The smartphone evolution
Mobile Vikings
To buy a smartphone but not to have instant internet access .. would be a loss. So looking at three big mobile players of Belgium I had recovered this information. I wanted a cheap subscription or prepaid.
Proximus: € 4,99 / hour + 0,42 per 5 minutes (why do they charge on time and not data?)
Mobistar: € 15 / 500MB
Base: € 10 / 500mb
From those charts I would have chosen Base, considering they are the cheapest and in about 4 months they will also have 3G available everywhere. But a friend had given me the advise to have a look at the newest Telecom provider in Belgium, Mobile Vikings (using Base network).
This is what MV offers:
free 1000 sms, free 1 GB and 62 minutes calling credit. (sms & internet is 'free' so it is valid over a periode of 30 days)
If you are interested to join the Mobile Vikings, click this link to join. When you share this personal link the owner will get a free recharge. Which is a great way to expand of course.
Side note: I ordered my SIM card 27th of July and got it by mail 29th, activation was done after one hour.
Unboxing the gear
Unpacking is my favourite part of ordering something new, waiting while recharging is slightly irritating!
Camera test
I'm used to a DSLR so ... but the camera is okay to capture some fun moments.
Yours trulyJanuary 2007, Apple introduces the iPhone, a revolutionary utility which combines a cellphone, iPod and PDA. Anno 2010 there are several hundred applications available for the iPhone (free or to pay for), some have value others are just fun to have. As counterpart for Apple's Mac OS Google launches its very own mobile OS, open source Google Android (linux and java javascript:void(0)based). Beginning of this year was marked as another milestone for Google in the mobile world, the launch of its Nexus One, a high end smartphone which competes directly with the iPhone)
The choice
It is by the way real easy to get your new toy synced with both my Gmail, Facebook and Twitter accounts. So that being said, let's have a look at some specifications.
HTC Wildfire, a €269 smartphone launched May 2010, has following specs.
The main contra I had read about this phone was the screen. So I would like to clear up things about the so called, pixelated screen.
The screen is capacitive multi-touchscreen of 3.2 inch, resolution 240x320 QVGA. So yes, the resolution isn't what we are used to from the HTC Hero or HTC Legend, but we pay up to 150 euros less. So in my opinion HTC has done a magnificent job on cutting the costs and still offer a performing phone. I think the screen is fine for people for whom it is intended, it is after all a budget smartphone. A bit higher resolution had been sweeter but honestly doesn't bother me that much. I thought for € 269 this was the best phone available.
The choice
Why no iPhone? I don't like the price, that's one of the biggest reasons. I never had any considerations to buy an iPod because I always find other, equal in performance, possibilities. My mp3 player, Samsung YP-T10 4GB, had sharp price of €70 whilst the iPod would have cost €120.
Being an IT specialist I like gadgets. Especially those with potential room to expand, open source opens that potential room to the community. Later on, when I got used to this phone, I will have a look at the available documentation to write application/widgets myself. (Later on there will be a "Android applications" post)It is by the way real easy to get your new toy synced with both my Gmail, Facebook and Twitter accounts. So that being said, let's have a look at some specifications.
HTC Wildfire, a €269 smartphone launched May 2010, has following specs.
- Weight 120 grams
- Processor speed 500MHz
- OS Android 2.1
- Intern RAM/ROM 384/512
- 2GB MicroSD included
- Network possibilities GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- GPS
- 5MP camera with built-in flash
The main contra I had read about this phone was the screen. So I would like to clear up things about the so called, pixelated screen.
The screen is capacitive multi-touchscreen of 3.2 inch, resolution 240x320 QVGA. So yes, the resolution isn't what we are used to from the HTC Hero or HTC Legend, but we pay up to 150 euros less. So in my opinion HTC has done a magnificent job on cutting the costs and still offer a performing phone. I think the screen is fine for people for whom it is intended, it is after all a budget smartphone. A bit higher resolution had been sweeter but honestly doesn't bother me that much. I thought for € 269 this was the best phone available.
Mobile Vikings
To buy a smartphone but not to have instant internet access .. would be a loss. So looking at three big mobile players of Belgium I had recovered this information. I wanted a cheap subscription or prepaid.
Proximus: € 4,99 / hour + 0,42 per 5 minutes (why do they charge on time and not data?)
Mobistar: € 15 / 500MB
Base: € 10 / 500mb
From those charts I would have chosen Base, considering they are the cheapest and in about 4 months they will also have 3G available everywhere. But a friend had given me the advise to have a look at the newest Telecom provider in Belgium, Mobile Vikings (using Base network).
This is what MV offers:
free 1000 sms, free 1 GB and 62 minutes calling credit. (sms & internet is 'free' so it is valid over a periode of 30 days)
If you are interested to join the Mobile Vikings, click this link to join. When you share this personal link the owner will get a free recharge. Which is a great way to expand of course.
Side note: I ordered my SIM card 27th of July and got it by mail 29th, activation was done after one hour.
Unboxing the gear
Unpacking is my favourite part of ordering something new, waiting while recharging is slightly irritating!
Camera test
I'm used to a DSLR so ... but the camera is okay to capture some fun moments.
-Yuu Tency
