Mobile Fun Blog

Choosing the Right Samsung Galaxy S Screen Protector

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

There are a range of different Samsung Galaxy S Screen Protectors, ranging from the in-expensive MFX through to the Martin Fields at twice the price, but just what is the difference and which one should you go for?

Here’s a quick run through of all of the Galaxy S Screen Protectors.

12 in 1 Universal Screen Protector Pack

Value wise, you won’t get more for your money with any other screen protector. This pack includes 12 screen protectors and a cleaning cloth. The downside is that the screen protectors aren’t cut to size. Not too big a deal on traditional phones, but with flat fronted touch screen phones like the Galaxy S it can be a bit of a nightmare to cut around the speaker and other buttons without making a mess of it.

The pack includes a mix of plain, mirrored and privacy screen protectors.

12 in 1 Universal Screen Protector Pack

MFX Screen Protector – Samsung Galaxy S

MFX are the entry level range of Galaxy S Screen Protectors. They include a cleaning cloth and a cut to size protector for the front of your phone. I get loads of questions from people on how to fit these as the instructions are a little thin. The screen protector is sandwiched between 2 protective layers, so when you come to fit it don’t try to pull the paper tabs off as this will leave a mess on the protective layer and make it tricky to expose the actual screen protector!

The screen protector is exceptionally clear, won’t distort the colours in the display and can be removed without leaving a stick residue behind. They last pretty well, but will last longer if you keep the phone in a case as this will help prevent the edges from coming unstuck.

MFX Screen Protector - Samsung Galaxy S

Mirrored Screen Protector – Samsung Galaxy S

Mirrored Screen protectors have two purposes, first and foremost they protect your screen from getting scratched and secondly they can turn your phone into a mirror. Just like the MFX ones, these are precision cut to the size of your Galaxy S and are extremely easy to fit. When your phone is in use and the screen is lit up you can see the phone normally. When it’s not in use the reflective coating on the screen protector turns your screen into a mirror.

The only downside is that they do slightly alter the colours on your phone’s screen.  You can still see clearly enough for calling, texting and emailing, but they can make looking at photos and videos more difficult and are probably suited to those of you that use your phone more for texting and calling. They do attract finger prints quite easily too, so a Mobile Phone cleaning cloth is a must have item if you use a mirrored screen protector.

Mirrored Screen Protector - Samsung Galaxy S

InvisibleSHIELD – Samsung Galaxy S

The last of the screen protectors then is the InvisibleSHIELD. This is available in two options, a Full Body Protector and a Screen Protector. They’re a very different type of screen protector to the others mentioned here. Instead of being a solid plastic sheet that clings to your screen, InvisibleShields are made from a soft flexible plastic film that sticks to your handset. You spray the InvisibleShield with a special solution and then place it on your phone. It dries in seconds and when you remove the InvisibleShield from your phone it leaves no residue behind. Of all of the screen protectors here, these are probably the most secure fit to your phone and there is no chance of you catching a corner and it coming off.

InvisibleSHIELD Full Body Protector - Samsung Galaxy S

They do require a little more time and patience to fit, but the end result is well worth it. The Full Body Protector covers the screen, back & sides of the phone, where as the InvisibleSHIELD Screen Protector screen protector just covers the front of your device.

Martin Fields Screen Protector – Samsung Galaxy S

The Martin Fields Galaxy S Screen Protector is without doubt the best quality screen protector you can get. They’re crystal clear and will make your phone look like new. They don’t reduce the clarity of your screen and colours look exactly the way they’re supposed to. If your screen protector gets dirty, they can be removed easily from the phone, cleaned and refitted. They are available individually or in a twin pack.

Martin Fields Screen Protector - Samsung Galaxy S

If you’re looking purely to protect your screen, then you won’t go wrong with either a Martin Fields Screen Protector or an InvisibleSHIELD. There’s not much between them, although the faster fitting time will probably make the Martin Fields a better option.  Of all of them, I’ve scored the Mirrored one the lowest, but that’s mainly down to how much it changes colours on the screen. In terms of fitting and protection it scores the same as the other MFX Screen Protectors.

My Ratings:

Martin Fields – 9/10
InvisibleShield - 9/10
MFX Screen Protector – 7/10
MFX Mirrored - 6/10
12 in 1 Universal – 5/10

All of these screen protectors can be used at the same time as most Samsung Galaxy S Cases, although the InvisibleShield Full Body protector might make some cases and holders a bit of a tight fit. You can see the full range of  Samsung Galaxy S Accessories on the main site.

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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5 of the Best X10 Mini Pro Cases

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

The Sony Ericsson X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro are very similar looking phones. They’re both compact devices that run on the Android OS, but what sets the two apart is text entry. The X10 Mini relies on it’s touch screen for all text entry, where as the X10 Mini Pro has a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

In terms of size the X10 Mini Pro is slightly bigger than the X10 Mini so most X10 Mini cases won’t work with it – They certainly don’t accommodate the keyboard either.

If you’ve got an X10 Mini Pro, you’ll want to get a phone specific case to keep it protected, but with the phone being so small, finding one that fits well is a bit of a mission. I’ve been through 5 of our top selling X10 Mini Pro Cases to see how well they fit and protect your phone. Here’s how I got on.

Noreve Tradition Leather Case For X10 Mini Pro

Noreve make really beautiful cases for phones and this is no different. The quality of the case is excellent. The Noreve case uses a rail system to keep your X10 Mini Pro in place instead of the usual stitched leather pocket. This allows the phone to be held securely even with the keyboard in the open position. The case doesn’t cover the front of the phone with strips of leather or restrict access to the screen and controls. The side rails are positioned so that they don’t interfere with the slide mechanism, volume or camera keys and all the ports on the bottom of the phone are also left accessible. Cut outs on the back of the case mean that you can leave the phone in the case to take photos.

Noreve Tradition Leather Case For X10 Mini Pro

Crystal Case – Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro

A Crystal Case is an extremely popular way of protecting your phone.  While they aren’t as strong or durable as the ToughGuard Shell, they will still prevent your phone from getting scratched.  If/when you do drop your handset, crystal cases are designed to take the impact instead of your phone. This might mean that you’ll need to buy a new crystal case, but you won’t need to buy a new phone.

The Crystal Case is in two parts. One half covers the front frame and the other covers all of the back of your phone. The keypad, screen and charging ports are all exposed and easy to access. As the screen isn’t covered, I’d recommend fitting an X10 Mini Pro Screen Protector.

Crystal Case - Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro

InvisibleSHIELD Full Body Protector

If you don’t want the added bulk of a case, but still  want to protect your X10 Mini Pro 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 time consuming, 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. They also add a non slip feel to your phone which will help to prevent it from slipping out of your hands.

InvisibleSHIELD Full Body Protector - Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro

PDair Leather Flip Case

PDair leather cases are a range of elegant, hand stitched leather cases designed to protect and enhance your Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro. Each case is selected from premium leather cuts and is individually designed to give a perfect fit to your phone. PDair have chosen to use a plastic pouch to mount the phone into the case. This can sometimes affect text entry on the keyboard, so heavy texters will be better off with the Noreve.

PDair cases are available in a range of styles to suit all tastes. Due to high demand for PDair cases, stock is often limited so you’ll need to be quick if we have stock.

PDair Leather Flip Case - Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro

ToughGuard Shell For Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro

ToughGuard Shields are similar to Crystal Cases but they are much more robust. Rather than being made from clear plastic, they are made from a more flexible, energy absorbing polycarbonate. This means that the case is unlikely to break or shatter if you drop your phone and will divert impact damage away from your X10 Mini Pro. ToughGuard Shields don’t cover the screen, so we’d recommend using an X10 Mini Pro Screen Protector with it.

The fit of the case is the same as the crystal case. It covers the frame around the screen and the back of the phone.

ToughGuard Shell For Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro - Black

This is just a handful of X10 Mini Pro cases that are available. You can see the full range of X10 Mini Pro accessories on the main site.

(4 votes, average: 3.25 out of 5)

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3 Ways to Safely Use Your iPhone 4 in the Car

Friday, August 20th, 2010

One of the top accessories for the iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GS last year was the TomTom iPhone Car Kit. It’s not the cheapest in car solution, but it did a great job of combining a GPS receiver, loud speaker and handsfree system into a compact windscreen holder for the phone.

When iPhone 4 came out, we were all looking forward to using Sat Nav on it – mainly because of the faster processor and the ability to leave your Sat Nav running in the background while you take calls or read a text message. You can imagine our disappointment when we realised that the TomTom holder doesn’t work with iPhone 4.

When I say it doesn’t work, that’s not strictly true, it will work, but it doesn’t fit the holder very well and it’s likely to fall out. If you’re willing to pay that much for an in car solution, you’re going to want one that holds your phone securely.

It’s probably only a matter of time until an updated version comes out that supports iPhone 4 and the upcoming 4th generation iPod touch, but until then there are a number of alternatives that you should consider.

I’ve already covered Sat Nav Apps & iPhone Car Docks for iPhone 3G/3GS, but thought I’d take another look at what’s available and review the options to the TomTom kit. I’ve tried a number of different set ups to try and find ones that match the features of the TomTom kit as closely as possible. The results turned out to be very similar to those for the 3GS, but some of the pricing and features have changed.

Just as a reminder, the main features of the TomTom Car Cradle are:

• Charges your iPhone
• Ability to play your music through your car stereo using 3.5mm line in
• Built in speaker for handsfree calling
• GPS Enhancer
• Volume controls
• Price for Software & Cradle £149.99

In most cases, every feature could be matched, with the exception of the added GPS support, but having said that, the antenna has been improved on iPhone 4 and I’m not convinced that it’s all that necessary.

I’m also basing this on the next version of the iOS software – version 4.1 as it has full support for AVRCP, the bluetooth profile that allows you to control your music using a third party device, such as headsets, speakers and car kits.

Option 1 – Jabra Cruiser

• CoPilot Live UK & Ireland £19.99
• Jabra Cruiser £69.95
• iPhone 4 Car Pack £18.47
• Total Cost £108.41

It’s not all in one like the TomTom, but this set up will save you over £40! CoPilot Live is a great alternative to TomTom. The software has been updated for iPhone 4 and now supports the Retina Display and Multitasking. Extras like Traffic and Text-To-Speech are available via in app purchase.

The iPhone 4 Car Pack includes a secure, rotating windscreen holder for your iPhone 4 and a car charger. If you’ve already tried using GPS on the iPhone in your car, you’ll know necessary a  car charger is. Having the screen on permanently and locking on to a GPS signal drains the battery quite quickly.

The Jabra Cruiser is one of the best portable car kits available. It has a built in FM transmitter that can stream music, calls and directions from your iPhone 4 through to your car stereo using Bluetooth. It has music controls that allow you to play/pause/track skip without having to touch your phone.

Use the Car Pack and Jabra Cruiser to get the most out of CoPilot Live

Option 2 – Venturi Mini

• Navigon MobileNavigator British Isles £19.99 (iTunes Link)
• Venturi Mini £56.47
• iPhone 4 Car Pack £18.47
• Total Cost £94.93

Navigon was the first Sat Nav app for the iPhone, and has recently had a number of new features added and a price cut. The iPhone Car Pack includes a robust, adjustable holder that can hold your iPhone in almost any position as well as a car charger to keep your phone fully charged.

The Venturi Mini is a Bluetooth car kit that is designed to fit in your cigarette lighter permanently. You can charge your iPhone 4 by plugging your USB cable in to the USB port on the side of the Venturi. The Venturi works in a similar way to the Jabra Cruiser.  It connects to your phone using Bluetooth and will then stream your music, calls and sat nav directions through to your car stereo using its built in FM transmitter. If your car stereo has a line in/aux in connection, you can connect the Venturi to it using a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable (the same as the TomTom Cradle). This will give  a more reliable connection to your stereo, but means you’ll have wires trailing across your dashboard.

Unlike the Cruiser, the Venturi doesn’t have track skip buttons, so you’ll only be able to play/pause your music.

Navigon on iPhone 4 with the Venturi Mini

Option 3 – Parrot MKi9000 Fitted Car Kit

• CoPilot Live UK & Ireland £19.99 (iTunes Link)
• Brodit Holder with Dock Connector £49.99
• Parrot MKi9000 Bluetooth Car Kit £99.95
• Total Cost £169.93

This set up isn’t so much about saving money compared to the TomTom kit, more a case of showing you how much more you could get for the same sort of price. Without doubt, you’ll always get better audio quality using a fully fitted car kit than you would with a portable one. The Parrot MKi range of car kits have been designed with iPods and iPhones in mind and they work almost seamlessly.

The MKi9000 kit is fitted behind your dashboard and is completely out of sight.  There is a multi connector cable that has a USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and an Apple Dock connector. This cable connects your iPhone to the car kit and will route call audio, music and directions through your car stereo at the same time as charging it. The Brodit holder that I’ve suggested here has a dock connector on the bottom too, so you can connect this cable to it, then whenever you slide your phone into the holder it will connect to the car kit without you needing to mess around with cables or plug anything in.

Co-Pilot works extremely well with the Parrot Mki9000

If you’d rather not use cables, then you can use the kit over a bluetooth connection and get the same functionality from it. A small remote can be attached to your dashboard or steering wheel and can be used to answer/end calls as well as play/pause/track skip and activate voice dialling.

On the subject of voice dialling, it’s actually a feature of the MKi9000 rather than the phone and will work with all models of iPhone. The only downside is that there isn’t a way to activate voice commands on iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS. The prices shown here don’t include installation and vehicles without an ISO stereo may need additional cables.

Summary

All three of these solutions work great with iPhone 4 and any of the available Sat Nav applications available for the iPhone. To give you a clear idea on the differences between the TomTom Kit and the other options mentioned here, I’ve put a chart together to show the main differences.

Personally I’d opt for either the Jabra Cruiser or the Parrot MKi9000.

Features	TomTom Cradle	Jabra Cruiser	Venturi Mini	Parrot MKi
Charges iPhone
Plays Music through Stereo
Hands Free Calling
GPS Enhancer
Volume Controls
Music Control – Track Skip
Holds phone in Landscape
Music Controls
External Microphone	Optional

All Prices correct as of 20/08/2010 and are subject to change.

(No Ratings Yet)

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5 of the Best BlackBerry Pearl 3G Cases

Friday, August 20th, 2010

The original BlackBerry Pearl was a great phone for anyone who was new to the world of BlackBerry. It got you familiar with their messaging services and menu system, without having the fully qwerty keyboard, although the suretype keyboard did cause some confusion. Another niggle was that it only ran on 2G technology, this made it pretty slow at browsing the internet.

The updated version – the BlackBerry Pearl 3G – is exactly what the original Pearl should have been. It has fast internet access, a simplified keyboard layout that’s more in-line with standard mobile phones and a sleeker, smoother menu system.

The Pearl 3G has also had a few cosmetic changes, the trackball that gave the Pearl it’s name is gone, replaced with an optical trackpad. The charging and headphone ports have both been changed to the standard Micro USB and 3.5mm ports respectively. The phone is also a slightly different size. They’re all relatively small changes, but they’re significant enough to mean that any cases or pouches you’ve got for the original BlackBerry Pearl won’t fit the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G.

I covered 6 of the best BlackBerry Pearl 3G Cases a few weeks ago, but since doing that we’ve been asked a number of times which is the best pouch for the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, so I went back to our products team and tested out some of the most popular Pearl 3G pouches to see which did the best job of protecting the phone. Here’s how I got on.

The first 3 cases here are all variations of the same case, but each is slightly different.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G Leather Pocket

The first of the three cases is probably the nicest looking. It’s made from a textured leather and features a chrome BlackBerry logo on the front that really compliments the look of the phone. The inside of the case is a fairly soft fabric that won’t scratch or damage your phone. The front and back of the case are reinforced to help protect your phone. When not in use the case folds flat, making it easy to carry around in the back pocket of your jeans. The case supports the BlackBerry holster settings and will put your phone to sleep every time it’s inserted into the case.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G Leather Pocket

BlackBerry Pearl 3G Pocket

Like I said earlier, this is almost the same as the case above, the only real difference is that this is made from a smooth leather and the logo is black metal, rather than a polished chrome effect. The lining is also black. As with the other one, it also has the magnets built in to put your phone to sleep or switch profile while it’s in the pouch.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G Pocket - HDW-29556-001

BlackBerry Pearl 3G Pocket – White & Pink

The last of the three is the same design, but is one for the ladies. It’s made from a white textured leather and has a contrasting pink lining and side stitching. The logo on the front isn’t metal this time though, instead it’s cut out’s in the leather that expose the pink lining. Again, it’s got the magnets to put your phone to sleep/switch profile.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G Pocket - White & Pink

Carry Pouch Blackberry Pearl 3G

It’s not quite as stylish as the cases above, but that doesn’t stop it from being our most popular type of case for any phone. The Carry Pouch is designed to be worn on your belt and hold your Pearl 3G sideways. It has a soft interior that helps keep your phone clean and free from scratches. It has a stitched in belt loop on the back that can be used to secure it to your belt or bag strap with no chance of it falling off.

Carry Pouch Blackberry Pearl 3G - Black

Blackberry Pearl 3G Folio Case

Last up is another pouch for the ladies.  It’s made from black textured leather and has a contrasting pink lining. As with every other genuine BlackBerry Case it has the built in magnets that will put your Pearl 3G to sleep or switch profile.  The case has a vanity mirror on the inside of the flap and a wrist strap for carrying it around. It’s also available in White & Pink.

Blackberry Pearl 3G Folio Case - Black/Pink

These are just a few of the many BlackBerry Pearl 3G Pouches, Cases and Covers that are available. To see the full range, head over to our BlackBerry Pearl 3G Covers page.

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Brodit Round up: A guide to Car Holders

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Brodit are the market leaders in phone specific mobile phone holders for use in the car. They’ve been around for years and as phones have become smarter, so have their holders.

When I first started dealing with Brodit back in 2000, you had a choice of 2, either an Active Brodit Holder or aPassive Brodit Holders, and each one came in a choice of two mounting options – a fixed, static bracket or one on a tilting, rotating base.

10 years on and the basics are still the same, but there are now a number of other options to choose from so that you can use your phone exactly how you want to in the car.

This guide will run through each of the various types of holder available and explain some of the key differences between them.

Active Vs Passive

The main difference with all of them will be whether it’s Active or Passive. An active holder is one that incorporates a car charger. A passive one doesn’t and will just hold your phone.

As we’ve only just gone live with the range of Brodit iPhone 4 Holders, I’m using them as the examples in this post, but Brodit Car Holders are available for just about every phone on the market. The exact styles of holder will vary by phone. If you can’t see the one you want then get in touch and we’ll do our best to find you the holder you want.

Brodit Passive Holders

This is the most popular style of Brodit holder as it keeps your phone secure, but still leaves all the ports accessible. This means that you can continue to use your existing car chargers and audio cables. To use the holder you usually slide your phone into two grooves in the sides or the cradle and you can then rotate and tilt the holder to get your phone exactly as you want it. In most cases the holder his all plastic, but for iPhone and iPod touch they usually have a velvety finish that prevents scratches to the glass or metal parts of the phone.

Brodit Passive Holder With Tilt Swivel

The Locking Holder is a new style that has just been released for iPhone 4 and I’d expect it to be available for other handsets shortly. It’s the same basic holder as the one above, but has an extra support that clips onto the top of the phone. You won’t need the extra support when using the phone in portrait mode, but if you use sat nav in the car you’ll find that it does a great job of keeping the phone in place when you are using the phone in landscape mode. It also has a cable tidy at the base that you can use to keep your car charger close at hand.

Brodit Locking Passive Holder With Tilt Swivel

Brodit Active Holders

Active holders are slightly bulkier than passive holders, but only because they house a charging connector to your phone. Again, the style of the holder will very depending on your phone and where the charging port is, but generally speaking you’ll find that a cable comes out of the base of the cradle and into a car charger adapter. This could be a moulded cigarette lighter plug or a USB cable with a USB adapter.

Either way, it’s a great option if you spend a lot of time making calls while on the road as your phone will start to charge as soon as it’s docked and the engine is started. This type of holder is available for pretty much every phone on the market.

Brodit Active Holder with Tilt Swivel

As well as the standard holder, Brodit have also released a Locking Active holder. Again, it’s iPhone 4 only at the moment, but with more smartphones being used as Sat Nav’s I’d expect this to become a standard style holder.

Brodit Locking Active Holder

Brodit Holders with Pass Through

If you don’t have an iPhone I’ll apologise now as the next few holders are all iPhone specific. The Pass Through Holder is slightly unusual, but is the perfect addition if you’ve got a hardwired car kit such as the Parrot MKi 9000. It’s available as a standard holder or with the locking arm, but instead of having a car charger built in, it has a second dock port in the base.

Brodit Holder with Pass-Through Connector

This sounds odd, but it means that you can plug your car charger, car kit, FM transmitter or audio cables into the holder and leave them connected permanently. When you get in the car, you’ll only need to slide your phone into the holder and your accessory will connect to the phone. No more messing around trying to find the end of your car charger between the front seats. Just plug it in and forget about it. The Pass Through Holder is only available for iPhone 3G/3GS and iPhone 4.

Find out More: Brodit Holder for iPhone 4 with Pass Through

Find out More: Brodit Holder for iPhone 3G / 3GS with Pass Through

Brodit Holders for Phones in Cases

If you use a case or skin on your phone, you’ll know that it can be a bit of a pain having to constantly remove it from the case to put it in a holder. Brodit know this so they’ve developed a couple of holders that can take your phone while it’s in a case. The downside is that it’s only for Apple devices. There are currently two options available.

The first is a standard Passive holder that’s been moulded to accommodate iPhone 4 with a genuine Apple Bumper fitted. You just slide your phone in as you would normally. The dock is still exposed so you can still use a car charger with it.

Brodit Passive Holder - iPhone 4 With Bumper

Find out More: Brodit Holder for iPhone 4 with Bumper

The other, more flexible solution is the adjustable passive holder. This does take a few minutes to set it up, but once done it will hold your iPhone 3G/3GS or iPhone 4 no matter what case you’ve got on it. The way it works is that the two sides both slide in, out, up and down, and once in place you just tighten a screw.

Brodit Adjustable Passive Holder

Find out More: Brodit Adjustable Holder for iPhone 4

Find out More: Brodit Adjustable Holder for iPhone 3G / 3GS

Mounting in your Car

Brodit Holders hold your phone securely, but you’ll still need to securely attach them to your car. Brodit recommend that you screw them to your dashboard, but as most of use will have spent thousands on our cars, the last thing we’re going to want to do to them is put 4 screw holes in the dashboard.

Fortunately Brodit have come up with a solution for this with the Brodit ProClip. Proclips are made from the same tough plastic that the holders are made from and are made to clip securely onto your dashboard without causing any damage. ProClips normally slot between two fascia panels on your dashboard and can be fitted in seconds with out the need to dismantle your dash or any special tools.

Brodit ProClip

ProClips provide a flat, sturdy surface for you to screw your holder on to, and when it’s time to change the car, simply unclip the ProClip and you’ll never know it was there.  Brodit ProClips start from around £15 and will work with any screw fix phone holder, not just those made by Brodit.

Everything shown here can be found in the Brodit Car Holders section of the main site. We’ve tried to cover the most popular vehicles, but as there are so many available we can’t list them all. If you can’t see the one you need, send us an email and we’ll get source one for you.

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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