Camera Phones Plaza

The image of a business phone has been associated from the beginning with the Nokia Communicator series, some mini laptops if you want. These models had a huge success among those who need access to email, Internet and basic office functions during trips. Because the perfect business Communicator mobile phone was RIM BlackBerry, Nokia manufacturer has launched the Nokia E61i, a high-end technology Communicator device.

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At a first glance you can’t be impressed by the dimensions of E61i. With 117 x 70 x 13.9 mm in dimensions and 150 grams in weight, this Nokia cell phone seems to be more of a PDA instead of a mobile phone. The front and the back of the phone are covered by metallic design elements, which make this phone to feel very solid and very resistible at intense usage.  On the front side, this Nokia cell phone has a 2.8 inch TFT display and because it is a Communicator, it has a full QWERTY keyboard.

The 2.8 inch TFT display has a native resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and supports 16 Million colors. Even for such a big display this resolution is a bit too small, it behaves decently in direct light and it is excellent for surfing on the internet. The Nokia E61i comes equipped with a 2 Megapixel camera capable of taking pictures at a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels.

Even if this camera has a mediocre performance, it has proven to be excellent for a Communicator like this Nokia cell phone. But let’s talk a bit about what is the most important aspect for a Communicator device: the keyboard. The Nokia E61i has a full QWERTY keyboard which seems to be very solid and responsive. The keys have good size and are very well delimitated, so you will not have problems in pressing the wrong key when you are typing. Anyway, having a positive feedback, this keyboard is perfect for typing emails, SMSs or other texts. An attractive feature is that this keyboard has a sensor which automatically illuminates the keyboard when a low ambient light is detected.

Powered by a Dual ARM 9 220 MHz processor and 64 MB of RAM memory, this Nokia cell phone comes with a Symbian OS 9.1, Series 60 v3.0 UI interface and a lot of preinstalled applications like Mozilla Internet Browser, Microsoft Mobile Office, Flash Player, PDF Viewer and many others.

Even if you will keep this PDA under intensive usage, it will be capable to run multi-tasks without any lag or other interruptions. A negative aspect which makes this Nokia cell phone to be one step behind other Communicator devices is that it has only 60 MB of internal memory. Thanks to the microSD card slot, you can extend it to a maximum 2 GB, but even so, this is not a very good capacity in our days.

Being a Communicator device, the most important aspect is the connectivity options. At this chapter, the Nokia E61i excels.  For keeping you in touch with people, besides the fact that supports four GSM bands plus GPRS, EDGE and 3G, it comes equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infrared and USB. The Push-to-talk feature is another attractive feature of Nokia cell phones because with this application you can use your phone like a Walkie-Talkie. The impressive 1500 mAh Li-Pol battery is capable of keeping this unit on for 9 hours of conversations and up to 400 hours in standby mode. For this awesome Nokia cell phone you will need to pay $322, but we guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Blackberry Company has a great success with the launch of the BlackBerry 8330 Curve and BlackBerry Pearl models, being one of the best sold models of BlackBerry RIM smart phones. Like all BlackBerry models, the 8330 Curve has a business orientation and it offer more performance and style than the old models.

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The BlackBerry 8330 Curve has a case made of resistant plastic with a great combination between business and fancy design, so it is attractive for everybody. With 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches in dimensions and 4 oz in weight, this smart phone fits very well in your hands or pockets. Like almost all BlackBerry models, the front side is occupied by a large display and a full QWERTY keyboard.

The BlackBerry 8330 Curve has also a TrackBall which will offer you a great experience when you are navigating in the menu. On the top, it has a simple mute button, which also works like a standby key. On the sides you will find a 3.5 mm jack for attaching headphones or some external speakers, a miniUSB connector, a volume rocker, a camera shutter and a customizable application key. On the rear of the 8330 you will find a 2 Megapixel camera protected by metallic inserts.

The BlackBerry 8330 Curve comes equipped with a 2.8 inch QVGA display with a native resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. This display does a good job in offering great quality images and clear text. With a good brightness and a perfect contrast of colors, the images are very visible even under direct sunlight.

Even if the QWERTY keyboard seems to be a bit inferior to the keyboard used on the Treo 680, it is very responsive. The keys have good size, with enough space between them, so you will not press another key by mistake or have any other typing problems. Also, these keys offer a positive feedback, so they are perfect for those fast writers. For menu navigation, it comes with a TrackBall (very easy to use making navigating the device very simple), the Call and End keys, a menu button and a back key.

Powered by a 312 MHz processor and 32 MB of RAM memory, this Curve model is a powerful and very well optimized smart phone. You will not notice any lag or other malfunctions during intense multi-tasking. There is only one negative aspect for this phone, which will disappoint many people. It has only 96 MB of free space and thanks to the microSD / microSDHC card slot, it can be extended to a maximum 8 GB. Even if 8 GB of free memory is enough for you to store your music, photos or other files, in our days, a high-end smart phone has at least 16 GB of free memory.

In terms of connectivity, the BlackBerry 8330 Curve comes with the most common features which you will find in a high-end smart phone. It has Bluetooth, GPS, miniSD card slot, BlackBerry Browser and supports EDGE, GPRS and 3G networks. Even if it lacks Wi-Fi, you will be able to stay in touch with your friends using these features. The standard Li-Ion 1150 mAh battery is capable of keeping this smart phone up for almost 4.33 hours of conversations and 264 hours in standby mode. Anyway, even if this phone does not have a lot of high-end features, for a price of $149, it offers enough technology to satisfy many demanding people.

The Nokia 3600 is one of those mobile phones that nobody specifically loves them but it is still one of the best sold Nokia models, being designated for the entry-level category. The phone has a slider and compact cage and comes with all basic elements like a 3.2 Megapixel camera, VGA video and TV-out.

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The Nokia 3600 comes with a case made of resistant plastic and has 97.8 x 47.2 x 14.5 mm in dimensions and 97.3 grams in weight. Having these dimensions, it certainly fits very well in your hands or pockets. On the front side, this Nokia mobile phone has a 2 inch TFT display which has a native resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and supports 16 million colors. You will not have any problems to see the images because, even if this is a TFT display, you will receive great quality of colors even if you use it under direct sunlight.

Below the display, it has two soft keys, an OK button and the classic Call and End keys. With big dimensions and a great sensitivity, these keys will help you navigate in the phone’s menu easily. On the sides it has two keys for volume control, a camera shutter and a miniUSB port (which will allow you to connect the phone to a PC). On the top, you will find a charging port and a 2.5 mm jack which allows you to attach some headphones or other external speakers.

Sliding up the phone, you will discover a large keypad which occupies the entire bottom of the device. With very responsive and solid keys with good sizes, this keypad is excellent for typing SMS, emails or writing other texts. For shooting photos, the Nokia 3600 comes with an integrated 3.2 Megapixel camera, capable of taking photos at a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels and recording clips at a speed of 15 fps. On the back, near the camera, this cell phone has an LED flash which will help you get great quality photos even if the camera has somehow mediocre performances.

For connectivity, the Nokia 3600 (being a tri-band device) supports GPRS, EDGE and GSM networks. For other kind of connections, it has Bluetooth, miniUSB and TV-out. Even if this cell phone has only several connectivity features, you need to remember that this is an entry-level mobile phone, designated for those people who cannot afford to pay a lot of money for a good unit.

Anyway, like all modern mobile phones, this Nokia model supports many music formats (MP3, AAC, eAAC+, WMA) and has great sound performances. The external speaker is very loud and produces clear sounds. For storing your pictures and music, the Nokia 3600 comes with 30 MB of internal memory but if you want more you can extend it up to 8 GB with a microSD card.  The standard Li-Ion 860 mAh battery is capable of keeping this mobile phone on for almost 6 hours of conversations and up to 280 hours in standby mode.

The Nokia 3600 has decent size for a slide phone and has common features with the more expensive mobile phones (for example, Nokia 6600 slide). If you are looking for a cell phone at a reasonable price and with a good camera, the Nokia 3600 is a very suitable choice. Having a price of $184, we are no longer wondering about why it is so popular.

Finally, Sony Ericsson W580i has arrived for us to test. It is a phone with music skills, with a fine slide building, lighting effects and a pedometer, to fill your every day music and sports needs. The phone is equipped with a photo / video 2 Megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, FM radio and a brilliant design. Read the following and this Sony Ericsson W580i is very likely to become your next phone.
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Like most Walkman models, W580i has been developed from a non-musical phone, the Sony Ericsson S500. In terms of design, Sony Ericsson W580i follows the latest trends. It has 99 x 47 x 14 mm in dimensions and 94 grams in weight. The phone’s case is dominated by rounded edges and circular forms, with an aspect which makes this phone very appreciated by young people.

The case is available in three colors: white, black and gray. Being a slide phone, the numeric pad is hidden when you keep the phone closed. Because that, the W580i has an almost perfect rectangular form. A slight curve at the top, just below the display, gives a pleasant sensation to the touch. If you slide up the phone, you will be surprised to see that this cell phone, even if it is very slim, has a very responsive and easy to use numerical pad. The keys are large and even if are very flat, you will receive a great positive feedback when you press them.

On the front side, this mobile phone comes with a 2 inch TFT display, two soft keys and a 4-way button for menu navigation, a Back and a Clear key plus a dedicated Walkman key and a shortcut button. The phone’s sides contain some interesting details.

On the left side a volume rocker is placed. On the top side you will find a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot, which is an unusual location for this slot. On the right side you will spot the universal port which allows you to charge the phone, attach headphones or connect the phone to a PC.

The Sony Ericsson W580i comes with a 2 inch TFT display with a native resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The image quality is more than satisfactory, with a nice color saturation, which can be adjusted from the settings in the phone menu, depending on your preferences. Due to the reduced size of the display, the pixels are not visible, so you will receive a very clear picture on the screen.

Visibility, even in sunlight, is excellent. For taking photos or recording clips, this mobile phone comes with an integrated 2 Megapixel camera, which can take photos at a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels and record clips at a maximum resolution of 176 x 144 pixels. Even if this camera lacks a flash and autofocus, you will be able to take good pictures every time.

For connectivity, the Sony Ericsson W580i, being a tri-band device, comes equipped with GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth and USB. Being part of Walkman series, this cell phone is not recognized as being a very powerful mobile phone with a lot of high-end technology features. The strongest point of this cell phone is the music feature. Like all Walkman models, the Sony Ericsson W580i has an excellent music player and a perfect sound quality.

The external speaker is very loud but if you want to listen to music with more bass, you need to attach the dedicated headphones. The standard Li-Pol 930 mAh battery is capable of keeping this mobile phone up for 9 hours of conversations and up to 370 hours in standby mode. Anyway, the Sony Ericsson W580i is not a very spectacular cell phone. It was made for enlarging the Walkman series and it is a mobile phone dedicated especially for young people. With a price of $185, this cell phone is another attractive and very affordable Walkman phone.

The Samsung S5230 mobile phone is a simple listing of numbers in Samsung's portfolio. In reality, it represents serious efforts to get a product that should please everyone. Also called Samsung Star, this phone is just what the name is trying to suggest: a lucky star of South Koreans, a proper mix between the touch screen, ergonomics, useful and entertaining functions, all included in a decent price.

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With a Candy-Bar design, the Samsung S5230 mobile phone Star is compact and light, and unlike its brother S5600, it is more rounded. The rest is very easy to confuse with other Omnia terminals, but this is Samsung's policy: a lot of phone models with different names and similar aspect. With 104 x 53 x 11.0 mm in dimensions and 93.5 grams in weight, the Samsung S5230 mobile phone comes equipped with a resistive touch screen, unlike the LG Arena or iPhone, which have a capacitive display.

The 240 x 400 pixels resolution is a bit outdated, but for this price segment Samsung is known for the good quality of the screens, both in terms of brightness, and color balance. The case is made of resistant plastic and it includes hardware keys, a speakerphone and the Samsung logo. The rear of the S5230's is even more impressive than the front - the phone looks similar to an Omnia from top to bottom.

A welcome improvement is the material used on the back cover, which is more resistant to finger prints and dust. On the sides you will find a camera shutter, a HOLD key (allows you to unlock the phone screen), volume buttons (which can be used for menu navigation) and a USB port (allows you to attach headphones, charge the phone or connect it to a PC).

The Samsung S5230 mobile phone is equipped with a 3 inch TFT touch screen with a native resolution of 240 x 400 pixels. As we said, even if this resolution is outdated, you will receive great quality images with a good balance between contrast and colors. For taking photos, this Samsung cell phone has an integrated 3 Megapixel camera capable of taking pictures at a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. The camera interface is very comfortable and it includes all the options necessary to capture some decent quality images. The contrast is correct with sufficient lighting.

In connectivity terms, similar to the Samsung Corby, this mobile phone has a support for four GSM bands, EDGE and Stereo Bluetooth. Because it is not a smart phone, it lacks Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS support. The advantage is that it supports Mass Storage, which helps direct recognition of the phone and downloads content.  The Samsung S5230 mobile phone has 40 MB of free space but thanks to the microSD card slot, you can extend it up to 16 GB.

Other attractive features are that this phone is equipped with TouchWIZ UI, a lot of multimedia WidGets and an accelerometer for screen rotating, Face Detection, image stabilization, FM Radio with RDS and a special service for Shazam music recognition.

The standard Li-Ion 1000 mAh battery is capable of keeping this cell phone up to 10 hours of conversations and 800 hours in standby mode. The Samsung manufacturer just announced that this model has been sold in 10 million copies, which leaves us little space for comments. If we still want to draw a conclusion, it should sound like this: the compact design, acceptable finishing and sufficient functions for a price of $250 is not something you see everyday. This can be a great deal if you are looking for a multimedia phone with an attractive aspect.