Mobile Phones

Released in June 2005, the O2 XDA IIi triband smartphone retains many of the functions of its predecessor, the XDA IIs while shipping with a faster processor and more memory. Weighing in at 200g, the XDA IIi is slightly lighter than the XDA IIs and is housed in a sleek silver casing.

Users who are familiar with the O2 range will instantly recognize the distinctive XDA form factor, with the XDA IIi boasting the same large 3.5" inch LCD screen. The XDA IIi looks almost the same as the XDA IIs apart from the fact that fewer buttons are on the front and no slide out keyboard is provided.

The design of the XDA IIi has been streamlined with a polished silver finish that serves to enhance the screen size. Underneath the display are three controls, a five way navigation joystick and two call buttons. Flanking the speaker the top of the unit are two shortcuts to the Calendar and Contacts while a camera shortcut and volume control are on the left hand side.

Other key differences with the previous model are the faster processor - an Intel XScale PXA 272 520MHz - and more memory, including around 60MB of non volatile memory. Non volatile memory means that even if the battery dies, all data stored here will be retained. An SD slot is also provided for extra memory cards.

A brushed metal face, matching metallic keypad and sleek, clamshell construction give LG's latest mobile phone an attractive yet conservative appeal. The TU500 forms part of Telstra's Next G-compatible handset line-up, and as such offers high-speed access to the Next G content portal.

The TU500 is pitched as a 'multimedia mobile' and, for the most part, it does a good job at living up to this title. The external stereo speakers provide excellent sound quality at a decent volume, and A2DP Bluetooth support means you can connect to Bluetooth enabled wireless headphones. The multimedia player supports a range of music formats, including MP3, AAC and WMA, and video playback (encompassing the WMV, MP4 and 3GP formats) is smooth, with decent frame rates.

Unfortunately, the limited internal memory is far from multimedia-friendly. The unit is advertised as having 14MB of storage, but much of this is taken up by system files that you can't manually delete, leaving you a paltry 8MB to play with. The TU500 is expandable via microSD, but it's not hot-swappable as the slot is located underneath the battery.

Sagem's my401C is another product in their mid range line of mobile phone handsets. Aimed at the fashion conscious buyer on a budget, the my401C provides a reasonably stylish phone that packs in most features required by the average consumer. With digital music support, Bluetooth 2.0 and all the standard PIM options it is quite well specified and should satisfy those after an entry level phone with a few bells and whistles.

The most notable feature of this phone is its design. Sporting a relatively minimalist but suave black and silver colour scheme, it looks great and will satisfy those after a phone they can show off to their friends.

Weighing just 81g and measuring 86mm x 43.3mm x 18.5mm, it is quite slim, and slips easily into the pocket, so it is suitable for those with a constantly on-the-go lifestyle. The flip mechanism operated well, and although the whole unit is constructed from plastic rather than metal it feels relatively sturdy and should be able to take the occasional knock.

The interface is quite impressive. Navigating around the menu is quite speedy, however there is a noticeable delay when opening and closing it, as well as when firing up applications.

Featuring an almost identical feature set to the F852, Telstra's latest Next G handset offers a 2-megapixel camera, a TransFlash card slot and a media player. The EasyTouch also boasts touch-sensitive music controls and a convenient home screen featuring quick launch icons and a content ticker.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the EasyTouch name would therefore make this a touch screen handset. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. EasyTouch refers to the handsets customised home screen, requiring just a single touch to access a selection of features. The best of these is a news headline's ticker scrolling across the top of the home screen. Pushing up on the navigational pad displays a preview of the story, while a press of the centre button opens the full story. Although it sounds like a simple addition, we found the constant access to the latest news headlines very compelling.

Also on the home screen is a row of five shortcut buttons including Mobile FOXTEL, messaging, games and access to the BigPond content portal.

The HTC S710 smartphone is the most compact smartphone with semi auto-sliding full keyboard. It redefines the smartphone with its attractive and sleek design — yet it's much more than just a phone! The S710 is a multi-functional device and is the first smartphone to use the new Windows Mobile® 6.0 Standard platform. The new Windows® platform builds on the previous version by enhancing business and enterprise tools, and providing a richer interface for better user experience.

This compact phone makes light work of email, web and calls — but is anything but lightweight. Making calls, writing and sending emails, and surfing the Internet are easy. You can also view your documents and PDFs while on the go, receive emails instantly through Direct Push, and stay connected with your contacts with Windows Live™.

Practical and versatile, the HTC S710 is an ideal business and pleasure device. Armed with an array of connection options, such as Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®, you stay connected to the world. Also, slide out the full keyboard to make typing messages a snap. Take quality pictures and video with the 2.0 megapixel camera and view them on the large 2.4 screen. The features are endless with the HTC S710.