Put the date in your calendar, 3rd May 2012. Samsung will be announcing their next galaxy device at Earls Court in London, and I’m extremely lucky to have been invited to attend!

So what are we all expecting from the next Galaxy Device?

On the 29th August I took off from my home, heading to Berlin for the IFA, as a guest of Samsung as part of their Mob!ler programme. Exciting times!

This was a trip full of many first time experiences for me. For starters, it was my 1st major trip away with Samsung – sure, I’ve had meet-ups with the rest of the UK mob!lers at Samsung HQ in Chertsey, and in London – but this was going to be my 1st time at a meet-up with mob!lers from around the world! Different cultures, different programmes, different people!

It was also the 1st time that I had been to Germany and Berlin, it would be my 1st press conference where I’m actually physically in the room, and not watching a live stream over the internet – it was also going to be my 1st consumer electronics fair! I wasn’t really sure what to expect.

New city, new sights, new sounds, it was a lot to take in, and my first obstacle was navigating the German U- and S- Bahn network – which wasn’t that tricky if you’ve had experience with the London underground. My hotel for the next 11 days was in the heart of Berlin, right next to the train station, which meant getting around for sight seeing and general exploration was relatively easy.

After a little nap, a spot of exploration, it was time to meet-up with some of the other mob!lers who had arrived that day, at a local Tapas restaurant. Good food and good company – I was soon made to feel at home, and met some amazing people. If this was the start of the adventure it was going to be a fantastic 2 weeks here!

The following morning, it was a bright and early hotel breakfast followed by a meet and greet with our hosts. We were formally introduced to the rest of the 17-strong mob!ler team in Berlin, and briefed on what the next 11 days held for us.

The programme of events included a special pre-press conference hands on with the 3 new mobile devices (the Wave 3, Galaxy Note, and Galaxy Tab 7.7) the day before they were publically launched on the 1st of September at 11am. As well as getting to chat with the development team / designers responsible to get a little insight into the new products.
We had a couple of general IFA days, where we were given free reign to explore everything this exhibition had to offer, as well as 3 intense days working on the Mobile Phone booth in the Samsung Hall, showcasing and promoting the new products to members of the press and the general public. We also had almost front row seats at the Samsung unpacked press conference! And last but not least was a Berlin day, to allow us to take in some of the rich history and sights of our host city.

Action packed!

My first impression of the IFA, as we pulled up and were greeted with a giant Siemens washing machine over the entrance, was this event was a lot bigger than I was expecting. Actually, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was definitely so much more!

The press conference was a rather intimate affair, don’t get me wrong, the room itself was pretty big, I think I was just expecting.. a humongous lecture hall or something. We managed to score seats on the third row back from the stage right in the centre. Prime viewing spot for everything that was to come! For the next hour or so, I was introduced to some important people at Samsung who were here to tell us about their vision of a smarter world and a smarter life by the announcement of their exciting product lines. From stats and how they were the first manufacturer to have a phone used in space, to their new range or televisions, and cameras – and of course the primary reason I was here – the 3 new products in their mobile phone line up.

- The Wave 3, running the newest version of Samsung’s own OS – Bada version 2.0, with it’s sleek full metal unibody, bigger brighter Super AMOLED screen, how it was lighter, thinner, and would be the launch platform for their new intra-communication application – ChatON, allowing you to chat to your friends over wifi or your data connection without having to sign up on the same service – it involves the use of the app and connects via your mobile phone number – the closest thing currently on the market would be the BBM service offered by Blackberry, or maybe what’sapp from the android store. This would allow you to chat to your friends on their Samsung devices regardless to what OS they are running!

- Galaxy Tab 7.7 – thinner & lighter than it’s 7″ predecessor, and the first tablet to house a Super AMOLED Plus screen. Packed with a 1.4GHz dual core processor, a brushed metal back, a very crisp, bright and vivid screen while running Android Honeycomb. It also has the added ability of being able to control your Samsung home entertainment systems with it’s IR port and has expandability with the micro-SD memory card slot. The 7.7″ size is still a lot more comfortable to handle one handed than the larger Ipad or the 10.1 Galaxy Tab – making this much more portable than it’s bigger tablet rivals. It was definitely love at first sight and a want item on my Xmas list!

- The Galaxy note – carving out it’s own niche market, as it fits inbetween the smartphone and tablet categories, this 5.3″ device was certainly impressive and is probably the biggest surprise at the press event. We were all aware of the name, after it had been leaked from the decoding of the unpacked app, but there was a big gasp of air from the auditorium as it was unveiled. (I was slightly less surprised as I had already had my mitts all over the Note the day before ) See HERE for more information about the Galaxy Note.

The Samsung Hall #20 was definitely impressive. From the 50+ LED screen giant 3D tv set-up, to the crisp blue and white decor, this was one of the better set ups I had seen around the IFA (most had attempted the multi-screen giant display, or the sprawling out column in the centre, but this was by far the better executed) – the only other one that stands out in my mind and from the crowd would be the LG Hall where they had definitely embraced and made sure you were overloaded on 3D technology. You were even given a pair of 3d glasses for the experience as everywhere you looked, screens, gaming rigs and mobile phones at LG were embracing 3D! It’s also where I picked up one of my coolest freebies – my clip-on 3d glasses!

As you wandered from one hall and booth to another, you were treated by the sight of a lot similar products. Obviously they had been given a similar problem or brief and had come to the same more-or-less conclusion.

There were smart phones of all shapes and sizes and each company had their own take on the newest technology craze – the tablets. Sony had definitely tried to be different with their Tablet P. This device was like a clam shell or glasses case compact design in that it folded up to be a more comfortable fit in a pocket while unfolding to give more screen real estate. A good idea in theory – but in practice not so much. You were left with a screen with a thick line across the centre so images were ruined. The centre of the screen which is where you would primarily access the screen you had a section without touch control. When the device wasn’t utilising the full screen for the display, you were left with a feeling of having a Nintendo DS, with one screen being used for navigation etc., and the other for display. A weird set-up and one that I personally wasn’t a fan of.

Samsungs Navi-Bot

Mobile technology was not the only things on offer, and one of the coolest things that I saw while exploring the IFA were the hoover-bots. These small round thin robots were automated cleaning machines, they would react to their surroundings and had a built in dirt sensor. This meant you could head off to work and trust them to clean your home while you were out. As if this wasn’t awesome enough – they could be combined with an app on your compatible smart phone for remote control viewing (they were installed with cameras) and control. Definitely stuff you expect to see in sci-fi movies but available for your homes soon enough! The Samsung version ran with an app on the Galaxy S2 – I really wanted to take one of these little boys home with me, but I’m not sure I would have been able to smuggle it past customs, let alone in my airplane luggage allowance!

Either way it was very very cool!

The other highlight of my trip was the Vodafone exhibit, and I’m not talking about their contracts or the range of phones and tablets they had on offer. As well as their inside hall, they also had a mock Formula One pit, and karting track! I am a HUGE formula one fan, granted vodafone now sponsor the wrong team with McLaren (I’m definitely a Ferrari kind of girl), but even I cannot say no to seeing a Formula One car up close and personal. It wasn’t just any car, it was Jenson Button’s race car, and my spies informed me that the man himself was at the IFA doing some promotional work. Well, I made it a mission to track him down and meet him.

Not only is the above photo proof – I also managed to change the front tyre on his car! Oh yes – BEST DAY EVER! I’m such a geek

Jenson wasn’t the only celebrity I managed to snag a photo with.. I also met somewhat of a German Children’s tv character celeb – Bernd Das Brot, and his friends!

Definitely a good day for meeting famous people at the IFA!

My time in Berlin wasn’t just technology, Samsung phones and freebies, there was also our Reporter Day, where we were let loose in the city, to explore, and take in the rich cultural history and sights of a re-unified Berlin. Truly harrowing stuff, but it was good to see how Berlin had grown from the Terrors it had witnessed and been a victim of.

As well as meeting celebrities, getting to see some awesome technology and meeting famous people – my palate was treated to a range of different dishes across a variety of restaurants in Berlin, including some delicious German staples such as Schnitzel, a kind of Apple Strudel and of course you can’t go to Berlin or Germany without tasting the Currywurst!

You can definitely tell I had an amazing time. When I wasn’t out and about soaking up the sights, smells, technology and putting on a few pounds with the gorgeous food – I was working hard at the Samsung booth talking about another love of mine technology. 3 solid days of hands on excitement with the Galaxy Note and the Wave 3; unfortunately the Galaxy Tab 7.7 was only around for the press conference, as I would have loved to have more time playing with that! But the Note and Wave 3 more than made up for that! This allowed me to show off the amazing features of both devices, impress random strangers with my not so impressive drawing skills, and strike up some interesting conversations about what their impressions were of the new Samsung line up. Obviously, the most popular device we had on display was the Galaxy Note – everyone wanted to give it a whirl, pick up that stylus and S-Memo away. Overall I think all the new products went down extremely well, and I’m certain that more than a few will be putting the Note on the top of their Xmas list!

I really can’t believe we managed to fit all this excitement into only 11 days! I met some amazing people, from around the world – Germany, Korea, Japan, China, Dubai – and they all helped to make this experience one to remember! I’d also like to thank Samsung and Mr. Kim and his team for such an amazing time!

If you’ve answered YES to all 3 questions, then Samsung have just the thing for you with the Samsung Mobile Challenge

The Preliminary heat is running from the 5th to the 25th of September, so you don’t have long to post a top score!

So how do you start you may be asking yourself? Simple.

Head to the Samsung App store, and search for Asphalt 6:

Search Samsung Apps for Asphalt 6

Next, download this game for free while it’s still available, and install it!

Download Asphalt 6

Then launch the game….

Asphalt 6 loading

Select the WCG 11 from the menu list..

Menu List

Then take the car for a spin

Take the car for a spin

All that’s left is you to reach the top of the leaderboard….

Leaderboard

Good Luck!

Samsung Galaxy Note

One of the coolest items in the Samsung Hall 20 was the Galaxy Note. Situated somewhere between a smart phone and a tablet, this 5.3″ device with it’s HD Super AMOLED screen definitely stood out from the crowd. The screen is everything you expect from the Super AMOLED technology – the display is very bright, and vivid, – packing in a whopping 285 PPI with it’s resolution of 1280×800. The viewing angles on it border on 180 degrees, meaning you can still see the screen no matter how you are looking at it!

Galaxy Note with Stylus

I had been a little skeptical about the stylus or “S-Pen” when I first heard about it, but after having a good hands-on session, I was sold.

The screen is very responsive with the S-Pen, which makes using it, and drawing with it a dream rather than a chore. Of course, it’s not going to turn you into Picasso overnight – but it is ideal for jotting down notes, scribbles or just passing the time when you’re bored. I did experience a little bit of lag here and there, but that is to be expected as this is a very early pre-release model (the Note isn’t due for release till sometime in Q4)

The S-Pen (which is pressure sensitive) enhances the overall experience of the Note, you can use the pen to easily re-arrange your schedule in the S-Planner; grab screen shots which you can then annotate and send on to friends or colleagues. Use the S-Memo to doodle, or create something personalised, throw in a clipping from google maps to invite your friends out to some cool little café you’ve discovered off the beaten track. You can definitely do so much more with the Note, and with such ease.

Worried about losing the S-Pen? Fear not, it fits snuggly into the bottom of the device, and there will be a range of accessories available to alter it’s thickness etc to make writing and drawing with it suit your own personal preference!

My drawing on the Galaxy Note

So what about what is under the hood? Well the Galaxy Note is powered by a 1.4GHz dual core processor and is running the latest version of Android – Gingerbread (although I am reliably informed that it will be upgraded to Icecream Sandwich once that OS has been released). Under the thin plastic textured back you’ll find a 2,500mAh battery, your sim card holder and a micro-SD memory card slot so that you can upgrade the 16GB that comes with the phone as standard.

The Note boasts a 8MP rear facing camera with LED flash, and a 2MP front facing camera which is useful for video calling or self portraits!

You’d think something packing these specifications would be a little thicker and heavier, but the truth of the matter is, the Galaxy Note is just a fraction thicker than it’s older brother the Galaxy S2 at 9.65mm thick and weighs in at 178g. Meaning that it doesn’t feel overly large, thick or heavy in your hand – this device is still definitely a comfort to use one handed, and will fit inside your jeans pocket without a struggle.

Galaxy S2 vs Galaxy Note

The large screen makes the Note well suited for all kinds of media on the go, and will play pretty much anything you throw at it. If you enjoy watching movies, television, or youtube while out and about you will not be disappointed. The video is crisp, playback is fluid and enjoyable, and the display just needs to be seen for itself!

The Note is definitely one to watch out for when it’s released later on in the year.

For the past 11 days I have been fortunate enough to have been in Berlin for the IFA convention there. Here are a number of pictures taken using my phone!

Armed with umberella’s, our waterproof Mob!ler jackets and caps – we were up for whatever Berlin had to throw at us!

Reichstag Building, Berlin

Our first port of call was the German Bundestag (Parliament) which is housed inside the impressive Reichstag Building. The dome at the top offers a really nice panoramic view of the city, including such sights as the Brandenburg Gate, The memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin’s Bell Tower, The Federal Chancellery and the Charit? Hospital.
We were given an audio tour, which allowed us to gain an insider knowledge of the history of the building, as well as the sights and amazing facts it had to offer. If you’re thinking of visiting Berlin, you should definitely visit this impressive structure – just remember to bring your passport if you want to go inside and up into the dome, as security is tight.

Passport Checkpoint at Potsdamer Platz

Next we headed to Potsdamer Platz, where Samsung have 2 large advertising billboards. In the main Platz, immediately opposite a partial section of the Berlin Wall (and the guard who will stamp your passport for you), there was the advert for Samsung’s Smart Televisions which are on display at the IFA. Towards the rear, is the poster advertising one of Samsung’s newest additions to their smartphones – the Wave 3 running Bada 2.0.

Samsung promoters handing out Berlin maps

Pretty much as soon as we reached this spot, the rain poured down, so we were forced to seek shelter inside the subway. Which also meant it was a good time to take a break and grab a bite to eat – at a conveniently positioned Subway restaurant. I tried a Chicken Fajita sub – which we don’t have in the UK! It was really very tasty!

Once the rain had subsided, it was time to attempt our first mission! Our mission was to take a fun picture here with the Wave 3 advertising board. Our idea was to use our bodies to spell out Samsung Wave 3. Trying to work out how to form all the letters properly caused much amusement, and was really fun.

Samsung Wave 3 Advertisement, Potsdamerplatz, Berlin

Our attempt can be seen below:

And an outtake video of us trying to form a Roman Numeral 3 (III) can be found here :

Having spent a number of days in Berlin at this stage, we had seen the rather bizarre sight of a 7 seater bicycle (6 passengers plus the driver) on several occasions and decided this was the perfect opportunity to give the bike a whirl. After paying our ?1 each, we mounted the bike and was given an extremely funride! It’s definitely worth a go if you’re in the city just for the experience!

7-seater bicycle in Berlin

Splitting our team in half we got given directions to the quickest way to get to Checkpoint Charlie from our former bicycle driver and set out on our way, only really stopping to allow a statue head to make a phonecall on my Samsung Galaxy S2!

We quickly realised after a little while the ’10 minute walk down the road’ was not turning out as planned so we grabbed some help from Google Maps to help steer us back on course! On the way there, we came across Das Berliner Gruselkabinett – an old wartime bunker that had been turned into a “Scare House”. Not that we were scared or anything but we decided not to go in!

Former Bunker turned Scare House

A little further down the road we came across the ruins of an old station, that was used as a deportation site for Jews to the Ghetto’s and then onwards towards the concentration camps! Truly terrifying stuff!

Anhalter Bahnhoff

Just a little walk before Checkpoint Charlie, there was an open air museum / exhibition devoted to the terror that occurred in Berlin between 1933-45, which was backset with the Berlin wall!

A part of the Berlin Wall

It didn’t take us long from here to reach Checkpoint Charlie!

After leaving Checkpoint Charlie, we wandered around Berlin a little more, taking in the sights, taking a few photo’s, before heading on to Alexander Platz, in the hopes that we could grab a few Berliners and talk about Samsung mobile devices with them.

a Berliner using a Samsung Galaxy S2

The weather didn’t exactly make it easy for people to want to stop and chat with us, so we opted to head into a local electronics store, Saturn, and chatted with a few of the customers, as well as one of the mobile phone sales reps. We gained some interesting insights!

By this time, we were very tired and I’m not sure my feet would have continued on. So we decided to call it a day after grabbing a bite to eat at Dunkin’ Donuts and head back to our Hotel for some much needed rest.

IFA, Berlin

The Press Conference

As a Samsung mob!ler I have been very fortunate to have been invited to attend the Samsung Electronics Unpacked event press conference. This is where they announced their upcoming products, including a range of impressive smart televisions, camera’s, laptops, and of course their new collection of mobile devices – the new Galaxy Tab 7.7″; the newest addition to their own OS Bada 2.0 with the Samsung Wave 3, and of course the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note.

Mr. Boo-Keun Yoon took us through Samsung’s vision of a smarter life, a smarter world, how Samsung were first to have a mobile phone operate from SPACE! And explained Samsung’s role in helping disadvantaged children, and of course the upcoming 2012 Olympics:

Boo-Keun Yoon - Smarter Life, Smarter World

We were then introduced to Michael Zöller, who took us through Samsung’s smart tv range, and Malcolm Andre who showed off Samsung’s Multiview MV800 – a camera with a 3″ “Flip out” display allowing you to take photo’s from any angle; and the NX200.

Then came the moment that I was waiting for – the announcement from Mr. DJ Lee, executive Vice President, and Head of Global Sales and Marketing for Samsung Mobile, of the 3 new devices Samsung were launching at IFA!

Mr. DJ Lee - launching the Wave 3, Galaxy Tab 7.7, and the Galaxy Note

The Wave 3, The Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Note

Wave 3
Running Samsung’s own OS – Bada 2.0, the Wave 3 is bringing a 1.4GHz processor and a 4″ Super AMOLED (480×800) screen, encased in a full metal uni-body.

Galaxy Tab 7.7″
- First tablet with a Super AMOLED Plus screen
- Running Android 3.2
- Comes with an IR port, to allow you to control your home entertainment systems at home.
- Brushed metallic rear
- 3MP on the back, and a VGA camera on the front.
- 1.4GHz Dual core processor
- Supports 4G/LTE/HSPA+

Galaxy Note
Bridging the gap between the Smartphone and the Tablet is the Galaxy Note, an all-in-one device, combining video recorder, smart phone, notebook / pad, tablet, camera… in one 5.3″, 9.65mm thin, 178g package.

- Boasting a beautiful High Definition (HD) Super AMOLED screen (1280×800) with 285PPI;
- a 1.4GHz Dual-core processor;
- 8MP Autofocus rear camera with LED flash, and a 2MP front-facing camera;
- a full touch capacitive screen;
- Introducing the “S-pen” stylus with key apps such as S Memo and S Planner.
- Android Gingerbread 2.3.5, which will then be upgradeable to the next version: Ice Cream Sandwich.
- 16GB/32GB versions, with the ability to add more with upto 32GB in microSD format
- a micro USB connector, Wifi, Bluetooth 3.0

This device is something special!

For more pictures from the event, showing the Samsung Galaxy Note, Tab 7.7″ and the Wave 3 – visit HERE

Mob!lers descend on the IFA

This is the moment when the Samsung Mob!lers from around the world descended on the Messe Berlin, which is hosting the IFA. This is the world’s largest global trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances!

I’m very lucky to have been invited to the event by Samsung as part of their Mob!ler program, and felt extremely privileged to get a sneak peak at the wonderful new products they will be launching at 11am (Berlin time) at their press conference on the 1st Sept.

All I can say for now is…, wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, you’re going to be in for a treat! I’ll be on hand during the launch on the 1st and live tweeting from the unpacked event!!!!!

So stay tuned! I know I can hardly wait!!!!

A couple of pictures from my Trip to Berlin with Samsung for the IFA.

The Galaxy Pro has a 2.8″ Capacitive TFT Touch screen – which gives a resolution of 320×240 pixels. The screen doesn’t offer multi touch support, so has no pinch to zoom capabilities, you have to double tap.

It is armed with a QWERTY keyboard, that is responsive and easy to use. The keys are a good size, they are slightly ridged and offer good feedback. This is my favourite feature of the phone.

It comes with a rear facing 3MP autofocus camera, but no flash.

The phone itself is QUAD band. It has GPS, and the navigation software is Google Maps.

The OS is Android 2.2 (Froyo) and is overlayed with Samsung’s TouchWiz 3.0.

Under the hood, you’re armed with a 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM,( but this can be increased with a microSD card upto 32GB) and a 1350aAH battery – which offers about 11 hours talktime on 2G connections. It weighs in around 103.4g.

You can easily get a days usage out of the battery in the pro, and this is with regular usage of the internet / facebook / twitter etc.

There are a couple of downsides:

The screens will auto rotate to ensure that you can make the most of the limited real estate offered. This often means that the screen display and the QWERTY keyboard are not always in sync.

The physical keyboard is also missing the ” = ” sign. This isn’t on the keyboard, it’s not in the symbols. You have to either use the on-screen keyboard, or butcher a smilie containing an =
A weird omission.

Overall the Galaxy Pro is a nice little phone, giving a budget offering into the smart phone market. It’s just a shame that it is let down by the resolution and size of the screen, and the fact it’s missing what has become standard in multi touch pinch to zoom capabilities.

A few photo’s from the Samsung mob!ler meet-up and kick off launch event of the 2011 program at Samsung HQ in Chertsey!

For this mission I have used the Samsung Galaxy S II.
Samsung Readers Hub – this is where you will find the phones native ebook / magazine and newspaper readers in one convenient location.

In the video below we have a little demonstration showing the key functions and abilities of this hub.

As you can see, it is incredibly easy to use, the readers hub has a nice range of books, as well as free classics – handy for those long commutes and saves the need to carry around hefty books, large papers, or even magazines.

The only downside is you don’t get any accompanying freebies that are attached to the publications!!

With the Samsung Galaxy S2 running android, you are also not limited to using just the Readers hub, there are a number of apps in the Android store for such a purpose – such as the Amazon Kindle app, which offer similar functionality, and is handy if you have most of your ebooks purchased there!

Gaming

The Samsung Galaxy S2 comes with the Games Hub. Here you’ll find a range of social games – similar to the types of games you’d find on Facebook – such as farm, city and country war/build games ala Sim City. There are also a collection of premium games from Gameloft. I can heartily recommend N.O.V.A which is a first person style shooter, and Dungeon Hunter if you like hack and slash RPG games. You can download the premium games on a try before you buy deal. Of course if none of these take your fancy, you do also have access to the Android Marketplace, where there are a number of games available. This includes free games as well as paid for games from a range of different categories. My favourites from there include 3 different Angry birds (for free) – Ordinary, Seasons and Rio. I am also a fan of Sudoku, and Reversi.

Below is a little demonstration of what you can expect from the gaming platforms available on the Galaxy S2:

The mission brief was to compare Google’s Android with RIM’s (Research in Motion) Blackberry.

I’m at a little bit of a disadvantage here as I’ve never actually owned a Blackberry device. So this comparison, at least on the RIM side is based on internet research, and a little play with them in Carphone Warehouse!

So what are they?

Basically they are both a different type of Operating system you can get on mobile phones / smart phones. They aren’t the only operating systems out there, but for the purpose of this comparison these are the only two we’re going to be focusing on.

What types of handset do they come with?

This is a good question.
Phones running Android come in all different shapes and sizes from QWERTY keyboard sporting, flip / clam shell style, to regular iphone-esque looking models. Most offer touchscreen capabilities. There’s a phone out there for whatever style you like.

Blackberry on the other hand seem to stick with the same QWERTY keyboard style phone. There have been a few deviations to this with attempts with the flip/clam shell style etc, but overall if you’re getting a Blackberry device, you’ll find there is a QWERTY keyboard in there somewhere. Which I have to say is one of the features I do like about Blackberry handsets – it makes the whole process of writing emails, editing documents and sending messages that much easier.

What about applications?

Both Android and Blackberry have their own app store. Android currently boasts 200,000 applications to choose from. Blackberry has about 36,000.
Both have the capability of allowing you to browse, buy and download apps straight to your phone from the marketplace.
However, you will find that the majority of the Android applications are generally free, or you can find a good free equivalent to a paid app. Most of the Blackberry applications are paid for apps.

In this regard, this makes me favour Android.

How customisable is the OS?

Android is very customisable. Aside from changing your wallpaper, themes and ringtones, you can add widgets (these are small programs that provide summarised up to date information) to up to 7 home screens. This can range from instant weather information, a news headline feed, or even an all-in-one social media feed – so you can keep up to date with your friends without having to launch a full application all the time.
You also have the ability to place icons / widgets pretty much wherever you like on your home screens. They aren’t restricted to being forced into the next available slot on the “grid”.

Blackberry on the other hand isn’t as customisable. Yes, you can change your wallpaper, ringtones and theme, but as this OS is more tailored to a business market model they’ve tried to keep everything else simple, and the OS seems to be a little more rigid in this regard.

If you like making your phone suit your personality, then Android would seem the way to go here.

What about Web Browsing?

Both operating systems give you a web browser for surfing the internet. However this is one area that Android surpasses Blackberry in as Android gives you the closest recreation possible of browsing the internet as you would from your desktop PC, right down to being able to view and run flash in the browser. Blackberry does not.

What about messaging and email?

This is where Blackberry excels – with BBM (or Blackberry Messenger) – that comes as standard across their devices. Swap your PIN with other Blackberry users and you can chat to them at no additional message cost over either your wi-fi or your data allowance. There are no message limitations associated with SMS – you’re not limited to a character limit. Conversations take place in real-time, just as they would with an IM program on your PC. It is this service that has allowed Blackberry handsets to flourish in both the business world, and with young teens keen to keep in touch with their friends without spiraling messaging costs.

However, the Android marketplace hasn’t been sitting idly by. They have a range of apps that do something very similar. Granted you have to download one of them from the marketplace. What’sApp is one such free application. Instead of swapping PIN numbers, it works on your contacts mobile number, as long as they have the app installed. You can then send messages just as you would with BBM – only this one is cross-platform – if your Blackberry, or iPhone using friends also have the app, you can chat with them too. You’re not limited to the confines of having to own a Blackberry.

Both OS’s offer email capabilities with push notification.

Conclusion

The good thing with a wide-ranging selection of mobile phone handsets and operating systems is that the user has a choice – you don’t have to conform, you can have something that suits your lifestyle, and you.

Both Android and Blackberry suit a different style of person, and neither is right or wrong, it’s all really down to personal preference.

What is clear however, is that where once Blackberry had the upper hand in the business market with a range of tools such as a QWERTY keyboard and BBM, the others are catching up and offering alternatives.

Personally, I like choice -  a wide range of free apps, and the ability to customise my handset the way I want to – so I am very pro Android. But I can also see the appeal for a no frills, business style handset.

Ultimately both OS have their pros and cons -  which one you go for is up to you!