Hello World – The Nexus One

Google announced the Nexus One smartphone that is branded by the company.  It is manufactured by the world’s leading manufacturer of smartphones – HTC.  The device will surely be superior in form, quality and stability than other Android-based devices from other manufacturers as HTC knows how to build them.

As the US got excited and hearing Google making it available as unlocked sets as well, there seems to be quite an excitement stirred around the world.

As for Malaysia, we will have to wait but not too long.  The unofficial sets will make their way to our shores soon enough.

The specifications for this little beauty of a competitor to the Apple iPhone is found here.

I feel that Google is making definite and clear strides to positioning a worthy iPhone competitor in the Nexus One.  All the specifications are there.  Just that the applications available on the Android platform is way behind both the iPhone and Windows Mobile.

Once you take a closer look at the Nexus One, you will see that HTC is custom building a Hero/Touch HD2-like PDA phone for Google.  HTC’s experience in making Windows Mobile PDA phones like their latest Touch HD2 will come in very handy to provide the quantum leap for Google to catch up with Apple.

In the Nexus One, I believe HTC is making a version of their Touch HD2 to run on Android instead of Windows Mobile.  All of the Nexus One specifications are already found in the Touch HD2.  These include the GPS, touch screen, 4GB micro SD, 512MB RAM and ROM, etc. which are Windows Mobile standards.

So making Android run on this should not be too difficult since they own the design and can adapt it easily in their state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Taipei.

This is good business for HTC as their Q4 revenues dropped by 30%.  This will surely provide a long term stable revenue stream for HTC in the forseeable future if Google has the might and clout to fight against the Apple iPhone and the rumored upcoming iPhone 4G.

For now, let’s see how the Nexus One will fare.  The price seems to be a good buy at below RM1,800.  I think the price will be closer to RM2,400 after it officially arrives here sometime later this year.  By which time, HTC will probably have a Touch HD3 out with features better than the Nexus One but running on Windows Mobile.

Good luck to the Nexus One!  Kudos, Google, for your courage to step up to Apple.

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iPhone 3G: The Joy and Danger of Jailbreak (Part 1 of 2)

UPDATED: Posting on iPhone 4 here.

UPDATED: Read about the iPhone4 killer – Samsung Galaxy S II

In my previous posting, I had discouraged readers about jailbreaking the iPhone (or iPod Touch).   I have since received numerous requests to review the jailbreak iPhone and a kind soul has generously supplied me with a unit for my personal experience.

To the uninitiated, jailbreak is the term used to describe an iPhone which is locked to the telco and iTune Shop to free the owner to use other telcos and install applications from other than iTune Shop.  If you have such a need, you will have to jailbreak your iPhone (and that applies to iPod Touch as well).

In this first part of a two part segment, the first thing that you must do before you jailbreak your iPhone is to know how to restore it back to factory default settings using iTunes.  This is most important in case something happens to your iPhone which you least expect and affects the proper use of the device.

iPhone 3G: The Hype and The Myth

After a while of being the proud user of an Apple iPhone 3G, I think that it is time for me to be very candid about using this cool baby of a device.  After all, I’ve written a few articles on this device before and this is not going to be the last.

Prior to this, I had the pleasure of using the Apple iPhone (2G version) and now a 16GB 3G version.  Essentially, the experience is the same although the 3G data gives a slightly better data transfer speed than its 2G brother.

To cut a long story short, this is my conclusion for those of you who are thinking of getting one.

HTC and Sony Ericsson Christmas Goodies

Updated: HTC had a launch on their new products on 6 November.  More to follow.

Oh it’s early November but Christmas decorations are already at Starbucks.  How fast did the year pass?  The HTC Viva was just released and we should be able to quickly see a few neat goodies from HTC.  These are the HTC Touch 3G, HTC Touch HD, Sony Ericsson X1 and a new extended battery for Diamond.

HTC Touch Viva Coming Very Soon!

HTC Viva will be in Malaysia very soon

I had the chance of playing with the new HTC Touch Viva yesterday in Malaysia and I must certainly admit that I was very surprised by this little baby of a device.  Pleasantly surprised, in fact!

Especially given the entire package of the Viva with almost everything you would want in a PDA phone together with the PRICE of …

Today at PC Fair – Diamond and Omnia Present

Samsung Omnia i900 at HTC booths!

Today, we find the Omnia on demonstration but strangely at booths sponsored by HTC on the ground floor

HTC Booth with Omnia present - Taken with HTC Touch Dual courtesy of SIS

exhibition area as well as at the Samsung booth on the 3rd floor.

Of course, the Omnia price was as predicted (read here) and there were no stocks until next week (my prediction again!).  I wonder if there were any takers for paying up to book the first Omnia arriving in Malaysia.  There should be a press launch by Samsung for the Omnia next week.

Diamond vs Omnia i900 at PC Fair – Here is Omnia’s Price!

The PC Fair is starting tomorrow in KL at the KL Convention Centre.  HTC will again show its dominant presence at this event.  Leading the HTC charge is obviously the Diamond, the latest in the pack of HTC’s family of devices available in Malaysia.  Word has it that there doesn’t seem to be any spectacular special packages during this PC Fair.  Hmm is the PC Fair losing its lustre?

Here are the special PC Fair prices for the HTC Diamond and the Samsung Omnia i900.  Remember, you read it HERE FIRST! This is breaking news now but it’ll be old tomorrow when PC Fair opens.  Welcome to the Internet age news.  Read on!