TechnoReviews.Net

The O2 Xda Exec is running the new Windows Mobile 5.0 recently announced. It is a very versatile device, and I think its form factor clearly states its business market targeting.

How versatile is it? Well for starters it will connect to a standard GSM/GPRS network so you can have voice and data directly on this device. If your needs claim for a faster mobile connection, then it will connect to a UMTS network up to 384Kbps. But if your costs are getting too high when using this cellular connection then you will find the option to connect to wireless LAN networks appealing and fast, with 11Mbps connections.

Another proof of its versatility is the ability to place and receive voice calls while a data connection is in place. Placing or receiving a voice call will not interrupt a longer download, or stop emails being received.

If you have a Bluetooth headset or a Bluetooth enabled PC then you will be able to connect these too. I had no problems performing ActiveSync over this wireless connection, and I was able to connect my Tablet PC to the UMTS network by simply using the DUN (Dial-Up network service), as easy as any other standard phone. The O2 Xda Exec also worked well with SuperTooth II Bluetooth speakerphone.

If you don’t have a Bluetooth enabled laptop but still want to use the O2 Xda Exec to connect your computer to the Internet, don’t worry. The device comes with a program that will switch the USB connection from ActiveSync to Modem Emulator, so that you can use it as a USB modem. By the way, it connects and charges via a mini USB cable, which is quite handy for travels.

This device has a very interesting form factor, and it will work by default as a mini-laptop when open it will have a QWERTY keyboard, including soft keys for the new menus available on Windows Mobile 5.0, and dedicated keys to access Pocket Internet Explorer, Inbox, Start, [OK] and context menu. It also has keys for the Call, Video Call and End Call functions.

One new feature on Pocket PC devices introduced with Windows Mobile 5.0 is the Soft Key. This has been used before on Windows Mobile for Smartphones, but these context sensitive menu options make their debut on the Pocket PC world with this new OS version. The soft keys are areas on the bottom of the screen that act like menus, and can be activated with a tap on the screen or through special hardware keys in the O2 Xda Exec these are marked with a (dash).

However, when using the device as a Pocket PC (i.e. with the screen completely open and converted) you will notice some buttons are missing: there’s only a directional pad with an action button on the right side of the LCD, and a small secondary video camera, used for live video calls. There are no Calendar or Contacts buttons there. This is a shame because we can swivel the screen (pretty much like those convertible Tablet PCs) and use the device as a standard Pocket PC, but losing the quick access to some functions.

Live video calls worked well, although the picture is a little fuzzy when moving – but when stable the image is very good. Voice calls are nice, with good sound.

The screen is great. The 640×480 pixels LCD is very visible outdoors, while providing VGA resolution. The fonts are clear and sharp, making it very easy to read. Also, the screen orientation is automatically changed from landscape (when open as a mini-laptop) to portrait (when used as a Pocket PC) mode.

The O2 Xda Exec is based on an Intel CPU running at 520MHz. As other Windows Mobile 5.0 device it comes with the new memory model implemented with Windows Mobile 5.0. The main difference from previous Pocket PC devices is the use of flash memory to store data and RAM for program execution only. The flash memory is 128MB but only about 43MB is actually available for the user.

02 XDA Executive Specification:
Tri-band (GSM 900/1800/1900) UMTS 2100MHz
GPRS class B Multislot class 10
Built-in Bluetooth – 1.2
Integrated Wireless LAN (802.11b)
SDIO SD card slot
Instant Message (IM), short (long) message (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS)
Full internet browsing
XVGA camera (1280×960 pixels)
MPEG4 camcorder
MP3 media player
Speakerphone and voice recorder facility
Removable and chargeable Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery, 1620 mAh
Key lock support by software
SIM Toolkit
Handwriting recognition
Hardware – Xda Exec

Processor Type: Intel Bulverde 520MHz
64 MB SDRAM, 128 MB ROM
3.6″ Transflective 65,536 colour LCD ( 1.3m pixels)
Camera 1.3 Megapixels
Supports image formats JPG, BMP
Supports video formats MPEG4, H.263, Motion-JPEG AVI
CMOS Chip: XVGA (1280 x 960 pixels)
Minimum scene illumination: 5 lux
PBCCH
Power on/off button
Volume up/down button (2way)
3 programmable buttons
2 phone buttons
5-way navigation button
62 key Qwerty Keyboard
Soft reset switch
External antenna connector
One MMC & SD/IO slot
One Infrared Port
One mini USB port
Green/Orange LED for radio/charger indication on the RIGHT
Blue/green LED for Bluetooth/Wireless LAN indication on the LEFT
Built-in Software – Xda Exec

Windows Mobile 2005 for Pocket PC, phone edition
Microsoft Pocket Outlook: Inbox, Contacts, Calendar,Tasks
Pocket Office: Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile
Microsoft Windows Media Player
Microsoft Pictures
Microsoft MSN Messenger
Microsoft Pocket Internet Explorer
Microsoft ActiveSync
Calculator
Voice Notes
Photo Contact ID
MMS
Wireless modem for USB, Bluetooth and IR
Wireless data manager (UMTS/GSM/GPRS, Bluetooth, 802.11b)
Zip
Camera/Camcorder
Voice Dialer