| Category: | Computers & Electronics |
| Product Type: | Handheld Computers/PDAs |
| Manufacturer: | Xda Atom - Microsoft, Windows Mobile |
The good: Compact size; good battery life; built-in Wi-Fi connectivity; onboard FM radio; sharp LCD screen.
The bad: Slow camera operation; smudgy casing; echo feedback during calls; miniSD slot; mediocre speakers.
The bottom line: A fast Intel processor, the latest Windows Mobile OS and a rich feature set make the Atom an almost-ideal PDA-phone for those willing to sacrifice an integrated keyboard for compactness.
Features:
This is not the first Windows Mobile 5.0 device and most people are already familiar with the enhancements such as its revamped Office applications. Instead of Pocket Word and Excel, you now have Word Mobile and Excel Mobile, with added support for embedded images, tables and charts.
By integrating wireless LAN into the Atom, O2 has finally resolved one of the biggest complaints from Xda II mini owners--the lack of onboard Wi-Fi. Previously, mini users had to buy an additional SDIO Wi-Fi card which took up precious SD expansion slot space in order to enjoy wireless connectivity.
With the Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, the Atom enables users to watch encoded videos as they commute… if they do not mind the sluggish video playback. Music playback, as expected, is of satisfactory quality. The stereo speakers located near the directional pad packs quite a punch when you play MP3s out loud. However, we noticed the speakers cracking up at the volume of 75 percent and above. Another glitch we discovered when we set the phone to vibrate or silent mode was a buzzing sound where audio was supposed to play. This was evident when you played Bubble Breaker in vibrate or silent mode. With game sounds turned on, do take note that there are two volume controls on the Atom: The main volume control that comes standard on all Pocket PC phones; and the volume control within the Equalizer application. If you should detect that volume is too soft, do ensure that both volume controls have been adjusted to optimal levels.
The radio feature is activated as with any other application on the Atom. It can be configured to one of the four reconfigurable buttons if it's a function you use often. However, the earphone must be connected to activate the FM radio, much like most phones and MP3 players with FM radio, as this works as an antenna.
Disappointingly, the receiving party tends to hear echoes during a call and picks up too much environmental noise. There were also a few occasions when calls were unexpectedly disconnected due to weak signals; for example, when commuting on the train.
Another interesting anomaly we found was persistent vibration when the PDA-phone was switched off amidst SMS notification in vibrate mode. We wonder if it's a special feature that prompts the user to respond immediately with its continuous buzzing or simply a hardware hiccup.
The speaker function is activated by holding on to the talk button. Surprisingly, it is quite an improvement from the Xda II mini. Likewise, the Atom's 2-megapixel camera takes better pictures and provides a strong blinding flash for taking photographs in low-light condition. However, we found the photos a tad noisy under dim lighting.
Its 128MB of ROM is sufficient for a normal user. Power users can simply purchase a high-capacity miniSD card and install more applications on the media. The Atom also comes with persistent storage which retains all your data when the battery runs out.
O2 has also provided some software of its own. Two noteworthy ones are O2 MediaPlus and O2 SMS Plus. The O2 MediaPlus is an all-encompassing application that enables the user to play any video, music, FM radio or view pictures in a user interface that's akin to the Windows Media Center PC style. O2 SMS plus, on the other hand, is an interesting SMS software that allows you to text message in a chat-style format.
Performance:
Based on the specs given, the Atom is expected to last for 150 hours on standby and 5.5 hours of talktime. On normal usage, the Atom survives for one to two days before its 1,530mAh cell drains. The battery itself is removable, and more can be purchased as standbys.
In terms of processor speed, the Atom's zippy Intel PXA27x 416MHz processor is comparable with the 416MHz chip on the O2 Xda II mini. It handles multitasking competently without signs of lag. As Windows Mobile does not support the closing of applications, all the programs are running in the background. A soft reset is recommended regularly to keep the PDA-phone speedy.
Conclusion:
The Xda Atom does look good in its piano black shiny casing with its sexy curves. It also packs all the bells and whistles that every PDA and phone user lusts for, including Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile OS. It is, indeed, a good phone for users who favor size over an integrated keyboard. In a comparison with its rival, the Dopod 818 Pro, the former's processor speed and integrated FM radio give it an edge up. The Dopod 818 Pro, though, packs an SD expansion slot and quadband GSM support as opposed to the Atom's triband capability.
If you already own the Xda II mini, there are no spectacular improvements offered. So there is no need for an upgrade to the Atom unless you really need Wi-Fi, an FM radio or some functions that are associated with Windows Mobile 5.0.
Overall Performance - Improves overall performance. Reconfigures memory system to allow more storage memory available to Outlook (PIM) data synchronization and to programs that must be run under primary storage space.
MMS client - Updates MMS software to 4.0.0 (Build 111) that supports insertion of multiple photo/video images.
GSM software - Provides better handling of GPRS, EDGE connection. Improves RF performance in weak signal areas.
Camera software - Improves performance of camera application and camera start up time. Adds a new video capture mode. Improves performance of album application.
Audio - Increases output level from stereo headset.
Resolutions to following issues:
Night mode issue in camera
SIM issues in some Gemplus USIM card
Making voice call when STK is running
Compatibility with certain type of STK applications
Using CSD as wireless modem
Hang issues in Windows Media Player while playing certain mp4 files
