Gadgetstress team is glad to present you a new way of testing electronic devices. Today we are going to torture the two samples of Alcatel OT-708, one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) touchscreen cell phones available in the market today. Its specification is similar to Samsung C3300K Champ’s.
The Alcatel OT-708 comes in a thin white cardboard box (Pic. 1) in which you can also find a wall charger and earphones (Pic. 2). The phone is powered by 750 mAh LI-Ion battery and has a resistive touchscreen with 240-by-320-pixels. It is also equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera and boasts the 16 blue LEDs under the screen. You can also find a metallic stylus, housed in the phone’s underside. A white coloured rim round the black front and the black casing makes the gadget look stylish. The whole body is made of matted plastic (Pic. 3, 4).
We developed different stress tests for each Alcatel OT-708 sample. Some of them are new. We hope to get more accurate results than we showed you in the previous test reviews. As usual, almost every test is divided into 3 stages.
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Rating: 9.3/10 (3 votes cast)
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011
We test dual SIM phones very often lately. Today we are going to present you the review of a very popular handset the Samsung С5212i. This is a low-end model as well as the majority of the phones with dual SIM function. Both SIMs can be active simultaneously and calls can be received on either number at any given time.
In the box, as well as the handset itself there is a wall charger, a set of headphones and a manual (Pic. 1, 2). Our Samsung С5212i is a black colored candy bar phone which is made of plastic (Pic. 3, 4).
We are really disappointed with the display resolution which is too low (176 x 220 ppi). The 1.3 camera is also very poor. The handset weighs 98 g. The battery capacity is 1000 mAh.
We like the Samsung С5212i’s build quality. All the components are firmly attached to each other. We heard no squeaks when we used the phone. Will it become a wrecked piece of plastic or will it survive and stay functional? Get through all the stress teats and you’ll know the result.
Results
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Rating: 9.0/10 (2 votes cast)
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Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
Today, in our lab, we are going to abuse the Sony Ericsson Cedar, a candy bar low end cell phone with standard functions. This is not a handset to speak about much. We assume that the gadget may have problems in bend and squeeze tests because the back cover takes up the entirety of the back of the phone and is heavily raised up.
The package box is compact but pretty barren (Pic. 1). In the box, as well as the phone itself, there is only a battery charger and some papers (Pic. 2). The phone was kept in the envelope-package made from textiles and labeled “GreenHeart”. Perhaps, this package is more eco-friendly than a cellophane one.
The matted black front panel and the keys are entirely made of plastic. The matted red back cover shines in the bright lights as if it is glossy (we’ll find the reason further).
Let’s start our tests.
Results
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Rating: 9.3/10 (8 votes cast)
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Rating: +1 (from 3 votes)
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Dual SIM cell phones found their own niche in the industry and their number is growing rapidly. Most of these handsets are for the “low-end market share” and there is a solid demand for them among the consumers who want to save money on their mobile phone bills. Today, in our lab, we are going to abuse one of such dual SIM phones: LG GX200.
The handset is armed with only one radio module. It means that one of the SIM cards won’t be available when you speak on the phone. The GX200 is also equipped with a strong Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery and has the camera with LED flash.
In the small red and white box, as well as the phone itself, there is a charger, a data cable, a set of headphones and a manual (Pic. 1, 2). With its classic design the LG GX200 comes in the casing with chrome effect edging (Pic. 3, 4). The phone has a low display resolution (144 x 176 pixels).
Let’s start our tests.
Results
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Rating: 10.0/10 (4 votes cast)
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Rating: +9 (from 9 votes)
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
Recently, we have tested a dual SIM touchscreen cell phone for the first time. It was the Fly E160. Today, in our lab, we are going to abuse a handset with almost the same specifications: the Samsung B5722.
Unlike the Fly, the B5722 features TFT capacitive touch screen. It makes the phone not only more user-friendly but also more durable and scratch resistant. By the way, life expectancy of capacitive touch screens is 300 million touches in a single location while resistive touchscreens withstand only 35 million touches.
In the dark box, as well as the phone itself there is a charger, a set of headphones, a USB Cable and a cell phone case (Pic. 1, 2). The dimensions of the B5722 are 104 x 54.9 x 14.5 mm. The gadget is equipped with Li-Ion battery (1200 mAh). In addition, in the box you’ll find a 2 Gb microSD.
At first look, the Samsung B5722 is a reliable mobile gadget with fine build quality (Pic. 3, 4). But how will it pass our tests? Read further to know the results.
Results
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Rating: 7.3/10 (3 votes cast)
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Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Recently we have tortured the ruggedized Nokia 3720c. Today we are going to abuse another robust cell phone: the Samsung B2710 Xcover. This device is IP67 certified for dust and water-splash resistance which stands for better reliability in comparison with the Nokia 3720c. The Xcover is claimed to be absolutely dust proof and almost fully water resistant.
The design of the package box is simple. The box is pre-printed with the image of the Samsung B2710 Xcover in splashes of water. The quality of this image leaves much to be desired (Pic. 1). The retail package is quite poor: as well as the phone itself, there is a charger and a set of headphones (Pic. 2). The appearance doesn’t tell you much about reliability of the Xcover (Pic. 3). But if you look closer at the back panel, you’ll see the special lock that makes the panel cling tightly to the phone thus securing it from dust (Pic. 4). The size of the gadget is more than average: 120.7 x 53 x 17.9 mm (4.75 x 2 x 0.7 inches). Ruggedization is expressed through the ribbed sides, the ribbed back cover, the large keys and even the hole for straps. This design makes the phone look brutal. All these features give the Samsung B2710 Xcover the right to be called a cell phone for men.
The keyboard and the buttons on the sides of the phone are comfortable to use. The capacity of the battery is large (1300 mAh). As for the display, we should say that the viewing angles are atrocious and your eyes are likely to feel tired and fatigued.
Results
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Rating: 8.3/10 (9 votes cast)
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Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)
Monday, February 7th, 2011
Today, in our lab, we are going to abuse an affordable slider phone: the Nokia X3. The specifications look like nothing to be excited about: a 3.2 megapixel camera which lacks LED flash, a microSD card slot on the left side of the phone and some other features that you usually find in any mobile phone.
The retail package of the Nokia X3 is shown on picture 1. In the box, as well as the phone itself there is charger, a microUSB cable and a headset (Pic. 2). The shortish microUSB cable isn’t comfortable to use. It also goes with some other most recent Nokia handsets.
The X3 has a refined design. The back panel and the sides of the device are white, the front panel is black (Pic. 3, 4). The back cover clings tightly to the phone and you’re likely to need some experience to remove it. The front panel comprises the three additional dedicated music keys. The small screen makes the phone look cheap. The viewing angles are atrocious and your eyes are likely to feel tired and fatigued. We already performed the tests of the cell phones with such displays: the Samsung C3300K Champ and the Nokia C5.
In spite of all the disadvantages, the Nokia X3 looks robust. Read further to know the results of the stress tests.
Результаты
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Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
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Monday, January 31st, 2011
Today, we are going to test a new stylish touchscreen smartphone that uses the Symbian operating system (S60 series 5th Edition): the Sony Ericsson Vivaz.
The package box is colorful but not compact (Pic. 1). If you take the box upside-down, the accessories are likely to fall out.
The retail package is standard issue stuff. In addition, there is an 8GB card and a TV out cable (Pic. 2). The Vivaz comes with the stylus which dangles by a thread from the bottom of the phone.
The body of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is almost entirely made of plastic with a gloss effect (Pic. 3, 4). Besides, the phone boasts a resistive touchscreen display. All these features make the Vivaz unreliable in use. Read further to know the results of the stress tests.
Results
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Rating: 10.0/10 (6 votes cast)
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Rating: +2 (from 4 votes)
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
This time, the experts from gadgetstress.com tested the Fly E160, a dual-SIM handset that features a large touchscreen display. The specification of this cell phone doesn’t impress us very much. The device is equipped with a 2-megapixel digital camera, dual SIM card slots and a resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 240 x 320 dpi.
The Fly E160 comes in a rich retail package (Pic. 1). In the thick carton box, there is a charger, a set of headphones and a data cable (Pic. 2).
The design of the Fly E160 is typical for the cell phones of this class (Pic. 3, 4). The chrome-effect edging makes the device look stylish.
This is the first Fly gadget and the first dual-SIM cell phone that we tested. Read further to know all the results.
Results
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Rating: 10.0/10 (2 votes cast)
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Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)
Monday, January 17th, 2011
In our lab, we abused a lot of candy bar cell phones and tortured a slider phone once. But we have never tested clamshell models. Today, we are going to present you a review of the mid-budget mobile phone which is designed with a flip form factor – the Nokia 2720 fold.
The package box is made of a thin carton (Pic. 1). In the box, as well as the phone itself there is a wall charger and a set of headphones (Pic. 2).
We had the Nokia 2720 fold in plain black color (Pic. 3, 4). The front and the back panels are glossy. The keyboard and the frame of the screen are silver (Pic. 5). The keys are large, perhaps even too large. This provides a better ease of use for the old people who are thought to be the target customers of this device. The Nokia 2720 fold features a small (1.8”) primary TFT display with a screen resolution of 128 x 160 pixels. There is also a secondary display that sports the same resolution.
The phone has an odd design. At first glance, it’s difficult to understand which panel is front and which is back. You are likely to flip the Nokia 2720 fold with the keyboard upwards because the camera is built into the back panel since almost all the other clamshell models house their cameras in the front panel.
Results
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Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
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Russian version
