May
31
iPhone Killers: O2 XDA Orbit 2 Review
Stumble it!The Orbit 2 is the first device in the group to feature HTC’s TouchFlo system, but does it offer the killer factor in any additional areas?
For most tasks the standard Windows Mobile interface is used, but you will find HTC’s ThouchFlo system in place. While not as intuitive as the iPhone’s interface, you can swipe your finger up the screen and then from left to right to access additional shortcuts to Windows Programs and manipulate images via the supplied picture gallery software.
For inputting text you can use a larger on-screen virtual keyboard for double tapping - though while a nice idea, it was still faster to use the stylus pen. Generally the Orbit 2 beats all the products in the group on the features side. Apart from the 3G HSDPA and wi-fi support, you get a GPS receiver with CoPilot Live 7 (which performed well), and this is helped by the supplied QuickGPS fix utility to speed up location acquisition time.
Unfortunetly, while the screen was fine for watching videos, it was not so good for navigation. The main culprit was refleaction — made worse by the reflective silver finish at the front of the phone. From a multimedia perspective you only get around 80MB free storage to play with, but you do get additional storage via the supplied CoPilot’s 1GB microSD card. Windows’ standard media player is used for playing back videos and MP3s, with speaker quality being good, but you do get an alternative audio manager, video streaming support, radio and audio booster for headphones.
Its camera is 3MP but lacks any flash support, and images suffered in low-light conditions. General performance was good and call quality was fine. Battery life was also respectable. During a 30-minute GPS test with 3G enabled, the battery drained by about 20 percent.
Essensial O2 XDA Orbit 2 Information:
Platform: WM6 Professional
Processor: Qualcomn MSM7200, 400 MHz Processor
Memory: 128MB RAM, 256 ROM - Takes up to 8GB MicroSD cards.
More Information:
O2 XDA Orbit 2 Summary:
Multimedia: The 2.8″ screen makes videos look vibrant, and sound quality is good through the headphones/internal speakers. For storage you can use the microSD card to add videos/MP3s and there is a radio and video streaming services.
Connectivity: The 400MHz CPU handed everything we threw at it, and movie playback was smooth, opening programs was fast and battery life was good. The only downside was camera performance, with no flash/light.
iPhone Comparison: Its main advantage is its GPS receiver and CoPilot SatNav software. It performed well, and with its lightweight profile, and 2.8″ screen, it’s a better option than the iPhone.
What Next?
Random Posts
Subscribe To CouponCodesMall RSS
Digg It
Save This Page
Sphinn It
Stumble it!
Favorite This Post
Get Latest Coupons Via RSS
May 31st, 2008 at 1:48 pm
[...] O2 XDA Orbit 2 Review: The Orbit 2 is the first device in the group to feature HTC’s TouchFlo system, but does it offer the killer factor in any additional areas? [...]