GizmoScoop

The highly anticipated Nokia N900 mobile computer will finally arrive at store near you by this holiday season.  You can pre-order now at $649.  The N900’s browser is based on the engine that powers Firefox and Fennec. It is fully flash support –  Flash 9.4.  With Flash support, you can watch video with Flash based.  About 90% of videos on the Internet is based on the Flash program.  For example, this Youtube video you about to watch is based on Flash.  N900 comes with a large touchscreen 3.5 inch display and a 800 x 480 resolution.

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LG finally jump on the Android band wagon.  It will introduce its first Android phone code named LG-GW620; lets hope LG doesn’t keep this name as a production model.   The new LG-GW620 features a 3-inch full touchscreen and slide out QWERTY keypad.  This is to meet demand for consumers who rely on their mobile phones for more than just making calls. The LG-GW620 benefits from an operating system that was created from the ground up to take advantage of the many mobile applications and services developed by search leader Google.

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Feast your eyes on the new mobile phone from Motorola.  The new CLIQ will be available on the T-Mobile network for $199 with a two year contract, which comes attached with a data plan ($24.99).  This will be the first attempt from Motorola to come out with an Android phone.  The new CLIQ can be pre-order at the T-Mobile USA website, starting October 19th to November 1st. The new CLIQ will compete with the Palm Pre, iPhone, and a bunch of other multi-media touch phones, including the new LB LB40.  One thing is for sure, every phone company now has a multi-media, multi-tasks phone by now.  The CLIQ should compete well against rivals as a combined voice and data bundle can cost as little as $55 per month versus the $70 of AT&T or Sprint.  To be fair, Sprint $70 plan comes with everything.

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The HTC phone is out in the market, and it is deemed to be the champion to fight off against evil doers, well sort of.  The new HTC Hero set out to compete against the iPhone 3GS and others alike.  The HTC Hero is the third Android phone that has come out to the market so far.  The HTC Hero comes with an updated camera and a newly fashionable design compare to the HTC Touch Pro for Sprint last year.  Not only that, the HTC Hero comes with HTC Sense technology, which supposed to be intuitive and seamless user interface.  With the HTC Sense technology, content such as applications can be reach at a glance view where a selection of widgets that can be placed right on the home screen.  This feature is very useful, and comparable to creating shortcuts and place it on your desktop computer screen.  You have seen a lot lately that smartphones are trying to mimic the desktop computer environment; such as with the Palm Pre, you can run multiple applications at the same time through its deck card like feature.  The HTC Hero also has A-GPS, a digital compass and accelerometer for  instant access to local time, weather and maps when you go on a trip.

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Navigon is introducing the first professional navigation solution for the iPhone. The feature of user control allows simple and intuitive operating. The application includes the latest map material from the market leader NAVTEQ and can be used without an Internet connection at no extra charges are incurred when you need it to travel abroad. With MobileNavigator you can turn your iPhone into an equally handy and convenient route guidance system.  Check out the iPhone FAQ.

Here are the features and functions:

• 2D and 3D map displays
• Can be used in portrait and landscape format
• Precise voice announcements
• Intelligent address entry
• Reality View Pro (realistic display of motorway interchanges and exits)
• Lane Assistant Pro
• Real signpost display
• Speed Assistant with adjustable audio-visual warning
• Day and night mode for map display
• Direct access and navigation to contacts saved in the iPhone’s address book
• The latest NAVTEQ map material including more than two million (EU version) places of interest (POIs)
• Navigation is automatically resumed after an incoming phone call
• Quick access to user-defined POIs in the area and along the route
• Take Me Home function with a single click
• Automatic language selection to match the iPhone’s user language

It has been a month now since the introductions of the new iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre, and we all had a chance to use it to see the real world comparison in this month.  Both phones are comparable to each other in both functions and looks, even when it comes down to the service plan of $69.99/month from both AT&T and Sprint.  In term of functionality, the Palm Pre seems to have an upper edge than the iPhone 3GS due to its multi-tasks ability.  Where  the iPhone 3GS lacks, it made up by having a smooth and responsive feel to its interface and a few added features.  The Palm Pre can be quirky at times due to multiple apps opened at the same time.

Both the Pre and iPhone 3Gs have a 3-megapixel cameras. There are some major differences in features, where  the Palm Pre has an LED flash camera, but no autofocus, video recording or editing capabilities. You also cannot adjust white balance or exposure.  But on the iPhone 3Gs brand-new camera, you can now control focus either by tapping on the screen or using the auto focus feature.  The biggest bonus on the new iPhone 3GS is that you can record 30fps VGA video with audio by going into the camera app and switching from still to movie. Also, you can autofocus, auto white balance and auto exposure features apply to video.

As for copy and paste, the iPhone and Palm Pre both offer this ability.  You can now copy and paste just like you would normally do on your home computer.  Also, both have MMS, tethering (iPhone lacks this feature in the  America version but available in Europe), A2DP Bluetooth capability, geotagging and turn-by-turn navigations.

On the plus side of the Palm Pre, it has a full QWERTY keyboard which slides out at the bottom of the phone. While some may prefer the feel and touch of a real keyboard, others might not like it so much due to its small keys.  Also the multi-tasks ability allows business users to open mutli apps at the same time just like you would do on your home computer, where as, the iPhone 3GS only allows you to open one app at a time.  As for the plus side of the iPhone 3GS, it has voice command capability; where you can speak to the phone to play a song or calling someone.

Let us dive into the hardware components that gave these phones such outstanding capabilities not only just  being a phone but provide us the convenient functions to our daily life.   The iPhone 3GS  is based on the new ARM Cortex A8. The CPU runs at 600MHz up from 412MHz. The ARM Cortex A8 is a double-issue in-order microprocessor with an 13-stage integer pipeline. It got a 64KB L1 cache (32KB for instructions, 32KB for data) and  L2 cache 256KB, which L2 is lacked in previous model. These numbers are similar to the  TI’s OMAP 3430 processor found in the Palm Pre.  The Texas Instrument’s OMAP has both a CPU and GPU on the same package, and the OMAP 3430 uses an ARM Cortex A8 core and a PowerVR SGX GPU.  As you can see, these specifications are somewhat similar to each in both the iPhone and 3GS with an exception of the graphic processor located on the same die of the CPU in the Palm Pre phone.  This on the die graphic processor allows the Palm Pre to run multi-tasks.

So whether you choose the iPhone or Palm Pre, you can go wrong with any of them.  Both are capable of doing the jobs of the other, but only your preferences and needs will decide which phone is suited for you.  Please comment your thoughts from your experience.