HTC HD Mini on Orange

The new Mini edition HD phone from HTC has now been launched on the Orange network, this latest release from the smart phones manufacturer encompasses just about all of the features found in the previous HTC HD2 model but packs them into a far smaller frame with a far more pocket friendly 3.2 inch screen.

The HD2 still holds the record for the largest mobile phone touch screen currently available on the market, however many people find the overall size of the phone just a little too big for pockets and handbags, this is where the new HTC HD Mini wins the day.

Replicating the same Windows Mobile operating system alongside a 5.0 mega pixel camera with autofocus the new HD Mini is one of a number of new 'mini' phones to hit the market this year. Sony Ericsson may have just launched their latest Xperia X10 handset but they too are readying the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini and Mini Pro editions to address the demand for smaller smart phones.

It was Nokia that went down this path first by shrinking their Nokia N97 into the new Nokia N97 mini, the manufacturer claimed that the original model just was not pocket friendly enough and aimed there new 'mini' model at the youth and fashion market.

The biggest achievement that HTC have managed is to squeeze just about all of the features of the previous HD2 model with its massive 4.3 inch touch screen into such a small housing, the only real difference comes in the processing power of the processor which is now a 600MHz chip as opposed to the industry leading 1GHz found in the HD2.

There is a very good reason for this though, the new HTC HD Mini does not use anywhere near the same amount of processing needed to power the massive screen of the HD2 and so the smaller chip is fast and responsive when navigating the phones menus and loading and running applications.

There is a growing number of mobile phones featuring a 3.2 inch touch screen as this is becoming the most comfortable to use, most notably there is competition from the recently launched HTC Legend alsthough this runs on the Android system rather than Windows.

Other rival handsets include the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, Nokia X6 and Nokia N97 Mini, LG GW620 and new Samsung Wave although the S8500 Wave opts for the new Super AMOLED technology.

The HTC HD Mini can now be ordered on a good range of third party Orange deals, this is the first time that this phone has been offered on any of the UK networks with its initial release being as a SIM Free and unlocked handset.

There are further network launches planned for this new phone with O2 and Vodafone expected to be offering the HTC HD Mini over the coming weeks.

For more information about the HTC HD Mini and new HTC Desire please visit our mobile phones comparison website - Phones Limited.

Introducing the LG GS500 Cookie Plus

Just last February 10, LG announced its latest 3G touch screen phone to follow the footsteps of one of the company's bestselling devices, the LG Cookie KP500. The original Cookie was so popular that it was able to sell more than 10 million units in its first 13 months of release.

The successor, which is called the LG GS500 Cookie Plus, features SNS functionality to provide integration with various popular social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. It features LiveSquare, which is LG's graphically based interface, and an Editable Screenshot MMS application that will surely enthrall users.

The Design

The new Cookie looks more eye-catching than the original, though it is made with the same plastics that make it very pleasant to touch. It is a little bit larger, measuring in at 107 x 52.5 x 11.5 mm, and weighs 92 grams. The handset display is 3 inches, featuring WQVGA resolution of 240 x 400 pixels and uses resistive technology. The buttons at the bottom of the screen are raised, and look great with the overall design of the phone. The top side has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a standard microUSB port.

The Interface and Functionality

The most significant to this phone as compared to the original Cookie is with regards to the interface. It uses the same interface as that in the LG Pop GD510, which is pretty colourful and gives you the ability to personalize to a certain extent. For example, there are themes that younger users would love, similar to what you'd see in the Samsung Corby S3650. The main menu looks like what you would normally find in a handset that has an S-CLASS interface.

The home screen consists of three different pages, namely widgets, LiveSquare and favourite contacts (with their pictures). The widgets are pretty standard, except for the one that gives you quick access to various applications dedicated to the different social networking sites. LiveSquare is basically a register of all your latest messages and calls, with an interesting functionality that you would probably love.

Other Features

The multimedia player is very well designed, and come with simplified functionality to make it easier to use them. However, you should note that neither the audio nor the video player offers more than the usual standard options. The player supports AAC, AAC+, MP3, WMA, RA and MPEG4 formats. The good thing about this phone though is that it has 3.5 mm headphone jack (unlike the original Cookie) so you can listen to your favourite music using earphones. The LG GS500 Cookie Plus also comes with a 3.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom and video capture capability.

Will this phone be able to match the success of the first (and original) Cookie? At this point, it is difficult to guess especially since there haven't been any announcements yet as to the price. It is expected to hit the market sometime during early March, so there's still time to hope that it comes with an affordable price tag.

You can visit Best Mobile Contracts to see all the latest mobile deals available. You can compare deals for LG Cookie Plus on contract.