HTC Sensation Text Messaging
Messages is a fairly straightforward text app, showing you an overview of the different people you've been texting on the main screen, with a threaded conversation view on offer if you tap on one.
To write a new text, just tap in the field at the bottom to bring up the on-screen keyboard. We've always been mightily impressed when it comes to writing messages on HTC's Sense range, including the original Desire and the HTC Desire HD, which is partly down to the excellent autocorrect.
We've always been fans of the HTC keyboard, and we're glad that the same thing is back in full force on the Sensation - we found accuracy much higher than that on the Samsung Galaxy S2 for instance, where the full stop kept getting in the way.
In landscape mode, this problem did creep in though, thanks to the size and dimensions of the screen. Another oddity: the 'I' sometimes decided not to capitalise when typing, but then would do so when you go back to it.
Words still take as long as before to save to the dictionary - it's only a fraction of a second, but it's still an annoying pause.
As is often the case, you have the choice of a Gmail app or a more generic Email app. The Gmail one is just as easy to set up as ever; if you have your Google account details, it's automatically set up.
The Email app also proved easy, offering an Exchange option and a generic POP/IMAP option initially. To set your POP/IMAP, you generally just have to put in your email address and password and the phone will do all the configuring for you.
Both email apps are very good, though HTC's Mail app fits in with the aesthetics and UI of the Desire S's other app better. It offers several ways to view your messages, including options to view your email as a straight up inbox, or as conversations.
You can also view email just from your favourite contacts, and this tab also enables you to address an email to all of your favourites with one tap.
There's an unread-only view, and also a screen that enables you to view only emails with attachments.
Writing emails uses the same keyboard as the messaging, so it's easy to write emails of a good length without getting frustrated.
When it comes to social network messaging, HTC's Friend Stream does a good job of bringing Facebook and Twitter together, but it isn't quite the complete messaging solution. It's more suited to fairly passive users who like to read others' statuses, lacking the depth you can go into for both social networks.
Basically, public replies on Twitter and Facebook status comments are in, but direct messages, trending topics and any other wider information is out - you'll need to download the official applications for that, which we would recommend as they integrate very well throughout the phone.
PS Vita Review and Special Offer
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LG’s Tegra 3 powered quad core Android X3 leaked
Perhaps a taste of what we can expect at MWC next month, the X3 looks to be one of the early challengers to HTC in the quad-core market.
The robust processor comes courtesy of the Tegra 3 chipset by Nvidia, and while the 720p screen measures in at a quite large 4.7 inches, it supposedly manages to retain a slim 9mm waistline. LG plans to stick in a 2000mAh battery to power it all.
The robust processor comes courtesy of the Tegra 3 chipset by Nvidia, and while the 720p screen measures in at a quite large 4.7 inches, it supposedly manages to retain a slim 9mm waistline. LG plans to stick in a 2000mAh battery to power it all.
Other highlights include 16GB of internal storage, 8MP camera (plus 1.3MP front-facing), capacitive buttons, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and an NFC transceiver. Also, the X3 should come with the latest Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, right out of the box.
Expect the X3 (if it is still called that upon release), by the end of Q2 this year.
Alleged 4-inch iPhone 5 screen already shipping
Remember the iPhone 5 frenzy right before the 4S got unveiled? The larger screen, thinner profile, NFC chip talk flying from every direction? Well it's back, apparently, in the form of a 4" LCD that has Sony Mobile Display Corporation and Hitachi displays' fingerprints all over it. It's rumored that these two household names will team up with Toshiba Mobile Display in the spring of 2012 to create the "Japan Display".
The display is allegedly already shipping and it is an LCD panel. Note that the picture above is of a previous news article.
There's really no solid proof to any of this, and we know now easy it is to fall victim to the next iPhone hype, so take this information with a bag of salt. If it actually turns out to be true that the next iPhone (5, probably) will feature a 4-incher and if it keeps the 960 x 640 resolution, the screen ppi will fall around the 290 mark so goodby Retina. To retain the Retina moniker, the new display should be no bigger than 3.8 inches - that will give it a ppi of around 300. or, of course, they could have the bigger display with an increased resolution, say to... 1080x720 pixels. that should secure Apple both an HD moniker (720p) and the Retina marketing talk (324ppi) simultaneously, while keeping the aspect ratio the same for backwards app compatibility.
The source, Macotakara, also talks iPad display, which is said to change the structure of the liquid crystal panel.
There's still some time due before WWDC in April, which is the most common place to see a next iPhone or iPad be unveiled. But we could be in for a longer wait if Apple releases its next flagship phone and slate in Autumn of next year.
iPhone 5: 15 most-wanted features
OK, so this column may seem like a bit of deja vu, but that's what happens when instead of introducing a fifth-generation iPhone called the iPhone 5, Apple goes ahead and releases the iPhone 4S.
Now that everybody's gotten over that development (or at least most people have), I have no choice but to go ahead and update this most-wanted list because, well, a lot of you are already looking past the 4S as you continue to hold out for the true iPhone 5.
So, what's new? Well, with the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple did include some features I was hoping would be in the iPhone 5, so the list is now shorter: it's been culled from 20 down to 15 features, although that could change in the coming months. I've also thrown in a couple new items, one involving "wireless" charging. (Note: I originally posted this column the day after the iPhone 4 launched, which is why you see a lot of comments dating back to June of last year--but they're fun to read).
As a reminder, the 15 items in the list are ordered from least important to most in a reverse countdown. I've also included what I think are the odds of Apple actually implementing each request
T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G Review
Introduction
This is our review of the first 4.3″ screened Android phone to come to T-Mobile USA. This is a very odd occurrence, being that T-Mobile was the very first carrier on the globe to support Google’s Android Operating System when it released the G1. T-Mobile was also the first carrier in the USA to launch a 4.3″ screened phone when it launched the HTC HD2 (Windows Mobile 6.5), which was then followed up with the HTC HD7 (Windows Phone 7). So this is a very highly anticipated Android launch that we have here. But instead of just playing catch up and releasing another of the average 4.3″ screens, this one is a Super LCD, qHD screen that really positions itself nicely among the competition for the title of the best Android smart phone of 2011. Read on to find out more.
Physical Design and Display
HTC is one of those manufacturers that compete on the high end of the Android phone spectrum, and here, in the USA, there aren’t a lot of handsets that I would label as having a premium feel. A lot of handsets have a relatively cheap feel due to an over-use of of plastic with weight reduction in mind. HTC, however, has been known for making very quality feeling handsets and this might be their greatest masterpiece to date. The phone has a few physical features that really set it apart on quality. First is the metal / soft touch plastic uni-body design that encompasses the full phone, everything except the screen. When you’re separating the internals and screen from the rear battery cover it even takes the ear piece speaker grill, volume button and power button with it. This rear cover has the antennae built into it with four connectors that bridge over to the internals sides antenna connectors.
On the front of the phone is the 4.3″ Super LCD panel that really is a joy to look at. Viewing angles and brightness are great. I never had a problem with the brightness being too dim, even in direct sun light it didn’t fully wash out like a Super AMOLED panel. Text is crisp and clear on the qHD panel, and videos look awesome. There is a noticeable step up in clarity in comparison to a WVGA panel while viewing HD videos. The contoured edge of the screen also came in handy, and made it obvious every time you came close to the edge of the screen to make sure you stayed in contact with the touch panel.
This contoured glass also made the capacitive touch buttons a joy to work with (which you’ll rarely hear me say as I love physical buttons), as you could always tell if you were too close to the edge in an area that your finger wouldn’t get a response. The uni-body design, the quality Super LCD panel, and the small nuances added to the touch screen really completed out the physical package on the Sensation.
Software
Software is another place the Sensation really shines. There are not a lot of obvious changes here that are an off-shoot off of the standard Sense UI build, however, one thing that does set it apart is that this is the first handset to sport the newest version of Sense UI version 3.0. As you use the phone you start to notice mostly graphical upgrades that add to the UI’s visual appeal. However there have been a few additions that are more functional than being simply eye candy. One is the user customisable quick launch icons on the lock screen. This really helps to speed up your initial interaction with your phone. Most of us can think right off the top of our heads what the four most used apps we deal with all day are, and now you can simply pick it up, turn on the screen and drag into the ring the icon for your most commonly used apps. It works great and I wish I could add that to other phones. Another functionality upgrade done to Sense 3.0 is the addition of page breaks to your vertically scrolling app drawer; so you don’t throw, lose your place and have to look around to get your bearings depending on how much gusto you threw the app list that time.
There’s also the addition of category tabs inside the App Drawer for your Frequently Used apps, and your Downloaded apps. It is very handy to have those tabs, despite rarely using them, being that I’m not used to having them. Something I forgot to mention in the video review was the addition of the “Quick Settings” tab in the drop down notification area, which enables you to toggle hardware settings from the drop down menu. Another thing to point out is the speed that the Processor and amount of RAM add to the OS overall. Navigating through Android’s normal menus, application drawers and running apps were a breeze and had only the occasional rare hiccup. The only experience I’ve had that was faster than the Sensation was on the Nexus S. But that is to be expected being the Nexus S was not running any manufacturer apps except stock Google apps in the background. To have a full featured and customized UI from HTC running this smooth was a joy. Also, do note that I’m not one for using stock skins on phones, so I’m not really praising HTC for their skin over stock Gingerbread. I usually customize my handsets with Go Launcher, but I love to see a handset that has all the additional features and functionality that stock Gingerbread doesn’t have pre-baked in.
Call Quality / Speaker
Voice conversations on the Sensation 4G were excellent, with callers being barely able to tell I was on a cell phone. I had no issues at all with dropped calls. The ear piece was acceptably loud, with nothing to complain about. However, the loud speaker for the speaker phone wasn’t as loud as I’d had hoped for. Using the speaker phone in my conversations if it was positioned more than two feet away from my ear I always seemed to be straining to hear what was being said on the other end, unless I was in a pretty quiet environment. Speaker loudness also played a key in music playback being mediocre. In relation to other handsets I’ve tested I’d say the Sensation came in right in the middle of the pack, not too quiet or too loud. It was acceptable, but nothing to write home about.
Network Connection
This is always one area I’m excited for. I won’t lie to you, I’m a hardware guy, whether it be fancy screens, fast processors or fast network connections. I was slightly disappointed to find out that the Sensation was only equipped with one of the T-Mobile HSDPA 14.4Mbps radios. After the International Telecommunications Union decided that anything that was HSDPA+ 21Mbps or faster qualified for the “4G” moniker but the HSDPA 14.4Mbps hardware didn’t qualify as 4G. I figured we’d be seeing all of the newest T-Mobile 4G offerings running on their 21Mbps network to match the global standard. Sadly I was wrong, and they are still releasing 4G phones on the slower HSDPA “3.5G” network labeled as 4G phones. Honestly, this is semantics being that T-Mobiles 14.4Mbps network is often faster than Sprints “qualified” 4G WiMAX network.
Still, data speeds on the Sensation were acceptable for T-Mobile speeds, and on SpeedTest.net application runs, it scored between a 5.0Mbps to a 7.0Mbps 95% of the time. The fastest I’d seen on the Sensation was a 10.5Mbps download speed. This is very good in relation to Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network. But in comparison to Verizon’s LTE network the 14.4 mbps HSDPA network is lagging a little behind vs Verizons speeds. Remember something I have pointed out in the past that is a bonus with T-Mobiles “4G speeds” is that the technology inside their phones runs at 4G speeds all the time, without much of a hit against the battery life of the phone. Sprints WiMAX radio needs to be toggled on to gain competing speeds, but this kills the battery at an accelerated rate. Also, Verizon’s LTE radio is an “always on” radio, and many Verizon HTC Thunderbolt 4G owners have complained about short battery life due to the lack of being able to switch off the LTE radio. In my opinion, T-Mobiles 4G data speeds are my preferred option due to the 4G speeds being accompanied by standard battery life.
I did notice a couple times while doing my network testing the handset would drop down to 2G(56kbps speeds) and pop back up to 4G in areas that there definitely was a 4G connection. However that only happened a few times so it was more of an anomaly than a norm. I have read complaints of the issue being widespread and occurring more often for some handsets, but I was lucky to not have those issues in my review unit.
Battery life
The battery life was acceptable on the Sensation. Doing battery graph tests on the handset while constantly running a video, the battery was showing a 3% drop per 10 minutes of video playback, which meant an up-time right under 6 hours. However the standby time was enough to get me through a full day with light usage. By the end of the day I had about 20% left, but that was a day that I barely used the handset at all. So I could see the requirement of hitting a charger at least once over the day with moderate usage. As you can also see from my Battery Graph benchmarking that it charges at 5% per 10 mins. Which is significantly faster than the Nexus S or of Samsung phones in general. One of the odd things about Samsung is how slow their phones charge. Charging speed never really seemed to be an issue or at least went unthought of, until I owned a Sprint Palm Pre it would charge from dead to full battery in a little over an hour. But do note that the battery size was approx 1100mAh on the Pre. That handset really spoiled me, and I’ve been longing for an Android phone to get the same kinda of charging speed. Either way, a little over 3 hours is more than enough speed to give you a slight boost in the middle of the day.
Camera / Camcorder / Video Chat
This is another area where the Sensation really showed its high end quality. The camera on the Sensation was amazing, I had read in HTC press materials that the shutter time on the Sensation was very fast and could take still shots on a moving object. I was not able to replicate this in real world usage, it was faster than most phones, but there was still some blurring in the pictures. It also has been touted as having a quick transition time between taking shots, which it does very nicely. This really shines in taking pictures of people, if the person is moving slightly you probably can snap a follow up shot that will come out acceptable. However once an object was sitting still the pictures were amazing looking. It really was probably the best camera I’ve ever seen on a phone. 1080p video recording looked equally as amazing. Doing a Qik video chat over the phones 4G worked great, so much so that I would have to say that overall its chat experience was the most pleasant I’ve had so far using the Qik video chat client. I’m very tempted to trade in my beloved myTouch 4G for the Sensation just for the camera alone.
Benchmarks
- An3DBenchXL – Score: 30161 – 31288
- Battery Graph: charging 5% charge per 10 mins 3.33 hours to full charge, discharging 3% per 10 mins 5.55 hours up-time
- CaffeineMark: – Score: 6038 – 6486
- CPU Benchmark: 668ms – 718ms
- FPS2D – Score: 58 Stdev: 7.43 – Score: 59 Stdev: 5.05
- Linpack for Android: MFLOPS: 45.911 Time: 1.83 seconds – MFLOPS: 47.177 Time: 1.78 seconds
- NenaMark1: 40.8fps – 41.8fps
- Neocore: 59.4fps – 59.7fps
- Quadrant Standard Ed. Score: 1764 – 2197
- Smartbench 2011: Productivity Index: 2084 – 2671 Games Index: 1668 – 1682
- Total Benchmark; 3D Test Score: 6966 – 7058 CPU Test Score: Test repeatedly failed, could not complete benchmark
- Touch Test: 4 Simultaneous Touches, with an accurate touch screen, however sloped edge interferes with accurate touch tracking at the edge
Pro’s
- Excellent Screen; qHD, Super LCD.
- Contoured edge display makes for confidence in capacitive button usage that I’ve never had before.
- Fast Processor makes for fluid OS transitions.
- Quick network speed without being overly taxing on the battery.
- Sense 3.0 improvements makes the OS very pretty and add good functionality.
- Excellent still camera.
- Excellent HD video camera.
- Great benchmark results.
Con’s
- Speaker phone speaker mediocre, it didn’t seem to match the excellency of the rest of the phone.
- Unexplainable occasional drop down to 2G speeds in good coverage areas.
- Battery life that could be better, but also I would label as mediocre.
- Contoured edge display interferes with accurate touch tracking at the edge.
Conclusion
As you may have noticed from my other reviews, I don’t like to candy coat things. I tell reviews like they are, and don’t show any favoritism. Personally, I like to point out all the cons I can find in a handset. Ultimately, this is what these reviews are for – to let you, the reader, know what the bugs or cons of the hardware are because you wont know this stuff until after you’ve owned it. But honestly, the Sensation caught me by surprise. Even myTouch 4G, which I love so much that I cant part with, I have a lot of gripes that bug me even though I have deep techno-love for the device itself. But, I had a very hard time finding any problems with the Sensation. As you can see, I’m sort of grabbing at the air just trying to find its cons. It’s funny to come across a phone that sets for me a new benchmark in all categories including physical build quality, screen presentation, OS smoothness with features, camera quality, and the list could go on and on. Honestly, this is the best handset I’ve handled to date. If you’re looking for a monster of a phone that has great specs, and a great overall user experience, this is the one for you. I cant use any more words to describe it, it is simply the best phone I’ve used to date. Thanks for reading.
Upcoming Quad-Core Smartphones
If you’ve been secretly planning to change your smartphone, you may want to wait until February as the new line of quad-core Android superphones are about to take centerstage. Although most were nowhere to be found at CES 2012, rumor has it that they will be making their launch at the Mobile World Conference to be held in Barcelona.
AndroidAuthority has previously talked about upcoming quad-core smartphones but now, we give you a full list (so far) of the devices that are powered by this mega-experience.
HTC Edge
Although silent, HTC has been rumored to have the first ever Android quad-core phone to reach US shores. With the leaked information about the features of the HTC Edge, you get the following features:
- 1.5 GHz quad-core MSM 8906 processor
- Tegra 3
- 4.7-inch screen with 720p resolution
- 8MP camera with LED flash
- 2MP front facing camera
- Beats Audio
- NFC
Samsung Galaxy S3
As the successor of the highly successful Samsung Galaxy S2, the Galaxy S3 is probably one of the most anticipated quad-core smartphones. Rumors about its features include:
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI
- 4.6 inch HD Super AMOLED Plus display
- 1.5 GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor
- 1.5-2 GB RAM
- 12 MP rear camera
Many are also hoping that this would include Android’s latest OS, the Ice Cream Sandwich.
Meizu MX
Although we got word last year that Meizu MX will be launching their quad-core model, we’re still waiting for it. Here are the features of the quad-core smartphone:
- 4.0-inch touch screen with 292 ppi resolution
- 32GB internal memory
- 8MP camera
- Front-facing camera
- Support for HSPA+ networks
- MicroUSB
New photos of old Sony Ericsson WP7 phone prototype surface
Early last year we saw a a prototype from Sony Ericsson that was running Windows Phone 7. The company never did announce a WP7 device, but now more shots have cropped up of what appears to be the same device. It's a prototype of the same model, but this one has a white back and keyboard.
The prototype has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and recognizable Sony Ericsson styling (the back looks a lot like the back of a Neo, for one). The camera at the back has an LED flash and records HD video, not a big surprise really as all Windows Phone devices have almost identical specs.
The prototype was reportedly running a beta version of Windows Phone (the tipster neglected to mention if it was a beta of v7 or v7.5), but worked without bugs.
Spy shots of a Sony Ericsson prototype running Windows Phone
Anyway, it's clearly an old prototype and not a new development (it still says "Sony Ericsson" above the screen). But can the new company (after the departure of Ericsson) re-evaluate their standing on Windows Phone and join in with the rest of the major phone makers?
It's possible, or it could be an old prototype that was gathering dust until someone found it again and made a new batch of photos. Plus, it would be kind of awkward for Sony to have WP7 and its Xbox integration competing against their own PlayStation-certified phones.
EU will decide on the Google-Motorola deal on Feb 13
Previously set at January 10, the deadline for the EU to clear or reject the Google takeover of Motorola Mobility has been pushed back to February 13.
The reason behind the postponement is that the EU is waiting for undisclosed documents from Google.
Google made the deal with Motorola back in August of last year but had to await approval by the US and EU authorities to go through with the takeover.
The Search giant will come into possession of a generous patent portfolio is it acquires Motorola, which ultimately will come in handy in Android's court battles against Apple.
The reason behind the postponement is that the EU is waiting for undisclosed documents from Google.
Google made the deal with Motorola back in August of last year but had to await approval by the US and EU authorities to go through with the takeover.
The Search giant will come into possession of a generous patent portfolio is it acquires Motorola, which ultimately will come in handy in Android's court battles against Apple.
HTC to unveil its first quad-core smartphone on February 26?
We just got an invitation for the next major HTC event and it will take place on February 26. This means that the Taiwanese manufacturer will change its usual policy and will announce its new smartphones the day before the MWC starts, rather than at the event itself.
Perhaps HTC really has something special to share with us and they just can't wait. The rumored Android-running HTC Edge with a 720p screen and a quad-core CPU might just turn out to be the large scale announcement that mandated the different approach.
And seeing how things shape up, this better be the case, as there will be plenty of action going on that Sunday. Sony and Huawei already confirmed that they will be holding their own events on the same day, while Samsung is expected to join them too.
We are yet to see if Nokia will hold an event on the MWC eve as they did last year. In any case, the MWC marathon is bound to start a day early this year, so get you geek goggles ready.
Naturally, we'll be on site, covering the whole MWC for you as it unfolds.
Perhaps HTC really has something special to share with us and they just can't wait. The rumored Android-running HTC Edge with a 720p screen and a quad-core CPU might just turn out to be the large scale announcement that mandated the different approach.
We are yet to see if Nokia will hold an event on the MWC eve as they did last year. In any case, the MWC marathon is bound to start a day early this year, so get you geek goggles ready.
Naturally, we'll be on site, covering the whole MWC for you as it unfolds.
Did Samsung show off the Galaxy S III at CES?
With CES behind us, we’re now looking forward to the year’s next big mobile event – Mobile World Congress. Known as the premier big show for all things mobile related, rumors have been hinting of late that we’ll be seeing the Samsung Galaxy S III in the flesh at the event, but interestingly enough, it's possible that we might’ve seen it already.
During Samsung’s CES press conference, they covered a wide array of products from their portfolio, like cameras and other appliances, but at one point during the event when they were talking about the neat features of their Samsung WV850F camera, an interesting looking handset popped up. If you happen to watch the video, at around the 7:10 mark, we begin to see a handset that possibly might be the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Looking very closely at it, we find a device that seems to embody the qualities we’ve come to expect to be a part of a next-generation smartphone – like a super thin bezel and generous sized display. Aside from showing how the smartphone can control the zoom functions with the camera, we don’t get a sneak peek to anything else regarding the handset in question. Nevertheless, it surely makes your head turn knowing that this is possibly the next Galaxy S III.
No doubt there’s going to be a lot of focus surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S III between now and the official start of MWC, but of course, it’ll be an interesting few weeks leading up to the festivities. Still, the handset in the video could also be none other than some sort of mockup or concept they concocted for the show, but nonetheless, we’re sure there’s going to be a lot of excitement around it.
New website dedicated to modding Grand Theft Auto III on Android
The site was created by one of the more outspoken and involved people over on XDA named ThexJoker and is still fairly new, having launched almost the same time as the game did. There isn't a whole lot of information over there considering how new it is but we did find a few gems to toy around with such as changing the radio station in-game to play your own MP3 files and a tweak to the control physics that provides some rather unique gameplay such as being able to drive up building walls.
If you are still modding your Grand Theft Auto III game on your Android device, you might want to check this site out and see what else you can do. Of course we will keep publishing modding information here as well. There are also plenty of resources over on the XDA-Forums as well. You can also send us any information and screenshots/instructions on the mods you use as well.
Dance Central 2 Dance Cam iPhone and Android app lets you shoot, remix, and share your own music videos
If you think you're the next Madonna, Kylie Minogue, or Chico Slimani, you may want to check out Microsoft's new Dance Central 2 Dance Cam mobile application, which you can download from the App Store and Android Market for free.
The app features songs from the likes of La Roux, Sean Kingston, and Enrique Iglesias; and allows you to shoot, remix, and share your very own music video.
Yes, once you've finished throwing shapes in your living room, you can upload your masterpiece to Zuckerberg's Facebook and challenge some of your buddies to a good ol' fashioned dance off. [Note to Soccer AM fans: Rocket wuz robbed last week!]
If your pals accept the challenge, the app will combine your performances into a single production.
You can nab Dance Central 2 Dance Cam from the App Store 
and Android Market 
for free, so go and grab your dancing shoes.
and Android Market for free, so go and grab your dancing shoes.
Streetbike: Full Blast
There are an awful lot of products on the App Store. The presentation, scope, and ambition of these titles tends to vary quite dramatically. On the whole, though, the quality bar is astoundingly high.
That’s why playing a game like Streetbike: Full Blast is a little depressing. It’s not going to win any plaudits for originality or innovation, and it doesn’t contribute anything to the genre it inhabits.
It’s just a very average racing game which has both wheels firmly planted in the middle of the road.
Knee scabs
The premise is that you’re racing on a superbike through rush hour traffic on the streets of a gleaming metropolis. You can either take part in league racing, competing in a series of challenges - overtaking a certain number of cars, completing a race without crashing, and so on - and tracks, or you can opt for a Quick Play race on a single track.
You steer with tilt-shift controls that make use of the accelerometer, and there are three buttons for brake, accelerate, and nitro boost. You can also customise the controls so that acceleration is automatic.
The graphics and sound are pretty poor, considering the capabilities of the iOS platform. The bikes and riders are distinguished purely by their colourways, and the sound effects of the engines are just a monotonous drone overlaid with a generic guitar track.
The roads and cities are similarly generic. The cars and trucks you overtake are not much better than pixellated blocks of colour, and the cityscape in the background seems oddly distended. Buildings have a tendency to just pop up on the horizon.
There’s also a lens-flare effect, apparently to heighten the realism of racing in daylight when the sun is high in the sky. This is all very well, but we can't help but feel that developer Turtles Entertainment should have invested less energy in these kinds of flourishes and more in the gameplay itself.
Burnt rubber
A typical race will involve 11 other bikes. While the tilt-shift controls might feel over-sensitive or inappropriate (though these can be tweaked in the options menu), it doesn’t matter how far you fall behind because the rubber-banded AI has a tendency to allow you to catch up and take pole position within a single lap.
This rubber-banding is modulated based on the difficulty settings – based around classes of engines – but it’s definitely in there.
Elsewhere, if you don’t feel like plugging away at the leagues to open up new tracks and earn credits for new bikes you can pay real cash outright to unlock all these features at once.
But without a multiplayer option against other non-NPCs (which is an essential feature of any modern racing game) these spoils will only be appreciated by you and you alone.
Streetbike: Full Blast is very much a racing game, and it incorporates most of the features you’d expect in a racing game. But the quality needed to set it apart is entirely lacking.
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