|
O2 delivers Windows PDA/smartphone
They really must be busy over at the Taiwanese HQ of phone manufacturer HTC. For in addition to T-Mobile confirming today it is going to ship HTC's MDA IV 3G Windows powered mobile, another network has announced that it is bringing that model's predecessor to the UK. Already on sale in a number of guises including the MDA III (T-Mobile), the device will now be available to O2 subscribers as the XDA IIi. The feature count stays the same though. So the XDA IIi boasts both GPRS and Wi-Fi, an Intel PXA272 processor that runs up to 520MHz, a 1.3 mega pixel camera, Bluetooth and much else. The device runs on the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC, phone edition platform and offers all the Windows staples such Outlook, Pocket Explorer, Windows Media for audio and video and Messenger.
Wi-Fi cards for MS phones
Wi-Fi is set to be this year's must-have feature for your mobile phone with upcoming models like Nokia's 9500 Communicator and Motorola's MPx all able to access the web at high speeds via wireless networks. But what if you already own a smartphone you have no intention of parting with? SD/IO Cards from both Sandisk and Socket are apparently compatible with O2's Microsoft based XDA II, although users report difficulties setting them up. We hear rumours too that Socket is readying an SD/IO Wi-Fi card that will work with Microsoft's Windows Mobile phones like the Orange SPV and Motorola MPx200. It is apparently in later stages of testing and is likely to be launched in the summer. Arguably the most useful thing about having a Wi-Fi card on a mobile is not for the speed of downloads of e-mail or web pages, but for knowing you can always get a decent connection rather than having to rely on occasionally flakey GPRS systems.
XDA III, or is that XDA IV?
When push comes to shove our favourite connected PDA of recent times is the O2 XDA II. We like its size, ease of use, upgradeability and big screen for web surfing. An Opera web browser (which is so much better than Internet surfing than Pocket Explorer) and a push e-mail for the XDA II would make us very happy, though we are told these aren't far way. It isn't just us in the XDA II fan club though. According to O2, which incidentally unveiled some pretty impressive figures today (click here for more) the XDA 2 accounts for more than third of the UK wireless handheld market. Not entirely sure what O2 means by that. In its release it says 'Handheld device is defined as a pocket-sized device aimed primarily for data and integrated wireless communications.' So does this include the Sony Ericsson P900, Orange Treo, Nokia smartphones? Only O2 knows.
UNVEILED: O2 Xda Zinc by AsusTek received FCC approval
Three FCC approvals for AsusTek within less than one week, not too bad. Looks like AsusTek finally takes the Windows Mobile business serious and - for AsusTek even more important - the Taiwanese ODM got some interesting customers, namely Vodafone and O2.
After Vodafone's VDA IV and O2's Xda Graphite, now the O2 Xda Zinc received the FCC approval. The Xda Zinc is the Pocket PC Phone Edition, we've seen before already under the code name "Mars II".
Basically, the Xda Zinc seems to compete with HTC's Hermes (which is also available from O2 as Xda trion but from O2 Germany only) but the Zinc's specs are are slightly different with strengths and weaknesses. For instance it's a single band UMTS (without HSDPA) and triband GSM/GPRS device only but sporting W-LAN b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 as well.
New Xdas announced from O2
O2 has announced that it will be releasing an updated version of its Xda II later this year - the Xda IIs. The smartphone is to include a slide out QWERTY keyboard as well as the long-awaited 802.11b wireless connectivity. Although it won't be available immediately, O2 has revealed that the handset will also feature BlackBerry push email service. O2 is suggesting that RIM's Connect software should be added to handsets at the start of next year (and presumably you'll be able to download the software for free if you've already forked out for the new handset). Expect to see the updated phone over here in November for around 449. A further model, the Xda IIi, will follow the upgraded model. This will include a faster 520MHz Intel PXA270 processor and a 1.3-megapixel camera.
O2 XDA II
General
|
Network |
GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900 |
| Announced |
2003 |
Status
|
Available
|
Size
|
Dimensions |
130 x 70 x 19 mm |
Weight
|
190 g
|
Display
|
Type |
LCD Touchscreen, 65K colors |
Size
|
240 x 320 pixels, 53 x 71 mm
|
Ringtones
|
Type |
Polyphonic (32 channels), WAV |
| Customization |
Download |
Vibration
|
Yes
|
Memory
|
Phonebook |
Photo call |
| Call records |
Yes |
| Card slot |
MMC/SD |
|
- Intel Xscale PXA 263, 400MHz
processor
- 128 MB RAM
- 64 MB ROM
|
Data
|
GPRS |
Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
| HSCSD |
No |
| EDGE |
No |
| 3G |
No |
| WLAN |
No |
| Bluetooth |
Yes |
| Infrared port |
Yes |
USB
|
Yes
|
Features
|
OS |
Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 for PocketPC Phone Edition |
| Messaging |
SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging |
| Browser |
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (PocketIE) |
| Games |
2 - Jawbreaker, Solitaire |
| Colors |
|
| Camera |
VGA, 640x480 pixels |
|
- Pocket Office(Word, Excel, Outlook)
- MP3/MPEG4 player
- Voice memo
- Built-in handsfree
|
| Battery |
|
Standard battery, Li-Po 1200 mAh |
| Stand-by |
Up to 150 h |
| Talk time |
Up to 3 h 30 min |
broadband best deals |
