Stories by Ginny Mies

Windows Phone 7’s success depends on its apps

Windows Phone 7's splashy launch last week in New York City showcased impressive hardware from the likes of Dell, HTC, LG, and Samsung, and gave us a closer look at the brand-new operating system. Afterward, I was left with some questions and doubts, however. Besides a few missing essential features (ahem, copy and paste), Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 proposition lacks something far more important: apps. What good is a phone without apps? Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Marketplace is not yet up and running. A few of the demo phones at the launch event had apps preinstalled, but the selection was pretty skimpy.

Hands-on with the Pantech Laser

Android phones were all the rage at this year's CTIA, but there were a few non-smartphones launched at the show. One of these phones, the Pantech Laser, impressed me in particular. Coming to AT&T on October 17, the Laser is an ideal phone for somebody who wants to stay connected via text, e-mail or social networks, but doesn't necessarily need Web or app access.

Samsung Transform for Sprint

We've seen Samsung churn out a lot of high-quality Android phones this year with its Galaxy S line of phones. Yesterday at CTIA, Samsung introduced a slightly lower-end Android phone called the Transform on Sprint. The phone's launch was in conjunction with two other inexpensive Android phones and the unveiling of the Sprint ID program.

LG's Optimus T: Entry-level Android smartphone

So far, a trend at this year's CTIA show in San Francisco is Android for everyone.Tuesday night, Motorola launched a slew of Android phones targeted at younger audiences and first-time smartphone owners. On Wednesday, LG unveiled the Optimus T for T-Mobile, a slick-looking phone running Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) with some useful tools for smartphone newbies.

Sprint intros affordable Android phones, new app program

Sprint brings Android smartphones to the masses with the introduction of three budget-friendly Android phones here at CTIA. Phones include LG Optimus S, Sanyo Zio and the Samsung Transform. The three phones will be first to take advantage of a new Sprint app program called Sprint ID, also announced Wednesday.

Hands-on with Motorola Droid Pro

Watch out RIM, the Motorola is out to get your enterprise customers with the just announced Motorola Droid Pro. I got a first look at this device at Motorola's press event at CTIA in San Francisco and was really impressed with this latest addition to the Droid family on Verizon.

Samsung Galaxy Tab makes its intriguing debut

Samsung's latest addition to its Galaxy series, the Galaxy Tab Android tablet made its very first appearance today at IFA in Berlin. The Tab will initially launch in Europe in mid-September and makes its way to the U.S. and Asia in coming months.

New BlackBerry Torch fires up RIM's smartphone lineup

Research in Motion (RIM) unveiled its first BlackBerry with both a touchscreen and a physical slide-out QWERTY keyboard at a New York City press event on Tuesday. The phone is also the first BlackBerry to run 6 OS. The Torch 9800 will debut August 12 on AT&T for $200 with a two-year contract.

iPhone 4 fix: Many questions left unanswered

Today's Apple press conference was a strange mix of finger pointing, random sales figures and statistics and--surprise!--some actual accountability and solutions for the iPhone 4's antenna woes. At the end of the conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs finally offered disgruntled iPhone 4 owners a solution: All owners will get a free bumper case-at least through September 30. But, as both a consumer (and an iPhone 4 owner) and journalist, I feel very conflicted about the outcome of the conference. Free bumpers is a step in the right direction, but this saga still has some very loose ends. I'm left with more questions than answers.

Motorola Droid X: The Best of the Droids

The follow-up to Motorola's wildly popular Droid on Verizon, the Droid X ($US200 with a two-year service contract from Verizon; available July 15) is one of the hottest phones to debut this summer. Its specs outshine those on the other Droid phones available on the network, but it falters a bit when it comes to performance. Nonetheless, the Droid X is one of the top phones to debut this summer, on a par with both the HTC EVO 4G and the iPhone 4.

Skeptical shopper: Enhanced advertising in augmented reality

Have you ever found yourself in an unfamiliar city with no clue about where to go and what to see? What if you could just hold up your phone, snap pictures of your surroundings, and discover interesting local restaurants and landmarks? With augmented-reality apps, you can do just that. But advertisers are jumping on the trend as well, so the same application that reveals intriguing potential destinations might also bombard you with ads for nearby fast-food chains. Can augmented reality actually be useful for consumers, or is it simply another way for corporations to get a hand in your wallet?

Smartphone video camera smackdown

With ever-improving sensors, on-board editing tools, and wireless sharing features, smartphones are a popular option for capturing video on the go. But not all smartphone camcorders are created equal: In my head-to-head tests, I found that certain phones handled motion more skillfully than others, some performed better in dim lighting while others floundered, and some produced noticeable pixelation in my test shoots.

Welcome to Android

By now, you've probably heard an earful about how great Android phones are, how they will take over the mobile world, and how they do everything the Apple iPhone can't. But if you haven't yet fully explored an Android phone, you may be wondering what the hype is all about.

Know your versions: Highlights of each Android update

Before buying an Android phone, you should find out which flavor of the operating system you'll get. Each tastily nicknamed update delivers new features, so it's important to find out what your Android phone will have--and what it might be missing.

A sneak peek at BlackBerry 6 OS

Following yesterday's announcements of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis gave WES 2010 attendees a quick preview of BlackBerry 6 operating system. With cleaner graphics, a Webkit browser and some new navigation features, the OS update will definitely please existing BlackBerry users when it launches next calendar quarter.

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