LG Optimus L3 Vs L7

LG Optimus L3 black deals

If you're looking for a mid-range or budget Android with Hollywood good-looks, then you'd be remiss if you didn't consider the LG Optimus L range of phones. There are actually three of them, but we're going to be reviewing the two extremes here: the least expensive L3 and the most expensive L7. You can find some good phone deals on both of them out there.

LG Optimus L3 v LG Optimus L7

So clearly these phones are not intended to be in direct competition. They're more like squabbling brothers. As with real siblings though, you get to know more about each of them by knowing them together (yes, we can get pretty deep here) so we think that the comparison is going to be useful. And we think you might be surprised by the results as well. If that's enough of an intro, let's get started.

• Display. With smart phones being such a visual experience as much as anything, we'll start off with the display. The L3 has a 3.2 in. screen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels while the L7 has a 4.3 in. screen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. In both cases, the resolutions are a little low for the size of the screen. However with the L3 having a screen over an inch smaller, its resolution is not actually as bad as the L7's. Which is not to say that either are ugly, but actually it is the smaller screen which delivers better colours and crispness.

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  LG Optimus L7 black monthly contract deals

  Processing Power. One of the most important factors in making a screen work properly is a large enough processing chip. The L3 has a single-core 800MHz chip, while the L7 has a single-core 1GHz chip. So that makes the L7 the faster phone, right? Well, actually, no. Yes it has a more powerful processor, but it also has a much bigger screen and runs a later version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich to the L3's Gingerbread). The result is that the L3 feels nippy, whereas the L7 feels slow and unresponsive at times.
• Android. Both are Android phones of course, but as mentioned the L3 runs Gingerbread while the L7 runs Ice Cream Sandwich. Again this is a case of the latter looking better on paper, but the L3's Gingerbread OS works better with its processing power than the L7's works with Ice Cream Sandwich. That's despite the fact that the L7 doesn't come with all of ICS's features, such as face unlock, but that is promised in an update.
• Design. Both phones have a good build quality, and they are also both very handsome. Indeed that is one of the main selling points, and reasons for bringing this series of phones out. It is for those people who want a good looking phone without having to pay for all of the top of the range specs that can make smart phones so expensive.
• Camera. The LG Optimus L3 only has a 3 megapixel camera, which is pretty bad even for budget Androids these days. The L7 comes with a much more respectable 5MP camera and can record video with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels.
• Storage. To store all of your pictures and videos (not to mention everything else) you're going to need some storage space. The L3 only comes with 1GB internal storage, to the L7's 4GB. However in both cases you can stick a microSD card in there and bump it up by an additional 32GB if you want to.

The full specs for the L3 and the L7 can be found on the LG website.

Summary

With the L7 being the top of this range of phones you would think that it would be the best of the bunch however, although it has the best specs, the L3 actually tends to perform better for what it is.

We wouldn't really recommend the L3 over the L7 though, they're not in the same league, but if you're looking for a good looking budget Android and you don't mind small screens, you should definitely check out LG Optimus L3 black monthlycontract deals.  Or LG Optimus L3 white deals of course.

On the other hand if you're looking for a mid range Android with a big screen, and you can tolerate a little bit of sluggishness getting around, then it's worth considering LGOptimus L7 black deals.  Or, again, LG Optimus L7 white monthly contract deals.

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The Cute and Colourful Sony Xperia U Review

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The Sony Xperia U is a budget to mid-range Android with some solid specs and cute little touches. It's fair to say that this is an artful little smart phone, and will appeal to many. However others could easily hate it, it's quite a daring move from Sony. Being at the lower end of the market though, you will be able to find some excellent phone deals for the Xperia U.

Colourful Lights

Do you like your electronic devices to shimmer and glitter with light for no apparent reason? If so then you're probably going to love the Sony Xperia U. It has a small strip near the base of the phone which is always changing colours, although not entirely randomly. In fact the colour it displays is going to depend on what you are looking at on the phone. It will try to approximate the colour it displays to the colour of the content you are looking at. For example, if you have a picture of a blue sky on the phone, the light will turn blue. When listening to music, the colour will try to copy the dominant colour of the album colour.

At this point, you're probably having a reaction to that. Either you think that sounds cool, in which case you're probably going to like this phone. Or else you're going to think it sounds tacky and embarrassing. In which case this is probably not the phone for you. You may as well stop reading now to be honest.

Features and Specs

Right, now that we've got rid of the losers who don't like colourful lights on a phone, let's talk about the features and specs of this phone shall we?

It's actually kitted out pretty well. It has a dual-core 1GHz processor, which is going to handle with ease all but the most strenuous tasks. For instance you're probably going to have difficulty trying to keep multiple tabs open on the web, but for one at a time it's nice and fast. It's also going to handle the majority of games and other apps with aplomb. Don't expect to be able to play the latest 3D games though, for that you're going to need a more powerful phone. For things like Angry Birds though, it works very well.

This is quite a small phone, with a screen measuring 3.5 inches on the diagonal. That's the same size as the latest iPhone, however this screen is narrower and if you have large hands then it's probably going to be excessively fiddly. With 480 x 854 pixels though it has a good resolution, very nice for watching videos. Sony also uses its Bravia TV technology to make the colours vibrant and fresh. The only problem with the screen comes as a consequence of it being a budget Android; there is some flex if you push down too hard. That's not a major failing though.

The Xperia U runs the Gingerbread version of Android, but there's a promise from Sony of an update to Ice Cream Sandwich being available soon. Sony also put their own skin on top, which is not a major problem or attraction in all honesty.

If you need a lot of storage on your phone, then this might be another deal breaker. It has 8GB internal storage, which is okay. But only 4GB of that is available for pictures and apps. Which would also be okay, except for the fact that there is space for a microSD card, so you can't expand the memory capabilities at all.

There's a 5 megapixel camera, which is the best you are going to get on a mid-range Android. It can shoot 720p HD video as well. Both of these are of fine quality.

There isn't much more to say about this phone. The physical buttons feel a little bit spongy, the screen is very responsive though, as are the touch sensitive buttons. It's stable and reliable for the most part, a perfectly good phone all in all.

To get the full specs, check out Sony's website.

Phone Deals

If you like bright, colourful, cute and cheerful phones, then it's well worth checking out the excellent SonyXperia U black monthly contract deals and the Sony Xperia U white deals available online.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro Review

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro deals

There's a lot to like about the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro. Of course it helps if you're not a fan of large screens; if you are then you're probably not going to like this phone. But then if that's the case, why are you looking at a phone with “mini” in the title, hmm? A lot of the time people who do prefer smaller screens have to put up with lesser specifications though, but that is not the case with the Xperia Mini Pro. So as long as you're not dead-set on getting a large-screened phone, then you might be tempted by the phone deals available on this device.

Defining Characteristics

We recently reviewed the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, so what makes the Pro different? Well, the major difference is that with the Pro you get a full QWERTY keyboard which slides out from underneath the screen. We suspect that's going to be the main pull for anyone who is going to be interested in this phone. If you like physical keypads for your texting and emailing on the go, but you also want access to the vast array of apps that Android smart phones offer (rather than the minimal apps on a BlackBerry, for instance) then this has got to be one of the top contenders.

If you're looking for the highest specs available, then you won't find them on the Xperia Mini Pro, however this is no entry level Android either, and for a small phone it's really quite powerful. We say small, which it is of course in terms of width and height (92mm x 52mm) but it's also twice as thick as many androids at 18mm. Of course with a QWERTY keyboard that slides underneath the screen you have to expect that. It also means that there's room there for a 1GHz processor as well as 512MB RAM, which is plenty for the Gingerbread OS from Android, with operations feeling very smooth and flowing. Sony Ericsson also use what they call “Hot Corners” which are present on every home screen and provide short-cuts to things like your SMS app, the dialler, media apps and address book. These are customisable, and make up for the fact you can't fit as many apps on the screen as you would with other smart phones.

You do have to be willing to put up with a smaller screen than usually found on smart phones though. When it comes to web browsing, for instance, you're going to have to zoom in pretty close to be able to read even normal text. The screen is 3 inches on the diagonal which, in fact, is better than a lot of small Androids, and only half an inch off the iPhone size. Also, if you're planning to watch videos, although the 320 x 480 pixel resolution is okay for a screen of this size, and contrasts are actually good, the screen is so small that it's difficult to really feel involved in what is going on in the video. Not a phone to watch a whole television episode on, or a feature film, in other words.

Other Features

Everything else on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro is pretty much what you would expect from a mid-range Android. You have all the usual connectivity possibilities, as well as DNLA support meaning that you can stream videos or pictures from your phone through a PS3 or a DNLA equipped TV to see it all up on the big screen.

The Xperia Mini Pro comes with a 5 megapixel camera, which is pretty standard but the results from it are not great. Also, although it can record 720p HD video, the quality doesn't come out very well, there is often quite a lot of blurring. It also has a VGA camera on the front for video calls.

Check out the full specs at Sony's website.

Summary

On the whole this is a very good phone if you're looking for an Android smart phone with a small screen, a QWERTY keypad, or both. If you're not interested in either of those features though, you might be better off looking elsewhere. If you're searching for a truly pocket sized Android phone which doesn't compromise on the specs though, it's well worth looking in to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro monthly contract deals that are available.  Or the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro white deals if you prefer.

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BlackBerry Curve 9360 Review

BlackBerry Curve 9360 deals

It's quite difficult to say how good the BlackBerry Curve 9360 is, it all depends on what you're comparing it with. Okay, so you could say that with just about any phone but it's really quite an issue in this case. If you compare it with Androids of a similar price, mid-range, then it's not that great. It doesn't have a touchscreen, it only has a single-core processor and the number of apps available on BlackBerry App World is comparably pitiful compared to Google Play.

On the other hand, if you compare it with other BlackBerry's in the Curve range, it's excellent. The full QWERTY keyboard is superb, it's fast, it has wi-fi and 3G capabilities and it has the first-class BlackBerry Messenger 6 service.

Are You a BlackBerry Fan?

In the end then, it really comes down to whether you're a BlackBerry fan as to whether you are going to like this phone or not. If you love the physical keyboard and being able to message other BlackBerry users free of charge with the messenger service, and you're looking for a BlackBerry on a modest budget then the phone deals on the BlackBerry Curve 9360 are well worth checking out.

On the other hand, if you're open to mid-range Android offerings as well then you're probably going to find something better to your fancy there.

Here are a few of the problems with the BlackBerry Curve 9360 compared to Androids:

• No touchscreen. It operates the BlackBerry OS 7 which was designed to be used with a touchscreen and a trackpad, but there isn't a touchscreen here, probably to keep the cost low. The trackpad does work well, but most people are used to touchscreens now so that could be a bit frustrating.
• Small screen. This is one of those things that it's not really fair to complain about with a BlackBerry of course. If you're going to have a physical keyboard, that has to take up screen space. The 2.44 inch screen does have a 480 x 360 pixel resolution though, which figures to a high 246 pixels per inch, so images are very sharp. Colours are vibrant as well, so there can actually be few complaints about the screen.
• Single-core processor. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 is run by an 800MHz single-core processor, whereas most mid-range Androids these days have dual-core processors. Here again though, there can really be few complaints because the phone does run extremely smoothly. Better, in fact, than many Androids that do have dual-core processors. However the failing does show up in:
• Slow web browsing. The web browsing is frustratingly slow. Also, if you're used to a touchscreen then you're likely to really miss it here.

Other than that the specs are pretty standard, you've got 512MB internal storage, with room for more with a microSD card. There's a 5 megapixel camera which is fine, but you can't record HD video which is quite disappointing. You can find the full specs on the BlackBerryWebsite.

Summary

This is undoubtedly a very nice phone, it's well designed and it's a very smooth smart phone. If you're open to getting an Android phone, however, then you'll probably find something better at a similar price. On the other hand, if you just love that QWERTY keyboard and don't mind the rest of the failings, then it's definitely worth checking out BlackBerry Curve 9360 monthly contract deals to find the best price.

Or if you are attracted to other colours, there's quite a selection here.  So check out BlackBerry Curve 9360 white deals, BlackBerry Curve 9360 purple deals and BlackBerry Curve 9360 pink deals.

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The Dreamy HTC Desire S: A Review

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The HTC Desire S is best seen as an evolving step from the previous year's Desire, rather than as a completely different species. Not much has changed, but the changes are improvements at least (which sadly is not always the case with a supposed upgrade). So what's changed, what's stayed the same, and is it actually any good?

More than You Could Desire?

To skip to the end: yes, it's a good phone. Very good. We were a fan of the Desire and were glad to see that they hadn't changed too much. The user interface for instance, remains excellent. HTC is one of the few manufacturers who have actually made to improve upon the basic Android system. That's one of the differences from the original Desire in fact, as the Desire S has what was then the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread system (since been surpassed of course). The improvements with HTC's proprietary Sense 2.2 technology are small but effective. For instance the quick settings feature set in to the notifications bar at the top is a great addition, as is the simple genius of being able to silence an incoming call just by turning the phone over. The little things which don't sound like much actually considerably increase the pleasure of using this phone.

Other aspects which have remained the same from the original Desire are the screen, which is the same 3.7 inches with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, which to be fair is still good and provides crisp pictures and graphics. If you are looking for something better than that though then you could check out HTC Desire HD deals and get a 4.2 inch HD display.

The processing power of the Desire S stays the same with a 1 GHz processor, although the speed does increase with the upgrade to 768 RAM. Now that there are dual core processors coming out this kind of processing power no longer stands up to the very best out there, but it's more than enough for the vast majority of tasks.

One of the most impressive differences comes in the physical design of the phone. The chassis is made from just a single piece of aluminium, in a unibody design. This makes it feel very solid and classy (access to the battery and sim is available through a small plastic cover which doesn't detract from the feel of solidity).

Web browsing is fast, and with the pre-installed Flash support there's no problem watching videos on the web. The intuitive pinch to zoom feature is also included. No complaints there. The camera is slightly disappointing because it hasn't been upgraded from the 5 megapixel outing on the original Desire. Although you can now record 720p HD video, which is a welcome upgrade. Also, there's a camera on the front of the phone for video-call capabilities (which comes with with the Android Gingerbread OS).

Check out the full specs on the HTC Desire S at the HTC website.

To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade?

If you already have the HTC Desire then the changes made to the HTC Desire S will probably not be significant enough to tempt you to shell out for the upgrades. On the other hand if you're looking for phone deals on a user friendly Android, and you don't need the very top processing power, then it's definitely worth checking out HTC Desire S monthly contract deals. This might not be a market leader, but mid-range smart phones don't come much better than this.

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