Jul 06, 2005 08:10 PM
7593 Views
(Updated Jul 06, 2005 08:17 PM)
: Hi there, you might remember me from reviews such as Citibank’s service and the nokia 7610! well I’ve got another one for yawl, the O2 mini / i-mate jam (from here we'll just call it the o2 mini.cuz it's easier to type)
Anyways moving on, I’ll talk bout the phone on 5 basic parameters 1) looks 2) features 3) usability 4) add on's 5) to buy or not to buy!
1) looks - don't get me wrong this is the sweetest PDA phone that I’ve ever laid eyes on..yes it's small, nice smooth curves, sparkling display and just 9 buttons on the whole phone(no, this is not the keypad). This sharp looking PDA will definitely be da talk amongst your friends n u my friend..WILL BE DA MAN!! bottom line.. it looks good. no arguments there.
2) features - Stay with me - phone + pda * windows mobile = FUN!!! this phone comes packed to the gill with loads of features that are fun, convenient and effective to use. first and foremost, it has a phone, a regular run of the mill phone which is customizable with personalized ringtones n photos for each contact, u can create groups, download your own templates etc. the phone aspect is honestly not that great, it's just above average.. remember this is more of a PDA than a phone. the phone keypad is a virtual one which is large enough to key in numbers without the stylus, but more often than not you end up using the stylus anyway. it features a speakerphone too which is not very loud..Not as loud n clear as the nokias. bottom line..phone part is average. moving ahead, it also features a camera.. a 1.3 megapixel camera!!!! (don't get all excited, the camera isn't that great too) in daytime the camera is good but again not as good as a nokia 7610, but almost as good. the night mode really disappoints. the pics get all grainy and almost un-visible (if there is a word like that..). so think bout the camera as well..but the real strength of this camera lies in its video recording capability..the vid capture is crystal clear and amazing..best vid capture device that i've come across in it's class. it features a voice recorder as well, you can use it as a Dictaphone, which is very very effective and good. the pda also features WinMedia 10 player that means, it plays MP3s, WMV, WMA, Avi, and WAV files, sorry no AAC or realplayer support. but realplayer can be downloaded off their website n its free!.. you can use WAV or WMA files as ring tones. The phone's ring is clear and loud, with a strong vibrator!!!! Now What I really love about my o2 mini is the unparalleled video playback..by now i'm sure that we have all seen the playbak of vids on the nokia systems, but TRUST me when I tell u this..video playback is the best on this device..(o by da way did I mention that this has a 400MHz processor). this why I love my O2 mini!!! The vids are clear, smooth and sharp. I actually have the whole ace Ventura pet detective movie on my phone..it rocks!! (the movie and the phone)!!
3) Usability - bottom line - you cannot use this with one hand!!!! u need both hands!!! one for the stylus and the other for the PDA. yes, this phone is slightly bulky, but if the phone had enough keys you could have used 1 hand, but it doesn't! so there...
4) Add on's - mmmm this is where it is limitless.. let's see for starters, you can add upto 2 GB SD card, which will give u ample storage space. you can add a wi-fi card to it giving you unlimited wireless net access, you can add a virtual keyboard to it..(trust me u have to see the virtual keyb, it's too much to describe, so if u ever goto your phone vendor, ask him for it n check it out..unbelieveable!!!! ) and there is sooooo much more to it..just type in o2 accessories and run search.
5) finally - to buy or not to buy!!!! if u can afford it- buy it!!!! the PDA is simply awesome, I mean it has everything u could want in a phone especially the video playback. yes, it has bluetooth and IR as well... But then honestly this would clearly be a device which I would tag as ''BOYS TOYS''. it's expensive, but not really worth that much in India. I got mine free from Australia (because I have a very generous aunt). :) if u have the moolah - I would say yes!!!!!!, but if u have to stretch yourself to do it, then, think whether you could really make do without these features. specs 416 mhz ARM processor 64 Mb ram and 64 Mb ROM Supports SD and MMC expansion cards (upto 2 gb) Windows mobile 2003 pocket word, excel and powerpoint Windows media player 10 outlook express bluetooth and Ir USB connectivity to the PC WAV and WMA ringtones(no mp3 support for ring tones) AVI, WMV and MP4 video playback playsback MP3, wav and WMA Speaker phone + over 1 millon software, games and themes available off the net!!!!
