Techno-Boy

INTRO

We have received our free Hiptop Slide from Telstra this week for review (and we get to keep it YAY!) . The all new Telstra Hiptop Slide the latest from the hiptop line apart from the ‘Sidekick LX’ which has been officially confirmed that it will not be coming to Australia unfortunately as it seems like the ultimate upgrade from the HipTop3 with the larger screen and the latest features upgrade from the OTA that’s now getting officially rolled out through the US. The Hiptop Slide is probably the most drastic upgrade for the Hiptop line as it features the all new slider screen contrary to the swivel screen seen on previous devices. Its also the first device manufactured by Motorola as all the past devices and the Sidekick LX were manufactured by Sharp Inc despite the manufacturer all the devices still share the same OS – Danger 4.0 which may change in the near future as the rights for danger have been purchased by Microsoft.

DESIGN

In terms of design the device looks like a slimmer version of all the other devices and noticeably smaller than the previous Hiptops/Sidekicks. The device is offered in two colors either Californian Dream (As shown in photos) or a special limited edition Scarlett Red. The Californian Dream is very bright and a cross between a glossy purple/blue used for the keys, buttons and sides the rest of the device is a glossy black that becomes fingerprint infested very quickly similar to the iPhone/iPod Touch.

KEYBOARD: Because of the design style heading for a more thinner, smaller and sleeker look the keyboard and screen dimensions were sacrificed.  My previous Hiptop (Hiptop3) had a fantastic well spaced rubber QWERTY keyboard that was very efficient and great to use allowing me to type at a fast speed with no worries but after receiving the Slide the keyboard has been a major put off for me as a decent keyboard is essential to a phone like a Hiptop were SMS/MSN/BROWSER services are they key features. The keyboard now has round circular keys with a plastic coating that are defiantly noticeably smaller.

Overall Rating: 4 - 1/2

SCREEN: Probably one of the biggest upgrades for this device as it flaunts a much more vibrant and 65,000 colour display so that now you feel like your using a modern day device rather then your typical old school pixel gaming device. The screen itself measures 4.6 inches wide and 2.6 inches high with a 320×240 resolution. After using the slide then turning on the old hiptop3 you can’t stand looking at it its like comparing your old TV to your new HDTV you wouldn’t want to go back!. Possibly the biggest advantage over previous hiptops the screen is just brilliant! but as to why don’t danger use it too its full potential and add video/online streaming is beyond me.

Overall Rating: Size: 8/10, Screen itself: 10/10

OS: The slide uses the latest danger software 4.0 which is not overly any different from 3.4 etc except for a few new icons for some applications, new system hinge sounds along with all new sound effects for jump, menu, x and go buttons. Another small update i have noticed with the 4.0 is your regular MSN logo behind your contacts when you sign in on MSN and also a new feature has been added on ‘Quick Jump’ which allows you to view recently opened applications/messages which I personally dont see the point in. The default game on 3.4 ‘Rockets’ has now been replaced for a newer game called ‘Bobs Journey - Centre Of The Earth’ which quite a fun addictive game feautring a set of mazes and a little cartoon ball. Apart from the updates listed above the OS hasn’t changed from its older version it still uses the very simple and effective trackball controlled menu where the icons enlarge as you hover them (similar to the dock effect on OSX except its curved).  The Danger OS is something that particurly makes the Hiptop enjoyable as its very simple yet still very conveniant.

Overall Rating: 10/10

Features:

Apart from the design on the slide being reconstructed along with the new screen quality the features have carried on from the previous predececessor the Hiptop3 which includes some downgrades like a smaller screen, no flash on the camera and still shares the same 1.3 resolution but with upgraded lens. It still has its typical built in messaging applications MSN & Yahoo now with the feature to create new user which can be only accessed from Yahoo unfourtantly as MSN seems like a more popular service. Still no support for AIM. The device still sticks to the basic with GPRS/EDGE but with many mobile phones today supporting 3G (such as upcoming iPhone 3G) i think adding 3G to future models would be very effecient. The device still has its sonicboom application which is a basic MP3 player supporting AAC & MP3 format but to take advantage of this feature you need to purchase a micro SD storage card which also is used for the photo application which you have the option of taking photos in (1,280×1,024, 640×480 or 320×240) and two exposure settings (normal daylight or night/lowlight). The camera works fairly well in a well lit area but if your in a more darker settings its pretty much useless so maybe if you want a phone with a good camera the slide wont be for you.

(click for full 1280×1024 resolution)

Overall Rating: 7/10

Overall Review: The Hiptop Slide is hot, trendy and very stylish that would be considered a tween blackberry the device comes on a great $30 P/M - 24 Month unlimited data plan add on for just $30 you get unlimited SMS, MMS, MSN, Browser and also the 24/7 option that lets you call any designated number (telstra mobile or any landline) for the first 3 minutes of the call free! Another great add-on is the MySpace Mobile application that can be obtained via the Bigpond Catalouge on the device for $5 AUD per month you can access a mobile application version of one of the biggest communities on your device allowing you to check mail, read, view profiles, upload, message and all the other MySpace features you know and love. The slide is a great device but we found that it seems like only a slight upgrade from the old Hiptop3 with only a better screen and slide mechanism. With the 1.3 camera and no flash? whats with that motorola it still has no video playback/recording, still cannot send anything via its intergrated bluetooth, the keys are horrible, the screen is smaller but the device is still very addiciting with its great I.M, email and even its browser BUT we couldn’t help but love it but I think its safe to say that the LX should of been the device to release instead of the slide with video playback/recording, bigger screen, useable bluetooth and nicer design etc it would of been great but in saying that the slide is also a great device to use and very easy to operate and with the cheap data plan its sure to sell like hotcakes the phone on every teens wish list!

RRP: $679 with a $30 unlimited data plan OR $28 MRO (Monthly Repayment Option) + $30 unlimited data plan.

DEVICE RATING: 6/10

www.telstra.com.au/hiptop for complete information. Review brought to you by techno-boy.com your daily source for everything technological.