After releasing GSmart i120 and i128 with an analog TV – receiver, the manufacturer offers its new communicator with a digital TV support.

Design
Among other communicators, GSmart t600 stands out for its unusually cheerful and bright snow-white shell, covered with a nice touch transparent plastic.
The black bezel around the perimeter of the shell makes the device much catchier to the eye. The black plastic on a white background and decorated with the camera lens, are located on the upper part of the back side. In fact, such a design is more familiar for MP3-players or game consoles, but not for communicators.
For someone this device will seem too pretentious, but someone will be delighted by its unusual design. In any case, no one can remain indifferent.

GSmart t600 has compact dimensions (110,5 x 55,5 x 18,5 mm, 140 g), it perfectly lies in the palm.
However, it doesn’t cause any discomfort while being in the pocket of its owner (even in the shirt pocket). The main controls for GSmart t600 have unusual design, though they are located in the same places. So under the screen the user will find seven round transparent buttons of various diameters, including the attractive navigation button with which it is very easy to work. The remaining buttons perform normal functions, although they have another design idea. Proceedings from the buttons are very clear and moderately short, but because of large gaps between the keys, the communicator is easy to control.
Another important control button is a sound control. It is located on the upper corner of the left side. The power button is on top.
GSmart t600 should be connected to PC via a normal USB-Cable – miniUSB port is located on the lower end.
The metal telescoping stylus is located in the corner of the upper end. Together with the stylus I found the telescopic antenna for TV.

Display
To equip this device with an unusual bright display with a resolution of 320×240 pixels would be quite wrong. Therefore t600 has a touch-sensitive TFT-panel with a resolution of 640×480 and a diagonal of 2,6″. All the main characteristics of the display of the communicator are almost close to the ideal – an excellent image sharpness and color rendition, wide range of changes in brightness, excellent contrast. But on the viewing angle the display leaves much to be desired. There is a slight distortion of the colors and brightness. That is the readability of the display is almost not affected, but the impression of the picture deteriorates.
There is one more drawback – the reverse side of the fashionable high resolution. Diagonal 2.6″ for this device is not enough. It’s quite difficult to get the stylus to the right button on the screen, and especially typing on the touch keyboard.

GSmart t600 runs the operating system Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro.
Among other communicators, t600 is one of the most powerful CPU – Marvell PXA270 520 MHz. Onboard memory is 64 MB RAM and 256 MB of ROM (from this are available 49 MB and 152 MB respectively) which is not the smallest amount among analogue t600. As graphics accelerator Intel 2700G is used here.
With such a system, the communicator can solve the most diverse tasks, including calculation, games and multimedia applications. Performance was tested using Spb Benchmark. For comparison, the table shows the results of testing the communicator RoverPC S6 (TI OMAP 750 200 MHz, 64 MB RAM and 128 MB ROM, Windows Mobile 6.0).
Characteristics GSmart t600 RoverPC S6
Spb Benchmark index 268 953
CPU index 2001 975
File system index 464 98
Graphics index 4325 2359

The difference compared with communicators with 200 MHz processors is evident. The novelty can play smoothly even unconverted files.

Communication capabilities
GSmart t600 is a quad-class Communicator (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) with a support for GPRS Class 10. There are both wireless modules for the latest versions of modern communicators: Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi (WLAN 802.11b / g).
GSM-communication device keeps stable even in remote places. When you work with Wi-Fi, breaks occur, but rarely.

Built-in TV
Predecessors of GSmart t600, i120 and i128 models have the support of analog TV. Because of its compact size, built-in solid-state receiver often gives significant disruption, noise and other artifacts, for which users disliked it. However, many countries have replaced analog TV with digital. Naturally, having a digital TV receiver you can significantly improve picture quality.

Camera
Built-in camera for t600 can be found in most modern communicators. Its resolution is 2 megapixel with CMOS-sensor, there is an autofocus and the ability to capture in macro mode. The camera has a LED backlight flash.
Camera activation button is located at the bottom of the right end; it is placed quite deep in the shell that is why pressing on it is a little bit difficult.
Interface software application responsible for the shooting is quite stylish.

Photographs are available in JPG format with three options for image quality and resolution from 160×120 to 1600×1200 pixels, video – in 320×240 format wmv, mp4 and 3gp.
Quality of the photos can be estimated as average. Noise in the bright sunny weather is quite a lot, but the color rendition is lame.

Sound
The communicator has a mono speaker, located next to the camera lens. The sound of the dynamics is clean, noise-free even at a very high volume.

Battery
GSmart t600 is equipped with a Li-Ion-battery with capacity of 1300 mAh. This is sufficiently large, and, guided by experience in communicating with other devices, you can pre-suppose that two days of work without recharging should be sufficient. However, the assumption, unfortunately, is not justified. With sufficiently intense work (calls, phone book editing, checking e-mail) battery needs to be recharged in a day.
It should be noted that the t600 is not the first communicator, with a long battery life. The latest high-performance vehicles consume more and more energy, losing its most important feature – mobility.

Conclusion
GSmart t600 model is just as interesting, as controversial. Among the obvious advantages of the novelty the high performance, ability to work with unconverted video display with a resolution of 640×480, and the availability of the wireless modules can be mentioned. But without the drawbacks it can not succeed – there is no support for EDGE, low battery life, non-standard connector of audio input.

In 2006 Motorola began releasing a new line of MOTORIZR image sliders. The first was the model Z3, which is the first GSM-slider of the company. Great attention was paid to materials, as well as on internal functional filling which couldn’t make this mobile phone a bestseller. In early 2007, an updated model Z6 was launched. Now the phone is positioned as a musical image slider. And again – beautiful, functional, but unpopular. Till the end of 2007 an updated Z8 model released. In addition to black-and-green color it has Symbian UIQ platform and many other advantages.

Finally, there comes RIZR Z10 – an updated model of Z8 which has a more rigorous design. So let’s have a look at this novelty.

Design

With all of its non-standard (in a good sense of the word) design, Z8 had a very cool reception. Young people, to whom the acidic insert might come to taste, started criticizing the price of the device.

Speaking about its design, we can not accept the harsh brutality of the Staff. This feature is peculiar to many phones from Motorola. On the contrary, in an era when everything is “Slim, soft and low”, to have a heavy device in the hand during conversation is not very convenient.

Unfortunately, here come some disappointments. First of all the metallic color. The phone is entirely made of plastic.

The original arrangement of this new Z8 slider has not been modified. Moreover, the numbers did not differ from each other with designing elements, with the exception of the back side, which is caused by a more serious camera in RIZR Z10.

As in the previous model, the opening of the upper half is lifted under a small angle. This is definitely an interesting solution.

With regard to the process of opening / closing, despite the complex mechanism, to perform this operation you can either injure your finger in a special rubber stress below the display, or in the upper halves of the rib.

As for the remaining designing solutions they are acceptable, such as bolts on the rear lid. The size of the phone and the weight fit into the overall image due to the fact that the phone is large in order to work with it comfortably. In general, even in the pockets of jeans or trousers Z10 isn’t comfortable to carry. However, if once again we draw a parallel with the predecessor, the Z8 is 1.5 mm thinner and 5 grams lighter.

Display

Z10 is only a continuation of Z8 (in fact – an Update). Like Z8, it has a 2.2-inch TFT-display with QVGA-resolution (320 x 240 pixels) and supporting 16 million colors.

As in previous models, the screen does not have impressive specifications, but generally looks modern. Getting ahead, I will say that Z10, with its entire functions is a simple device poorly suited for multimedia.

Keyboard

Describing this phone’s keypad, we traditionally divide it into three units – nautical, digital, and additional keys. In the case of Z10 the navigation block is executed in classical style for this line. There is a 4-position button in the middle, two soft keys, two additional buttons (Menu / list of tasks and “back”), as well as standard “phone”.

The buttons are made of rubber, so pressing them is hard enough. That is, any action requires serious effort.

The second stage of our conversation will be about additional buttons. At the left end of the monoblock there are three buttons.

Two are responsible for the volume, and the third – for quick access to multimedia gallery. This is more than a controversial decision. You can easily get to the gallery through the menu and, yes, and you need it less frequently. Below there is a slot for memory cards. Suitable card format is microSD, up to 32 GB.

Right end is equipped with one button, which is responsible for the rapid launch of built-in camera. Here is the miniUSB connector, serves to connect the peripherals and the charging / docking to a PC.

All connectors are covered with plastic plugs, so the aerodynamics of the shell did not violate anything.

The digital keyboard brings controversial feelings. In principle, it has not changed since Z8.

All the keys are highlighted with pale green light, which is not very suitable for this device. Milky and white would be fine.

Features

As we have already noticed, the phone is built on Symbian 9.2 (Motorola Symbian UIQ 3.2). In fact it is a capricious platform which has little in common with the classic S60 from Nokia, and with UIQ from Sony Ericsson. As a result, all the charm of the smartphone as a multimedia device is reduced to 0.

First, it requires a very long download time. In order to switch the language from English into Russian (search for the notebook, or enter the address in the browser), you must enter the corresponding menu, select language, press “save”, then “use”, and only then get the desired result.

Almost every operation is perceived as a personal affront to the phone and requires a minimum double confirmation. For example, setting the alarm clock: you choose the time, say 9:00, press “save” and come out of the directory. In the morning, you get at 11:00, remembering that you have not clicked “use”.
However, the heavy menu is the only serious shortcoming of the phone. It is not just difficult to control; it is not suitable for everyday use.

From the additional features we can mention a list of supported formats, such as: AAC, AAC +, WAV, AMR NB, MP4, MP3, MIDI, WMA, MPEG4 (30 fps), H.263, H.264. Thus, the device is more than suitable for listening to music, and even for viewing videos. The player is quite suitable.

Regarding the possibility of connecting to other devices, you can use USB-cable or Bluetooth 2.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, DUN-GW, FTP, GAP, GAVDP, Headset-AG, HFP 1.5 AG, OPP-Client, OPP).

Camera

The camera is good. Basically the camera is the main difference of Z8 from the Z10. Thus, the latest has a 3.2-MP CMOS-matrix with autofocus and flash, and the opportunity to make up to three images per second.

The camera works in a horizontal mode, like Sony Ericsson. For the convenience of shooting the camera has a pre regime: “normal”, “indoor”, “street”, “Sport”, etc. There is not a very powerful LED flash (there is a regime of “red eye”). It has the following functions: color effects, white balance, sharpness, you can select the image quality and size. As you can see, it has a solid set of features.

Z10 has a 3,2 MP camera. The photos in good lighting are bright, juicy, but not ideal.
You can save the images in the internal memory (45 MB) and a memory card, moreover, the phone has a built in Photo Editor, so you can process the received pictures.

The modern phone should have a powerful battery. Battery 1130 mA • h (Li-Ion) is able to provide vital energy for needs of the phone up to 3 days.

Outcome

In a competitive market Z10 is largely inferior to the alternative proposals to price / capabilities and status of the device. If you want to stand out, then it is for you. The phone did not become popular and is quite rare. However, once again reiterate that this does not make Z10 a bad phone, it just has its own specifics.

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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).

Construction and Design

The new model is slightly bigger than most devices in the market today, but it will fit normally in a shirt pocket – its mass is only 123 grams. On the one hand, the device is executed in the same form-factor single block as the majority of other communicators, and the management of Toshiba Portege G810 is quite traditional.

However, the developers managed to create a quite unusual device in the frames of the usual. The fact is that behind the severity of its forms and traditional materials, Toshiba Portege G810 (soft-touch plastic for the rear wall and a smooth plate cover of front panel) hides some futuristic features manifested exclusively through the various elements of decoration and design. One cannot help to recall the words that the high quality of the product proves itself only if the manufacturer pays attention to the minutiae.

So, minutiae… To begin with, the silver plastic edging of the side faces is made continuous and wide enough to hold all the additional controls, merging with this edging, as well as … the stylus!

Apparently, the designers have given complete freedom to their imagination, because the stylus from Toshiba Portege G810 forms a single entity with the right-side edge.

At a closer look, one can see that the right edging of the shell is a little thicker. Pull it with the thumb to the top, and part of the side facets will jump off of its track and turn into an unusual type of stylus.

The design idea, of course, is for one hundred points, but just to enjoy a stylus, which resembles a golf stick or a toothpick is extremely problematic. First, it is very small, secondly, its operation is severely hampered by the bend at the top, and third, the tip of the pen is so long and fragile that it looks as if it is going to break, whereas in the fourth, to find even something resembling this stylus in case of loss or breakage will be simply impossible. This is how one has to pay for the design.

Both on the right and the left ends the user can detect a swing- key.

If on the left such a key is traditionally responsible for the volume control, the right-button swing has two different functions – the launch of the application to work with the camera and software for voice recording. It looks original and stylish, but uncomfortable to use, because while focusing the camera you will want to either grope a button of the pair or search it visually. In addition, this pair of buttons is located almost exactly opposite the key of the device launch, on the left end. Thus, while switching on the phone or putting the device out of sleep, you often accidentally run either the camera, or the recorder. Instead the power button could be just placed not on the side but on the top, as in most other communicators, and such problems of management would not exist.

The slot for memory cards microSD and interface connector miniUSB are located at the bottom of the right and left sides and the plugs are not covered. But what is worth special mentioning is the main control unit of the communicator. The point is that it is fully touch. It looks just perfect!

The navigation key and the six main buttons have a bright blue backlight, and in off regime buttons are visible only through a blind slot in the black mirror substrate surface. In this regard, the G810 has something in common with the control unit of Motorola RAZR phones – the design is clearly borrowed from the «Shaver».

In general, the quality of materials and assembly of the shell are worthy of praise, and the design is beyond praise. But, alas, as it is often the case – not everything is comfortable, that looks stylish. Designers of Toshiba did an excellent job, of course, but about the comfort in work they seem to have forgotten.

The processor of the new item for is not the most powerful for the present time, yet efficient enough to cope with any application, be it office packages or a serious program for calculations. It is a platform Qualcomm MSM7200 processor with a clock speed of 400 MHz.

The on-board memory is standard: 128 MB RAM and 256 MB ROM. But for the user, unfortunately, little is available, in our case – 100 and 38 MB. The interface Spb Mobile Shell is partly to blame, as it is designed to work with a device without a stylus.

In order to evaluate the performance of the new item in figures, we used the package Spb Benchmark 1.6.

The G810 cannot be called a leader, but the communicator realizes all of its hardware capabilities very well. So for those who are not in pursuit for top models, but want to obtain sufficient power for a reasonable price, the novelty from Toshiba will surely be suitable.

But the playing of uncompressed video is worse off. To test these abilities we have, as always, taken advantage of the benchmark CorePlayer, running on it by turns three videos of different qualitative characteristics: 320 x 240/550 kbit / s, 640 x 480/784 Kbit / s 640 x 480/1320 Kbps. Test results are presented in the table.

Recall that the ideal is the index of 110%, so even the naked eye can see that the unit is unable to play uncompressed video below 320 x 240. If you deviate from the figures, then such a movie looks on the display of the G810 as a slideshow. And if take some time and pre-compress all the films and videos, which you are to see, there will be no problem.

Display

Portege G810 is equipped with a TFT-display with a diagonal of 2.8 inches and QVGA-resolution 320 x 240. Today, this type of matrix is set in budget devices or working horses.

With the unusual appearance of the new model, this screen, to put it mildly, has little in common.

Nevertheless, this «classic of genre» is still capable of much. The indicators of the brightness and clarity of the image, as well as the juicy colors are unlikely to cause any dissatisfaction, even among the most demanding users. As for the angles of the review, here it is possible to find fault with the decrease of brightness, occurring while rotating the display. The only drawback could be that the white color in this case is too cold, with some mixture of light-blue. But this weakness only manifests itself when compared with the displays of other communicators.

Camera

The integrated camera, alas, can not boast of high-quality images.

However, all is relatively well from the outside: 3 MP, autofocus, LED flash, and even a mirror for self-portrait. Moreover, the settings of the camera are sufficient, though they are made in plain text interface – exactly the same, as can be seen in most settings of Windows Mobile.

But when it comes to shooting, there begin the problems. First, the camera is very, very slow. It takes five seconds after pressing the shutter before you can move the camera. Otherwise, the image on the photo will be smeared or will fail altogether. In addition, the display turned out to be slow itself – or rather, the image on the display does not change smoothly when shooting (if you move the camera), but with severe starts. And the quality of the images is on the average level only – the focus often works badly, there is noise on images, even with a lot of good lighting and the colors are slightly shifted to the range of warm pink. Examples of photos can be viewed below.

Communications and Wireless Modules

In addition to a full support in GSM networks, Portege G810 also works in the third-generation networks UMTS (850/1900/200 MHz) and an Internet connection using GPRS / EDGE and HSUPA. Wireless data transfer is done through modules Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR and Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g. For the on / off of any of the modules the firm task manager is responsible, differing from the standard only in stylish appearance.

When testing wireless modules, no problems have been observed. Moreover, the device has demonstrated strong reception even in a place where other phones show either its absence, or do not work properly.

The novelty is connected to a computer with USB 1.1, like the overwhelming majority of communicators from other manufacturers. Therefore, the data transmission rate, alas, is not high. Of the characteristics of connecting it is worth noting the possibility of using the device as an external removable disc or card, for which you need to select an appropriate item in the manager of communications before connecting.

On board of the G810 there is also an FM-radio with a high selective sensitivity and convenient interface. As an antenna the cord from the headphones is traditionally used. So if the headphones are not connected, there will be no music.

Time of autonomous work

Under the cover of the battery compartment is located a fairly high-capacity battery of 1530 mA • h, which inspires hope for long time offline. And we have to say, that hope is fully realized.

With an average daily loading of the phone (20 minutes of conversation a day with an address book and the Internet) the G810 should be charged no earlier than after two days of use. If you save a little, charging will be needed only after three days, which is a very high figure for a communicator. Video viewing «ate» the fully charged battery only after 7.5 hours of use! And uninterrupted autonomous music listening is almost around the clock – 23 hours!

Conclusions

The hero of our today’s review, Toshiba PortegeG810, was not an ideal communicator. Mediocre (or at least very controversial) management, a weak camera and an outdated display – these are the obvious shortcomings of the novelty. But on the other hand, a complete set of communication tools, the availability of GPS-navigation and FM-radio, long time of autonomous work, good performance and an unusual chic appearance outweigh these disadvantages. Well, the final decision is only after the price but it is competitive and low – 13.5 – 14 thousand roubles. If you like the unusual design and are not afraid of the unusual features of the management of this communicator, then at this price a better offer from the «all in one» series will be extremely difficult to find.

Appearance
The smooth plastic shell of Philips X800 is pleasant to the touch, the good shape and compact size (102 x 51 x 11 mm/110 g) are satisfactory. The front panel of the new model, like in most modern communicators and smarts, is a mirror coating.
But the side faces look a little unusual. They consist of two closed contours on the perimeter – silver at the bottom and black at the top. These contours form a broken facet with each other – bright, but elegant.
The rear surface of Philips X800 is fully removable. Under it there is a battery compartment. Interestingly, except a black lacquered panel, there are two more in the set – grey and brown with a golden hue, the latter is made of nice soft-touch plastic.
The main control unit, located below the display, is presented with two buttons that are responsible for the reception, the cancellation of the conversation, and power on / off.

The absence of traditional (even for normal phones) joystick or a cursor block affects the administration not in the best way, because there are situations when controlling the device using the touch screen is simply inconvenient.
Additional buttons are located on the sides. On the right are the double volume keys, as well as a round button activating the camera. And on the left is a sliding button which locks the phone that is simply necessary for a sensor model.
The new model is connected to computers via the miniUSB, located at the lower end. And stereo equipment is also connected through it, alas, there is no other exit. In one of the bottom corners is the habitat of the telescopic stylus. Surprisingly, the stylus of the X800 was much better than in most communicators.
The large diameter of the metal body is sufficiently long, edge lines are from high-quality plastic – all this allows working with comfort, the importance of which many manufacturers do not often consider.
If, however, to describe the appearance of Philips X800 in two words, we can say this: it looks simple, but elegant and with style. Perhaps, this is just how a classic and not the cheapest communicator is supposed to look like.

It must be noted that in the box with the X800 you will find many interesting things. First, we have listed the additional removable panels. Secondly, in the set there is a special napkin for wiping the display. And to avoid scratches on the display, the manufacturer suggests gluing on it the protective brand film, which also does not have to be bought extra. A MicroSD memory card of 1 GB is also available in the set. Well, in addition, the unit is supplied with a standard set consisting of a power adapter, interface cable miniUSB-USB, plain stereo, CD with programs and utilities, and operating instructions. The only thing one can wish is an extra stylus in case of the loss of the first.

Display
The sensory TFT-screen of Philips X800 is much larger than in most phones – here we have a diagonal of 2.8 inches and a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels. As to the indicators of the brightness, clarity and proper angles, you can call them without reservations as one of the best.
There are screen settings, therefore everything is in order.
Yes and no color problems, either – the picture looks bright, juicy, almost alive. Viewing photos on the X800 is becoming a very pleasant pastime.
And to ensure an easy management with fingers rather than stylus, the display is placed on a level with the shell and covered with a protective cover. To the sensitivity of the sensor substrate it is also difficult to present any claim.

Communications
Judging by communication opportunities the X800 is a classic GSM-device that works in range of 900/1800/1900 MHz. Data transfer is carried out through GPRS, and through faster EDGE. Connecting to other devices is carried out via Bluetooth. The phone keeps connection beautifully – no reprimands. But it is connected to the computer via classic USB 1.1, so the data transfer rate is low – about 0,5-1,0 MB / sec.

Camera
Philips X800 is not an expensive device, so its built-in 2-MP camera shines with no decent functionality. The only advantage is its autofocus, but it does not work as one would wish either – too slow to bring on and often wrong. The supplement to the camera control is executed without sophistications. The most important thing is that all of it is adapted to the administration of a finger.
Settings are few, but in this case it is not so important, because images are obtained with noise, with problems in color transfer and are not sharp, although the maximum resolution is decent – 1600 x 1200.
Below you can see the test images by the camera of X800. You can see that the quality is far from ideal.

Time of autonomous work
Unlike the camera, the manufacturer has paid much more attention to the choice of the battery – Li-Ion battery of a capacity of 1250 mAh is rather infrequent in other phones.
Perhaps this choice is due to the decent diagonal display, which requires considerable energy expenditure. The time of autonomous work is 20 minutes of day talking, watching the address book and tapes of news websites via GPRS took a whole week! According to this index it is extremely difficult to find competitors to X800 in the Russian market of mobile communications.

The main menu is made in the form of a matrix of 3×4 icons.
The manufacturer did not make the design elements variegated and bright, but was confined to only two or three colors and their shades. Nevertheless, the icons and fonts look good and stylish, and they are worked out in detail. In addition, the main menu icons, and text sub-strings are made quite large, so that navigation with the finger is no trouble.

It is impossible not to mention the scrupulous execution of the menu, common to all interface colors and style, as well as very high functionality. The interface does not pull up – all the switching and transitions between menu items are implemented promptly. The reproduction of animation also presents no special difficulties for the new model.
The phonebook of X800 is not worse and not better than in other modern devices. Typing names in the book (as well as text messages) is easier after all with the stylus – the letters of the virtual keyboard are not large enough.
For each recipient, you can enter four numbers, assign a ringtone, and set an image. In addition, contacts can be divided into several groups with individual calls.
The work with office tools (notes, alarm clock, stopwatch, world time, currency converters and values) is satisfactory. It is here that the stylus is indispensable. But a «reader» of e-books is not found in every phone. It is especially pleasing that this utility even has a number of settings, such as a choice of font size and scroll speed.
It would be better, if it could read other formats of electronic books as well, besides the simple TXT, and worked more correctly with the Cyrillic.

Even more rarely phones are able to view office files in formats such as doc, xls, ppt, pdf, html. The X800 copes with this easily.
The built-in recorder amazed with its elective sensitivity – the recorded voice was clear, without noise and other artifacts.
Multimedia features in the new model are presented in the form of a conveniently manageable MP3-player, working in background mode, and an FM-radio.
Unfortunately, the playback volume is low, so in the streets, subways and in other transport, almost nothing is heard. To say anything specific as to the quality of the sound is difficult: too low volume, for example, and almost no noticeable bass. Apparently, music, alas, is not the strongest point of the X800.
Preinstalled games on the phone are just two.
But because the X800 is supported by Java MIDP 2.0, the installation of additional software will cause no trouble. The only thing that the attention of the user should be drawn to, is the absence of a navigation key in the device, without which it is simply impossible to play most games.

Conclusions
Philips X800 is not expensive. For that money the user gets a stylish phone in a form-factor of communicator with an excellent touch screen and with an interface designed specifically for finger control. In addition, the new model is specified with an unprecedented long time of autonomous work, and a good set. Of course, the “weak” camera and the absence of a button block of cursor regulation are the indisputable bad sides of the X800, but the rich functionality of the built-in software brings the phone close to the family of smart phone- communicators, which are at least twice as expensive.
Philips will be a good purchase, if you want to get a sensory control and a big screen, but do not want to spend considerable funds for the purchase of a communicator, or you do not need all its capabilities.