Make smart calls

GIZMO GALLERY

Smartphones, like the HTC TyTn II, Asus P320 and iMate's Ultimate 8502, have not compromised on size. These are brick-like phones, which promise to deliver an unexpected performance.

The HTC's TyTn II owes its bulky exteriors to the keyboard that slides out of the casing. It uses Windows Mobile 6.0 which helps users opt for either landscape or portrait formats. A 2.8 inch screen reorients the format when the keyboard is pushed open.

In comparison, Asus's P320 PDA fares badly. The tiny dimensions of P320 discourage typing long emails.

There's no sliding keyboard and the only way to manoeuvre is the rather helpless on-screen Windows Mobile keyboard. It is not only cumbersome but also irritating to type using Windows Mobile's small check boxes and scrollbars that are rather inappropriate for a 2.65 inch screen.

To be fair, Asus has included its own finger-friendly launcher software that easily initiates P320's applications and settings without looking for the stylus.

Talking of keyboards, the iMate Ultimate 8502 is a pleasant surprise. A QWERTY keyboard is not everyone's favourite but iMate has managed to give a pyramid-like shape to each key. Result "" the keyboard is a breeze to master specially for the existing Blackberry users who would like a Windows mobile.

The camera interface of TyTn II is thoughtfully optimised for finger navigation. For a 3-megapixel camera, the quality isn't the best one could expect but it does the job. You can expect decent images indoors or in bright light.

Asus, on the other hand, has just a 2-megapixel camera with no flash. The OMAP850 200MHz processor chugs occasionally when launching applications like camera interface and the 64 MB of RAM isn't the most charitable we have seen.

The iMate 8502 comes with a 2-megapixel camera but has included an LED for taking shots in low-light conditions. But a lack of image stabiliser means that the iMate user needs to have a steady hand while taking pictures.

The iMate 8502, that is equipped with a 400MHz processor and only 256 MB of ROM memory, doesn't really offer a wait-free experience. Screen refreshes and new application launches can take up to few seconds when other applications run in the background.

The Asus P320 is one the few entry-level smartphones to include a GPS sensor, which should be seen as icing on the cake.

HTC's TyTn II comes with a GPS chip for navigation making it a powerful stand-alone navigation device.

All the three phones fit the bill for those searching for a Windows-based professional device, featuring global GSM and 3G roaming, WiFi, GPS and QWERTY in a well-size body, just like the Nokia E90.