O2 XDA Graphite Smartphone - 4WinMobile Review
Well here we are! O2 have done their very best again and allowed 4WinMobile to review the new XDA Graphite Smartphone with Windows Mobile 6 Standard!
The unit deviates from O2's historically long relationship with HTC in that this device is manufactured by Asus and known as the Jupiter. The form factor is Candy Bar and is not too dissimilar in size from other O2 Smartphones such as the XDA IQ.
Supplier: O2 UK
Web site: O2
Product: XDA Graphite
Cost: £TBC
OS Version: Windows Mobile 6 Standard (CE OS 5.2.1616 Build 18120.0.4.0)
Please note the unit supplied was a pre-release package so no comment can be made on packaging or accessories as supplied. Once O2 confirm details we will post an addendum to the review.
As usual all pictures of hardware are links to larger images - just click on them to view in a separate window.
Hardware
The
O2 XDA Graphite is fairly typical of the new(ish) breed of WM6 devices and some recent Smartphone releases. Where it does out spec most of the competition is in the fact it has 3G connectivity. Hurrah! In the table below I have indicated the outline specifications...
| ITEM | SPECIFICATIONS |
|---|
| Processor | Intel PXA270 416MHz |
| Operating system | Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6.0 Standard |
| Network system | UMTS (3GPP Band I), Tri-Band GSM (900/1800/1900), GPRS class 10 |
| Memory | 128MB Flash ROM, 64MB SDRAM |
| LCD Screen | 2.2", QVGA (240 x 320), 65K color TFT LCD |
| Expansion slot | One slot for a micro SD card |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® v2.0 / USB v1.1 (Client + Host) /WiFi (wireless LAN) supported |
| Audio | 2.5 mm stereo earphone / microphone jacks, built-in speakerphone |
| Dimensions | 109.5 mm x 46 mm x 18 mm |
| Weight | 105 grams (with battery) |
| Battery | 1100mAh rechargeable Lithium-Ion |
| Battery life | Standby time: Up to 180 hours (GSM)/up to 220 hours (WCDMA) Talk time: 5 hours (GSM)/4 hours (WCDMA) |
| Audio/Video | Music formats accepted: MP3, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, and A/V Streaming supported |
| Internet browsing | HTTP and WAP2.0 |
| Messsaging | SMS, MMS 1.2 and E-mail |
| Ringtones | 40 channels polyphonic ringer & MP3 |
The front of the device, as seen above, hosts the usual features plus an extra camera for the 3G video calling.
As we've mentioned it, let's start with it. The camera in the top left and is used exclusively for 3G Video Calling. I have had a 3G phone since November 2005 and I don't think I have held a single video call yet. If any readers have, please start a new thread with the details as I am still unsure of the application's take up in the marketplace.
In the top middle is the speaker/earpiece and next to this in the top right is the Power/LED Status button. This would be a good point to introduce the table below giving the details of the LED....
| LED INDICATOR | STATUS |
|---|
| Static orange | Battery is charging. |
| Static green | Battery is fully charged. |
| Flashing green | Signal/network detected. |
| Flashing blue | Bluetooth is set to "On" or "Discoverable" |
| Flashing red | Event alarm/notification |
Next up comes the lovely bright 240x320 pixel LCD screen. This appears readable even in quite bright sunlight so that's great for outdoor use. I tend to have problems reading my Orbit in these conditions (but that also has a screen protector on).
Below this are the four hardware keys. The two outermost (i.e. extreme left and right) are the usual Windows Mobile 5/6 'soft' keys that change function depending upon what's displayed on the screen, by default on the Today screen, these would be 'Start' on the left key and 'Contacts' on the right key. The two centre keys are the Home (or Today) key on the centre left and 'Back' key on the centre right.
Below this is a bar containing the Send and End telephone keys with the, now fairly ubiquitous, mini-joystick/nipple (use whichever term you are comfortable with!). This mini-joystick is your control method for moving to/activating the relevant part of the screen and is fairly intuitive. That said, it can take some time if you move from a device with a stylus to one of these. It shouldn't be an issue for people moving up from what I shall loosely term standard mobile phones, such as a Sony Ericsson K750i or similar as the principle is similar for navigating the interface.
Last but by no means least is the number pad. Keys are reasonably wide but with little space inbetween. I haven't had a problem with them but people with more generously sized fingers or thumbs may find themselves pressing the key above or below too. If you fall into this category, I would 'try before you buy' to avoid any disappointment.
Now we'll move around the device to show you what does (or doesn't!) sit where....
What we see above (from left to right) is the left hand side, the top, the right hand side and the bottom edges of the Graphite.
The left hand side has the camera button and the volume up/down rocker. The camera button starts the camera application if not open and active or fires the shutter if it is. (More detail on the camera quality later). The rocker is to set the earpiece volume when not on a call or the in call volume if you are.
I'll cover the top and right hand edges together if that's all right with you. They're empty! So we can move on....
The bottom edge holds the usual suspects of microphone, mini-usb connector for power and a separate 2.5mm headphone socket. Firstly, Asus must be congratulated for not going down the HTC route and combining the headphone socket into the mini-usb connector, this means you can have the headset/earphones in AND charge the device! Hurrah! The downside is, its the not so standard 2.5mm socket instead of the more common 3.5mm. At least adapters are available to convert for stereo headphones....
On the extreme right are two tiny holes and they have no mention in the draft manual. Looking at them I can only suspect they are for a strap (the small cotton loop type) that some other types of phone come with. (If anyone knows any different, please let me know!)
Moving to the rear of the
Graphite we find the rubber lug at the top that covers the external aerial connector. Below this in a strip across the middle of the device are the loudspeaker (for listening to music/handsfree conversations, the 'mirror' for those oh so glorious self-portraits, the light for the camera and the camera itself which is a 2 mega-pixel device.
Lastly we have the battery compartment cover which just slides off to reveal the 1100mAh Lithium Ion cell. When this is lifted out access is gained to the SIM holder and the MicroSD card slot. It still grates me to have to turn off a device and remove the battery just to get at the storage card. I don't know if it's just me but it's very frustrating! I know most people don't go swapping out cards regularly but it's a pain when you need to!
The battery performs well in general use. I tried the Graphite with both a 'normal' sim and a 3G sim. Battery life is definitely shorter with 3G on and I would estimate it lasts about 10-15% shorter than without 3G active. If it were me I would disable 3G and just turn it on when I needed to.
Build quality is fine, the casing is a good quality plastic. I would have concerns about scratches though over the long term as plastic is not the most durable of substances. I would recommend a case of some description for protection.
Here's a comparative side-by-side shot with the i-mate SP5m.
As you can see the Graphite hasn't moved the design on much over the years. The size is slightly longer than the SP5M but quite a bit thinner.
Think of it as a modern take on the candy bar design and I don't think you'll go far wrong!
Software
This is where things now get interesting and a departure from the norm!
The
O2 XDA Graphite comes with
Windows Mobile 6 Standard. This is the new Smartphone package (its actually a little more than that but basically doesn't support touch screens). As you can see on the left, the full listing of applications is pretty extensive but not much customisation from O2. I would say this lack of customisation is welcome but others may choose to disagree. The thing is the lack of interfering allows me to make a comment about the stability and speed of Windows Mobile 6 without any distractions.
I am not going to run through all the applications, just comment on some of the more notable elements......
Let's start with
Internet Explorer Mobile. It works fine and seems to be a step up from that provided under WM5. O2 also set up some favourites such as O2 (naturally!), BBC, eBay etc. In fact its a nice rounded selection.
Next up is
Windows Media Player 10 Mobile and this is very good. My personal preference is still TCPMP but the Microsoft offering is a worthy player to kick things off with. There are still issues with support for a variety of formats such as DiVX, however, if AVI/WMV and WAV/WMA are all you use, you're covered.
For those not familiar with WM Smartphone devices, the
Settings section is where all the nitty gritty configuration is done. This is primarily a text based system using the number keys but allows access to all the usual suspects such as Connections, Owner Information etc.
The
Games folder only contains Bubble Breaker and Solitaire a bit stingy but they are confined by the user interface to a degree.
Voice Notes is an application probably unfamiliar to people without a Smartphone. As there is no input method other than the number pad, text notes aren't supported but you can use this app to record voice recordings and store them as notes. Like a mini-personal dictation machine for occasional use.
The
Accessories folder is a little different and contains....
- Calculator (Ok, we know about this one!)
- Default Settings - be careful, this defaults the device to factory fresh and deletes all files (equivalent to hard reset!)
- Digit Trainer - This is a voice trainer for number input
- Vocab Setting - This is quite a complex application and can be used to train for words you use such as contact names in your address book etc.
- Voice Commander - A control interface for the phone, from Microsoft.
Internet Sharing allows you to use the
Graphite as a GSM Modem. Connectivity options are via USB or Bluetooth Personal Area Network (PAN).
Excel Viewer is part of the Office Viewer suite and includes (PowerPoint)
PPT Viewer and
Word Viewer. Do not expect miracles from these applications, the Smartphone is not a device with which to write documents of this nature but it at least allows you to take some strategic documents around with you.
The
Java application allows you to install midlets, personally I have never used it nor ever had the need to but if you need to - its there!
Messenger & Windows Live I have combined as they are linked. Messenger we are all probably familiar with to some extent but Windows Live adds additional services such as search and e-mail (hotmail). Just be aware that having these live needs a data connection via your provider or an active wireless connection.
All the others are self-explanatory and I have only given you a flavour of what is provided. What I will say is the OS in this incarnation is nice and responsive and is pretty much ready to go out of the box, especially for new users to the platform. Sure advanced users will want to look at their favourite apps such as Facade, Pocket Informant and Resco's collection but they are not necessary to bring the experience to life!
In Use
Well, if you've come from a standard Nokia or Sony Ericsson device, you'll feel pretty much at home with the mini-joystick interface.
The
O2 XDA Graphite sits really nicely in the palm of your hand and all the buttons are within easy reach of your left thumb if you hold it in your left hand. Holding in your right hand restricts access to the camera and volume rocker on the left hand side for your thumb but is easily remedied as your index finger can activate them.
The radio stack appears to be very receptive and easily outshines both my Exec and Orbit on signal strength. Call quality is also very good. We are now, at last, getting to the point where call quality from Windows Mobile devices is approaching that of 'normal' mobiles.
3G data speeds seem on a par with my Exec so no problems there and wireless connectivity is fine, easily picking up my SSID hidden, WEP encrypted network and once the necessary details had been input, it connected first time.
The internal loudspeaker on the back of the device is pleasantly loud enough for casual listening to music/video or handsfree conversations. I don't know how well it would hold up in a car for handsfree, I suppose it depends on the car and speed! Naturally Bluetooth would be an option in-car anyway. My Plantronics headset was quickly identified and worked fine with the Graphite.
The Camera
An area where most HTC devices come in for criticism is the cameras. Over the years their efforts have been poor so it will be interesting to see how the Asus fares!
The shot on the left is a standard daylight shot of a pretty complex exposure with very high contrast areas and some real highlights and shadows. You can click on it for a full size image.
I think it's made a pretty decent stab of it actually. Exposure has retained the sky without burnout and some detail in the darker foreground. Clarity is OK if a little soft but perfectly usable. This was a 1600x1200 pixel image on super fine resolution, i.e. highest settings.
The camera can also be used for video too.
I think the camera is better than the HTC efforts and is to be commended. OK its not a 3MP device as found on some of the latest normal camera phones but its acceptable and perfectly usable. Camera manufacturers aren't going to be crying over it but for snaps and the latest craze in broadcasting/journalism for pictures from the public - it will do!
Pros & Cons
Pros
Windows Mobile 6 Standard
Microsoft Office Viewer at last
Half decent 2MP camera
Very good radio reception
3G (UMTS) connectivity
Mini-USB and headset/headphone socket are separate
Decent build quality with no major concerns
Cons
Headset/headphone socket is 2.5mm not 3.5mm
The Status LED can be a little difficult to read and covers all situations
You have to turn off and remove battery to get at the Storage Card - pet hate of mine!
Conservative in design and features
Conclusion
4WinMobile Rating : 90%
All in all a very good effort from O2 and Asus. A solid Smartphone in a consumer friendly but unstartling Candy Bar design. It will feel familiar to users new to the format and won't scare off users moving from a touch screen WM device.
The addition of 3G is welcome and the camera is of acceptable quality. The recent trend by HTC to combine functions onto the mini-usb connector has been resisted here by Asus and that has to be commended. They then shoot themselves in the foot by using a 2.5mm connector rather than 3.5mm but hey at least you can charge your phone with a headset in it!
The call quality is excellent as is signal strength, I had few issues and it outperformed both my Exec (not surprisingly!) and my Orbit (which is regarded as being pretty good for radio coverage).
The overall design I feel is quite conservative when you place it alongside such devices as the Vox which contains a keyboard and makes inputting details so much simpler. But it does what it does well and with minimum fuss. I think corporate users will take to this phone where they just need to be in touch and have calendar and contacts with them. Consumers will probably find it a useful form factor as a second or 'social' phone.
Recommended!
Linear Mode
Sponsors
