| A bit plain to look at, the display screen does not look trendy, as it offers only 65K-colour on a 7.1 cm screen. The Asus P535 Pocket PC features an Intel Xscale processor running at 520 MHz speed, and 256MB Flash ROM and 64MB SDRAM which does not disappoint. Touted as a GPS device, the Asus P535 includes the TomTom Navigator software. |
| But the user experience depends on the availability of maps and map functionality, on the region the user is located and the service provider. |
| Asus has priced its debut PDA at a steep Rs 37,800 with a one-year warranty and a 1GB Mini SD card bundled along with it. It also contains a 2.5 mm audio jack, a microphone and mini-USB port. |
| With the USB port, you can sync the mobile phone to your PC, though this port also acts as the charging port. The ASUS P535 also offers a 2.0 megapixel camera, speaker, and flash unit. Furthermore, the batteries can last for about 7 hours, which is satisfactory. |
| O2 Xda Flame "" There is no doubt about the importance O2 puts on screen size. The 3.6 inch screen looks pretty large when you have gotten used to viewing those minute 2.7 or 2.8 inch screens. The controls are pretty simple and traditional. The Xda Flame is designed for those who want to have everything in their pocket. |
| The phone comes equipped with a vibrant 640x480 pixel touchscreen and a 2GB on-board memory that allows one to save almost anything from photos and videos to music in the phone. It also features a built-in FM radio. |
| Another notable feature is its capability connect to a TV or projector for viewing slide-show presentations or video. The built-in graphics chip helps a lot and allows playing of videos clearly on the device as well as on the TV set. The Xda Flame also comes with USB host capabilities. |
| The tricky bit is the Xda Flame's retail price of Rs 39,990 (one-year local warranty). The battery life performance, although not really stellar, was sufficient to complete over 24 hours of basic PDA and phone use. |
| If you frequently surf the internet using any of its wireless features or enjoy the multimedia capabilities of this device in your spare time, in addition to the standard voice calls and SMS, it would be best to invest in a car-charger, as well as a spare battery. |
| The i-mate JAMA hopes to crack the ice by making a Pocket PC available for just Rs 15, 990. As this is a low-budget pocket PC phone, it does not include all the latest technologies and features. |
| As a pocket PC, i-mate has bundled the i-mate Media Control Panel "" a plug-in that allows you to access the Media Player's functions from the home screen; i-mate Profile Controller, that allows for the modification of sound profiles and quickly switch between them from the Today screen; i-mate Configurator, which automatically configures GPRS settings to access the internet; and Club i-mate Email for accessing the Club i-mate email service. |
| Then, there's the i-mate suite containing i-mate i-View, which allows you to access files on the PC from the mobile device; and i-mate Backup, for wireless saving and restoring of data. |
| JAMA lacks Edge and Wi-Fi capabilities, leaving GPRS as the only option for internet connectivity. As the i-mate JAMA packs in a mediocre processor, it explains the longer loading times while launching applications, especially if there is a large number of programs running at the same time. |
| The JAMA embeds a 2.0 megapixel camera, but the thing one notices is that it doesn't include the usual array of shooting options. You can change the brightness; the white balance to sunlight, cloudy, fluorescent, incandescent; there is also a 6x digital zoom, a 5 seconds timer, and a burst mode that can shoot pictures in succession. |
| One thing worth mentioning here is that the "close" button found in the upper right corner does not really close applications, but only sends them in the background, so you will have to constantly access the Task Manager to close them to free up memory. A tedious task by all means. |
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