Full Review and Specification for the Gigabyte GSmart MW700 Review Review

GIGABYTE is better known for its laptops and for ultra mobile PCs with big screens and small keyboards. The GSmart MW700 is its first venture into the smartphone market.

GIGABYTE has recently launched a couple of Windows Mobile smartphones, and we've got our hands on one of the first - the GSmart MW700.

Gigabyte GSmart MW700 - Features

There is quite a lot of smart stuff in this, er, smartphone. It is a real pity that 3G is not included though, because apart from that there are plenty of other great features on the MW700.

The device includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and there is a GPS antenna too. GPS antennae are now so widespread that you could be forgiven for raising an eyebrow if a smartphone doesn't have one built in. Our review sample came with a copy of the TomTom navigation software pre-installed, and while you don't get that as standard, we can say it works very well indeed.

What you do get is a tracker utility that can use the GPS antenna to monitor how far you've travelled and how fast, so you could use the MW700 to monitor progress if you are training, for example.

Gigabyte GSmart MW700 - Barcodes mean business

There is a range of software built into the MW700 over and above what you get with Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional. Perhaps the most bizarre is QuickMark. You can use this to scan barcodes for information like website addresses. We couldn't get this to work with any barcodes we had to hand, but can see that it could be useful.

You also get an FM radio, voice recorder, and software for editing photos that can be taken using the two-megapixel camera, where the lens can be found on the back of the casing. This offers some rather fun features like embossing, as well as letting you draw on images, add frames and stamps.

Gigabyte GSmart MW700 - Size and resemblance

The GSmart MW700 bears a striking resemblance to the MWG Atom V, and while the two smartphones are not identical we'd say both are based on the same core design. They share the same overall dimensions of 116x59x14.95mm, which makes this smartphone just a bit too tall for its own good. Still, if you have chunky hands you might find it more comfortable to hold than some of its smaller relatives.

Size is not everything, and we are pleased that the fast processor helps the MW700 zip along at a very respectable speed.

Gigabyte GSmart MW700 - Verdict

The GSmart MW700 suffers from a fairly nondescript hardware design and it lacks 3G. But it does pack in some good features, and its processor is speedy.