the mobile phone and gaming magazine www.phonicamagazine.co.uk
Issue 5
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phonica magazine uk
EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Leonce
GAMING EDITOR Sco Tierney
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Peter Gray
CONTRIBUTORS Rob Hobson Ian Duncan Paul Park Charles Thompson Peter Cox
CREATIVE SERVICES & DESIGN Sco Tierney www.sco - erney.com
EDITORIAL editorial@phonicamagazine.co.uk
ENQUIRIES info@phonicamagazine.co.uk
ADVERTISING adver sing@phonicamagazine.co.uk
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EDITOR’S LETTER So it’s Thursday, and I had to pry myself away from my turkey so I could complete my ar cle for this issue. I see Ac vision and Infinity Ward are s ll reveling in the success of MW2, as millions enjoy the gameplay. But while many are busy enjoying the Warfare this game sparked a debate at the Phonica Towers. Would we s ll be clamouring to play Modern Warfare 2 five/ten years from now? What are the quali es a game should possess to be a classic? We had a good thrashing about choosing a few, so feel free to add to the list when you read! I s ll remember being in diapers and playing Pac Man and Mario Brothers. Decades and many upgrades later we s ll enjoy different varia ons of the original game. It also got us thinking, would we welcome the advancement of photorealis c games in the future? Would going beyond the response of your controller when you’re playing a game prove to be going over board? While the game industry seems to be coping with the recession mobile phone manufacturers are not having such an easy task. Handset sales are an ever increasing challenge in a saturated European market, with focus being shi ed heavily to social media and app development. In a move foreseen by many Nokia recently announced that it would con nue to streamline its R& D opera ons. Even though this accounts for a meager 2% of Nokia’s R&D personnel across the globe it s ll adds to the unemployment figure. As holiday spending intensifies with the lead up to Christmas and New Years we can only hope with it comes a posi ve rebound for mobile phone sales. Look out for our Special Christmas Issue in a few weeks. Un l then, Enjoy reading. Your Editor in Chief
Kevin Leonce kevin@phonicamagazine.co.uk
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NEWS FRESH LOOKS AND SMART FEATURES: NEW NOKIA 6700 SLIDE AND NOKIA 7230 UNVEILED Nokia has unveiled two new 3G slider phones, the Nokia 6700 slide and Nokia 7230, made for the design-conscious consumer and op mized for socializing and sharing with those closest to you. Available in various fresh colors, with great imaging features and quick access to popular social networking communi es, the Nokia 6700 slide and Nokia 7230 make a real style statement. Both devices are expected to become available in the first quarter of 2010, and the retail prices before taxes and subsidies are an cipated to be EUR 160 for the Nokia 6700 slide, and EUR 100 for the Nokia 7230.
“AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS FRESH COLORS, THEY MAKE A REAL STYLE STATEMENT.” The smart capabili es of the Nokia 6700 slide are beau fully easy to use: The 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss op cs is perfect for capturing and sharing moments as they happen. Favorite images can be edited on the go and uploaded to the web directly from the camera menu. The device’s high speed 3G connec vity ensures your favorite communi es are always as close as your Nokia 6700 slide. Sharing special moments and joys with friends and family is effortless, thanks to the 3.2 megapixel camera, large 2.4” display and fast 3G connec vity. With the Nokia 7230 in your pocket, you also have quick access to email, instant messaging and social networks on the go, and the subtle illumina on indicates if you have missed calls or messages from your friends. www.nokia.com
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REVIEWS
LG GM750 THE BEST INTERFACE OF ANY HANDSET? WE’D LIKE TO THINK SO. The never-ending ba le to become king of the touch phones rages on, with Apple’s defining iPhone s ll leading the way. Nokia have come close with the N97, and the HTC Hero proved that Apple haven’t got the market completely to themselves, but now LG have unveiled a new contender, the LG GM750; can it take the fight to the iPhone? Design wise, there’s not a lot to be said about the LG GM750; it’s just like any other touch screen phone. The face is dominated by 3inches of gorgeous screen, and everything else surrounding it is just there to accentuate that point. At the base there’s the usual bu ons for calling, and in the centre is the ever present naviga on pad. It’s not the best looking handset we’re every seen, or the most adventures, but it’s nice enough. When it comes to features, there’s many to pick and choose from. The 5MP camera is excellent, there are plenty of games to restrain boredom, the MP3 player is good and the talk me is a solid 6.5hrs. Connec vity wise, the LG GM750 has all the bases covered, with 3G HSDPA, HSUPA, WiFi, Micro USB, Bluetooth, EDGE and GPRS all present, and the web naviga on is also superb. But the LG GM750’s best point, by a long distance, is its naviga on. The LG GM750 uses the Windows Mobile 6.5 opera ng system, which although hasn’t been put to best use in other handsets, is worked to perfec on on the LG. We use a lot of phones here at Phonica, and due to the strains of pu ng together a magazine of such calibre, we don’t have the greatest apprecia on for me-was ng interfaces. Every twitch or stu er that we find is exaggerated through our pressurized minds, so if we don’t like a phone, we say so. But with the GM750, we’ve never had it so easy!
I don’t have me to go into every aspect of the interface, as there’s an awful lot to it, but here’s a few of the best bits. The LG GM750 is totally customizable, so you can adjust and fiddle with the interface so it works best for you. Scrolling through you music is a joy, as is selec ng and adding contacts, and the five main menu screens are easily dis nguishable. The camera interface is also excellent, and the li le wheel of op ons available down the le of the screen makes using the LG GM750 feel like using an actual camera. As a way of naviga ng your phones, interfaces don’t come much be er.
“WITH THE GM750, WE’VE NEVER HAD IT SO EASY!” To sum up, from the outside the LG GM750 doesn’t look like much, and the same goes for the features. It’s not a market-rocking phone, and to be honest it won’t steal the iPhone’s crown (curses!). But its standout interface is one of the best we’ve ever seen, and for that alone we’d recommend this phone. Sco Tierney
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REVIEWS
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 PUBLISHER: ACTIVISION DEVELOPER: INFINITY WARD FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3, PC AVAILABLE: NOW
BUCKETS OF PAIN, BUCKETS OF FUN! As an Englishman, it’s mildly reassuring to see how lightly Infinity Ward treats the lives of digital American soldiers. Pre y much the last surviving character in COD4: Modern Warfare was the ludicrously-named ‘Soap’, and he’s here again to gruffly guide you through the world’s ho est of hotspots. Meanwhile, the US Army Rangers get shot in the face by Russian terrorists. I suppose we should be thankful that it’s not friendly fire.
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