Windows Mobile Smartphone Goes 3G
If
you read our review of the HTC TyTN you’ll remember we said that HTC
has been quietly producing Windows Mobile Smartphones and Pocket PCs for others
for a considerable while, and had its own brand too – Qtek - but that
the company has ditched the Qtek brand and gone for a higher solo profile.
The TyTN is its first own-brand Windows Mobile Pocket PC and the MTeoR is
its first Windows Mobile Smartphone. Both are 3G.
HTC’s devices tend to get picked up by network operators, and we’ve no reason to think that won’t happen to the MTeoR. But at this stage it is available only in an operator free guise or with some contracts tagged on by third parties.
Probably the first thing you are wondering is how to pronounce ‘MTeoR’. Let us help. Say ‘meteor’. There you go.
The MTeoR is somewhat more stylish in looks than previous Windows Mobile Smartphones have been. This is in part due to its black and grey design, in part to its mostly mat finish, and in part to its sleek shape.
Let’s take those points in more detail. The MTeoR is just a shade thinner than other Windows Mobile Smartphones we’ve seen, but that shade is enough to make it feel more comfortable in the hand. It is taller than other Windows Mobile Smartphones, but not by a huge amount and not enough to cause us any concern. For the record the dimensions are 112.4 x 49 x 14.8 mm. The MTeoR feels comfortable in the hand and pocket, and while its 120g are perhaps a little paunchy (we like to think of 100g as a watershed weight) it didn’t especially weigh us down.
The colour scheme avoids shiny, blingy stuff and the use of greys and black works well to give an understated air of cool to things. Best of all, though, is the almost rubbery strip around the left and right edges, on the top section above the screen and on all the keys. It makes for a really nice non-slip texture which we found very positive.
In terms of features probably the most important point to note is that there is no front facing camera, so you can’t make video calls. Not everybody likes to make video calls, but it seems to us that removing the option completely is a bit of a false economy. Certainly network operators might think so.
The argument made by some vendors of handsets to businesses that leaving cameras out of handsets discourages people from taking shots of stuff they shouldn’t do in the office won’t wash here because there is a lens on the back of the casing for shooting stills and video. So we must assume that either HTC didn’t have room for a camera or that putting one in was too costly. Either way, we aren’t happy.
The back facing camera doesn’t exactly set our world alight, either. With a maximum stills image resolution of 1280 x 1024 it is definitely in the mid league, and with no flash unit or self portrait mirror its potential is rather limited. Now, if you are not a big fan of taking photos with your handset, then what it produces will probably be fine, but if you want to take even semi-serious shots, you should be looking at a different handset.
With Bluetooth and infra red both on board the wireless communications bases are covered fairly well. Only ‘fairly well’ because without Wi-Fi there is no hopping on and off of free networks for your email or Web browsing fix. You are going to have to use your 3G SIM for that. But we do like the presence of infra red, which is often a lot easier to use than Bluetooth for quick file swapping between devices.
Software- wise there is a standard bunch of applications that come with any Windows Mobile Smartphone, along with some useful extras. For music fans there is the Windows Media Player. Contacts, Calendar and Tasks synchronises with Outlook on your PC. Messaging takes care of email, MMS and SMS. Picture and Videos is a viewer, Voice Notes is on hand for recording little ‘memos to self’ and other audio. Java is supported, and Pocket Internet Explorer is your Web and Wap browser.
The basic suite is augmented by ClearVue’s readers for Microsoft Word and .rtf documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and PDF files. We find it a bit difficult to get too excited about these extra applications, as reading such files on the 2.2 inch 240 x 320 pixel screen is a bit testing. If you really need to read a lot of documents like these, maybe you should look at the much larger-screened HTC TyTN.
What matters with any phone is usability, and here HTC has done a very neat job. The number pad takes up about the bottom quarter of the front of the MTeoR, and above this sits an array of additional buttons. There are four minute ones that map to the Windows Mobile softkeys, Pocket Internet Explorer and the messaging software. There are Call and End buttons and another two that map to the Windows Mobile home screen and act as a back button. And there is a small but very responsive mini joystick for directional movement.
On the right edge of the casing is a shortcut that launches the camera and shoots stills, and another that if held down lets you make voice notes and if gently pressed lets you issue voice commands.
On the left edge is the a covered slot for microSD cards which you can use to add to the built in memory, and a jog wheel that is, among other things, ideal for moving through Web sites, as you can use it to scroll up and down, and press it to make selections.
The MTeoR will disappoint you if you are looking for a 3G handset with video calling capability, and also if you want a high quality camera. But if your heart’s desire is a handset suited to fast data access such as mobile email and the Web, and you want something smaller and neater than a keyboarded device for these activities, then the MTeoR could be ideal.
This review covers the above mobile phone only and does not address the performance of any 3G Network. The score is based on a 3G mobile phone checklist.
Copyright : You are advised that this material is the copyright of www.3G.co.uk and is our own personal view only. (C) All rights reserved 2005. Whist every care has been taken in the preparation of this review, the author nor 3G.co.uk cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of the information it contains, or consequence arising from it.
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