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Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – April 2010

Andy Simpson — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:27:08 +0000

Each month we compile a list of the most popular mobile phones made by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Apple, LG and HTC. After a few quiet months, it’s great to see the launch of a range of new phones, all fighting for the top spot. Having said that, there are a few new entries, but for the most part, the hottest handsets haven’t really changed that much.Most have shuffled down to make way for the new boys, a few have stood their ground and a few have been pushed straight out of the top ten. Here’s how the handsets ranked for April. (Previous month’s position is shown in brackets)

HTC Desire - Hottest Handset in April

Wow. The Desire has knocked the iPhone off the top spot! That takes some doing, especially as it didn’t go on sale until the 9th April. The Desire didn’t just beat the iPhone, it scored over 30% more than the iPhone did based on our points system.

We’ve never seen a phone score so high on our Hot Handset list, the highest prior to this was the iPhone 2 months ago when it peaked at 176 – that’s after being on sale for 18 months. To give you an idea on just how popular these two handsets are here’s the actual scores for the top 3 handsets this month.

The HTC Desire achieved a massive 198 points, the iPhone scored 151 and the HTC HD2 got 73. By comparison, the Nokia X6 in tenth place scored 16.

The scores are achieved using a points system, we award points based on sales, number of customers owning each phone, searches on the website, page views and a few other bits of data. At the end of the month we total these up and publish the rankings.

Looking at the other handsets then, Google’s Nexus One didn’t make the top ten again but has climbed up to 23rd place following it’s official UK release on Vodafone.

Bad news for Nokia this month – they only have one handset in the top ten – the X6 in tenth place.

Motorola (again) are nowhere near at 32 with the Milestone, and LG could only manage 18th with the Cookie. It’s not good news for Palm either, with the Pre dropping all the way down to 97th place.

BlackBerry handsets have had a strong month again, with all their handsets slipping one place, with the exception of the Bold 8900. A couple of new phones are due from RIM in the next couple of months too, so it’ll be interesting to see how these do.

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is continuing to storm up the charts and finished in 10th place and their first attempt at an Android handset, the X10 went straight in at number 5.

There are some big handsets coming and I can’t wait to see how the Hot Handsets change over the next couple of months when these new handsets get released. In the next two months alone we’ve got to look forward to the new iPhone 4G/HD, the Samsung Wave, Samsung Galaxy S and hopefully the Nokia N8 – plus any other surprises the manufacturers throw at us.

About this Top Ten

This list is unique as it is not based on handset sales, but the number of users with a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to the mobilefun.co.uk website between 1st & 30th April 2010.

Want to know which was the hottest phone in March?

Andy Simpson — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:32:31 +0000

It’s the start of another new month and time for us to reveal our list of the 10 Hot Handsets according to Mobile Fun customers. What makes our Hot handset list different from other retailers is that it is not based on handset sales, but the number of our customers that use a particular phone, monthly accessory sales and visitors to our website over the last month.

If you want to know how the handsets ranked in March, head over to our Hot Handsets page where we’ve just updated our list of the 10 most popular handsets.

Which Handset came out on top in March?

March has been a relatively quiet month with only a couple of new releases and all manufacturers are still battling it out to get the number one spot.

To see which are the most popular handsets in the UK right now, or to see if your phone makes our top ten, head over to our Hot Handsets page.

Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – March Update

Andy Simpson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:48:09 +0000

Everyone wants to know which is the best phone to get and which is the most popular, so each month we compile a list of the 10 Hot Handsets according to Mobile Fun customers. What makes our Hot handset list different from other retailers is that it is not based on handset sales, but the number of our customers that use a particular phone, monthly accessory sales and visitors to our website over the last month.

If you want to know how the handsets ranked in February, head over to our Hot Handsets page where we’ve just updated our list of the 10 most popular handsets.

New month - New number 1?

Although February has been another quiet month for new releases, the manufacturers have been battling hard to get the number one spot, so who’s going to come out on top?

To see which are the most popular handsets in the UK right now, or to see if your phone makes our top ten, head over to our Hot Handsets page.

Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – February Update

Andy Simpson — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:36:17 +0000

Everyone wants to know which is the best phone to get and which is the most popular, so each month we compile a list of the 10 Hot Handsets according to Mobile Fun customers. What makes our Hot handset list different from other retailers, is that ours is not based on handset sales, but the number of our customers that use a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to our website over the last month.

If you want to know how the handsets ranked in January, head over to our Hot Handsets page where we’ve just updated our list of the 10 most popular handsets in January.

Smartphone Wars - Who's Number One?

Although January has been a relatively quiet month for new releases, the manufacturers have been battling hard to get the number one spot, so who’s going to come out on top?

To see which are the most popular handsets in the UK right now, or to see if your phone makes our top ten, head over to our Hot Handsets page.

Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – January Update

Andy Simpson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:40:46 +0000

We’ve just updated our list of the 10 most popular handsets in December. The thing that makes our top 10 handset list different from other retailers, is that ours is not based on handset sales, but the number of our customers that use a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to our website over the last month.

: Which is Number 1?

December has been a relatively quiet month for new releases but with manufacturers fighting to sell the most phones at Christmas, who’s going to come out on top?

To see which are the most popular handsets in the UK right now, or to see if your phone makes our top ten, head over to our Hot Handsets page.

Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – December Update

Andy Simpson — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:56:53 +0000

We’ve just updated our list of the 10 most popular handsets in November. The thing that makes our top 10 handset list different from other retailers, is that ours is not based on handset sales, but the number of our customers that use a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to our website over the last month.

Which is Number 1?

November has been a relatively busy month for new releases and saw new handset launches from Samsung with the Genio Touch and BlackBerry with the Bold 9700, but can either of them make the top ten?

To see which are the most popular handsets in the UK right now, or to see if your phone makes our top ten, head over to our Hot Handsets page.

Top 10 Sony Ericsson Satio Accessories

Andy Simpson — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:26:44 +0000

Way back in February, Sony Ericsson announced the Idou which later became the Satio. It grabbed lots of attention and looked like it could be a candidate to finally match or beat the iPhone. But that was back in February, and since then we’ve seen the release of some big handsets – the iPhone 3GS, Nokia N97, HTC Hero and the Samsung Pixon12 – all of which promised to be better than the iPhone but none have managed it yet.

The Satio is finally available and as revealed back in February it features a 12mp camera with Xenon flash and touch focus, GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi and most importantly is fully touch screen. If you’ve got the Satio, you’re going to want to make the most of all of it’s features, and to do that you’ll need to invest in a few extra accessories such as cases, chargers, Bluetooth Headphones and car kits, so to help you find the best ones, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 accessories for the Sony Ericsson Satio.

1. InvisibleSHIELD for Sony Ericsson Satio
InvisibleSHIELD are more than just a screen protector, but not really a full mobile phone case. They’re a tough, thin film that covers the front screen of the Satio and also includes the same tough film for the back of your phone. Installation takes a little bit longer than a standard screen protector would, but the end result is well worth it. It covers almost all of the Satio and will withstand the toughest of scrapes. The InvisibleSHIELD has a matte finish with a non-slip feel to it. It is great at repelling fingerprints and reducing reflections and most importantly doesn’t affect the sensitivity of the touch screen. As the InvisibleShield doesn’t add any extra bulk to the Satio, you can use in in conjuction with most other Satio Cases.

InvisibleSHIELD for Sony Ericsson Satio

2. Sony Ericsson Satio Car Accessory Pack
The Satio Car Accessory Pack is specifically designed to help you use the Satio in the car. It includes a suction mount holder that will secure your phone safely whilst driving and is specifically designed for Sony Ericsson phones with the charging port on the side. It includes a genuine Sony Ericsson car charger that can attach to the holder and will connect to your phone everytime you put your phone in the holder.

Sony Ericsson Satio Car Pack

3. Venturi Mini Bluetooth Car Kit
For those that don’t want a fully fitted car kit, or if you share a car, this product has got to be top of your wish list! Combining the latest FM transmitter and Bluetooth Technology, the Venturi Kit allows you to make phone calls and listen to your music from your Satio through your car stereo by simply plugging into the cigarette lighter socket of your car. Caller ID and song information is also sent to your radio display so you can see who’s calling and what you’re listening to!

Venturi Mini Bluetooth Car Kit

4. Satio MFX Screen Protector
The last thing that you’re going to want to do to the brilliantly clear screen of your Satio is scratch it and these screen protectors from MFX are a great way to keep your screen looking like new.

MFX Screen Protector - Sony Ericsson Satio

5. Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Bluetooth Headphones
The Sony Ericsson IS800 is the smallest Stereo Bluetooth Headset that you can get, and when I say small, I mean incredibly small! The two earpieces are connected by a short wire that also has a slim line control unit. From the headset you can answer/end calls, activate voice dialing and play/pause your music. Considering its size, battery life is impressive with up to 270 hours stand by time. They may not look much in a photo, but they compliment the Satio perfectly and when you see them, you’ll want them!

Sony Ericsson IS800 Bluetooth Headphones

6. 16GB Micro SDHC Memory Card
Despite the Satio being marketed as a true Multimedia handset, it only has a limited amount of internal storage. As a result, one of the first purchases you will need to make is a bigger memory card. The Satio supports cards of upto 16GB. This 16GB memory card can store upto 14000 high quality photos, 3000 songs and 18 hours of video.

MicroSDHC Card - 16GB

7. Sony Ericsson Satio Car Charger
Battery life is never great on a touch screen smartphone so a car charger is a worthwhile investment. The genuine Sony Ericsson Car charger will work in both 12v and 24v vehicles (ie. it works in cars, lorries and trucks).

Sony Ericsson Satio Car Charger

8. Sony Ericsson Satio Desk Stand
Charge or synchronise your Satio simply by placing it on the Desk stand. The charging port on the side slides up and down to suit your phone and can be used in conjunction with USB charging cables, Handsfree Kits, headphones and Music cables. When connected your Satio sits on your desk at the perfect angle for keeping an eye on your music, text alerts and emails.

Sony Ericsson Satio Desk Stand

9. Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Headset HBH-PV740

The PV740 is a great little Bluetooth headset that features a small display screen that lets you know whether it’s connected or not and how much battery power is remaining. It’s available in Black and Silver and has been designed by Sony Ericsson to complement the Satio.

Sony Ericsson HBH-PV740 Bluetooth Headset

10. Sony Ericsson Satio Stereo Speakers

The Satio doesn’t have built in stereo speakers, so to really enjoy your music you’ll need a set of stereo speakers. This ultra-compact speaker clips onto your Satio and lets you enjoy full stereo sound. It doubles up as a desk stand too and is perfect for watching videos from your gallery, YouTube and the BBC iPlayer. The Sony Ericsson MS410 snap-on speaker stand features an integrated FM radio antenna as well as a special sliding mechanism that makes it compatible with virtually all Sony Ericsson handsets. It draws it’s power from the Satio and doesn’t need batteries.

Sony Ericsson Satio Music Stand

So that’s my top ten for the Sony Ericsson Satio – but there still loasd of other accessories available. If you haven’t seen an accessory here that does what you want, then take a look at our full range of Sony Ericsson Satio accessories. Over the next few weeks we’re expecting the range to increase significantly and I’ll update this post as and when products become available.

Sony Ericsson Announce Aino & Yari

Andy Simpson — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:45:03 +0000

It’s been a busy few days for the guys over at Sony Ericsson, with not 1, but 3 handsets being officially launced. The first – Satio, is the official name for the 12MP touchscreen ‘Idou’ that was announced back in February and is covered on a separate post.

The Idou certainly attracted a lot of attention at the Mobile World Congress, and the Aino & Yari will no doubt turn a few heads too.

First up then is the Sony Ericsson Yari. The name is unusual, especially as Sony Ericsson are known for using model numbers with letter prefix to determine the range the handset belongs to ( think W for Walkman, C for Cyber-Shot etc..), but as Sony Ericsson are moving towards a new ‘Entertainment Unlimited’ range, I suppose the naming rules had to change too. Anyway, back to the phone. The Yari is a Slide handset that is a strong all round multimedia handset, with a 5MP camera, HSDPA for faster Internet, GPS, 2.4" screen and support for 16GB memory cards.

The one feature though that makes this phone stand out though is something new called gesture gaming. I say new, gesture gaming has been around for a while, since the introduction of accelerometers anyway, but the Yari takes this a step further. As well as being able to detect movement and translate this into game controls, the Yari can use its camera to detect movement and translate them in to game moves too (similar concept to eyetoy for the Playstation 2). Add this to multiplayer support, and you’ve got a whole new gaming experience on a mobile phone. Sony Ericsson have tried to launch a gesture gaming phone before, the F305, but this had limited success, as most other features on the phone were quite low spec. Hopefully with the Yari having a better camera, more storage and faster internet, this will have more success.

The Menu system on the Yari has been given an upgrade too, you can now view your geo-tagged photos on a map on the phone using Google Maps and you can send your images directly to Flickr & Picasa. In a first, the Yari also has a fully featured Walkman music player, despite the handset not being branded as a walkman device, the camera too has most of the features that you would normally only find on a Cyber-Shot branded phone.

You can find a more detailed preview on the Sony Ericsson Yari at GSMArena.

The Sony Ericsson Yari is expected to go on sale around September 2009, Register your interest for priority stock availability.

Next up is Aino, a touch screen Multimedia phone with a twist & baby brother the Satio.

The Aino has been designed act as a streaming media player when connected to a PS3 Console, so once you are connected to your Wi-Fi network, you’ll be able to access and control any music, pictures and video stored on your PS3 on your handset. The Aino also supports DLNA for watching back your media on networked TV’s and PC’s (What is DLNA).

The Aino has some pretty impressive features: 3" Touch screen display with Numerica Keypad, 8MP Camera, Support for 16GB memory cards, GPS, HSDPA & Wi-Fi for faster internet browsing. The Aino is though to include a desktop charging stand matching Bluetooth Headset.

The Menu system is the same as is found on nearly all Sony Ericsson handsets, the only real difference is that parts of it are now touch controlled. The camera, the FM radio, the gallery, the Walkman and the video player are enabled for touch control, with the rest of the phone being controlled using the traditional D-pad.

As with the Yari, the Aino has a fully featured Walkman Player and Camera. The camera on the Aino though has a touch based interface and is capable of recording video at near DVD quality. You can also sync your content to the phone using Wi-Fi, rather than USB.

The Aino also has Wayfinder navigation software preinstalled, along with Google Maps.

You can find a more detailed preview on the Sony Ericsson Aino at GSMArena.

The Sony Ericsson Aino is expected to go on sale around September 2009, Register your interest for priority stock availability.

Sony Ericsson Idou becomes Satio

Andy Simpson — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:26:51 +0000

Remember back to February when Sony Ericsson gave us all a sneak peek of the Idou? Well, they have just officially announced the phone as the Sony Ericsson Satio.

While there aren’t many real surprises here, Sony Ericsson have confirmed that the phone will run on the same operating system as the Nokia 5800 and the Samsung Omnia HD, making the this first S60 handset from Sony Ericsson. The other feature that was previously unmentioned is that the camera will have touch focus. This allows you to focus on an object in your photo by pressing the screen – a feature first seen on the G900 last summer.

Most of the features remain unchanged from those revealed in February, and the phone is still the most impressive handset to be announced by Sony Ericsson for quite a few years. Confirmed features on the phone include:

3.5 inch Touchscreen with accelorometer
Micro SDHC memory card (up to 16GB)
Wi-Fi with DLNA support – What is DLNA?
12 MP Camera with autofocus, xenon flash, Touch focus, geo-tagging, face and smile detection
Symbian Series 60, 5th edition
Stereo FM radio with RDS
GPS
Gesture control

Release dates are still to be confirmed, but the Satio should be available in the UK between July & September.

Remember to check our release dates page for the latest information handsets being released in the next 3 months.