Working in the mobile industry, you get used to learning a whole new language of technical terms and acronyms. For even the casual observer, terms like GPRS, MMS, SMS and 3G will have some kind of meaning. Then there are newer terms such as HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA, all relating to new technology that allows for faster data transfer across the 3G network, something that is commonly known as Mobile Broadband.

Over the last 18 months or so, network usage for mobile data has rocketed, and there has been a real fear that the mobile networks cannot handle the strain that data users are requesting, so much so that we have already had announcements from O2, apologising for the lack of data connectivity in city hotspots. This data usage has been driven by devices such as the iPhone, handsets that make web browsing so easy that anyone can do it. And, it seems, anyone and everyone is! Although this is putting a strain on existing networks, all of the major companies are working on improving the technology used to improve data services, and very soon people are going to be talking seriously about 4G fourth generation networks as an imminent reality, rather than a long term pipe dream.

In fact, just recently O2 have been trialling 4G technology in and around the Slough area, with some very favourable results. 4G technology is also known as LTE, or Long Term Evolution. Rather than a replacement for GSM technology as UMTS was, LTE is designed to build upon and improve the data capacities of existing UMTS networks. Working in partnership with Huwaei, who are active in the industry as a main supplier of mobile broadband dongles, as well as mobile phones, data connections have been achieved by O2 on their test network with downloads clocked at up to 150Mbps. This compares favourably with existing HSDPA technology which tends to top out at 7.5Mbps, so is pretty impressive stuff.

Which all sounds well and good, but what is the point? I mean, for voice the main requirement is clarity of call rather than speed, and the other main thing people use their phones for, text messaging, the data speed improvements mean little. The whole idea around 4G is improving access to media content when away from your home PC. It is an ideal that many can see would be nice to have, the ability to record a high definition video clip on your mobile device and send it in an instant to a friend, either onto their handset directly, or via email, or uploaded to one of the many popular social networking sites. Alternatively for that long haul plane flight, which has just been delayed for take off, you can download a HD film from an online vendor to watch on your journey or whilst waiting to board the flight. Or how about live gaming across the network? And this is just a few examples of the kind of services 4G networks would open up to the consumer.

Whilst in some countries there are already active LTE networks in place, in the UK none of the major networks have officially announced a launch date for 4G. It is most likely that when the next generation of mobile networks do launch, the initial way to access the improved data network will be via a dongle, connected to a laptop. There are currently no 4G enabled handsets around, and whilst manufacturers will be working hard at bringing such devices to market, I can imagine that options such as battery life are causing concern.

But once these technical issues have been resolved, we could find the dream handsets of 2011 and beyond will be those that can offer access to the new technology, with facility for downloading high definition broadcasts on the move, recording top quality video clips and sharing them with friends and family in an instant. What seemed like an ideal once is looking more likely to become reality, and it isn’t so far away.

Glossary

GPRS – General Packet Radio Service – One of the first options on a GSM network that offered high speed data services, commonly known as 2.5G

MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service, or picture messaging

SMS – Short Message Service, text messaging

GSM – Global Standard for Mobile communication – digital technology that replaced the original analogue networks, and made things like global roaming a possibility. Certain countries use different transmission frequencies, hence tri band or quad band devices that work on all frequencies.

UMTS – Universal Mobile Telephone Service, third generation mobile technology that brought us the term 3G. Third generation after analogue and GSM

HSDPA – High Speed Download Packet Access, also known as mobile broadband. Makes downloading and streaming video content from the web a more enjoyable experience.

HSUPA – High Speed Upload Packet Access, sister technology to HSDPA, for allowing faster uploads of content from your device to the web.

HSPA – High Speed Packet Access, umbrella technology that indicates a device has both HSDPA and HSUPA in place.

LTE – Long Term Evolution, technology that will enhance the capabilities of existing UMTS networks

4G – Fourth generation technology for mobile networks, a common term that will apply to a whole host of data speed improvements.

Following in the footsteps of the Xperia X1 and X2, Sony Ericsson have announced the forthcoming release of the Aspen, the third Windows Mobile powered device from the Swedish/Japanese manufacturer. The device is expected to release during Q2 2010, and in some markets will also be known as the Sony Ericsson Faith. Aimed at the business market, the Aspen packs in a whole host of top end features designed to keep you in touch on the go.

The Aspen comes under the now familiar Greenheart banner, a range of handsets from Sony Ericsson that deliver top end mobile technology utilising eco friendly materials. This means the majority of the device is constructed from recycled material, whilst the packaging itself is kept to an absolute minimum. Also, you will not find a manual in the box; this will be stored on the phone in .pdf format. A useful tip for this is when you get your phone, copy the .pdf file to your PC, because if you need to access the manual and your phone is not working, it can be a bit of a pain having to hunt for the manual online. Another element of the Greenheart ethos is using waterborne paint on the handset, which has better environmental credentials.

The Sony Ericsson Aspen is a candybar style device, looking similar in design to a traditional BlackBerry, or Nokia E71. There is a full, four row, QWERTY keyboard on the handset, above which sit the menu Navi Key, soft option keys and call send/end keys. The display on the device is a resistive touchscreen, TFT, measuring 2.4 inches across and supporting up to 16 million colours. The fact that the QVGA display is touchscreen is a real bonus, allowing you to interact with the device either via the keypad or directly through the screen, and as the screen is a resistive display, it will work with a stylus and there is support for handwriting recognition included. As with most modern phones, the display has an auto rotate feature, which comes into its own when using the device for web browsing, and the user interface includes support for the Sony Ericsson panels, found previously on the X1 and X2.

The Aspen is a well connected phone, with quad band GSM support for solid worldwide coverage. Data transfer on the phone is handled via HSPA, for mobile broadband speed downloads and uploads on the phone, plus there is also support for WiFi 802.11b/g. This is all backed up with Class 10 EDGE and GPRS, and the device also supports Bluetooth 2.1, with A2DP. For connecting to a PC, the handset uses a Micro USB connector, and onboard storage sits at 100MB. This can be expanded via MicroSD memory cards, with the Aspen able to handle up to 16GB. The basic retail package ships with a 4GB memory card.

All the major messaging suites are supported on the Aspen, to further enhance the business credentials of this device. As well as email and push email, there is support for instant messaging, as well as onboard applications for Skype, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The Aspen also includes Pocket Office, allowing you to view a variety of office documents on the phone, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and .pdf files. But the Aspen isn’t all work, and as we’d hope for on a high spec handset, there is a full media player included, with support for WMA, MP3 and AAC audio files, plus WMV, MP4, H.264 and H.263 video files, and Sony Ericsson have also included a stereo FM radio with RDS support.

Imaging on the handset is capably managed by a point ‘n’ shoot 3.2 Megapixel camera, which has support for smart contrast, and is also enabled for video recording. A GPS receiver is built into the phone, with support for aGPS included, and the device will ship with Google Maps pre-installed.

All round the Sony Ericsson Aspen is a solid device, and has a lot to offer the business user on the move. But more than that, the device would be equally comfortable for someone who likes to keep in touch via social networking and email, all services well supported on the device. Whether the Aspen has enough to hold some of the limelight for itself against some of the handset we expect to be announced this month, though, remains to be seen.

Thumbs up to Nokia, really creative, getting everyone involved, great idea.

e2save have announced 2 online voucher codes and will be releasing similar discount codes on a weekly basis, so watch this space for updates. The most recent codes are below, simply compare mobile deals via our comparison platform, continue to checkout and enter the code at the basket stage.

This weeks voucher codes from e2save:

Code FREEDEL ,this provides free delivery on all pay as you go handsets from e2save, code expires Friday 5th February 2010.

Code FREEJAB ,enter this code for a free Jabra 2050 bluetooth headset when you purchase a Samsung Tocco Lite, Nokia N97 Mini or Blackberry 8520 Curve with an Orange contract, code expires Friday 5th February 2010.

Being in my mid to late thirties, I can remember life before mobile phones. So it never fails to amuse me when I hear from people, who are of a similar age to me, who have to be parted from their phones for a few days. It amuses me, not because I enjoy seeing people upset, but it invokes in me the thought of how we used to cope before mobile came into being.

I change my phone regularly; I find that having a good understanding of the varied mobile operating systems around helps when I try out a new device. For years I’ve been a fan of the S60 OS, these days I find that Android is my favourite. I also use an iPhone regularly, and occasionally BlackBerry devices too, plus the ‘standard’ phone operating systems like Nokia S40 and the general Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG offerings. By far the operating system I dislike the most is Windows Mobile, although to be fair HTC have done good work in laying a decent UI on a pretty naff OS.

Right now I’m using a Nokia N86, a handset that before it came out I was sure I would enjoy using, but first time round I didn’t have the best experience, and within a few days the handset was sold, and I was on to the next model. One of the issues was the phone turning itself off, something I thought was caused by a bug in the dodgy S60 software on the device however I now think there may have been a battery issue. Anyway, the N86 I’m using right now is behaving much better, although the same dreary S60 UI is still a bit of a drag. The new UI S60 is supposed to be delivering isn’t due for another 12 months or so, either!

Anyway, it was after a conversation with a chap the other day that set me thinking about the way we use our phones these days. I was arranging to get his phone repaired, and he was distraught at the thought of not being able to use his device. It would only take about four days to get his phone sent off, repaired and sent back, which is quite quick, yet he lamented that he ‘couldn’t live without his phone’, how he ‘wouldn’t be able to survive’. Strong sentiments, yet he was serious, the thought of losing his device, if only for a few days, caused him great distress.

All of this set me thinking, about how integrated mobile phones are in our lives, and how much we really are dependant on them. And this led me to ponder on how much I use my phone in a typical day. Now, before we get into that, just a quick point – one of the main issues this chap with the broken phone had was losing all his content (basically the phone wouldn’t turn on, and he had never done a backup of his names and numbers, not even to his sim….) This is something we have mentioned before, and I’m not ashamed to still be banging the same old drum. Back up your phone. Seriously, if you have names and numbers you can’t afford to lose, and pictures that are of sentimental value, and messages you want to keep, then back them up! Keeping all that content in one place is just asking for trouble.

Different handsets offer different ways of keeping your content safe, either storing it online or to your PC. Back up, at least once a month. Changing handsets regularly as I do, I keep all pictures and music on my PC, and just copy the folders across to my new phone. Names and numbers I have stored with Google, which synchronises with most phones I use (some handsets easier than others, admittedly) but the 20 or so important numbers are on my SIM. Back up your content, or lose it.

Anyway, my day with my mobile phone:

I don’t use a watch anymore, nor do I have an electronic alarm clock. My phone takes care of both of those for me, and the alarm is one feature I use every day. One thing I like about the N86 is I can set the snooze time on my phone, very handy. Another nifty feature on the phone is timed profiles. After setting my phone to the night profile, it will automatically switch back to the profile that was active before at the time I set it to. Otherwise, one thing that I commonly forget to do is to turn my phone back to the general profile, which usually means missed calls and texts.

Once up and ready, I’ll check my email, and reply to what is necessary, and then check in to my Twitter account and Facebook. After leaving home, the first port of call on a typical day is Church, and related to my forgetfulness of selecting the right profile for my phone is the dread of forgetting to activate the silent profile on my phone when in Church. Thankfully, the N86 provides a solution, albeit via third party app, which ties in with the calendar on my phone, another feature that I use regularly, which means no need for a standard diary. The calendar on my phone rules my life; otherwise I’d forget where I need to be, what time, and what day! By using an application called Best Profiles, I can set the phone to automatically switch to silent every day when Mass is on, if I set the Mass schedule in the calendar. And that is easily done as once I have set Mass for a day it is then set to repeat weekly. Best Profiles can also be set to switch to a certain calling profile based on your location, too, and is a handy application to have. It is one of the applications that I install without fail when using a S60 handset.

I still use a phone for its main purpose, making and receiving calls, and here there is another app that comes in very handy, Advanced Call Manager. This allows me to set up blacklists of numbers I don’t want to take calls from, or whitelists of always acceptable numbers, or just block numbers on a random basis. For example, if a withheld or private number calls, Advanced Call Manager dumps these calls straight to voicemail. Generally these types of calls are not important, and I can respond at my leisure once I’ve heard the voice message.

And that is generally what I use on a daily basis on my phone, email, calendar, calls, text, and checking Facebook and Twitter on the move. And whilst most devices these days connect well enough to Twitter, Facebook and Email, and generally have some kind of PIM system, I always miss auto changing profiles, call management, and snooze control on handsets that don’t offer these options.

Aside from this there are the features which I do use regularly, but not daily. A phone with GPS and SatNav capabilities comes in handy from time to time, and if it’s not Nokia Maps then I always use Google Maps, which are both excellent applications. The camera is a great option and I like to snap pics and share them with friends via email. And then there is the music player, sometimes I listen to the radio, and occasionally I browse the web, too.

So in all, the humble ‘mobile phone’ offers so much it is easy to see why people feel so upset about being without access to a device, even if it is for just a few days. Personally, what I would miss the most is the alarm clock and calendar, but I don’t feel as attached to my handset as others seem to. There are moments, even whole days, when the most welcome feature on my mobile phone is the off button!

Let us know how much you depend on your mobile phone and how would you cope without it? in comments below.

Sony Ericsson need to produce some amazing handsets during 2010, because truth be told, over the last few years the handsets delivered under the Sony Ericsson name have usually been one of two things, either uninspiring or unreliable! Which is a shame, because handsets like the Sony Ericsson Satio deserve to be premium products with a loyal fanbase, and quite frankly the market needs Sony Ericsson, inspiring and pushing the competition, the same way the market needs the rejuvenated Motorola to do well, keeping the likes of Nokia and HTC, LG and Samsung on their toes. The end result will be we the consumer benefit.

One of the new range of handsets coming in 2010 from Sony Ericsson is the Vivaz. This is another handset running on the S60 v5 platform, similar to the Satio. The main focus of the Vivaz is enabling the easy production and sharing of user generated content, high quality images and video, which can be shared via messaging and the web with family, friends, and anyone else that happens to pass by in Cyberspace. The Vivaz will be available in a range of striking colours, including Silver Moon, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby. The handset has a large, 3.2 inch TFT touchscreen, supporting up to 16 million colours and with a pixel resolution of 360 x 640. The device itself isn’t overly large, measuring 107 x 52 x 12.5mm, and weighing in at 97g. This compares well with the Satio, which was a rather large device. The Vivaz is shorter, narrower, slightly slimmer and almost 30g lighter, making it much easier on a trouser or jacket pocket.

The device is equipped with an 8.0 Megapixel camera, supporting autofocus, with touch focus, face and smile detection and geotagging. There is a flash, but it is only an LED flash, not Xenon. Past experience with Sony Ericsson devices suggests that the image quality should be optimal, but imaging is only half the story with the Vivaz. For a while now manufacturers have been pushing the still imaging functionality of their phones, and it is about time the same emphasis was put on video capture. To this end the Vivaz will offer the option to capture video clips in HD quality, with a resolution of 1280 x 720, and the video recorder supports continuous auto focus for the perfect video clip every time.

The connectivity options on the Vivaz leave nothing to be desired, as everything you could want in a modern mobile device is included. The device is a quad band GSM phone for complete roaming coverage in all GSM countries and for data the Vivaz utilises HSPA, with uploads at up to 2Mbps and downloads at up to 10.2Mbps supported on the phone. Class 10 GPRS and EDGE support backs this up when outside 3G coverage, and the handset also includes WiFi 802.11 b/g with support for DLNA which should mean integrating your device into an already existing WLAN should be a simple process. For local connectivity the Vivaz supports Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, and there is, almost uniquely for a Sony Ericsson device, a MicroUSB port for connecting to a PC.

Of course, all of this connectivity serves to enable the easy sharing of content with all the main social networking and imaging sites, so expect full support for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, and so on. The Vivaz has a full messaging suite on the phone, allowing you to access push email on the device, with support for multiple accounts. Very often these days email is the forgotten communication option on a phone, with the focus so much on social networking sites, but devices like the Vivaz utilise a simple email setup so within minutes you can record video or take a picture and be emailing it to friends and family in an instant.

As much as it is a functional tool, the Vivaz is also a pocket entertainment device. Naturally full web access is available on the phone, so you can browse your favourite websites on the move, plus the Vivaz boasts a complete media package to make the hours pass quicker on long journeys. The music player on the handset has support for multiple audio formats, and visually presents well on the large screen with support for album art. There is ample storage available for music, as well as video and captured content, with the Vivaz using MicroSD memory cards, and supporting up to 16GB, with an 8GB card included in the final retail package (network operator differences may apply) The video player is also well featured, supporting many video codecs, the only real disappointment here is the lack of support for DivX and XviD files.

Being a S60 handset, all the benefits of that operating system are included, allowing you to add additional features to the device by installing third party software, such as the excellent Opera browser or Google maps. The Vivaz includes a GPS receiver, and supports aGPS for location based services, and the device ships with Wisepilot SatNav software, offering a free trial to the full package for a selected period.

So the Sony Ericsson Vivaz stacks up to be a really excellent device, utilising all the best that is available in mobile technology, and pushing forward with excellent HD video capture. But so many times in the past we have come to expect so much from Sony Ericsson devices, which only ends in disappointment with poor software, and embarrassing moments when networks and retailers remove devices from sale. I truly hope that Sony Ericsson has learnt from past mistakes and that the Vivaz is able to deliver on what it promises, because what it promises is very appealing indeed.

Samsung are showing the love to low end prepay users with the launch of the Samsung C3510 Genoa. The C3510 is squarely aimed at the youth market, for young people moving onto their first prepay phone. Part of the colourful Corby/Genio range (The Corby Moniker is an abbreviation of Colour By, as in Colour By Samsung) the C3510 comes with a few surprising features as Samsung look to distinguish themselves from other manufacturers in the cut-throat budget prepay market.

The C3510 Genoa has a familiar look, in line with many other recent Genio devices; kind of oval in shape, with a smooth, rounded look, the C3510 has a 2.8 inch TFT touchscreen, with a resolution of 240 x 320, which supports up to 256,000 colours. It is a measure of the way the industry has progressed in recent months, that a ‘low end’ device ships with a 2.8 inch display; 18 months ago such large screens were the preserve of mighty smartphones like the Nokia N95 8GB. A nice touch on the C3510 is the inclusion of the Samsung Smart Unlock feature. This allows for the phone to be both unlocked and a pre-determined menu item or application opened, just by tracing a letter on the screen.

The C3510 is compact and lightweight, measuring 104 x 55 x 13mm, and weighing little more than 92g. An ideal device to have around as a ‘going out phone’, the handset has some nice options including a 3.5mm audio jack for using your own headset, plus the Genoa supports DNSe (Digital Natural Sound Engine) for excellent music audio quality. There isn’t a great deal of internal memory on the device, just 30MB, which is to be expected on a handset in this price range, but there is a memory card slot allowing the capacity to be expanded up to 8GB with the addition of a MicroSD Memory Card, offering ample storage for hundreds of music tracks. Multiple file formats are supported, including MP3, WMA and AAC, plus the media player can also play MP4, H.263 and H.264 video files. In addition the C3510 offers an inclusive Stereo FM Radio with RDS support, as well as an FM recorder, which allows you to record straight to the handset from the radio.

To give the phone further credibility with the youth market, the C3510 Genoa is a capable messaging device, with tight integration for the popular social networking sites, with live updates sent to the device. So far so good, the C3510 is shaping up to be a really decent handset, but keeping in mind the low entry price point it is only natural to look at where the cost savings have been made, and with the C3510 this is in the imaging capabilities and connectivity. The C3510 does have an integrated 1.3 Megapixel digital camera, however image quality isn’t great. Fine as a point n shoot camera, or for sending as MMS, but little more than that. The camera is capable of recording video, QCIF resolution at 15fps. Hardly YouTube quality, but again, for recording clips and sending via MMS it gets the job done.

The connectivity options for data are restricted to Class 10 GPRS and EDGE; there is neither HSDPA nor 3G here. Bluetooth 2.1 is included, and this also supports A2DP for stereo Bluetooth transmission, which is a welcome bonus.

As Samsung battle for market share, it is the success of handsets like the C3510 that will see them raise their status towards number one, rather than the headline grabbing smartphones. The Genoa C3510 is well set with a competent range of features, and is set to be popular among a wide range of consumers when it launches, which is expected to be during Q1 2010.

It has been a tough period for Nokia over the last 12 – 18 months. Although still the market leader in mobile phones, very slowly the lead they have over the competition has been eroded away as manufacturers like Samsung flood the market with capable devices that compare favourably with price and functionality to Nokia devices in similar market segments.

Then there are HTC, providing amazing smartphones running Windows Mobile and Android, manufactured either under their own name or rebranded for others. Then  LG, the re-emerging Motorola, and Sony Ericsson, who despite problems of their own with unreliable software still produce some promising devices. And that’s not to mention the hype driven Apple machine, the iPhone with its super smooth user interface making everything else seem old and clunky by comparison.

Old and clunky are two words that rather fit the S60 user interface found on N Series and E Series handsets, as well as some more mid range devices. If Nokia are going to remain number one, then changes are required. We know that they are looking at a fresh UI for the S60 devices, but they still need something else, something that will help further differentiate them from the competition, something uniquely offered by Nokia.

And it may be they have just delivered that ‘something’.

GPS is nothing new on a mobile phone, many a mid range device includes GPS these days, and it really is a required feature for any top of the range smartphone. GPS is available on a wide selection of Nokia devices, N Series, E Series, and others like some Xpress Music devices and mid range 6xxx handsets, and Nokia also provide their own mapping solution for SatNav. Nokia Maps, now rebranded as OVI Maps, offers something that others can’t, a complete mapping solution on a mobile device. Sure, other manufacturers can offer devices with a third party mapping solution, and there is always the excellent Google Maps, but with these there are issues, such as licensing costs after free trials or data costs.

Nokia OVI Maps has always had an edge in offering a complete package, which can be downloaded to a PC and side-loaded onto the device, giving complete access to maps without incurring charges for streaming data. I always despaired at people who would sign up to a new Nokia device, only to subscribe to some sub standard network offering that generally incurred a recurring monthly charge, when Nokia Maps offered a much better solution.

Pretty much the only charge involved with Nokia Maps was the license for utilising voice activated turn by turn navigation, and traffic alerts or city guides. Well, now even *that* is free. For ever. Not a special promotion, not a limited time deal, Nokia are going to be giving access to customers with compatible devices, free maps, free traffic alerts, free navigation, free city guides, free now, and free forever.

This really is a big deal. Now on your handheld device you can use navigation, and it won’t cost. I think this will really take well with people who like to travel. Just download a map for the country or city you are travelling to and that’s it. You are ready to go. To start off with the new OVI Maps is compatible with the Nokia X6, N97 Mini, E72, E55, E52, 6730 Classic, 6710 Navigator, 5800 Xpress Music and 5230. More devices are expected to be added over the coming weeks and months, as for some products the installer needs to be optimised for available internal memory. Included in the free package are free drive navigation, free walk navigation, free maps and map updates, free event guides, free Lonely Planet guides and free Michelin guides. With such a complete offering, not only will it give Nokia a huge competitive advantage over rival manufacturers, it will also impact on sales of bespoke SatNav units, and all of a sudden, the money you pay to SatNav companies to get their software on your phone seems very expensive indeed.

As someone with an interest in the mobile industry, the coming months are going to be interesting to observe, as the large manufacturers manoeuvre their position to gain a competitive advantage within the industry. As a consumer, I take delight in being able to enjoy the fruits of competition. Now my ‘mobile phone’ is not just my alarm clock, and my music player, and my camera, it is a full SatNav package, too. And all for free.

One of the big news stories for 2010 is the continued growth of Android powered devices. Android allows manufacturers to produce high end smartphone style handsets, which usually sell for a premium price, for a lower cost. Whilst some Android devices will still retain a high cost to consumers, there are signs that Android devices will come to market at a more mid range price, giving smartphone access to a wider audience. The LG GT540 pricing is still not confirmed, but in LG’s words it is a product that is designed to be an introduction to touchscreen based smartphones for consumers, which would indicate an accessible price, especially for the prepay market where smartphone penetration is still rather low.

The LG GT540 made its debut at the recent CES event in Las Vegas. The Consumer Electronic Show is the largest consumer technology tradeshow, and showcases a whole host of consumer electricals, not just mobile phones. The dimensions of the GT540 are not yet confirmed, but it seems from pictures and video to be a good sized mid range device. Sporting a 3 inch TFT touchscreen, supporting up to 256,000 colours, the display has a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels. Accelerometer support is included, allowing the display to auto rotate, useful for web browsing and playing games. The top and bottom of the handset are very curved, a pleasing look, reminiscent of some Sony Ericsson devices. The device will be available in three colours, Black, White and Pink, further enhancing LG’s claim that the device is intended for mass market consumption.

The LG GT540 is the second LG handset to run on the Android OS, and it seems the device will offer the standard three screen Android layout, LG do not appear to have tweaked the UI in any way. Being Android, we know that the handset is going to work really well with the Google suite of internet services, plus there is good social networking integration, for the main services of Twitter, Facebook and Bebo. This allows you to have live updates sent through to your device, so you can keep up to date with the latest news from friends and family.

The device includes a full media player, supporting MP3, AAC and WMA audio files, plus MP4, H.263, H.264 and WMV video files. LG also state that the device will also playback DivX files, which is a welcome inclusion, and hopefully one that other Android devices launched this year will also be able to include. As well as the media player there is also a Stereo FM radio, with RDS support, and there is ample storage on offer for storing music, with the GT540 able to accommodate MicroSD cards up to 32GB in size. The inclusion of a 3.5mm audio jack allows users to select from their own preferred headset for listening to music playback.

The device includes a 3.2 Megapixel camera, with autofocus. As with many other Android devices, the camera is nothing special, but suitable for image capture for those moments when you don’t have a proper camera to hand. Video recording is enabled, but there is no front facing camera, so no video calls.

Connectivity is always king for a device that relies on web integration, and the GT540 delivers the full suite of options. A quad band GSM handset, the GT540 includes support for HSDPA over 3G, up to 7.2Mbps for downloads, plus WiFi for use in cafes, restaurants, pubs and connecting in to your own home network. When out of 3G coverage, the GT540 offers class 10 GPRS and Class 10 EDGE for data connectivity. Bluetooth 2.1 is included, and offers A2DP support. Finally connectivity to your PC via Cable is handled by a MicroUSB connector.

All in all, then, the LG GT540 seems perfectly adapted for its target market of first time touchscreen smartphone users. The standard Android UI is something most people will pick up within a few hours of usage, and the GT540 seems an ideal choice as an introduction to the world of permanent, online, mobile connectivity. The LG GT540 should start being available in most markets from April 2010.

We now come to the third phone in the new Shark handsets from Samsung, the S5550 Shark 2. Although by numbering this handset sits in the middle of the line-up, by specification it is the most powerful handset of the three. So, as is our custom by now, we are going to take a closer look at what the S5550 brings to the table.

The device shows a return by Samsung to a more traditional styling that is common in so many of their phones, with the S5550 being a slide style device. The compact slider measures in at 102 x 49 x 15mm, and weighs a pocket friendly 99g. The display on the phone uses AMOLED technology, which assists with battery performance; such displays need no backlight, and are less demanding on the battery generally to power them. AMOLED displays also tend to offer a crisper, clearer colour representation, and so it is on the S5550, although the colour support is only up to 256,000 colours. The display itself is of average size, 2.2 inches, and with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Under the display sit the two soft option menu select keys, and below those are the call send/end keys. These flank the main navigation key, a design that is at the same time simply Samsung whilst reflecting designs found on newer devices like the Blade and the Jet.

The S5550 is a top mobile device, and this is reflected in the features it offers. Chief among these is a high quality 5.0 Megapixel camera, with autofocus, and an LED flash included. The camera also has support for face and smile detection, and image stabilisation, to help ensure the very best image results. The camera is enabled for video recording, taking video at 30 fps in QVGA resolution. There is also a secondary, front facing camera, giving support for the much under used video call facility.

Entertainment and connectivity is a theme that has run central to all the Shark series phones, and so it should come as no surprise to find these features well covered on the S5550 Shark 2. A full media player is included on the device, with playback support for multiple formats of audio and video, including MP3, AAC, WMA, MP4 and WMV. There is ample storage on the phone for all video and audio files, with an internal capacity of 110MB supplemented by MicroSD memory card expansion offering an extra 16GB of storage. The S5550 also includes an FM radio with an FM recording option. Social networking integration, as on the other Shark handsets, allows for quick access icons to be stored on the main standby screen with live updates from your favourite services. The Communities app is included, so sharing your content is a simple and straight forward process. Although popular these days, Social networking is but one of the ways we use to communicate with friends and family, so it is pleasing to find an email client included on the phone, which offers support for multiple email accounts.

The quad band S5550 has support for 3G and HSDPA Mobile Broadband, and also includes GPRS and EDGE, pretty much the only data option not included is WiFi. The handset offers Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, for stereo audio connectivity.

Fully compliant with Java 2.0, the handset comes pre-installed with Google Maps, although there is no built in GPS receiver, a move which helps to keep the costs down on the device. A simple Bluetooth GPS unit will compensate, if required. One of the striking features of the Shark series handsets has been the focus on device security, which is to be applauded. Security is often lax on devices, and considering how much personal information is stored on the average mobile phone, it is prudent to be security conscious. As with the other handsets, the S5550 includes Mobile Tracker, which helps to trace a lost or stolen mobile by alerting the user whenever the SIM card is changed, and in addition, an SOS Message can be programmed to send a distress alert to a pre-selected emergency contact, enabling quick and discreet requests for assistance.

The Shark range of handsets have been created to attract the style conscious, younger mobile user, delivering easy, constant access to social networks, blending power and function in a unique style phone. Each of the three Shark devices offers something for all, and there should be a Shark device to fit most budgets. The S5550 Shark 2 is expected to be available in January/February 2010, on both contact and PAYG.