| Motorola A760 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 2003 |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 100 X 53 X 21 Mm, 100 Cc |
| Weight | 120 G |
| Display |
| Type | Tft Touchscreen, 65k Colors |
| Size | 240 X 320 Pixels |
| | - Handwriting Recognition |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (16 Channels), Mp3 |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | Photo Call |
| Call Records | Yes |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 32 Mb Shared Memory
- 206mhz Processor |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, V1.1 |
| Infrared Port | Yes |
| Usb | Yes |
| Features |
| Os | Linux |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems, Mms, Email, Instant Messaging |
| Browser | Wap, Html |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Games | Downloadable, |
| Colors | Coral Grey |
| Camera | Cif, 352 X 288 Pixels, Video |
| | - Java
- Mp3 Player
- Pim Functions
- Rs 232
- Built-in Handsfree |
| Battery |
| | Standard, Li-ion 750 Mah (77642) |
| Stand-by | Up To 160 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 5 H |
|
Motorola - A760Motorola A760 Review
The march towards PDA-phones may seem like a recent phenomenon, but Motorola has actually been championing the cause for a fairly long time--albeit with mixed results. The early members of the Accompli series, the A6188 and A6288 (circa 2000 and 2001, respectively), may have been too far ahead of their time, as the distribution of subsequent models became somewhat patchy. With hybrids coming into vogue now, it's no wonder the US chip and phone maker is once again bidding for supremacy in this segment. The new A760 drops the Accompli moniker, adopts a new Linux OS, and throws in a number of modern features for good measure. But truth is, for all its improvements, this one doesn't do quite enough.
Design
Having owned both the A6188 and A6288, I can certainly tell the similarities. The A760, like its predecessors, comes in a folder-style form with the protective cover hinged at the top. A two-way direction pad lies below the display, with buttons on either side. The retractable stylus, the main method of control, sits snugly at the top left. The entire device feels solid and the matt-gray finish is generally acceptable. The 120g unit is quite petite and comparable with the Group Sense Zircon z3 that we reviewed recently. Overall, the Beijing-developed A760 projects a business-like demeanor.
Interface
On the software side, the A760 receives a new platform in the form of the Linux OS. Curiously, it isn't the complete overhaul we expected. The A760's interface looks remarkably like that of its predecessors, especially the most recent A388c. Icons are organized in a three-by-two grid, with tabs for navigation.
It's a pity Motorola has not taken the chance to redesign the interface as we find the A760 less than intuitive. For example, it requires a number of stylus presses to switch between networks. The software is also noticeably slow, and this takes a serious toll on messaging. Handwriting recognition is sluggish, so penning text messages can be an exercise in frustration. That said, the touch-sensitive display is quite sensitive.
Features
The 320 x 240-pixel, 65,000-color TFT display is a joy to look at while using it indoors. Outdoors, readability drops a notch as colors appear washed-out under direct sunlight.
The Motorola offers 16-chord polyphony and supports MIDI files as ringing tones. It's incredibly loud thanks to the speaker located behind the device, which also doubles as a speakerphone. MP3 and WAV files can be used as melodies but there are a couple of problems. First, there is a noticeable lag while the mobile loads up MP3 files for ringtone playback. Additionally, the limited 8MB onboard memory means I couldn’t save more than two full songs into the phone. The A760 lacks memory expansion slots, so its credibility as a music player is compromised.
The integrated camera, positioned on the reverse side of the display, is capable of shooting still images at 352 x 288-pixel resolution. The A760 also offers video recording of up to 5 minutes at 176 x 144-pixel resolution. In terms of quality, we found the still pictures quite decent, with good color reproduction. Video capture wasn't as good as the LG G8000.
The Motorola comes with some nifty voice functions. For example, you can choose to have your messages read out to you, which can be invaluable for the visually impaired. However, as the device relies on a library of words, colloquialisms like your "lahs" aren't supported. The phone spells them out instead.
You can also command the A760 to read out the current time, battery level and signal strength to you in English or Chinese. Playback volume, however, is terribly soft. The voice memo function is handy for recording meetings and lectures but the Chinese-English dictionary featured in previous Accompli models is gone and there are no preloaded games. Thankfully, four Java games and applications are provided on the supplied CD-ROM.
Connectivity
The A760 is one of Motorola's few handsets to offer integrated Bluetooth. I had no problems pairing it with my iPaq and desktop computer, and was quickly swapping files between devices. However, I did experience some compatibility issues with my old Ericsson HBH-10 Bluetooth headset.
For Bluetooth-phobic users, there's the alternative of infrared for data transfers. There's also a USB data cable included with the package.
The GPRS Manager software is included on the CD-ROM for wireless connectivity, as is the Theme PC Tool. The latter can be used for making and uploading themes and Java applets to the A760 but works only in Windows 2000/XP OS. Therefore those using Windows 98/98SE/Me will be disappointed. EzxSync is provided for the synchronization of contacts, schedules and notes with Microsoft Outlook.
Reception And Battery Life
The A760's reception is very good. During our testing, we had no problems getting a signal. I could even switch between GSM900, 1800 and 900/1800MHz bands, a feature unique to Motorola. However, it's surprising the A760 isn't a triband device given the A388c was one.
Battery life proved decent, with the 750mAh battery lasting more than two days on average use, which included taking videos and photos as well as WAP browsing.
Conclusion
Users of previous Accompli models will appreciate the updated A760, but others may take some time to get used to its cumbersome interface. At S$718 with a two-year plan, this smart phone is good value, especially given its generous feature set. However, the Motorola also suffers from software issues, which may hurt its chances given the plethora of hybrids out there. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: mootrola |
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