O2 Xda Exec - Part I - The Externals

O2 Xda Exec Review Part I - The Externals Supplier: O2 Manufacturer: HTC Product: Xda Exec Colour: Black / Gunmetal Grey Cost: From £399 with contract from 3rd October Supplier Web Site: http://www.o2.co.uk/xda Supplier Product Web Site: TBA Manufacturers Page: http://www.htc.com.tw/ The 4WM web site (thanks to it's close working relationship with O2) has been granted the chance to take a look at one of the new high specification Windows Mobile 5.0 machines which are now launching on to the market place. We are of course talking about the O2 Xda Exec (HTC Universal), the PDA which uses a revolutionary design to offer both a clamshell and portrait case form factor. The Exec has been drawing interest throughout the world as being an amazing machine, and even spotlighted in the Mobile & Embedded DevCon (MEDC 2005) conference by Bill Gates himself. So is this machine as fantastic as is claimed? Read on to get the full story! For your delectation all photographs are thumbnails which may be clicked on to load a image. Official Specifications System Information Processor Intel Bulverde CPU at 520 MHz Memory - ROM : 128 MB, RAM : 64 MB Operating System Windows MobileTM Version 5.0 Display LCD Type 3.6” transflective TFT-LCD with back-light LEDs, touch-sensitive screen Resolution 640 x 480 with 65,536 colours Alignment Support Portrait and Landscape GSM/GPRS (Tri-band) Module Functionality GSM/GPRS (900, 1800, and 1900) and WCDMA Mode Dual (UMTS & GSM) Internal Antenna Yes Camera Module Type Main Camera : Color CMOS with dust-proof cover Second Camera : Color CMOS Resolution Main Camera : 1.3 M with Flash/Video Light, Full Screen Preview, with support for QQVGA to 2.0M Second Camera : with support for QCIF to CIF Camcorder Resolution Main Camera : Support Sub-QCIF to QVGA resolution Second Camera : Support Sub-QCIF to CIF resolution Physical Dimensions 81mm (W) x 127.7mm (H) x 25mm (D) Weight 285g (with battery) Expansion Slots SDIO/MMC Card Yes Controls and Lights Navigation Buttons 5-way navigation pad - 3 program buttons : Backlight, Voice record/Voice recognition, Camera - 2 phone functions : Call, End - Volume control slider - Power On/Off - Reset button Keyboard QWERTY type, 62 keys LED Bi-color LED on the right side: Green and Orange for GSM standby, SMS message, GSM network status, notification, battery charging status. Bi-color LED on the left side: Blue and Green for Bluetooth system notification of powered-up and ready to transmit radio frequency signal, and Wi-Fi status. Audio Audio Controller AGC Microphone/Speaker Built-in/Dual, Hands-free Headphone AMR/AMRWB/AACMP3 stereo Connection Infrared IrDA FIR I/O port USB, SDIO/MMC Antenna External connector for WCDMA and GSM/GPRS Audio Stereo earphone/microphone jack In The Box The O2 Xda Exec supplied to 4WM is a pre-release machine meaning that the hardware is finalised but that the ROM has yet to be updated to the final build which will ship out on the retail machines. The machine was also supplied in an unbranded box without the O2 livery, so at this time we are unable to show you what the retail box will look like. Due to these factors at this time we will review the hardware aspects of the machine and cover the ROM and applications at a later date. The box when opened contained: 1 x Xda Exec 1 x Mains power charger (uses mini-USB) 1 x USB to miniUSB cable (for connection to the PC) 1 x 1620mAh 4.2VDC Li-ion Polymer Battery 2 x styli (one is in the machine) 1 x wired head set 1 x Slip case (no belt holster) The case that is supplied with the Exec is sadly disappointing, no belt clip and just a plain slip case - constructed of padded leatherette (vinyl) - leather at least could be expected but no such luxury here The Device In Detail The first aspect of the Exec to blow your mind is the styling - this is the most beautifully styled PDA that I have ever come across, and included within that statement is every PDA I've owned; from the Psion 5MX, the iPAQ's and the prior models in the Xda range. The basic design style from HTC is outstanding but O2 have enhanced this with the charcoal and black colouration and the raised O2 logos. Every line on the Exec is smooth and contoured, there are no rough edges here at all indicating poor manufacturing. Looking at the 'cover' of the Exec you can see the central O2 logo and above it the piercings for the speaker which is used when the device is closed and being used as a phone. There are two indicator LEDs embedded into the right and left outer spines of the hinges: Bi-color LED on the right side: Green and Orange for GSM/WCDMA standby, SMS message, GSM/WCDMA network status, notification, battery charging status. Bi-color LED on the left side: Blue and Green for Bluetooth system, notification of powered-up and ready to transmit radio frequency signal, and Wi-Fi status. The left hand edge of the Exec details (left to right): The on/off (standby switch) - as with all HTC devices press and hold to toggle backlight on and off The microphone (above the SD slot mid-way between power switch and the SD slot) MMC/SD Cards or SDIO Accessories Slot - Lets you insert a storage card (MMC/SD) for storing data, of fit an SDIO device The front control panel sports the following again left to right): Left hand side stereo speaker Camera button - press once to load the camera, press again to take a picture Voice button - Press to load the voice recognition program, or press and hold record a voice note. IrDA - InfraRed port - Lets you exchange file(s) or data with other devices wirelessly. Backlight - Press to turn on the backlight. Volume - Slide left or right to adjust the volume. Again here you just have to admire those lines. The control panel buttons are slightly recessed into the body of the housing, this means (for me at least) that I do not have to have the button lock on while the Exec is in my belt holster** - a first for a PPC device! ** - The holster which I use is that used originally for my Psion 5 MX Pro, and can be found here from Vega Holsters. It fits the Exec perfectly and I in fact use it as my preferred belt case for all PPC machines. The back and spine of the Exec hold: Send/Speakerphone button - Press to take an incoming call, or to dial a number. Keep pressed for one second to activate the Speakerphone. End button - Press to end a call. Stylus and Stylus Slot WCDMA Car Antenna Connector (blanked) - Connect your WCDMA phone to an external or car antenna GSM Car Antenna Connector (blanked) - Connect your GSM phone to an external or car antenna Sync Connector - For synchronizing data or recharging the battery (USB 2.0) Soft Reset - Press the Reset button with the stylus to soft-reset your device Earphone Jack - Allows you to listen to audio media or use the phone’s hands-free kit. It should be noted that the jack is a 3.5mm plug which means that most common stereo headphones can be used! The bottom of the Exec (which acts as the base most of the time while on the desk) has been thoughtfully fitted with four soft rubberised feet which serve both to give the device a firm footing as well as prevent it sliding along the desk while typing on the keyboard or tapping on the screen. The base also contains: The camera lens for the 1.3mPixel camera Flashlight Battery cover / lock O2 logo The battery lock slides down the body and releases the battery cover which flips out slightly to allow easy removal. Once removed you have access to the inside of the machine allowing you to mount your 3G SIM card and the 1620mAh 4.2VDC Li-ion Polymer Battery. One these have been mounted you can gently slide and press the battery cover in to place. One worry I've always has using PDAs (or phones) with cameras is that of damage to the lens while being used in the real world. This issue has been thoughtfully addressed by HTC as the actual lens itself is within the body and access is granted to via a 'glassed' in port within the battery cover. Clever! The Styli The styli supplied with the Exec are weird, no excuses, no denials they are weird. The construction is made from both plastic and aluminum and curves abound along every face. Bend tests carried out indicate that the plastic portion has a relatively high bending moment (for the engineers out there) and is pressed tightly into the aluminum, so you will have no concerns about the plastic coming adrift or snapping off. The stylus slides smoothly into its housing within the body and is held in by frictive forces aided by what feels like a weak spring clip which engages into the groove on the stylus body. The spring clip provides just enough force to hold the stylus in position whilst allowing a smooth easy withdrawal once you want to extract it from the body. Modes Of Operation The primary mode of operation for the Exec is probably that of a mini-laptop, that is in clamshell mode. Once the lid has been raised and positioned to a comfortable angle (free positioning through approximately 165 degrees) the main screen and keyboard are revealed. The 640 x 480 VGA screen is the almost standard 3.6" across the diagonal dimension and in operation is bright and clear (see later). To the left of the screen is the joy pad and action button along with the secondary smaller camera. The joy pad directions automatically change depending on the orientation of the screen (clamshell or portrait) which is pretty useful! The secondary camera is primarily used for video conferencing whereby it will record your video stream for forwarding on to your partner in the call. Keyboard The other half of the clamshell design of course holds the keyboard as well as the backlight sensor which is located immediately above the 'Xda Exec' name, this serves to measure the brightness of the ambient light and determines whether the keyboard backlight is needed or not. The keyboard itself although relatively small is much bigger than the 'thumb boards' usually found on PDAs, and this means that those folks with large fingers need not worry there is plenty of room on each key and you'll not have any difficulty hitting any of the keys when typing at speed. The keys themselves are quite firm in operation and each time a key is pressed a 'mechanical' click is generated, loud enough to be useful without annoying. The keyboard itself follows the standard QWERTY layout for the main alpha-numeric keys although some of the secondary keys such as : " @, etc have to be accessed by using the blue FN key. Some symbol locations such as the @ symbol are more reminiscent of am American keyboard. Above the main QWERTY keyboard are the Exec's special function keys which allow you to access (left to right): Green Call Button - to pick up a call, make a call, or send a message. You can also enable or disable the Speakerphone by pressing and holding the key for one second. Left Hand soft key - used for interaction with WM 5.0 Contacts Button - defined as standard to load the Standard Contacts Application Video Call key - used to make a video-enabled call in a 3G environment Right Hand soft key - used for interaction with WM 5.0 End Call Button - used to end a call or cancel a message Other special keys which surround the lower part of the keyboard are: FN - Press once to enter a second-layer symbol or number; press and hold the key for continuous second-layer symbol or number entries EMAIL - Press to start the standard Email Application WINDOWS - Press to activate the Start Menu EXPLORER - Press to quickly start Internet Explorer Mobile SYM - Press to enter symbols or special characters from a predefined list OK - Press to verify your data entries / close windows So no shortage of key functions to use to interact with the Exec! Just below the keyboard are two rubber pillars which serve to ensure the screen does not strike the keyboard while the Exec is closed or that the hinge is stressed too much by being pushed too far closed. Twist and Turn! One of the unique features of the Exec is the ability for the machine to work in both clamshell and portrait orientations. As an engineer this was one of my causes for concern as I had doubts about the integrity of the hinge and it's operation. I'm happy to say that these worries were groundless the central pivot around which the hinge turns feels pretty strong and seems well constructed. The clockwise pivot action is achieved by the main hinge rising slightly from a dish bubble friction lock and once rotated through the 180 degrees a similar frictive lock holds it in the new position. This ensures that the screen can be rotated easily and yet once rotated is not easy to knock out of position. Remember though that the screen does only swivel in one direction - do take care to ensure you do turn it correctly. However if you do try and turn it counter-clockwise you will immediately feel the pressure against an internal lock-stop and will know not to try and turn it any more. So here we go with a pictorial twist and erm turn Size One of the major concerns folk seem to have concerning the Exec is it's size, I hear over and over again that 'it is an inch thick and weighs a heck of a lot'. Yes it is large, but in reality the size and weight are not issues. If you look at the size chart here you will see that it is actually shorter in height than the Xda II and the iPAQ 4705, and only 4mm thicker than the iPAQ 6515. The shaped contours also serve to effectively reduce thickness while closed, or in portrait mode, (it is extremely comfortable in the hand) and when open the size is eliminated if in desktop mode as you only interact with the keyboard and the screen. The higher weight does serve to ensure that the Exec sits well on the desk as most of the mass is under the keyboard which means you can tap on the screen with impunity, the Exec is not going to tip over backwards (unless you are tapping too hard). So for me at least as a 'power user' the size and weight is not an issue. Initial Booting Now that the actual design on the Exec has been explored we can look at actually using the device. After the SIM and battery have been fitted it must be connected to the charger and allowed to charge for at least 8 hours..... sigh... Once charged you can turn the Exec on and follow through the standard Windows Mobile 5.0 initialisation scenario; aligning the screen, setting up regional requirements, any passwords, etc. Once that initial set up has been completed the Exec will soft reset and load the O2 custom software. As per usual the device is locked at this point and you can not interfere with the process. The Exec when loaded with the release ROM will have certain special run modes available at this point, but as this is not a final build those are not documented here. Once initialisation has been completed you will have a fully functional Exec! As you can see the screen is very bright and clear indeed, and for those who have the need I can reassure you - yes it is readable in full sunlight. Of course the sun or decent lighting is not always available when you want to use the keyboard on the machine, and HTC have thought of that, the keyboard is nicely back lit, and the Exec has been fitted with custom O2 blue backlighting which I think looks way cool! Memory One of the main features within the Exec is the storage memory used. On older designs of machines your data (e-mail, contacts, calendar, settings, apps, etc) were stored in RAM. RAM has the advantage of being fast, but the major disadvantage is that it needs a continual power supply to retain data. Which means on older machines if the battery went flat you'd lost your information. Persistent storage eliminates these problems, you can flatten the battery completely and the Exec will lose none of your data! However after 72 hours of flat battery time, the real-time clock will be reset, so once charged the clock will need resetting - so if you have any time / date critical applications on your machine you need to make sure you reset the clock prior to running them! As the new 'persistent' ROM configuration is significantly different in it's requirements so the memory map has changed on the Exec. Gone are the WM2003/SE specifications of 64/128Mb RAM & 128Mb ROM, the Exec's memory is as follows: The Exec features 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM. The 128MB ROM is divided as: Windows Mobile 5 (Windows CE Core)+Common apps: 64Mb Extended ROM: 20Mb Remaining Storage size (Visible to the end user): 44Mb (or 43.5Mb in the screen shot) The 64MB Program Memory is completely separate to the 128MB area, and it is no longer possible to dynamically adjust storage and program memory, as in previous versions of Windows Mobile. Of this 64MB memory, about 50Mb (47.93 in the screen shot) is available after Windows starts up, loads it's drivers, reserves space for graphics, peripherals etc. The 50Mb is then used to run your system applications (Today applets, etc) and installed applications (Spb GPRS Monitor or other application) Hopefully that details the workings of the Exec's memory... phew! [Note: The screen shot was taken from the Exec after it had been loaded with a fair number of applications] Hidden Extras Hidden within the Exec are of course other hidden extras, which are not obvious, some of these features are: WiFi Bluetooth - 1.2 specification Persistent storage memory - which means even if your battery runs flat you should not lose any of your data Enhanced Camera system - which we will cover in the next part of the review USB2 interface - Ensures that data transfer to/from the machine operates at high speed External Pro's & Con's Pro's High level of styling and manufacturing quality Non-slip body coating Secondary Call / End call buttons on the hinge spine 1.3mPixel camera Flashlight Camera lens protection 3G video calling QWERTY keyboard Backlight on the keyboard Dual usage modes - clamshell and portrait BT and WiFi Speakerphone SDIO complaint SD slot Voice dialling (Bluetooth headset supported) Auto-change orientation of screen and joy pad Windows Mobile 5.0 OS Persistent storage memory Headset ear buds updated compared to earlier machines USB2 interface MS Voice NOT used for the voice dial system 3.5mm Jack Socket allows standard headphones to be used Can use standard SIM cards as well as 3G Can use high capacity (2Gb tested) SD cards 3G link supports simultaneous voice / data connections Very loud sound system through stereo speakers Con's Poor quality slip case that does not echo the quality of the machine External Conclusions Folks on 4WM (and other forums) have talked about the next Xda model for quite a while and theorised as to whether the product range can continue improve as per the original Xda and the Xda II. There was some disappointment with what the Xda IIi and IIs offered and therefore some skepticism as to whether the next machine would deliver. People wanted good phone features, battery life that was viable, WiFi, Bluetooth, a high quality VGA screen and more. With the Exec (HTC Universal) O2 have responded to the requirements of the users and more. For example one common annoyance was with the wired head-set - the ear buds used to commonly fall from the ears very easily, this has now been addressed and (in my ears at least) they stay in place. Hardware-wise the Exec is an exceptional machine and it serves to offer to the users the features they wanted and more. Voice dialling via Bluetooth headset, an improved Bluetooth stack, a QWERTY keyboard, and more. One useful 'feature' that may be of importance to those who want to buy the machine as the 'Universal' and therefore SIM free - you can use a standard SIM in the machine. If you do this of course you will lose the ability to make video calls or access the 3G network. The hardware that comprises the Exec is without compare and to date it is the most exceptional machine I've used on any PDA platform. External 4WM Rating: 98%