As you can see from this issue's group test, smartphones come in all shapes and sizes. They range from tiny 'candy bar' phones that use predictive text for input, to larger PDA designs with full keyboards. The Orange SPV M3100 sits somewhere in between and while this Windows Mobile 5 smartphone is bigger than most mobiles, it's still compact when compared to many PDAs.
With a chunky design that's not that much bigger than a tobacco tin, the M3100 feels reassuringly solid. Its smooth shape fits neatly into the hand and it's comfortable when held to an ear for phone calls. When held in one hand and used in portrait mode, buttons along the M3100's bottom edge and two sides fall neatly to hand, and there's also a scroll wheel on the left side for moving quickly through menus, web pages and so on. As with similar devices, text entry on the touch-sensitive screen is via a stylus, but the stubby telescopic one slotted into the M3100's base is among the worst we've used on a handheld.
Fortunately, this isn't quite the deal-breaker it could be and sliding the M3100's two halves apart reveals an alternative input method - a small QWERTY keyboard built into the base. With the handset held loosely in each hand, typing on the large keys with both thumbs is quite comfortable -and with the screen automatically flipped into landscape mode, the M3100 becomes the perfect mobile email and web device.
The M3100's credentials are further enhanced not only by its Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, but also by the fact that it's a 3G phone. Not only does this offer the possibility of video calls, but also broadband-speed internet access via 3G's HSDPA. Add to this the option for Skype calls (Skype for Pocket PC is currently in beta testing - www.skype.com) and the result is a capable smartphone with a feature set that is so far unrivalled.
System Specifications
SCREEN 320 x 240 MEMORY 64MB, 128MB integrated storage BATTERY 5 hours talk time, 200 hours standby SIZE 113 x 58 x 22mm WEIGHT 176g with battery
Verdict
The M3100 is an excellent smartphone that's stuffed to the brim with features.
Author: Julian Prokaza
Computer Buyer Online