The Motorola Milestone XT720 is actually the newer version of the modified Motorola Milestone, which whilst an impressive feature-packed smartphone, wasn’t as well-received as hoped because of the slide out keyboard. Relaunched as the same feature-packed smartphone, but this time with more market-friendly touchscreen, and a few millimeters thinner, can the Milestone XT720 do better second time around?

The Motorola Milestone XT720 designers were obviously keen to improve on the old Milestone smartphone, without all the effort of a complete redesign. Removing the slide out keyboard allowed them to shed a few grams and millimeters, and just to give the new version it’s own identity, they also made a couple of other slight changes – so it looks and feels more like a new model. The result is a quality mobile phone, as you would expect from Motorola, although it might not be everyone’s idea of good looking.

While the design of the new Milestone won’t win everyone over, you can’t help but be impressed with its 8 megapixel camera ? much bigger than any of the other Android smartphones available. But the Motorola Milestone XT720 isn’t just about sheer megapixel power, additional features like HD video recording, as well as image stabilization, multi shot and face detection, mean the new Milestone is one of the best smartphone cameras on the market.

Using the increasingly popular Android operating system, the new Motorola Milestone XT720 gets the 2.1 version which works well with the various other features, and of course gives you access to thousand of apps via the Android Market. Like most other smartphones on the market, the Motorola Milestone XT720 has 3G, Bluetooth and also WiFi connectivity. For navigation and geo-location GPS is included, and you also get an FM radio. In fact, there are so many powerful features that the performance can occasionally suffer under all the demand, and whilst a faster processor would have been a useful edition, it is unlikely to be anything that will put users off.

While the Motorola Milestone XT720 might find it hard to gain many converts from the likes of Apple, HTC and Google, it’s amazing 8 megapixel camera and a host of other features that give it respectable smartphone credentials, will win a lot of fans. It almost seems unfair to look at it as a revamped version of the original Milestone as the improvements have been considerable, and just what smartphone users have been looking for.

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LG have been providing mobile users with great phones for a number of years, and with the launch of the LG Optimus, they are trying to tap into the ever increasing demand for smartphones. With a healthy list of smartphone features, does the Optimus have everything it needs to compete in this market?

It’s probably fair to say that LG don’t make many ugly mobile phones, and this tradition continues with the Optimus’s good looks. The quality finish of the phone also helps its appearance, and it’s size and shape mean it is easy to hold when you’re using it, and slip into your pocket when you’re not.

The touchscreen on the Optimus is smaller than some of the other smartphones at just 3 inches, but it’s big enough so that you can comfortably use it to view web pages, emails, photos and video. The touchscreen itself provides a nice clear and bright display, with a handy auto-rotate feature provided by the built in accelerometer.

The Optimus has the standard 3G and Bluetooth connectivity, and like all the other smartphones on the market, it also allows the user to connect to WiFi networks for a faster browsing and download experience. With more people using their smartphones to access the top social networking sites, the Optimus’s built in features have got real-time Facebook and Twitter updates covered.

LG looks to have decided on Android as their operating system of choice for their smartphones, and whilst the Optimus comes with the slightly outdated version, it still has the functionality most will need in a basic smartphone. Plus, with Android you can take full advantage of the Android Market, and the technology inside the Optimus means it’s performance and battery life will let you make the most of the apps you install.

The only real downside to the Optimus is the 3 megapixel camera, which is a adequate if not outstanding in today’s smartphone market. The autofocus is a great feature that makes taking photos much easier, however there’s no flash, which makes shooting inside or in low light a little disappointing. The video capture is good, but it isn’t going to worry any of the bigger smartphones.

LG’s Optimus is a good looking entry into the smart phone market. While some of its features might lose it points when compared to the top phones in the market, it will do very well as a mid-market offering for those who want smartphone functions, without the HTC or Apple price tag.

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Samsung first launched the Wave as a feature-packed, technology-rich smartphone based on their own Bada operating platform. There wasn’t much you couldn’t love about the original Wave, and even if it was trying to compete at the top end of the market, it still proved popular. With the Wave 2, Samsung is trying to achieve something different for its Bada platform, but what does this mean for the next generation of Wave users?

The new Wave 2 carries on where the previous phone left off, and has the necessary good looks it takes for a smartphone to make it these days. The screen is a good size at 3.2 inches, although Samsung has opted for a TFT display to replace the original Wave’s better quality AMOLED screen, in an effort to trim some cost from the phone. Using the touchscreen is as easy as you would expect, and the inclusion of an accelerometer means it quickly adapts to suit whichever way you want to view the phone.

Unlike the original Wave which was a 3G smartphone, data is managed through the Wave 2′s EDGE and GPRS connectivity. However, the newer version of the Wave does get the latest Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS, that you will find in many of the top smartphones. You also get a clever feature that records directly from the FM radio that’s included in the Wave 2.

Probably one of the more interesting aspects of the Wave 2 is Samsung’s own Bada operating platform. The mobile manufacturer is committed to developing more of their phones on this platform, even though many feel the market it already overcrowded. With support for developers, to make sure Bada gets the features and apps that it needs to be a success, Samsung is pinning its hopes on the Wave 2 to introduce and promote Bada to a wider audience.

Using Bada gives the Wave 2 the opportunity to benefit from a host of Samsung-created software and features, including the easy to use Touchwiz interface, as well as the popular Social Hub that puts all your networking in one place, and a range of Samsung Apps. The 3.2 megapixel camera works well, if it’s maybe not as impressive as the original Wave’s 5 megapixel version, but it does have the ability to record video as well as take still good quality photos.

All in all, the Samsung Wave 2 is less a successor to the original Wave, but more of a slimmed down version to appeal to the much bigger market of consumers who want smartphone capabilities without the price tag – which is exactly what the Wave 2 offers. The unique operating system, and other features based on it, offer users an attractive alternative, and making the Wave accessible to more people will hopefully give Samsung the Bada converts they need to ensure its success.

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Trying to decide which is the best mobile phone on the market isn’t an easy task. There are so many different shapes, sizes and features, that it can be difficult to know which manufacturer to believe when their clever advertising tells you that they have the best phone on the market.

Phones like Apple’s new iPhone 4, HTC’s Desire, and the Google Nexus One, not to mention Blackberry’s Bold, could easily claim to be the best mobile around, if you need a phone that is capable of a lot more than just calling home. For mobile users who don’t need hundreds of different features and Apps, and are more concerned about having the best-looking phone, Sony Ericsson and Samsung have plenty to offer, and LG even has a Prada phone for those looking for the ultimate fashion accessory.

If you’re choosing a new phone, you don’t just want what others tell you is the best phone on the market, you want the phone on the market that’s best for you. Apart from calling home and sending texts to your friends, what else do you need it to do? You might want a phone that can do everything, so you can play music and games on it, as well as watching films. You might not be bothered about a touchscreen, as long as the phone is small and looks good. You need to ask yourself what you’re going to be doing with your phone, so you can make sure you pick the best phone for your needs.

If you want to choose the best mobile phone, you also need to think about how much it’s going to cost to use it once you’ve actually spent the money to buy it. Some of the networks will let you have the phone for free, but only if you agree to spend a certain amount on your monthly tariff; and even then, they might make you sign a 24 month contract. With a contract this long, your phone could be outdated long before you are eligible to upgrade to a better one. Even if you chose Pay As You Go, offers from the different networks vary, so you need to look into them all to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Any of the major manufacturers will tell you that their mobile phone is best, but only you can decide. Considering what you want from your mobile, will help you choose the one that’s best for you; and you’ll make sure you get the best call plan as well, if you know how you’re going to be using it.

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It seems everyone has a mobile phone these days – they have become an incredibly common sight wherever you go. It is almost unbelievable that just a decade again mobile phones were a luxury. Back then they were huge bricks and not very convenient to carry. It makes you wonder what sort of advancements mobile phones will see in the coming decade and beyond.

Appearance – Designs and screens will continue to change as technology progresses. One advancement that is not too far off is the use of flexi screens in mobile phones. These incredibly thin screens can be integrated into a number of things – they could be put on clothing or even objects like eyeglasses or jewelry. These communication devices may not even need keypads to operate as they may instead use advanced voice recognition.

Battery Life – Batteries have been a concern since mobile phones were first invented. In the beginning they were hooked into a car and were not really mobile at all. Battery life has been something that has been worked on a lot. As people start to use their phones more and the technology advances, the battery life has to advance, too. charging the battery can be done in various now and it will surely advance in the future. There is an idea that one day there will be hot spots where you simply stand and your phone battery charges. Wireless charging is probably not too far off in the future.

Entertainment – Right now you turn on your television and you can choose from hundreds of channels. Some cable companies offer thousands. The mobile phones of tomorrow will make these channels available on your phone as well. The phone’s capability to live stream will make watching television on your phone easy and pleasurable. Your phone will have the gaming capability of a Wii or an X-box. Your phone will serve as your personal music player with high quality speakers. In short, the mobile phones of tomorrow will be an entertainment mega-source.

Everyday Life – No doubt that mobile phones have changed people’s lifestyles. It is easier than ever to stay connected these days. As if mobile phones are not used enough, in the future it is likely that they will be used even more. It is likely that payments will be able to be made via mobile phone, so it could be possible to place orders for food and pay for it all from your cell. You are also likely to be able to control your home from your mobile phone. Controlling the heat, air and electric usage from your mobile phone is not too far off in the future. Mobile phones are sure to offer much more to people in the future and become an even bigger part of everyday life.

Motorola Milestone XT720 makes its debut in the market following the lackluster performance of the Milestone handset in the UK when compared to the passionate reception in the US for its twin product, the Droid. The unit currently entering the market is essentially Milestone 2 and the company has learned from the dissatisfaction voiced about the original device and addressed all of those issues. The Motorola XT720 has eliminated the keyboard, upgraded the Motoblur functionality, upgraded to an 8-megapixel camera and enhanced the device with a 720MHz processor.

The redesign of the device has given it a more masculine appearance likely to appealing to men more than women as it calls to mind a digital camera more than a conventional phone handset. The standard menu, search, home and back buttons are below the display in the usual position found in the majority of Android handsets. The 8-megapixel camera, which is actually a suitable substitute for an economical digital camera, is a cut above the camera found in most phones.

The XT720 comes with Android 2.1 – a reliable operating system in itself, but nowhere near as powerful as devices like the HTC Desire or the Google Nexus One (which both come with a more powerful processor). Motorola realizes the shortfall and has made efforts to decrease the device’s overall loading and lag times. The XT720 comes with an integrated 512 MB of memory, with a microSD card slot capable of adding an additional 8 GB of external memory. The WVGA capacitive touch screen display measures 3.7 inches and offers 480 x 854 resolution. The overall measurements are 60.9mm x 115.95mm x 10.9mm, with a weight of 160 grams.

While quoted as providing a maximum 13 day standby time and up to 4.5 hours of talk time from the 1390 mAh battery, this is an operating system needing frequent recharging as experienced Android users have found. The phone can be conveniently charged while you are at your desk through use of the available optional Multimedia Station. The standard multimedia formats supported are MP3, AMR, MPEG4, AAC, WMA and ACC files. The Milestone XT720 also sports an FM radio and a 3.5mm audio socket.

So, is the Motorola Milestone XT720 right for you? Only you can weigh the importance of the pros and cons. If you are on a restricted budget for your purchase, this is a great value for the price since it makes few compromises and is available at a significantly lower price for a handset. On the other hand, if money is available for the HTC Desire or the Google Nexus One, they are the better choice.

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