Helio's added a few new moves to the Ocean since we last saw it. Did they make all the right changes?
Review summary of the Helio Ocean:
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 The updates to the Helio Ocean don't address most of our concerns, but we didn't have many to begin with. The video performance is still lagging, evident in the new, impressive YouTube app. The camera is still sub-par. But the Garmin Mobile app for navigation is a real mapping tool, better than Google Maps. And, we liked the improved Buddy Beacon, even though we wish for Facebook integration through the rest of the phone. All in all, the Ocean might be a little large for phones these days, but it gets even more impressive as Helio continues to improve it. Release: May 2007. Price: $200.
Pros: Upload YouTube videos taken with the phone. Excellent address book. Great messaging section. Able Web browsing. Strong GPS sensor.
Cons: Disappointing video performance. Some reception issues. Keyboard a bit cramped. Lousy camera. Google maps can't navigate for drivers.
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Full Helio Ocean Review:
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Editor's Note: Check out our original review of the Helio Ocean here.
Helio's Ocean was always a little more advanced than the rest of their phone lineup, more of a multimedia smartphone than a simple messaging device. Since it was released, Helio has updated the Ocean in significant way, adding features and even addressing some of our original concerns. Features like Exchange e-mail support make the Ocean a bit smarter, but it was the multimedia improvements that made us most interested in taking a second look.
YouTube - Very good
Helio's YouTube app looks even better than the similar program on Apple's iPhone, with a polished looking interface and easy searching, thanks to the Ocean's real, QWERTY keyboard. We had no trouble logging onto our YouTube account and finding our favorites. We were even more surprised to be able to upload videos directly from the phone, using the phone's built-in camera. The quality wasn't great, as we'd expected since we weren't thrilled with the camera in our original review. Still, the feature is unique, and we're sure there's an audience for this concept.
We would have liked to see better playback from the YouTube client, as well. Videos occasionally had trouble starting, taking a long time or giving us an error message. Also, often videos seemed more blocky at the start, but improved as the buffer filled. The video experience didn't look nearly as good as it does on the desktop.
Web browsing - Very good
Helio's original browser on the Ocean wasn't bad, for a mobile browser. But, apparently the phone's fan base found their way to the Opera Mini browser, and Helio has finally answered their requests and made the browser officially available. Opera Mini is a very competent, very good looking Web browser. Most pages, including our own homepage, came out looking just as they did on our desktop browser. We especially like the zoom-in window, which lets you choose which section to blow up. It made navigating very easy with the phone's four-way button.
Navigation - Very good
Garmin mobile doesn't look so advanced, but it's a much better navigation option than Google Maps was. Google Maps couldn't follow you through turns, you had to press a button when you wanted the next step. Garmin Mobile is a full-fledged navigation program, complete with voice directions and real-time tracking. The phone has a sharp GPS sensor, it often found us buried in our daylight-deprived cubicles.
Helio's Buddy Beacon has also seen some improvements. Though Buddy Beacon is no longer owned by Helio, in many ways it offers some of the best location-based services on the device. First of all, though Helio offers a proprietary MySpace app for their phones, the Buddy Beacon can now chat directly with a Facebook page, updating your profile to reflect your current location. Second, the Buddy Beacon still uses Mapquest, which is one of the sharpest looking mapping programs for mobile phones. We wish the rest of the phone would catch up with these solid choices.
Price and availability
The Helio Ocean is available from Helio for $200 with a contract agreement. A mail-in rebate of $100 is available.
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