OK, I admit it, I have been known to like a phone with a good old fashioned physical home button. But I have a problem, and that is simply that I really like the HTC One and (more…)

Ok, so I started the day with this Tweet, but I have to report that I did very badly Read on to find out why, and relax, I do find some nice things to say further down the page!

There were the issues with the screen brightness that I am still trying to get some information on, anyone with an S2, go into Settings/Display/ and tick or untick the box for “Auto adjust screen power” and you get an idea of what this control does. Go to a mainly white screen, say gmail, web or whatever, and with the control on, it reduces the power and brightness to save battery. With it off, you can have really bright whites, and a bit less battery. (more…)

This will only be a quick look at the new Vanilla Google phone, the Samsung made Nexus, as I have only had it for a few hours.  The first surprise was the size of the box!, its huge, and I can only think it is some attempt to convince a court later on that it is not an iPhone rip off.

I have spent the last few days with a Galaxy Note, so maybe I have just got used to large devices, but given some of the comments I read on the web and Twitter, I was expecting this to be a lot bigger than it is. I was asked on Twitter how much larger the Note is, and would have to say, quite a bit, but as I already said, if you are going to have a two handed device, then maybe you go all the way up to a Note? So, the Nexus is 10mm taller, and just under 3mm wider than the S2,  It is only .5mm thicker according to the spec sheets, but it feels more than that in the hand, not that it feels bad in any way.  The Nexus feels nice and solid, despite its wafer thin back panel, the same as both the Note and the S2. (more…)

So, I decided this morning that the Note would not be usable as my *only* device, and you know how I don’t really like using multiple devices, and I left the Note at home and took only the iPhone 4S to work. I was very busy today, but I really missed the Note oddly, so have decided to give it another shot tomorrow, another busy day ahead, and I am going to take just the Note as my only device. Why?

Partly, I read Tim Salmon’s review this morning LINK at work, and it made me want to use it all over again. I mostly agree with Tim on most of his thoughts, but do think its worth mentioning a couple of points.

First off, the Note (and the S2) does have a direct search button, well, its a long hold on the capacitive Menu button actually. I also differ from Tim in really liking the Side mounted power button, but of course with the fantastic centre button, you hardly ever (if ever) use the power button, since you turn it on via that, and let it turn itself off after xx mins. (more…)

As you know I got the Galaxy Note yesterday, and spent ages playing with it, loving it, and blogging up my early thoughts last night. I stand by all of that, and I think a lot of people will find it their perfect device.

I was wondering if I could be one of them, since I make hardly any phone calls, and it is still a light device and nice and slim. I think already I know that is not the case for me, as I awoke this morning and prepared to go to work (yes, I do know its Sunday, I work every Sunday!)

It is not so much that I have gone off it, but I just don’t think I am able to give up my iPhone 4S. Oh I know I get a new device and put the iPhone 4S straight on Twitter for sale, but ask Richard Yates, its not like I ever actually sell it in the end, even if he does pay me twice for it

In the last week while trying out my 5th Galaxy S2, and then the Note, I have still always carried the iPhone 4S with me. I use Siri to put almsot all my appointments in for me, and I have stopped obsessing about the odd misplaced word here and there, I know exactly what it means, and it is clearly early days for Siri. I said it was a gamechanger, and I still think that. I also said it would come to iPhone 4, and I still think that as well, most people disagree, but I again stand firm on that, and once the initial beta is done, it will roll out in a point change update, maybe 5.1 maybe 5.2.

I often find that a lot of iPhone and iOS critics have never actually used one as their daily phone. Oh they have “used a friends”, or “played in a shop”, or they have the silly anti Apple thing going on, and so will never understand why this phone and OS has such a strong grip on people like myself, and Nick, but all I can say for now is that I just can not sell it right now, and if you are one of those mentioned above, I DARE you to order one from Apple, and set a reminder (with Siri!) for 13 days time to return it for a full refund if you are not really impressed with it, and you will have lost nothing, and I would bet quite a few would not be sending it back!

People often suggest I put stuff away in a cupboard, ready for when I want it again, but that will never happen with me, its just not part of my make up, I actually enjoy the buying process, and to be honest, I harm nobody and benefit a few companies with that admittedly slightly odd process, and yes, I do praise and value the DSR, and will be using it for the S2 soon, but the Note will not be going back at all.

Now if you would like to buy the Note for £525 inc UK Special Delivery, let me know

Kev

So, if you followed my last few posts, you will know I have a Galaxy Note in the collection, and as an aside, if you were looking for the Expansys posts, detailed the somewhat fraught delivery process, I have removed them all, as I felt it was not over and would serve little point being snarky forever, all I will say is use Expansys, but don’t rely on a Next Day delivery, and keep in mind a lot of the stock on the UK site is actually in stock in other Euro countries. Oh, and Claire from PJ Media is a credit to an otherwise rather unorganised company!

So, the Galaxy Note. I ordered it fully expecting it to get looked at, and the good old DSR 7 day return would kick in and it would be going back, leaving me to carry on swapping between a Galaxy S2 and an iPhone 4S for evermore. Well, this is a preview, not a review, but it will not be going back under DSR, and it might even become my main phone. (more…)

Thought I would give this another go this morning, this time using the supplied SIM from 3 in the S2, and the new Mi-Fi, and then using my AYCE 3 SIM in the iP4. All phones and the E586 were located in exact same spot.

This time I used Chrome on my MBA and Speedtest.net rather than the iPad. I am also upstairs, a big difference in signal where I live. (more…)

Picked one of these up today, £89.99 at Argos of all places, some 3 shops do have them now, and you can order online for weekend delivery. This price does include a pre loaded SIM card with 3GB of data on, which has to be used within 3 months of activating it. Visually, its very similar to the old one, the E585 (awesome naming system Huawei) same size, same battery, same Micro USB charger port. This time however, its supplied with a nice docking cradle, which given the number of people who are using these as the only way onto the internet at home, is a nice touch.

It has the same OLED display as the older one, but this time, you will be pleased to know that you can access the SSID of the unit, and the passcode with a simple press of the lock button, much better than taking the back off, or looking it up on your smartphone everytime!  Getting started in so simple. You put the SIM in, and turn it on (which is one button press) and that is it, its activated, and your 3 months starts. (more…)