Still not sure about tablets?

A couple of months ago, we blogged about some of the reasons for purchasing a tablet device, yet there still seems to be the question hanging around "But....WHY?"

Yes, many of our customers have adopted the new technology, but are still wondering why when they already have a smartphone and a desktop computer. Let's put it in simple, yet effective terms:

It's an extension of your smartphone. It is designed to complement the device you use and to enhance the smartphone experience, whether business or personal.

• Your smartphone is your mobile device that keeps you connected while on the go, for business or for personal use
• Your tablet is your convenient device; perfect for those sunny afternoons on the deck or in your back yard, when you need to reply to emails, update some documents, listen to music, or browse the internet
• Your computer is the one that you turn to for the heavier duty items, such as creating large presentations, compiling information, documents, larger downloads, or for simply typing large amounts of text

Your new tablet is designed to work between your smartphone and your computer. It's almost like your personal liaison, and with data sharing plans now available for all Rogers customers, you can ensure that you are getting the most for your money and that you are able to enjoy the latest devices for the best price. You can have one data plan for all of your wireless devices so nothing goes to waste and you are always connected.

With more tablets joining the market all the time, you are bound to find the one that works best for your needs and with the smartphone you currently own. Whether it's the BlackBerry Playbook, the LG Optimus, or the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Rogers has all of your tablet needs covered.

Last Symbian Standing - The Nokia X7

This past week I had the opportunity to test out the new Nokia X7 and I wanted to let our readers know what to expect with the device.


Design
The Nokia X7 has a very futuristic look to it, with its metal backing and angular design. The device features four grilled "speakers" on the front face, but only two are actually functional. However, this doesn't take away from the epic sound quality when playing movies or music from the phone and keeps the look symmetrical. In addition, the metal backing and seamless buttons across the outside of the phone contribute to a sleek look, as well as the almost-hidden SIM card tray. Although this feature keeps the phone looking smooth, I did have a little trouble working out how the tray ejects from the phone and actually getting it out of the phone. 


The phone takes a regular micro-USB charging cable, one of which is included in the box, and also comes with the most comfortable headphones. If you are one of those people that suffers from ear-ache after five minutes of using the traditional headsets that come with most phones, you are in for a surprise. These fit snugly in your ear and provide amazing stereo-quality sound.


User Interface
This is the last Symbian device to come from Nokia, and it seems that finally, the operating system is exceptionally user friendly. In the past, Symbian was known for its ability to allow the user to switch between a home and work profile, which ended up being more confusing than convenient. This time, Symbian Anna puts everything the user needs on one of three home screens:

• Icons are very easy to read and understand
• Rearranging screen set up is very simple by utilizing the now popular "press and hold" motion, the user can move icons to positions on the main screen that suit their usability best
• Quick links to social media feeds, calendar, applications, Youtube, messages etc, make it easy to find what you want, fast
• This is a full touch-screen device, and the auto-rotate function has no hesitation which allows the user to quickly obtain a wider, landscape keyboard for faster typing and better viewing
• The calendar function provides a great visual display from the third home screen, and allows the user to select and day and review appointments in an adjacent window

In fact, there have been many customers mistaken that this is an Android based operating system and device - definitely a familiar set up for many users.

Multi-media

Aside from the fact that the device comes pre-loaded with the Transformers 3 movie trailer, there are numerous other reasons to check out the multi-media on the Nokia X7. 

• The 8MP camera is amazing for taking high quality pictures - this one was taken in full daylight with barely any zoom required. The clarity is amazing!
• Shots can be captured with the smooth shutter button located on the back sloped side of the device, as well as on the screen itself. The shutter button can sometimes be hard to reach so the on-screen option is great
• The video is 720p quality and captures all elements on film, reducing movement blur and ensuring the highest quality video (although I didn't get a chance to video anything over the long weekend, take a look at this sample video from Youtube featuring the X7's 720p camera)

The only bad thing about the cameras on this device is the fact that there is no front-facing camera, so no opportunity to use the full services for applications such as Qik or Skype. 


The four-inch Super AMOLED screen, first debuted on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy, makes every picture, wallpaper, video and main screen look crystal clear. 


Overall Thoughts
A great device all around. It was easy to use, easy to find most things, and I was blown away by the camera quality (better than my own digital camera). The device was pre-loaded with a bunch of fun apps, including Youtube and even National Geographic for some interesting reading opportunities. Social media feeds were easy to stay up to date with, and check on a regular basis. Email was also extremely easy to set up, if using Gmail or Hotmail (POP3 clients). I have to say, that I think I liked this most of all because it was so similar in looks to the Android platform.


The only (maybe) bad thing I have to say about this device, besides the fussy SIM card tray, was the fact that there aren't as many applications available to the Symbian system as there are for, say Apple or even BlackBerry. But, having said that, I don't use millions of applications anyways, so it's not really a selling point for me. The functionality of the device is what I look for most, and this device seemed to have it all. I was pleasantly surprised.


If you have had the chance to use the Nokia X7, or recently purchased one, we'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave your comments below.

What's new for Q3?

As always there are rumours, speculations and forum discussions about the latest devices to hit the shelves - so, here at Cellworks, we like to keep our customers well informed.

Check out the latest additions to the Smartphone category:

Nokia X7 - $29.99 (3 year voice & data plan)

Nokia X7

Target Market

• Young, adult, tech enthusiasts looking for a smartphone with high quality multimedia and gaming features
• First time smartphone users looking for an affordable device

Features & Benefits

• 8MP camera with 720p HD video capture
• Wifi connectivity
• Integrated GPS with Free Ovi Maps
• Symbian Anna –latest version of the Symbian operating system. Includes fully customizable homescreens, widgets and social networking feeds.
• 8GB memory card included in box

Stay tuned for a product review on this device as we currently have a demo being tested.

$149.99 (with 3 year voice & data plan)

Samsung Galaxy Infuse 4G

Target Market

• Tech enthusiasts and fans of the latest cool technology trend
• Samsung/Android advocates looking for the newest smartphone

Features & Benefits

• 4G 21Mbps downloads means shorter wait times when watching videos or downloading the latest apps and games
• Powerful 1GHz processor for faster performance and multi-tasking
• Stylish, lightweight design - only 8.99mm thin
• 8MP camera with 1080p video capture
• Share your content with an HDMI output and DLNA support
• Built in WiFi and GPS
• 16GB internal memory; expandable to 32GB
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread

HTC Evo 3D

Target Market

• 22 - 35 year old customers looking for the latest technology available
• Mobile multimedia and gaming enthusiasts who demand high-end features like HD screens and dual-core processors

Features & Benefits

• 4.3” qHD touch screen with glasses free 3D display
• Dual 5MP cameras for capturing stunning 2D or 3D photos
• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
• HTC Sense user interface - offers nearly limitless possibilities for customizing your phone's home screen, widgets, and social networking feeds
• WiFi calling for Android - make and receive voice calls over a WiFi connection
• HDMI output - allows content to be transmitted to a 3D enable HDTV for big screen viewing
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• WiFi and GPS built in

Thinking about business phone lines?

Rogers now offers a Hosted IP Voice service for customers who require office lines for their business. Whether you are a large corporation or a smaller business, this solution might be of interest to you.


What is Hosted IP Voice?
This is a telephone service supported over the Internet (VoIP, or Voice Over Internet Protocol) and eliminates the need for previous cumbersome service requirements, separate voicemail services etc.


An overview of Hosted IP Voice

• Eliminates the need for Key System services and separate voicemail platforms
• Requires Internet access to be enabled
• North American Long Distance, 1000 incoming toll-free minutes/month and integrated IP fax are included
• Features and extensions are managed by you, the customer, via a secure online administration portal
• Signing up is easy via a Rogers Small Business Sales Channel partner
• Live Agent customer support available 24/7

For more information on a Business Phone for your company, visit http://www.rogers.com/business/bc/en/smallbusiness/products/businessphone/plans/

Understanding Geo-Tagging

"Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification meta data to various media such as photographs, video, websites, SMS messages or RSS feeds." 

(Wikipedia)

This has some great benefits to Smartphone users, mainly as a way of finding information while out on the road. For example, Google Maps has an embedded feature that allows users to open a map, have their location pinpointed, and then find out what particular stores are nearby, depending on the user's search parameters.

Software for geo-tagging is based on a Smartphone's GPS capabilities and embeds the image's latitude and longitude into the meta tag of the image itself - this is only able to be viewed by specific programs that are designed to use this particular information.

For those of us who use our Smartphones to get around, find convenient stores or restaurants in unfamiliar cities, or even just like to know where we are, this is a fantastic option in our devices.

So for those of you that don't like others to know where you are, and vehemently avoid the use of programs such as FourSquare or Places on Facebook, remember that every time you upload an image to your social media feeds, or even send a text message to friends, your device will let them know just where you are. Whether you like it or not - it even goes for regular cell phone users in terms of text (SMS) messages.

This also stands as a warning to those that are quite happy utilizing these services - your images being innocently uploaded can give away your home location or other sensitive information. By all means, upload pictures of last weekend's party at the local bar, but remember to keep the private stuff private...

The LTE revolution is coming - are you ready?

Rogers is on the verge of introducing its new LTE, or Long Term Evolution, network and when it does, wireless customers are going to witness the new gold standard in wireless transmissions.

With the ability to experience speeds up to four times faster than current network capabilities, customers will be able to enjoy service comparable to their home or office computers. Four cities will be the first to enjoy this new network deployment in 2011 - Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver - with a further 21 cities to join them in 2012.

What can we expect from this revolution?

• Stream movies instantly on a tablet with virtually no delays or buffering
• Experience a revolution in wireless multiplayer real-time online gaming
• Conduct wireless group video conferences in real-time, with virtually no lag time
• Access data-intensive business applications while on the go

Users will need to invest in new hardware, SIM cards and services to fully enjoy the new network options, but with the ability to upgrade earlier than normal now, this shouldn't be an issue for those that have been patiently holding on to their old hardware. The first announced device designed for the LTE network is the LTE Rocket Stick from Sierra Wireless, and Ottawa residents are already able to pre-order the device so they are ready for their new network.

This is the future of wireless communication - how will it affect your summer?

Why a tablet?

Whether you are a business owner, or employee, staying connected and efficient are two of the most important things to you. 

Q2 has seen an influx of tablet devices designed to help with those two factors, yet many people wonder if a tablet is right for them. Here is some food for thought:

• Respond to emails, browse the Internet, and use your applications from a widescreen device that fits easily in a pocket or purse
• Conduct customer presentations using quality images on a high-definition screen; a lightweight alternative to laptops and projectors
• Provide one-on-one support to your sales teams with real time demonstrations and product information right from the device
• Replace paper products and be more environmentally friendly as a result, with a device that is both versatile and reusable
• Benefit from the same security you are used to with your SmartPhone, essentially creating an extension of the device you always carry with you
• And still have time to relax when you are away from the office by enjoying music, pictures and videos with the built-in media and storage

In addition to all the awesome qualities of a tablet device, you can easily add one to your existing account with a Data Share Plan starting at just $10 / device / month. No need to worry about data that you haven't used - your tablet can make full use of your existing data plan.