How to get started with Apple Mail

Despite the popularity of social networks, no computer is complete without a great email app to help you keep in touch with friends and loved ones.

It's no surprise, then, that all Macs come with Apple's Mail program built into OS X. It makes it easy to set up your email account and browse and sort your messages, as well as write emails to others.

You'll need to have an email account. And for many email types, including Yahoo!, AOL, Gmail and Windows Live/Hotmail, Mail can set up your account using just your email address and password.

You can set up other kinds of accounts, but you may need to know the details of your incoming and outgoing servers, which your provider should be able to supply you with.

Once your account is set up, you'll see the Mail interface, with a list of emails on the left, and a preview box on the right. There's a Show button just above the messages list that enables you to see your list of account inboxes, which is handy if you have more than one set up, have created multiple mailboxes, or if you want to browse messages you've deleted from your inbox.

From the toolbar along the top of the Mail window, you can check for new messages, compose a new email, create a new note, delete emails, mark emails as junk mail, forward and reply to messages, and flag emails for your attention later.

There's also a search bar here, which enables you to find text anywhere in any of your emails, so you can easily search for its subject, or the person who sent it, for example.

In this walkthrough, we'll talk you through the basics of using the Mail app, including getting set up, reading your emails and writing messages, but once you're more confident with Mail, you can do a lot more.

For example, you can set up Rules such as having incoming messages sorted into different inboxes depending on the sender, you can change the default font and size that messages are displayed in, and create multiple email signatures.

Of course, if all you want to do is send and receive the occasional hello from family members, you can stick with just the steps on the opposite page and enjoy the full email experience.

How to get to grips with features in Apple Mail

1. Set up your account

When you first open Mail, or when you add a new account, it will ask for your name, email address and password. For many types of email, this is all you'll need to enter, but if Mail is unable to find the information it needs automatically, it'll ask you for more details.

2. Read a message

With your account set up, and email flooding in, select one in the left-hand inbox list to display it in the window to the right. Or, you can double-click on an email to open it in a new window. From here, you can click the arrow buttons at the top to reply or forward emails.

3. File attachments

If an email sent to you has an attachment, you'll see a paperclip next to the sender's name. A file icon will be displayed beneath the email text. You can click a file's name to open it, open it with Quick Look for a brief check, and save it by right-clicking.

4. Photo attachments

Attachments, such as photos and PDF files, are handled slightly differently. They are displayed in full under the email's text. Again, they can be opened or saved, and if there are several photos, you can view them in a slideshow with Quick Look.

5. Search through emails

In the top-right of the Mail window is the search box. Mail will search all emails for anything you type in here. Results appear in the inbox pane, and below the search box. You can use this list to search for emails from certain people, or by subject line, for example.

6. Compose a message

Click the paper-and-pencil icon to create a new message. In the To field, you can enter the email address of your recipient.

If they're stored in your Address Book, you don't need to type out their email address in full – start typing their name, and Mail will offer their email address. Add a subject line and type a message in the blank space below that.

To attach a file, click the paperclip icon at the top of the windows and browse to the file you want. Clicking the icon that looks like a mountain will open a photo browser, so you can insert a photo from your iPhoto library.

To the right of this icon is a button to open the stationery pane, which enables you to send colourful emails.

We published our PS Vita review this week.

The Vita has generated as much buzz over the years as any of the top smartphones, and it's easy to see why.

It's specs are top of the line, and offer a mobile gaming experience far beyond anything that's been possible up to now.

But it's not all been about the Vita this week. We've also been playing with the Nokia Lumia 710, a budget Windows Phone aiming to do battle with the likes of the HTC Radar. And the budget theme is continued with the Kogan TV we reviewed yesterday.

A 55-inch LED, Freeview HD TV for under £1000. You've got to be kidding, right?

PlayStation Vita review

We still don't know if anyone's going to buy one, but there is no doubt that the PS Vita is an absolutely fantastic piece of hardware. Combining a brilliant 5-inch touchscreen OLED display, a quad core CPU, a quad core GPU, dual analogue sticks and a touch-sensitive rear, it's the most advanced handheld gaming device the world has ever seen. We even think the price is reasonable – considering the power, quality and polish the Vita brings with it, it's still much cheaper than many mobile phones that offer inferior components. But has the world moved on from £200+ handheld gaming consoles? With smartphones offering excellent games for less than a quid, convincing the public they should buy one and then drop 40 bob on a game is a big ask.

Nokia Lumia 710 review

The Lumia 710 is a budget Windows Phone. Although we would buy it over the HTC Radar, it's overshadowed by the Nokia Lumia 800, which impressed us a lot more and makes the 710 feel more like its cheaper relative than we would have liked. We know that the phone costs less, but the cost savings feel too apparent. For the small drop in price and the expectation that both phones are to drop in price, we're left feeling that you're better off buying the 800 instead. However, based on the recent announcements from Nokia, it's likely this will remain the budget option for the foreseeable future - a little bit more of a price drop and we'll be a lot more impressed with this otherwise decent handset.

Kogan LED55 review

In a world ravaged by recession, it goes without saying that the word 'bargain' has become the marketing industry's favourite word. We know you haven't got much money, but this is awesome and cheap and you should buy it! This Kogan TV measures a hefty 55-inches, sports a Freeview HD tuner, 100Hz processing and Edge LED backlighting. And it costs just £999. That's an astonishing price for such a large TV, but would you be better off spending less on a smaller TV from a more reliable brand? Read the review to find out!

HP Envy 14 Spectre review

We're deep into the second round of Ultrabook releases by now, and we feel the HP Envy 14 Spectre sits alongside the Dell XPS 13 at the top of the heap. But these are two different machines with different focuses. The HP Envy 14 Spectre is the most media-centred Ultrabook, with a larger 14-inch screen, 1600 x 900 pixel resolution and Beats audio technology. But it won't win over fans looking for performance and portability, due to the lower spec processor and bulky Gorilla Glass chassis. If you can overcome the steep asking price then the HP Envy 14 Spectre is a well-built and stylish way to transport and enjoy your music, movies and do a spot of image editing.

This week's other reviews:

Cameras

Hands on: Nikon D800 review

Hands on: Olympus OM-D E-M5 review

Desktop PCs

Hands on: Alienware X51 review

OCUK Ultima 9450i Mosasaur MKII review

Laptops

Toshiba Qosmio F750 review

Compaq Presario CQ57-366SA review

Monitors

Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES review

Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES review

Network adaptors

GigaRunner USB remote access drive review

Storage

Plextor M3 256GB SSD review

Plextor M3 256GB SSD review review

Intel SSD 520 Series 120GB review review

Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB review review

Is this the end of Olympus DSLRs?

The announcement of the Olympus OM-D will bring joy to fans of the old OM-series film SLRs, which were ground-breaking in their day for their compactness, technical sophistication and design.

But the announcement had a sting in its tail. The OM-D is not a DSLR. It's a compact system camera (CSC) in a DSLR's body, and the viewfinder is the electronic sort rather than optical.

Ask any SLR fan - even the best of today's EVFs lack the clarity and immediacy of an optical 'finder.

So does the OM-D finally spell the end for Olympus's digital SLRs?

Mark Thackara, Olympus UK's national marketing manager, won't be drawn: "They [Olympus] haven't ruled out the possibility of a new Four Thirds camera. We know there is a vocal community who would like to see another body in the Four Thirds format, so we will have to wait and see."

The facts, however, speak for themselves. The company's last DSLR was the pro-spec Olympus E-5, back in 2010, and you have to go back nearly three years, to February/March 2009 for the two before that (the Olympus E-450 and E-620).

Micro Four Thirds future

So are compact system cameras really the way forward? Were Olympus's DSLRs really so bad?

Presumably, if enough had been sold they'd still be with us. But it didn't help that endless carping over sensor sizes and pixel counts, mostly from those who'd never picked one up and used it, mean that Olympus DSLRs were often seen as the poor relation to APS-C format cameras.

This was the point; you did actually have to use them. The Olympus E-series DSLRs had a tight, light, precise feel that rival SLRs lacked then and still lack now. They were a lot better in this respect than, dare we say it, Olympus's current PEN-series cameras.

Olympus DSLRs

Take the Olympus E-400, which eventually evolved into the E-450. It had a body barely larger than a DSLR-style compact system camera, but Olympus never upgraded its primitive 10-megapixel Live MOS sensor to the later and much better 12-megapixel version.

And if the E-400 was still around now, and was fitted with the brand new 16-megapixel sensor used in the OM-D - well, would we really need the OM-D?

Olympus would be able to revive its iconic OM brand with a camera which was spiritually and physically much closer to the original.

Instead, what Olympus has launched may well prove to be an excellent camera, but it's pretending to be a DSLR when it isn't. It's a digital replica of the OM rather than a reincarnation.

Compact system camera advantages

The CSC format does have advantages. The removal of the mirror allows straightforward, fast and effective live view operation, always a difficulty for DSLRs. It means that even though the OM-D E-M5 is as broad and as tall as the old E-400, it's a lot less thick in the body. And the electronic viewfinder can display exactly the same information as the LCD display.

There are technical innovations too, like the swivelling, touch-screen display, 5-axis sensor-shift anti-shake system and FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) autofocus.

The OM-D E-M5 is probably going to be a very good camera, but it's not a DSLR. And will it really match the lightness, precision and feel of the DSLR cameras that Olympus used to make?

Maybe, like the song says, you don't know what you've got till it's gone?

You remember that story by that Scandinavian dude? The one where the world is made of crepes and silver monkeys would ride unicorns across the globe in an allegory about something or other?

No, neither do we. It's possibly made up, the flashbacks from a weekend in Thailand, or a dream. Either way, there are more important things to be talking about, like the fact Google is looking to bust Android out of its mobile phone prison (oh, and tablets. And home entertainment systems. And fridges. And… oh, FINE. It's not confined at all).

But we are excited about anything that a) is from the future and b) can make us more like a Terminator, and a project Google's working on with Oakley to put a heads up display in one lens of its sunglasses.

The word is these little wonders would essentially have a single core processor and around 8GB of storage, plus allow you to take pictures with a front facing camera which, let's be honest, would make you the coolest spy kid in TechSchool and would in no way get you punched in the face and have your ultra-expensive specs stolen.

Or you can wear them snowboarding or something. Whatever, we're not your Mum. Do what you want.

More worrying is the notion you can navigate through the menu by wobbling your head – a particularly vibrant session with Girls Aloud's Sexy No! No! No! could have us accidentally wandering onto a lewd website or two. Well, that's our story and we're sticking to it.

Let's face it – anything that stops us looking like this will be a boon.

I just called to say hello…

You've got to give it to Nokia – the company has realised that its user base is dwindling so rapidly that nobody will be using a Finnish phone to call at all in the future, and has come up with a clever solution.

Screw talking or texting – soon you'll be able to share a greeting by tapping phones together and walking on quietly… conjuring up some frankly terrifying images of a bald, fat man coming up to us, tapping our phone then walking away, only for us to read 'I live in your phone now, and we are married. Oh, and buy milk.'.

There's a strong chance this is all a made up prank, given that Nokia is saying it's fed up with noise pollution and it will speed up its engineer's days by 175% or some other odd stat – but then again, this is the same Nokia that thought this was a good idea. We don't know how to react any more.

iPad? BB10? MMMMMMmmmm…. Nice

Ever wanted to spend a minute or so being whisked around the sights and sites of London while being simultaneously blasted with info on forthcoming operating systems and gadgets?

OK, but have you ever wanted to do it with some funky techno-jazz in the background and a frankly laughable attempt by a presenter to pretend he's in a house? WELL! Have we got (two) treats for you:

And finally…

Comments on this oddity are welcomed on our twitter feeds: @TR_Phones and @TR_tablets

A spokesperson for T-Mobile has confirmed the company does not cap data download speeds on its new Full Monty tariff, or any of its other data plans.

Rumours sprung up soon after T-Mobile announced its unlimited data tariff claiming the network provider would cap data download speeds at 1Mb/s.

T-Mobile refuted the claims telling TechRadar: "We can confirm that we do not have a 1Mb/S maximum data download speed in place for The Full Monty plan – nor for any of our other pay monthly or pay as you go price plans".

Best in class?

The spokesperson went on to say: "We are confident that our average data speeds are as good, if not better, than anyone else in the industry."

T-Mobile boasts the widest 3G coverage in the UK which should make its new 'Full Monty' tariff popular among those who steam through mobile data.

"T-Mobile joined forces with Orange in 2010 giving customers free access to each other's signal and coverage. Further to this, thanks to the 'big 3G switch on' last year, we now offer our customers the UK's widest 3G coverage. We are constantly developing our network, and recently announced we're investing a further £1.5billion in network improvements over the next three years."

It's expected some the £1.5billion of investment will go towards developing the network ready for 4G after Regan Whitehead, Senior Proposition Manager confirmed to TechRadar in a recent interview that the firm is committed to 4G.

So un-twist those knickers and get off the forums, T-Mobile hasn't been pulling the wool over our eyes – go forth and download data!

A new study in the US has found no evidence that BitTorrent has a negative effect on US box office returns but that international ticket sales were found to be "at least 7 per cent lower than they would have been in the absence of pre-release piracy".

The researchers from the University of Minnesota and Wellesley College attribute this drop in returns to the long gap between international release windows, saying:

"We find that longer release windows are associated with decreased box office returns, even after controlling for film and country fixed effects."

Agog

Over in the Hollywood hills they may be a dab hand at putting films together, but they don't quite seem to have the internet smarts to realise there's a simple solution to the issue of BitTorrent piracy: simultaneous international releases.

If we had presses, we would stop them. It's almost as though Hollywood isn't aware that the internet is global, nor that to release something in one country won't stop people in other countries hearing about it and wanting to see it at the same time.

The UK's film industry, at least, seems clued in to the thinking that legal accessibility will lessen the impact of piracy, but still faces major hurdles like getting films on to legal streaming services soon after release.

It's Friday which means you are quite possibly looking for things on the internet to wile away that seemingly endless time before the working week ends and the weekend begins.

Well, you are in luck as enclosed in this article are not one but 10, yes 10, news stories from the world of technology that have made us smile – and a smile from a hard-nosed tech journo is as rare as a Googlewhack, so you better enjoy.

Facebook smackdown – It used to be that a teenager could diss their parents behind their backs without them ever finding out but in this wonderful world of social networks, nothing is private.

A girl from North Carolina found this out the hard way when she updated her Facebook status with a rather irate comment, only for her dad to take matters into his own hands by smashing up her laptop and filming the whole thing. We're praying that she doesn't ever get caught for smoking – if she does, we're betting there will be a flame thrower involved. [TheNextWeb]

A brand don't come for free – High-street clothes horse H&M has managed to get itself to the top of the most-followed brands list on Google+. The reason might have something has everything to do with David Beckham in his pants. [SlashGear]

Toy talk – Zynga, the maker of Farmville, is branching out into toy production by enlisting Hasbro to create the cuddly characters from its games. This is in no way like Rovi teaming up with Mattel to make Angry Birds. None at all. [SlashGear]

Manchester City, big in Japan – Man City is looking to give something back to its international fan base by building a bespoke mobile website purely for fans in Japan. The site will give access to club data, merchandising and memorabilia. It will also come complete with a Where's Carlos Tevez game, which is a bit like Where's Wally except that you can always find him on the bench. [Reuters]

Google gone – The first-ever official employee of Google, Craig Silverstein, has announced that he is set to leave the company. He is off to something called the Khan Academy – where he has been tasked with watching Star Trek 2 over and over and over again. Probably. [All Things Digital]

Bluetooth gains muscle – the good folk behind Bluetooth have announced a new division of the company that will focus on fitness gadgets. This means that we will be seeing a lot more devices with Bluetooth functionality that will make us all that little bit fit… sorry, we had to wipe some doughnut jam off the keyboard while writing that. [Engadget]

BBC troll – The BBC managed to peek under the filthy duvet of the strange world of internet trolling this week and tracked down one web user who couldn't stop writing poisoned pen missives.Unsurprisingly, the man they unmasked as being an internet troll is as every bit as vile as you would expect him to be. [CNET]

Apple's not all white – Apple has finally killed off its white Macbook range, ending the company's iconic association with the colour white. In memory of the colour white, the whole of the UK was covered in snow as a tribute. Yes, Apple has the power to do this, even if it has now gone to the Dark Side. [The Verge]

Obama sing-a-long – President Obama may be in the middle of a campaign to stay in the White House but that hasn't stopped him taking time out to create a Spotify playlist to go alongside his electioneering. Songs of note on the playlist includes a little bit of indie ('You've Got The Love' by Florence and the rest of the Magic Roundabout) some soul ('Let's Stay Together' by Al Green - unfortunately not Obama's version) and some British prog rock in the form of 'Mr Bright Sky' by ELO. Groovy. [Spotify]

Mobile Donkey – Old school PC gamers can rejoice as Donkey, the first ever PC game, has landed on the iTunes Store. Donkey may not be as graphically intense as other games on iOS but it's full of 8-bit charm and well worth a few of your hard-earned pence. [Apple]

Flashguns explained

A good flashgun is one of the most essential and versatile DSLR accessories. It's not just for dark times, when you're shooting indoors or at night - a flashgun is equally useful for filling in unsightly shadows in bright, sunny-day portraits.

Unlike the pop-up flashes in most Nikon DSLRs, flashguns give you more power, greater flexibility over lighting techniques and, in some cases, advanced facilities for wireless multi-flashgun shooting.

The maximum power of a flashgun is indicated by its guide number (GN). This is usually stated for shooting at a sensitivity of ISO 100 and a focal length of 105mm. That's because most flashguns have motorised zoom heads that automatically adjust as you alter the zoom setting of your lens, or fit prime lenses of varying focal lengths.

As you stretch from wide-angle to more telephoto focal lengths, the light used to illuminate the periphery of a scene is wasted. So, by zooming the flash head, its light is concentrated on the area that will appear in the photo.

The GN enables you to know the maximum range of the flashgun at any given aperture. You simply divide the GN by the aperture you're using.

As an example, a flashgun with a GN of 40 would enable you to shoot an object from up to 10 metres away with an aperture of f/4, or from up to five metres away with an aperture of f/8. That might sound like more power than you'd ever need, but there are other factors to take into account.

Directing flash

The GN gives maximum distances only when you're aiming the flashgun directly at a target. However, one of the most essential features of any good flashgun is a bounce and swivel head.

Due to the small physical size of a flash head, direct flash produces 'hard' lighting that can be unflattering for portraits, and cause dark shadows. By tilting the flash head upwards in indoor portraiture, you can bounce the flash off a white ceiling. This effectively gives a much larger source of light, which makes for softer lighting.

The downsides of this are that the distance between the flashgun and target is increased and not all of the light is reflected, so flashguns with extra maximum power come into their own. The swivel facility does the same job when you're shooting in portrait orientation.

Working out the manual flash setting, especially when bouncing flash off walls or ceilings, can be a nightmare. Thankfully, all the flashguns in this test are fully compatible with Nikon i-TTL (intelligent Through The Lens) flash metering. This aims to ensure accurate and consistent flash power for correctly exposed images in any conditions.

A practically imperceptible burst of pre-flashes is fired to work out the correct flash exposure for the scene, just before the camera's shutter opens and the shot is taken. That's the theory, anyway, although we found the accuracy of i-TTL metering varies with different flashguns in our tests.

The zoom range of most flashguns is about 24-105mm, but this is for full-frame cameras such as the Nikon D700. However, DSLRs such as the Nikon D3100, D5100 and D7000 and D300S have a smaller APS-C sensor. With the 1.5x crop factor of these cameras, the effective zoom range translates to 16-70mm.

With many flashguns, this means that some light is wasted because there's no facility for setting them up for use on DX (APS-C) rather than FX (full-frame) cameras. It's not always the case, as the Nikon SB-700, SB-900 and recently announced SB-910 are clever enough to sense what type of DSLR they're attached to and adjust themselves to DX or FX mode automatically.

With the Metz 50 AF-1, you can make the change manually in the custom settings, although the correlation between effective focal length and flash zoom setting still doesn't display accurately between 16 and 24mm.

For ultra-wide-angle shooting, most flashguns feature a diffuser panel, which usually flips down from the top of the flash head when required.

This diffuser often shares its stowaway area with a fill‑in reflector card that can slide forward and be used to bounce flash. It's handy in portraiture, where you can use the flashgun in its vertically upright bounce mode while reflecting a little light into the subject's eyes.

Another useful feature is an AF (autofocus) assist beam. This typically fires a red coloured grid onto the target to help the camera autofocus in gloomy light.

When you're only using a small fraction of the flashgun's total available power, recycling times (the time it takes the flash to get ready to fire again) are usually short. However, there can be quite a delay after a full-power flash is fired. This can be anything from 4-22 seconds when you're using alkaline batteries.

Recycling speeds can generally be increased by using NiMH rechargeable batteries, and these are a much more cost-effective option for extended shooting sessions too.

Key flashgun features

Look out for these key features when buying a flashgun. A wider range of features will expand your shooting options.

Wide-angle diffuser

Flipping down over the front of the flash head, this diffuses the light to give a wider area of coverage. This is essential when you're using ultra wide-angle lenses.

Master/slave modes

Advanced flashguns can often be used as either master or slave units in multi-flashgun lighting setups, enabling you to get more exotic lighting effects.

AF illuminator

A patterned grid of light, usually red in colour, enables the camera's autofocus system to lock on to targets accurately, even in very dark conditions.

Bounce and swivel head

This enables you to bounce light from the flashgun off walls and ceilings for a softer lighting effect. It's most useful for portraiture.

LCD panel

For making the most of advanced settings, or for arranging custom functions, an LCD status display is an absolute necessity.

Onboard controls

These should enable simple yet effective hands-on control of flashgun settings. They're usually much quicker than camera-based menu options.

Flash stand

This lets you position your flash wherever you like while keeping your hands free, and means you don't need a bulky lighting stand.

Sunpak PF30X

Sunpak PF30X - £82/ $128

The Sunpak PF30X is larger than the Nikon SB-400 but far smaller than the other flashguns in the group. It runs on just two AA batteries and features a bounce-only head with no swivel adjustment.

Full power output is rather low, at GN 30, although there's no zoom facility in the head, so the quoted power doesn't benefit from you zooming in to match a telephoto focal length.

The control panel is basic, with no fancy features or even an LCD information panel. You can only use the Sunpak in i-TTL mode, as manual power adjustments aren't available either on the flashgun or via the camera's flash menu.

There are a couple of switches with LED confirmation for altering flash exposure compensation between +/-1.5EV, but that's it.

Performance

The i-TTL metering proved quite accurate in our tests. For more advanced use, though, the lack of manual power adjustments is a bugbear, as is the lack of swivel for bouncing flash.

The full-power recycle times of 16 and 22 seconds for NiMH and alkaline batteries are really tedious, taking up to four times longer than Nikon's SB-400.

Flash output

There's no facility to set manual flash power on the Sunpak, so it could only really be tested at maximum output, where it acquits itself fairly well.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 30
Measured: 22

i-TTL exposure accuracy

Almost as accurate as the Nikon flashguns on teat, the Sunpak does well in terms of i-TTL accuracy, with a flash exposure of -0.3EV in this case.

iTTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.3EV

Colour accuracy

As is the case with i-TTL metering, there is practically nothing to separate colour accuracy between the Sunpak and the Nikon SB-400 and SB-700 flashguns.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 18

Image quality verdict

The lack of manual power settings might be frustrating for advanced users, but i-TTL metering and colour accuracy are both pretty good.

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight - £125/ $195

Ideal for photographers who want to keep things simple, the Nikon SB-400 really couldn't be any easier to use. There's no LCD status panel or onboard controls, although you can still select modes such as red-eye and slow sync via the camera, or apply flash exposure compensation.

Although small, the SB-400 is nevertheless well made, with a metal mounting plate and a solid feel. In keeping with the downsized build, the flashgun runs on two AA batteries, rather than a more conventional four, and its maximum rated power of GN 30 is the joint lowest in the group, along with the Sunpak PF30X's.

Also like the Sunpak, there's a full 90 degrees of bounce, but no swivel.

Performance

Despite not having a zoom facility, or even an autofocus illumination lamp, the SB-400 does well. In both the direct and bounce modes, i-TTL metering is accurate, and manual power adjustments are available via camera menus on the latest Nikon DSLRs.

However, the reduced height puts the flash tube close to the lens, so you're more likely to need to shoot in bounce mode to avoid red-eye.

Flash output

The tiny SB-400 doesn't have a massive power output, and like the rest of the flashguns on test, it's actual output falls some way short of the claimed figure.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 21
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

At -0.2EV, the SB-400 comes extremely close to a perfect flash exposure, matching the larger Nikon SB-700 and SB-900 in terms of i-TTL accuracy.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.2EV

Colour accuracy

Compared with the bigger Nikon flashguns, colour balance is slightly on the warm side. However, this could be quite flattering for portrait subjects.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 11

Image quality verdict

With its small flash head positioned close to the camera, image quality is only good in bounce mode, for which the SB-400 is a bit lacking in power.

Polaroid 160 Dua Flash

Polaroid 160 Dua Flash - £160/ $249

With the popularity of video capture in DSLRs, the Polaroid 160 Dua Flash aims to cater to your every need. As well as a regular bounce and swivel flash head, a secondary LED array gives constant lighting for video shooting.

However, the LED light source replaces the conventional addition of an autofocus illuminator. Worse still, we found that the Polaroid stopped the camera's built-in AF illuminator working.

Onboard controls look and feel dated, and manual power adjustments are only available between full and 1/16 power, whereas most competing flashguns go down to 1/128.

There's also no onboard facility to adjust flash exposure compensation, which has to be done via the camera. Wireless master/slave options are lacking.

Performance

In i-TTL mode, flash exposures were often a little on the bright side in our tests, and recycling speed from full power was pedestrian.

The motorised zoom, which has a meagre range of 24-85mm on full-frame cameras, is particularly slow and noisy, and there's no ability to switch this for correct zoom settings on APS-C cameras.

Flash output

The maximum power proves quite disappointing compared with Polaroid's claims, and this continues throughout the manual flash range down to 1/16.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 45
Measured: 22

i-TTL exposure accuracy

Uniquely in the group, the Polaroid is a little on the bright side, delivering +0.3EV flash exposures that are more likely to wash out highlights.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: +0.3EV

Colour accuracy

There's a slight blue colour cast to images. It's quite marginal, though, and rather less noticeable than that produced by the Nissin flashgun.

Colour accuracy
Measured: -2

Image quality verdict

A little too bright in most shooting conditions, when we used i-TTL flash metering the Polaroid was good in terms of colour accuracy.

Metz 50 AF-1 Digital

Metz 50 AF-1 Digital - £180/ $280

The Metz 50 AF-1 feels very robust considering its price. Bettering the company's previous model, it boasts a rugged metal (rather than plastic) mounting plate and a maximum power output of GN 50, instead of 48.

The bounce range of -7 to 90 degrees is generous, and the head swivels a full 180 degrees to the left, but only 120 degrees to the right.

A fairly typical 24-105mm motorised zoom range is available for full-frame cameras, and you can adjust the display to take the crop factor of APS-C cameras into account.

For multi-flashgun setups, there are two slave modes: one offers full wireless communication with the camera or master flashgun, while the other senses another flash via a light-sensitive cell.

Performance

The menu system is a little arcane, and not as intuitive as those on the Nikon SB-700 and SB-900. But after a bit of practice, adjustments become fairly easy.

The manual flash settings are mostly accurate, but we found practically no difference between the 1/32 and 1/64 settings. In i-TTL metering mode, the Metz often underexposed images.

Flash output

In the range between 1/4 and full output settings, the Metz is a little down on power. However, accuracy improves at lower output settings.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 50
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

In i-TTL mode, images are often underexposed by a full stop (-1EV), meaning dark pictures and requiring flash exposure compensation to be dialled in.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -1.0EV

Colour accuracy

Colour rendition is good, but we found we usually had to add positive flash exposure compensation in order to avoid colours looking quite muddy.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 16

Image quality verdict

The Metz gun often suffered from flash underexposure in i-TTL mode during our tests, making for dull-looking images. Colour accuracy is good, though.

Nissin Di866 MkII Speedlite Pro

Nissin Di866 MkII Speedlite Pro - £230/ $358

A high-end flashgun at a reasonable price, there's a lot to like about the Nissin Di866 MkII Speedlite Pro. Uniquely in this group, it has a colour LCD info panel that might sound gimmicky but makes for easy navigation of the advanced menu options.

These include variable speed repeating strobe bursts and full wireless master/slave operation with other Nikon or Nissin flashguns.

Another neat feature is that additional AA battery holders are available, speeding up the process of replacing charge.

The Nissin features a secondary, smaller fill flash strobe, too, also unmatched in the group. This is useful for supplying direct flash when you're using the main flash head in bounce or swivel mode.

Performance

Recycling speeds from full-power flashes are three seconds slower than the Nikon SB-700's when using NiMH batteries, and the Nissin takes twice as long to recycle on alkaline cells.

There's a tendency towards underexposure in i-TTL mode, and the motorised zoom is a little noisy. There's also no facility for switching from FX to DX zoom settings. Still, it's a good flashgun for the price.

Flash output

The full power output lags quite a way behind the manufacturer's stated maximum, and accuracy is disappointing at 1/2 and 1/4 settings as well.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 60
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

Like the Metz, the Nissin often underexposed images when we used it in TTL mode. In this case, it's given the same -1.0EV flash exposure.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -1.0EV

Colour accuracy

Along with dark exposures, colour balance is a little on the cool side. This makes the Nissin less than ideal for skin tones and portrait photographs.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 20

Image quality verdict

Many of our test images are too dark in i-TTL mode, and the Nissin lacks accuracy in manual mode as well. Consistent results are a challenge.

Sigma EF-610 DG Super

Sigma EF-610 DG Super - £230/ $358

Sigma's latest flashgun edges ahead of the other models on test to give the highest-rated maximum power output in the group. Like the Polaroid, it has 0-90-degree bounce and 180-degree swivel to the left, but only 90 degrees to the right.

Unlike the Polaroid, the Sigma EF-610 DG Super boasts full wireless master/slave operation for multi-flashgun setups.

Onboard controls include direct access to +/-3 stops of flash exposure compensation, as well as manual power settings, going from full to 1/64. That's a stop less than most similar flashguns, which go down to 1/128, but at least the individual increments proved accurate in our tests.

Performance

There's a lot of punch, but from full-power flashes, recycling times are a disappointing eight or 10 seconds when using NiMH or alkaline batteries respectively. The Sigma unit also often underexposed shots in our tests when we used i-TTL flash metering, so we had to resort to flash exposure compensation more than we'd have liked.

The onboard menu system is a little confusing too - we needed the manual quite a lot.

Flash output

The Sigma flash has the highest GN in the group, but power is quite lacking at the maximum setting. It also tracks fairly low throughout the manual range.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 61
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

A little on the dark side, the Sigma gives us -0.7EV flash exposures. This isn't as low as the results from the Metz and Nissin, but is still rather gloomy.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.7EV

Colour accuracy

The Sigma flash adds a touch of warmth to our colour rendition tests. Technically, results are poor for accuracy, but images look quite natural nevertheless.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 23

Image quality verdict

Like the Metz and Nissin guns, the Sigma unit often gives underexposed results in i-TTL mode, and colour accuracy could be better.

Nikon SB-700 Speedlight

Nikon SB-700 Speedlight - £250/ $390

With a carry pouch and a range of accessories, the Nikon SB-700 is a flashgun feast. As well as a stand for mounting the flashgun on a tripod for remote firing, you get a diffusion dome and two colour filters.

The flashgun automatically senses when the diffusion dome is fitted, locking the motorised zoom at its wide-angle setting to enable soft, even lighting. Auto-sensing also applies to the amber and green filters, adjusting White Balance for tungsten or fluorescent ambient lighting respectively.

The control panel and menu system have been overhauled from the SB-600's, and ensure intuitive operation. The SB-700 is superb for wireless multi-flashgun setups, where it can be a master or slave unit.

Performance

Maximum power is modest, at GN 37, but this is fine for general use. We liked the way the flashgun automatically converts between full-frame and APS-C cameras.

Other finery, which is shared with the more expensive SB-900 and SB910 flashguns, includes a choice of three different illumination patterns for standard, centre-weighted or 'even' corner-to-corner lighting.

Flash output

Still a little way short of the expected overall power output, the SB-700 is, nevertheless, very consistent throughout the rest of the range.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 28
Measured: 22

i-TTL exposure accuracy

As with the other Nikon flashguns in the test group, the SB-700 proves almost impossible to fool, giving accurate results time after time.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.2EV

Colour accuracy

Colour rendition is indistinguishable in shots taken using the SB-700 and SB-900. Both flashguns give natural-looking results, with neutral greys.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 9

Image quality verdict

There's practically nothing to separate image quality between the SB-700 and the fully professional SB-900, making the former a bargain.

Nikon SB-900 Speedlight

Nikon SB-900 Speedlight - £325/ $506

Nikon's pro flashgun, the SB-900 has a beefy maximum output of GN 50. It launched with exotic features such as simplified master/slave wireless operation, automatic detection for cameras with different image sensor sizes, three different lighting pattern options, and extras such as coloured filters and a diffusion dome, though these features have now trickled down to the cheaper SB‑700.

Other similarities include a thermal protection system, with a visual temperature display on the back.

However, the SB-900 adds repeating flash for a strobe effect, plus an auto-aperture mode for balanced exposures. Nikon has just announced a replacement, the SB-910.

Performance

Working seamlessly with Nikon cameras, i-TTL metering proved entirely reliable in our tests. And while the recycling speed from a full-power flash is one second slower than with the SB-700, it's still fast, at four seconds with NiMH batteries. Overall, the SB-900 is the ultimate choice for professionals, but the SB-700 is better value for amateurs.

Flash output

The SB-900 matches the Metz for outright power, and it proves really consistent throughout the whole range, right down to 1/64 power.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 34
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

You'd expect supreme accuracy from Nikon's top professional flashgun, and that's what you get, although it's matched by the SB-400 and SB-700.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.2EV

Colour accuracy

The fantastic power ouput of Nikon's biggest flashgun is matched by good performance in our colour accuracy tests across the spectrum.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 18

Image quality verdict

For accuracy in both manual and i-TTL modes, the SB-900 is a standout performer, and colour accuracy is impressive. It's the top pro choice.

Verdict: best flashgun for Nikon cameras

Compared with the outdated Nikon SB-600, the new Nikon SB-700 is a big leap forward. A key feature is auto-sensing for FX/DX-format cameras, the motorised zoom and focal length display being automatically switched accordingly.

Auto-sensing is also on hand for use with the amber and green filters supplied, as well as the diffusion dome. What's more, advanced features are instantly accessible from a brilliantly simple and intuitive onboard control system. These extras include fully wireless master/slave operation for multiple flashgun setups, plus three alternative lighting patterns

The Nikon SB-900 adds greater maximum power and extra flash modes. For most of us, though, the SB-700 is more than capable enough for practically any shooting scenario.

Meanwhile, the Nissin Di866 MkII is a similarly full-featured flashgun, with neat extras such as a secondary fill-flash tube and colour LCD info panel. It's good value, but recycling speeds were slower than on Nikon's flashguns, and it frequently suffered from underexposure in i-TTL mode.

The similarly high-spec Sigma EF-610 DG Super and less advanced Metz 50 AF-1 also tended towards underexposure.

The Polaroid 160 Dua Flash was less impressive. Substituting the AF assist beam for an LED array giving continuous lighting might sound like a good idea for video shooting. Ultimately, though, it's quite a basic flashgun.

The smaller Sunpak PF30X lacks even basic onboard controls and has no facility for adjusting manual power settings. The Nikon SB-400 is a better option if compactness is top of your wish list.

Verdict

The Nikon Speedlight SB-700 gives consistent results you can count on, and is an absolute joy to use.

Overview, design and feel

Flying the Samsung-branded flag for the mid-range smartphone market is the Samsung Galaxy W, a handset also known as the Samsung GT-I8150.

Having taken the high-end smartphone market by storm with the Samsung Galaxy S and subsequent Samsung Galaxy S2, Korean tech giant Samsung is now intent on dominating the full mobile phone scene with a flurry of boundary-pushing handsets.

With a 3.7-inch form factor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, the Samsung Galaxy W pushes the boundaries of its lower mid-range smartphone price point.

The phone features a strong 1.4GHz single-core processor, offering the grunt to power a handset that also packs a 5MP rear-mounted camera, 720p HD video recording capabilities, 512MB of RAM and a flurry of connectivity options.

Touting an array of specs comparable to former top high-end Android smartphone the HTC Desire, the Samsung Galaxy W perfectly demonstrates exactly how quickly the smartphone scene is evolving.

The Samsung Galaxy W is set to duke it out with other 3.7-inch Android smartphones such as the Motorola Defy+, while its 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor is the same speed as that of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S, and faster than the 1.2GHz offering on the BlackBerry Torch 9860, both of which cost around £100 more than the Samsung Galaxy W, priced at around £249.99 on Pay As You Go.

A relatively compact handset, the Samsung Galaxy W - in which the 'W' stands for 'Wonder' - features an aesthetically pleasing form factor, with the handset's 3.7-inch WVGA LCD capacitive touchscreen boasting a 480 x 800p resolution.

The smartphone's interface enables you to seamlessly access desired content and use the extensive array of app-based content on the pre-loaded Android Market.

Offering a lot of bang for your buck, the Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS-enabled Samsung Galaxy W lands with a spec far superior to that of a number of its similarly priced competitors.

Lining up at a respectable 11.5mm thick, just 0.2mm thicker than the HTC Sensation, the Samsung Galaxy W's round edged design might not be first in line for any beauty awards, but it is a form that in no way offends on an aesthetic front.

With the handset's rigid and compact design resulting in a 114.7g weight, the Samsung Galaxy W is just over a gram lighter than the 116g heft of its 4.3-inch Super AMOLED-touting high-end sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S2.

Relatively well crafted with little flex or distortion when put under extreme pressure, the two-toned body of the Samsung Galaxy W is let down considerably by the over-apparent join between the main shell and the removable back plate, which runs like a parting seam around eight tenths of the handset's edging.

In typical Samsung Galaxy fashion, the W's removable back panel is scarily thin and unnervingly delicate. When removing it, it seems so fragile that you fear a snap any time you take it off to replace the SIM, battery or well-hidden microSD storage card.

Comfortable and unobtrusive in the hand, the Samsung Galaxy W features a design that fails to accentuate its key features. Although not noticeably overpowering at first glance, the phone's bezel can at times make the device's screen feel quite narrow, detracting from the otherwise pleasant visual offering.

Although not offering an on-screen experience with as much pop or attention-grabbing vibrancy as its high-end rivals, the Samsung Galaxy W features a more than acceptable screen. The capacitive touchscreen display sports the same dimensions and 480 x 800p resolution as the ClearBlack AMOLED offering on the Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 710.

Accentuating the handset's smooth design traits, the USB connector-come-charging port is hidden beneath a sliding tab, a move that aids the appealing aesthetic but can make it fiddly to open and access.

Weighing down heavily on the side of the touchscreen revolution, the Samsung Galaxy W features just three physical buttons, with a raised home button landing alongside well-placed volume controls and a power switch.

Everything else is touch-based, including the Android standard back button and option key, something that might not appease traditionalists but certainly bolsters the smartphone's physical appeal.

Interface

As with virtually all Android 2.3 Gingerbread-powered handsets, the Samsung Galaxy W interface is intuitive and easy to follow, with the standard array of Google apps and widgets residing on the seven available home screens.

As with all Samsung Galaxy devices, the handset comes packing the company's TouchWiz user interface for a further enhanced, joyfully simple user experience at all times.

Thanks largely to the 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor and 512MB of RAM, there is little judder or stilted transition when switching between this collection of home screens, or indeed when jumping back and forth between menus.

With easy, highly responsive scrolling controls, the Samsung Galaxy W is extremely user-friendly. Its simplistic layout and positive use of Android ensure that both complete novices and relative veterans of the Google operating system are able to quickly navigate their way through the grid-based app menu or home screens.

Requiring little initial setting up or unnecessary faff, the Samsung Galaxy W offers you the most likely desired content in prime positions direct from the box, with access to the Android Market clearly labelled, enabling you to further fill the handset with other content.

Contacts and calling

Arguably still the most important aspect of any smartphone, no matter how many fancy bells and whistles it plays host to, is its ability to make calls with a strong, clear, interruption-free connection.

As impressive and high achieving as some of the Samsung Galaxy W's more superfluous features might be, as a standard pocket blower, the phone falls a little short of expectations.

While it might be easy to navigate through the calling process, once connected, calls often sound quite airy and distant, with a little background distortion and muffling causing those on the other end of the line to sound quiet and isolated compared to other handsets.

Despite these audio quality issues, during our period testing the phone we experienced no unexpected dropped calls or complete loss of signal.

On the contacts front, thanks to its Android innards, the Samsung Galaxy W offers a simple and seamless user experience, with an intuitive process requiring no explanation to access, modify, search and add contacts and personal details as desired.

With communication histories for individual contacts easily accessed via a run of shortcut menu options within the contacts book, communications between those in your address book is further bolstered by the ability to sync with connected social media accounts and assign contact images based on Facebook profile pictures.

Further enhancing the user experience and making it easy to find desired contacts in what could potentially be an otherwise highly cluttered mass of names and numbers, all contacts can be organised easily into groups. The standard group names of 'Co-workers', 'Family' and 'Friends' can be further enhanced by the creation and self titling of further groups, a process that is neither arduous nor time consuming.

Messaging

A core pillar of any modern smartphone is it messaging capabilities. Here the Samsung Galaxy W once again covers all the basics and most common extras but fails to push the boundaries to set itself apart from the crowd of similarly priced devices, such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray and some full QWERTY-touting BlackBerry handsets.

In typical Android fashion, messages are simple and easy to read, with a well sized and spaced font enabling quick absorption of incoming content, be it via SMS or email.

One of the Samsung Galaxy W's stumbling blocks while constructing messages - an issue that rolls across to its search and browser functions - is its slightly cramped and narrow-lettered keyboard in portrait mode.

Thanks to its full touchscreen interface, the Samsung Galaxy W's QWERTY keyboard offering is that of the Android software and TouchWiz UI. While not offensive or cumbersome to use, the touch QWERTY input will result in many users with average to larger-sized digits repeatedly finding themselves correcting errors and accidentally pressing multiple keys.

Although this issue is less apparent when holding the phone in landscape orientation, Samsung has largely corrected the issue itself with the inclusion of the Swype input system. This enables you to simply drag your finger between letters with the software then filling in the likely desired words - a system that, more often that not, works.

Continuing its run of user-friendly features, both email and SMS messaging services feature prominently on the handset's main home screen direct from the box, with MMS messages able to be sent via a simple tap on the attachments option while in the messaging menus.

Internet

Quick and simple to connect to a wireless internet network, the Samsung Galaxy W is a joy to use as a source for internet browsing and online content perusal.

With strong connectivity and fast load times over both Wi-Fi and 3G connections, the Samsung Galaxy W hosts a well-sized URL input box and a handy bookmarks tab.

Enhancing the user experience and cutting down on irritating lag, the Samsung Galaxy W's browser features extremely quick image and text rendering, enabling you to pinch to zoom in on desired content and have it available in an easy to absorb manner in a fraction of a second, for an uninterrupted browsing experience.

Requiring no unnecessary user input, the full web experience is open to you, with the phone's integrated browser capable of handling both HTML 5 and Adobe Flash content, including Flash videos, direct from the box. This further bolsters the handset's already impressive web credentials.

Easily navigated via the standard touchscreen controls, the handset's Android-necessitated back button acts as further navigation through previously viewed web pages.

Unlike most computer-based browsers, however, the Samsung Galaxy W offers no means for scrolling forward through pages if users have already skipped back. Although not a catastrophic omission, this feature is sorely missed when required.

Camera

Sporting a 5-megapixel camera on the rear, the Samsung Galaxy W's photographic capabilities are rather impressive, with sharp detail and strong colour management across a range of lighting conditions and subject matters.

Although 8MP snappers will no doubt soon be filtering down into the mid-range smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy W's current 5MP camera will fulfil the needs of most users.

Quick to focus in good lighting conditions, the handset's camera is somewhat let down by its low light abilities, with heavily grainy and noisy images the result when shooting without the flash.

Use the LED flash and the results are pleasantly surprising. Unlike many handsets that offer over-exposed, whited out images when shooting with flash, the Samsung Galaxy W provides images of impeccable colour and contrast management with the additional light source well distributed to accent fine details and highlight desired areas of interest.

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See full res image

See full res image

See full res image

The one downfall of using the Samsung Galaxy W's camera with the flash on, however, is the heavily increased focusing times, with the camera's incorporated autofocus feature repeatedly second guessing itself before finally agreeing on a point of focus.

Adding to the handset's rear-mounted snapper abilities is a second - VGA - camera on the front. As with most forward-facing phone cameras, the Samsung Galaxy W's VGA offering provides heavily grainy end results, offering little inspiration and creating little desire to use the handset's possible video calling abilities.

Video

As well as shooting strong 5MP still images, the Samsung Galaxy W's rear-mounted camera captures impressive 720p HD video content at up to 30fps. Impressive stats on paper, the handset's recording capabilities are rather hit and miss, with performances slightly less than the quality expected when taking into account only the cover notes.

On the positive side, the Samsung Galaxy W possesses strong light management with its video content, like it does for still shots, making good use of natural light when available and quickly adjusting to varying conditions of light and shade when recording.

On a more negative, note the handset's audio recording abilities let the visuals down, with the accompanying sound often tinny with a static air that lacks clarity and the crisp, clear sounds that are expected.

On the design front, the high, central positioning of the lens makes shooting content a tricky task when trying to avoid unwieldy fingertips sneaking into shots.

Media

Featuring less than 2GB of available internal storage, the Samsung Galaxy W hasn't been created with high-performance, storage-heavy media in mind. Although these storage limitations can be easily overcome with an additional microSD card, up to 32GB in size, some of the handset's other media pitfalls are harder to overlook.

The biggest offender on the media front is the Samsung Galaxy W's audio abilities. An inbuilt speaker drastically lacks depth, producing audio and video playback that misses deep, bass-heavy tones. Instead it replaces rich, premium audio output with tinny notes and voices that are almost warped when watching video content with any amount of dialogue.

Furthermore, despite a number of handsets, such as the HTC Sensation XE, now coming boxed with a pair of impressive in-ear audio buds to further enhance your sound experience, the Samsung Galaxy W lands packaged with a pair of poorly constructed, tacky plastic buds. These offer no reassurance of quality at first glance, and their performance matches their unappealing physical appearance.

Aside from these audio issues, the Samsung Galaxy W's 3.7-inch screen offers a pleasant base on which to enjoy video content, with the Google-brimmed handset coming pre-loaded with the YouTube app, enabling quick access to hours of video content on the move.

Other media offerings on the Samsung Galaxy W include the incorporated FM radio and the ability to perform minor edits, such as cropping and simple contrast alterations to images shot with the device.

Battery life and connectivity

One of the often maligned features of modern smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy W's battery is highly impressive, with the handset breezing past the hump of a single day's heavy use and easily getting through a second day without the need for further charging.

Thanks to its 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery, the Samsung Galaxy W touts a claimed eight hour 20 minute talktime life, with 3G enabled, and up to 420 hours standby time. Both figures ring true, with a day's regular use across calls, web-based activity and media features leaving the phone with around half of its juice still to spare.

Despite landing at roughly half the price of some of its top-end competitors such as the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-packing Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Apple iPhone 4S, the Samsung Galaxy W features a far superior battery life, thanks to its more conservative feature offerings.

On a connectivity front, the Samsung Galaxy W boasts a vast array of options, with the standard Wi-Fi and GPS offerings further bolstered by the integrated USB connector and Bluetooth 3.0 options.

While the handset is fast to access wireless networks and boasts strong connectivity once signed up, the phone can also be used as a Wi-Fi hotspot, to offer wireless internet connectivity to a number of further Wi-Fi-hunting gadgets. Simple to set up, the personal Wi-Fi hotspot feature is intuitive to manage, with resulting connectivity providing strong, speedy coverage.

Maps and apps

Thanks to its Google-branded Android innards, the Samsung Galaxy W comes pre-installed with Google Maps and the service's standard array of location and navigation-based features. Although a handy service to have lined up on your handset's home screen, the inclusion of Google Maps is no great surprise, with the software typical of virtually all other Android devices.

In terms of apps, the Samsung Galaxy W boasts two main outlets for users to fill their devices with post-production content and handy tools, games and the usual utilities, with the standard Android Market followed up by the Samsung Apps offering.

Replicating much of the app selection from the official Google store, the Samsung Apps outlet sees a number of apps land with considerably higher price tags than when bought via the Android Market. A prime example of this is Bejewled 2. Available from the Android Market for just £1.99, the same game from Samsung Apps costs £3.00.

While many will turn to the Android Market and Samsung Apps outlet for additional content, the Samsung Galaxy W comes pre-loaded with a hearty selection of app-based features that enhance the user experience and entertain.

Covering all bases with a selection of games, utilities and business-assisting apps, the pre-loaded offering, which features the likes of The Sims 3, Hangman, Polaris Office, YouTube and the standard Samsung Social, Music and Game hubs, often presents you with a tester of what can be further expanded and fully used for an additional price.

Hands on gallery

Official gallery

Verdict

Overall a very strong mid-range smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy W is not without faults. Combining strong hardware with strong software, a few cracks appear where the two join.

While the handset isn't the pristine, perfect product that some would hope, it is, however, one that pushes the boundaries of its sub-market expectations.

With a £249.99 PAYG price tag, or available for free on contracts as low as £25 per month, the Samsung Galaxy W proves great value for money, repeatedly exceeding expectations where it counts - in overall base performance.

We liked

Largely well designed, well constructed and well finished with Android 2.3 and the Samsung TouchWiz user interface, the Samsung Galaxy W surpasses the core abilities of a number of its closest competitors. It even rivals the performance capabilities of some handsets around£100 more expensive.

The handset's 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor makes the Samsung Galaxy W a joy to use for standard tasks, with smooth, quick transitions between applications enhancing the user experience and bringing some fluidity to the phone.

Elsewhere, the Samsung Galaxy W's browser is fast and simple to use, bolstering the online experience, while the 5MP rear-mounted camera offers up a surprise with its strong light management while shooting both stills and video content.

We disliked

Let down by the inbuilt speaker, the Samsung Galaxy W isn't a device targeted at the hardcore media-absorbing market. Nor is the smartphone particularly strong on the calling front, with distorted connections a considerable bugbear when using the handset on a long-term basis.

Final verdict

Strong in some areas, weak in others, the Samsung Galaxy W is a mash-up of the best and slightly below par offerings on the mid-range smartphone market for those users not yet ready to make the jump to the high-end and costly Samsung Galaxy S2.

A very impressive battery life far exceeds those of its higher-end, higher-priced rivals, while the intuitive interface and speedy processor offer a strong introduction to the smartphone scene for those who are adopting the well-priced Samsung Galaxy W as their first trip away from feature phones.

With the numerous benefits outweighing the negatives, the Samsung Galaxy W is an impressive offering for its price point, with premium components creating a strong all-round user experience.

Our columnist Gary Marshall points out that Microsoft's decision to prevent third-party apps on ARM-based Windows 8 desktops will only serve to confuse.

He's right. And, what's more, it horribly hobbles ARM-based Windows 8 hardware to the extent that Intel will be rubbing its hands together with glee.

Last September I suggested that ARM-based Windows 8's lack of legacy app support was the elephant in the room for the OS. It still is.

People won't understand they can't just download and install legacy apps on something that looks like a standard Windows 8 desktop. That's not what Windows means to people.

OK, so there will be Office 15 apps and other bits and pieces pre-installed, while we will have plenty of lovely third-party apps using the Metro interface. But the ARM Windows 8 desktop won't be a flexible experience.

And that can only mean customers will turn away – indeed, I feel that this news means that manufacturers will play it safe and we'll only see a few ARM-based Windows 8 tablets at the launch of Windows 8, rather than the plethora of multipurpose devices I'd hoped for.

You see, people will expect Windows 8 devices to give them options. New possibilities. They won't want an iPad 3 alternative that has a bit of old Windows tacked on.

It's up to Intel

We knew that x86-based devices would still dominate the Windows 8 landscape. But we had hoped that ARM-based Windows devices would take the OS beyond the traditional PC and give us some really exciting tablet-laptop hybrids that could be used for work or play. The single device to suit every occasion.

I was looking forward to having an ARM-based Windows 8 convertible running a chip like the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, where I could use Metro in tablet mode but also get the full laptop experience with a keyboard and the Windows desktop when needed.

Now it seems that many of these more complex and interesting devices will end up being Intel-based, rather like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga we loved so much at CES 2012.

IDEAPAD YOGA: We'll be seeing a lot more Intel-based convertible Windows 8 devices

And that'll be because manufacturers know what will sell. To be frank, people are so used to looking for something with Intel inside.

Intel made it clear at CES that touch-based Ultrabooks will be with us for Windows 8, and many of these could be convertible devices using the Core series of processors.

Intel is keen to make inroads into the tablet market and recently announced the Atom chip it hopes can compete with ARM in many phones and tablets.

Despite the Atom's relative lack of power and battery life compared to the best ARM silicon, it will be rather happy at the possibilities that Windows 8 can bring.