Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Two new Android phones score on style and performance
The new edge I had reviewed the Acer Liquid,one of the first Android phones to hit the Indian market,a year ago. So,I was not expecting the Acer Liquid Metal to be much different,except for maybe the metal finish that gives it its name and stylish looks.
The Android 2.2 Froyo OS is much faster than many of its competitors,especially when it is running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Core Processor. And Breeze makes good use of this processing power. The homescreen gives you one-touch access to call lists,music,weather and so on. It is a screensaver of sorts,for you can flip it over and enter the actual homescreen,which has most-used apps like a tab below it,while on the top you can flip back to history,or programmes you use often. The tab below can be pulled up to reveal the full menu,and even there,you have slide-through screens instead of the long lists in other Android phones.
This little tweak to the Android makes the Liquid user-friendly. To add to this is the Acer SocialJogger,which puts all your social network feeds in one place. From Twitter to Facebook and Flickr,the Jogger can manage all your accounts and makes sure you dont have to open websites or apps individually.
The Liquid is a 3G phone in the true sense and is capable of reaching data transfer speeds of 14.4 Mbps,while many others are still playing around the 2 Mbps mark. There is also a 5 MP camera which can click photos even in low light,and record HD video at 720p. The 3.6-inch TFT touchscreen is wide enough to watch movies on and,with Dolby Surround sound to add to the pleasure. The 1,500 MAH battery can give you eight hours of talk time,provided you switch off the GPS when not needed and install the App Kill to exit unwanted Android apps. The Acer Liquid Metal costs Rs 20,500.
Double hit
A phone called Milestone has to be solid,and the Motorola Milestone XT 800 is as solid as a phone can be. With a macho attitude that will make rivals look like sissies,the XT 800 sports a chrome body that makes it look a bit like the Enfield Bullet from some angles.
The XT 800 runs on the Android 2.1 OS. And there are no major tweaks in the interface,so the phone looks and feels like most other regular Androids. However,it packs a punch in its processing power. I am not sure if there is any other high-end Android phone which can support dual SIMs GSM and CDMA like the XT 800,and manage the two with ease. Every time you make a call,the phone gives you the C and G options,so that you can select the service you want to use. Incoming calls also have similar icons so you can easily make out the number on which the call is on.
What really sets this phone apart is the 3.7inch 854215;480 pixel FWVGA landscape touch display. The screen can play HD media like a breeze and the phone even comes with an HDMI cable if you want to transfer the experience to a larger screen. The speakers on the phone easily complement the pictures and there is even an app to optimise the listening experience on the speaker and headphone.
The XT 800 comes with a 5MP digital-zoom autofocus camera which does a decent job even in low light,thanks to its dual LED flash. The photos come to life in the gallery which has been built to make full use of the pinch-to-zoom and flip-through functions of the touchscreen.
Another unique feature is the Firewall,which lets users block unwanted calls and messages. The phone also comes with a task manager to kill unwanted Android apps running in the background. The phone has A-GPS satellite navigation and a memory expandable up to 32 GB. The Motorola Milestone XT 800 sells for Rs 31,999 with the 2GB data card and the HDMI cable.
