T-Mobile Wildfire S Review: It’s cute, small, and cheap. But is it any good?

T-Mobile is hardly in short supply of Android phones these days, and the carrier also features a decent selection of entry-level and budget Android devices. Most of these handsets range in quality but rarely break the $100 mark, which makes for a good deal. One of T-Mobile’s latest offerings is the HTC Wildfire S, which hasn’t changed all that much since it graced Europe’s shelves but we’re glad to see finally grace the States. The Wildfire S is stupidly cute, but does it hold enough value to consider?

SPECIFICATIONS

• Announced: Feb 15, 2011
• Network Technology: GSM
• OS: Android
• Display: 3.2 inch LCD
• Camera: 5.0 megapixels
• Battery: 1230 mAh

See full specifications

THE GOOD

• Small and compact, the Wildfire S is a very 'cute' phone
• Slick design and great in-hand feel makes it feel like a premium device, even though it's an entry-level handset.
• While it's not without its own issues, HTC Sense is one of the best skins for the Android OS.

THE BAD

• Not much of an upgrade from the year-old Aria
• Other budget Android phones provides a lot more value for not much more money.
• HTC Sense is jam packed with useless bloatware

HARDWARE

The Wildfire S is one of the very few handsets that could possibly get away with being called adorable. That's exactly what it is, though, and we're not ashamed to say it. If you didn't know any better, it would be easy to mistake the Wildfire S for a toy, especially the white version. No lie. It's something you'd expect to see the My Size Barbie to rock these days.

The tiny handset doesn't pack a punch nearly as powerful as something like the Sensation 4G but those who actually end up grabbing this phone likely aren't too concerned with  raw processing power. The Wildfire S is very similar to the HTC Aria on AT&T and there's actually very little difference between the two phones internally, even though the latter is almost exactly a year older.

The face of the device is covered by its 3.2 inch, HVGA, display. Above the screen lies the earpiece, along with the notification LED, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor. Below the 320 x 480 resolution display, you'll find the standard Android buttons for menu, home, back and search. The Wildfire S bears the mark of HTC Android phone past, and has a very subtle lip, or chin, at the bottom of it, but nowhere near as the G1 or Hero.

The left side of the handset houses the volume rocker and charging port, and the right side is left clean. You'll find the 3.5mm headphone jack, tab from removing the battery cover, and the power/lock button on top, with only the microphone found on the bottom.

On the back of the handset you'll find the 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and speaker grill, encased in a silver portion of the back, which provides a nice contrast to the white batteru cover.  Below the camera is the expected "HTC" logo, and towards the bottom is the, "with HTC Sense" branding. Virtually every handset HTC ships has the Sense UI on it, and why it still feels the need to put that on the phone itself is beyond us. It's small enough to ignore, however.

Overall, this little handset packs a punch, albeit a wimpy one.

DESIGN

The Wildfire S is a subtle, yet beautifully crafted phone. The overall look and feel of the handset is simple and that's exactly what it is. While gorgeous designs aren't anything new when it comes to HTC handsets, it's nice to see that even the low-end handsets like the Wildfire S get the same treatment as the high-end variety.

Thanks to the minimal 'flare' on the battery cover, the handset feels great in the hand. The smooth backing could stand to have a little more grip, but we still love the in-hand feel either way.

The display surrounded by a black piece that houses the four capacitive buttons and this portion in tucked into a silver segment, which the earpiece is built into. The contrast of white and silver adds to the cuteness, and while we like the black version exclusive to T-Mobile's website and WalMart , we think the white version is where it's at.

BUILD QUALITY

Just like its design, HTC knocks this one out of the park, too. The Wildfire S obviously isn't a rugged phone but its compact design lends to a more solid feel. The battery cover actually covers the entire bottom and wraps up slightly, much like the Aria. This makes the battery covers act as a jacket more than anything but should help the phone hold its own upon impact.

The handset should be able to weather normal wear and tear with ease but like any handset, we won't suggest you throwing the thing out the windows to see how it fares.

BENCHMARKS

While no one is expecting the Wildfire S to blow anything out of the water, we figured some benchmarks were in order. Benchmarks were taken three times each and the results below are the average of the tests.

Quadrant- 723

Linpack- 7.348

Neocore- 49.46

SOFTWARE

Oh HTC Sense, how you bore me so. The Wildfire, along with most every HTC handset, comes with the very popular custom user interface, Sense. The skin provides many slick optimizations to stock Android, is very easy to use, and is still unrivaled when it comes to custom UIs. That said, I find Sense terribly boring after using it so long.

The Sense UI is widget-centric, and provides 7 different panels to customize with widgets and applications. Most widgets come in different sizes, and are scrollable, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, if you find a scrollable widget in the Android Market, don't expect it to work on Sense. Nonetheless, HTC provides a very nice helping of widgets for you to choose from, so lack of selection likely won't be a problem.

Unfortunately, having too much on your home screens will yield some unfavorable results. HTC was first to begin beefing up the amount of RAM on its handsets and it wasn't to out-spec the competition. It was to make sure its Sense UI wouldn't slow down after heavy use. While very easy on the eyes, Sense is a heavily bloated piece of software that has even halted or slowed the possibility of handsets getting the next version of the Android OS. The Wildfire is nowhere near as powerful as the likes of the Thunderbolt, and  we have our serious doubts that it will receive another Android OS update in its lifespan.

The Wildfire S isn't powerful enough to run Sense 3.0, the latest version released, but you version 2.1 is familiar enough and is just as sexy.

WEB BROWSER, MULTIMEDIA AND CAMERA

WEB BROWSER

The web browsing experience on the Wildfire S is a bit cramped due to the small display but you can still manage. Unfortunately, you won't be able to take advantage of Adobe Flash with the Wildfire S' web browser due to hardware limitations. You'll have to make due do with Flash lite.

The browser itself is a slightly skinned version of the stock Android browser and comes with some nifty optimizations for bookmarks and other tweaks are found throughout.

The web browsing experience on the Wildfire S gets the job done, and that's all one can really ask for when concerning a handset like this.

MULTIMEDIA

The handset offers up just about everything you'd expect to see on a Sense handset. The skinned music player is a nice addition and Slacker Radio is preinstalled just in case you get tired of your own music.

You probably won't find yourself wanting to watch a lot of video on the device due to its screen size, and it's lack of Flash support leaves you with fewer options. Still, you can still have access to the YouTube application and applications to entertain you.

CAMERA

The camera on the Wildfire S isn't the best but it can pull out some decent shots in good lighting. The LED flash on the handset is pretty capable, as it didn't wash out subjects and overwhelm the pictures. Overall, the five megapixel shooter does its job nicely.

The camera software is simple and to the point, and if you've ever played with a HTC handset before, the software should be familiar. Quick settings for photo effects, flash, gallery and switching from the camera to the camcorder are all found on the right side of the screen at all time. Hitting menu will reveal more in-depth settings.

A dedicated zoom bar is found on the right side of the screen in the camera app and you can slide it up and down to adjust the zoom or use the volume rocker. This is a nice touch we're beginning to see on more and more phones. Another nice feature on the Wildfire S is that there's a touch to focus option, which isn't anything new, but it oddly doesn't appear in all of HTC's phones.

outdoors, sunny, default settings

outdoors, sunny, default settings

outdoors, sunny, default settings

indoors, low light, default settings, flash

As far as video goes, the Wildfire S can't even record in 720p, so we didn't bother with a sample. This isn't much of a let down, considering this is a phone for the budget conscious, and the video the handset can record in is just fine for MMS, etc.

CALL QUALITY AND BATTERY LIFE

Call quality was acceptable enough on my side, with other side reporting no issues, either. When coming from a larger phone like the G2X, I had to make sure my ear was actually on the speaker perfectly but it becomes more natural over use.

Battery life on the Wildfire S is decent and since it's  not really the multimedia machine many Android phones are today, you may be able to squeeze a better lifespan then most. It'll last a little over two days on standby from what I've seen, but that's without touching the thing at all throughout that time.

THE FINAL TAKE

The Wildfire S is a small budget Android phone that is easy on the eyes and the wallet. HTC Sense is one of the nicest skins you can find for the OS and it's extremely easy to use, and that alone may be worth grabbing this handset.

That said, if you were willing to spend $80 for the Wildfire S (on a two year contract, mind you) then we would immediately show you the Samsung Exhibit 4G for T-Mobile. The Exhibit may lack the sexy Sense UI but it has a bigger, higher-res display, a CPU that's almost twice as fast, front-facing camera, real Flash support, and HSPA+ support for just $20 more. The rear camera isn't as great but you'd be hard pressed to find a real reason not to spend the extra $20 bucks on the Exhibit 4G.

Of course, we're not saying that the Wildfire S is a bad phone, because it's not. It just doesn't provide the value we wish it did, even with its great price. You can grab this phone for free online for free, which makes the value a bit more worth it, so if you're looking for something simple but more powerful than your feature phone, go check out the Wildfire S.

Overall, if you like the Wildfire S and can grab the thing for free, go for it. If you're going to pay upward towards $80, we suggest looking at T-Mobile other offerings that may provide more bang for the buck. If you do not want the contract bother you, go to http://www.m2cmobile.com to get an unlocked Wildfire S. 

Toshiba unveils new AT200: it makes the iPad and Galaxy Tab look obese

To no one’s surprise, Toshiba just unveiled its latest Android tablet offering, the Honeycomb 3.2, 10.1-inch AT200. When we describe this tab as ultra slim — we mean it. The new Toshiba tablet measures in at a remarkable 7.7 mm thick, the Toshiba AT200 comes in as one of the thinnest Honeycomb slates yet, making even the once slim Galaxy Tab 10.1 look like a fatty. Under the hood is a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, 5MP and 2MP cameras, and up to 64GB of on-board storage. The new slate also sports a microUSB, microHDMI, and microSD support.

Checkout the full specs:

• 10.1-inch 1280×800 LCD display
• 1.2 GHz dual-core OMAP 4430 processor
• 1 GB DDR2 RAM
• Built-in storage up to 64GB
• microSD, microUSB, and microHDMI
• 5 MP and 2 MP cameras
• 7.7 mm thick, 558 g
• Up to 8-hour battery life
• Android 3.2

If this beauty gets the right marketing and branding behind it, it should be an instant smash in the states. The AT200 (a.k.a. Excite) is set to land in Europe in Q4 2011, with no word of US availability of price at this time, or any word about what the official name of the tablet will be once it ships. But , don't worry, watching on http://www.m2cmobile.com/, it will unveiled this model in North American Market next month.

HTC Sensation Special Edition 2 brings Beats, faster processor, a new battery and more

A product information sheet obtained by CNET shows that the HTC Sensation is about to get a Refresh. With Beats by Dr. Dre technology added to the phone along with a faster dual-core 1.5GHz processor and a more powerful 1730mAh battery, the Sensation is about to become more, uh, sensational. Internal storage space is now 4GB and an 8GB microSD card is installed out of the box.

A leaked memo giving away the specs of the HTC Sensation Special Edition 2

The price is listed as 530GBP which indicates a launch sometime in the U.K. By the way, that works out to $861USD. But for the audiophile, it might be worth the price of admission as in the box comes a special Beats headset offering "superior acoustic performance". The handset is said to bring Hi-Fidelity audio performance in connection with the Beats technology and the special headset. The usual price of a Beats by Dr. Dre in-ear headset is $119 which obviously accounts for some of the premium price of the unit. The specific carrier and launch date are both unknown at this time.

There is no doubt that the HTC Sensation Special Edition 2 is going to be marketed to those who use their smartphone to listen to music. For example, the bigger battery is said to be on board so music lovers can listen to music for longer. Now all that is needed is for HTC to sing out the words that make this official.

Samsung Galaxy S II logs confirm NFC support for AT&T, none for Sprint

What's the point of investing $100 million in a mobile payment system if you don't have the goods to back it up? AT&T may be adopting this philosophy, beginning with the Galaxy S II. With the aid of eagle-eyed Android dev François Simond, we conducted an extended analysis of Ma Bell's latest gem and discovered it's rife with NFC. In addition to containing kernel drivers and a pre-installed APK, the system files also indicate the device is running in a mode named NDEF -- short for NFC Data Exchange Format. We haven't been able to determine if the handset will be capable of making payments, but the presence of Near-Field Communications in the Galaxy S II is definitely a good sign. T-Mobile is keeping a tight lid on its variant for the moment, preventing us from getting an in-depth look, but FCC filings confirm it will contain NFC as well.

As for the third handset announced last night, the Epic 4G Touch contains no mention of NFC. Upon further analysis, we uncovered something else potentially more disturbing: it's using the same WiMAX module (cmc732) as the Samsung Nexus S 4G, a handset that was plagued with performance issues when it was originally released (those concerns were eventually resolved in a later update). In this case, it's hard to tell if that means we'll relive the painful experience once again, or if it will come with improved firmware to ensure it doesn't take the same path as its 4G brother. We're starting to unravel the mysteries, folks, and will continue to fill you in as we learn more. If you're considering one of these three lovely models, will these discoveries sway your decision in a particular direction?

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S unveiled, release date set for October

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S just got unveiled at IFA and it’s nothing less than an SE Xperia Arc on steroids. The handset mimics the looks of the original Arc, but bumps up the processor clock speed to 1.4GHz on the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chip and adds panoramic image capture in both 2D and 3D. Similarly to the recently unveiled Sony Ericson Xperia neo V, the phone will use the new 3D Sweep Panorama feature, which basically uses a sweeping motion you make when capturing a picture to grab similar images from a slightly different angle. It then processes those 2D images into 3D panoramas, which you can later view on a compatible TV set. 

you can find unlocked Arc s on http://www.m2cmobile.com. See http://www.m2cmobile.com/products.php?Docomo_SC-02C&cPath=31&osCsid=91nqojolf6c91lpo3gh6cokia4

Except for that, the handset is expected to come with an 8.1-megapixel Exmor R sensor for with improved low-light sensitivity and a Mobile Bravia display, with the same size of 4.2 inches as its predecessor but a slightly higher resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, compared to the 800 x 480 on the original Xperia arc. 

It will be available in five color version: Pure White, Midnight Blue, Misty Silver, Gloss Black, and Sakura Pink. On the software side, it will run Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, with access to Sony services like "Music Unlimited" and "Video Unlimited". The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is expected to hit shelves in October.

Samsung Wave 3 stuffs 4" Super AMOLED display and 1.4GHz processor in an aluminum chassis

Samsung Wave 3 was unveiled today, two days before the Samsung Unpacked event in Berlin, which is a precursor to the company's IFA 2011 Expo appearance. 

The third high-end Wave boasts a 4" Super AMOLED display with 480x800 pixels, 1.4GHz single-core chipset, and a five megapixel camera with LED flash plus VGA front facing one. The camera records 720p video, and the Wave 3 supports DivX playback out of the box.

Nothing terribly exciting that might cannibalize sales from the Galaxy S II, but decent internals nonetheless, which are wrapped up entirely in an aluminum body. Despite the metal chassis, the Samsung Wave 3 is pretty light, at 4.3oz (122 grams), and measures just 0.39" (9.9mm) thin. The handset sports 3GB of ROM, plus a microSD slot for further expansion.

It sports a good set of connectivity options, such as 14.4Mbps HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0, and Wi-Fi Direct and, what's interesting about the A-GPS chip used, is that it can also connect to the Russian satellite system Glonass, so you should be covered wherever you are. The 1500mAh battery is rated for 8.5 hours of talk time, which is pretty good. Naturally, the phone comes with Samsung's new ChatON cross-platform messaging service, as that little orange icon hints from the homescreen.

What do you say, is the Samsung Wave 3 that high-end device you were expecting to lead the new crop of Waves with the bada OS 2.0 update?

HTC EVO 3D is making the jump to 3D even easier at $49.99 on-contract

Since arriving back in the early portion of the summer, the HTC EVO 3D has ushered in a new era with smartphones as it became the first handset in the US to successfully showcase the laurels of 3D. Naturally, the handset has received its fair share of price jobs already, but now it’s moving yet to its lowest price point to date.

Over at Wirefly, the almighty HTC EVO 3D is selling for the tantalizing 2-year contract price of $49.99 to new customers – something that gets you one feature filled handset with plenty of dreamy specs. Meanwhile, upgrade customers can still pick up the handset for the respectable price of $99.99. Complementing its overall greatness is the fact that it boasts a glass-free 3D display and dual-cameras in the rear to capture photos and videos in 3D. Furthermore, standard FedEx shipping is included with the limited promotion as well. No contract HTC EVO 3D is available on http://www.m2cmobile.com on sale at $599.98 USD

Even though it’s unknown how long this pricing will last, we’re sure that it won’t be long before we see this one get down to that even more attractive price of free. With fall looming on the horizon and a slew of new devices expected to launch, that free pricing for the HTC EVO 3D might be imminent.