Overview of the camera Lytro - bankrupt Revolution

Scope of supply:

    Camera Lytro
    The magnetic cover over the lens
    Hand strap
    Cloth for cleaning
    A short memo about the device
    USB-cableTechnology of Light Field Camera, and my expectations LytroOn a small company Lytro I learned long before the cameras of the same name, in those days it was still a small but promising start-up Refocus Imaging. In 2006 he organized a researcher at Stanford University, Ren Ng. He received his degree in the same year, when he organized his own company in which he became president. The camera is called Light Field Camera, and distinguished by the fact that is not allowed to direct the lens to the subject, AF was absent. The camera was filming the luminous flux, the direction of each ray of light and its power, which allowed further to focus the image on the computer. Any subject and the plan could be sharp enough to put the cursor on it. In conventional photography because the camera measures the light intensity, but not the direction. Thus, the usual photo and camera technology is two-dimensional, but in the Light Field cameras get four-dimensional array of data, which can then be converted into two-dimensional image. The transformation itself does not affect the raw data image, only the display of images in two-dimensional plane, you are making a sharp or that part of photography.
In Lytro even invented a name to refer to the information in this photograph - megarays (that is, it's not the point, and the number of rays - in the first chamber resolution of 11 megarays).Information about this technology began to appear widely since the end of 2005, thanks to the efforts of Ren Ng. Although in fairness I must say that it is not the inventor of this technology was invented in 1908 by Gabriel Lippmann (Gabriel Lippmann). The story of this man is very interesting, as its contribution to the photo is huge, you can read about, for example, right here.His proposed technique at that time has been applied only to create a stereoscopic image, and greeting cards, you probably played with as a child. This may be a calendar with a picture of iridescent or a postcard, which created the effect of volume. At the core are exactly the same ideas that I used Ren Ng in the development of his cell.

Companies that create Light Field Camera, now more than a dozen, among them there are both research laboratories and commercial enterprises. All these companies have in common, except Lytro, only that they are oriented to the professional use of their devices, but their value is measured in tens of thousands of dollars. Technology is still in its infancy, and so expensive, what about the mass application is not necessary, although experience Lytro, it would seem, proves the opposite. For example, the German company Raytrix first began to produce commercial camera-based Light Field technology. But she was initially positioned such products as a professional. Indeed, one of the first chamber R11 was worth 30,000 dollars, had a resolution of 3 megapixels. Few ordinary mortals could afford such a toy, it primarily meant for research laboratories. Unfortunately, to know the sales volume of these chambers is not possible, but put on the fact that a few dozen pieces on the force.

 

Currently the company has several products, but prices are reported only on request, this is not the mass market. I do not know how to exit Lytro impact on business Raytrix, but suffice to say that these cameras are used inside the GPU Cuda from NVIDIA, that initially does not imply a low cost, it really is a professional solution.So promise Lytro always looked inviting - an inexpensive camera with Light Field, which is induced not have the sharpness, it is sufficient to direct the camera at the subject and shoot. Science Fiction, which promised a huge number of new features and applications. In any case, it is this picture was drawn in the minds of most who read lengthy brochures Lytro. Yes, a terrific investment in the company, which exceeded $ 50 million, hinting that it's not Dummy, and facing technology that is able to blow up the market.
 
My expectations for this product were very overpriced, I specifically confess to this, as perhaps disappointing impact on the text you are reading. I have long approached the description of the camera from different angles and trying to find a bright moments, but every time I come across is that all my efforts proved futile. Camera Lytro disappointed with every photograph made. But first - that it represents.Extracurricular Reading:

    How to create Lytro - the story of the investor
    Thesis Ren Ng, dedicated to the Light Field photos - it is interesting talks about the main problems of this area
 
Specifications LytroThe camera fits in the palm (112h41h41 mm, 214 grams) and is completely different from conventional cameras. At around the appearance of the impression they are looking at and trying to understand what you have in your hands. Therefore, for the image component of the company should be put Lytro firm "five", they managed to surprise, which in itself is a lot of the modern world.Housing in the bottom of the rubberized, at the top of a metal surface. The camera is available yet in three colors - red, blue and dark gray. The last two colors have internal memory of 8 GB (350 images), and the red camera - 16 GB (750 shots).All images are saved in a proprietary format lpf, to view them requires special software. Camera Resolution 11 megarays, but you can convert any image into an ordinary JPEG (1080h1080 points, that is, this is the maximum resolution the camera, not stated). In fact, despite the declarations of 11 megareev, the camera resolution is a modest 1.1 megapixel resolution. I think that in terms of marketing is done all right, because very few people will enjoy a lower resolution camera in 2012, when most phones, it is 5 or 8 megapixels.The quality of the optics of the paper looks great - the lens has a constant aperture f / 2, and the focal length from 43 to 340 mm (equivalent to 35 mm frame). On the magnitudes of ISO manufacturer does not say anything, but the range is from 125 to 3200. You just can not change the ISO, the camera picks it up yourself. Preferred values ​​are ISO 800 and 200 and 400. Notice the other values ​​in real life I could not. It is possible that this software flaws, but they look not very nice. In addition to all the electronic shutter so that any moving object such as a dog or a machine on the carpet, are out of focus, they are blurred. One of the characteristics which should be on top in this chamber, turned out to be phony.Another point, which darkens the lives of other members Lytro, a viewfinder, it is built in front of the lens, this touch screen with a diagonal of 1.46 inches and a minimum resolution. Seen in the viewfinder that something good is not worth a thought, even the photos look like a hint at something. It remains to guess at what you shot.Because the screen is touch-sensitive, it is possible to view photos (there is no need), and most importantly - to change modes. Their only two - the default is daily (Everyday). In this mode, the lens focal length 43-150 mm, you do not need to choose the object on which the primary focus has been. In the Creative 43-340 mm focal length, you can select an object on which you want to focus on. In this mode, the perfect close-derived. Optical zoom eightfold.The camera turns on almost instantly, it takes seconds. Unfortunately, the magnetic lens cap is not attached, so it is easy to lose. Another disadvantage is that the zoom slider is triggered accidentally almost always have to return it to its normal position (the upper end is marked notches on the rubber). The shutter button - immediately. At the bottom there is a power button, there is - microUSB connector for connecting the charger or cable. Built-in battery can do about 350-400 shots, while charging in the car takes about 1.5 hours on the computer - about 3.5-4 hours.Unfortunately, to transfer files to your computer needs Lytro Desktop, since the file format is only supported in this program. At the moment there is only a variant of the program for MacOS, Windows for its promise to release later.
When connected to Lytro Desktop files are copied to the computer, and then you can consider them to focus on any point. To use the file on your page, you need to insert a flash code (these were the high technology of the past), or give a link to the repository Lytro, where each user gets their page. For example, my photos can be found here.However, do not rush to click on the link and view photos, let me tell you about my impressions of the camera
Photograph on the Lytro - the missing day in Konstantinovo

Near Ryazan is quite an amazing place - a village Konstantinovo. This village - the birthplace of Esenina, and field testing the camera I decided to do it here. In order to understand how nature is good here, I will show you a hastily assembled panorama of the river (Canon 500D, but not Lytro, as one might think).During the day, like a madman, I photographed everything and everyone in this village on the Lytro. In the evening of the 400 photos are more or less sharp were only a dozen. Whether it's the only camera with me and I did not shoot at a regular SLR, I'd just lost his temper. Photos turned out the complete opposite of my expectations and advertising claims. Complete.

Update for 8779 Lumia 710 and 800

Nokia comes up with the latest OS update for the line of Lumia, and always ready for their release. Last update found on the servers Navifirm, has the number 8779, which is slightly above the 8773 Tango. Update Tango only recently begun to deliver on a variety of devices, and Nokia have already prepared a post-update.
What's new in 8779? It is not known. Presumably, the best support Tailadna supermarkets, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Tunisia. Other features, such as a static IP for Wi-Fi and more SIM option also have the right to life.
This update is unofficially for Lumia 710 and 800 (and still no word about Lumia 900) and can be downloaded using NaviFirm Plus with the subsequent firmware. This is a complicated process, but technically legal, since it uses the same methods as Nokia. Nevertheless, there is the share of the risk that after the firmware can be rolled back and the lack of language packs. Therefore, we do not recommend at this time to try this firmware 8779, but wait a bit. We will inform about its output.

HTC Desire C Review

In the box:

    Handset
    Charger
    USB-microUSB cable
    Wired stereo earphones with music and phone call control buttons
Positioning
HTC happened to have never had good sales in the low-end sector, although they have made a series of repeated attempts to consolidate some position in this very sector. Every year they produce new inexpensive handsets, while in 2010 they even surprised us with their decision to enter the market for low-end solutions with a touchphone running their proprietary system.
But the reasons for failure were the same every time: a small manufacturer can't afford to release two or even four or five low-end models at once, which is sometimes done by Samsung or LG. Besides, HTC is traditionally considered a company that sells high-end smartphones, so the high prices they got used to have always been affecting the low-end sector as well. To put it simply, the low-end models by HTC were always offered at higher prices that the handsets with similar specs by other manufacturers.
HTC Smart was their first and last attempt to enter the market for low-end solutions with a touchphone
In early 2011, the company decided to change their strategy and introduced the Wildfire S smartphone for the low-end sector. In its design, the handset resembled HTC's flagship of that period, but it actually was at the middle-end level with its technical specifications. Probably, that handset could be a success in some local markets, but in Russia there already were a few more interesting middle-end devices at the time when they started selling it. Some of those devices had already spent some time on the shelves by the moment, and so their prices started going down - we may think of LG Optimus One, for instance.The HTC Wildfire S was quite interesting for those days, but it ran up against some cheaper handsets offered by the competitors, LG and Samsung
Hence, the company is still searching for a solution that could make the HTC brand successful in the market for low-end handsets. As never before, they now need a successful product in the low-end or middle-end segment, as this year they are really far from being alone in the top segment that has traditionally been their strong point.So, here's another attempt to reach out to the customers in the low-end segment, or just to enhance the lineup, if they have finally given up the idea of ​​consolidating some position here - the HTC Desire C. I'd call it a high-sounding name, even though it has the 'C' index. Right from the start, its attractive design and the adequate pricetag should make the Desire C the very smartphone that will help the company in the market for low-end handsets. Will it go that way?
Design & materials
The design of this model resembles that of the more expensive ones. If you don't put the handsets side by side when their dimensions become recognizable, you can easily mistake the turned off HTC Desire C for a One S or One X:
There are three colors available for this handset: bright red, black, and white. I had a white one for this review. The battery cover in this version is made of smooth plastic that resembles a lot, with its characteristics, the material used in the white HTC One X. In the red and black versions the plastic is of the same kind. The frame around the screen is made of metal; the screen is protected with glass. I wasn't able to produce any scratches on it, applying some not too strong efforts with scissors or knife. But I guess the glass will certainly get covered with hardly noticeable small scratches after some time though.I liked the appearance of this smartphone. It doesn't look too simple. The handset body has no glossy plastic or various sorts of "shining" elements that has set our teeth on edge in low-end Korean devices - everything is quite ascetic, but simple and good-looking though. If I were choosing an inexpensive smartphone, looking at its design only, I would be definitely considering the HTC Desire C among the first things to think about. Too bad it's not only the design that makes the handset.The back cover in the white handset gets soiled very easily. I don't know how it is with the other colors though. If you carry this handset in a pocket together with some coins, or in a rucksack, its cover will look like this every time you take it out:The cover surface gets soiled very fast, and you have to clean it all the time if you don't want your handset to look a little dirty. Probably, it's not a critical issue in the end, as glossy devices are always covered with some stains, too, but I guess I just had to mention it.The glass protecting the screen also gets smudged all the time and the smudges are very well visible, so you have to clean it, too.By the way, the inner part of the handset body is made of red plastic no matter what color is the exterior, which looks quite interesting.
Build quality
Almost no complaints about the build quality. In my sample, the battery cover had some clearance of about 0.5 mm at the points where it is attached to the rest of the body, but I don't think it's a serious drawback. In all the rest, nothing produces any creaks or has any free play between the elements, so the handset really feels as a well-assembled device in your hand.
Dimensions
The smartphone is quite compact. As this is a low-end device, we should first look at it in comparison to other inexpensive touchphones:
    HTC Desire C - 107.2 x 60.6 x 12.3 mm, 100 g
    HTC Wildfire S - 101 x 59 x 12 mm, 108 g
    Apple iPhone 4S - 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm, 140 gThe Desire C fits perfectly in the hand; it's comfortable to use it as a phone, as well as to hold the device and handle its menu with a single hand.
Controls
The smartphone runs Android 4.0, so all the controls are made in accordance with the requirements of the operating system. This means that, the same way like in the flagship models, we don't have those usual four buttons under the screen, including the search key, but now there are only three standard buttons, from left to right: Back, Home and Recent Apps Menu.The touch buttons are quite distanced from each other, while their marks are simple and clear. The buttons don't have any illumination - probably, the manufacturer decided to save some cost on it. I can't say that it's too uncomfortable for me to use a smartphone without the keys illuminations, but some people will certainly find a smartphone with this illumination much more comfortable to use than a device without it. So I think it's a strange decision by HTC.Every time you touch the buttons, the handset produces a hardly noticeable vibration. It's a bit stronger in other HTC devices, but here you can hardly feel it. Like in the handsets of the One Series, the context menu button is replaced with the Recent Apps key, which is doubtfully helpful. The search button, traditional for HTC, doesn't exist anymore either. But, on the other hand, in the Desire C the manufacturer has solved another issue that is characteristic for Android 4.0 devices. The fact is that a lot of applications from the store, which have not been optimized for the new OS yet, are now displayed with a black stripe occupying quite a lot of the screen space and representing the on-screen context menu button. But the HTC Desire C doesn't have that stripe, and all you have to do to make the context menu show up is hold the Recent Apps button for a couple of seconds. I can't say it's quite comfortable, but it's surely better than the black stripe occupying 10% of the usable screen space.But we may regret that the other two buttons don't provide two different actions as before, when tapped or held.And a few words about the other control elements. The right side of the smartphone accommodates the volume control button. It's not easy to use it without looking at it, as it's very thin. On the left part of the bottom, we have a microUSB jack; on the top there are the power button and a 3.5-mm audio jack. Holding the power button launches a menu that allows turning the handset off, switching to the flight mode, or rebooting the device.At the top of the front side, we find the voice speaker; the light and proximity sensors are nearby. The backside features the eyelet of a 5-megapixel camera, a nicely designed grid of the ringing speaker. At the bottom, we see the Beats Audio logo ... We'll talk about its influence on the customers' minds and the sound quality hereunder.The smartphone has no indicators.
The memory card slot is located under the battery cover, while the SIM card slot is under the battery itself.
Screen
The HTC Desire C features a touch sensitive capacitive TFT screen with a 3.5-inch diagonal and HVGA resolution (320 x 480 pixels). Their previous low-end model, the HTC Explorer, and even its predecessor, the HTS Wildfire S, also had screens with almost identical specifications. The physical dimensions of the screen are 73 x 49 mm; it's capable of rendering up to 16 million colors and sports a good brightness reserve and the automatic brightness level adjustment function.The screen ensures maximum viewing angles, so the image doesn't get distorted even at maximum inclination. The colors are not bad, but the image isn't as sappy as it could be. However, it would be naive to expect something more from a screen of this kind. Under open sunlight, the image fades completely and it becomes almost impossible to see anything.The screen supports four touches at a time. In general, it responds to the touches quite well, but you may sometimes encounter some problems though. For example, you may have to tap three or four times on the same checkbox to make the mark appear.Typing is surprisingly comfortable. I thought that after using the big high-end smartphones I wouldn't be able to write text messages on the HTC Desire C at all, but it turned out quite different: the keyboard is convenient, with pretty big buttons, and typing is easy . It takes a little time to get used to it, but no more than a day normally.Generally, the screen is certainly one of the weakest points of this handset. It's small, with low resolution, and totally unreadable under open sunlight.
Camera
The smartphone has a very simple 5-megapixel camera with fixed focus. I'd like to allow myself to omit any detailed description of its capabilities, as they are really minimal. And the picture quality it produces makes it particularly senseless to delve into the settings trying to improve it.The maximum picture resolution is 2,592 x 1,728 pixels (with the widescreen mode turned on), but you can also switch to the 4:3 side ratio. There are dedicated settings for white balance, ISO, exposure, and saturation. You can apply special effects to your pictures.The maximum resolution available for video recording is 640 x 480 pixels. Effects are also available for video, and so are the settings for white balance, exposure, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. The picture remains zoomable when shooting a video.You can judge about the quality of pictures and videos by the samples below.Zoom:
Battery life
The HTC Desire C uses a 1,230-mAh Li-Ion battery. My handset was able to stay alive for about a day when I listened to some music for three or four hours daily and used it practically in the same way like the One Series smartphones before: an hour of talking, 10 to 20 text messages, a GMail account with push-mail on, and about an hour of web surfing.The battery life seems quite good, especially if you look at the flagship model with its five or six hours only. However, if we remember we are talking about a low-end handset here, it may seem that it doesn't work so long. I believe even a low-end Android handset should be able to work at least for a day or a day and a half.
Performance
The smartphone is built on the Qualcomm MSM7225A platform and has a 600-MHz CPU. The previous HTC's low-end model, the HTC Explorer, also had a similar platform, as well as a lot of other low-end handsets by other manufacturers: LG Optimus L3, Sony Xperia Tipo, ZTE Skate. The handset has 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. Besides, there is a microSD card slot. Before speaking about the smartphone performance, I suggest we should look at some benchmark results:When performing the most ordinary tasks, such as opening a menu, launching the email application or opening the contact list, you may often notice some lags in the smartphone operation. Moreover, working with the HTC Desire C, one should right away get used to a second's delay between a tap and the handset's response to the tap.I won't describe the capabilities of this smartphone in video playback, as it is senseless to watch high quality videos on such a small screen, but anyway I can say the performance provided by the HTC Desire C is very poor. A couple of years ago we could excuse such lags and delays in a low-end handset, but the times have changed and users have already got accustomed to more or less smooth operation of at least the main interface in any smartphone. But here those lags and delays appear directly in the routine operations with the ordinary applications, such as web browser, phone, etc.
Connectivity
The smartphone operates in the GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and UMTS (900/2100) networks and supports the two high-speed data transmission standards: EDGE and HSDPA. You can turn the connection modules on and off using the menu settings or one of the tabs on the system panel falling down from the top of the screen, or through the widgets. There is a special widget presenting a line of icons for controlling the connections, as well as individual widgets and the standard Android one.To synchronize the handset with a PC and for data transfer you have to use the bundled microUSB cable. The USB interface is 2.0. When connected to a computer, there appears a menu where you can select one of the five connection options: charging only, Drive (the internal memory is visible), HTC Sync, Modem (for using the handset as a modem for internet access), and connection to a PC providing access to the Internet from the handset via the computer.The handset features an in-built Bluetooth 4.0 module supporting A2DP and EDR, as well as all other major profiles.Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n). There are no complaints about the operation of the Wi-Fi module. The settings allow adjusting the rules of switching to sleep mode, using a static IP only, and adding security certificates. There is also a special mode for the maximum performance of the Wi-Fi connection. With Wi-Fi on, the handset practically doesn't get warm.Wi-Fi router. The HTC Desire C has a feature of sharing 2G/3G internet connection via Wi-Fi. It works as follows. You go to the wireless connections menu and enable the Wi-Fi Router option, which opens the settings menu. Then you select the network name, password and connection type (WEP, WPA, WPA2). Besides, you can set the maximum number of allowed connections to your handset, or you can allow or ban every new connection individually.NFC. As an option for the HTC Desire C, the manufacturer claims NFC support, but I didn't have it my handset.
Navigation
The smartphone has a gpsOne chip built on the Qualcomm platform. It takes about 10 to 15 seconds to establish connection with the satellites. For the navigation the handset uses the standard Google applications only: Google Maps and Google Navigation. The application based on Route 66 offered in the more expensive smartphones by HTC is not available here. Google Maps allow building routes and finding addresses by street or location names. Google Navigation provides route tracking and voice hints.
Software
The smartphone runs Android 4.0.3 and features the HTC Sense 4.0 interface extension. The interface looks the same as in the more expensive models, but still some functions are curtailed. For example, some of the widgets available in the One Series handsets are absent. Besides, you can't call the matrix of the desktops to quickly switch between them. The weather application doesn't have HTC's usual animation. There may also be some other missing features that I haven't noticed.The Recent Apps button calls up mini icons representing fragments of the recently launched applications. The fragments are not screenshots of those apps, so this apps management mode resembles the one used in the tablet version of Android 3.0.The set of available applications is standard for HTC: news reader, Adobe Reader, Facebook, trial version of Polaris Office, and a free version of SoundHound. And here, a few more words about the sound.
Sound
Normally I try not to hold forth on the sound quality, as this has never been a strong point of mine. But the presence of the Beats Audio nameplate on the body of the inexpensive HTC Desire C prompted me to compare the sound quality provided by this handset with that of the HTC One S that was at hand at the time, while my HTC One X had been given for a while to Evgeny Vildyaev, so that could write this cheerful article:HTC One X: impressions
I've tested the sound quality provided by the HTC Desire C by using a Chinese earphone set, the Awei es900i, bought in Hong Kong at some 150-200 rubles, if I'm not mistaken. Some people tried to convince me that these earphones produce quite a good sound quality and that, judging by our own yardsticks, they sound like the ones that might as well cost a couple of grands. Upon coming back home, I gave them to some friends of mine, and they all admitted the sound quality was quite good. But let's return to the sound produced by this low-end HTC handset.With the Beats Audio effect turned off, the sound produced by the HTC Desire C is clear but flat and inexpressive to some extent. As for the HTC One S, I liked its sound far better, also with the improvers turned off: the sound is much deeper and has more volume, if I can use such a description. When the Beats Audio is on, the sound became slightly different, but I can't say if it's better or worse. Hence, the general thought I'm trying to express is that the One S sounds better than the Desire C, regardless of the fact that the Beats Audio logo is present on both handsets. Even with my ears, so bad for music, I could notice the difference. So you can imagine how great that difference would be for a more fastidious listener.
Conclusion
There are no complaints about the reception quality and the voice rendering quality. My handset showed really well in receiving the network signal during the entire two-week period I had been using it. The voice speaker of the HTC Desire C is not bad, and you can hear the one you are talking with quite well, with the voices being clear and without any noise. The volume is a bit above moderate. The ringing speaker is of moderate quality if compared to more expensive smartphones and is too weak if compared to other low-end models. I got used to the fact that low-end handsets usually produce very loud sounds, with a poor quality though. But here, it seems the manufacturer decided not to sacrifice the sound quality. As a result, even at maximum volume you can hardly hear the phone ringing when, for instance, walking along a pretty quiet street. The vibration alert is also moderate.This smartphone is already available at 8,990 rubles. If you try, you may find it at a little lower price of about 8,500 rubles. As far as I can judge, the HTC Desire C has only two serious advantages, one of them being quite subjective though. First, the Sense interface makes the phone comfortable to use out of the box, so this handset is perfect for using as a phone only. Second, its design makes it stand out against the background of a lot of plain and monotonous low-end handsets. But there come the drawbacks then: obsolete screen with low resolution, low-performance platform resulting in delays and lags in the smartphone operation, the curtailed Sense version, more than a moderate battery life, and the camera - even worse than that of the 18 -month-old HTC Wildfire S where it was possible at least to take pictures of texts or close-ups.And, no matter how strange it may sound, the major disadvantage of this handset is its price. Paying only 7,000 rubles, you can purchase the HTC Wildfire S which is better than this one in every aspect. Or you can pay 6,000 rubles and get the HTC Explorer which is as simple as the Desire C. But with the prices being lower, both the Wildfire S and the Explorer run older Android versions, but without any lags though.When after that unsuccessful attempt to enter the market for low-end models with the HTC Smart touchphone, the company introduced the Wildfire S, they seemed to have finally found the key to success. The approach seemed quite interesting and was probably the right one, but requiring some improvement though. But later, there came the weird HTC Explorer, which meant the company had got back to producing their low-end models just on leftovers. Unfortunately, the HTC Desire C is of that sort too: the handset sports a nice design and good-quality interface, but nothing else. So it's not clear at all what it can attract customers' attention with.Specifications:
    Type: smartphone
    Form factor: candybar
    Materials: matt plastic, metallic frame
    Operating system: Android 4.0.3, proprietary HTC Sense 4.0 interface
    Network: GSM / EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS / HSDPA 900/2100
    CPU: 600 MHz, Qualcomm MSM7225A platform
    RAM: 512 MB
    Memory: 4 GB, microSD card slot
    Connectivity: Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n /), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0) for charging and synchronizing, 3.5-mm audio jack
    Screen: capacitive, TFT, 3,5 ", 320 x 480 pixels (HVGA), automatic brightness level
    Camera: 5 MP, fixed focus, VGA (640 x 480 pixels) video recording
    Navigation: GPS, Qualcomm platform gpsOne chip (A-GPS support)
    Miscellaneous: accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, FM radio
    Battery: removable, Li-Ion, 1230 mAh
    Dimensions: 107.2 x 60.6 x 12.3 mm
    Weight: 100 g

A mixture of 9810

A mixture of funny update of the old phones, and indeed, it is more even mix, and the review is not driven me to mind. Also a bit of good accessories, and other lengthy discourse.About 9810
At the time, I liked "Torch," and I can safely recommend it to all users of BB, a niche solution, but in his own very interesting. The updated unit is not so much that is new ... But it's not the point. Among my friends were about ten people who ever used a BB, loved brand services. Given that most of these people were some kind of opinion leaders about the technology in their companies, then damage the surrounding brain injury can present themselves. How many people, I hoisted myself on the BB, it's scary to imagine. And now what? And now I would not do that. Too much has changed. I gave the BB 9810 Sasha Zubkov, that he wrote the operating experience, he had not been a single vehicle brand, so that the material will definitely be interesting. Well, I myself wrote the review, wrote it, wrote, and then I realized that very few people need it. But if you're interested in BlackBerry, want to try, like, perhaps, to understand why the brand is now bad things are going, then the material can be answered. Here we go.Compared to the first Torch is a distinct change, visible to the naked eye. First, a radical black color has faded into oblivion, a mixture of silver and black, this is especially noticeable when viewed from behind. Second, excellent battery cover with a coating of rubber was replaced by normal, with the ribs. As I see it, you can try to put the lid on the old Torch and succeed at its best. Thirdly, the machine seemed to me, better built, after months of nothing loose, play halves is minimal, but that's fine-tuning mechanism is the same, the spring forces you to push part of the screen by hand to get it faster. Finally, in place of all the connectors, controls, size and weight are the same. The cover of a screen of dark metal buttons design has not changed. What can one say about such a decision? In a similar way like Blackberry to update the device when it can be inside another device, and the outside is still the same old kind. For example, as was the case with 9780, and the Pearl 9100 and 9105 do not differ much from each other.Overall, the look is more poppy, but it's only my opinion, I'm used to that the BlackBerry either black or white, no middle ground. Here is a new look, and let the machine looks less original Torch through pop the battery cover, but he has other obvious advantages.
Size of the device in the closed position - 111 x 62 x 14.6 mm, in the open - 148 x 62 x 14.6 mm Weight - 161.1 grams. Hefty smartphone nowadays hundred grams - is something of a golden section. Carman delays, though not much.
I want to note one thing. A friend of mine put it very radically about the Torch 2, they say, it's not something that is not Blackberry, but in general any nonsense. It "ezhevichnitsa" old school and can not figure out how to do something at BB made in the slider form factor. And most importantly, why. She did not like any size, any weight of the unit or mechanism design, nothing other than the keyboard. And the conclusion was simple: if the Blackberry, it is only in the bar form factor. I agree with that? For me, Torch was interesting at the time it was unusual because it was an experiment, and last fall I was happy to use the machine for a couple of months as a backup. Second Torch in my hands for a long time, but honestly, after the incident with disabling BIS «Beeline» I do not aspire to set up e-mail from another operator. Indeed, it was too much trouble with the device. Like, you want to use the keyboard - just flip shifted upwards. And in fact, lazy move, and the design is really far from perfect. Such smart phones as Torch 2, and represent what is happening now with RIM - remember, the company is not all right and it is likely that will be even worse. Why not? Yes, that's why. Because the line is a phone with a touchscreen and no keyboard, a very strange and incomprehensible, unable to compete with any iPhone, no army of gadgets with Android. The same is true with the Torch. Same as the worst, and with the BB 9900 - my favorite at the moment the smartphone RIM has a problem with the time of what the Blackberry does not expect it. And what to choose, except for the good old BB 9780, I do not know. And whether it is necessary to choose at all.Display
Diagonal TFT-display 3.2 inch, 640 x 480 pixels. There is a light sensor, there is a proximity sensor, the fonts can be adjusted in the menu (size). The viewing angles are good, but overall it is a regular touch screen of our time, performed on a capacitive technology. At the press reacts well, hard to miss. If desired, you can choose from the menu font size, which for many users very helpful.There is a sensor automatically adjust the backlight works well.Management
The most important thing in the apparatus Blackberry - is QWERTY, of course. This is convenient because of the keyboard, these gadgets are still in demand, though willing to "fill" the text so it becomes less and less. This keyboard is less convenient than the BB 9900, the buttons are not as prominent, and not as a mild stroke. It reminded me somewhat on the keyboard like devices Nokia. The most convenient way to type with your thumbs on both hands, there are lights in the dark, you can easily write SMS and more. Frankly, after the iPhone onscreen keyboard to get used to the usual buttons hard. And the on-screen keyboard with Torch, incidentally, is also quite convenient, however, not clear why such have little additional buttons like Delete. That is, the type where the text is normal, but tell me, why, when you press on the Shift, the letters here are of the same size? It is unclear whether incorporated, or not.Under the screen - optical joystick, get used to it difficult, but possible. Sensitivity can be set in the menu, if there is a desire. As early as RIM will get rid of this anachronism, it is not clear. On the other hand, it takes up little space. If you did not have Blackberry, but want to try it, you should first try this, this is the joystick, and then make a decision about the purchase. Left and right - the extra buttons are very good that the reception and kept clear (it is responsible for the shutdown), then the same menu and return back. On the right side - the volume control and a programmable button, by default it launches the camera. At the top end - lock button and the Mute, it mutes the speaker in the player works as a Play / Pause.And then there is the touch screen, sensitive, sympathetic, though not the same as the iPhone. Rather, it's trouble is not the screen, and the operating system.Hours
Perhaps this is a key advantage of the device after the BlackBerry 9900, I was waiting for anything at a decent time is not particularly expected. However, just out of the box stayed calm BB 9810 the day before he began to flash the indicator and ask for an outlet. Charge Time - about two hours from the network, complete with a network adapter and a USB-cable, the traditional solution of our time, collapsible design. After a full charge, with the SIM-card "Beeline", sometimes activated Wi-Fi, running a small mail and phone talk time lasted three days. I said and the truth a little, for all this time about forty or fifty minutes, but other than mail notifications fell on Facebook and Twitter. Three days! By the standards of modern smartphones is much, very much. Actually, this time allowing me to criticize strongly the appearance of strangeness, and even the operating system.Operating system
Let me briefly tell you about what is it about Blackberry 7.1, in contrast to the previous version, although it is not so important. It still has these strange empty desks, pulling out the bottom - why do we need, what is the logic that does not understand. Why not do both in iOS or Android? However, even this guess other people. On the Blackberry OS features I described in the review of BB 9900 and other materials about the modern "blackberry" send you the details there.   Mobile access point, there was a feature of its support depends on the operator, in my sample program does not Support for NFC devices and in some thing called Blackberry Tag, you can invite your friends with a Blackberry in the "messenger" simple touch, to share your contact information, and transfer music to match the phone with accessories that support NFC.Strange, but in the BB 9810 is just the seventh version of the software, but the radio for some reason I can not see. Anyway, the current version is very similar to last, both in appearance and the other parameters.What are the parameters such inquisitive reader will ask? And I answer, if you pick up BB 9810 after the iPhone or smart phone with Android, then you are unlikely to quickly learn what's what. Strange interface - it's okay. More importantly, the mail still looks strange, as if in isolation from the interface design in general. The same with contacts. And with some other utilities. I've already talked about this in previous reviews, but I repeat here, the reasons for the fall of interest in the product RIM does not need to look into the intrigues of competitors in the form of Google or Apple, you can just take any modern device Blackberry and spend an hour with him. Go to the strange-looking app store, where intelligent and, most importantly, the necessary programs one, two and a handful. He borrowed by mail. Admire the notice on the main screen - to admire and understand that you did not know how to remove them. Then all of a mind, like, beautiful, and actually sort of Symbian, in its own way. For RIM like frozen time. Now there is something like a universal platform for mobile devices, and iOS, and Android are very similar, at least, it is easy to identify a basic set of functions. Implement a similar way. Taking into account the aspirations of all corporate users. Actually, the operating system Blackberry like the devil knows that if in the long run.Even the mail, in the end, there is inconvenient to use for several reasons. For some reason she comes slowly than the iPhone with the included Push. She slowly opened, and the documents downloaded for longer, and, like, want to continue to talk about the working tool called Blackberry, but it is the desire to become a more poppy and has brought those who created this strange interface.All this is merely a subjective opinion, but I hope the forum will vote and the other owners of vehicles with BB OS 7.1 or 7.0 (which, by and large, the difference).Connectivity
The phone has Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n), Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, a typical set. Apparently, there is no NFC, at least among the features are not found.Memory
The device 8 GB of memory, there is a slot for microSD, I do not think you'll look at the BB 9810 movies or anything like that. For music, documents, programs, photographs can not even think about buying a card larger.Performance
1.2 GHz processor, 768 MB of RAM, a performance so good, open the program quickly, without problems, you can call open an application from background. For example, the browser opens in a split second, then the same with the camera. To say that the unit is "slow" in my language does not turn. Maybe those same brakes appear in games, but I did not put these applications.Camera
5 megapixel camera is the same as in the previous apparatus, adding new features. For example, shooting the video in HD, you can download a sample for review, but what can appreciate the quality of images here. Another added the ability to fourfold digital zoom, geolocation, face recognition, there is an outbreak. I think that pictures are more or less normal, if all goes well with light, or get a weakling.Findings
The average price of the device - about 17,500 rubles, the unit is sold everywhere, but not in the salons of communication, "the official BB9810 until Russia can not be delivered. Compared to the previous Torch increased operating time, installed a new version of the OS, better screen (higher resolution), BB 9810 performance, stable, during the use of the device did not fail even once. Cons - Still a rubber battery cover is not enough for me personally. The changes made in the design of special Torch another device from the banal plastic. And the opening mechanism is still the same strange, if not around sliders, where the flip slide, like clockwork. The operating system, as is the case with the BB 9900, raises more questions than answers. The camera is not bad, but it is unlikely to please inveterate photographers.Buying a miracle just to mail or phone calls, I would not recommend it, the gadget is rather big, and if you need just a good Blackberry, is still relevant BB 9780. A to BB 9810 main claim is trivial things - very few users need and QWERTY, and touch screen. That is, usually of the screen, then forget ispolzuesh as a simple machine, the buttons on the site, and then suddenly remember that you can click on the display! And that's not good reminder. The decision niche very much.I advise those who love the Torch, and wants to get accustomed to "Torch" faster, more stable, better. If you have not previously had the status of devices Blackberry, you are a direct road to the BB 9780. I personally liked the new Torch, but very, very much "but". Why not take away, it's a good sound player and a very good voice quality. The rest is big, very big questions.The author expresses his gratitude to the store Blackberrys.ru for providing the test Blackberry 9810 smartphone.About id America
Not so long ago discovered the brand id America, and it covers a very interesting film for the iPhone, my friends supported and brought to the test accessories. I did not like the film, but what they did in the firm, called the language of film is not rotated. First, the vinyl is thick, soft, very nice phone in your hand. Second, a lot of options, different patterns, there is a monster, and the city, and the skull, and glamuflyazh, and all sorts of subjects easier. For every taste and color. Thirdly, it is easy to mount the film, I got it for a couple of seconds. Included is a transparent film on the screen, click on the pads under the screen of several types. Very happy that everything is thought out. Even in a box is cloth to clean the screen, a plastic "brand" to smooth out the film, although I did not need it. I hate the usual flat vinyl, I think it looks bad, scary and boring. But the volume label id America great, and the device looks different, and press your finger once again pleased because the pattern appears. And even the great press the button, so it is magic. Did not notice any drawbacks, so I strongly advise you to try it and if there is a wish. Remove the vinyl can be no difficulty, and then paste again.