Samsung Galaxy Tab vs Apple iPad

Samsung's Galaxy Tab is being touted as the most promised rival to Apple iPad. The tablet is powered by Android Froyo, the latest version of Google’s operating software for mobile devices. Here is the review of the tablet:

1) Display Screen


Samsung Galaxy Tab has smaller screen size than iPad. It is about as tall and wide as Amazon.com Inc's newest Kindle e-reader. The tablet's 7-inch backlit color touch screen is less than half the size of the iPad display.


2) Lighter than iPad but rugged


It is also much lighter - almost 14 ounces versus about 24 for the iPad - and a smidgeon thinner. Still, it feels solid and seems rugged enough to stand up to heavy use. For instance, the front is protected by a sheet of Corning Inc’s Gorilla Glass, which ought to provide ample protection from any set of keys you might toss into the same pocket.


3) Replica of a Bigger Smartphone


Using an iPad isn’t like using an iPod Touch. It is larger size and two-hand operation makes it a very different experience. By contrast, using the Galaxy Tab is a lot like using one of the big-screen Android-based smartphones, such as Motorola Inc’s Droid X or HTC Corp's EVO.


4) Same processor as Samsung Galaxy S phone


The Galaxy, which is powered by the same processor used in Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones, comes with 16GB of onboard storage for apps and content, the same as the base-level iPad. A slot for an SD memory card lets you expand it by an additional 32GB. The cameras are nothing special - the front facing one is 1.3 megapixels, the rear is 3 megapixels - but it’s kind of fun to be able to see your photo or video on the 7-inch screen while you’re shooting it.


5) Missing AMOLED


The screen on the Galaxy can be a disappointment. It is bright enough but lacks the jump-out-at-you pizzazz of the gorgeous Super AMOLED displays that Samsung uses on the Galaxy S phones. The screen also displays an annoying tendency to dim itself while you are using it, the result of a feature that analyzes the image being displayed and automatically adjusts the brightness.


Even with the option disabled, the screen would sometimes dim on its own, though not as often.


6) Lesser Apps than iPad


Samsung has tailored some of the tablet’s included software, such as the e-mail client and calendar, to take advantage of the larger-than-a-phone screen. Still, very limited third party apps are available that have been adapted to its dimensions and capabilities.


7) Non-replaceable battery


Like the iPad’s, the Galaxy Tab’s battery is not user-replaceable. Samsung says the Galaxy has a battery life of six to seven hours of continuous video playback, which is less than the iPad but sufficient to keep you entertained on a cross-country flight. Warning: On two separate devices, the charge plunged when Bluetooth connectivity was enabled, so keep it off unless you need it.


8) Expensive


You might be willing to live with the Galaxy Tab’s compromises if you were at least saving a bunch of money over an iPad. But, apparently it doesn't promise that at the moment.


Have you used Samsung Galaxy Tab? Share your experience in comments section.

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What is inside Apple's lightest MacBook Air

Basking in the glory of the success of its tablet device iPads and mobile device iPhone, Apple has added some of their features to its computers. Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled company's new ultra-light laptop MacBook Air which -like its popular iPad - has no hard drive. Also, Apple's popular App Store, available on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, too has come to Macintosh computers.

Introduced in two sizes, the new laptops aim to boost the company's falling share in the PC market. Here's looking inside Apple's just-launched MacBook Air:

1) Looks: Featuring an all-aluminum unibody design, the new MacBook Air is Apple's lightest laptop ever. The laptop measures 0.11-inches at its thinnest point and 0.68-inches at its thickest, and weighs just 2.3 pounds for the 11-inch model and 2.9 pounds for the 13-inch.

2) Multi-touch trackpad: Apple Air features a full-sized keyboard for typing as well as the popular glass Multi-Touch trackpad found on Apple’s MacBook Pro. The Multi-Touch trackpad lets users pinch, swipe, or rotate to adjust an image, zoom in on text, or advance through a photo album.

3) Facetime Camera: Apple is also bringing the FaceTime video chatting to Macs. The feature debuted this year on the iPhone 4 and has since been added to the iPad. The new FaceTime for Mac application, currently in beta, will let users make FaceTime calls over Wi-Fi with anyone who has a Mac, an iPhone 4, or the new iPod touch.

4) Flash Storage: The new generation MacBook Air models use flash drives instead of hard drives. The new MacBook Air is designed completely around flash storage. MacBook Air uses the same solid state storage technology as the iPad.

Apple has done away with CD and DVD drives in the very first edition of its MacBook Air, and in the current models the company ditches the hard disk drive. This, according to Apple, will speed up laptops' boot up time.
The 11-inch MacBook Air comes with 2GB of memory and 64GB/128GB of flash storage. The 13-inch model will pack 2GB of memory and 128GB/256GB of flash storage. The 13-inch MacBook Air also includes an SD card slot. More here >>>

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Now LED Monitors by DELL

DELL L

Dell has expanded its monitor portfolio with the launch of eight new LED displays.

Available in 22-inch (ST2220), 23-inch (ST2320) and 24-inch (ST2420) sizes, Dell's new Studio LED monitors are engineered to provide consumers with enhanced digital content consumption and creation.

The monitors are ENERGY STAR 5.0 compliant. Key specs include:

High-definition with 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution, mega dynamic contrast ratio (7,000,000 to 8,000,000:1), fast response time of 5ms typical (black to white) and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Stylishly designed with its bottom front bezel lit when switched on, intuitive touch controls on the bottom right panel.

Environmentally-conscious display technology -- Designed to meet high environmental standards, the ENERGY STAR 5.0 compliant monitors are made of environmentally preferable materials such as arsenic-free glass and mercury-free panels.
With digital and analog connectivity features, consumers can connect the monitor with their desktop, laptop, gaming console and other peripherals with the VGA and DVI (HDCP) ports.

Dell also announced two 20-inch HD monitors, the IN2020 and IN2020M. The 1600 x 900 high-definition monitors offer 5ms black to white response time and dynamic contrast ratio estimated at 8 million:1.
The IN2020 monitor comes with a VGA connector while IN2020M has a DVI port that facilitates streaming of high quality video and audio.

The LEDs are priced at ST2220L ($199.99), ST2220M ($189.99), ST2320L ($229.99) and ST2420L ($259.99).
Dell also plans to soon launch a touch monitor, which it claims will be th first 21.5" multi-touch display with IPS technology which allows for wider viewing angles and better color reproduction.

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Review: Sony Cybershot TX9 camera

We see the world in 3D, but cameras with single lenses have a hard time doing that. Except the new Cyber-Shot TX9; a camera that is an ideal companion for the new 3D TVs in the market. 

The sleek metal body, active sliding lens cover and internal Carl Zeiss lens in the TX9 is very much like the existing TX7 and T99. But the CyberShot TX9 has a CMOS sensor which is unlike most compact cameras. A high quality CMOS sensor (like the ones DLSRs use) is better at capturing images in low light, with lesser noise. 

Around the back of the camera, a 921,000 pixel 3.5-inch touchscreen does duty for composition and playback. Most settings and features have to be controlled via the touchscreen as there are very few buttons. There are many modes, special settings and configuration options to keep you occupied. 

For example, HDR takes multiple shots and combines them in-camera to give a photo with better shadow and highlight details, i.e., a higher dynamic range. Twilight mode takes multiple photos and combines them into one with reduced blur and noise, so that you can take better images in low light. 

The Background Defocus mode makes your subject stand out by blurring the background. The TX9 also has some 3D tricks up its sleeve. It doesn't have two separate lenses and sensors like the Fujifilm Real 3D W1 camera, so it can't take 'actual' 3D photographs or video. 

Instead, it offers a 3D panorama mode. In this mode, you have to just pan the camera in a smooth motion from left to right (or vice versa), while it takes multiple images and combines them all to form a 3D panorama that can be viewed on a 3D display (or on the camera itself, thanks to a clever Gsensor that changes the image as you rock the camera from side to side). 

The 4x Carl Zeiss lens, optical image stabilization, CMOS sensor and Sony's BIONZ engine all combine to deliver admirable results in almost any situation. The vivid results are sure to please. If you're not sure what mode to choose from the myriad options, just leave it in intelligent auto. Thankfully, recognizing the inconvenience of a proprietary port, the box includes a dock which provides a standard HDMI out, mini USB and composite A/V output. 

And like several of the newer CyberShots, the TX9 accepts both Memory Stick Pro Duo and SD/SDHC cards for storage. However, the camera is often slow to respond, especially when switching from picture taking to playback modes. 

Shot-to-shot recycle times are not too great either; it takes about 2 seconds for the camera to get ready after taking a photo. Buy the camera as a companion for your 3D TV, but as a standalone CMOS compact camera, the Canon IXUS 300 HS is hard to ignore. 

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Review: Apple iPod Nano, Touch, Shuffle

By now, Apple's introduction of new iPods each fall is about as surprising as kids going back to school. And, as usual, many of the changes CEO Steve Jobs announced this month were expected, such as the addition of cameras to the iPod Touch.

But Apple Inc took some risks this time with its lineup, too. It cut the video recording and playback features from the Nano to shrink it while adding a touchscreen, and went back in time stylistically to rework the tiny Shuffle.

The results, as expected, are awesome across the board.

iPod Nano

The latest Nano has gotten the biggest makeover of the bunch, trading in its rectangular body for a small square and eschewing the traditional iPod click-wheel controls in favor of a touch screen flanked by a few buttons.

I thought that having such a teeny touchscreen -- about 1.5 inches diagonally -- would be annoying. It turned out to be slightly irksome at first but nearly as intuitive as the old click wheel once I got used to swiping it to find my way around.

If the old Nano said, "Take me with you," the new Nano screams, "Only a fool would leave me at home!" It's less than half the size of the old Nano and fits in even the smallest pocket. And it finally comes with a built-in back clip, so you can attach the player to your shirt or pocket when you're exercising or walking around. Adios, expensive clip case.

The built-in pedometer, introduced on the last Nano, seems like a better idea now that the gadget has a more portable body. You also don't need to worry whether you've clipped it on upside down, as Apple smartly included a feature that lets you flip the screen's orientation by twisting two fingers on the screen.

I thought I'd miss the video camera included on the previous Nano since I don't like having options taken away from me. But after a little while I totally forgot about it. It would have been neat if Apple at least kept the video playback option, but such a small screen -- about 1.5 inches diagonally -- is hardly ideal for watching episodes of "Glee." The old screen, at 2.2 inches, was diminutive but did the trick if I needed a video fix on the fly.

Apple says the Nano, which comes with 8 or 16GB of storage, should give you up to 24 hours of music playback; I got close to 15 hours from a single charge when listening to music and viewing photos.

iPod Touch

As with the last iPod Touch, the new version is much like an iPhone without the phone -- a great alternative if you want to avoid a two-year service contract, especially since the phone part is often derided as the iPhone's weakest suit.

Like the iPhone 4, the new Touch has a gorgeous, super-sharp display that is great for surfing the Web and watching videos. It's stocked with Apple's newest mobile processor and comes with 8, 32 or 64 GB of storage.

The new iPod Touch also follows the iPhone 4's lead by adding cameras in the front and back. This means you can take photos and HD-quality videos and conduct video chats with other owners of the new Touch and latest iPhone.

The cameras bring the Touch to a whole new level. Before, it was a slick multimedia player that could access the Internet and download apps over Wi-Fi. Now, it's a potential replacement for a simple point-and-shoot -- though, sadly, it still lacks a flash -- and a better a communication tool.

Using FaceTime on the Touch is pretty sweet. Sure, video chat has been around for a while, and it's already available on the iPhone 4. But there's still something awesome about having video chat right in your pocket, assuming you are in a Wi-Fi hotspot. Since the Touch doesn't have a phone number that people can call for a FaceTime chat, you must choose which e-mail address (or addresses) people can use to reach you.

The Touch also comes with Apple's new Game Center app, which lets you keep track of your gaming scores and play games against friends.

I had fun playing the fruit-slicing game "Fruit Ninja" against my iPhone-brandishing colleague Peter in New York, but it wasn't seamless. We both noticed delays in seeing what the other had just done.

Still, you'll have plenty of time to challenge others and do everything else: The Touch's battery is rated for up to 40 hours of music or seven hours of video playback, and I got over 13 hours out of it when doing everything from playing games to perusing Apple's iTunes Store.

iPod Shuffle

At first glance, the new iPod Shuffle looks suspiciously like an older version of the same gadget, with its circular control panel and wee rectangular body.

Looks can be deceiving, though. It's actually a solidly updated device, both compared with its doppelganger, the Shuffle Apple released four years ago, and with the previous Shuffle that depended on controls attached to an earbud cord.

I like this return to the circular controls, which make it easy to navigate from song to song and pump up (or down) the jam. There's a button for voiceover features on the side, which speak over the music to tell you what song you're listening to.

And the $49 price tag -- $10 lower than the previous Shuffle with the same 2GB storage capacity -- can't be beat. Sure, it only has room for about 500 songs, and Apple is no longer offering a 4GB Shuffle, but it's more than enough to get you through plenty of workouts and commutes.

The Shuffle is supposed to get up to 25 hours of battery life; after using it for more than 15 hours, I clicked the voiceover button and a stilted male voice told me it still held a 25 percent charge.

Though I try to keep an eyebrow raised, year after year Apple convinces me of the merits of its latest iPods. There's always room for improvement (I'd love more camera settings and a flash on the Touch, for example), and I bet Apple is already figuring out what problems to solve and features to add in the next versions. But they're still far better than the competition -- no surprise there.

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Apollo EHDD portfolio Expanded By Imation

Imation Corp has expanded its Apollo family of external hard disk drives (EHDD) lineup. The updated Apollo line delivers solutions ranging from personal to professional use, updated designs and next-generation software that simplifies, automates and personalises backup for up to two terabytes (TB) of data. The company's Apollo Expert D300 offers USB 3.0 technology to move data up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0-based drives. 


According to says Jason Elles, global brand leader for Imation - 
The explosion of large multimedia files, such as high-resolution photos and video, and the fact that even small businesses can be data-intensive, means households and businesses need to capture and save more digital information than ever. Whether they're seeking exceptional value or high speeds, using a drive personally or professionally, or backing up their desktop or managing data on the go, there's an Apollo external hard drive to utilize. 


The new Apollo family begins with the Apollo Expert D300 External Hard Drive. The drive is available in 500-GB, 1-TB and 2-TB capacities. The drive features a brushed silver industrial design and removable stand to orient it horizontally or vertically. The drive uses ArcSoft Total Media Backup software and includes a 60-day trial of Norton Online Backup. 


Other products in the portfolio include: 


1) Apollo Expert D200 External Hard Drive: Available in capacities from 500 GB to 2 TB, the USB 2.0-powered drive features a brushed silver, industrial design and a removable stand. Protected by a five-year limited warranty, the Apollo Expert D200 drive comes equipped with ArcSoft TotalMedia(R) Backup software and a 60-day trial of Norton Online Backup. 


2) Apollo Expert M200 Portable Hard Drive: The hard drive comes with a five-year limited warranty. The fully USB 2.0-powered drive comes in storage capacities of 320, 500 and 640 GB. The drive uses ArcSoft Total Media Backup software and includes a 60-day trial of Norton Online Backup. 


3) Apollo M100 Portable Hard Drive: Available in 320-, 500- and 640-gigabyte (GB) capacities, the fully USB 2.0-powered drive requires no external power supply or drivers. The 2.5-inch drive comes equipped with ArcSoft Total Media Backup software. 


The Apollo M100 and Expert M200 portable hard drives are available immediately. The Apollo Expert D200 and D300 external hard drives will be available in October. Prices range from $79.99 to $219.99 depending on drive capacity and data-transfer speed. 

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Next Generation Mobile Computing to go KeyLess

An Israeli start-up has launched a system that aims to make mobile computing easier by letting users type on invisible keys instead of a keyboard that typically takes up much of the screen.  SnapKeys calls its technology the "keyless keyboard" and has forged a deal with Philips Electronics to market the product, company officials said. 

SnapKeys and Philips will split revenue 50-50. "There is a fundamental problem in entering data on mobile devices," SnapKeys Chief Executive Benjamin Ghassabian told Reuters. "Keyboards were meant for fixed devices, not mobile. And screens are not supposed to be your input device; they are supposed to be output."
He said the keyless keyboard was 10 years in the making. The sucess of Apple's iPad -- which Ghassabian says is more entertainment than computer -- shows that people want more portable devices. Around 40 companies seek to market tablet computers, he said. 

"The market is moving towards mobile computers -- that's why tablets are coming out," Ghassabian said. 
SnapKeys, privately funded with $4 million, and Philips have started approaching the top mobile device and computer companies about using its keyless keyboard. 
"We are in the phase of closing deals ... It will take a few months to get to the market," Ghassabian said, adding the system works on all Windows, Symbian and Android-based devices. 
The keyboard has four invisible keys -- two on each side of the device's screen -- each comprising six to seven letters. There are other keys for numbers, punctuation and symbols. 
At first, the location of the keys appears on the screen but the company believes users will quickly learn the location of letters and will not need the overlay for long. Users tap the invisible keys with their thumbs and the system predicts the words. 
SnapKeys says its English version has about 100,000 words and is 92 per cent accurate. If the word isn't correct, it can be changed. Ghassabian said the system, in which typing words is far faster than a typical keyboard, is available in all European languages as well as Chinese. An Indian version is in the works. 


"The only competition for us will be voice recognition and that's not working well yet in mobile devices," Ghassabian said, noting it was not as discreet as typing. 

He rejected the notion that people will not want to change their typing habits from a keyboard that has been around for a century. 
"People used to have horses but when cars came out, not everyone wanted to switch to cars. But when they started driving cars, they didn't want to go back to riding horses," he said.

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Review: Motorola Backflip smartphone

When you open up the phone, it just flips open to give you a device which is different and easy to use. But then, this is just one of its new features. When you open the phone, you'll find a laptop's trackpad-like feature on the other side of the screen. 


What this means is that apart from tapping on the screen you can actually use this trackpad, which they call the Backtrack, to move around and select items by gently tapping on it (we would love all phones to have this feature). 
Its 5.0 megapixel camera, with flash, is housed at one end of the keypad. So, when you open the phone, you can as well take some shots of yourself. With such an exceptional hardware, we had expected it to be loaded with the latest version of Android. 


Unfortunately, we'll have to be satisfied with the ancient 1.5 version. So, there's no pinch-and-zoom facility and no access to some of the wonderful apps from the Android Market. 
The welcome feature is its Motoblur which lets you merge contact information from various email accounts with social networking sites. Infact, if you get into Motoblur's features, you can easily find a host of customisable options which makes this phone's usage much more fun. 


On the performance front, it does seem a bit sluggish, especially the time the screen takes to adjust itself when you open the keypad. The battery life is not bad with our device staying alive for almost one and a half days with heavy usage. 


It sure doesn't come cheap but the fact that you own a handset which is not a copy of other popular devices and is loaded to the hilt with innovative features is in itself priceless. If Motorola rolls out the latest Android version on the Backflip, it would be a much better buy.


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Review: Acer Aspire TimelineX AS4820T laptop

This laptop from Acer's TimelineX Series is the AS4820T. If you have seen the size-zero Vaio X series from Sony, then you will immediately associate the outer body of the Acer with it. 


It has got a nice black metal finish which means that there won't be any finger prints. The shiny metal finish continues on the inside with a neatly laid giant touchpad and a tactile keyboard. Although the keys are great to type with, the build quality is not so. 


The keys are quite wobbly. But in case of the touchpad, it is one of the best we have ever used smooth and responsive. The touchpad also supports pinch-and-zoom with two fingers. There is an obvious lag when you try to pinch or zoom into your photos, but then that's not what this touchpad is primarily going to be used for. 
Clean, glossy lines make up the top with power buttons and almost invisible speakers. All in all, it has a great design. But the best part is that even with a DVD drive, it's extremely light at just 2.1 kg. The screen is a beautiful, bright 14-inch one with backlit LED making Acer 4820TG really good to look at. 
It has an Intel Core i5 -430 M 2.26Ghz processor with 4GB of RAM. In addition, it also has a 500GB HDD and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 Graphics card. This ensures good video quality when you view your media or even want to play games. 


The OS is Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit which is responsive and works without hassles most of the time. But, if you open more than six applications and then try to watch a movie, it will start to freeze. 
Like Nvidia's optimus technology, this too, has two graphic processing units (GPUs) which switch between high performance and low to give you optimal performance for computing. What Nvidia Optimus does is switch to a high performance GPU, that is ATI, when it has to run programmes with high graphic content and switch to the Intel GPU for the low menial computational tasks. 


But then, you will have to do this manually as it doesn't switch automatically. If you are a new user, you wouldn't even probably know it's there as Acer has not mentioned this anywhere. A dedicated switch would have been better. 
Regarding the actual workings of the switch, Acer recommends that you shut down all applications before you switch to GPU. If you switch without shutting down your programmes, the screen freezes. The 2 GPUS are a pain to switch on. They do their job but with a lot of hiccups. 


All standard forms of connectivity are present -- USB, HDMI out, Ethernet, standard headphone jack and Wi-Fi. Multimedia is a pleasure to view on this laptop as it supports full HD in 1080p in 16:9. The speakers are pretty good too and enhance the sound via Virtual Surround Sound making it slightly better than the speakers on most laptops. 


Is the Acer Timeline X AS4820T worth your money? Yes, it looks good. But, the average performance of the GPU switch is what brings it down. If you want a good looking laptop which you can flaunt in the boardroom and will only use it for basic tasks without the headache of switching between the 2 GPUs, this could be a good pick. 

More here>>>

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Top 5 Qwerty Phones to Choose From

Full QWERTY cellphones offer the comfort of quick and easy typing to those looking for a handset that is ideal for using messenger services or writing emails. These new breed of phones not only come with dedicated buttons, but also offer spacious keyboard for drafting long messages and emails.

Below is a list of top 5 full QWERTY handsets from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Acer, BlackBerry and Palm.

1) Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro

The X10 Mini Pro is the smallest of all and could be the dinkiest smartphone you might have ever handled. A flick of a thumb is enough to slide the screen up with a satisfying snap to reveal the surprisingly roomy QWERTY.

It has so far proved to be a fine platform for speedtyping, but those who want to work with larger digits, may find it more challenging. Beneath the responsive capacitive touchscreen is an Android-based interface, which has been tweaked to accommodate the small screen size. If you have previously been put off QWERTY handsets for their size, the Mini Pro could change that for sure.

Verdict: A lesson in smartphone miniaturisation that is incredibly user-friendly.

Specifications:

OS: Android 1.6;

Display: 2.6-in, 320x240 capacitive touchscreen;

Camera/video: 5MP/VGA@ 30fps;

Storage: 128MB + microSD;

Battery: 3.5hrs talk, 360hrs standby

2) Palm Pixi Plus

This entry-level Pixi Plus is a multitasking demon, thanks to Palm’s flexible webOS. No rival QWERTY handset can switch between applications and features so smoothly and fluidly.

It is quite slim, light and well built, and while the keyboard looks cramped it is great to use. The soft rubbery domes are very tactile, you get dedicated full stop and comma keys, and the phone’s slender profile means you can easily tap out messages one-handed. This frees your other hand to use the responsive capacitive touchscreen or the gesture pad.

Verdict: This multitasking smartphone has more appeal than its entry-level status suggests.

Specifications:

OS: webOS 1.4.1;

Display: 2.63in, 320x400;

Camera/video: 2MP/VGA@ 30fps;

Storage: 8GB;

Battery: 5.2hrs talk, 350hrs standby

3) Acer's Neotouch P300

The Acer’s 3.2-inch widescreen display is an absolute beauty. Unfortunately, this Windows Mobile-powered phone doesn’t follow through with performance to match. The sliding keyboard is spacious and geared for drafting long messages and emails.

Flush to the surface with an almost pressurepad action, each key is distinguishable by a smooth rubberised finish. The same can not be said of the resistive touchscreen. It copes fine with aggressive taps on the main menu icons, but swipe and scroll and it becomes temperamental.

Go off-road from the main menu and you will be grabbing the stylus to negotiate the fiddly sub-menus. Also, the processor seems to have trouble if you throw it a quick volley of taps or swipes, needing time to catch up. Ultimately this lack of response overshadows the fairly impressive set of features.

Verdict: A great QWERTY is let down by a moody touchscreen and sluggish processor

Specifications:

OS: Windows Mobile 6.5;

Display: 3.2in, 240x400;

Camera/video: 3.2MP/320x240@30fps;

Storage256MB+microSD;

Battery: 4.4hrs talk, 400hrs standby

4) BlackBerry 9700 Bold

In terms of design and ergonomics, the BlackBerry’s keyboard is the finest on test. Inspired by the frets on a guitar, it has reasonable-sized keys that are ridged to help your thumbs keep their bearings.

It’s a pleasure to use and great for instinctive typing, even in the absence of standalone punctuation keys. Like the Nokia E72, the Bold is a traditional messenger, so there’s no touchscreen but there is a touchsensitive optical trackpad. Teamed with its splendid keyboard, for pure messaging the BlackBerry is hard to beat.

Verdict: Its thumb-friendly keyboard makes this BlackBerry a top-class messenger

Specifications:

OS: BlackBerry 5.0;

Display: 2.4in, 480x360;

Camera/video: 3.2MP/480x352@30fps;

Storage: 256MB + microSD;

Battery: 6hrs talk, 408hrs standby

5) Nokia E72 

The E72’s multimedia skills beat all the others here. It’s very stylishly built, flaunting an elongated profile and a robust metallic rear battery bonnet. The keyboard’s domed buttons (which include dedicated punctuation keys) are easy on the thumbs, feeling almost ceramic to the touch, although not as distinct as the BlackBerry’s.

The Symbian S60 interface is a bit dated but highly customizable. The push email set-up rivals the BlackBerry for ease of use, and while Nokia’s Ovi Store isn’t overflowing, it offers a decent choice of apps and games to download.

Verdict: With outstanding media and SMS talents, the E72 is the best all-round QWERTY phone

Specifications:

OS: Symbian Series 60;

Display: 2.4in, 320x240;

Camera/video: 5MP/VGA@ 15fps:

Storage: 250MB + microSD;

Battery 6hrs talk, 576hrs standby

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