The Motorola Droid is the first Android 2.0 to be commercially available. Droid is a high-end Android phone with a superb high-resolution screen, a slim shape, a physical QWERTY keyboard and Google's latest build of Android (the operating system). The inside of the phone is interesting as well: it has a decent CPU and uses a relatively fast 3D graphics chip. Among the improvements that I like most, I want to mention the native support for Exchange, the unified contact list and the awesome new mapping and navigation application from Google. Is the Motorola Droid the Android phone that you were waiting for? It's time to find out.

Nokia is facing a tide of ferocious competitors in the lucrative high-end smartphone market, but the company is on the move: Nokia is battling on multiple fronts a the same time: OS, app store, maps and devices. With the N900, Nokia wanted to build a "handheld computer with phone functionalities". I suspect that for prospective users, if it looks like a phone, it should work like a phone. Nokia has equipped the N900 with decent hardware: it has a 600Mhz processor (the same used in the Motorola Droid) that integrates a PowerVR SGX 530 graphics processor (OpenGL 2.0). Finally, the N900 runs Maemo, a Linux-based operating system that is backed by major players like Intel. Where does the Nokia N900 fit in the current smartphone landscape?

After a long walk in the desert, Motorola surprised everyone (or at least me) with the Motorola Cliq, an Android smartphone with a QWERTY sliding keyboard and most importantly MotoBlur, a combination of software and web services designed to unify all your communications in a single medium that is "people-oriented" instead of "service-oriented". It seems very nice in theory and our initial impression was good. Now, we have spent enough time with the Motorola Cliq to share a complete review of the device. Will you and the Moto Cliq... click?

After playing with the Zune HD for some time, here's the complete review. The first Zune was an interesting device, but it was not sexy and didn't have any real edge over the iPod, except in two areas: the WIFI sync and more importantly, the Zune Pass: a music rental option that doesn't exist with Apple.

The Zune HD *is* sexy, slim and solidly built. It is actually smaller than it looks on the product photos and many people are surprised when they see it for the first time (which is good for a music player). It is also very light (2.6oz, versus 4.23oz for the iPod touch). The other day I was looking for it, after forgetting that it was in fact in my pants pocket... However, once you get over the first physical contact, the new user interface and experience is really what matters. So, is the Zune HD hot or not?

There's a flurry of Android phones out there and not so long ago but the HTC Hero is different not only because it has a better physical design, but also because it has HTC Sense, a proprietary user interface extension that only HTC-branded phones have (unlike the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, which is a white label phone). Yet, you can expect all the advantages that come with an Android phone: very good integration with Google services, decent web browsing experience and many 3rd party applications. In this review I'll tell you how well the HTC Hero worked for me and if it lives up to the hype.

Today AT&T announced the HTC Pure with Windows Mobile 6.5 and we had the chance to get our hands on the long rumored device. Windows Mobile 6.5 brings a new Touch-friendly user interface that resolves Windows 6.1's horrible touch user interface, the long awaited flash support and the access to an app store: Windows Market Place. In addition, a new service, MyPhone, allows the users to sync their data in the cloud, in case of loss, personal data retrieval on the replacement phone is touted to be very easy. Of course, I will compare the Pure to the iPhone 3Gs and the MyTouch / HTC Magic. Read the full review after the jump.

The MyTouch 3G (from T-Mobile U.S.A) is also known worldwide as the HTC Magic. This unit connects to the T-Mobile USA network and I've been using their service with various phones for a while now. MyTouch 3G revolves around a few ideas: "lots of apps, Google integration, 100% you, super fast 3G, life in one touch and instant sharing". That is at least, T-Mobile's interpretation of what the HTC Magic is. In this review, I'll tell you what value the MyTouch 3G brings on the table, and of course, how it compares with the iPhone 3GS or the HTC Hero. I don't think that I can escape from answering that question.

Archos has shocked gadget fans worldwide when it launched its android-powered Archos 5 Internet Tablet last week. The operating system, the sheer size of the device and the screen quality (800x480) have generated a wave of "buzz" unknown to Archos until now. The Archos 5 Internet Tablet, powered by Android, has a sleek design which is actually not so different, on the surface, than the non-Android Archos 5 PMP. As we often say: the value is in the software. With Android, Archos now has access to a stable, proven OS, and can tap into the vast amount of application of that platform to build on a foundation that will last. That sounds nice, but can the Archos 5 Internet Tablet live up to the hype?

The HP Envy13 shares some of the thinness (0.8") of its Envy 133 predecessor, but it most importantly achieves what the Envy133 didn't: it provides a battery life of 8 hours that can be extended to 18 hours by snapping a second 6-Cell battery at the bottom of the laptop. The Envy13 also features a stand-alone graphics processor and a much better pair of speakers when compared to its predecessor. I have owned and used an Envy 133, so I can tell you that the Envy13 is a significant step forward in terms of usability, even if the unique look of the Envy 133 has been lost. It's hard to show on the photo, but the screen is very bright, and even smaller -but important- details like the trackpad have been much improved. Finally, this Envy won't have the finger print cleaning issue that took so much of my time back in the Envy 133 days. If only it had a backlit keyboard... Why lose the Voodoo brand you ask? Simply because HP is much more recognized worldwide.

After spending some time and getting a demo of the Cliq, here are out first impressions:

Like many Android phones, the Cliq is fast and it is clearly the best smartphone that Motorola has built in a long while. The social networking integration is well done (especially with the Universal Inbox) and the widget approach is interesting: it is better implemented than Samsung's approach, but Motorola does not use the screen real-estate as optimally as Nokia does on the N97. Overall, it works well enough. Motorola has borrowed an idea from Palm (it's a good thing): the phone is People-centric, like Palm's Synergy. It means that when looking at a person's contact info, you can send them a message across a variety of services, or continue an email conversation over Twitter or SMS.

Update: we've added more details about the Cliq along with side by side photos of the Cliq, the iPhone 3GS and the BlackBerry 8900.

I just spent some time with the new iPod nano... needless to say that it is super light and thin (that’s not new). The camera is oddly placed on the bottom of the device where your fingers would tend to be. That said, it's easy enough to hold it rotated at 90 degrees and use the widescreen or take the less intuitive approach of holding it on both sides to snap a movie. The video quality and frame rate seemed OK, although I did spot some motion blur here and there. It's too hard to tell on the tiny display We'll have to look at it on a computer… and on YouTube.

By now, there's no need to introduce the iPhone 3GS: if you're looking at this review, chances are that you are just wondering how it feels and if you should jump on the wagon and get one. However, you want to know if everything that you would be enjoying on the 3GS is worth the price that the device and plan cost. Also, what are the alternatives out there? In this iPhone 3GS review, I will tell you how the iPhone has been working for me in the past month and you will hopefully be able to extrapolate from my experience what yours will be. The review is slightly aimed at those of you who don't have an iPhone yet, but if you do have one and want to upgrade to the 3GS, you might want to read this.

We got our BlackBerry Curve 8520 and it is time to unpack it: In the box, you will find the usual things: phone+SIM+battery+charger+earplugs+USB cable+manual and CD. Upon picking up the BlackBerry 8520, we immediately noticed how light it is (106g or 3.74oz). My BB 8900 weighs 111g, The MyTouch 3G weighs 117g and the iPhone 3GS weighs 135g (all with battery).

Upon booting, you will find the newer user interface introduced with the BlackBerry bold, although running at a lower resolution (320x240). The user interface is OK, but reading text or webpages is definitely not as nice when compared to a Bold, 8900 or more recent BlackBerry phones.

The trackball present in the 8320 has been replaced with a trackpad. I guess that it is more durable and possible less expensive to integrate. I thought that it was ok, although I still prefer the trackball to navigate the icons but I bet that scrolling a page in the web browser is better with the trackpad. It might just be because I got used to it.

The 8.1 Megapixel Cyber-Shot camera is the best feature of the Sony Ericsson C905, that is already on the market in Europe. Today, AT&T is launching the C905 in the U.S, making it the highest resolution camera phone ever from this carrier. We have played with it. The device looks like a Cyber-shot camera on one side and like a phone on the other side, and it is thicker than my Blackberry Curve. 8 Megapixel camera phones are not common in the US market, the N86 will soon be available globally, there's no word on the LG Renoir hitting our shores any time soon (I love this one) and hopefully the new Samsung Pixon 12 (12 MP) will be available here after its launch in the UK next month.

Key features

• 8.1 megapixel camera with face detection, autofocus, xenon flash, active lens cover and GPS tagging
• BestPic captures seven successive photos in one click, Smart Contrast compensates for areas that are too bright or dark, red-eye reduction, image stabilizer, dedicated camera keys and shortcut
• 160 MB internal memory, Memory Stick Micro (M2) - 2GB M2 in box - up to 16 GB
• USB cable for:
• - file transfer and synchronization with PC using Windows Media Player
• - printing with PicBridge compatible printers
• 2.4-inch scratch-resistant mineral glass display, QVGA (240x320)
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS function, AT&T Navigator software
• Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (3.5G)
• Applications: AT&T Video Share, video recording, AT&T Music, FM radio, Mobile Email, AT&T Navigator and instant messaging. With AT&T Video Share, consumers can share their experiences in real-time streaming video (only possible with Video Share enabled devices).