We wish we had been able to include at least one more chapter in our review, the one referring to multimedia. And we would sooner have examined the final version of the device, in order to rate its actual performances. However, having the opportunity to use it, our rough impression is that the Pda phone is fast, and its performances appear better when compared with other handhelds belonging to the same category.
For instance, we can talk about the Htc Universal, which, however, has to deal with extra work required by the Vga display.
Anyway, the time needed to open system applications is short, and so is the multitasking among a limited number of programs simultaneously open.
The further chapter, about multimedia, could not have been written. As we have already said, the software dedicated to the audio management was only partially ready, and the jack for stereo headphones was indeed not working. However, we have been able to test a short Wma video (320 x 240, 480Kbps) that had been put on a Secure Digital. Its widescreen reproduction was clear, but the lateral edges were necessarily cut ( the display has a 240 x 240 pixel resolution).
SoloPalmari will by all means meet the T830 again, and not because of the features we were not able to test, but so as to put the device to the test in more demanding uses.
In he first place, satellite navigation, which could not be tested owing to the absence of the Gps module. What we can say, right now, referring both to the global look of the device and to the features we actually tested is that the T830 deserves a thumbs up rating.
The T830 will be included in a particular market segment which mainly concerns business users, thanks to its great portability and to the strong presence of technological contents.
Among these, firstly, the complete range of communication protocols which turned out to be efficient during the tests, despite the prototype nature of the device (WiFi and Bluetooth).
The telephone module UMTS will be the standard platform for the use of remote communication technologies Windows will implement shortly. The implicit reference is to the AKU 2.0 and its “Direct Push” technology. Therefore ours is a valuable tool, an extremely versatile device: the T830 can be used both as an ordinary mobile phone, a quality which is not frequent among competing products, and as an advanced “all in one” partner.
Gps capabilities, linked to the embedded satellite system, will do the rest.
We will have to wait for the moment when multimedia can actually be rated to assess the interest the Pda phone will arouse in the consumer market.
However, it goes without saying that this portion of the market may be strongly attracted by the T830: this fact is proved by the attention users of pocket devices are showing towards it even now.
If the T830’s global technological capabilities will be able to make up for its shortcomings, due to the fact that the handheld is not clearly conceived for entertaining, then the last product by Fujitsu-Siemens will surely assert itself on the market as an absolute reference point.
Pros
-Design
-Dimensions
-High-quality materials
-Umts, WiFi (802.11 b/g), Bluetooth
-Gps SiRF Star III
-Standard miniUSB slot
Cons
-Qwerty keyboard, suitable for small fingers
The device will be launched onto the market in July, 2006.
