Moshi iGlaze for iPhone 6/6 Plus Case Review

Moshi iGlaze for iPhone 6/6 Plus Case Review 
Moshi iGlaze for iPhone 6/6 Plus Case price

Moshi's iGlaze ekes out a surprising amount of protection from a minimalist design, and looks good doing it. The iGlaze snaps on easily thanks to its one-piece design. As expected, it fits the iPhone 6 Plus perfectly, and adds very little size/weight to your device.



Features and Quality

The iGlaze is Moshi's product line that emphasizes style, quality construction, and a slim form factor; and it maintains that tradition proudly with the iPhone 6 Plus version. Unlike most minimalist cases, the iGlaze is not made of a single piece of thin plastic. The inner layer is softer and designed to not mar your phone. It is seamlessly bonded to the sides and back, which are made of hard plastic with a metallic finish, although the only way I could tell they weren't aluminum is by reading the product specs; they look that good. Instead of leaving gaps for the volume and power buttons like most cases in this category, Moshi has gone the extra mile by covering them with a membrane that is flexible yet tough. This is also bonded to the rest of the materials seamlessly. The result is a case constructed of multiple materials for better protection, yet looks as if it is a single piece, which is probably one of the reasons they can achieve this level of protection in such a slim form factor. The iGlaze easily protected my phone from everyday bumps/scuffs/scratches, and even survived an unintentional and terrifying drop from waist height onto concrete. Lastly, the forward edge of the case protrudes ever so slightly so as to protect your screen when laid face-down. Weekend warriors should note, however, that the iGlaze is not designed to protect against moisture or significant drops.



Style

As previously noted, the iGlaze looks fantastic thanks to the metallic finish of the back plate, and the color accents at the top and bottom of every model. The iGlaze comes in arctic blue, graphite black, lavender purple, and carnation pink.

Summary

If you're looking for excellent everyday protection in a stylish case that adds almost nothing to the size/weight of your device, you would be hard pressed to find a better case than Moshi's iGlaze.



Editor's Ratings (1-5): 4
What's Hot: Provides everyday protection in a slim and stylish form factor. Integrated button covers.
What's Not: Not rated for moisture protection or drop protection.
Price: $29.95

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Moshi Kameleon for iPhone 6/6 Plus Review

Moshi Kameleon for iPhone 6/6 Plus Review 
Moshi Kameleon for iPhone 6/6 Plus price

The Moshi Kameleon is a modern looking case that protects the iPhone 6 or the iPhone 6 Plus in a sturdy shell. The case has a clean and sleek look in three color options and it comes with a metal kickstand that can prop up your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus in either portrait or landscape orientation.



Design

The Moshi Kameleon case is a composite of different materials that make the case sturdy yet good looking. The polycarbonate and TPU hybrid shell protects the phone from scratches, nicks and bumps, and it's flexible enough to absorb some shock should you drop the phone in the case. The interior of the Kameleon is lined with Terahedron microfiber that's kind to the phone's back, and the exterior has vegan leatherette with convincing leather texture. The case also has a sturdy aluminum kickstand that's spring hinged. It matches the chrome colored accent on the side of the case. The Moshi Kameleon comes in Steel Black, Ivory White and Brushed Titanium. Even though the case is form fitting, it's easy to install and not too difficult to take off.



Features

The Moshi Kameleon case for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is a very functional case. It covers the buttons on the phone to protect them from wear and tear. It's quite easy to use the iPhone's buttons while they're under the case's protection. The case has perfect cutouts for the bottom ports, though it does add thickness and some docking stations, speakers might not be able to work with the phone in this case. The cutout for the silence slider gives you easy access and the rear camera/flash/mic cutout is generous. The case has a round cutout on the back for the Apple logo to show through. 



The Moshi Kameleon has slightly raised sides to prevent the phone's screen from touching the surface when you put it face down. The case doesn't come with a screen protector but it does work with Moshi's excellent selection of screen protectors including the iVisor Glass screen protector for iPhone. The Moshi Kameleon has a very well made metal kickstand that can position your phone in both landscape mode for media viewing and portrait mode for web browsing, emailing and more. The kickstand has only one viewing angle in each orientation but it's well positioned. The kickstand locks in place so that the case doesn't slip, and its ample width ensures that the case doesn't wobble.



Conclusion

The Moshi Kameleon case for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is an excellent choice if you need a shell case with good protection and a built-in stand. The case has a modern clean look and offers good protection for daily use. It's not rated for military ruggedness or against moisture, though the faux leatherette is water resistant enough that you can clean it with water. You have easy access to all buttons and ports on the phone and the kickstand comes very handy for media viewing, video chatting and ebook reading. We like all three color options that match well with three iPhone color options, and though the case doesn't come with a screen protector, it works with others including Moshi's own glass protector. 

Editor's Ratings (1-5): 4.5
What's Hot: Sleek and light, comes in nice colors and has a sturdy kickstand.
What's Not: No screen protector included, adds some thickness.
Price: $49.95 
Web site: Moshi

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Macally TankP6M-B Durable Case for iPhone 6 Review

Macally TankP6M-B Durable Case for iPhone 6 Review 
price Macally TankP6M-B Durable Case for iPhone 6 

The Macally TankP6M-B Durable Case for the iPhone 6 is a two-layer case that can protect your phone from scratches, bumps and even drop damage. The case offers easy installation and removal and non-slip surface. It's protective yet not super bulky or heavy. The case offers cutouts for ports and covers for buttons, but some of these get in the way of using the phone smoothly.



Design

The Macally TankP6M-B Durable Case has an inner layer of flexible TPU that fits the iPhone 6 like a glove. The ridges on the back offer extra shock protection. Outside the TPU cover, the Macally has a ribbed hard shell case that integrates with the TPU cover seamlessly. The hard shell provides extra structural protection and an extra layer of hard armor around the sides, corners and back. The hard shell has soft touch coating that feels nice in hand and it's not slippery. The two-layer design ensures easy installation and removal of the case. The case goes above the front display so that when you put the phone face down, the case will create a barrier for the screen from scratches.



Features

The Macally TankP6M-B Durable Case has generous cutouts for the side silence button and the rear camera/flash cluster. It also has separate cutouts for the bottom ports. While the cutouts for the speaker, the Lightning port and mic are sufficient, the cutout for the 3.5mm jack is a bit off. We tested the case with several wired headphones, and found it worked with half of the of headphones we tried. The TPU layer covers the power button and the volume buttons on the phone. Though the button covers are raised, it's still a bit hard to press these buttons under the covers. 



Conclusion

The Macally TankP6M-B Durable Case for iPhone 6 has some very nice features including a two-layer design that's very protective and easy to use. The surface of the case is coated to ensure a secure grip and the ribbed design looks cool though it comes in only gray/black combo. The buttons are a bit hard to use under the TPU cover. If you're using headphones with short 3.5mm plugs, you'll have trouble using the phone's audio jack while it's in this case.



Editor's Ratings (1-5): 3 
What's Hot: Protective, easy to use, nice and grippy surface.
What's Not: Buttons are hard to use, audio jack doesn't work with some headphone plugs.
Price: $14.95

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Macally Metallic Snap-on Case for iPhone 6 Review

Macally Metallic Snap-on Case for iPhone 6 Review 
price Macally Metallic Snap-on Case for iPhone 6 

The Macally Metallic Snap-on Case is a simple yet very functional slip-on case that protects the back and sides of the phone. It's available for both iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus and it comes in six colors including a frosty clear one. The case is easy to use and provides a better grip. The best part about the Macally Metallic Snap-on Case is its $8.99 price tag. 



Design

The Macally Metallic Snap-on Case is a no-frill hard shell polycarbonate case with metallic sheen in different hues. The case covers the back, corners and two vertical sides of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and can protect the phone from scratches, nicks and bumps. The case has some flexibility and it's quite easy to install and remove. Both interior and exterior of the case have soft rubbery coating that's kind to the phone's surface and provides a better grip. The case reaches just above the display and elevates the phone's display when you put the phone face down.



The Macally Metallic Snap-on Case comes in unique colors thanks to the metallic sheen. The black one has a dark gunmetal look, the red one is more an orangey red, the purple has more pink like lilac, and the gold (see pictures here) matches the gold iPhone's color well. There's also a frosty clear one without the metallic sheen; and it doesn't have the same rubbery coating found on cases in other colors in the collection. 



Features

The Macally Metallic Snap-on Case has large cutouts for everything you need access to on the iPhone 6. It has a long cutout for the silence button and volume buttons, a large one for the power button, and both cutouts give you more than enough room to operate the buttons. The case has a large cutout that leaves plenty of space around the rear camera and flash. The top and bottom of the case are mostly open, giving you easy access to the Lightning port, mic, speaker and the audio jack. If you have speakers, docks and clocks with Lightning ports and a bit more room than the width of the phone, you should have no trouble using them while your phone stays in this case.



Conclusion

The Macally Metallic Snap-on Case is thin and light, weighing only 0.6 oz. The case is easy to use and the rubberized coating won't peel. We like the color selection and most of all, we like the unpretentious price for a very functional and protective shell case.



Editor's Ratings (1-5): 4.5
What's Hot: Easy to use, comes in nice colors, good price.
What's Not: Uncovered seams on the sides.
Price: $8.99

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Macally Flexible Protective Frame for iPhone 6 Review

Macally Flexible Protective Frame for iPhone 6 Review 
price Macally Flexible Protective Frame for iPhone 6 

Macally Flexible Protective Frame is the original iPhone bumper resurrected with better materials, a better look, and a better price. If you're looking for the most minimal of minimal cases, then a bumper is what you need. Thanks to its lack of a back plate, it's thin and light, adding only bare millimeters to the thickness/width/length of your iPhone 6, and its flexible material makes for easy installation without fear of breakage. Once installed, it fits perfectly.



Features and Quality

Back in the days of the iPhone 4, Apple released what it called a Bumper, which was so named because it wasn't really a case. It only protected the edges, and gave you something to hold onto. For this reason, Apple's design wasn't considered the greatest as most people wanted to protect their devices from more than harsh language and stern looks. Fortunately, the Macally Flexible Protective Frame is much better. Made of flexible polycarbonate, it won't make you cringe in fear of cracking it during installation, and it looks as if it might actually provide some measure of drop protection, thanks to its reinforced corners. I say "looks as if," because Macally makes no such assertions, and I didn't have the nerve to test it myself. Still, it's nice to know that an effort is being made on their part to give you some real world protection, even if they don't want to admit it for liability reasons. 



The frame is slightly thicker than your phone so it can wrap around its edges. This serves two purposes: first, it makes it more secure, and second, the raised edge protects your phone from scratches and marks while lying flat. It also has a great industrial design, including textured strips on the sides, covered buttons, and a tapered edge, which makes it easier to hold onto. While I appreciate how thin the iPhone 6 is (truly a marvel of engineering), whenever I try to hold one without a case I can't shake the feeling that its about to slip out of my hands. This feeling disappears with the installed.



Style

The Protective Frame is available in 5 different colors, all with a snappy metallic finish; black, red, gold, blue, and purple. Note that the version with the gold finish does a great job of matching Apple's gold iPhone 6.

Summary

If you are looking for a minimal case, or are still one of those rare birds who prefers no case at all on their $800+ handheld devices, I can confidently recommend the Macally Flexible Protective Frame. It looks good, provides some measure of protection (possibly more than it admits), and is ridiculously inexpensive. I can't recommend it to everybody, though, as most people are going to want a bit more protection than any bumper type case can deliver.



Editor's Ratings (1-5): 4.5
What's Hot: Ultra-minimal bumper design adds minimal mass to your iPhone 6. Metallic finish available in five colors. Raised edges protect face and back of phone while lying flat. Reinforced corners will likely provide some measure of drop protection. Flexible design not prone to cracking/breaking. Very reasonable price.
What's Not: Not rated to provide anything but everyday bump/scuff protection.
Price: $10.99

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LifeCharge iBatteryCASE for iPhone 6 Review

LifeCharge iBatteryCASE for iPhone 6 Review 
price LifeCharge iBatteryCASE for iPhone 6 

The iBATTERYCASE is a powerful power source for your iPhone 6. However, its thin bezel may not hold up to repeated removals/installations, and its LiPo battery comes with tradeoffs.



Size and Fit

The iBatteryCASE, like most battery cases, will approximately double the size and weight of your iPhone 6. It fits perfectly, and offers covered buttons; however the mute switch is uncovered. The iBATTERYCASE comes in black and gold, and has a pleasing soft-touch finish.



Features and Quality

Unlike most battery cases, the iBatteryCASE utilizes a lithium-polymer (LiPo) rather than a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. LiPo batteries are safer (more resistant to overcharge, and less likely to leak) and lighter, but they have a lower energy density and cycle count than their Li-ion counterparts. The iBatteryCASE features a 3000mAh capacity, which should fully recharge a dead iPhone 6. Remember that it takes less energy to charge your phone in the 20%-80% range, so if you want to maximize your portable power, turn it on before your iPhone gets too low, and turn it off before it gets too high. The iBatteryCASE installs easily, but thanks to the thin plastic bezel that is used to secure it to your phone, it may be prone to breakage if you tend to install/remove it with any regularity. Charging/syncing is accomplished by way of a mini USB port (cable included), and the headphone jack is accessible by way of a narrow port. Be advised, however, that this opening is too small for many 3rd party headphones, so an adaptor or extension may be required.



Summary

While the use of LiPo instead of Li-ion in a battery case (as opposed to a battery pack) is unusual in today's market, those worried about issues related to overcharging will likely appreciate the extra peace of mind this choice offers. Conversely, the lower energy density and cycle count may impact the case's lifespan. Lastly, I found the bezel to be a bit fragile looking, but it is covered by a one-year warranty (as is the battery) so what have you got to lose?



Editor's Ratings (1-5): 4 
What's Hot: 3000mAh capacity. LiPo battery.
What's Not: Headphone port too small for some 3rd party peripherals. Thin bezel may be prone to breakage. LiPo battery
Price: $79.99
Web site: LifeCHARGE

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Lepow Virtue Heart 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack Review

Lepow Virtue Heart 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack Review

price Lepow Virtue Heart 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack 

The Lepow Virtue 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack is a small battery charger with strong power reserve and fast charging for iPhone models. The Virtue can fit in any bag or purse and charge any smartphone, tablet, camera and other gadgets on the go. The 9000mAh is a lot of power for charging your iPhone several times and for topping up all your gadgets on a trip. The old computer inspired design gives this battery a unique look.



Design

The Lepow Virtue 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack comes in a nearly square block that has a two-tone of shiny black and matte orange top and a gray bottom. The battery measures 3.0 x 3.6 x 0.8 inches and it weighs 7 ounces. The shiny black part of the battery hides a heart shaped LED and a square of touch-control surface. You can touch or rub the invisible square on the top left corner to check battery level that's indicated by the heart. This unique design gives the battery some character but the heart shaped LED isn't evenly proportioned. The LED does have four stages of power-level indication, though the top level occupies a tiny portion of the heart shape compared to the bottom three levels. The Virtue has only one USB charging port and one micro USB recharging port, both living on the side of the battery next to each other.



Features

For a battery this small in size, the Lepow Virtue 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack offers plenty of power. In our tests, the battery performed best with iPhone models in both power conversion rate and charging speed. It can fill up an iPhone 6 3-4 full charges and a full charge takes about 1:45 hours. It did equally well and impressive with the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 5. The battery can also fill most of today's large smartphone batteries 2-3 times, and that includes the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, the Galaxy Note Edge and the Nexus 6. Charging speed for the Android phones was a lot slower than with the iPhones in our tests, often doubling the charging time. If you have a mixture of smartphones in your gear bag, the Lepow Virtue can easily top them up with its beefy 9000mAh power. In our tests, the battery filled 70% of an iPhone 6's battery, 46% of a Galaxy Note Edge's battery, 35% of the S6 edge and 50% of the S6, and the battery still had power left. 



The Lepow Virtue 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack has only one 2.1A full USB power output port and a micro USB recharging port. The battery recharges in a few hours and it's a high quality lithium polymer battery. The Lepow Virtue comes with Lepow S+ technology that the company installs into most of their new batteries, and it offers a few benefits that other batteries lack. The Lepow S+ has a smart control chip that identifies devices' charging intake capacity and uses fast charging where it can. It also increases conversion rate so that the battery reaches up to 90% of its conversion rate for more efficient charging and long standby time. The battery comes with safety features that prevent the battery from over heating, short circuiting and over charging.



Conclusion

The Lepow Virtue 9000mAh Portable External Battery Pack is a good battery charger for trips and daily use. It's compact and light, and it has a unique look. The battery works with all smartphones, tablets and small gadgets, but it works the best with the iPhone models in terms of charging speed and capacity. The battery can charge a large smartphone battery several times and can top up several smartphone batteries easily. We like the look and the size of the battery, and the high conversion rate. The only downside of the Lepow Virtue is it limits to charging one device at a time.

Editor's Ratings (1-5): 4.5 
What's Hot: Unique design, plenty of power and good conversion rate, great with iPhone models.
What's Not: Charges one device at a time.
Price: $79 ($25 with a special running)
Web site: Lepow

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Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case Review

Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case Review 
Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case price

The Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case is a uniquely designed portable battery charging case for the new iPhone 6 that comes in two parts including a form fitting case and a magnetically attached battery pack. The battery case can offer two charges for the iPhone 6 and also protect the phone from scratches. The Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case comes in either black or a vivid watermelon green.



Design

Once you see it you'll realize that the design for the Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case makes a lot of sense. Your phone doesn't always need charging, so why carry the extra weight and bulk a battery pack adds to the slim and light iPhone? The Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case comes in a slim case that fits the iPhone 6 perfectly. In fact it's so form fitting that it requires some effort to remote it from the phone. The battery pack is smaller but thicker than the case and it attaches to the case via a magnetic strip on the back and a metal slot helps keep it in place securely when you're charging the phone. The Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case comes with a short micro USB to Lightning cable in matching color that you can use to charge the phone. It also comes with a longer white USB cable for you to recharge the battery pack. 



The Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case is made with thin plastic and both the case and the battery have a very nice soft coating. It provides a better grip for the slippery phone. There're four small LED lights on the battery pack and you can see the LEDs even when the battery is attached to the case. The case itself only adds 0.8 ounce to the iPhone 6, but the case and the battery together weigh 4.2 ounces. 



Features

The Lepow Pie's battery pack is Lithium Polymer pack that's 3000mAh in capacity. The battery can charge the iPhone 6 from 10% to full nearly twice, and charging time is about 3 hours. The battery has built-in safety as well to protect against short circuits, over-charging and over-loading. The battery comes with a USB charging cable and it takes about 5 hours to fully recharge the battery pack. As with many Lepow's battery packs, the Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case has shake to check power level feature that enables you to see how much power the battery has by flicking it in your hand. 



Conclusion

The Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case has an ingenious design and it's super easy to use. The case protects the phone from scratches and nicks while the battery gives the iPhone 6 extra power on the go. The two-piece design is very convenient and the case is well made with soft coating. We love the watermelon green color and how easy it is to attach and de-attach the battery to the case. Whether you need a daily top-up for your iPhone 6 or a workhorse while on the road, the Lepow Pie iPhone 6 3000mAh Battery Case is definitely worth a look. 

Editor's Ratings (1-5): 4.5
What's Hot: Lovely design and color, offers nearly 2 charges and freedom to carry the case or both the case and the battery.
What's Not: The case is a bit tight - takes some effort to remove. 
Price: $55.99

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Sony Ericsson W705a reviews and prices

how to fix Sony Ericsson W705a

For Sony Ericsson phone fans, the last couple of months have been fruitful: first Sony Ericsson released the unlocked Sony Ericsson W995a Walkman phone with U.S. 3G, then AT&T released theSony Ericsson C905a killer camera phone and the Sony Ericsson W518a Walkman flip phone. The Sony Ericsson W995a tops the Walkman phone specs among the U.S. models with an 8.1 megapixel camera, U.S. 3G (on AT&T ‘s bands), GPS with Google Maps, a 3.5mm stereo audio jack and more, but it also carries a list price tag of $599. If you don’t care to have a higher megapixel camera on your phone or built-in GPS, you can save yourself $200 and get the Sony Ericsson W705a. The mid-tier W705a Walkman phone has plenty to offer: the same Walkman Player 3.0 with the shake control feature and Sony’s popular XMB user interface, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with stereo A2DP, FM radio as well as U.S. 3G on AT&T’s bands. Most of the software found on the W995a comes on the W705a as well, and they include the NetFront 3.4 web browser with RSS, YouTube player, PhotoDJ, MusicDJ, VideoDJ, Track ID, Walk Mate and several games. While there is no built-in GPS, the W705a has Google Maps preinstalled. The Sony Ericsson W705a is a quad band GSM world phone with 3G UMTS/HSPA on the 850/1900/2100 MHz bands. The phone will work on AT&T’s 3G network in the U.S., but it’s EDGE for T-Mobile rather than 3G. The phone has a 2.4” QVGA display, a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot and a 3.2-megapixel camera that shoots decent photos and video with audio.  Design Like the W995a, the Sony Ericsson W705a is also a very compact phone. Measuring 3.74 x 1.88 x 0.56 inches, the W705a is a bit thinner than the W995a. The phone has a modern Euro candy bar style: the silver faceplate and the coffee-colored soft touch back give the phone a classy, modern-minimalist clean look. The W705a weighs 3.45 ounces, and it feels good in hand and looks well built. The display is reasonably bright and color saturated. The d-pad and front menu keys feel sturdy and easy to press. The phone has a slide-out number pad; though flat, the keys are very easy to use and have good tactile feedback when pressed. There is a large strip of speaker grille on the back of the W705a, and the camera with an LED flash also lives on the back. The battery door is very easy to open thanks to a mechanical latch that locks and unlocks the cover. The SIM card lives under the battery door and requires the removal of the battery to gain access. The M2 storage card slot is also under the battery door, but it’s a spring-loaded slot on the side that doesn’t require battery removal. Sony Ericsson includes a 4GB M2 card with the W705a Walkman phone. The Sony Ericsson W705a has minimal side buttons: only the volume rocker and the camera/camcorder/shutter 3-in-1 button are on the right side of the phone. The Sony Ericsson proprietary Fast Port syncing/charging/headset port lives on the left side, and the phone comes with an in-line adapter and 3.5mm wired headset. The tiny button on top of the W705a is the Walkman Player launcher, and when the music player is launched, the d-pad doubles as music playback controls. There is a phone charm holder on the bottom of the W705a. Phone and Web The Sony Ericsson W705a has a better reception than the W995a, getting full signal strength in most places around the Dallas area on AT&T. Voice quality is quite good and the W705a supports most common call features such as call forwarding, call waiting, conference call and more. The phone offers 9 speed dialing numbers as well as voice dialing. Like many Sony Ericsson phones, the W705a’s voice dialing software requires that you record voice tags. The voice recognition works well as long as the same person records and uses voice command. The contacts database can hold 1,000 entries and each entry can have up to 7 numbers. Other PIM software included are Calendar, Calculator, Alarm, Notes, Stopwatch, Tasks and Timer. The Sony Ericsson also has an email client that works with POP3/IMAP4 email accounts, and the phone comes with Sony Ericsson PC Suite and supports MS Exchange ActiveSync. Web-based IM is also on board. The Sony Ericsson W705a has the Access NetFront 3.4 web browser that’s capable of displaying full HTML pages with all the layout and images intact. Web pages loaded reasonably fast over AT&T’s 3G, but much faster over our Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n network (the phone supports 802.11b/g). While the Wi-Fi speed is very good, the range is poor. We could get no more than 10 feet between the phone and our Wi-Fi router before the Wi-Fi speed slowed down considerably.

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Music and Video

Standard on the current Sony Ericsson Walkman phones, the Walkman Player 3.0 can play music in MP3, AAC, WMA and other formats as well as podcasts and audio books. The W705a has the intuitive Sony Xross Media Bar (XMB) UI for music, video, gaming and other media content navigation. The Walkman music player supports the accelerometer, album art, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, SenseME and Shake control. The built-in speakerphone is loud and the audio quality sits between the W995a’s speaker and the W518a’s speaker: it’s less tinny than the W518a but it has less powerful bass than the W995a. The music playback is excellent via the included wired stereo headset: it has clear channel separation and powerful bass. The phone also works with Bluetooth stereo headsets via A2DP. Both podcasts and audio books sound good via the wired headset. If you are a fan of listening to FM radio on your phone, the W705a won’t disappoint. Using the included headset as its antenna, the Sony Ericsson works well as an FM radio with RDS info.

The Sony Ericsson W705a can play video in MPEG-4, 3GPP and WMV formats, and comes with a YouTube player. We tested YouTube video playback via Wi-Fi and found video played smoothly with decent audio by mobile YouTube standards.

Camera

The Sony Ericsson W705a has a 3.2-megapixel camera with fixed focus lens and an LED flash. The camera takes good photos as long as you keep the lens cover clean. The phone has a cheap plastic window over the camera lens that attracts fingerprints and grease, which can result in some flare and white haze in outdoor shots and indoor shots that have localized bright halos. But when the lens window is clean, the photos look sharp and colors are balanced. Some outdoor shots have slight over exposure. The camera software offers 4 shooting modes including Panorama and night shot modes, white balance, effects, self-timer and more. The camera phone can also record video with audio in QVGA resolution at 15 fps. Video clips look reasonably sharp and audio is usually in sync with video.

Conclusion

A very strong music phone at a more reasonable price, the W705a is a good all around phone for those who want a Walkman phone but don’t want to sign a 2-year contract or spend $599 list for the W995a. The phone has most of the bells and whistles of a high-end Walkman phone including Walkman Player 3.0, FM Radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, 120MB internal memory and a Memory Stick Micro card slot. It also has U.S. 3G and a 3.2 megapixel camera that takes very decent photos for a camera phone in that class as long as you keep the lens clean. You don’t get the GPS and real time navigation on the W705a but Google Maps is pre-installed for maps and directions via cell tower triangulation. Reception is actually better on the W705a than the W995a, and both phones run the same NetFront web browser. With retail discounts we are already seeing, the W705a is a strong competitor in the unlocked Walkman phone segment.

Pro: A stylish phone that looks and feels well built. Strong reception. Good music experience.

Con: Wi-Fi range is poor.

Price: $399.99

Web site: www.sonystyle.com

Display: 2.4” QVGA 240 x 320 pixel display with accelerometer, 262k colors. Battery: Li-Polymer rechargeable, 3.6V (BST-33 model), 1000mAh. Size: 3.74 x 1.88 x 0.56 inches. Weight: 3.45 ounces Phone: Quad band unlocked GSM world phone 850/900/1800/1900MHz with EDGE. 3G HSDPA on the 850/1800/1900MHz bands. Camera: 3.2-megapixel camera with fixed focus lens and LED flash. Takes video with audio in QVGA at 15fps and in MMS resolution. Audio: Music tones and Polyphonic 72 ringtones supported. Built-in speakerphone, wired stereo headset included, music track controls and volume controls, dedicated Walkman launch key. FM Radio with RDS. Walkman Player 3.0 supports 3GP, AAC, MP4, M4A, MP3, AMR, AMR-WB, WAV, SMF, iMelody, XMF and WMA formats. Has vibrating alert and voice recorder. Networking: Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR supporting hands-free, A2DP, AVRCP, file transfer and printing profiles. Wi-Fi 802.11b/g. Software: Sony’s Xross Media Bar UI. Access NetFront 3.4 web browser, Walkman Player 3.0, PhotoDJ, TrackID and Walk Mate included. PIM tools include contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, timer, stopwatch, calculator, light, code memo and alarm clock. Google Maps and YouTube player preloaded. Also included in the package: Sony Ericsson PC Suite 5.0 and Sony Media Go software. Expansion: 1 Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot supporting up to 8GB cards. A 4 gig card is included with the U.S. version of the phone. In the Box: The Sony Ericsson W705a with standard battery, AC charger, audio dongle adapter, 3.5mm wired stereo headset, 4GB M2 card, USB cable, Sony Media Manager software and PC Suite, and printed user documentation.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 reviews and prices

how to fix Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Sony Ericsson hasn’t had an easy few years; the smartphone is eclipsing the feature phone and even SE’s higher end imaging phones haven’t garnered much attention.  Years ago they chose the UIQ smartphone platform which is now defunct, and then they moved to Windows Mobile for very expensive unlocked phones like the Xperia X1a. The Windows Mobile 6.x platform is on its way out as Microsoft readies for the release of Windows Phone 7 at the end of 2010, so Sony Ericsson is now trying their hand at Android.  Android is a hot, fresh platform and Sony Ericsson chose well this time. The folks at SE know how to make uber-sexy high end hardware and the X10 fits into this category. This isn’t a recession-friendly phone, at least not if you get it unlocked without a contract, and no US carrier has announced plans to offer the Xperia (yet). Rogers in Canada is offering the phone and they share 3G bands with AT&T in the US. That means Sony Ericsson has an X10a model with AT&T compatible 3G, and we assume that they’ll offer it unlocked in the US sans contract subsidy.  Though Sony Ericsson also lists a T-Mobile US 3G compatible version, they tell us this doesn’t mean that phone will be produced. They merely list all possible variants that they might make. Sorry T-Mobilecustomers. Our review unit has final production hardware but not final production software. We found the phone stable and well-behaved overall and we’d guess the firmware is reasonably close to release candidate status. Those issues that we do have with the X10a aren’t the result of bugs but rather design choices, and we’ll detail those later.  As you’d expect from a phone with a 1GHz processor, the Xperia is a fast phone, even with pre-release firmware. *Editor's note: we've updated this review to reflect the final release version that's offered by AT&T. Specs at a Glance The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10a (the “a” stands for Americas and indicates that it has US compatible 3G bands and is meant for sale in the Americas) is an Android 1.6 (donut) smartphone.  It has a 4” capacitive touch screen with 854 x 480 resolution, an on-screen keyboard and an accelerometer. It has WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS that works with Google Maps. The phone has a gig of internal storage with approximately 425 megs free for your use and a microSD card slot (an 8 gig card is included). The processor is Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon—one of the fastest mobile CPUs available as of this writing. It’s boatloads faster than the old 528MHz Qualcomm CPU used in many Android phones like the Hero and MyTouch 3G.  It’s the same CPU used in the Nexus One and HTC HD2. Sony Ericsson is known for their great camera phones and the X10 has an 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash. Sony Ericsson includes software customizations that are pleasant and non-intrusive.

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A walk Around the Phone This is a large but not ungainly phone. Quite the opposite, it’s one of the most attractive Android handsets we’ve laid eyes on. That said, it's a plastic phone and doesn't feel quite as high end and rugged as the Nexus One. It’s available in black and white and we have the black model for review. The front face is dominated by the large 4” touch screen, with three chromed mechanical buttons below. These buttons are more like bars so they don’t add to the phone’s height. They’re easy to use and have good tactile feel. They handle the standard Android menu, home and back functions (the usual fourth Android search button is MIA). Side controls are simple: volume buttons and a dedicated camera key on the right side. The 3.5mm stereo jack, micro USB port (under a rubber door) and power button are up top. The phone’s plastic back has an attractive matte finish and it curves at the sides to feel great in the hand. It’s a yank-off style back and there’s a small groove at the bottom where you’ll start pulling it off.  The microSD card slot is under the battery door and unfortunately you must remove the battery to access the card. The 4” capacitive display is very bright (once you disable the very conservative auto-brightness feature) and sharp. This is one of the larger displays on the phone market: lovely. We miss the multi-touch support and will have to wait for OS 2.1 to get it.  No fault of the screen itself, the unlock screen makes us want to shriek. You must do a long arcing diagonal sweep from the bottom to the upper right section of the display (Pythagoras tells us they couldn’t have found a longer path). That’s way too long a motion and you have to do it quickly (but not too quickly) or it will bounce back. Argh! Sony Ericsson’s custom on-screen keyboard makes us want to throw the phone out the window. I have used, with few complaints, many Android phones’ on-screen keyboards and never had problems. With the SE keyboard the best we got was 50% accuracy in both landscape and portrait modes—yeegads.  Switching to the standard Android keyboard helps (press and hold on the 123 button to select a different keyboard) but I still found the Nexus One and others easier to use. That’s strange since the larger the screen, the easier typing should be. Software The Xperia X10a runs Android OS 1.6 which is little old since the Samsung Captivate (in fact all Galaxy S phones), Motorola Droid X and Droid 2 ship with 2.1 or newer. Not that Sony Ericsson is the only manufacturer that’s guilty of shipping 1.6 or even 1.5 recently: the Motorola Cliq XT, Motorola Backflip, and the Acer Liquid all shipped with older OS versions too.  Generally, if the manufacturer heavily customizes Android, it takes time to rework those customizations to work with the new OS, hence you don’t always get the latest OS.  Though Sony Ericsson’s customizations are subtle, there are plenty of them, so we’re a bit understanding. However, Sony Ericsson tells us that the Xperia X10 won’t get an OS upgrade to 2.1 until Q4 2010. At that point, the SE will still be behind Android phones running OS 2.2 Froyo.

Video Review Here's our video review of the pre-release Xperia X10. We show the hardware in detail and take a look at Sony Ericsson software such as Timescape and Mediascape as well as built-in Google applications. It's a great way to see Sony Ericsson's Android customizations in action. In our second video review we cover the AT&T branded version of the Xperia X10:

So what are Sony Ericsson’s customizations? The most salient are Mediascape and Timescape, both of which we like. Timescape is a timeline of activities: Facebook updates, Twitter feeds, MySpace status updates, messages, call log, photos you’ve taken and music you’ve played. It uses a flappable deck of cards metaphor and is easy to use and fun. If you don’t want or need certain items, you can remove them from Timescape. You can use it as your home screen or stick with the standard Android desktop and access it via shortcuts at the bottom of the home screen. The same goes for Mediascape; it’s available as an icon at the bottom too. Even if you go with the default Android desktop, you’ll get a Timescape widget that shows the latest item. If you tap on it you’re taken to the Timescape screen and you can flip through the cards. If you don’t like the widget, you can remove it from the desktop just as you would any Android widget. Watch our video review to see Timescape in action. Mediascape is a multimedia application that looks clean and is intuitive. It provides access to photos, videos and music. The music player has online access to PlayNow and the photo viewer has access to Facebook and Picasa. Since the standard Android 1.6 multimedia players are weak, we welcome Sony Ericsson’s Mediascape. The web browser is the standard Android webkit browser. There’s no Flash support and there’s no pinch zooming because that feature was added in Android 2.1 unless a manufacturer wanted to write their own driver (as did HTC for the Hero and other Android phones).  Likewise there’s no voice input for Google search in 1.6, but Sony Ericsson did manage to get the newer version of Google Maps on the phone so you can get spoken navigation. Other software includes Sony Ericsson Sync (it claims to sync your PIM data to SE servers) and Moxier, an excellent MS Exchange client. Wisepilot was included with our unit and it’s a GPS, mapping and navigation application. The application is tailored for use in Europe; for distance and speeds are metric only, and only Scandinavian countries are available for business searches.  But the app can download maps and POIs for US locations when using the “near me” search option and directions are clear and logical as long as you can think in meters. The AT&T version supports remote wipe and has even more robust MS Exchange syncing support that handles contacts and calendar items including meeting invites. Phone and Reception The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10a is a quad band GSM world phone. It has 3G HSDPA on AT&T’s 850/1900MHz bands. The unlocked version of the smartphone automatically configured itself with the correct data settings when we inserted our AT&T SIM card and we were then able to use all data services. The AT&T version comes pre-configured to work on AT&T. Reception on 3G was average among AT&T phones. It has better reception than the iPhone 3GS: using the same SIM at the same location the Xperia had a -95db signal vs. the iPhone’s -101db. Voice quality is loud and clear, and the Xperia behaved well as a phone. Data speeds were likewise very good. Here in the Dallas area we have AT&T HSPA 7.2Mbps service and the Speedtest.net app reported an average of 3,000kbps for download speed and 700kbps for uploads. The Xperia actually did better on the Speedtest.net application than did my iPhone 3GS using the same SIM at the same test location (the iPhone 3GS averages 2,500kbps down and 280 up). Camera It’s hard to argue with a Sony Ericsson 8.1 megapixel camera phone. As you’d expect, it takes lovely photos and it has options for single autofocus, multi autofocus, macro, face detection and infinity focus modes. You can select from a variety of scene modes such as portrait, night, beach and snow, sports, party and document and you can tweak the exposure. The camera has scene recognition, smile detection and touch capture options, and that’s it for photo settings. The video camera can shoot at VGA, wide VGA, YouTube optimized, QVGA and MMS resolutions. That’s pretty much it for video settings. VGA video averages 25fps and as we’ve noted in prior comparisons, the Sony Ericsson does well against most phones except Nokia Nseries phones for video quality. Battery Life What happens when you combine an extremely fast CPU, large display and 3G wireless? The battery says “ouch”.  The 1500 mAh Lithium Ion battery lasted us a day on a charge with moderate use (not using Moxier push email and Exchange sync). This is a phone you’ll have to charge nightly unless you’re a very light user. Other smartphones with similar specs like the Nexus One and Samsung Captivate are also battery hogs, though we found the Nexus One lasted longer than the Xperia X10a. It did last as long as the Captivate. Fortunately, you can get a spare battery and swap it in during the day if you’re heavy user.

Conclusion The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10a is undeniably a solid high end Android phone. It’s great looking, well made and the specs are positively top notch. The camera handily beats the Nexus One and the Samsung Captivate.  Our review unit had stronger cell reception than the Nexus One and similar reception as the Captivate. But the Samsung Captivate is the brighter shining star: it has a newer version of the Android OS, it's faster, it has that fantastic Super AMOLED display and it's thinner. We like Timescape and Mediascape, and just in case you don’t, you don’t have to use them. There’s nothing like flexibility. We also appreciate the inclusion of solid MS Exchange support since Android 1.6 lacks Exchange syncing (and even 2.2 isn't a solid solution fo Exchange sync). Google Maps has navigation and AT&T Navigator are there for turn-by-turn directions. We sorely miss multi-touch support; it’s not pleasant to go back to using on screen zoom buttons and single-touch keyboard input. Speaking of keyboards, the Sony Ericsson software keyboard isn’t pleasant, but you can switch to the standard Android keyboard that isn’t tops but it works. Lastly, AT&T has locked out non-market app installations, and that means you'll only be able to install applications from the Android Market. Pro: Top notch hardware and good looking too. Excellent 4” capacitive touch screen, top-of-the-line 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, great camera, enjoyable software customizations. Solid reception and fast data speeds on AT&T’s 3G network. Very good audio quality for multimedia and capable video playback. Con: Ships with old version of Android OS, battery life is so-so, the unlock screen and Sony Ericsson software keyboard make us want to bang our heads. Price:$149.99 with a 2 year contract for AT&T version. Websites: www.sonyericsson.com, wireless.att.com

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