Archive for July, 2010
Friday, July 30th, 2010
The Samsung Galaxy S has been out for a few weeks now and cases for it are starting to arrive in the warehouse, so I thought I’d try a few out to see how they measure up.
Samsung Galaxy S cases range from fitted leather cases, through to slim fitting silicone cases, but not all cases are made equal, so I tried 5 of our most popular Galaxy S cases to see how well they protect the phone.
FlexiShield Skin For Samsung Galaxy S
If you want a case for your Galaxy S but don’t want a leather case, or maybe you prefer a case that is a bit more practical, then a FlexiShield Skin will probably be a better option. FlexiShield Skins are thicker and tougher than standard Silicone Cases and add very little bulk to your phone.
FlexiShield Skin for Galaxy S
They give your phone more bounce if (and when) you drop it! It has a non slip feel to it and covers all of the back of the handset, leaving the camera free for you to take your photos. The screen of your Galaxy S isn’t covered though, so I’d recommend using this case with a Samsung Galaxy S Screen Protector.
If you don’t want the added bulk of a case, but still want to protect your phone, then an InvisibleShield is a great option. It’s a tough, thin plastic film that covers all of your phone. I’ve been a fan of these for a while now as they do such a good job. Fitting them is a little bit fiddly, but the end result is well worth it. As they don’t add a lot to the bulk of your handset, you can easily use them with most other cases and covers.
InvisibleSHIELD Full Body Protector
The PDair Flip Case is another Galaxy S case in classic leather, which opens from the top in a flip-action. It has easy access to all controls, and also boasts PDair’s custom clip which allows the case to be worn on the belt at any angle.
PDair Leather Flip Case
This is one of our most popular style of phone case. It’s a simple carry pouch that has a stitched in belt loop on the back. It has a soft lining that helps keep the screen of your phone clean and free from fingerprints. The front flap has a magnetic fastening that keeps your phone secure.
Samsung Galaxy S Carry Pouch
A smart phone deserves a smart case and you don’t get much more smarter than a Noreve Case. There are two styles of Noreve case, Traditional A and Traditional C. Traditional A are leather flip cases, Traditional C are leather Pouches. This leather pouch is a simple but stylish way to stop your Galaxy S from getting scratched and scuffed.
Noreve Tradition C Leather Case
If you’ve not seen the right case for you yet, head over to the main site to see the full range of
Samsung Galaxy S cases.
If you’ve seen a
Samsung Galaxy S case elsewhere that we’re not listing yet, let us know using the comments form below and we’ll do our best to get them in.
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Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
The HTC Wildfire is the baby brother to the HTC Desire. Visually they look quite similar, but when you look a little closer you’ll spot a few key differences. The most obvious difference is that the Wildfire is smaller and lighter
If you’re upgrading from an older Android phone such as the Hero or Tattoo, the Wildfire is an excellent choice. You get a few Wildfire Accessories in the box to start you off, but a case isn’t one of them, so if you want to keep your phone looking at it’s best, a case is a worthwhile investment. Here are my top 5 Wildfire cases.
PDair Leather Case For HTC Wildfire
The PDair vertical case is a leather case with elasticated sides. This does have it’s benefits – the main one being that the case holds your phone a little more securely as it’s a neater fit. There’s no belt clip on the back, so this is perfect for those who prefer to carry their phone around in their pocket or bag.
PDair Leather Case For HTC Wildfire
HTC Wildfire Pouch – PO S530
This is a case from HTC that’s made specifically for the Wildfire. It’s a similar design to the Bugatti and has a built in pull strap. When your phone is in the case the strap tucks in and prevents your phone from falling out, but when you want to remove your phone, just give the strap a gentle tug and it will raise your phone from the case quickly and effortlessly. The case is made from a high quality leather and has a soft interior that helps keep the screen clean and prevent scratches.
HTC Wildfire Pouch - PO S530
Bugatti Slim Leather Case For HTC Wildfire
Bugatti slim cases are high quality leather cases that have a fabric strap to make removing your Wildfire quick and easy. They protect the screen of your phone and don’t add much extra bulk.
Bugatti Slim Leather Case For HTC Wildfire
HTC Wildfire Pouch – PO S491
If you were lucky, you may have got a case in the box with your phone. If you didn’t, or you’ve lost it, this is the original HTC Wildfire leather pouch that’s included as standard. It’s a simple slip pouch that protects your Wildfire against minor knocks and bumps and still provides access to the 3.5mm headphone socket.
HTC Wildfire Pouch - PO S491
Silicone Case For HTC Wildfire
Last on my list for now then is a silicone case. These are available in black or white and are a simple, cost effective way to look after your phone. They cover the back, sides and corners of your Wildfire and leave your screen fully accessible. As your screen isn’t covered, I’d recommend using a HTC Wildfire screen protector with them, just to be on the safe side.
Silicone Case For HTC Wildfire
That’s it for now, there are other cases available, but these are the best Wildfire cases available at the moment. As more become available I’ll get them added to this list.
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Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
The Nokia BH-104 is a simple and easy to use bluetooth headset that won’t break the bank. Having used un branded budget headsets in the past, I’ve never been that impressed by them, but I thought I’d give Nokia’s latest offering a go to see how well it performs.
Nokia BH-104
Controls
The BH-104 is simple to use as it has one button for just about everything – turning it on/off, answering/ending calls and activating voice dialling. Unlike some of the other budget headsets, the BH-104 has got volume controls built in, so you won’t need to reach for your phone to adjust volume levels.
Speech & Audio Quality
The Nokia BH-104 isn’t designed to compete with top-end headsets such as the Jawbone Icon or Jabra Extreme, so you won’t find dual microphones or voice detection sensors. Instead, the BH-104 relies on one single microphone and DSP and noice cancellation software to make your call clearer.
It does a pretty good job. I found that using the headset while driving on a motorway at 60mph with the windows closed I had no problems in hearing the caller or being heard. At around 70mph I found I had to increase the volume, but could still hear/be heard. Opening a window pretty much killed it as there was just too much wind and road noise for me to hear anything, although I could still be heard. It’s also worth pointing out that there’s little in the way of wind shielding on the BH-104, so if you’re using outside on a windy day, the person on the other end of the call may hear a fair amount of wind noise.
Comfort
The BH-104 is an over the ear headset that’s held in place with a flexible earhook. It’s a pretty solid fit, but you may find it a little uncomfortable if you wear glasses, but the same can be said for any over the ear headset. The earpiece sits nicely against your ear and I found that it was still comfortable after several hours of being worn. The ear hook is adjustable and allows you to wear it on either the left or right ear.
Extra Features
There aren’t really any extra features on the BH-104 as it’s such a simple headset. Voice Dialling (if your phone has it) can be activated by pressing and holding the answer key for around 2 seconds, last number redial is activated with two taps of the answer button on the headset.
Charging & Battery Life
Battery life on the BH104 is great, it gives you up to 10 hours talk time and over a 8 days standby time. Charging is nice and easy too, especially if you’re using a Nokia phone as the BH-104 uses the same small pin charger as most Nokia phones. You only get a mains charger included though, so if you need to charge it in the car, you’ll need to invest in a car charger separately.
Overall it’s a cracking headset if you just want something simple and inexpensive and it makes a perfect first headset.
My Rating: 8/10
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Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Of all the phones on the market, there are more iPhone 4 Cases than there are for any other phone currently on sale. At the time of writing this there are over 240 cases to choose from, where as the next most popular phone, the HTC Desire has just 72.
Having such a wide range is great as it means there really is a case for everyone, but it can sometimes mean that you’re spoilt for choice, and after a while all the cases start to look the same.
Over the next week or so, I’ll be putting together a series of buyers guides for iPhone 4 Cases. These guides will focus on each of the different styles of iPhone 4 Cases, explain some of the main features and give you help and advice on what to look for when choosing your next iPhone 4 Case.
I’m starting off with iPhone 4 Leather Cases as there aren’t quite as many leather cases as there are plastic or silicone and there are a few things to consider when choosing a leather case.
Style of Case
Generally speaking there are 3 styles of leather case, a flip case, a carry pouch and an enclosed case. The most popular at the moment tends to be either a flip case or a carry pouch. Enclosed cases are still available but are better suited to traditional candybar phones.
3 styles of iPhone 4 Leather Case
Flip Cases
Over the last couple of years this style of case has grown in popularity. They’re perfectly suited to touch screen phones as they fully protect the phone when it’s not in use, but still provide quick and easy access to the screen, without having to remove your phone from the case. There are a few things that you should look out for though when choosing a flip case.
Position of the flip
This often gets overlooked, but where possible I’d always recommend going for a side or bottom hinged cover. If you go for a case that is hinged at the top, you may find that the cover gets in the way of the camera. Often you’ll fold the cover back on itself when you’re using the phone, but this of course will cover up the camera lens or it will flop forwards and cover the screen. If the flip is hinged at the bottom, the flap will be out of the way no matter how you use the phone.
Cut Outs
Leather Cases normally have some form of light padding built into them. This is great for protection, but can mean that some of the cut outs don’t quite line up as they should. Headphones and chargers are normally OK, but if you’re planning on using the camera, check to make sure that there are no shadows in your photos and that the case isn’t obscuring the lens. It may seem odd, but not all flip cases have cut outs for the camera, so to take photos you’ll need to remove your phone from the case.
Carry Pouch
These are another popular way to protect your iPhone 4 as they cover pretty much all of your iPhone and are less bulky than a flip case. If you’re looking for a carry pouch there isn’t too much that you need to consider, but not all pouches are the same.
Pull Tab
This is probably the only real feature to look for on a carry pouch. Instead of having cut outs on the side that allow you to grip the phone to pull it out, you simply pull a fabric tab to raise your phone out of the case.
Cut Outs
Most of the time, you won’t find cut outs on a carry pouch. The top is open so that you can still use your headphones, but to charge the phone you’ll have to remove your phone or put it in the case upside down. Some cases, such as those from Beyza, do have a cut out at the bottom so that you can connect the dock cable, but they can leave the charging port exposed and unprotected against knocks and spills.
Enclosed Cases
There is currently one one enclosed leather case for the iPhone 4 and that’s the Krusell Classic Leather Case. It covers pretty much all of the phone, but leaves the headphone socket, silent switch and volume keys accessible. You can still use the touchscreen, although it’s not quite as sensitive as it would be out of the case.
Just because there is only the one enclosed case it doesn’t mean that you’re limited on choice of carry options. All Krusell Cases use the Multidapt clip system that gives you plenty of choice over how to carry the case around.
The Dock connector is covered, but you don’t need to remove the phone to sync/charge it, just unzip the bottom of the case to expose the charging port.
Now that you have a better idea of what to look for when choosing an iPhone 4 Leather Case, take a look at our full range of iPhone 4 Cases.
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Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
The Nokia C3 is a perfect choice for anyone who finds it hard to pull themselves away from Facebook and twitter or that finds that they spend a lot of time texting friends. It looks similar to the BlackBerry Curve 8520, Nokia E72 and Nokia E63, but it isn’t really a smart phone.
It has a simple menu system and is focused on social networking. The full qwerty keypad makes it quick and easy to let your friends know what you’re up to, and the 2mp camera on the back is great for taking spur of the moment photos.
If you’ve got the C3 there are a few accessories that you’ll want to invest in to really make the most of the phone, so here are my 5 must have Nokia C3 accessories.
Nokia CA-101 Micro USB Data Cable
To keep costs down, Nokia decided not to include a Micro USB cable with the C3, so you’ll need to buy one separately. You can’t use this cable to charge your C3, but you can use it to transfer photos and videos to your phone, as well as back up all your contacts, messages and media using the Ovi PC Suite.
Nokia CA-101 Micro USB Data Cable
Nokia DC-6 Car Charger
Constantly checking your twitter feed and posting updates to Facebook will take it’s toll on the battery. Battery life on the C3 is pretty good, but if you’ve got a busy day ahead of you, a car charger is a great way to make sure that your phone lasts as long as you do.
Nokia DC-6 Car Charger
Nokia C3 Silicone Cover
The C3 is a social phone and you’re bound to take it everywhere you go. To keep it looking its best and working properly you’ll want to invest in a case for it. These silicone cases from Nokia are moulded specifically for the C3 and are a perfect fit, leaving the camera, charger and memory card slots accessible
SanDisk MicroSDHC Card - 8GB Without Reader
SanDisk MicroSDHC Card – 8GB
If you plan on using your phone as your MP3 player, you’ll need to invest in a larger memory card. The C3 should come with a 2GB card, but this won’t hold much in the way of songs, especially if you record videos and take photos. Upgrading the card to 8GB will allow you to store hundreds of photo’s and thousands of songs.
SanDisk MicroSDHC Card - 8GB
Nokia BH-102 Bluetooth Headset
The BH-102 is an affordable and simple to use bluetooth headset that works brilliantly with the C3. It has one simple button to answer/end calls and to activate voice dialling.
Nokia BH-102 Bluetooth Headset
This is just a handful of accessories to get you started with your new Nokia C3. There are loads more available on the main site, so if you’ve not seen what you’re after here, take a look at the full range of Nokia C3 accessories on the Mobile Fun Website.
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Tags: Nokia C3 Accessories, Nokia C3 batteries, Nokia C3 battery, Nokia C3 Bluetooth Headsets, Nokia C3 Car Charger, Nokia C3 Car Kit, Nokia C3 Car Kits, Nokia C3 Case, Nokia C3 Cases, Nokia C3 Charger, Nokia C3 Cover, Nokia C3 Covers, Nokia C3 Desk Charger, Nokia C3 Desk Stand, Nokia C3 Hands Free Kits, Nokia C3 Memory Card, Nokia C3 Pouch, Nokia C3 Pouches, Nokia C3 Screen Protector, Nokia C3 Screen Protectors, Nokia C3 Skin, Nokia C3 Skins,
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