3 new cool gadgets of the week

The  Samsung Galaxy Note is one almighty handset, with it's 5.3" Super AMOLED screen, 8MP camera and 1.4GHz dual core processor.  Surprisingly it's really slim and lightweight too, only weighing 178g and has a handy built-in stylus to help you navigate the handset quicker.  The Note's been claimed to fill the gap between smartphones and tablets, because of it's size, style and speed. The great news is the Galaxy Note is in stock now costing £589.95.

The second handset which is exciting us is the  HTC Sensation XL.  This is one of the new HTC handsets complete with Beats by Dre Audio software and headphones, but it's not just all about the music. The Sensation XL has a massive 1.5GHz processor and 4.7" screen to keep it running super fast and show all images and visuals in bright, vivid colours.  The handset also has an 8MP camera with instant capture, so you never have an excuse to miss a moment.  Again we've got this handset in stock now and it costs £499.95. 

Next up we've received stock of HMDI out cradles for the Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC EVO 3D and HTC Sensation.  These docks allow you to sync and charge your handset, but also have the ability to stream your images and videos straight to your TV!  This means you can show off your photography skills on the big screen all in the knowledge that you're not using up any of your battery, as your phone's charging at the same time.  The docks are al in stock now and cost £24.95 - a bargain for such a multi-functional accessory.

Battery Upgrade for Samsung Galaxy S2

Samsung has officially launched an upgrade (mod?) for the Samsung Galaxy S2 - an extended battery kit that holds a whopping 2000mAh of charge. The kit comes with the heavy duty battery and a modified back cover. The selling point is that this cover does not have the same ugliness that usually comes along with battery upgrades. In fact it only slightly increases the thickness of the phone. As you can see in the image, now the camera lies flush with the back cover instead of projecting outside. The new cover also provides increased protection to the handset from nicks and scratches.

Galaxy S2 Stand: Seidio Innodock

The Seidio Innodock for my Samsung Galaxy S2 allows me to view it at a comfortable angle. The advantage is that it allows you to use it with your device with or without a case attached so you don't need to remove your case from your Galaxy S2 everytime you want to dock it - Nice eh? Its also designed to work even if you have an extended battery and back cover attached to your device. So you can easily sync and charge your Galaxy S2 whilst its in the dock, without having to remove any items from your phone. Ease of use.

 

Unlike other stands that require separate inputs to enable sync and charging, the Seidio Innodock lets you do both with the same cable. This reduces desktop clutter resulting in a cleaner, more efficient work space. Nice.

 

It comes with a USB cable for plugging into a PC or USB mains adapter, and an LED status indicator to let you know when your phone is charging at a glance.

Review: Samsung Galaxy S2

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is one hell of a handset. It not only boasts the best processor and highest RAM in the market but the thin profile of 8.6mm and ultra light weight body make it The Best Droid right now. One word of advice - these phones aren't as durable as the Nokia phones we've seen so either take good care of them or buy a good case or cover for your Samsung Galaxy S2. Read the whole review of the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S2.

Accessories: Samsung Galaxy S2

 

The Case-Mate is available in three different colours: black/grey, pink/grey and my favourite white/black.  They're available for pre-order now but what's fantastic about these cases is that they have kickstands which are perfect for watching movies and they also have a raised bezel which means that the screen is also given protection from the case.

The case is made with a soft interior material giving it maximum protection from drops and bumps. The high gloss, durable plastic on the back of the Pop case protects your Samsung Galaxy S2 from impact and scratches making sure your Galaxy S2 says looking new. The sides of the case features a slightly raised bezel which is designed to protect your Galaxy S2's screen when the phone is dropped face down.

Accessories: Samsung Galaxy S2

The new Galaxy S2 accessories - the Mugen Battery and Back Cover and the Samsung Sound Station - both a bit different in that they're not only awesome but perform pretty well too!  

Thoughts: Samsung Galaxy S2

Until recently trends had shown Apple innovating and coming up with new devices with every other manufacturer out there immediately following suit and trying to get their share of the pie - a pie that's all crust and no filling. 

But for Samsung playing second fiddle doesn't cut it anymore. Being the OEM manufacturer for most of the top-selling devices seems to have driven them to put an end to their copycat days with the recent launch of the Galaxy S2.

The Galaxy S2 boasts Samsung’s very own Exynos chipset, the unmatched Super AMOLED Plus display and the ultra-slim body. And this is just the beginning of it's amazing spec sheet.

Some amazing features:

•  Android OS v2.3.3 with TouchWiz 4 launcher
•  1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset, 1GB of RAM
•  8 MP wide-angle lens autofocus camera with LED flash, face, smile and blink detection
•  1080p HD video recording at 30fps
•  Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g and n support
•  Extremely slim waistline at only 8.5mm and low weight (116g)
•  2MP secondary video-call camera
•  Full Flash support and GPU-acceleration for the web browser permit 1080p flash video playback
•  NFC support (optional, not without a software update)

Main Disadvantages:

• All-plastic body
• No dedicated camera key
• Super slim body has poor grip when taking pictures
• Non-hot-swappable microSD card

The absence of the microSD can be partly offset by the generous inbuilt NAND memory being offered. The all-plastic body and the slim profile of the phone looks good when you have the device on a table - but that's where it ends. The plastic feels tacky and even though I've got small hands the thin body makes holding it a sore. I can't imagine how it will be for people with bigger hands.


But as always there's a way to make the most out of this :)