The Nokia N9 had it all – a beautiful shape, full of gradual curves and clean lines, and a brilliant new operating system called MeeGo. It was easy to see why Nokia was so proud of their flagship phone, and critics agreed that it was the best they had ever produced.

But it wasn’t meant to be — even before the N9 was launched, Nokia did a deal with the devil (Microsoft) to bring Windows Phone to all of their new products. The MeeGo operating system was to be scrapped, and the phone was only launched in a few countries around the world. The phone represented Nokia’s last beautiful failure, a dead end that seemed like such a waste.

A few months after the N9′s quiet launch, at the Nokia World conference held this morning, the N9 was given a fresh start. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop announced that the handset had been reborn as their new flagship Windows phone, the Nokia Lumia 800. With an incredibly similar visual design and a new, well supported operating system, the N9 may yet get the success it deserves.

In terms of hardware, the new phone is almost identical to its predecessor. The screen has been slightly reduced in size, from 3.9″ to 3.7″, but the screen technology remains the same. The processor has been boosted to 1.4 GHz, but the on-board RAM has been cut in half to 500 MB. The internal memory has also been reduced, with only 16 GB available at the moment, and no micro SD card slot to increase it.

Fortunately, the Lumia 800 is also much cheaper than the N9, coming in at $585 to the N9′s $650. It’s also due to enjoy a much warmer reception when it launches early next month, with three times as much spent in its marketing than on any previous Nokia mobile launch.

The Lumia 800′s announcement was joined with that of its younger sibling, the Nokia Lumia 710. This phone offers an all new design (that isn’t quite as pretty) at a much lower price point, coming in at just $375. The only noticeable downgrades are the worse camera (5 megapixels instead of 8 ) and the smaller battery. The specifications are otherwise remarkably similar for the price, perhaps an indication of how much the N9′s design is worth.

In the months to come, it’ll be interesting to see how Nokia’s Lumia 800 will fare against a crowded market of Android launches, including the Galaxy Nexus and Motorola Razr. Elop insisted there was room for a third choice in Windows Phone against Android and iOS; we’ll soon see how right he was.

This article was written by William Judd. William writes for MobileFun.co.uk, the UK’s leading retailer of the Kindle cover and sim free Xperia Play.

Date: October 31st, 2011 No Comments Categories: New Phones

I came late to the Samsung Galaxy S2 party; the phone was announced in February this year and released in May, but I only picked one up (along with my first paycheck) in August. I was worried that the Galaxy S2, bought so long after its release date, would be quickly eclipsed by a phone I didn’t know about, that I would be blindsided trying to merge near the head of the smartphone express way. It was with some trepidation that I ordered it, but once it arrived I began to feel much better about my choice.

The first thing you notice when you turn unbox the Galaxy S2 for the first time, hold it in your hands and turn it on, is how thin and light it is. It feels extremely delicate in the hand, like a large thin slice of expensive chocolate. It’s marvellous to turn on the screen; its wide expanse serves as a crazy counterpoint to the small dimensions everywhere else.

Watching streamed video is a treat on the bright and wide screen, although downloaded images were spoiled by over-aggressive compression by my mobile provider. The back cover also feels a bit flimsy, although that’s easily alleviated by purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S2 case.

Once you really get going with the Galaxy S2, you notice how quick it is. You can install apps two at a time with the quick dual core processor, which clocks in at 1.2GHz, and the phone’s benchmarking scores are off the charts (quite literally). This is the fastest mobile device I’ve ever used, and quite an upgrade from my T-Mobile G1, and even the Desires and Nexii of my friends. This power comes at a cost in terms of lower battery life, but that’s something I can live with.

The Android operating system is well served by the large screen and fast internals. The latest version, Gingerbread, comes installed by default. There’s also a cadre of Samsung-crafted apps, including useful upgrades to many of the standard Android applications, such as messaging, media player and more. It’s not as good as HTC’s Sense, but still represents a good upgrade over the stock experience.

It’s a wonderful feeling to have such a well equipped phone; whenever I read about a new technology in the latest phones – whether it be hosted USB, MHL connections to HDMI or assisted GPS, I can trust the Galaxy S2 to have it. I’m still slightly in awe of the fact that so much has been crammed into such a skinny silhouette.

All in all, I’m happy to report that my premonitions of smartphone inadequacy were wrong, and with Apple’s recent announcement of the iPhone 4S, I can remain confident that I bought the best smartphone on the market — just look at the reviews. While upcoming Android smartphones will boast faster CPUs and 720p HD displays, I can at least be sure that the Galaxy S2 will be remembered as a flagship smartphone, emblematic of the technical superiority Android phones now enjoy and the careful vision of Samsung.

This article was written by William Judd. William writes for MobileFun.co.uk, the UK’s largest online retailer of mobile phone accessories, including Samsung accessories.

Date: October 6th, 2011 No Comments Categories: News, Samsung

The most anticapted phone of the year, the iPhone 5 is set to be annouced at an Apple conference that has been named “Let’s talk iPhone.”

If rumours are true, then this conference could see the launch of two iPhones, the iPhone 5 and a entry-level version dubbed the iPhone 4S. The ceonference is also said to be used for the formal accnoument of the already announced Cloud and Apple’s iOS 5.

Date: September 28th, 2011 No Comments Categories: Apple, New Phones, News

3 Mobile are offering you the chance to get the latest Samsung Galaxy S II for FREE on a £27 a month, the offer is strictly whilst “Stocks Last”!

You can read consumer mobile phone reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S II here -> Samsung Galaxy S II Reviews

So what does your £27 a month get you? Well..

You get;

• 500 Anytime Any network minutes
• 5000 Texts
• 1Gb Internet

They also chuck in 2 months free Spotify Premium!

For more information on this deal click here.

Date: September 26th, 2011 No Comments Categories: New Deals

Orange has struck a deal with Apple allowing them to offer their customers a film from the iTunes library for Free 35p, this is the cost of the text message to get the download code.

This deal follows on from the success of Orange Wednesdays! We would have liked it to be have been called Orange Thursdays then we could have an Orange themed day every day!

What’s the catch? Well the new offer will allow you to download one film a week which has been chosen by Orange for the cost of the text message to watch on a PC, Laptop or Apple Device. As with all rentals from iTunes they are valid for 30 days.

The first films to be offered from Orange via Film to Go will be Mickey Rourke’s The Wrestler, The Ghost starring Ewan McGregor, and Che: Part One.

As long as Orange offers movies to download that people want to see, then this is sure to be a hit! But that is looking doubtful as I have never heard of the above films and have no intention of watching them! I wonder how long it will take for some decent movies to be released on the promotion?

What are you thoughts on their new service will this encourage you to stay/join Orange?

Date: August 9th, 2011 No Comments Categories: News