alaTest Trends: May 2011
Those of you who are regular readers of our blog probably remember our last alaTest Trends article from back in March. Back then, the most popular products on alaTest were the Nokia C7, Sony Ericsson Xperia X8, LG LE5300 Series LED TVs, Canon EOS Rebel T2i, and Sony KDL-HX800 Series 3D TVs. But as expected in the technology world, trends are constantly shifting, and we have a new set of top items based on our data from May 2011.
The HTC Desire HD has been in at least the top 5 smartphone spot ever since its launch in October of 2010. It is beginning to show its age, though only slightly, with newer smartphones outperforming it in some areas, but this certainly doesn’t make it a poor choice. In fact, with the HTC Desire S now available, prices for the Desire HD have been falling substantially, making it an excellent deal. These price drops, paired with its still high-end smartphone status, are surely the reason for the Desire HD’s recent jump in popularity.
While still a perfectly reputable name brand in the digital camera industry, Panasonic is not generally among people’s first choice, often preferring Canon, Nikon, or even Sony; however, the LX5 presents a unique space in the digital camera market. It features a quality image sensor and superb lens, but then, so does its competitors. What makes the LX5 popular is its size, representing a middle ground between traditional compact cameras and “EVIL” models (those smaller than DSLRs but still featuring removable lenses and SLR-sized image sensors). The LX5 gives you better quality than a compact, while remaining lighter (and cheaper) than an EVIL camera.
A trend in the trends is beginning to form here. If you might remember, one of Nokia’s smartphones held the number one spot in our last alaTest Trends article. Despite dropping down to 3rd, Nokia remains in our top five with the N8, a brilliant little smartphone, loved and revered for its versatility and network compatibility. The Nokia N8 is one of only several smartphones to feature a Pentaband 3G radio, meaning it’s compatible with nearly all GSM cell providers in the world. The N8 is also quite affordable, sometimes as much as $100 cheaper than comparable smartphones.
The PowerShot SX30 IS is basically a DSLR camera at a digital compact camera price. Though technically classified as a compact camera, the SX30 is far from compact; however, many feel that it’s a small price to pay for the stupendous lens it comes with, featuring an astounding 35x optical zoom. As a fully manual camera, it appeals to entry level professional photographers, but it still features enough automatic modes for anyone looking for a camera that can take amazing photographs in almost any situation.
5: Philips PFL970H Series LCD TV
HDTVs are still a very strong seller, and the Philips PFL970H Series is not only one of our top 5 most popular products, but also the top ranked HDTV on alaTest. It’s a bit pricier than most HDTVs in its class, but you really won’t find deeper black levels or richer, natural color anywhere else. Its advanced image processor also allows you to apply post processing motion effects without the odd distortion some other TVs create when watching Live Action.
