Posted by Mia in
The communicator Glofiish X600 from E-Ten caused a lot of commotion on the market of devices of the series “all-in-one”. No wonder as it was the first budget model, equipped with a GPS-navigator, and FM-receiver, and a full set of communication tools. The model Glofiish X610 that came to replace it, among the rich arsenal of its capabilities, boasts also of a sensory management – the most fashionable feature at present.
Features and design
At a first glance it seems that the Glofiish X610 is almost not different from its predecessor, but a more detailed study shows that the appearance in general, and the control unit, in particular, have undergone major changes.
The first thing you will notice is the display – made on level with the shell and coated with glossy glass, it is ideally suited for finger management.
The body is made in black and gray colors – the front cover and the plastic edging around the perimeter are glossy, and the rear panel and separate inserts are made of nice soft-touch plastic.
Unlike other similar materials in general, no finger traces are left on it. In general, Glofiish X610 is heavy (132 g) and medium in size (107 x 58 x 15 mm), it will be difficult to carry it in a shirt pocket, but it fits perfectly in a pocket of trousers, jeans or jacket. Generally, the device will please more men than women, because the strict form and the dark color give the new device aggressiveness.
Below is the video on the exterior of the new item.
The management block is – four soft keys and a rectangular cursor with the confirmation key in the center. In addition, all keys are noted for the precision of course, however, they loaf from side to side all the same.
Additional controls are presented on the side ends of the device. The power button is located in the right upper corner, in the lower there is a camera activation button. The left facet is more saturated – two volume buttons, programmable soft-button.
In addition, in the lower left corner of the front the connector minijack 2,5 mm is located; you can connect your favourite headphones to the X610 without using an adapter for miniUSB. And the communicator is connected to a computer using a standard cable, miniUSB, the corresponding connector is on the lower end. There is also a microSD slot for memory cards.
Unlike most budget communicators the stylus of the Glofiish X610 deserves the highest praise. The telescopic metal shell is thick enough to be convenient to keep in hand, and the edge lines are made of high-quality plastic – without rough edges.
In general, the design of the new item, although not original, looks quite harmonious. The availability of a sufficient number of additional keys, as well as an additional audio output for connecting any headphones deserves respect.
Productivity
Like its predecessor X600, the device that came to replace it is equipped with a Samsung SCC32442 processor with clock frequency of 400 MHz. This is not a very powerful processor, but it is enough for the work with a vast number of applications. In addition, this platform is particular for more power economy.
But the memory on board, even for a budget model is insufficient: 128 MB ROM and 64 MB of RAM, of which only 20 MB with a “tail” is available to the user, so in order to install additional programs, you will necessarily have to buy expansion cards. However, a similar situation, has been observed and in the model X600.
The productivity of the communicator has traditionally been tested with the help of the Spb Benchmark 1.6 package.
For comparison, are given the results for the communicator Glofiish X600 (Samsung SCC32442 400 MHz, 64 MB RAM and 128 MB ROM, Windows Mobile 6.0).
It is not surprising that the results were most similar – after all the platform of the predecessor, and of the model continuing the line is exactly the same. So those who have decided to change their “old” X600 to X610, desiring to increase the productivity of the device, should look for other, more “sophisticating” model.
Display
The novelty is equipped with the same screen as the model X600. This is a panel with a diagonal of 2.8″ display and a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. For a wide range of brightness, sharpness and high saturation of colors, as well as large viewing angles, this screen is quite worthy of commendation.
But the main advantage, and the difference from the model X600 is the absence of display skirting – the glossy panel is on one level with the body.
Of course, the low resolution does not allow enjoying movies or photos with comfort, but do not forget about the low cost of the device.
Camera
The integrated 2-MP camera as compared to the model X600 also did not undergo changes. It has no autofocus, no flash. The supplement of working with the camera is long known from the other models of communicators from E-Ten. It is an extremely simple monochrome interface, although in general it is very convenient for use.
The settings are few: the option of image resolution, white balance, and the imposition of special effects. Photos are stored in JPEG or BMP format with a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels. Well, the videos are saved in 3GP format with a resolution of up to 320 x 240 pixels.
For a camera with no autofocus, the quality of the photos can be evaluated as not particularly bad. Noise and loss of fine details are observed in any shooting conditions. The color rendition surprised pleasantly, especially because it was a serious problem with the X600. Below you can see some examples, taken under different light conditions. The photo archive can be downloaded here.
Communication capabilities and FM-radio
Glofiish X610 has a complete set of wireless interfaces inherent in most of today communicators of other models: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRS / EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g.
The inclusion of modules is carried out through a new utility – Wireless Manager, executed with style and taste.
It is noteworthy that the FM-receiver is connected through the same tool as well. By the way it has not undergone specific changes. The user can select any frequency in the range from 76 to 108 MHz, and the reception has a high selectivity and precision – every station is determined purely, without interference.
As for the connection, there also no problems were observed. The unit confidently holds the signal in all corners of the capital and its suburbs. But the selectivity of search access points Wi-Fi can be assessed only with a “B” – the communicator refuses to identify a weak signal.
Time of autonomous work
The novelty is equipped with a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of1530 mAh. For a not very productive communicator it is a very high capacity. In a normal mode of operation (about 20 minutes of conversation a day, watching the news and mail) the new model works without problems for more than two days. If you actively use the X610 as a center of entertainment, then you will be required to charge the unit every day.
GPS-navigation
Glofiish X610 is equipped with integrated GPS-receiver based on the chip SiRFStar III. The cold start of the device occupies no more than 4 minutes, and the hot start takes a few seconds. Like other navigators on the basis of SiRFStar III, the X610 surely keeps in touch with satellites and does not lose signal even during the temporary narrowing of the visible sky. The accuracy of positioning is also difficult to criticize.
The new model is equipped with a program “Navitel Navigator”, with which we have already met earlier. In addition, the device was tested with the packages VisualGPSce and Autosputnik. No criticism – the integrated receiver quickly determined the program and subsequently worked as well as with the attached package Navitel Navigator.
Spb Mobile Shell
An important difference of the X610 from its predecessor is the availability of the on-board pre-installed utility Spb Mobile Shell, giving the user the possibility to manage the communicator through fingers. A partial waiver of the use of the stylus is in fashion – it is the fault of the HTC Company, with its unsurpassed brand of communicators of the series Touch. But the software from Spb is always of the highest quality, and therefore, you can expect something more of Mobile Shell than just a resemblance of TouchFLO shell.
Indeed, the new utility has a perfect stylish design and an interface easy to understand even for a novice. At the core of it are only three tabs, the selection of which is carried out by clicking on one of the large icons at the bottom of the desktop. By the way, the latter represents by default a calendar, and complete information about incoming calls, messages, and current weather conditions and forecasts.
The bookmark with the major programs is designed elegantly and simply. The main space is given to the sub-programs “Organizer”, “Internet”, “Multimedia”, “Service”, “Programs” and “Settings”. Interestingly, the transition from page to page is very impressive and unusually animated – the page is brought to the user in the form of an unfolding cube.
Well, and the third tab is a page of quick dialing.
Generally, the program has many settings, so that you can “chain” it your likings without any problems.
The transition from the Mobile Shell interface to the standard type of Windows Mobile is also originally done. The bottom line of the desktop has a soft-button “Spb Shell”. Well, and the shell itself has a tab of exit from the program. It is also worth noting that these operations take place almost immediately, despite the not most powerful platform of the new item.
But it is difficult to compare the new interface with the TouchFLO because they significantly differ from each other. However, it is safe to say that the Spb Mobile Shell will find many admirers. But one very significant drawback in this program is still there. As we have found out there is very few memory left for the user, and this situation has arisen partly because of the pre-installed Mobile Shell. Unfortunately, this program requires a lot of memory for its work, although without it the purchase of the new communicator loses its meaning because its main zest is the finger management.
Conclusions
So, the main difference of the new item from the communicator Glofiish X600 is exactly the interface of management, which has combined the new cover of the display, as well as the original software package from Spb. In addition, it is impossible not to note the updated design and the modified controls. Otherwise, (in particular, it concerns the output of the device) you will not find Glofiish X610 very different from the previous models. There is only one minus in the new model – small internal memory.
The recommended price of the new item is 16 400 roubles. It is about a thousand roubles more than for the communicator X600. We can say that the price is quite reasonable and competitive, especially as the device is replenished with a high quality and durable synthetic carrying case with a belt clip (by the way, another little evidence that the X610 – is primarily a men’s device).
