HTC Touch Diamond Preview & News

With only a week left to the HTC new mobile phones announcement we are already witnessing the first bits of information about the highly expected devices. The campaign bearing the ambitious title "Something beautiful is coming" will reach its culmination at the official event at May 6th. As for now here are the expected specs of some of the devices and a few pictures that should give you the idea of what to expect.

HTC Touch Diamond is the first to make its mark. It's already known as T-Mobile's MDA Compact IV from CeBIT 2008. It is going to feature some really high-end specifications such as 2.8-inch VGA screen, 528MHz Qualcomm CPU and a GPS receiver. It will also feature 128MB of RAM and will run on the latest Windows Mobile 6.1 platform. The internal memory will offer 4 gigs worth of storage space and will be further expandable through the microSD card slot. There will also be a built-in accelerometer for automatic rotation of the user interface.

As you probably would have expected from a pocket PC the HTC Diamond will have one of the best connectivity feature-packs around. 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA support is on board, along with USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It will feature almost no hardware keys and will come in the amazingly compact dimensions of 51 x 99 x 10.7mm making it a great successor of the HTC Touch.

There will also be an O2 version of the HTC Touch Diamond - the O2 XDA Diamond.

HTC Raphael is the next expected device. Seen as a successor of the HTC TyTN II the Raphael is expected to be sold as HTC Touch Pro. It features almost the same set of features as the HTC Diamond but adds a full slide-out QWERTY-keyboard. The 4GB of internal memory is also missing and the dimensions will get a bit beefier at 51 x 99 x 17mm.

HTC Titanium is another rumored platform that is expected to make the news on the 6th of May - presumably as HTC Touch Dual Pro. As the name suggests it is coming as a successor of the HTC Touch Dual and will probably have a feature pack similar to the just described previous two PocketPCs but with a 12 or 20 key slide-out keypad this time.

Another really exciting device that is expected to be announced next Tuesday is the HTC Dream Android, which will be the first device to feature the new Android OS.

Finally, we come to the HTC Touch Find, which will feature a 2.8-inch touchscreen but this time with the more modest QVGA resolution. It will also boast Wi-Fi, a 3 megapixel snapper, GPS and 3G with HSDPA support. Here is how it's supposed to look like based on a leaked photo.

Along with the devices the HTC is expected to showcase its latest user interface known around the internet as Manila. It is probably going to come preinstalled on some of the just described devices and as some sources around the internet claim the Manila is going to be a more than worthy successor to the TouchFLO interface.

Sources: msmobiles MoDaCo gsmarena

HYBRID X — sustainable mobility for modern families

The Hybrid X rewrites the design rule book for hybrid models with unconventional creative solutions that could become the norm for future hybrid designs. A key concept is Vibrant Clarity - a design ethos grounding all design work in a unique and emotionally vibrant identity that speaks clearly of Toyota. Offering sustainable mobility for modern families, the environmentally advanced technology is another step closer to Toyota's vision of a zero smog-forming emission future.

Designed as a multi-sensory experience, the futuristic exterior shape of the Hybrid X offers unconventional fusion of thought through a clear and visionary insight to the interior. Inside the car, the driver sets the mood using an internal interface that controls lighting, music and even smell via a perfume diffuser. Technological innovations in interactive navigation, driving information and comfort control allow complete driver control at the touch of a screen.



Fitting with the ecological technology at the core of Toyota's vision of the future, Hybrid X offers not only an environmentally advanced driving experience, but a completely innovative way of providing comfort.

source Toyota

Desktop Consolidation Is Life!

You've got your external hard drive over here, your portable DVD-ReWritable over there. Thumbdrive mounted on your USB hub over there, and two different kinds of media card readers. Grumblecakes! Look at all those wires and power supplies! We feel your pain, and are here to help. Behold, the Media Tank!

As its name implies, this thing looks nice and solid. Designed as an enclosure, you can mount your own 3.5" IDE hard drive and your own 5.25" optical drive in the case, and have it all accessible via USB. On top of that, there is a handy 6-in-one memory card reader mounted right up front where you need it. There's even a spare USB slot so you can plug in your thumbdrives

• Supports all your USB 2.0 external storage devices in one housing.
  • 5.25" ODD ( Optical Disk Drive )
  • 3.5" HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
  • 6-in-1 card reader (CF I/II, MD, SD, MMC , MS/MS PRO)
  • One USB 2.0 port
• Easy installation
• Soft-start circuit design to prevent surge current from damaging installed drives
• Cooling fan and aluminum heat sink design for maximum heat dissipation
• High speed USB 2.0 interface
• PC and Mac compatible!

source thinkgeek.com

Skype runs on feature phones now, sort of

Skype recently announced the availability of a beta version of their latest application - their well-known Skype client for regular feature phones - no need for Wi-Fi, no need for smartphones - just plain old Java (J2ME). That announcement made us cheer - at least for a moment that is - then we went on and read the fine print.

Using Skype for chats

The new Java Skype client currently officially supports phones by four major manufacturers. If your phone is not in the supported list, there's no bad in trying out the application anyways - like we did. We downloaded the version for Nokia 6233 and installed it on a Nokia 6500 classic we had lying around (the only feature phone around the office really).

The new Skype client ran just fine - no glitches or lags whatsoever. It logged in to our test Skype account pretty fast - both on a 2G network and on a 3G one. Texting was flawless either - at least as much the 6500c keypad allowed it to be. Nice graphics and nice font rendering - it feels as natural as using the desktop version. The only bug we found here is changing the current status - it sometimes needed to be set twice in order to kick in.

We enjoyed having a text conversation over the desk and that's about it. Our hands itched for something more - after all Skype is meant to be used for calls as easily as texting is.

Using Skype for calls

Currently calls can be made only if you live in one of the supported countries - Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden and UK. There's a specific reason for that, but more on that will be found in the next paragraph. You can of course enter a fake mobile number and fool Skype into thinking you are in the UK for example - without that the Call feature is not accessible.

Making VoIP calls over the underpowered feature phone hardware may seem a mystery at first. But when you go on and read the fine print on Skype's website it turns out it that calls are not made over the data connection established by the Java client as it's usual for VoIP calls. Instead the client prompts you to dial a local transfer number (gateway) based on your number you have entered (now you see why there is a list of supported countries).

The so-called VoIP calls are actually made through a dedicated Skype gateway set up in your home country specifically for that purpose. It seems fair enough if you can get that number in your special pricing group - otherwise you would have to pay for both the gateway call AND the data traffic AND SkypeOut credits (SkypeOut is charged for incoming calls too).

While it may sound like a rough deal, you can always choose not to opt for the call feature - the Java application still remains a great portable text messenger and you only have to pay for the data traffic (if you are not on a fixed-rate data plan that is).

You can download Skype from the official website.

source gsmarena

Review: '09 Toyota Matrix is fine wagon

By PETER BOHR
The Press-Enterprise

The trouble with the 2009 Matrix is that Toyota is selling the car as something that it's not.

(Yes, you read it right: the 2009 Matrix. We just celebrated New Year's, and an automaker already is giving us next year's model. You'll be able to kick Matrix tires in a Toyota showroom near you sometime around Valentine's Day. The world just keeps spinning faster and faster. ... )

"The Matrix concept was based on blending the functionality of an SUV, the style, the image and performance of a sports car with the affordability of a compact sedan," said Tim Morrison, Toyota marketing manager, at the big Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas last October. "For 2009, it's all that and more. It may have the body of a five-door (hatchback), but it comes with the soul of a two-door sports car."

If that sounds something like the quest for the Holy Grail, well, it is. Sports cars and SUVs are on the opposite ends of the vehicle spectrum. And if somehow they assembled such a combo, it would probably sell for much more than the price of a compact sedan.

Indeed, the Matrix is based on an affordable sedan platform -- the Corolla's. Both Corolla and Matrix are redesigned for 2009. If Toyota officials were to be completely candid, they'd call the Matrix what it is: a wagon version of the Corolla sedan.

And there's nothing wrong with that. Some automakers have an aversion to the term "wagon" because they're afraid it conjures up of images of Donna Reed, a 1960s housewife driving a big ol' domestic station wagon. And in the case of the Matrix, that's not an image Toyota wants to convey because the company hopes the vehicle will appeal to youngish Gen Y males.

But as BMW (328xi Wagon), Saab (9-3 SportCombi) and Volvo (V50 and V70) have shown, wagons can be very sporty and cool -- especially when they've got what it takes under the hood. The Matrix doesn't, not even in its sportiest garb.

My introduction to the '09 Matrix was in the evening, when it was dark. In a hurry to hit the freeway, I hopped in my test car without even looking at the tag on the hatch to see which version of the Matrix I was to drive. After settling into the supportive seats, off I went.

As I expect of any Toyota, the engine seemed refined and smooth. Rowing through the gears of the test car's manual gearbox, I noted an adequate response to the throttle -- but the engine seemed to run out of breath if I pushed too hard. And because I've become accustomed to cars with manual transmissions having six forward speeds, I instinctively searched for a sixth gear that wasn't there. But the gearbox had nice, positive detents.

Comfortable Ride

On my journey home, I also noted a compliant suspension that soaked up the bumps to give a comfy ride, but was controlled enough to limit body roll when going 'round a bend. The steering was quite good at transmitting information back to the driver about the road below.

In all, my test Matrix seemed a pleasant, easy-to-drive compact car that probably delivered good fuel economy -- though certainly nothing out of the ordinary in the way of performance. Then, in the light of my garage, I noticed the car's rear-deck spoiler, the gorgeous 18-inch, alloy wheels and -- surprise! -- the XRS badge, identifying my Matrix as the sporty version.

The new Matrix comes with a choice of two four-cylinder engines, a 132-horsepower, 1.8-liter and, as in my test car, a 158-horsepower, 2.4-liter. The Matrix is also available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and comes in Standard, S or XRS trim levels. Besides the larger engine, the XRS also gets an independent rear suspension for better handling, while other trim levels make do with a less sophisticated torsion-beam setup.

The modest performance of the XRS in no way detracts from the practical aspects of the Matrix. The newest Matrix has almost the same exterior dimensions as before, but has gained some 8 cubic feet of interior cargo volume. As with last ... I mean this year's Matrix, the rear seat backs and the front passenger seat back fold to give an almost flat floor, making the Matrix similar to an SUV in the way it can handle cargo. With seat backs up, the rear is plenty roomy for two adults, and three if you squeeze a bit.

Although the styling of the '09 Matrix is clearly an evolution of the previous design, it is much better-looking than before, with sleeker, edgier and more contemporary lines.

Standard equipment on all models includes air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auxiliary audio input jack and a full set of air bags -- even side curtain air bags. At this writing, Toyota has yet to announce prices. But base prices for the '08 Matrix range from about $15,000 to $18,000, depending on the trim level, and the '09 Matrix will probably be priced about the same.

The new Matrix is no sports car -- not even close. But look at it as a modestly priced and practical wagon, and the Matrix does very nicely.

source toyota, dallasnews.com

Nokia is now more “beautiful to use”

Nokia unveiled three new handsets under the motto "Beautiful to use". The Nokia 6600 fold, Nokia 6600 slide and Nokia 3600 slide combine exclusive design and materials with nice functionality.

The Nokia 6600 fold is considered the flagship of the trio at least according to Nokia. The clamshell offers a one-click electromagnetic opening mechanism with dampened hinge for smooth motion and flaunts an unusual combination of material such as the smooth back and the high-gloss front. The Nokia 6600 fold has a QVGA 2.13-inch 16M color OLED display and a 2 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash.

Nokia 6600 fold

Thanks to the built-in accelerometer, a double tap on the Nokia 6600 slide can snooze an alert, silence or reject a call or simply wake up the hidden external 128 x 160 pixel display in order to visualize the clock. The Nokia Arte had a similar functionality but there it was limited to only displaying the clock.

In terms of network connectivity, the Nokia 6600 fold is able to offer quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus dual-band UMTS support with video calls. The device is based on the Nokia Series 40 user interface and will have support for microSD memory cards with a capacity of up to 4GB.

The Nokia 6600 fold will be available in Q3 2008 in Mysterious Black and Sophisticated Purple at an estimated price of 275 euro before subsidies and taxes.

The Nokia 6600 slide builds on the same well-known name but again doesn't offer the smartphone functionality of the original Nokia 6600. The new slider has the same double tap feature of the 6600 fold and also has some interesting materials used such as glossy surfaces and steel covers.

Nokia 6600 slide

The Nokia 6600 slide is again based on the S40 user interface and has a QVGA 2.2-inch 16M color TFT display. In the same time it remains compact enough. The 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera is also capable of recording VGA resolution video clips at 15fps (in 3GP format). The Nokia 6600 slide also has a FM radio and some dedicated music keys.

Connectivity features include quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support and dual-band UMTS with video calls, Bluetooth and a microUSB connectivity port.

The Nokia 6600 slide will be available in Q3 2008 at an estimated price of 250 euro before subsidies and taxes.

Last of the bunch, the Nokia 3600 slide also has some neat features in store for would-be owners. Its sliding body again has some high-gloss surfaces with gradated colors, metallic elements and soft ceramic paint. Beside the 2.2-inch QVGA 16M color TFT display, the 3600 slide also boasts a 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera capable of capturing VGA MPEG4 videos at 15 fps and a two-step camera key.

Nokia 3600 slide

The Nokia 3600 slide doesn't have the double-tap command feature but it's the first Nokia handset to feature Background Noise Cancellation for superior sound quality. It's got a 2.5 mm standard audio jack which serves the double purpose of a TV-out port.

Connectivity-wise, the Nokia 3600 slide packs quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support (no 3G) and Bluetooth. The microSD memory card slot is capable of using cards with a capacity of up to 4GB.

The Nokia 3600 slide will be available in Charcoal and Wine colors in Q3 2008 at an estimated retail price of 175 euro before taxes and subsidies.

source gsmarena

Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi)

Four and a half years have passed since the first affordable digital SLR from Canon; the EOS 300D (Digital Rebel). In that time we have witnessed two further iterations (the EOS 350D and EOS 400D) leading up to todays fourth generation EOS 450D, with twice the megapixel count of the original (twelve versus six) in a smaller body with a far wider range of functionality and features and a $200 lower list price. Since those heady days in 2004 when the EOS 300D was the only kid on the block we've seen Nikon, Pentax and Olympus all attempt to hit the same sweet spot of size, features and price at the 'lower end' of the DSLR market, with varying degrees of success. Without a doubt the EOS 450D will have to do more today to prove itself against the popular Nikon D40 / D40X / D60 and to a lesser degree the Pentax K200D and Olympus E-420.

On the third page of this review you'll find a detailed breakdown of all of the changes and updates compared to the EOS 400D but the headlines are; a larger 3.0" LCD monitor, Live View with both passive and contrast detect AF, Spot metering, improved auto-focus, 3.5 fps continuous shooting a larger viewfinder and a switch SD/SDHC for storage (all previous cameras in this range were Compact Flash). Other features appear to be inherited from the EOS 40D; 14-bit image pipeline, Highlight Tone priority, optional High ISO noise reduction, 'My Menu' and display of the ISO sensitivity on the viewfinder status line.

A brief history; Canon entry level digital SLR series

• 20/08/03: Canon EOS 300D / Digital Rebel (6 mp)
• 17/02/05: Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT (8 mp)
• 24/08/06: Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi (10 mp)
• 24/01/08: Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi (12 mp)

Foreword / notes

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / recommendation / ratings are based on the opinion of the author, we recommend that you read the entire review before making any decision. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of them, click to display a larger image in a new window.

To navigate this article simply use the next / previous page buttons or jump to a specific page by using the drop-down list in the navigation bar at the top of the page. You can support this site by ordering through the affiliate links shown at the bottom of each page (where available).

This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.

Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally also A, B and C.

specification

source dpreview.com

Satiate Your Portable Storage Hunger

Here at ThinkGeek we don't fool around when it comes to portable storage. So trust us when we say the T.One is the mack-daddy of USB thumb drives. You get 5 or 12 gigs of storage and high-speed USB 2.0 transfer speeds in a sleek case less than 2 inches square. How do you cram a boatload of storage into such a small package? Amazingly, each T.One Microdrive has an eensy weensy hard drive inside. Buy one and dominate over your co-workers in the office thumb drive smackdown.

Product Features

• High Capacity and Tiny Size
• Internal 1" Hard Drive
• 180 Degrees Rotational USB Interface
• Blue LED Denotes Power and Flashes with Disk Activity
• High-Speed USB 2.0 Interface (Backwards Compatible with USB 1.1)
• Works with Windows, Mac and Linux OS
• 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty

Product Specifications

• 5 or 12 GB Capacity
• 12 GB Features Aluminum Case
• 3,600 rpm drive speed
• Sustained Data Transfer Rate - 8.8MB/sec
• Weight (5 GB) - 1.5 ounces
• Weight (12 GB) - 1.2 ounces
• Dimensions (5 GB) - 47.84 mm (W) x 16.20 mm (H) x 47.58 mm (D)
• Dimensions (12 GB) - 75 mm (W) x 33 mm (H) x 10 mm (D)

source thinkgeek.com

Alienware Area-51 m15x

The most powerful 15.4-inch gaming notebook ever.

Awe-inspiring performance and portability don’t usually go hand in hand, but the Alienware Area-51 m15x artfully combines these two ingredients while allowing gamers to customize the look of its latest notebook with six distinct lighting zones.

In fact, the unbeatable one-two punch of Intel’s Core 2 Extreme X9000 processor and Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX graphics allow this 15.4-inch screamer to outperform many heftier rigs. At close to five grand our configuration definitely isn’t recession friendly, but if you have the cash, this system will blow you away.

Area-51 m15x Design

With the exception of the iconic glowing alien head, the 7-pound, 14.6 x 10.7 x 1.3-inch m15x doesn’t look like Alienware’s older rigs, and we think that’s a good thing. Gone is the ribbed look of previous Alienware models. Instead, this system sports Alienware’s new Ripley design, featuring a sleek and sturdy silver magnesium alloy frame.

The m15x features a full and comfortable keyboard with backlighting and a large, smooth, mylar touchpad that sits flush with the palm surface and is discernable only by a backlit square outlining it. Above the keyboard are touch-responsive keys for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Alienware’s AlienFX Command Center, Stealth Mode, power, and volume. On the sides are three USB ports, FireWire, HDMI, Ethernet, two auto-sensing headphone and mic jacks, a 2X Blu-ray burner, and a 7-in-1 card reader.

The unit’s crisp display feels larger than its 15.4 inches would suggest. The matte finish still collects glare, so plan on gaming in the dark (as if you didn’t already). The 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution looked beautiful while watching Black Rain on Blu-ray. Viewing angles were very good vertically and horizontally, and we appreciated the deep blacks during dark scenes but noticed a small amount of noise on bright objects.

Above the display are a 2-megapixel webcam and a microphone. Images were washed out, but our Skype caller said we looked clear and that our movements were fluid. The speakers sounded okay, but they weren’t loud enough for our tastes, and at full volume, the left speaker would squeak at high pitches. Best to hook up your own set.

Personalizing Your Rig

Alienware makes customizing the m15x easy. One of our favorite tweaks lets you change the color of the backlighting on the lid’s alien head, the buttons on the deck, the touchpad border, and the logo below the display. There’s even a light piping along the entire border of the display, but it isn’t that bright.

You can choose from ten colors (or white and black), blend them into each other, and create themes for applications and activities. For example, you can have the power button turn red when the m15x is plugged in and blue when it’s not, or set the keyboard to flash yellow every time a new e-mail comes in. Alienware plans to extend this feature to games, allowing the m15x to flash red every time you die, or green every time you grab an ammo box in Unreal Tournament 3.

The customization isn’t limited to aesthetics, either. The AlienFusion power controls let you create custom energy profiles or choose one of the three basics: balanced, high performance, or power saver. Also, a Smart Bay lets you easily switch out the m15x’ optical drive for an extra 6-cell battery ($150) or a second hard drive (80GB, 160GB, and 200GB Smart Bay drives are available for up to $325). You can also choose a 64GB SSD (a $775 upgrade) as the main drive.

Under the Hood

Our test unit came with Intel’s new 45-nanometer 2.8-GHz Core 2 Extreme X9000 processor and 4GB of RAM. The m15x’s score of 9,280 on 3DMark06 was the highest of any notebook that passed through our doors to date. Its 3DMark03 score of 30,196 was bested only by the Alienware Area-51 m9750 (which notched 34,585), and its PCMark Vantage score of 3,684 beat the mainstream average by 630 points. The m15x lasted just 1 hour and 51 minutes during our battery-rundown tests. That’s the lowest in the category and pretty dismal for a gaming machine, but that’s the price you pay for all this horsepower.

However, the m15x has a Stealth Mode that throttles down power usage and switches graphics into integrated mode—without a reboot—to save battery life. To launch it, you simply click the speedometer-looking button on the deck. With an extra battery and Stealth Mode activated, the endurance of the m15x doubles to around 3:40.

Wireless scores were mixed; the m15x brought in 18.5 Mbps at 15 feet from our router but dropped to 9.8 Mbps at 50 feet, so you’ll want to stick near your router for the best wireless performance, especially during multiplayer matches.

Serious Gaming Fun

Where most computers at LAN parties are large, beastly hot rods, the m15x will hold its own as the Porsche of the bunch. On our gaming tests, the m15x even bested its 17-inch brother, the m9750. With settings maxed out at 1024 x 768, it scored 168 frames per second on our F.E.A.R. benchmark and 189 fps on autodetect at the same resolution. By comparison, the m9750 held the previous high score of 161 fps on autodetect. On Call of Duty 4 set to optimum system settings, we saw an average of 111 fps, a true testament to the m15x’s gaming prowess.

Next up was our Crysis torture test. Alas, the m15x notched an average of only 16 fps with all the settings on High. Gameplay was a bit choppy, and frame rates dropped the most while running through the jungle and blasting tanks with a rocket launcher. Set to Medium, we saw an average of 31 fps on Crysis, so every firefight was fluid even with grenades going off in the bushes around us while we ran away at maximum speed. You’ll still see trees blowing in the wind and beautiful water effects, but parts of the landscape loaded in the distance, and there’s less detail in character models and foliage in general. Nonetheless, Crysis still looked beautiful.

Alienware Area-51 m15x Verdict

Overall, the Alienware Area-51 m15x delivers the power you need to play the most demanding games, and it’s much more compact than competing rigs. We wish the speakers were a bit louder and that the system offered better wireless range, but no other 15.4-inch system can hold a candle to this rig.

specification

source laptopmag.com

Sony Ericsson G502 preview: First look

If you thought great internet experience can only be delivered by insanely expensive high-end mobile phones, maybe it's about time you reconsidered. Sony Ericsson G502 is said to be the most affordable HSDPA phone and, from what we see, the browsing and data transfer potential is all there, waiting to be unleashed.

Sony Ericsson G502 official photos

Sony Ericsson G502 is almost identical to Sony Ericsson K660, at first glance at least. A closer look at the specs of both models reveals that the G502 has shed down a few features. Not really important ones, that is, so it might be well worth it. There's nothing wrong with saving yourselves a few bucks.

Plus, we do happen to like the G502 design a bit better than the K660. We are still curious however, if it will be able to deliver the same performance as its K-series alternative.

Here is the first set of Sony Ericsson G502 images we present you. It should give you an idea of what the handset looks like in real life. Likeable, isn't it?

Sony Ericsson G502 360-degree spin

Sony Ericsson G502 is on the compact side of handsets currently available on the market. Measuring the modest 109 x 46 x 13.5 mm and weighing only 83.5 grams, there is just a handful of handsets to take less space in you pocket than the G502.

Design and construction

Designwise Sony Ericsson G502 is quite characteristic of the company's portfolio. Except for the somewhat unusual D-pad, you can tell it's a Sony Ericsson right away. It is rather neat and elegant with glossy front panel and opaque plastic back.

The body of Sony Ericsson G502 is entirely made of plastic, but it still looks nice. The handset has successfully avoided the cheap feeling some other completely plastic devices just can't seem to help. Instead, it gives a rather solid impression and raises no doubts about durability and strength.

The earpiece is placed at the top of the front panel right above the display. Sony Ericsson G502 features a 2" 262K-color screen of QVGA resolution. Looking at the current market trends, 2 inches is about average in this class.

The earpiece is located above the 2" display

The display excels in picture quality. Sony Ericsson is known for producing displays with good brightness and great contrast, which does whatever you're looking at look great. However the sunlight legibility issues are still standing, making the handset hard to work with outdoors on a sunny day.

Below the display are the D-pad and six keys arranged at its sides. Those are the two context keys, the Activity Menu key and the Clear key, along with the call and end keys. All of those are easy to work with, even if their size may seem doubtful. The wave-like layout does help a lot, with enough space between the elevated parts of the keys to ensure good tactility.

The layout of the controls around the D-pad offers great usability

As far as the alphanumeric keys are concerned, we are equally pleased with Sony Ericsson G502. These aren't the largest keys around, but elevation and spacing between rows make typing quick and typo-free. The nice press feedback also earns G502 a point here.

The keypad is very comfortable

The left side of Sony Ericsson G502 is where the M2 card slot is located. However, it's placed under the battery cover, which will have to be removed every time you want to access the memory card. Not the most comfortable solution in our point of view. On the other hand, it benefits the design of your Sony Ericsson G502.

The volume rocker and the dedicated camera key are on the right of the G502. They are both rather thin but still easy to find even without turning the phone. They are also easy enough to operate, offering good tactile feedback.

The top of the phone is completely bereft of controls. Turning to the bottom of Sony Ericsson G502, we find the lanyard eyelet, the Fast port and the microphone pinhole. As usual with Sony Ericsson handsets, the Fast port is used for connecting a charger, data cable or a set of earphones.

The back side of Sony Ericsson G502 features the 2 megapixel camera and the loudspeaker. The latter is quite stylishly hidden in the cleft right above the camera lens.

A 2 megapixel camera is the star backstage

Sliding the battery cover open reveals the Li-Polymer battery with a capacity of 950 mAh. The manufacturer claims the impressive 10 hours of talk time and 340 hours of stand-by. We are at this point unable to comment on these numbers and will leave this for the detailed review.

We are so far pleased with the build quality of the Sony Ericsson G502. A few metallic parts here and there might have improved the general feel but it is still good enough as it is. Apart from being a bit too light for our taste, it fits perfectly in hand, and single-handed operation is no problem at all.

The phone is quite nice to hold

source gsmarena.com