XT311 - Moto's Fire

 Motorola Fire XT311

 Let's take the word "phone" as an example, how many of you think of "smartphones" when you hear it? And the answer would be - many :)
 Nowadays smartphones come in all kind of "flavors": iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, meeGo, Symbian and others. It wasn't long ago that "cheap" was similar to low quality products. The game has changed - this time in the buyer's interest. Now let's "light" this "Fire" up. Steady, ready and go :)

 Specs wise, under the hood there's the most typical hardware available: an ARM 11 clocked at 600 mhz, 256mb of RAM, WiFi b/g/n, and bluetooth 2.1. OS wise - Gingerbread (Android 2.3) runs the show and adds value to the "Fire". The reception is good - no dropped calls, messaging is a breeze thanks to the hardware qwerty keyboard (Blackberry styled) although the user can opt for the software one as well. The overall built quality is above average and the handset feels good in hand.

 The 3MP camera takes some good snapshots given the proper lighting conditions are provided - no autofocus or flash for this price tag though. The battery backup is not the best there is out there but it can get you through the day and the "People centric" widget by Moto along with the low ram (only 256mb) can lead to occasional lags in the user interface.

 To sum it up - the Fire delivers the "bang for the buck".

 Links: Motorola Fire XT311
            Where to buy

Be mighty big - Gingerbread flavored :)

 Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 "Go Big. Be Mighty."

 Tablets come in different sizes and hardware configurations but in the end it all comes down to the user's needs. I remember the Dell Streak's reviews - too small for a tablet and too big for a phone. It was the first 5 inch screen tablet/phone.
 Nowadays the Samsung Galaxy Note is a hit with its 5.3 inch screen but unlike the Dell's Streak the Note has both the hardware and the software to prove its worth among Android's top dogs.

 The Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 is for the Galaxy S line of smartphones what the iPod Touch is for iPhone, meaning you get the Galaxy S smartphone's performance at a lower price without the phone function i.e. with GSM and 3G modules stripped off. Still, the device has an earpiece and a microphone built in so calls through wifi are possible whether you use Yahoo, Skype or other voip(voice over ip) solution and the front facing camera makes video calling a viable option too.

 I was a bit skeptical about a 5 inch device but the hands-on experience was better than what I was expecting. Hardware wise the device has the same specs as the Galaxy S smartphone. Under the hood there's a 1Ghz Hummingbird processor that powers an Android 2.3 Gingerbread. 

 Hummingbirds and gingerbreads... funny :)

 The performance is fluid, there are no hiccups and the TouchWiz interface adds to the eye candy although I personally prefer the vanilla experience. Android Market makes up for 50% of this device cause of the huge apps and games selection. Videos look great on the 5 inch screen, audio output is great in case you use some quality headphones - the stock ones are not state of the art but get the job done. I haven't played the latest Android game titles on it but all I can say is Angry Birds runs great on it :)

 The internet experience is pleasant. All the flash videos and animations loaded flawlessly although I'm certain that there are some sites out there in the wild that would stress the hardware, keep in mind that this is not a dual-core platform. At 2500 mAh, the battery life is above average but it also depends on the user's usage style - light or heavy.

 Overall this is a great product, more like a niche product, it also features a GPS module and a 3MP camera with flash and autofocus making up for a good price/quality ratio.
 I recommend it to anyone who doesn't have an Android powered smartphone or to anyone in search of a small tablet or PDA.

Links: Galaxy S WiFi 5.0
           Where to buy