buttons. They are just too easy to accidently brush against with some part of your hand - there have been more times than I can count that I was exited out of something I was doing because of it. But on the plus side the phone gives off a quick rumble as feedback when you do push one of the touch sensitive buttons. 


Also of note are the Micro USB and standard 3.5 mm headphone jack on the bottom of the phone. I'm sure the USB connection being on the bottom will come in handy for whatever dock will inevitably be released. 
Also, no stereo speakers to be found here - there is one speaker on the back of the phone. It's simply passable, it sounds fine and doesn't distort but it's also not exceptionally loud (or quiet.) It's just kind of `there.' You're never going to hear it and think to yourself `man, this sounds great' or vice versa. 


Display 
And then we have the display. As I'm sure many of you know, it's freaking huge - and quite honestly I think 4.3" displays are about as big as you can put on a phone without it just being ridiculous. The display in optimal conditions looks downright beautiful - it's vibrant, colors and text look extremely nice and bright on it -- but being a WVGA screen it has associated black level and screen angle problems. Colors get washed out and text gets slightly harder to read when the phone is held at an angle, and also any completely black screen that is displayed never actually looks black. 
If you've used a phone or media player with an OLED screen, then these problems will immediately stand out to you, if not, then you probably won't notice. 
The touch screen is also very responsive, never had a problem with it not registering swipes or touches, but as in keeping with mobile phone tradition - the screen will look pretty greasy after a little use (get your shirt sleeve ready.) 


Bits and pieces 
The sound quality when using headphones (for the record, I use Sennheiser HD555's and Klipsh Image S2's) is surprisingly good. The HD7 replaces my Zune HD for playing media and while I was expecting a slight step down, it really wasn't. It's not quite as loud as the Zune HD, but it compares really well with it. And if you're worried that you won't get any of the EQ presets (yes, presets - there is no custom EQ) HTC has you covered. HTC makes a free app which lets you tinker around with EQ presets to your heart's content along with some surround sound options which are...well, I'm sure someone will like them - I didn't. I find EQ presets to be complete garbage on any portable media but again, I've seen some people raving about the HTC EQ app so there are people out there who like it - so file this one under `to each their own.' : ) 


Also, ever hear that annoying buzzing noise when you have your phone on and near speakers? Yeah, you're going to hear that quite a bit with headphones on. Faint, but it is there. 
And about the speed: the phone is quite snappy, you can fly in and out of different menus at will with no slowdown. The only slowdown I ever encountered was with third party apps, one in particular was almost un-useable because its slow speed. I'll chalk that up to no fault of HTC. 


Windows Phone 7 
Windows Phone 7 is really something special, especially when you remember this is the first run of this new OS. A lot of things are amazingly well thought out, but like many things it's not perfect. 
Also for full disclosure, aside from Xbox Live, I'll be skipping my thoughts on most of the social service integration (such as facebook), as I do not use them. 


The UI 
WP7's UI is beautiful in a minimalistic sort of way. It gets out of your way, and lets you get where you need to go with no real hassle - while also showing a huge amount of info via the live tiles on the home screen. The calendar tile shows upcoming events (as well as on the lock screen), the email and messaging tiles have information on unread messages - etc. Third party apps can also be coded to take advantage of this, although up to this point most do not. As of this writing less than 10 apps do, which is a shame. 
Just about anything can be pinned to the home screen -- apps, specific albums, specific files from Microsoft Office - etc. Very handy if you need to get to that OneNote file really quick. You can even pin a location from Bing Maps on it. 


On-screen Keyboard 
I wanted to give WP7's keyboard its own little space in this review, to simply point out how nice it is. With the HD7 especially it's simply a dream to use. The large screen of the HD7 makes the keyboard, especially in landscape mode so easy and natural to use with two hands. And the little well thought out details on the keyboard make it a really enjoyable experience. Double tapping space for a period, the way you can quickly jump back and forth between different sets of punctuation marks and numbers - it's just great overall. 


Zune 
Another smart decision was to use Zune (Microsoft's line of portable media players, and the associated Zune PC software) as Windows Phone 7's music and video suite. It honestly is like having a Zune HD inside your phone - as a heavy user of the Zune HD for over a year I can tell you right now you compromise nothing when switching over to using the HD7 as your primary music player. In a lot of ways it's better, the most important way is you now have a constant data connection with your phone to browse, stream and download music from the Zune marketplace whenever you like - not just when you're using a Wi-Fi connection. 
There are a few things you'll leave behind when switching from the Zune HD to WP7. One is the Smart DJ (takes a song or artist and finds similar music) feature is not in WP7, nor is the `social' where you could see what your friends have been listening to from your device. 


Xbox Live 
This surprised me with how well it works. First off, not every WP7 game gets the Xbox Live treatment. Only the games on the Zune marketplace with a big, bold `Xbox Live' banner get that. They have achievements and leaderboards which is all pretty well done. 
But the revelation here is the way you can check your Xbox Live friends list and see what they're up to, look at every game you've played at see what achievements you've earned and what you're missing, check messages, edit your profile and edit your avatar. It's really great. 


Internet Explorer 
I've been using IE quite a bit on this phone. I was worried, because the browser included within the Zune HD is really quite honestly middling at best. However, Microsoft really seems to have taken the complaints of the Zune HD's browser, fixed (most) of them and packed in WP7 with great results. Still no flash support, but you probably already knew that. 
Standing out to me the most is the sheer speed of the browser. It's quick to render pages and super snappy when pinching to zoom or swiping to scroll around pages. Also you get (a finite number of) tabs to work with, and a perfectly acceptable bookmark system. 
Though one thing that bothers me is when in landscape mode within the browser, I can't seem to find a way to bring up the address bar and have to reorient the phone in my hand back to portrait mode. It's extremely annoying, and I hope that I'm just missing something here and there is a way to do it. 


(WP7)Bits and pieces 
Windows Phone 7 being the first run of a brand new mobile OS, it's got some issues. The most glaring to me personally, is that you can't use a custom file for a ringtone or any other alert. It's not a deal breaker, but it's...odd. Also missing is a copy and paste feature, which is slated to be included in a software update sometime in early 2011, which will make plenty of people very happy. 
Also I've noticed a few awkward bugs with the software, such as Internet Explorer crashing, exiting you back to the home screen and simply refusing to open again until you reboot the phone. 


Conclusion 
The HD7 is a great phone, and I'd definitely recommend it for someone looking to get a large displayed phone on T-Mobile, and WP7 only sweetens the deal. 
The few quirks with the phone such as display angles and such really only become a big deal to anyone who has used something significantly better, and even then it's still fine. WP7 is something really special, and I also don't hesitate to recommend giving it a whirl with the HD7 or otherwise - any odd mis-step with the OS will likely (or has been confirmed to) to fixed right up with upcoming updates, such as copy and paste or custom ringtones and alerts (I mean, they have to add that at some point, right? Right?) 
I give the HTC HD7 a "great, but not perfect" 4 stars.  

LG Quantum Windows Phone (AT&T)

LG Quantum Windows Phone (AT&T)

LG Quantum Windows Phone (AT&T)

Windows Phone 7 came along with just enough fanfare to catch people's attention. Even with the ill-fated Kin on their recent record, Microsoft managed to raise some excitement and anticipation for their latest foray into handheld computing. And this time, it met and exceeded all expectations. 


There were several smart things Microsoft did with Windows Phone. One, they moved as far away from Windows Mobile 6.5 as possible. Windows Phone is a new breed, and has none of the ponderous weight of that operating system. Next, they satisfied their small but loyal handheld fanbase by, essentially, creating the Zune Phone we asked for. Also, they managed to cleverly elude all of the (ignorant) ridicule the Zune brand of electronics has endured by not labeling the device as such. But, as those who've played with the amazingly simple and sexy interface of the Zune HD recognize, this phone's workings are essentially the same, albeit matured and expanded upon. Then, Microsoft successfully implemented what is arguably their best project aside from the computer OS, Xbox Live. Another sure way to gain followers, putting some of the Xbox 360 experience in our pockets, at last! 

The other elements of Windows Phone are equally impressive. A mobile version of Office comes with the phone. Whatever your preferred email provider is, it'll interface fully with the phone (I use Gmail). Responsiveness and reliability are a joy. Every aspect of the phone shows careful attention to detail, a great sense of artistry, and a mature understanding of what a mobile device should be. 


I went into an AT&T store to check out the available hardware. I was a bit disappointed that Microsoft opted to contract out their hardware instead of going the proprietary route, a la Apple, simply because the Zune HD hardware is so good. But these phones are still impressive. I chose the LG model for its materials and finish, which I found to be the best of the three. The Samsung, while attractive, was simply not on par with the solid, quality finish of the LG, and the HTC's slide-out speaker seemed a little too gimmicky for me. The Quantum's keyboard wasn't strictly a requirement, since the onscreen keyboard is quite good. But it is a bit easier for my fingers, and is very high quality and solid feeling. The 16GB capacity also made it easy to bring all my media from a Zune to the phone, which is now my main device. The LG phone also offers a Play To feature, which is essentially a Windows Media Center extension, allows you to stream media to your Xbox 360 via a wireless home network. Microsoft has included a free game, Ilomilo, which has undeniable charm, and is strongly reminiscent of the excellent original artwork that Zune Originals offers for their custom players. It's a joy to behold. 

I can't recommend this phone highly enough. Finally, an alternative to the iCulture not only exists, but harnesses the power of some of the biggest and best established media and productivity entities around. not only that, but the whole experience is pure art, and some of the best work Microsoft has ever produced. The only thing better than this? The sound of an achievement unlocking right there in the palm of your hand :)