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O2 xda II mini
by alvinlwh
I got the O2 Mini XDA II s mobile phone for a bargain price off O2's website - £49.99 @ £19/month for 12 months. There is NO way it can be had at a lower price. So that is one up for this PDA phone.
The performance of this phone is so slow, and it just freezes. Sometimes I feel like smashing it. But of course the correct ... solution is to hit the reset button, which is not ideal. Which brings me to the next point. After the reset, it will take about 2 minutes before it will be ready.
Features wise, it is pretty much Windows Mobile, so if you are a PDA user, there is nothing much to say about it. Other than it is SLOW. The main selling point for this PDA is that it comes with a QWERTY keyboard which makes typing really easy and fast. This is very important, as the touch screen is not that good, and it is made worse when I put a screen protector on. This with the sluggish performance makes using the touch screen a pain.
Call quality is not too good on this. There is static and cracks in the sound of the other party. It seems to me that the reception on this unit is not too good when placed side by side with an SE K750i. However, there are no complains from the other side about my voice, which is an improvement over the Mini XDA.
The camera on this thing sucks big time. Even though it is a 1MP one; pictures taken just lack color and contrast.
It does come with a mini SD slot, but no card. I installed the mini SD card that came with my Sanyo S700i.
The sound on this thing is GREAT! It actually has stereo speakers. And if you plug in the headset, you can actually damage your hearing with it at maximum volume. The bass is surprisingly good for a non-Sony unit. The only thing that is lacking is a radio, and that is me just picking at it.
Despite all my moaning, I still like the features of the phone. You could not really go wrong with a PDA based phone if that is what you need. I would recommend it to LIGHT USERS only, as heavy users will kill themselves (or it) because of its sluggish performance. It has WiFi so you do not need to use an expensive GPRS if you are in a WiFi area. It is well worth the money, since it cost only £49.99 and £19/month for 12 months.
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O2 xda III
by aerob
few months ago i was given an O2 XDA as part of my job, and a few months later the screen cracked, and well it broke!
So, i sent it back and was told i would be getting a replacement, and a few days later, i was given another PDA, but this time i was given an XDA IIi.
The XDA IIi, is without a doubt an amazing piece ... of technology, and PDA's have come a long way since they were first launched.
I get it for free (business needs) but you can expect to pay around £150 for it, yes you may be able to get it cheaper by shopping around but i would reccomend buying from a reputable mobile phone shop.
The XDA is like most normal PDA's i have come across, but can do more. There are a long list of features the XDA has, such as:
Camera + Video
Full Microsoft software included (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook)
Internet access
Phone and messaging function (of course!)
Infa red
Bluetooth
Its amazing to think that all this technology is crammed inside something that measures 4.75" x 2.75 inches.
Ok, lets talk about the phone itself and the features it has.
The great thing about bluetooth is the headset which you can purchase seperately. This allows you to make and receive telephone calls, and is very easy to use in all situations. Bluetooth also allows files to be quickly and easily transferred, providing the receiver has bluetooth enabled.
The camera is excellent for a phone camera, and you can take pictures and record videos with ease, however the amount of pictures and videos you will be able to take depends on the size of your memory card.
The phone is also very easy to use, with the menus laid out in a simple fashion, and everything is bright and colourful.
I only use this phone for business reasons, and have not really tried the ringtones, games and other 'novelties' on the phone, as i have no need for them.
The phone also has many 'unusual' features, which are very clever and can come in handy.
One of these which i have not yet used is the 'flight mode'.
i only found out about this after one of my friends told me, but it basically 'disables' the phone, but still allows you to have it swithced on to browse pictures, play games, read messages e.t.c Basically you can do everything that does not involve contacting other people or connecting to the internet. Obviously this is ideal for plane journeys.
Ok, i have said enough good things about the phone, and sadly it does have disadvantages.
The biggest disadvantage in my opinion is the battery life, there are 2 batteries, a main battery, and a 'backup' battery. When the main battery runs out, you will be told to charge the phone immediately and features will be disabled, as the backup battery kicks in. If you do not charge the phone in time, and the backup battery runs out, you will lose EVERYTHING you have kept on the phone, it will basically reset itself as it would be when you receive it. Thankfully, this has never happened to me, but it would obviously be very annoying and awkward if it happened.
There is a way to avoid losing all your files, and i have recently done this, and would reccomend anyone else does it aswell. BACK UP YOUR DATA ONTO THE PC! That way, if you do lose all your data you can simply transfer it back onto the phone, without the hassle of entering everything again.
It would be a good idea to buy a longer life battery, especially if you are constantly using the PDA (maybe something i should consider!!)
Another disadvantage is the delicacy of the phone, with the screen being so big it is prone to scraches. This is how my old XDA broke, so i wasted no time getting a protective case for this one. And it is a very good idea to get one.
Overall, this is a GREAT phone, and i would reccomend it to anyone after a PDA. I would reccomend you take these steps though:
Buy a protective case ( I have already been stupid enough to break a phone before listening to the advice, don't you be as stupid as me!)
Invest in a longer life battery (It would be a great help for me, as i can not always charge the battery, especially when working away from home)
Buy a bluetooth headset, as these are excellent, and allow you to make receive calls when doing basically anything!
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