Is the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 Right for You?

Research In Motion's (RIM) brand new BlackBerry Curve 8520 is now on sale in the United States, through T-Mobile. The Curve 8520, RIM's third iteration of the Curve, falls directly in the middle of both RIM and T-Mobile's Curve product lines.

After T-Mobile initially released the Curve 8320 in September, 2007, it quickly became one of the carrier's best selling smartphones. More than a year later, T-Mobile was the first U.S. carrier to release RIM's second-generation Curve, the BlackBerry 8900. And today, the carrier is first to offer the next Curve, the BlackBerry 8520.

Tuesday, I attended RIM's Curve 8520 launch event in New York City, where the company showed off all kinds of up-and-coming wares along with the new device. I spent quite a bit of time with the new Curve and was able to mostly size it up.

Now, on to the Curve 8520 features and technical specifications, as well as my breakdown of why the new Curve could be a perfect fit for you--or not.

And if you're interested in additional BlackBerry devices, check out my takes on the BlackBerry Curve 8900 or Tour 9630.

How to Tell if the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is for You

First and foremost, are you a T-Mobile customer or are you considering switching to T-Mobile? If not, you'll want to pass on the new Curve 8520, since it's currently a T-Mobile exclusive. (Additional carriers, including Verizon Wireless, are expected to release the Curve 8530, dubbed "BlackBerry Aries," in the future, and AT&T will likely get its own 8520 variant.)

If switching your carrier to T-Mobile is a possibility, you'll want to make sure that T-Mobile provides adequate service in the areas where you live, work or spend most of your time.

The best way to determine if you reside or work in an area with strong T-Mobile coverage is to speak with a friend, colleague, neighbor, etc., who uses the carrier on a daily basis. Get general impressions of each carrier's coverage in your areas. Then check out the appropriate online coverage maps. And visit a T-Mobile retail location to speak with company representatives. In other words, do a bit of research.

If you find that T-Mobile coverage isn't up to snuff where you roam most often, you'll probably want to avoid the BlackBerry Curve 8520--at least for now.

Next up, some quick technical specifications from RIM:

• Quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850/900/1800/1900MHz)

• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)

• UMA support; T-Mobile HotSpot @Home Wi-Fi calling

• 2.0 MP camera with 5X digital zoom and video recording (No flash)

• 256MB Flash Memory

• High-resolution 320 X 240 pixel screen

• 1150 mAHr removable/rechargeable cryptographic Lithium cell battery (same as Curve 83xx family)

• DataViz Documents To Go

• Support for BlackBerry Media Sync (iTunes playlist sync)

• BlackBerry OS v4.6.1

• Expandable memory slot for up to 16GB of storage

• Support for the messaging capabilities of the BlackBerry platform, including push e-mail, popular instant messaging applications and premium phone features

The feature that really jumps out at me about the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is the brand new trackpad that replaced the traditional BlackBerry trackball found on the majority of RIM's newer devices. The Curve 8520 is the first BlackBerry to sport the trackpad, and I like it very much. It's not quite as sensitive as a BlackBerry trackball, so I bumped up the sensitivity settings, but it didn't take long before I felt like I'd been using it for years.

Next, Curve 8520 pricing. Make no mistake about it: This is a BlackBerry, and BlackBerrys are typically associated with business users. The Curve 8520 lives up to its BlackBerry name, offering RIM's tried-and-true messaging and security features, but this device is aimed at any entry-level smartphone audience, both enterprise and consumer. As such, it should be priced accordingly.

My take: Whoever sets T-Mobile's pricing on new devices needs a very long nap or something else restorative, because the company's introductory price of $129.99 with a new service plan is ridiculous. (The higher-end Curve 8900, which has a number of features left out of the new Curve, including a much better camera and flash, as well as both Wi-Fi and GPS, sells for only $20 more.)

Thankfully, Wal-Mart has stepped in and decided to sell the new Curve for a much more reasonable--and appropriate--price: $48.88 with a new two-year service contract. That's a great price for a new BlackBerry, and I suspect T-Mobile will soon be forced to drop its price to compete.

The Curve 8520 is also the first BlackBerry to feature dedicated media player controls. The device has three media-centric buttons on its top side: Play/Pause, Rewind and Fast Forward. These should be valuable to anyone who frequently uses a BlackBerry to listen to music via headphones or via stereo transmitters like RIM's BlackBerry Speakerphone Visor Mount. (Note: The Curve 8520 also has a standard, 3.5mm headset jack, so you can use your favorite headphones.)

T-Mobile's great HotSpot @Home Wi-Fi calling service is also available to Curve 8520 users, enabling them to make free Wi-Fi calls whenever they're at home. (Read about the pros and cons of dual-mode, "VoWi-Fi phones" like T-Mobile's BlackBerry Curve lineup.)

The new Curve is speedy; it packs the same 512MHz processor found in its elder-Curve-8900-brother. The Curve 83xx family features 312MHz processors.

Like all of RIM's devices since the Pearl Flip 8220, the Curve 8520 has a microUSB port for charging and syncing data.

It comes in two colors: Frost blue and black. And a variety of colorful skins are available for customization.

And the device ships with a 1GB microSD memory card.

Finally, my two minor gripes: the underwhelming two megapixel camera and the fact that the Curve 8520 doesn't come with any sort of case.

Two megapixel quality is not enough for this device. All of RIM's new devices--except the Curve 8520, of course--have 3.2 megapixel cameras, with features like autofocus. But that's not even the worst part. The Curve 8520 has no flash, let alone auto-focus functionality.

For a consumer-oriented device, the lack of a flash is significant, to say the least. The iPhone has been repeatedly blasted for its lack of a camera flash, but I suspect RIM justified its decision to leave out the Curve 8520 flash because of the iPhone. (Hey, if the iPhone doesn't have it, not ALL of our devices need it either, right?)

I asked RIM why it decided to forego the flash and was told it was to reduce manufacturing costs. That's understandable, and the $50 Wal-Mart price point sure is nice, but I still think the Curve 8520 should have a flash.

Finally, the Curve 8520, Storm and the Pearl Flip 82xx are the only current BlackBerry devices that don't come with any sort of case. I'm sure the decision not to include a holster, slip-case or skin is related to cost-cutting, as well, but it rubs me the wrong way, just the same.

There you have it, a quick breakdown of the brand new BlackBerry Curve 8520 from T-Mobile. Still looking for additional smartphone options? Check out "Forget iPhone 3G S: Eight Great New iPhone Alternatives."

T-Mobile offering iPhone upgrade to UK big spenders

T-Mobile has started offering the iPhone in the UK, according to insiders at the firm's Merthyr call centre. V3.co.uk has been contacted by two separate sources, both claiming that T-Mobile was trialling limited stock of the iPhone 3G, having purchased a number of units from Germany, and would start offering UK customers an upgrade from 30 July.

Only a few select T-Mobile call centre operators have been authorised to give the upgrade and customers need to meet strict criteria to qualify, including being a heavy mobile user, the sources both said.

One of the sources sent us an email with an advisory note from T-Mobile labeled Action for All Advisors: T-Mobile UK's Churn Challenge, indicating that the iPhone deal is part of a strategy to stop customer churn.

The note states that T-Mobile wants to reduce churn from 27 to 20 per cent, which would still put the operator at several percentage points higher than O2; and that high value customers are leaving because of their desire for an iPhone.

To stop the customer churn, T-Mobile has decided to introduce special deals on the iPhone and the G2 Touch (aka HTC Hero), the note continues. This would be limited to eligible customers either on or willing to move to a Flext 2009 plan, who are lucky enough to get through to a member of the 'Save Desk' team based in Merthyr.

V3.co.uk contacted T-Mobile in the hope of getting a confirmation or denial on this information, but was given the standard "no comment" response.

So for any T-Mobile customers wanting to move onto an iPhone, the advice is to call T-Mobile, threaten to leave unless they give you the iPhone, and hope you've spent at least £1,000 on your mobile bills over the last two years.

If any V3.co.uk readers get anywhere with this, please get in touch and let us know. Though we wouldn't be surprised to hear that T-Mobile has pulled the offer now that the details have gone public, as demand could well outstrip supply if the iPhone handset was going to be thrown in for free for those customers already paying hefty mobile bills each month. Also Apple and O2 might want to put a stop to the offer, as their iPhone exclusivity deal is still supposed to be in place in the UK.

Samsung M8910 Pixon12 is already available in the UK

As of 1st August one of the most anticipated handsets of summer 2009 is available across the UK. And along with that news there two more: one of them positive and one - negative.

If you live in the UK you can get the Pixon12 for free but you'll have to pay Orange at least 35 GBP (approx. 41 euro) a month during the next year and a half.

Samsung M8910 Pixon12 is the first Samsung GSM phone to feature a 12 megapixel camera and it also comes with a 28mm wide-angle lens, Xenon flash and additional power LED flashlight.

If the specs sheet alone is not enough to attract your attention, our recent detailed review proved the Pixon12 is the ultimate cameraphone to date.

A new dual-SIM phone down the road - budget Samsung C3212

The C3212 DuoS is a new dual-SIM device from Samsung, which is one of the few major manufacturers bringing dual standby phones on the market. The C3212 DuoS has a basic feature set but will cost only 135 euro.

The new Samsung C3212 DuoS has a standard bar form factor and targets the low-end budget class. It is expected to feature only basic functions, but at this point there is no further information available. We don't even know if that's a color screen on that press photo there.

Previous dual-SIM devices from Samsung are the C5212, which costs only 15 euro more than the C3212 DuoS suggested price tag, and the slider B5702 featuring bigger screen and better camera. Let's don't forget the luxury S9402 Ego, which impresses both with its unique looks and high price. If you're into touchscreens, you can also go for Samsung D980.

If you haven't seen any of these in your local store, we'd guess that's only because you don't live in Eastern Europe and especially Russia, where all these 3G-less phones are all headed to.

The Samsung C3212 DuoS will probably be the cheapest of them all with its expected price of 135 euro. It's expected later this summer on the Russian market.

VIDEO: LG's new Crystal ad

LG and Channel 4 are going all irreverent for their joint touchscreen phone ad campaign, which is all right by us. Here's a 15-second spot due to be shown ont' telly soon.

Virgin launches 'unlimited' mobile contract

But by 'unlimited', Virgin actually means 'restricted', writes Al Warmington

Mobile addicts, listen up. This could be the contract you’ve been waiting for. Virgin Media has announced a new ‘unlimited’ phone contract deal , offering unlimited calls to other Virgin users, unlimited calls to non-Virgin users, unlimited internet access and unlimited access.

You’re probably wondering what the catch is. In fact there’s two. First is the price. It’s a princely £65 per month for all those free minutes, and it’s an 18 month contract. On top of that, you are only eligible if you already have a TV, landline or broadband package with Virgin Media.

Second and more importantly: it’s actually not unlimited at all. Virgin has instead chosen to hide the awkward truth behind a ‘Fair Use’ policy. In this instance, Virgin has deemed that it’s only fair for you to use up 3,000 minutes of Virgin-to-Virgin calls, 3,000 minutes of cross network calls and send 3,000 texts per month. Data is capped at a paltry 1GB.

Now, most ordinary mortals may struggle to find the time to spend 50 hours on the blower each month, in between eating and sleeping, nor might they manage to send so many texts without turning their fingers to bleeding stumps (although we’d probably get through the data allowance in a single train journey). But it’s a far cry from an dictionary definition of ‘unlimited’ that we’ve ever heard.

On the plus side you get a couple of tasty handset to choose from – the Samsung Jet and the Nokia N86.

Link: Virgin Media (via V3.co.uk)

LG Crystal GD900 Review

The Crystal GD900 is a slider whose numberpad's white markings glow against their tempered glass surrounds. After a moment, the glow subsides and you can see the numbers, but much more faintly. Touch the numberpad area and the white glow returns.

The keys are flat, and while I had no trouble working at a fair speed, ultra-speed texters may want to try before they buy to be sure that they can get their fingers flying fast enough error-free.

The transparent numberpad looks, to me anyway, rather cool, and there is no denying, even if you don't like it, that it is innovative. There are lots of touch control niceties here and on the screen. You can get through content such as photos by sweeping a finger horizontally across either the screen or the numberpad. Sweeping upwards opens an information screen telling you, for example, when a photo was taken, its resolution and file name.

You can pinch to zoom when viewing photos, emails, web pages or maps. This was fairly responsive. The first zoom in any photo took a short time to work, but thereafter zooming was smooth. Again, this works on either screen or numberpad.

Perhaps a bit more interesting is LG's Gesture Control, which is located on the numberpad, which, by the way, LG calls the Transparent Touchpad.

There are three shortcuts under the screen - Call, End and the LG ‘cube'. Press this for a second and the multitasking menu opens up. Here you can get to a subset of running apps. But you can also tap a button to set up the gesture shortcuts. There are 12 of these and you can assign them to nine different apps. So even when maxed out, three gestures will remain unused.

With the assigning done, simply tracing a shortcut on the Transparent Touchpad opens its associated app. These gesture shortcuts can't be used on the screen, so you have to go through up to three stages to make a shortcut work: slide out numberpad, make gesture, slide in numberpad. It is hardly a superquick option but it works, it is innovative and it can save time when you are in one app and want to switch relatively quickly to another.

LG again uses its S-class 3D user interface in the Crystal. This comprises four main screens you finger-sweep on either the screen or Transparent Touchpad to get through. Dedicated to favourite contacts, multimedia, shortcuts and widgets, all can be customised. Whichever of the four you are on, links to the main menu, phone dialler, contacts and messaging are always present on a strip along the bottom of the screen.

Just as with the LG Arena and Viewty Smart you can call up a cube around four of whose faces you fingersweep. These faces represent the four main screens, and you tap one to bring it up full size. It is as redundant now as it was then.

Web browsing was a mixed experience. The phone completely refused to load the TR home page, complaining of an 'internal out of memory' error. Moving on to the BBC news page I got more success but then that is formatted for mobile devices. Looks like you might have to take a few chances with browsing.

When you do get to pages that work you can browse by running a finger around the Transparent Touchpad to move a cursor around the screen, and double tap to choose a link. This worked very well. When web pages were at a zoom level that made text quite small - often the optimum when trying to see a lot of data - it was more accurate than tapping the screen with a fingertip.

The Crystal is a 3G device. It also has Wi-Fi but sadly it is missing GPS. This really detracts. A modern top-notch handset has to offer all three features to stand a chance of capturing the imagination.

There is an FM radio on board as well as a music player, but LG has shot itself in the foot by using microUSB as the headset connector. At least there is a 3.5mm connector just past the headset microphone, but I'd prefer 3.5mm on the phone itself. And the headset/mains power/PC connection jack is on the upper left side of the phone making pocket-snagging inevitable.

That's doubly annoying as this is a fairly pocket and hand-friendly mobile measuring just 105mm tall (and according to my ruler 135mm with the Transparent Touchpad out), 52.8mm wide and 13.5mm thick and weighing 120g.

Obviously at this size it can't accommodate a super-large screen. But at 3in it is a fairly good size and its 800 x 480 pixels are sharp and clear. The screen size is only really a let-down when it comes to text entry. There is an accelerometer built in, which worked smoothly, and when the screen is in landscape mode there is a QWERTY keypad. It is just that bit too small for comfort, though, and I found it slow to respond, both of which factors combined to prevent total accuracy. In portrait mode you get handwriting recognition too, but it works just one letter at a time so it is slow.

There is only 1.5GB of built in memory, but a microSD card slot sits on the right edge and you can get to it when you slide the keyboard down.

There is a front camera for two-way video calling, and the main camera shoots to 8-megapixels. It has an LED flash and self-portrait mirror. These and the lens are protected under the slide. There are a few tweakables including a good macro mode you can see in use on the pink flowers, and a continuous shot mode, but the extras aren't as plentiful as on many other phones. Smile and blink detection, for example, are missing.

ndoors photos were a bit washed out. The coloured dish photographed under normal household lights shows this. The chair, too, lacks the kind of definition and colour purity I'd expect from an 8-megapixel camera. If you are into digital zoom, then simply running a finger round the Transparent Touchpad does the trick.

Sadly I lacked the time to perform my usual battery rundown test, but I can say that battery life was fairly good. I was still using the phone after two days on a single charge, though you'll need to factor in daily charging if you are a heavy data user or like your Wi-Fi or music a lot.

Additional applications not already mentioned include mobile email, Google Maps, some accelerometer-friendly games, alarms, calendar, memo maker, stopwatch, voice recorder, calculator, world clock, and unit converter. Bluetooth is present too.

Author	Sandra Vogel
Published	31st Jul 2009
Manufacturer	LG Electronics
Price	From free on contract

Nokia 'N97 Mini' Surfaces

Here's an odd one...

Following years of speculation that Apple would release a smaller version of the iPhone (then iPhone 3G, then iPhone 3GS), Nokia looks to have silently gone about making a smaller N97.


Dubbed the 'N97 Mini' by leaks, the shrunken smartphone looks virtually identical to its bigger brother except for the removal of the d-pad and sliding camera cover. Whether the primary specifications (3G, aGPS, WiFi, 5MP camera, 32GB native memory, microSD expansion slot) all translate remains to be seen.

What is beyond doubt is slicing something off those portly 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm (18.25 mm at the camera) dimensions and 150g weight would be appealing to pockets everywhere. Personally however, I'd say cutting off the keyboard on the original and adding a capacitive screen would be the more logical way to approach this.

Either way, Nokia security is barely any better than RIM's infamous sugar glass gates so expect a confirmation on the N97 Mini's existence or otherwise within the next few weeks...
Link:
via Engadget

Virgin Joins Tesco With Unlimited Minutes Tariff

That didn't take long...

Within 24 hours of Tesco announcing the UK's first unlimited monthly tariff (read: £30pm for £500pm worth of calls, SMS & data), T-Mobile virtual network Virgin Mobile has unveiled its own variation.

The 'Unlimited' monthly tariff (yes, it is that phrase again) takes a very different approach to Tesco's Sim only 30 day rolling contract. By contrast Virgin Mobile is offering a £65pm 18 month contract with subsidised premium Nokia N86 or Samsung Jet handsets (I'm famously not a fan of the latter) and 'unlimited' calls, SMS and data.

Naturally this is subject to a fair use clause but this much hated term actually translates to a generous 3,000 minutes, 3,000 texts and 3,000 Virgin mobile to Virgin mobile calls along with 1GB of data.

Yes, in all it's a big commitment and currently I also find a few details to be lacking. Namely: how big are the handset subsidies? Are any other models available? And when does this tariff launch? I'm going with 'free', 'not right now' and 'August'. I've lodged all three questions with Virgin so should favourable answers return and the side of your face is indented from your mobile phone use then this could very well be the tariff for you...

Update: I was close: The answers were: 'free', 'not right now' and 'right now'!

Link:
Virgin Mobile

LG Officially Unveils New Chocolate With 4in 21:9 LCD

I'm now a little worried...

LG has formally announced the truly nutty BL40 which we saw leaked on a promotional video earlier this month. Interestingly, the only detail we have is that the remarkable 4in 21:9 aspect ratio 800 x 345 pixel screen is indeed in line with the earlier scoop. LG is also simply calling the handset the 'LG Chocolate' which means a complete reboot of the series - fine choice.

So with this in mind let's recap what LG can't say yet: the BL40 will also have HSDPA, aGPS (meaning WiFi as well), a 5MP camera with flash (unknown kind) and capactive touchscreen with multi-touch gesture control. What remains a mystery are the overall size and weight, battery life as a result of powering that monster display and OS. Which brings me to the worried part...


f you check back to the leaked video (above) what we saw was a superb, next generation, finger friendly UI that had us positively spellbound. What this official press shots show on the other hand are the same layout and criminally ugly icons as the flawed OS seen on the GC 900 Viewty Smart and 12 megapixel GC 990 Louvre. Two handsets which also aren't smartphones.

Now I've fingers tightly crossed that we are completely wrong about this but with LG quoting a Q3 launch timeframe for a whopping 54 countries that doesn't leave much room for last minute alterations...

Link:
Press Release

Motorola Endeavor HX1

Product summary

The good: The Motorola Endeavor HX1's bone conduction completely eliminates background noise when needed, while the CrystalTalk noise-cancellation technology works well in most everyday situations. It also has voice prompts and multipoint support. We like the feel of the controls and the snug fit in the ear.

The bad: The Motorola Endeavor HX1's bone conduction mode can result in poor voice quality, and the HX1 might fit too deep in the ear for some.

The bottom line: Though the call quality isn't perfect, the combination of bone conduction, CrystalTalk, and other features make the Motorola Endeavor HX1 a fantastic headset.

Specifications: Type: Built-in ; Product type: Headset ; Design: Over-the-ear

• Reviewed by:
  Nicole Lee
• Reviewed on: 07/24/2009

Though the Aliph Jawbone is so named for the voice activity sensor that touches the side of the face, it is not actually a bone conduction headset. The sensor on the Jawbone is just there to detect your voice and help separate it from the surrounding noise. Few headsets can truly claim bone conduction, a technology that promises to translate the vibration of the jaw into speech. In fact, we've never really seen one before until CES 2008, where we took a look at Nextlink's Invisio Q7. Invisio claims to have tested its bone conduction headset with the military, and indeed, we were so impressed with it that we nominated it for the Best of CES that year. Unfortunately, we haven't heard a thing about Invisio since then, which led us to believe it was vaporware.

Enter Motorola. There were rumors last year that the handset manufacturer was partnering up with Nextlink to come up with a Motorola-branded version of the Invisio Q7. It now appears that the rumors are true, because Motorola have recently announced the Motorola Endeavor HX1, which claims to be the first genuine bone conduction headset in the U.S. market. Motorola calls this bone conduction technology "stealth mode," and combines it with Motorola's own CrystalTalk noise-cancelling technology to produce really top-quality noise reduction. The idea is that you would use regular CrystalTalk for normal everyday use, and then for extremely noisy or windy situations, you can engage "stealth mode" to take advantage of the bone conduction.

We're incredibly impressed with the bone conduction technology on the Endeavor HX1. It definitely delivers when it comes to completely blocking outside noise and still being able to transmit our voice. It's not perfect, but combined with CrystalTalk, voice prompts, and multipoint support, the Endeavor HX1 definitely earns a top spot in our list of headsets. Final pricing is yet to be announced, and the HX1 is slated to come out in late 2009.

The Motorola Endeavor HX1 has a very business-like design, with black and silver tones all around. Measuring 1.85 inches long by 0.71 inch wide by 0.47 inch thick, the HX1 is rectangular and a bit blocky, and looks very much like a traditional Bluetooth headset.

The front surface is divided into three black areas separated by two silver lines. The topmost section with the phone icon is the multifunction call button. It's easy to press, even when the headset is worn on the ear. Underneath that is a slim silver grille, which is the external microphone. This is used to pick up ambient noise so that CrystalTalk can separate the user's voice from the background. The second silver line is the "stealth mode" button that activates or deactivates the bone conduction.

On the right side of the headset are a volume rocker and a sliding power switch. The rocker is raised above the surface and has bumps indicating the volume increase and decrease directions, which makes it that much easier to use. We also like the sliding power switch that makes it easier to turn the headset on and off--most headsets require you to hold down the call button for a few seconds instead.

Flip the headset around and you'll find a rather large protruding earpiece that is designed to fit snugly in the ear. Covering it is a rubber ear bud with an attached loop, which is made to nestle inside the openings of the ear and ensure the correct placement of the headset. The HX1 comes with two different ear loop fittings plus two additional ear fittings that have a unique "soft spring" curve instead of a loop. We found the ear fittings with the "soft spring" curve much more comfortable and secure than the ones with the loop. Also, we were a bit uncomfortable with how deep the HX1 felt in our ear at first, but we soon got used to it.

We felt the earpiece fit quite securely when placed in the ear, but if you want additional security, you can also use the optional ear hook. The hook is thin, flexible, and can rotate to fit either the left or right ear.

Underneath the earpiece, at the very tip, you'll find a small rubber nub. This is essentially the part that helps the HX1 with bone conduction. When placed in the ear, this "stealth mode" sensor will sense the vibration of your jaw as you talk, and then translate that into speech for the other person on the line. Near the bottom of the headset is another microphone, which is used to amplify your voice, and right next to it is a LED indicator light.

Features of the Motorola Endeavor HX1 include the typical answering, ending, and rejecting calls, call waiting support, call mute, last number redial, the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and vice versa, plus multipoint support. The latter means that the HX1 is able to connect to two devices at the same time. This works especially if you want to use one headset with two phones. The first phone to pair and connect to the HX1 will be designated Phone 1, the second one will be called Phone 2.

We paired the Motorola Endeavor HX1 with both the Apple iPhone 3G and the LG LX290. The Endeavor HX1 features voice prompts similar to the BlueAnt Q1--it announces to you when it's ready for pairing and walks you through the pairing process. It will also announce its battery status, when stealth mode is on or off, and if an incoming call is coming from Phone 1 or Phone 2. We found the voice prompts handy, especially when handling more than one phone.

We were extremely impressed by the sound quality of the headset on the whole. On our end, we could hear our callers very clearly with plenty of volume, though we did hear the occasional static and crackle. It was about on par with the incoming call quality of the handsets.

As for outgoing call quality, we found that we didn't have to use the "stealth mode" bone conduction all the time, especially in a quiet office or a moderately busy restaurant--the dual-microphone noise-canceling CrystalTalk technology was sufficient for the most part. With just CrystalTalk and without activating "stealth mode," callers said we sounded very clear with a natural sounding voice. They didn't hear a lot of static or interference. However, callers could still hear some background sound at times when we were outside, and the HX1 did poorly with wind noise when just using CrystalTalk.

It was a whole different story with the "stealth mode" activated. Background noise was absolutely eliminated--even when we were standing in front of a fan blowing at full speed, our callers didn't hear the fan at all. However, while they did say the sound quality improved, we did encounter a few snags. They said our voice sounded digitized and almost garbled at times. We had to enunciate words and speak a bit slowly and deliberately to avoid sounding garbled or mumbled. Our callers also heard a tiny bit of crackling at times. This is why we would only use "stealth mode" in the most extreme of noisy situations, since the bone conduction affects the quality of the voice.

The Motorola Endeavor HX1 has a rated talk time of 7 hours talk time and 10 days standby time.

O2 shows interest in nabbing T-Mobile UK

O2's parent company Telefonica's European CEO has said the company is interested in picking up ailing network T-Mobile UK.

The third largest UK mobile operator, currently owned by Deutsche Telekom but widely reported to be up for sale, has been linked with mergers from Vodafone, O2 and Orange in the UK, but this is the first time actual interest has been declared.

In an interview with the Financial Times in Germany CEO Matthew Key says the company is looking at the possibility of a merger 'with interest'.

However, he also points out that such a deal would require the Office of Fair Trading to approve the deal, as assuming another 20-odd per cent of the market would turn any network into a clear leader (apart from Hutchinson-owned 3).

Move on

As the UK market is so competitive it's unlikely such a move would be blocked by the OFT, as many other countries, such as Spain, have fewer networks.

T-Mobile has been a strong supporter of Android in the UK, with the G1 and G2 Touch handsets (both by HTC) while O2 only has the forthcoming Samsung i7500 Galaxy on the books.

Such a merger would give it instant access to the new popular OS on the block, as well as giving it nearly half the market share in the UK.

Via Cellular News and FT Germany (translated)

HTC: 50% of our 2010 phones will be Android

HTC has upped its predicted portion of Android phones from 30 to 50 per cent of all devices in 2010.

Following the success of its first three efforts, the G1, Magic and Hero, the Taiwanese phone maker will likely focus less on Windows Mobile and more on the mobile Google OS.

The report by Digitimes also states that HTC is bringing out another high profile handset (shocking) in September or October of this year based on Qualcomm's BREW Mobile Platform.

Go-between

This platform acts as a go-between for applications and the hardware, making it easier for developers to code for the phone without having to worry about the interface. This in turn helps lower the cost of the handset too.

The new device will also use the new HTC Sense UI and TouchFLO 3D interface, as the company looks to build on the imminent success of the Hero.

It's unknown whether this new device will be Android- or Windows Mobile-powered, as September or October will be the point when WinMo 6.5 is likely to be released.

Via Digitimes

Toshiba TG01 ships with very own virus

The launch of the new Toshiba TG01 in Germany has been halted somewhat with the news select models have a virus pre-installed.

According to the German site Inside-Handy, the new phone comes with the virus inside the file tree, although it seems its effects aren't deadly for the handset.

A spokesperson for O2 Germany has said that the network is aware of the problem, but it is only afflicting a few phones sold recently.

Sales halted

Sales have apparently been stopped of the new WinMo 6.1 phone in the region as the problem is being investigated, although it appears they will resume next week.

The threat of viruses on mobile phones continues to grow as ever more powerful handsets appear (the TG01 was the industry's first with a 1GHz processor) but as yet there hasn't been an outbreak that's crippled a large portion of devices.

Given the TG01 has received less than rave reviews on its launch, it's unfortunate to see another problem for Toshiba to deal with. However, if we found out how this problem occurred, we'll let you know.

Via Unwired View and Inside-Handy

Dell re-confirms plans for own smartphone

Dell has confirmed it's still on course to release its own smartphones and says it's in talks with networks to assess what they need from such a device.

Roland Garriques, speaking at an analysts conference today, said the company would "work with the top three or four" networks and "see what their needs are".

The smartphone won't be a one-off device either, with screen sizes between four and 12 inches helping make a new range.

Netbook eating your face

It's likely that these will be handsets with 3G capabilities built in, rather than functioning as 'stereotypical' phones. We draw this assumption basically because you'd look ridiculous holding a netbook-size device to your head.

The rumours of Dell's intended plans have been ebbing and flowing for quite some time now, with many stating it will work with Android not only for a phone but also a netbook as well.

However, the consensus appears to be the company will enter the Mobile Internet Device arena with its devices, meaning a range of multi-connected touchscreen gadgets with grand internet capabilities (we hope).

Via Celluar news

Google Voice for Android & BlackBerry in US

Google has announced its Google Voice App for Android and BlackBerry, meaning you can use the service on your mobile, but only in the US.

This means callers will see your Google Voice number (the one that collates all your work, home and mobile accounts and directs them through a number of your choosing) on their screen when you call.

The service, which was previously Grand Central until a few years ago when Google bought it out, is only available by invitation only, so the App can only be had by those who have already been accepted (and Google is currently processing a huge backlog of applications at the moment).

See your own voice

Users of the service will also get transcribed voicemail on their phone, with the words highlighted as they're being said, in a kind of karaoke stylee.

Vincent Paquet, manager of Google Voice, confirmed that Google and Apple are working on a version of the service, which also brings low cost international calls thanks to some internet routing, for the iPhone, but it's still a work in progress.

We applied to be members of Google Voice what seems like aeons ago, so if you're still waiting for acceptance so you can use this App (which is US only at the moment) you may be left hanging for a bit longer.

RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 (Verizon Wireless)

Product Summary

The good: The RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 offers world-roaming capabilities as well as Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The smartphone offers a great design that combines a sharp display and an easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard in a fairly compact size.

The bad: The smartphone lacks Wi-Fi. The Web browser falls short of the competition, and there's a bit of shutter lag on the camera. You can't save applications to a media card.

The bottom line: With a winning design and fast performance, the RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 is one of Verizon Wireless' top smartphones for both business users and messaging fanatics.

Price range: $199.99 check prices

• Reviewed by:
  Bonnie Cha
• Reviewed on: 07/02/2009

(Click to enlarge)

Long awaited, the RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 has finally arrived in town, and it's putting on quite a show. As the replacement to the RIM BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, the Tour offers 3G world roaming capabilities and brings a number of improvements in all three departments of design, features, and performance. While we're disappointed by the lack of Wi-Fi and other minor annoyances, the pros far outweigh the cons. It's one of the strongest smartphone offerings from Verizon Wireless, and its business customers will be well-served by this device. The RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 will be available from the carrier starting July 12, for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $70 mail-in rebate.

Design
The RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 looks like the lovechild of the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 and the RIM BlackBerry Bold, inheriting some of the best traits of the two smartphones. In terms of size, the Tour is more similar to the Curve 8900, though slightly bigger and heavier at 4.4 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and 4.5 ounces. (The Curve comes in at 4.2 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighs 3.8 ounces.) Still, the device is much more pocketable than the Bold and the BlackBerry 8830. Plus, the extra weight gives the phone a satisfyingly solid feel, and the back of the phone also features a partial soft-touch finish for extra durability.

The BlackBerry Tour's design is a nice combination of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 (pictured here) and the BlackBerry Bold.

The Tour features the same screen as the Curve 8900. It measures 2.4-inches diagonally and shows 65,536 colors at a 480x360-pixel resolution. Images and text look crisp and vibrant, and and colors pop off the screen.

Like the Curve and Bold, the Tour features an updated user interface that's fairly straightforward and easy to navigate. Several of the menu icons look similar, so they can be hard to distinguish at a glance, but overall the user interface is very straightforward and easy to navigate. You can rearrange the icons and organize them in folders, and as always, you can customize the home screen with background images and themes.

Below the display, you'll find the Talk and End keys, a menu shortcut, a back button, and a trackball navigator. Pressing the Alt and menu key will bring up an application switcher where you can toggle between tasks, but we found it more convenient to assign the switcher to one of the convenience keys located on the left and right sides of the phone. To program these buttons, simply go to Options > Screen/Keyboard and scroll down to the left and right convenience fields to assign an app or task to the controls.

The BlackBerry Tour's QWERTY keyboard is fairly easy to use.

For text entry, the Tour offers a 35-key QWERTY keyboard that is reminiscent of the one found on the Bold, which is a good thing. Obviously with the Tour's more compact frame, the keyboard isn't quite as roomy as the Bold's but still features good-size buttons. To prevent them from feeling too flat, the rectangular keys have a slight ridge and a white backlight makes the letters and numbers (highlighted in red) easy to see in darker environments. We were quite happy using the Tour's keyboard. Plus, the keyboard just had a more high-quality feel compared with the Curve's where the buttons felt a little plasticky. Our only minor complaint is that the outside keys are a little difficult to press, since the downward slope of the buttons make them a bit flat against the edge of the phone.

Other features of the BlackBerry Tour's design include lock and mute buttons on top of the device. In addition to the aforementioned convenience key, there's a volume rocker, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Micro-USB port on the right. Finally, the camera and flash are located on back, while behind the battery cover, you'll find the SIM card and microSD expansion slots.

Verizon packages the RIM BlackBerry Tour with a load of accessories, including a travel charger, three international adapters, a USB cable, a stereo headset, a 2GB microSD card, a SIM card, a swivel holster, a Global Support Kit, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

Features
As the replacement to the RIM BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, the RIM BlackBerry Tour offers dual-mode functionality (supporting dual-band CDMA and quad-band GSM networks) for world roaming capabilities and ships with a SIM card. With this capability, the phone switches automatically between CDMA and GSM networks to offer seamless international roaming--all while keeping the same phone number. In addition to voice coverage, the BlackBerry Tour supports the 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA band, so you can get 3G support overseas, while working on Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network domestically. In all, you'll get voice coverage in 220 countries and data coverage (e-mail and Internet) in 175 countries. Be sure to check the international roaming rates for voice calls and text messages before you head off on your trip: Verizon's rates can get pretty pricey in some areas, ranging from $0.69 up to $4.99 per minute. You can find the carrier's international plans here.

The RIM BlackBerry Tour offers world roaming capabilities and ships with a SIM card.

Other phone features include a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, and text and multimedia messaging. The Tour also supports Visual Voice Mail, but be aware that this service costs an additional $2.99 per month. The phone book is only limited by the available memory with room in each entry for multiple numbers, e-mail addresses, work and home address, job title, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can attach a contact photo, group ID, or a custom ringtone.

While offering 3G support, the BlackBerry Tour does not have integrated Wi-Fi, but this isn't a case of Verizon crippling the feature; Sprint's version of the Tour also lacks Wi-Fi. You do get Bluetooth 2.0 with support for wireless headsets, stereo Bluetooth (A2DP/AVCRP), hands-free kits, phone book access, serial port, and dial-up networking. The latter allows you to use the Tour as a wireless modem for your laptop, but to use the feature, you will need to sign up for Verizon's Mobile Broadband Connect plan, which range from $39.99 per month for 250MB of data up to $59.99 for 5GB of data.

GPS is also onboard. The smartphone uses both satellites and cellular triangulation to find your position and can provide navigation via several methods. The smartphone ships with BlackBerry Maps, where you can get maps, text-based turn-by-turn instructions, and search for local businesses. However, for real-time voice-guided directions, you will need to subscribe to a location-based service, which Verizon provides through VZ Navigator. The service costs $9.99 a month; unfortunately, our review unit was not set up with the service to test it out.

Of course, what would a BlackBerry be without e-mail? The BlackBerry Tour can sync with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server, with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise, to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. With BlackBerry Internet Service, you can also access up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. There's also an attachment viewer for opening Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and more. Thankfully, there's more instant messaging support as well, so in addition to BlackBerry Messenger, there are also preloaded clients IM for Windows Live, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, and AIM.

To supplement the attachment viewer, the smartphone ships with DataViz Documents To Go Standard Edition, so you can now edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files as well. If you want the ability to create new documents, you will have to upgrade to the Premium Edition, however. Staple personal information management tools, like a Calendar, a task list, a memo pad, a voice recorder, a calculator, will also help keep you on track. Recognizing the growing popularity of social networking sites, Verizon and RIM has also included Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr on the BlackBerry Tour for easy access.

In addition to the preloaded apps, the BlackBerry Tour supports the recently launched BlackBerry App World. The catalog has a basic, but easy-to-use, interface and features a fairly comprehensive database of applications, which you can view by category, top downloads, or featured items. You can also search by title. We downloaded several programs over Verizon's 3G network, including Slacker Radio, the Weather Channel, and AP News, and had no problems. The bad news, however, is that like the T-Mobile G1, you can't save apps to the microSD card, so you'll have to download them to the phone's main memory, which isn't that much at 256MB.

While the app store has plenty of entertainment apps, there are some onboard options as well. The BlackBerry Tour features a built-in media player that can play various music and video formats, including MP3, WMA, WMA ProPlus Bluetooth, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ files, and MPEG4, WMV, and H.264 video clips. There's a search function, playlist creation, shuffle and repeat, and you get a full-screen mode for video playback. You can purchase and download songs over the air though V Cast Music or stream music from various sites. The included software CD also contains a copy of Roxio Easy Media Creator, so you can create MP3s from CDs and add audio tags. Make good use of that 2GB microSD card and save all your multimedia files on there. If you need more, the expansion slot can accept up to 16GB cards. Video and TV buffs might be disappointed to learn that the Verizon BlackBerry Tour will not support V Cast Mobile TV, whereas Sprint's version of the Tour will support the carrier's mobile TV service.

Picture quality was mediocre, and there's a bit of shutter lag.

The BlackBerry Tour comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera with 2x zoom, auto focus, flash, and image stabilization. It can also record video and geotag photos using the phone's GPS. Despite the image stabilization, we found picture quality to be a little fuzzy. There's a bit of shutter lag so it may be that we pulled the camera away too soon, but that in and of itself is annoying. Video quality was actually more impressive. The picture had some expected pixelation but was mostly clear and it did well even in darker environments. For enterprise customers whose workplace bans camera phones, Verizon will also offer a version without a camera.

Performance
We tested the dual-mode (CDMA 800/1900; GSM 850/900/1800/1900; UMTS/HSDPA 2100) RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 in San Francisco with Verizon Wireless service and call quality was good. We heard our callers loud and clear; in fact, it was almost too loud so we had to take the volume down a couple of notches. There are also settings to enhance the audio by boosting the treble or bass, but we didn't feel the need to so. Our callers also had positive comments and said calls sounded quite clear. However, they could tell when we switched to the speakerphone unannounced. While the audio was not quite as pristine, we were still able to carry on with the conversation. On our side, the calls had enough volume but sounded just a bit hollow.

We paired the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active headphones.

Armed with a 528MHz Qualcomm processor, the BlackBerry Tour was able to keep up with our day-to-day demands and was quite a fast little device. We encountered minimal delays, and we were able to switch between tasks with no problems. Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network also provided speedy as well as reliable coverage here in San Francisco. App and music downloads were pretty swift. It took 52 seconds to download the Slacker app, while a 1.94MB song took 1 minute and 27 seconds from V Cast Music. Thanks to the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack, we were able to plug in our Bose On-Ear headphones and enjoy rich-sounding tracks. Video playback was also smooth with synchronized picture and audio.

Using the Tour's full HTML browser, CNET's full site downloaded in 38 seconds--quite impressive considering other 3G smartphones have taken up to a minute--while CNN's and ESPN's mobile sites came up in 7 seconds and 15 seconds. We've said it before, but we'll say it again. BlackBerry's Web browser isn't the best. It's come a long way and it's much less frustrating to navigate with the onscreen cursor and different page views, but still there's a lot to be desired.

Since our review unit didn't include VZ Navigator, we couldn't really test the voice-guided navigation. However, we used BlackBerry Maps, which was able to provide accurate directions to our destinations. The GPS reception was pretty good; from a cold start, the phone was able to find our location within two minutes and subsequent starts were a little faster at about a minute or less.

The RIM BlackBerry Tour comes with a 1400mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 5 hours and up to 14 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results.

BlackBerry suffers as networks laud Palm Pre and iPhone 3GS

RIM S.O.S

2009 has been a slow year so far for BlackBerry. After the success of the Bold in 2008, the Storm was soaked in failure and the Curve nearly sent them round the bend. Aside from the launch of its App World store, it's been all quiet on the Western (Canadian) front.

Now, reseach in the US claims that RIM's nose is being further pushed out of joint by the American networks' love affair with the Palm Pre and Apple iPhone 3GS smartphones that are cutting into BlackBerry's once iron-clad grip on the market.

- Check out BlackBerry's top contenders for the smartphone crown

The report from by Piper Jaffrey says that networks like AT&T and Sprint have been pushing the luxurious Apple and Palm handsets rather than the likes of the BlackBerry Bold, which has led to a shortcoming in June sales for RIM. The end of a buy-one-get-one-free offer on BlackBerry phones with the Verizon network also hit new sales.

So it seems RIM will need the BlackBerry Tour, set for a UK release later this year, to pick up some serious steam if it's to crash the Palm Pre's battle with the iPhone 3GS for the coveted Christmas No.1 spot.

Link: RIM (via ITProPortal)

Palm webOS 1.1 heading to Pre this month?

Palm sets business users in its sights, writes Al Warmington

According to anonymous tipsters, Palm is gearing up to launch a major update to the Palm Pre’s webOS software. webOS 1.1 is expected to bring in a number of security enhancements and a raft of Exchange Active Sync enhancements. The update is believed to be coming in the 30 days.

Security upgrades are expected to include remote wipes, required PINs, PIN complexity (alphanumeric or numeric), auto-lock after a pre-set number of minutes and auto-wipe following a certain number of failed PIN attempts.

Although it’s not the most thrilling set of tweaks from an average consumer’s perspective, these are the kind of things that corporate IT types clamour for, so it may make it easier to blag one from the company purse – because owning a corking little smartphone will make you almost 13% more productive, y’know.

Other rumours suggest that Palm is also rolling out a selection of new webOS apps. That’s great news for current Pre owners, who are starved of innovative phone applications. Palm is still readying its SDK for mobile developers and the launch has been pushed back till later in the summer, which may leave UK customers a little light on apps when the handset launches over here on O2.

Any new apps to come from the update are likely to be made in-house by Palm, so unfortunately you probably won’t be getting iBeer or Lightsabers.

Link: Palm (via BoyGeniusReport)

Samsung Mantra (Virgin Mobile)

Product Summary

The good: The Samsung Mantra has a user-friendly design and a functional feature set that includes Bluetooth and voice dialing. One the whole, voice quality is good.

The bad: The Samsung Mantra has a small external display and subpar photo quality. Call quality at the highest volume levels was slightly distorted.

The bottom line: The Samsung Mantra offers a user-friendly phone with functional features, though its overall performance could be better.

Specifications: Talk time: Up to 330 min ; Combined with: With digital camera ; Weight: 3.4 oz

• Reviewed by:
  Kent German
• Reviewed on: 07/10/2009

The new Mantra is only the second Samsung phone for Virgin Mobile. Like the earlier Slash, the Mantra (aka the SPH-M340) offers functional features and respectable, though not perfect, call quality. But unlike its predecessor the Mantra has a more agreeable flip phone design with spacious controls and keypad buttons. You can get it for just $59.99, which is quite affordable for prepaid service.

Design
With its black-and-gray color scheme and simple lines, the Samsung Mantra has a plain yet pleasant design. The silver line across the front face adds a bit of style, but this is hardly a phone that will stand out in the crowd. At 3.8 inches by 1.87 inches by 0.69 inch and 3.35 ounces, the Mantra isn't tiny, but you can carry it around easily in a pocket or bag. It has a plastic skin, but the hinge feels sturdy.

The external display is rather small (less than an inch diagonal) and it doesn't have the best resolution (96x96 pixels), but it shows the date, time, battery life, and signal strength. It also display photo caller ID, and it works as a viewfinder for the camera lens, which sits just above.

Completing the Mantra's exterior is a volume rocker that sits on the left spine. On the right spine you'll find a camera shutter button and a combined headset/charger jack. The jack is proprietary, so you'll need an adapter to use your own headset, and you can use only one peripheral at a time.

The 2-inch internal display supports 65,000 colors (160x128 pixels). The color and graphic resolution won't amaze you, but it displays most things well. The menu interface is intuitive in either the list or icon style. You can change the backlight time only.

As previously mentioned, the Mantra offers spacious and user-friendly controls. There's a square toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, the Talk and End/power buttons and a Back key. The array is flat, but the individual keys are easy to touch. The same goes for the keypad buttons--though they're flush, we could dial and text quickly without making mistakes. The numbers on the keys are big and brightly backlit.

Features
The 500-contact phone book has room in each entry for five phone numbers, two e-mail address, two instant message handles and a URL. You can save callers to groups and pair them with a photo and one of five polyphonic ringtones. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a speakerphone, a calculator, an alarm clock, a calendar, a notepad, a world clock, and a tip calculator. And like the Slash, the Mantra also offers Bluetooth, instant messaging, a voice memo recorder, and voice commands and dialing. You even get access to POP3 e-mail, but you must go through a clunky Web-based interface.

The Mantra's camera doesn't have a flash.

The VGA camera takes pictures in three resolutions and three quality settings. Editing features are exactly what you'd expect. You'll find a self-timer, four white balance settings, four color tones, 14 fun frames, and three shutter sounds, plus a silent option.

The Mantra's photo quality was forgettable.

Photo quality is disappointing, even for a VGA camera. In most of our shots, colors were muted, and objects were blurry. When finished shooting, you can upload them to an online album, share them friends, or save them to the phone. The Mantra has about 8MB of internal shared memory; it does not record video.

You can personalize the Mantra with a selection of wallpaper, screensavers, alert tones and banners. Using the WAP 2.0 Web browser you can download more customization options, and additional ringtones. The Mantra doesn't come with any games or applications, but you can buy them from Virgin.

Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) in San Francisco. As a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), Virgin Mobile leases a portion of Sprint's network rather than operating its own. On the whole, call quality was admirable. The signal was strong and clear, and voices sounded natural. The audio was a bit distorted at the highest volume levels, but it wasn't a huge problem.

On their end, callers didn't report serious problems. A few mentioned some background noise, but they were in the minority. Automated calling systems could understand us, expect when we were in a place with a lot of noise. Speakerphone calls were about the same as voice calls--relatively clear, but somewhat distorted at the highest volumes.

The Mantra has a rated battery life of 5.5 hours talk time. According to FCC radiation tests the Mantra has a digital SAR of 0.932 watt per kilogram.