Overall, the reviewers have liked it and from what I have seen of it, I like it too. But whether that liking will germinate into a purchase is completely up to the individual and I can’t really advise for or against it. To me it is a mixed bag and you have to take your pick.

Here are reasons for choosing it.

That Display

You gotta admit it, that 854×440 display looks really great compared to the iPhone’s puny 480×320 display. And the screen looks positively gorgeous. If I wanted a great smartphone to watch movies on, I would definitely choose this.

Google’s Got Your Back

When you have a company like Google making applications for you, you know you will have things to like. Google’s minimalist approach, tight online integration and great web presence makes it the perfect giant to have backing you up in your connected life.

One of the main features of new Android OS is the Navigation feature on Google Maps. People liked it so much that everyone predicted it being the future and the death of all standalone devices and expensive apps. Best of all, the service is free and integrated with Google Maps. It does have some hiccups but I am sure they will be cleaned out soon enough.

iPhone’s lack of an integrated Instant Messenger app really lets it down and the presence of the very same thing lifts up the Droid. From what I read about the user experience on the Droid regarding this and other Google apps, you folks are going to love ‘em to death.

And if there’s one thing that we all love about Google, it is Gmail. It is what I use for my personal account and it is also what I use on my own domain through Google Apps. Gmail on the Android 2.0 is like a perfect little version of the actual Gmail, complete with full labels and threaded emails. If you like Gmail, you will like it on Droid.

Also, the Wave is coming and the Android might have something special for the Surfers.

NOT AT&T

Not having to put up with AT&T’s finicky (and frustrating) network and working on the best network in the country will really help you love the Droid. Imagine a (almost) headache free network experience… makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

It’s Android!

Some people will choose it simply because it is the first Android 2.0 phone and has the best Android experience so far. Some will also choose Android because of Android’s (mostly) open source philosophy. But that is not a very practical reason. The multi-tasking however, is a very practical reason and Droid does it quite well thanks to Snapdragon and Android.

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And now for the other side of the debate.

Multimedia Meh

If you want agreat multimedia experience, stay on the iPhone. It’s not like the Android cannot play media but the experience is just not the same. It’s like the latest Linux and the Mac OS. One does it and the other does it well.

iTunes Baby!

I refuse to believe anyone who claims that they have it better without the world’s largest mobile app and digital music store. Not to mention movies and the other things that are rumored to be coming. If you have used it, you will miss it on Android and there are no comparable replacements for this. Nothing compares to iTunes.

Show Me 10,000 Apps And I Will Show You 100,000

The Android Marketplace over 10,000 apps and there are quite a few apps there which the iTunes Store does not have. But the iTunes has ten times as many apps at over 100,000. Do you still need me to spell it out for you?

Also, since the Droid runs a standard Android install, it does not do much out of the box You will have to download various apps for doing things like viewing PDFs and different mail attachments, etc. Sure the apps are free but you have to find them and install them. With the iPhone, you can hit the ground running.

Other customized Android phones come with these apps pre-installed though.

Security

You cannot lock the screen with a pass code. There is also no support for a remote wipe. You can get that through another app but nothing as integrated as the Find My iPhone Feature. Plus, you can install apps from sources outside the Marketplace.

That’s a good thing right? Yes but you will also be vulnerable to malicious apps that can cause some serious damage. You will receive a warning if you try to install from outside the Marketplace but it can be done.

Tough Keyboard, No Multitouch

One of the few complaints with the physical parts of the phone is the keyboard. Reviewers and users have been reporting having a tough time with the keyboard. As for the virtual keyboard, it is all good except for the fact that there’s no multitouch. Multitouch has been intentionally disabled on the Droid as per agreements between Motorola, Google and Verizon.

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So there you have it, the most popular pros and cons laid out for you. Choose for yourself and choose wisely.

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If you want to know more about the iPhone, head over to this week’s Saturday Apple Pie at Otaku Gadgets.

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This time around, the iPhone gets awarded the ‘Worst Phone Ever Award’, gets a new 3GS rumor, gets completely unlocked and a lot of other things. Not to mention some great new apps, which is business as usual for the App Store.

If you want more Apple news, tune into the weekly Apple round up on Otaku Gadgets tomorrow.

News:

iPhone Devs Farm Phone Numbers

Seems like iPhone Devs have been farming app users’ telephone numbers again. This time it is Storm 8. Storm 8 makes games, the ones that you see above. And all of them have been accused of carrying a special code that collects the user’s phone number without permission. This has been revealed in a lawsuit and Storm 8 has (sort of) acknowledged that the apps do this. [read]

$99 8GB iPhone 3GS For Christmas [?]

Boy Genius Report claims that they have insider news about a new iPhone offer that will hit AT&T before Christmas. They claim that the iPhone 3GS 8GB model will start selling for $99 only. Before you get into a tizzy, remember that there is no proof of this right now. Not even a suspicious looking flyer. [read]

RFID On The iPhone [?]

So there is this rumor that says Apple is testing out next-generation iPhones that have an RFID chip. What Apple intends to do with it is unknown at this point though. They might enable using the iPhone as a credit card. It might become the new way to shop at (Apple) stores. It might also enhance the Find My iPhone feature. Whatever it does, it will probably be an industry-first. Do we know another RFID-enabled consumer phone? [read]

iPhone China Sales Disappoint

The iPhone Sales In China have disappointing, really so. The first week after the launch saw only 5000 phones sold. The high price and the other factors are being blamed for this. [read]

Quirky’s Beamer Flashes The iPhone

Quirky is a company that has been coming up with really interesting accessories for the iPhone. They now have a new case on sale that adds a much-wanted feature on the iPhone – a flash. Not Flash as in Adobe, but an LED flash that can be switched for a 10-second period (single button press) or can be kept on as a flashlight (double button press). The case itself comes in two parts and hardly adds bulk to the device. Handy for shooting in low light. [read]

Aussies Love The iPhone

A survey by Millward Brown suggests that the iPhone is perceived as the biggest phone brand in Australia. [read]

CNET UK Hates iPhone

CNET UK has all of a sudden award the Worst Phone Ever editorial award to the iPhone. According to the editor, the iPhone is a great computing great device but it fails at being a great phone. [read]

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Apps:

App Store Has More Than 100,000 Apps Now [Official]

Apple has confirmed officially that the App Store has reached over 100,000 apps. Woot! So now you have that many more reasons to love/hate the iPhone. If you just hate having that much competition as a dev or having to trawl through all that as a user, you know you are not alone. [read]

Louvre App Coincided With Louvre Apple Store

The new Apple Store at the Louvre Carousel, the first French Apple Store ever, will open on the 7^th of this month. Coinciding with this is the introduction of the Muée Du Louvre’s very own iPhone app. Through it, visitors can soak in the beauty of the artwork and take a virtual tour through the museum. Best of all, it’s free! [read]

App To Cure Fear Of Flying

Are you afraid of flying? Don’t worry, there are a lot of other people out there who suffer from the same fear. Thankfully, now there are people who help others overcome their fear of flying. Virgin Atlantic has been helping those who are too afraid to fly through various seminars called Flying Without Fear. Now they have an app that will help do the same for iPhone users. It provides helpful tips and is modeled on the successful strategies that are used at the seminars. [read]

iPhone App Acts Like TiVo for Radio

We already have a lot of radio apps for the iPhone but this one does something new. Called the Public Radio, it allows iPhone users to record their favorite NPR programs and then listen to them in their own time. [read]

Stacks For The iPhone, Springload Your Apps

For those who have an unlocked iPhone, here’s a way to better utilize the four app slots on the iPhone’s home screen. Much like Stacks in the OS X Dock, the Stacks app for iPhone allows you to pin multiple apps one slot. This can be done for any or all slots. The is currently in alpha. [read]

Unlock iPhone OS 3.1.2 With Blacksn0w

I know a lot of you have been waiting for this and it is finally here. Available on Cydia, the Blacksn0w app lets you unlock the new iPhone OS 3.1.2 and the new baseband. [read]

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Right after Sony Ericsson made the XPERIA X10 (AKA Rachael/X3) official, the rumor mill threw out another leak at us. This time it is as model called the Kurara. Kurara seems to be the basic version of the flagship model Satio. For those who don’t know, Satio is a new phone from Sony Ericsson that centers around a 12.1megapixel camera and a 3.5inch screen 16:9 aspect ratio. Over all, it is pitched as a multimedia phone that has a great camera and a great screen that allows you to immerse yourself in the experience.

So the Kurara offers an experience that is more like a toned down version of what you get on the Satio. The rumors peg the camera on this phone at 8.l megapixel and screen is said to be 3.5inch. The other interesting part about this phone is the fact that the screen is apparently AMOLED. The OS is Symbian S60 5^thGeneration, again as per the rumors.

The camera is apparently capable of recording HD video. I agree with SlashGear’s Chris Davies here – it probably means that it does 720p video. From the side, you can see the phone has an oblong shape, plus there are dedicated buttons that make it look like a point and shoot instead of a phone. The teardrop profile also makes it look pretty sleek and stylish. That is one thing that Sony has always tried to keep up through almost all its phone – good looks.

The big question is what the UI would be like. Sony Ericsson has already declared that they are making a whole new line around the X10. They have also said that the new UI and UX (User Experience) is going to be cross-platform, so that means it is coming to their Symbian phones as well.

So, to make two plus two, this phone might have the new UI built into it. Won’t that be fun – to have a nice amd basic camera phone with the new fangled UI. In any case, the Kurara does seem like it will be ready for a show ‘n tell at the WMC (World Mobile Congress) 2010.

Sony Ericsson has declared that the Satio will not receive any updates and hence will remain excluded from this new UI endowment. One more bad news is that it looks like the Kurara will not have an USB port. That means yet another phone with the proprietary port. It is called a Universal Serial Bus for a reason you know.

After the initial leak, the phone got a new set of photos where its size was put into perspective by propping it up against a beverage can. The close up of the device further confirms the HD imprint on the back of the device.

Whether these leaks are hurting SE’s development cycle can only be speculated about. It did look like the company was hurried into announcing the X10. Since they are going to bring it out way after the holiday season, there was no reason to make it official so soon. They could’ve taken their time and sprung a more finished product on us.

But our expectations tend to get pretty wild with such continuous leaks and that can hurt the product instead of help it. So companies are always forced to taken some kind of measures to curb the unreasonable expectations. Apple seems to have done that by intentionally hinting at things about the tablet without really leaking anything. So SE perhaps thought it best to let everyone know what they were doing, set an ETA and then get back to working on it. All in all, this year’s WMC is shaping up to be a promising one device-wise.

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So here we have some of the more high profile Snapdragon phones that are coming our way.

HTC HD2

After that big a whispering campaign courtesy of the leaks and the high anticipation during the launch, there is no way you can forget this mobile phone. Arguably the first device to bring the processor to the limelight, this is the phone that in a way started it all.

If you are not too impressed by the 4.3inch screen, then you might be impressed by the custom UI made by HTC. The UI has been demoed on video and it looks really great and responsive. The acceleration, the transitions and the rendering – all look smooth and fast. That is definitely where the Snapdragon shines its brightest.

But the phone might fail to generate the traction and sales that it deserves simply because of its platform. It is a Windows Mobile device and it runs Windows Mobile 6.5 underneath that great UI. What that means is a (ridiculously) low number of apps and low third party interest, which again translates to a not-so-good user experience when compared to the fast-moving Android or the trend-setting iPhone OS.

HTC Dragon/ Passion [?]

This was rumored to be the Android version of the HD2 but now it has been (almost) ID’d as the new HTC Passion. This would be more like a CDMA version of the HTC Dragon, which is a GSM phone. It has also been revealed that the HTC Passion is heading for Verizon and we could be seeing it in the flesh metal by the end of this year. Well, if they want to sell something this year they have to bring it out before Christmas.

But if this phone does materialize, this would be another Android phone that will be jostling for space at the top rung of things. Now that we have the Droid and the X10, this would likely become the third super-specc’d Android phone. [read]

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10

If you still do not know about the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, you are clearly not coming out from underneath your rock often enough. The XEPRIA X10 was leaked and discussed frenetically before it was finally unveiled on November 3^rd.

It features a custom UI on top of Android and it is know as the ‘Open OS’. The features to be highlighted are the Timescape and Mediascape features, that give you smarter ways to stay connected with your contacts, communications and media. If you want a hands-on review of a pre-production unit, you can check out this post. Over all, Sony Ericsson has something that is pretty sleek and stylish. If they can deliver on their promises (Timescape and Mediascape), this might become THE Android phone to get. Hopefully it will be up to Android 2.0 when they finally get around to selling this phone in the first half of next year.

Acer Liquid A1

Acer’s Liquid A1 is the company’s venture into Android smartphone field and it has so far received a lukewarm response at best. After announcing the Snapdragon processor and the Android OS base, it became the first phone to bring those two together.

However, as we have seen and heard from the folks who got their hands on the device  – Acer is clearly lacking on the UI development. Plus, the physical design of the phone leaves much space for improvement. Acer’s inexperience in the smartphone category shows through too clearly for this to be a compelling device. Sorry Acer but it looks like you need to step up your game here. [read]

Unnamed Nokia Smartphone For AT&T

Nokia is rumored to be making a new smartphone for AT&T that will be powered by Snapdragon. It is not the N900 and it is something that will be up against the likes of the Droid, the HD2 and the X10. This is a little sliver of a rumor, so more details are currently unavailable. [read]

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New iPhone Safari Bug Could Drive Your Bills Through The Roof

It has been a while since we have seen a major bug in Safari on the iPhone that users could themselves trip. So imagine our intrigue when we came across this bug. Apparently, if the user visits a site that uses Motion-JPEG (a format used mainly by security cameras) and then closes Safari – Safari continues to run in the background and continues to feed that stream into your iPhone.

The user is not notified of this in anyway and at the end of the day, you could end up with huge data bills or over usage charges. [read]

More Macs Online After The Windows 7 Launch

This might seem a bit hard to digest but it seems like the truth. We now have more Macs online  after Windows 7 has been released. In fact, Windows’ share of the Internet is on the decline. This could get interesting. [read]

Snow Leopard Update To Block Atom

Looks the latest build kernels of Mac OS 10.6.2 lacks support for Intel’s Atom. While the intention on Apple’s part is not entirely clear but we may be looking at yet another cat and mouse game here after the current Palm Pre sync thing.

If this build goes live, then netbook hackintosh makers will face a pretty challenging situation where there is no built in support for Atom. Since removing the support does not really contribute to the further streamlining of the Mac OS, blocking hackintosh makers seems like the logical intention here.

It would make sense too, with Apple trying to convert as many people has possible from the PC side of things. However, they won’t be able to keep at it for that long because you can bet that hackers on the case already and it won’t take them long.

Endless Racing Game For iPhone

I have not tried out the endless racing game but the video sure looks fun. If you are up for a simple racing that reminds of the old days, this one might be just the thing you are looking for. [read]

SquareSpace App Goes Live On The App Store

The popular hosted web-service called SquareSpace finally has its own iPhone. If you have an account over at SquareSpace, you will be able to access it securely over the app. The app does not take you through the website. It is a self-contained thing that is directly hooked up with the SquareSpace service and it lets you see everything about your website. You can see the stats, post on your blog, edit your blog, etc. [read]

Wadia’s High-End Dock For The iPod

Wadia has a high-end in audio and video solution for the the iPod, sort of. They have an iPod dock called the 170iTransport. Once you plug in your iPod, the device will act as a media server. It can stream your iPod digital output over an S/PDIF co-axial cable and it also has component video for all your movies. Going for $380, this might be a nice addition to your home theatre rig. Of  course, the quality will be as good as the original files, which will likely be compressed. [read]

Orange To Offer The iPhone In the UK From Nov 10, Bans Media Streaming Apps

Orange has declared that they will start selling the iPhone from November 10. But there is a problem here. [read]

It seems that Orange’s terms and conditions dictate that you cannot use your iPhone for other activities. These activities include making using the phone as a modem, using non-Orange Internet-based streaming services, VoIP and more. That means you will not be able to use apps like Spotify, YouTube, AudioBoo, etc. – all of which use Internet-based media streaming to deliver content on demand.

But Orange has clarified on BBC that iPhone users will be allowed to use these apps as long as they are within their monthly usage limits. I really hope they stick to that, because you will be signing the contract. [read]

iPhone OS 3.1.2 Unlock Coming On Nov 4^th, Unlock iPhone 3GS and More

It has been cracked folks!

Come November 4^th, i.e. tomorrow, you will be able to unlock your iPhone 3GS and other devices that are running iPhone OS 3.1.2. The hacker who made cracks of the previous iPhone OS versions has done it again. The crack is coming as blacksn0w  from Geohot. [read]

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Yes people, say hello to Sony Ericsson’s first ever Android phone – the XPERIA X10. Not named X3 after all and thankfully not Rachael, the X10 is exactly what we have all been hoping for. And since this is Sony, you can expect stellar aesthetics and build quality.

Update: Found a hands on video. Embedded below.

Update 2: UK Unlocked price – £460 on pre order. [read]

When I refreshed the page today, I knew the X10 was here because it started redirecting me to a complicated URL that looked like a product page. Sure enough, I saw the X10’s name pop up on the title bar moments before the page became visible. The photos that we have been showing you so far have been absolutely accurate, down to the last details. It looks like Sony has been sitting on the finalized version for quite some time now.

So what is it like in person? I wouldn’t know because I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet but on the surface of it, the thing’s a stunner. The screen is 480×854 pixels (WVGA) but for some reason, it displays only only16,536 colors.

As for the form factor, the thing is pretty thin – only half an inch. The dimensions are 4.7”x2.5”x0.5”. So you can imagine how large the phone is. It is almost like an MID in your pocket. A rather slim one at that. The actual screen size has not been provided individually but according to my calculations it should be around 4.0″-4.1”. The online stores are listing this as a 4″ screen. Now that is a large screen!

Features include a capacitive touchscreen, the impressive Mediascape media browser that reminds us of the Zune HD’s UI and face recognition in photos integrated with your contacts. It has an 8.1-megapixel camera with auto focus, face recognition, flash, smile-detection and video recording with video light. Most of the Sony Ericsson phones that I have seen and reviewed have had above average image quality when came to the camera. So I would bet on this one being a pretty good camera as well.

As we had been informed by the rumor mill, the infinity symbol is part of the X10’s UI. It signifies the Timescape feature. Timescape is a feature that consolidates your conversations and communications with a person. Be it on Facebook, text, phone or email, you can view them all in one place per person using Timescape. I personally like this feature because it sounds like something we all need. I hope it has threaded SMS conversations. Given the myriad communication platforms we use today, features like this one are fast becoming necessities. Although, I am not sure of how well Timescape works. If you have tried it out, let me know in the comments section below.

For those of you who were hoping for a physical QWERTY keypad – sorry to disappoint you. As I had mentioned in my X10 round up some time back, there is no way this thing is hiding a QWERTY keypad in that slim a profile. And the images would’ve shown it off anyway, given the amount of excitement that surrounded this phone.

As for the overall performance of the phone, I will be betting on the side of great rather than just good. That is my confidence in Android, which this phone is running beneath all that custom UI.

The Internal memory is 1GB minus whatever the software is taking up (not announced yet). You can put in a MicroSD card, which come in a maximum of 16GB right now. They include a 8GB card when you purchase it.

Networks supported are – GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900,            UMTS/HSPA 900/1700/2100. It has aGPS, Bluetooth A2DP, Google Maps and WiFi. No word on the processor, although we are pretty sure that it is the Qualcomm Snapdragon. The clock speed is unknown at this point though.

As for price, I could find only one website through Google. It has the X10 listed at $799. Check out the search right here. the official product page is here.

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Just about a day ahead of the big launch, a video showing off the XPERIA’s media capabilities was leaked. Seems like it will pose a definite threat to the iPhone. It looks a lot like the Zune HD’s UI and no one thnks it is a coincidence. Still, even that is a good thing because the Zune HD is another device that dare threatens Apple’s supremacy. Over all, I am tempted, very.

Do check out the XPERIA X3/Rachael rumor round up while you wait for SE to release the thing already.

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It is Halloween people and here at gHacks we are all feeling the chill in the air as the sprits walk the earth. So in keepng with that feeling, let’s revisit those memories that have left us scarred for life. Those hair raising tales of gore that still give us nightmares. Yes, I am talking about those times when the iPhone failed. And failed so very spectacularly that it made headlines.

But our nightmares are nothing compared to the debilitating fear that gripped the hearts of the Apple PR folks who handled those deadly times. A prayer for those poor souls before we start recounting the tales of horror.

Siss, Boom, Bah!

No, we are not cheering the thing in any way. The tales are quite tragic really. Poor things never knew what hit them. I am talking about those poor iPhones that have been exploding all over the world.

There’s ones about a French guy who had his handset explode on him while he was texting his girlfriend. Man, that must’ve been one hot text message! But it wasn’t all that funny for him because a glass shard hit him in the eye and he had to remove it with a tweezer.

Mamma mia! That must’ve been painful. Before this incident, a similar thing had happened to a French teenager whose girlfriend’s iPhone exploded in his hand.

You know, this whole thing about girlfriends and exploding iPhones needs to be hacked at from another angle. May be the Language of Love  is too hot for the iPhone to handle. [read]

Cracking it up

When it’s not exploding outright, it is cracking itself. May be it was that stale joke that repeated for the hundredth time over supper or may be it was your relentless bathroom singing. Whatever it was, it definitely left a spectacular impression on your iPhone.

The screen completely cracked up, looking like some sort of carefully made art installation. This is nothing new to iPhone users all over the world. In fact, some have reportedly made comments about the iPhone not being “all that it is cracked up to be”.

But we know that some clowns have actually dropped their iPhones to achieve the effect. Do you know that some people have to dunk their phones in beer to get a new iPhone?

Wake me not

Usually, waking up is not the high point of my day. Being dragged out from under the sheets is a feeling I am all too familiar to. But it looks like I am in good company. The iPhone recently refused to be woken up from sleep, no matter how much you coaxed it with connectivity or a charging point. Sometimes, the technology we build starts to mimic us and we obviously don’t like that. Man, I would hate to have a PC that throws tantrums, refuses to work unless kicked or coaxed and generally gives me a lot of attitude about everything. Oh wait, I already own a  Windows machine. Nevermind.

Call Me Not

The iPhone understands that you don’t always want to be on the phone. Receiving calls is not something you always want to do. Hence, it helps you along by suddenly losing all connectivity to the network. Too bad if you were in the middle of something, you have to stop doing that now. It is bad for you. Trust in the iPhone, it knows best.

But then they fixed that too. Apparently people were beginning to shout things like “you are not my dad!” to their phones. Apple could not risk the sanity of their customers I guess. [read]

You steal, I track, I get to scary neighborhood to get iPhone Back

(Hey, that rhymes!)

Deep in an apartment block, a stolen iPhone calls out for help. Somewhere not too far away, a frantic owner is helped by a cloud intelligence that knows where the iPhone is. The cloud has no physical presence  to fetch the thing by itself. So they must work together in order to save the iPhone. As the thief begins to move, the drama unfolds to its daramatic conclusion. [read]

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That’s it for this week. Hope you have a great Halloween. Just remember, if you see an unclaimed iPhone – don’t look at it, don’t touch it and don’t take it. You are being watched (especially if you are in London).

Do check out my weekly Apple round up at Otaku Gadgets for everything Apple.

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In other news, did you know that the iPhone is closing in on Blackberry’s market share? Read all about it and more (Droid, HTC, Google) in Otaku Gadget’s phone news round-up for this week.

Comixology are the people who made the brilliant free comic reader on the iPhone. Now they have gone ahead and added 71 Marvel Comics titles to the in-app purchase catalogue. The titles include names such as The Astonishing X-Men, Captain America, X-Men Age Of Apocalypse and X-23. The comics are priced at $2 each. One bad news – it is US only.

The title are also available on iVerse and Panelfly. iVerse users get the same deal and Panelfly users actually get them for $0.99 each [read]

Do you like time-lapse videos? You know, the ones where a very long event is shot in video and then compressed into a short footage? Like the growing of a sapling or the setting up of a stage? (that rhymes!) Now you can easily make videos like that with your iPhone, thanks to an app called the Timelapser. Clearly, the developers have spent all their efforts on making the app, not naming it (or making an good UI for it). And for one buck, you have no excuse for trying it out. [read]

Do you meet Spanish-speaking people frequently but can’t speak the language to save your life? Worry not, the Jibbigo iPhone app has you covered. It is a nifty little app that converts your speech (English) to Spanish right as you speak. The converted text is then turned to speech and played over the microphone. It also works in reverse, saving you from uni-directional conversation. And the best part is that the entire thing is done offline, so you don’t have to worry about it not working in places where you can’t get a signal to go online. At $25, it is much cheaper than hiring your own translator to roam around with you wherever you go. Besides, some conversations should always stay private ;) . [read]

Sometimes, we all feel like blowing off a bit of steam, using heavy artillery and generally blowing things up with a heavy machine gun. Of course, we can’t always do what we want. So what do we do when we feel like a tightly packed box of gun powder just waiting for a spark? We get a new iPhone App called Firepower and blow the head off the annoying co-worker end every other annoying thing. I mean virtually of course. You can’t expect to get the real thing for $1, that too on your iPhone. You can also point it at you PC when the thing goes BSoD on you! [read]

This is about Settlers of Catan. Do I see you jumping up and down going yes yes  yes yes yes? Well then, you would be happy to know that this popular board game is now available as an iPhone app. The the premise of the game is that you and (up to) three other players are on a tropical island and you have to beat the others by gathering 10 victory points. You get points for capturing settlements, building roads, etc.

You can play against other humans or against the AI. There is no multiplayer mode on this and so you have to physically pass the phone around in order to play the game with your friends. For $5, this is a nice game to help you spend those snowed-in days with your friends and family. [read]

Want to watch live NBA games on the go? Now you can do that for $40/year on your iPhone and other mobile devices. The NBA is offering full live games on mobile devices, up from only the highlights that it used to do. For the fee, you get to watch up to 40 live games per week (wow) and also access to up to two days of archived game. You can even pause and rewind up to 30 seconds during a live feed. Currently available on AT&T and T-mobile USA. Way to get more dedicated viewers NBA! [read]

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Before I sign off, I have to show you people this. It is the next big update on the iPhone. It is so good, it is actually delicious. In fact, I am wishing I could get one custom-made for myself right now!

Also, how could I not post this video in this iPhone post! It pokes fun at the iDon’t Verizon Motorola Droid ad campaign.

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So you know, the fact that we are almost completely skipping the X2 in our minds is probably a really good thing. We get to ignore the flashy, not-so-useful phone and get to something that will be as powerful as the HD2 (Snapdragon FTW) and will be running a mobile OS that is leagues ahead of the Windows Mobile OS that is found on the XPERIA X2.

Yes, I am talking about the XPERIA X3/Rachael/X10 – basically the next full touchscreen phone in the XPERIA line by Sony Ericsson. It is rumored to be powered by the industry’s current favorite powerhouse – the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. And SE has itself declared that the next XPERIA may not be running Windows Mobile. In corporate speak, that is almost like saying “well, we don’t want to raise your expectations but we too are tired of Windows Mobile.”

There was this leak early in July this year that raised the issue and called our attention to this mysterious SE phone that didn’t look like any of the current phones. Not fully anyway. Those who leaked it said that the internal code name is Rachael. The photos showed a sleek phone with a minimalist face – a dead giveaway that the entire focus is on the touchscreen even if they don’t show you the side. [read]

There was that leaked live image too. That was pretty interesting. That showed us that the phone is further in the development cycle than we thought it was. [read]

So far, we know very little about the device but we do have some pictures as you can see. These were leaked thanks to a prematurely posted expansys product page. That is also the source from which we get the specifications of the phone. Here’s what we know so far: -

Display – 4”, touchscreen, capacitive, WVGA (800×480)

Camera – 8 megapixel, autofocus, LED flash, image stabilizers, smile and face detection

Networks – Quadband GSM/EDGE/GPRS, HSPA/HSUPA (900/2100 MHz)

Connectivity – Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi b/g, aGPS

OS – Android (probably 2.0/Eclair), Custom UI

Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz

Colors – Full black exterior and full white exterior (from the photos)

[read]

Okay, so may be we know a bit too much for something that has not been made official yet.

The expansys page was obviously taken down after that. And then we had the UI demoed for us. The UI definitely looks like a custom job and it does look like it is Android. The focus of the UI is mainly online communication and networking, which are major parts of what we do with our phones these days. The other major part is talking to a person over the cellular network, that obsolete thing that we still do. [read]

Initial reports pegged it at January 2010 but that was probably an estimate because now we have this suspicious looking product launch page that has the mysterious stylized infinity symbol and talks about something magical. This was announced just a day back and the Internet is buzzing with it. [read]

The infinity symbol is (believed to be) associated with the custom in-house UI that we saw in the video earlier. And hence, we all think that this upcoming event is going to be the official launch of Rachael/X3/X10. In the meantime, we have another leak and this is purported to be the brochure of the device. It does feature the Snapdragon but then anyone can print something out and take a grainy video of it. So take these things with a nice helping of salt. [read]

Update: Sony has posted a teaser video for the November 3 event. Check it out.

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So Samsung decided to release its second Android phone in Russia. But news can never remain buried on the Internet. So we know that it is called the Galaxy Spica. This is the same phone that the rumors were calling the Galaxy 17500 Lite. Spica is the official name.

The press release says a lot of things, as usual. You know it has Android and that it runs on an 800MHz processor. But what it does not tell you is what version of Android it will ship with when it does. My guess is Android 2.0, because the release seems imminent. [read]

Then we have the T-Mobile Project Dark plans. After a long line of rumors, spy shots and leaked marketing material, the carrier finally unveiled its twin plans. And they are right on time too because their timeline was already leaked by the rumors.

So what are the plans like? Look above. There’s the $79 Even More Plus and there’s the $99 Even More. Those are the maxed out prices. They start from $49 and $59 respectively. The first one has no annual contract and the second one has a 2-year contract. [read]

Nokia in the meantime has brought out ‘Illuvial Special edition’ phones in Europe. These are normal Nokia phones with floral prints on the back, purple backlighting and purple/pink graphics in the UI. I still think of this tech industry practice of feminizing products as highly patronizing. Plus, companies tend to charge more for these frills. Et tu Nokia? [read]

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The app store is growing rapidly and is now over 85,000 apps. Ever since the $99 iPhones became available, everyone’s been buying an iPhone. And everyone who can is making an app and sending it in. Even the American stock exchange has its own app now.

Yes sir, NASDAQ has an app in the App store. It lets you check stocks and see live activity, which are quite obvious. What is not obvious though is the fact that it shows you live tweets about various stocks from StockTweet. Now that’s something extra that is worth having. Plus the App is very well-designed. [read]

Next up we have a remote app for …get this – starting your car. That’s right folks, now you can start your car from practically anywhere with a free iPhone app. The catch? You have to buy a kit for your car for this to work and Best Buy has the exclusive retail deal on it. You have two models available. One is for $299 (for cars that have the initial system built in) and the other for $499 (for the complete system). [iTunes link]

The next one is only half new because it was already launched in the US last year. Amazon has released their iPhone shopping app in the UK. This app lets you buy from Amazon through your iPhone. It connects you to your account and also allows you to use features like one-click ordering, etc. [read]

Another Amazon app is coming soon though. I am talking about the Kindle app that is headed for us in November. [read]

So I guess these two halves make one, except that you can only buy one half right now. But the US half is already available. So that makes one too. Okay, enough with the halves.

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Banshee is strongly tied to the GNOME desktop manager. These two together make managing your Android phone music as simple as it gets. Now, Banshee is not a complete replacement for iTunes. There is no way to purchase music through Banshee (which is fine because most Android phones can purchase music straight from the Amazon MP3 market). But Banshee does a bang up job of managing your music – and a simple job interacting with the Android phone. Now, let’s take a look at how this is done.

Installing Banshee

If you don’t already have Banshee installed you will need to do so. And you will need to make sure you have a version >= 1.4. To install go to your Add/Remove Software tool and follow these steps:

1. Search for “banshee” (no quotes).
2. Select Banshee for installation.
3. Click Apply to install.

That’s it.

Now that Banshee is installed, you are ready to have Banshee and your Android working together.

Connecting your Android

Figure 1

When you connect your Android phone to your Linux machine you will be asked (on the phone) if you want to mount your SD card. Go ahead and do that so your Linux machine can see the SD card on the phone. This SD card will show up in the Nautilus file manager (shown in Figure 1) as a 2.0 GB Media. You can actually drag and drop files to this directory – but we’re managing music, so we’re going to use Banshee and not a file manager.

Now open up Banshee and your Android phone will automatically show up (see Figure 2).

As you can see, the interface gives you a clear view of the space

Figure 2

available on your phone’s card. You can also see that there are two options:

Manually sync

Automatically sync

Most likely you will want to manually sync your phone. If your Banshee library is like mine there is WAY more music than will fit on a 2 Gig card. of course you can replace that 2 Gig card with a much larger card and then have Banshee automatically sync.

For manually syncing all you need to do is navigate through your music collection and then drag and drop the files you want to put on your phone.

Upon completion of the music management you can then click the Eject Android G1 Phone button in the upper right corner of Banshee. Now, before you actually unplug your phone from your computer you need to turn off USB storage on your phone. Once USB storage is off you can then unplug your phone and check to make sure your new music is present and accounted for.

Final thoughts

I certainly hope the Linux community and the Android community can work together further so that the Linux operating system can enjoy a complete sync. Once this happens wireless companies can be sure that Linux users/fans will flock to their Android offerings.

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If you want to know what Apple’s been up to last week, you can read my weekly Apple round up and the Monday news round up at Otaku Gadgets.

Verizon Said To Be Testing iPhone 4G

A relatively unknown source has been spotted saying something quite intriguing. Verizon has apparently been testing out a new CDMA version of the iPhone on its 4G LTE network.

Other than the part about an iPhone that will have data speeds that are about ten times that of current ones available to it, the Verizon part makes it even more interesting. That is because Verizon has kicked off a campaign today that basically mocks the iPhone and tries to push the new Motorola Droid as the phone that does what iPhone Doesn’t. So far, it is one of the silliest ad campaigns I have ever seen. Being an Apple user, I can only manage to laugh at it. I don’t know much about the Droid personally, so I will refrain from commenting on that. [read]

Rock Band Arrives For iPhone

What else do you want to know? Just grab the app and start tapping like crazy on your iPhone 3GS while rocking out to favorite classic rock numbers. The 20 songs that come with the game include the likes of Blink-182, Jethro Tull, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Smashing Pumpkins, Steve Millers band, Beastie Boys and more. You can download more from the in-game store.

As you see from the bands named above, all sorts of the rock sound have been included in the game. From contemporary punk to classic glam, it is all there for you to enjoy. The strategy is of course to draw out all the rock fans out there, no matter what their age or preference. If any of you are already tapping, I mean rocking out with this, drop us a comment and let us know how you like it. [read]

Layar 2.0 Now Available On iPhone 3GS

The hot and much loved augmented reality app, Layar [2.0], has finally been ported to the iPhone 3GS from Android. Layar is a brilliant augmented reality app that adds an extra layer of information on what you are looking at.

For example, if you are standing facing the Eiffel Tower, on screen you will see the Eiffel Tower with a short description of the structure and links to more data on it. It uses the built in GPS and magnetometer to determine your location and direction.

It is even more useful when you are in an unknown location and want to get information on local resources like restaurant reviews, maps and directions. Actually, paraphrasing Morpheus, you have to see for yourself what the Layar augmented reality browser is all about. [read]

Apple Finally Allows In-App Purchases For Free iPhone Apps

In a very intelligent move, Apple has finally allowed free apps to have in-app purchases within them. This means quite a few good things for both app developers and Apple.

For app developers, this is a much-needed and asked for way to monetize their apps. This also means that excellent free apps with paid content inside will be further developed and won’t be abandoned due to lack of revenue. For Apple, this is yet another way to generate more revenues from mammoth collection of Apps for the iPhone. I love it when things change for the better for everybody, don’t you? :)

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• Sleek design — Opera Mini 5 features a new, intuitive and advanced look and feel.
• Tabbed browsing — This desktop favorite is now available for Opera Mini. Tabs allow users to browser several sites simultaneously. This helps users easily jump from one page to another with the click of a tab.
• Touchscreen or keypad browsing — Opera Mini caters to the needs of your phone, offering optimal browsing for both touchscreen and keypad-based phones.
• Password manager — Opera Mini is a virtual memory bank, securely saving all passwords for e-mail, social-networking sites, online banking and more.
• Speed Dial — This is our take on a table of contents for your Web adventure. Opera’s Speed Dial will greet you with your pre-selected Internet favorites upon loading the browser.

The Opera developers have released a video that demonstrates the functionality of Opera Mini 5.

Mobile users who are interested in testing the new Opera 5 Mini web browser can point their mobile devices to m.opera.com/next to download it directly from the device or to the download page at the Opera website to download it to their PC.

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The mobile phone market in Japan is different from that of the rest of the world as Japanese mobile phone companies control the software on the mobile phones meaning it would be very unlikely that these measures, if agreed on, would be introduced in other markets as well.

The article fails to address several difficulties of such a system. The most important ones are the following:

• What happens to songs that have been ripped from legally bought CDs? Won’t they be played at all? (this assumes that it is legal in Japan to rip CDs)
• What happens if no connection is available currently? (Will it be possible to play songs without net connection?)
• Who pays for the traffic that the song checks create?

Please post your opinions in the comments.

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It was noted for sometime now that the Pre could sync with the iTunes store based on a hack. And Apple did warn that it could be gone soon. Well they did and Pre owners found out that they could no longer sync with iTunes 8.2.1.

For those wondering, the problem that Apple had with the Pre’s syncing capabilities is the fact it tricked iTunes into thinking it was an iPod. When you connected the Pre to iTunes it would show up as “iPod” and according to the boys at Cupertino, this was unlawful. Apple made no bones about the update, calling Palm by name regarding the reason for the patch to the ever so popular music software.

Well it hasn’t been a good week and already Palm has answered Apple’s challenge. Just today I downloaded webOS version 1.1 and what would you know? iTunes tethering was back. Not only has Palm gone around Apple’s block they have specifically mentioned it as a reason for the update.

So of course everyone is asking what is going to happen next. First I gotta say that Palm has balls to be doing this, but on second their new CEO happens to be the former head of Apple’s iPod division so that could be a factor as to why they are so brazen. Jon probably knows exactly how to deal with Apple. And more importantly, since he was involved with iTunes and iPod for so long, knows all the dirty secrets about it.

I’m not sure what Apple is going to do now, because apparently Palm has made it clear that they are not going to go down without a fight. The only thing I could think of to permanently fix this problem would be for Apple to hard code software recognition into the iPod’s USB connector, and that could be too expensive. There other option is probably to try and sue Palm.

Either way, this is gearing up to be very interesting and its about bloody time. Never seen one of these in the gadget world before. So who are you rooting for? Care to say in the comments below?

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That said, there has been much talk about when the Mojo SDK would be released. Well earlier this week, Palm decided to finally bring it to the table. Mind you the Mojo SDK is still in beta but from what I have heard, read and tested myself, it will be offering some major features so come this September when Palm begins accepting applications for the App Catalog, those who have taken the early plunge will be able to make a buck or two.

Being a Pre owner myself I have to say that it has its goods and bads. Same thing applies to the SDK. One of the major things that will make the SDK so great is the fact that it uses common programming language that most programmers have some familiarity with (unlike that of the iPhone which uses Project C).

HTML and JavaScript are pretty basic stuff and with a little practice and help from the API it shouldn’t be too hard for web programmers to get used to the Palm Pre programming enviorment. But as I said it has its drawbacks. My major contention with the SDK to date is the fact that it lacks direct access to the core CPU. Basically this means that we won’t be seeing NFS Most Wanted on the Pre for anytime soon. I’m not saying that it should be an open fair, but this is reminding me just like Apple when they infamously said that “web apps would do just fine.” Needless to say they soon changed their mind and since then they have crossed the 1.5 billion download mark.

It seems like the same thing is gearing up to happen with Palm. The Pre is a powerful device and carries equal processing power as the iPhone 3GS. As I’ve said to many people, the only thing that is holding the Pre back is webOS 1.0.4. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in love with webOS, but its only in its first generation and still needs time to mature. Hopefully when ver1.1 comes out we will see many of these performance issues fixed.

One thing that people should take note is that even with the few apps available for the App Catalog, has crossed the 1 million download mark. That is for only 30 apps. My only fair is that Palm is shooting itself in the foot and will ultimately have to rethink its decision about not allowing access to the CPU of the Pre.

Last thoughts: for those who are interested in jumping into the mobile phone app business, there is lots of space. What platform should you develop for? Well as it stands it all depends on what you are aiming for. iFart apps, vibration apps and the multitude of nonsensical games are the iPhone’s strength (don’t get me wrong, developers make money off these), lifestyle apps are the Android’s strength. Blackberry can take a little of everything but you will be greatly limited with graphically intense apps. As for WinMo, it all depends. You do have WinMo phone that beat the Pre and iPhone in specs and speed, but those are far and free, so productivity and lifestyle apps are the main strengths of this platform. As for the Palm Pre that is yet to be decided, but I can safely say that most games (except for the Sudoku and Connect 4) are a no, no.

If you want to focus on a specific programming language, Project C will be the hardest to learn but Apple has a big developer community for their iPhone. Palm has the easiest platform to develop for and in close second is Android. Blackberry and WinMo come in third.

So what are your thoughts? Drop a comment below.

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UI

Concerning UI, it’s pretty clear that both Google and Palm have taken two very different approaches. In fact Google’s approach is more in line with Microsoft in allowing OEM’s to customize the UI to their needs. Palm however has taken this into their hands and pitched a ball straight at Apple and their ever so flawless OSX user interface.
Unfortunately there is no clear winner or loser here as both offer advantages and disadvantages. One advantage of Android is that it can take on any shape it wants. This allows people to pick a UI based on their needs but more so likes. The disadvantage to this is that since the navigation can change drastically from device to device, it might be a little rough for those who are used to a specific layout and decide to change from let’s say an HTC Hero to a Sony or Samsung. On the other hand Palm has decided to use one UI for its entire fleet and since they will be the only ones manufacturing phones to run on webOS (at least for the time being) it will stay that way. This however leaves the problem of monotony, something that is plaguing the iPhone at the moment. It’s very interesting that Windows Mobile can take on so many different shapes and forms based on who makes the device running it. A classic example is the Samsung Omnia, Sony Xperia and HTC Touch Pro. So I will hand it to Palm for having the sleeker and better of the graphical interface, but Android has the upper hand on customizability and scalability.

Features

Both Palm and Google have done a good job at bringing some well needed features to the smartphone arena. Both support such basic features as copy paste, Exchange support, emailing, productivity and more. But for now we’ll have to judge at what’s out there in terms of third party programs (apps), and Google is clearly the winner here. I’m not saying that Palm isn’t saying anything, but seeing how new webOS is, we’ll have to give it at least a year before we can really compare its developer community to that of Blackberry, OSX, WinMo and of course Android.
That said, built in features, webOS does have the upper hand as it has a much better browser, music player etc, then that on the Android OS. But third party apps is its weak point and as I said before we’ll have to wait a year or so before we see what people have done with the Mojo SDK.

Devices

It’s ironic that Android has been around for quite some time now and the only company who has a phone running on the OS is HTC. Yes we know Samsung, Motorola, Sony and a whole host of others are working behind the scenes but come on. Palm has just put out their Pre and we’re already hearing plans of the release of the EOS which would be the Centro replacer.
So who would win this round? Well clearly we’re seeing such things as OLED and Flash coming to Android in the near future, and with the stellar lineup of partners it’s not surprising that Apple is looking at Google as more of an enemy then a friend at the moment.

Concerning Palm, while they have not totally put off the idea about allowing third party manufacturers to run their webOS, they’re still on their first device so we can’t fault them too much in this area. But if both companies decide to keep on their course we will give this round to Android as more OEM’s has always spelled better products. Speaking of Flash, Palm is also on that list of manufacturers who will be getting a taste of Flash mobil this fall.

Hacking

Yes you read right, I’m going to include this category because both Android and webOS run Linux on the Linux framework and so it’s only fair we compare what the hacking community has done for the systems to date. For an OS that is open source, we really have to chide Google on their lack of support in the hacking community. The Pre has been out for just over a month and already we have Bluetooth tethering hacks, PlayStation emulation hacks, web server hacks and a bunch of others that not only geeks but every day people would be interested in.

So far little to nothing has been done in the Android arena concerning major hacking. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the G1 (the first Android device) carries lower internal specs then that of the Pre. But whatever it is, Palm clearly has the upper hand. Things might change in the near future however as the devices which are making their way to Android are getting more powerful. But for now, Palm owns this scene.

Corporate Support

This is a major factor in smartphones these days. To date the dominators in this field have clearly been RIM and Microsoft. So far Apple has been making small strides into gaining corporate acceptance. That said, both Palm and Google have been courting IT departments to accept their OS as readily as they will accept a Blackberry Curve or HTC Touch Pro.

Right now it’s too early to say what will happen to both OS as there is a huge lock in this area (RIM and Microsoft) and to date, companies have been very cautious about adopting ant other operating system. As it stands Android and webOS are head to head with no apparent winner in sight. But depending on customizability and sheer support, Android just might pull out as the winner here although we cannot deny that Palm has been in the cellphone (and more so the smartphone) market before Google was born so they just might just have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Potential

Until today I would have given this round to Android, but after Google’s plans to scrape Android for netbooks, MID’s and UMPC’s I think it is a little harder to decide a winner. Clearly both systems excel at different things, but then again both are competing for the same type of customers, those who are not swayed by Apple’s iPhone but who want something different then the regular Blackberry Curve or HTC Touch Diamond.

Based on what webOS has to offer they have an advantage in online and location based apps and this is the future. But in uniqueness and lifestyle applications, Android does carry a little more weight in this area. However, it is too early to say. We’ll have to wait until both mature and of course the second version is released before we can make a final verdict on where we expect to see both of them in the next five or so years.

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Most analysts keep yelling at both companies that their lagging in the innovative space, but based on the numbers RIM and Microsoft are doing just fine. They both have huge market shares and combined still outsell both Apple and Palm. Just in case you’re wondering, there is a reason why both companies are not in a hurry to create the next iPhone, Pre or Android killer. And it lies deep in their strategy.

Ever since Microsoft bought Danger (the makers of the Sidekick), there has been rumors about the company creating its own cellphone. While there might be some truth to it (as the company keeps denying the rumors vehemently), Microsoft isn’t ready to cut HTC, Samsung and Toshiba from their bankrolls yet.

As a corporation, both RIM and Microsoft appeal to a different audience then most attracted to the Pre or iPhone. While the majority of iPhone owners are first time smartphone buyers, those who have Windows Mobile and Blackberry’s are quite aware of what is out there and what fits their needs. Talking to most Blackberry owners you will hear the resounding answer as to why they haven’t adopted an iPhone yet, “it has no proper email support” or “it lacks a keyboard.” While these are “minor” issues to many, to those who have grown to love their Blackberry’s it’s a major deal.

Another reason for the continued success of Windows Mobile and Blackberry is its corporate following. To date the iPhone has a meager corporate base and the Pre is nonexistent. However, both Blackberry and Windows Mobile excel in this arena. To a lot of smartphone owners, buying a smartphone their company approves of is a big deal and with most corporate IT departments still shunning the iPhone Apple has some major hurdles to jump before they cause any real trouble for RIM or Microsoft.

Fancy graphics and cool animations and slick UI’s are not everything in a smartphone. But you already knew that. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that no one is taking notice of Apple and Palm, if they were not there would not be custom UI overlays for Windows Mobile, Blackberry or Android. That said, it still is a fact that not everyone is swayed by them. You’d wonder why people would still use the classic Windows theme even though it’s close to two decades old. Well that is the same reason why people still buy the subject phones here.

Loyalty is the word we’re looking for. According to NDP statistics the average Blackberry user has had two or more devices. Following this same trend, an HTC Touch user is more then likely to grab the Touch Diamond 2 or a similar Windows Mobile device. The loyalty that both companies have built within their customer base is commendable and is one that most cell phone companies seek after.

Last but not least not everyone is a fan of the iPhone or Pre. There are those who categorize the iPhone base as just a subdivision of the Macintosh base who will buy any s_ Apple puts out as long as it’s shiny and expensive. Fortunately this is not the case but Apple has been notorious for its fan boy following and many smartphone users don’t like this.

I won’t say however that RIM and Microsoft need not worry because every update the iPhone gets, it comes closer to gaining a little more acceptance from its enemies. But as is the case with the new players in the game, they are the ones who have to work doubly hard as the seasoned players can relax a bit (however the proverbial rabbit and turtle teaches what happens when seasoned players rest too long).

As the case is right now RIM and Windows Mobile isn’t terribly exciting at the moment. But they both carry functionality, customizability and an avid user base and that’s what counts. However they can learn a lesson or two. As a former owner of both Windows Mobile (MotoQ) and Blackberry (Curve 8330), I can say it didn’t take me much to drop my previous phones for the Palm Pre. Neither can I say it will take a miracle for me to keep my Pre. There are those of us who ride the gadget waves and those are the customers that can make or break a company. Did I mention the new Blackberry Tour and the Toshiba TG01 are looking mighty sexy at the moment?

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That’s bad for the environment either way as you end up with two different phone chargers or two similar ones as they are always sold with cell phones. It is also bad if you need to recharge the battery of your cell phone at a friends house only to find out that the phone charger is not compatible with your cell phone.

Cell phone suppliers like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Apple, Motorola and LG have agreed to produce cell phones that are compatible with standard charging devices in Europe. First cell phones are expected next year which is expected to reduce the waste that phone chargers produce each year. About 180 million cell phones are sold in Europe each year which also means the same amount of phone chargers.

According to the New York Times only data-enabled phones (which will account for about 50% of all cell phones sold in 2010) will be compatible with the new chargers which are in the beginning sold with the cell phones. Plans are to remove the cell phone chargers later on and sell them separately. It is likely that other countries will join the initiative.

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