Category: Smartphones

E-Ink VS LCD Displays: How they work; display technologies compared

July 12th, 2011 Be the first to comment

We find out how e-ink screens (used by the Kindle) compare with LCD screens (used by iPad and most smartphones).

The Amazon Kindle e-book reader differs from most tablet devices in that it uses an e-ink screen as opposed to a colour LCD screen. Fundamentally, e-ink is a very different technology from LCD. In this article, we look at how e-ink and LCD display technologies work and compare the two technologies.

How do electronic ink (e-ink) displays work?

E-ink (electronic ink) displays produce images and reflect light in the same way normal paper does.

Paper reflects light from the Sun (and from artificial light sources such as light bulbs). Because paper reflects light of all wavelengths, it normally appears white (see left diagram below). In order to form an image on paper, we need to add a layer of ink in the relevant places. This layer of ink is non-reflective (this region appears black as black is the absence of light; see right diagram below). By selectively adding ink to a piece of paper, we can form the desired image.

Continue reading →

3D Mobile Phones: Revolution or Gimmick? How They Work; 3D Phones Reviewed

July 6th, 2011 2 comments

Mobile phones with 3D displays finally reach the UK this month. In this article, we find out how they work and whether handsets such as the LG Optimus 3D and HTC Evo 3D will really be flying off the shelf.

The UK’s first 3D mobile phones begin to hit the shelves this month. 3D phones such as the LG Optimus 3D and HTC EVO 3D promise to allow you to watch 3D videos on your handset, to play 3D games and to record videos in 3D. But does 3D really add an extra dimension to the mobile experience? Will they revolutionise the mobile industry or will it be another short-term fad? In this article, we find out how 3D mobile phones work and discuss the outlook for them.

How does the human eye perceive 3D?

Like many other animals, humans have two eyes so that we can see in 3D. As each of our eye are in slightly different places, each eye will observe objects from a slightly different angle. The brain will then piece together the information received from each eye to calculate the distance to the object (hence giving depth perception).

Continue reading →

HTC Desire HD Android Smartphone: Reviewed and Compared to HTC Desire

November 23rd, 2010 Be the first to comment

HTC’s new Desire HD smartphone aims to build on the success of the original HTC Desire. We review and compare the two phones.

After the success of the original HTC Desire, HTC have been trying to take it to the next level with their new flagship HTC Desire HD. Sporting a larger screen, a higher resolution camera and various software enhancements, does the Desire HD do enough to improve on the original phone or is it simply a small incremental upgrade? In this article, we review the Desire HD and take a look at some of the key differences between the Desire HD and the original Desire.

What’s the overall verdict on the Desire HD?

We love the HTC Desire HD for much the same reasons that we loved the HTC Desire. Both phones are well designed, are comfortable to hold and have a good build quality.

The software on the phone is fantastic – the Desire HD has Android 2.2 (Froyo) including free turn-by-turn GPS navigation and access to over 100,000 applications through the Android Market. The Desire HD’s large 4.3-inch screen makes it particularly well suited for the Google GPS navigation service which also features information about current traffic conditions.

On top of the stock Android, HTC have also added their proprietary “Sense UI” overlay which adds integration with social networks such as Facebook, provides the iconic home screen and links with the HTCSense.com website. The Desire HD, like the original Desire, is an absolute joy to use.

Our only criticism is the battery life. Providing the Desire HD is charged each night, our phone would usually make it through the day OK. However, sometimes it got a little too close to comfort… especially when we would use the phone in a low signal area or make heavy use of the multimedia features. Bizarrely, even though one of the main complaints about the Desire was battery life, the Desire HD has a smaller battery capacity (1230 mAh) than the original Desire (1400 mAh). HTC justify this by claiming the Desire HD’s hardware is more energy efficient – but we wonder why HTC couldn’t have used this to extend the battery life rather than as an excuse to reduce the battery capacity.

Continue reading →

Reviewed: Samsung Galaxy Tab Android Tablet – How does it fare against iPad?

November 17th, 2010 26 comments

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a 7-inch Android tablet which has been dubbed the “first true competitor to the iPad”. Find out how the Tab fares in our detailed review here.

It might be a bit of an understatement to say that the technology enthusiasts across the world have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the chance to pit it against Apple’s iPad. Being the first Google-approved Android tablet on the market and the first mass-market 7-inch tablet device, the Tab gives us a taste of what might lies ahead in the tablet market and whether Android can take on the mighty Apple.

In this article, we’ve got a comprehensive review of the Galaxy Tab. We’ll look at the hardware, the practicalities of using it as a day-to-day device and phone and review some of the built-in applications. Along the way, we’ll look at the debate about the optimum size for a phone/tablet and find out whether the Tab works as a mass-market consumer device.

Our review is based on a final consumer release version of the Galaxy Tab provided to us by Samsung.

Continue reading →

Reviewed: Samsung Wave & the Bada Operating System

October 16th, 2010 3 comments

We review the first Samsung Wave, the first phone running Samsung’s new bada operating system.


It takes a lot of guts for a company to decide they still want to develop their own smartphone operating system when the market is already saturated with the likes of iOS (iPhone), Android, Windows Phone 7, Symbian, Palm webOS and Blackberry OS. With these mobile operating systems fighting hard for market share and the open-source Android being adopted by numerous phone manufacturers including HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung themselves, Samsung’s decision to develop its own operating system, bada, was a gutsy and risky move.

Samsung recently gave me a new Samsung Wave S8500 handset to play with (see the disclosure notice at the end of this article). Available free on Pay Monthly tariffs starting from £25/month, it’s the first phone on the market running on the bada operating system and I was hoping it would have given me a taste of what’s to come from bada. Unfortunately my experience was incredibly disappointing: bada lacked many of the features that you would expect from a modern smartphone, many of the bundled applications failed to work and there were some serious usability issues.

Continue reading →