Author: jonchoo

A keen mobiler for more than a decade. I am passionated about music, photography, video games, fellwalking, technology and social. I blog occasionally at http://jonchoo.blogspot.com, though I mainly tweet about insane stuff at -> http://www.twitter.com/jonchoo You can also email me on my Gmail account at jthchoo

Vodafone 555 Blue ‘Facebook phone’ announced

Vodafone UK today announced the 555 Blue, a budget Facebook phone aimed at the masses.

The phone will feature a QWERTY monoblock design, 2.4″ touchscreen display with QVGA resolution, Bluetooth, FM radio, 2 Megapixel camera with LED flash and microSD card slot. It relies on 2.5G EDGE data for connection and will not feature any sort of 3G and WiFi connectivity. Like the HTC ChaCha, the 555 Blue will also have a dedicated Facebook button.

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Viber for Android review

Viber is a popular VoIP and free messaging service on the iOS platform. In fact it has been downloaded over 12 million times on Apple’s app store. The Android version recently graduated from beta and is now available to the Android Market.

Read on to see what I thought about it.

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Mugen Power Battery Review

We at FoneArena are big fans of Mugen Power batteries. For those who doesn’t know, Mugen Power manufacturers third party replacement batteries for smartphones. Their speciality are batteries which retains the same size as the standard battery that comes with your phone; and the extended battery with twice the capacity and size. These extended batteries are popular among power users. However today I will be reviewing the normal sized replacement battery.

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Motorola XOOM Review

When Apple stunned the tech industry last year with their iPad and a few Android manufacturers were eager to get a slice of the tablet market. There was no tablet-optimised Android versions then, but that didn’t stop a few manufacturers from attempting to shoehorn Android Froyo (and Gingerbread) onto larger slates. The public didn’t buy into it, with many purchasers commenting that Android in its then iteration was ill suited for large slates.

Google has since released an Android version called Honeycomb, that was designed from the ground up with a larger screen in mind. While still icon-based, the UI was completely overhauled, now sporting a layout more similar to that of a desktop OS. With the Xoom, Motorola was the first manufacturer to launch a tablet based on the OS. But can they catch up with Apple, who has also made improvements with their second version of the iPad? Do read the FoneArena Motorola Xoom review.

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HTC ChaCha preview

HTC caused a stir at this year’s MWC when they announced the ChaCha and Salsa, two Android devices with their very own Facebook button. Unofficially dubbed the ‘Facebook phones’, the ChaCha allows you to easily update your Facebook status with a simple press of a button. Continue reading “HTC ChaCha preview”

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Mini and Mini Pro hands-on

Sony Ericsson today announced the XPERIA Mini and Mini Pro, successors to the XPERIA X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro. I was at the London press conference where I had some hands-on time with the devices. No price or availability has been announced yet, but they are due to arrive August of this year.

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Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc Review

Here is the FoneArena Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc Review , the latest flagship device which can be considered a successor to the X10. The XPERIA Arc is Sony Ericsson’s latest assault on the ever growing Android smartphone market. Unlike other manufacturers like Motorola, LG and Samsung, Sony Ericsson has gone for a single core processor for their flagship smartphone. Rather than going with brute specifications, they are counting on the design and software optimisation to gain customers.
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HTC Sensation hands-on with Photos and Video


HTC today announced their new flagship Android smartphone, the HTC Sensation aka HTC Pyramid. I was there for the press conference and had my first hands-on with the device. Continue reading “HTC Sensation hands-on with Photos and Video”

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play UK Launch Party

Last week Sony Ericsson launched their latest salvo of Xperia smartphones. The Xperia Play went on sale in the UK on Friday, while the Arc a couple of days before. The Xperia Play is a PlayStation certified Android smartphone that has an integrated gaming pad and access to PlayStation Suite. Continue reading “Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play UK Launch Party”

SPB Shell 3D for Android Review

SPB Mobile Shell is one of the essential applications I have on my Nokia N8 and previously on my older Windows Mobile phones. It is a replacement application launcher that works not only quicker and better than Nokia’s default homescreen, but also in a way that makes the device much more pleasant to use. So when SPB asked if I wanted to try out the beta for SPB Shell 3D for Android, I seized the chance. It is hard getting excited about applications these days, more so mobile applications, but I truly had high hopes for SPB.
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Motorola MILESTONE 2 Review

Here is the FoneArena Motorola Milestone 2 Review, the latest version of the handset that saved Motorola in the past. It is unbelievable that barely two years ago, Motorola was on death knell. Then the company announced and release the Droid/Milestone, a high-end Android smartphone that was well received by smartphone enthusiasts. It was a remarkable comeback for Motorola and the rest, as they say, was history. Continue reading “Motorola MILESTONE 2 Review”

Motorola DEFY Review

Here is the FoneArena Motorola Defy review – a rugged Android phone which is available for purchase in UK, USA and hitting India soon.The phone drew plenty of attention worldwide because it’s not only rugged but also smart !

The DEFY is a rugged smartphone. It is marketed as a complete smartphone solution for social savvy people with the added bonus of being dustproof, scratch-resistant and splash-resistant. Motorola calls it the lifeproof phone. I don’t disagree. Continue reading “Motorola DEFY Review”

Motorola Defy Preview – the lifeproof phone

Motorola’s new Android budget smartphone is a rare thing – a semi rugged phone that looks like any other normal phone. It is dust proof, water and scratch resistant. Motorola calls it the ‘Lifeproof’ phone. I call it a freaking awesome phone.Check out our little Motorola Defy preview.

When I first heard of the Defy, I expected to be greeted with a smartphone equivalent of a Panasonic Toughbook laptop, but no – the Defy looks like any normal smartphone. It is even smaller than my Nokia N8! . It won’t take any design awards home as far as physical aesthetics is concerned, but it isn’t something you would be embarrassed to own. In fact it looks rather cute! Continue reading “Motorola Defy Preview – the lifeproof phone”

Windows Phone 7 Impressions

I’ve been using a Samsung Omnia 7 for a couple of days. It so happen to run on Windows Phone 7, the new mobile operating system Microsoft. As a former Pocket PC and Windows Mobile user, I can say for certain
 that Windows Phone 7 is nothing like its predecessors. I was excited about trying out the new OS. Continue reading “Windows Phone 7 Impressions”