HTC to use S-LCD due to AMOLED Shortages

It seems like the Samsung Super AMOLED screen is in short supply forcing HTC to start looking at S-LCD screens manufactured by Sony and Samsung in a joint venture.

From what we understand the HTC Desire, HTC Droid Incredible and Google Nexus One will soon be supplied with one or the other type of screen. From the tests HTC performed the company says that there isn’t really any difference that regular users will notice although somehow it seems they will need to notify customers some how to what type of screen is to be found in the phone. [Read more…]

BlackBerry Curve 9300 Prototype Tested

TechnoBuffalo Managed to get hold of a prototype model of the BlackBerry Curve 9300 to give it a quick test. The smartphone it’s self has yet to be announced.

The prototype currently runs BlackBerry OS 5 but will hopefully ship with OS 6 when launched.

Changes on the Curve 9300 show that it has an optical trackpad, flush control buttons as well as media controls on the top. A new volume rocker is also to be found on the side. [Read more…]

iPhone 4 Reception Problems Could be Fixed in iOS 4.0.1 – Rumour

Many reports have come out since the launch of the iPhone 4 the other day saying that the device loses or drops most of the signal when holding the phone in a particular way. This is something we have seen ourselves and simply happens when bridging the gap on the bottom left of the device.

The response Apple [AAPL] has provided in the last couple of days ranges from advice to hold your iPhone 4 differently to blaming it on the network carriers side.

Rumours are now indicating that the problem could actually be fixed with a software update that could arrive as early as Monday. Around the internet, the reports seem to blame it on the construction of the antennae which basically use your body to bridge the gap between the two. This bridging the gap might not be the real cause of the problem and more of a symptom of a problem within the software that handles connectivity to networks. [Read more…]

Motorola DROID X Pre-Orders at Best Buy Now Available

Best Buy has announced that they are now (as of today) offering the Motorola DROID X on pre-order.

The Motorola DROID X became official just a couple of days ago and will be available to buy as of July 15.

“With the buzz we’ve seen around the Android platform, Best Buy is confident that consumers will be thrilled about the Verizon DROID X by Motorola pre-sale,” said Scott Anderson, senior director of merchandising at Best Buy Mobile. “It has been a great summer for smartphones with the HTC EVO and iPhone 4 launches, and the addition of the DROID X adds another strong option for our customers to consider.”

[Read more…]

RIM to Launch Two BlackBerry Phones before August

RIM are launching two new phones before August this year it is believed. One of the two BlackBerry devices will be a slider.

It isn’t know what two devices are launching just yet, but we suspect they will run BlackBerry OS 6.0.

Other information reveals that 11.2 million phones have been shipped according to their latest quarterly financial report. That’s 11.2 million phones in a 3 month period which is 43 percent up from this time last year. [Read more…]

Windows Phone 7 Release Date – Coming October 2010?

Microsoft [MSFT] recently spoke at an advertisers event. The video shows that the presentation was mainly about advertising on Windows Phone 7 devices and how it will all work. Features such as being able to link direct to the Windows Market Place so advertisers can send people direct to the application in the store.

An interesting bit of information that was mentioned was a release date. Mich Mathews (the Microsoft VP for marketing) comments later on in the video that the Windows Phone 7 release date will be October. This isn’t the first time we have seen this date and in fact, a badly put together poster just last week also revealed October was the release month for Windows Phone 7. [Read more…]

Motorola DROID X Announced

Motorola a few days ago announced the Motorola DROID X. The DROID X has a 4.3 inch widescreen display, runs a 1GHz processor and is Flash 10.1 ready.

Features on the DROID X include a 1GHz processor and 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities as well as “loads of memory” as Motorola word it.

The Motorola DROID X will run Adobe Flash Player 10.1 when launched which for some will give it the edge on the iPhone 4. [Read more…]

iPhone 4 Hands-On

Yesterday we managed to get hold of an iPhone 4 to test and see what it’s like compared to other phones such as Android devices as well as a comparison versus the older iPhone 3GS.

Apple [AAPL] has finally changed the design of the iPhone with the new iPhone 4. Previously the iPhone original, 3G and 3GS only had slight cosmetic changes. The iPhone 4 has a complete redesign and I happen to quite like it.

It’s completely flat on the back unlike previous models. The back is covered in hardened glass and has a transparent bit of glass where the 5 megapixel lens and the flash can be found (note the improved camera and the addition of a flash… more on this later in the iPhone 4 review that we will be posting soon). [Read more…]

How to fix iPhone 4 Reception Issues

Quite a few people are posting on the internet that they are having problems with holding their iPhone 4 and losing signal. I have experienced this too and it isn’t just something that happens occasionally, it actually happens each and every time I hold my iPhone 4.

The problem essentially is to do with the part of the antenna around the black bar on the bottom left of the phone. If your hand bridges that gap between the two antennas then the signal just dies. For me, I bridge that gap each time I use email, send a text message and browse on the web… basically every time I use the phone for anything other than making calls. When making calls it doesn’t effect me just because I grip the two edges of the phone and not the area around the black bar. [Read more…]

iMovie for iPhone 4 Now Available

Apple [AAPL] launched the iPhone 4 today. Along with that launch the iMovie app for the smartphone was also launched. The iMovie app is for iPhone 4 only and costs $4.99 to buy.

The app allows you to create HD movies and edit them whilst on the move. A number of transitions have been included allowing you to create effects between two videos or between two segments on a video.

Made for Multi-Touch.

* Tap to add or record video right into your project.
* Drag to trim the lengths of video clips and photos.
* Pinch to zoom the timeline and get a closer look.
* Slide to scrub through the video in your project.

[Read more…]

HTC EVO 4G Update Coming Next Week – Rumour

BGR is reporting that the HTC EVO 4G is due to get a minor update next week that will fix a few issues. The first fix is for WiFi where improvements will be made. At this point we assume to reliability and connection speeds.

The update will also provide a fix for Exchange Active Sync where the service will be improved. Here we assume it will also work quicker. Exchange Server 2010 Calendar Sync will also be included along with PIN policy usage.

Finally an issue with a social networking sync issue with Facebook will be fixed which should help battery life on the device. [Read more…]

Swype to Arrive on 50 Smartphones This Year

Swype is an alternate text entry system for mobile phones. The system works by you sliding your finger across a virtual keyboard to spell words. The company claim it is far quicker to do text entry with Swype than it is with a standard virtual keyboard.

We now hear that the company expect to see Swype on 50 smartphones by the end of 2010 with about 90% of those being powered by the Google [GOOG] operating system called Android.

Earlier reports today indicated that Swype was on it’s way to the Apple [AAPL] iPhone although this isn’t happening just yet and it isn’t clear if Apple would approve such software as it replaces one of the main features of the device. [Read more…]