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| O2 XDA Zinc |
| General |
| Network | Umts / Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2006, December |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 109 X 58 X 22.6 Mm |
| Weight | 175 G |
| Display |
| Type | Tft Touchscreen, 65k Colors |
| Size | 240 X 320 Pixels, 2.8 Inches |
| | - Handwriting Recognition
- Qwerty Keyboard |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (64 Channels), Mp3 |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | In Shared Memory, Photo Call |
| Call Records | Yes |
| Card Slot | Minisd, |
| | - 64 Mb Ram, 128 Mb Rom
- Intel Xscale Pxa 270, 520 Mhz Processor |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | Yes, 384 Kbps |
| Wlan | Wi-fi 802.11b/g |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Infrared Port | Yes |
| Usb | Yes, Miniusb |
| Features |
| Os | Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocketpc |
| Messaging | Sms, Mms, Email, Instant Messaging |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml, Html (pocketie) |
| Games | Yes, |
| Colors | Silver |
| Camera | 2 Mp, 1600x1200 Pixels, Video, Flash; Secondary Vga Video Call Camera |
| | - Video Call
- Pocket Office(word, Excel, Outlook)
- Java Midp 2.0
- Voice Memo
- Mp3/aac Player
- Video/audio Album
- Built-in Handsfree |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 1300 Mah |
| Stand-by | Up To 220 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 5 H |
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O2 - XDA ZincSlide out with the O2 Xda Zinc
Major features
Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz support
3G WCDMA 2100MHz network connectivity
Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
128MB of Flash ROM and 64MB RAM
MiniSD memory card expansion slot
Intel XScale PXA 270 520MHz Processor
Windows Mobile 5.0 Operating System
Integrated 802.11b/g WLAN
Infrared, USB version 2, and Bluetooth version 2.0 connectivity
2.8” 65,536 colour touch-screen TFT LCD @ 240 x 320 pixels
2mpx CMOS camera with video and still image capture
PDF viewer and Microsoft Office Mobile application suite
Windows Media Player Mobile and stereo speakers
Problems/Issues?
QWERTY keyboard issues
Keypad hold switch
Assorted operating system issues
No miniSD card in sales package
Sales package (should contain):
1x O2 Xda Zinc handset
1x Lithium-polymer battery @ 1300mAh
1x Universal Mini-USB charger
1x Mini-USB data-cable
1x Stereo headset
1x Leather pouch
1x Additional stylus
1x CD-rom with Microsoft Outlook 2002 and ActiveSync
1x Quick Start guide and user manual
1x Limited warranty statement
Introduction
O2 are a European-based telecommunications company, with over 35 million active customers. Outside of Europe, the company is well known for their Xda range of PDA phones. Unveiled last November, the O2 Xda Zinc is one of the latest additions to the Xda portfolio.
The original role of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) was a personal organizer. Over the years the devices have changed enormously, now including features like a camera, telephone functionality, web browsing, e-mail, and a wide range of connectivity options. The Xda Zinc includes all these features and much more.
Note: The O2 Xda Zinc and the Asus Mars II are practically identical devices. Although this review focuses on the O2 handset, most (if not all) of the review should apply to the Asus handset.
New/outstanding features
The major highlights of the O2 Xda Zinc include the slide-out QWERTY keyboard, WLAN connectivity, Bluetooth and USB 2.0, Windows Mobile 5.0, 128MB of flash ROM, QVGA touch screen display, 2mpx digital camera, and miniSD memory card support.
For a PDA phone, connectivity is of major importance. The Zinc supports WLAN connectivity, complying with the IEEE 802.11b/g standards. There is support for GSM 900/1800/1900MHz 2G bands, and the WCDMA 2100MHz 3G band. For local connectivity the Zinc supports Bluetooth version 2.0, USB 2.0, and infrared.
The QWERTY keyboard slides out from the left hand side of the handset. The operating system automatically reorientates to landscape mode for wide screen viewing. The keys are very responsive and the Zinc is comfortable to hold, so writing long messages or inputting text into documents is no longer a tedious task.
The Zinc is kept running by an Intel XScale PXA 270 processor, clocked at 520MHz. This is the usual processor speed for PDA phones these days, although some manufacturers have started to move into the 600MHz range – O2 have done this with their upcoming Xda Atom Life handset.
Physical aspects
The O2 Xda Zinc comes in the one colour scheme: graphite. I found the Zinc to be a very attractive PDA, unlike some others that I’ve tested before. The Zinc weighs 175 grams, which is around the average for a PDA handset. It is about the same length and width as any other candy bar handset (109mm x 58 mm). Because of the slide-out keyboard, the Zinc is 22.6mm thick. The Zinc feels very solid in hand.
The front of the Xda Zinc is minimalist, with the basic navigational buttons, the touch screen, and the forward-facing camera. The 2.8” display occupies most of the front of the Zinc. The navigational keys on a touch screen device are not used as much as they would be on a non-touch screen device. For this reason, the navigational keys on the Zinc take a step back, and are smaller than a non-touch screen handset. There is a 5-way navigational pad, two soft keys, a pick up key, hang up key, the Start key and a dedicated messaging key.
The keyboard slides out from the left of the Zinc. I found that the easiest way to get the keyboard out was to hold the handset long-ways, then use my two thumbs on the corner of the display to push it up. The keyboard is not spring loaded and runs on two plastic rails, so is not very smooth. There are a total of 41 keys on the keyboard, including two soft keys, 3 navigational keys, and other functionality keys. All keys have a bright white backlight. When the keyboard slides out the display automatically adjusts to landscape mode.
The volume up/down keys, keypad lock slider, and miniSD slots are all found on the left hand side of the Zinc. The keypad lock slider is too flush with the rest of the handset, making it hard to slide up without holding the whole handset side-on. Surprisingly, the miniSD slot has no protective cover, and it wide open at all times. On the right hand side is the dedicated camera key, infrared window, and reset button. The on/off switch is on the very top of the Zinc, and to the right of this button is the stylus. When I test PDA phones I’m often paranoid about snapping the stylus in half, but the Zinc’s is much thicker than others I’ve used and does not feel flimsy in the slightest. The miniUSB charging/interface port and the 2.5mm headset jack are at the bottom of the handset.
A small rubber strip has been attached to the battery cover of the Zinc, which prevents the handset from sliding around a table when placed on its back. There are also two more rubber stoppers around the 2mpx camera module. The battery cover itself slides off easily enough to reveal the battery – which doesn’t come out so easily! It requires quite a bit of force to get the battery out. The SIM card slides onto the connectors under the battery.
User interface & display
Take a closer look!
Take a closer look!
The Xda Zinc has the usual 240 x 320 pixel touch screen TFT LCD, which is capable of displaying up to 65,536 colours. I personally look for a 262,144 colour display in any mid/high-end handset, and the Zinc definitely falls into the high-end class. Never the less, the display is bright and can be read without hassle in direct sunlight. The 2.8” LCD can be orientated horizontally or vertically with the tap of an icon. When the keypad slides out the display automatically changes to horizontal/landscape orientation.
The backlight on the display can be adjusted to 8 different levels (with one being no backlight). There are two different sliders, one for battery power and the other for external power (when connected to a PC or the mains charger). By default the backlight turns off after 30 seconds of no usage. The font size can be changed between 5 different levels, although some programs will not take notice of this setting. Most pre-installed applications will. The O2 Xda Zinc supports ClearType font smoothing.
My Xda Zinc came with 5 different Today themes. The Today screen is the ‘idle’ display of the Zinc, which is highly customisable. The themes change the colour scheme and background of the user interface. More themes can be downloaded to the handset from the Internet. A different background can be selected for the Zinc, but I found that it was difficult to see the menus properly when I used my own image.
The Zinc runs the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system on an Intel XScale PXA 270 processor, clocked at 520MHz. The O2 Xda Zinc was released before the Windows Mobile 6.0 was made available, and is not compatible with the updated operating system. First-time PDA users will find that the Windows Mobile operating system is quite similar to Microsoft Windows, and is very easy to use. The Start menu lists recently used applications and a list of user-configurable applications. All installed applications can be found in the Programs menu. For the most part the operating system is icon-based, making extensive use of sliders and check boxes.
At all times while using the Zinc, a small bar at the top of the display shows the Start button, the name of the current application, and several notification icons like reception status, time, volume, and wireless connectivity. Some icons can be removed from this notification bar; others are static and cannot be removed.
The user interface is slow at times, especially when switching between applications or when you have many applications open at once. I managed to freeze the Zinc several times during the trail period by having too many applications open or switching between two applications too quickly. In the event of a freeze the reset button the right hand side of the handset can be pushed with the stylus tip to reset the system.
Making and receiving calls
Making and receiving calls is handled by the Zinc’s “Phone” application, which has permanent attachment to the Start menu. The program displays a numerical keypad and additional icons for video calling, speed dialling, and call history.
The numerical buttons are quite large, so the stylus does not need to be used when inputting a number. The left soft key in the Phone application links to the contact book, where a name can be selected and then dialled.
I found a bug with receiving calls while using the Zinc, which was a major annoyance. When a call comes through and is answered, there is a delay of around 2-3 seconds before any audio from the handset is actually transmitted. In other words, you can hear the calling party, but they can’t hear you. I found a similar problem when using the Mio A701 (which also uses the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system).
The video calling functionality of the Zinc is limited. From the Phone application you can lookup a number or input it directly. Pressing the video call button will initiate the call, and the video from the internal VGA camera is displayed. Several icons at the bottom of the screen allow you to change between the internal/external camera, turn off the video, or go back to the Today screen. The dedicated red hang-up button is used to end the call.
Because of the lag at the beginning of voice calls, and the limited video call functionality, I’m only giving the O2 Xda Zinc 3 ½ stars for this section.
Messaging
The slide out QWERTY keyboard on the Zinc is one of its key features, and for most users it will be used extensively when messaging. Support for SMS/EMS, MMS, and e-mail messaging (including Exchange push e-mail) is included as standard, and MSN Messenger Mobile is pre-installed for instant messaging.
A dedicated messaging button can be found to the left of the navigational pad on the front of the Zinc, which opens the O2 Messaging Plus application when pressed. The application consists of one screen which displays the last received SMS, MMS, e-mail, and RSS feed item. Pressing the left or right soft key will scroll through the items, and tapping one of the bars will open the actual messaging application.
The messaging application has a folder structure similar to that of Outlook Express for the PC, with three main items (MMS, Outlook E-mail, and Text Messages), and under each item are the separate folders: Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, and Drafts. To send and SMS message the Text Messages item (or one of its sub-folders) must be open. For MMS messages the MMS item or one of its sub-folders must be open, and likewise for E-mail.
The QWERTY keyboard has a total of 41 keys, all of which are backlit by bright white LED’s. Almost every key has more than one function, indicated by the blue character on the key. To access the secondary function of that key the ‘Chr’ key must first be pressed. There is a cap/shift key (pushing it twice will turn on caps lock), a tab button, Start button, and a small space bar. My only criticism of the keyboard is that the space bar was too small, and should have occupied three keys instead of two. Other than that the keyboard is great to use: the keys are responsive, have a definitive ‘click’ to each press, and the design of the O2 Zinc makes using the keyboard comfortable.
On top of using the keyboard to input text, there are 5 other options. The first is a block recognizer, which is similar to the Palm Graffiti method of inputting text. Each letter has its own one-stroke combination which can take some time to get used to.
Next is the on-screen keyboard, which is used with the stylus to tap individual letters. The keyboard can switch between a regular QWERTY lay out to a numeric/punctuation layout. There is no T9 predictive text installed on the O2 Xda Zinc, so each letter must be pressed separately.
The letter recognizer mode reads single letters the same way they would be written on paper – unlike the block recognizer mode. In this mode the input area is divided into three separate columns: capitals, lower case, and numbers/punctuation.
My favourite text input option was the transcriber, which allows users to write whole words (or sentences!) onto the screen, which the handset will then interpret. This is different from the other methods as it does not interpret one letter at a time. I find this much faster as I can fit three or four words onto the screen, have them interpreted, and then go again. Most of the time the Zinc got my words wrong and I do have quite messy handwriting!
Last but not least is XT9 text input. This is similar to T9 predictive text, with all letters of the alphabet displayed on screen (and several other icons). Users tap each letter and the handset displays a list of words above the input space that use those letters. Not quite like T9, because each letter is being pressed separately, but after some time may be the quickest option for some users.
Although I was overly impressed with the Zinc’s messaging capabilities, the lack of Blackberry means the handset only gets 4 ½ stars.
Connectivity
Leaving no rock unturned, the Zinc supports WLAN, 3G, 2G, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, Infrared, and USB connectivity.
The WCDMA 2100MHz network band is supported for 3G connectivity, and the forward-facing VGA camera is built in to the Zinc for video calling. The WCDMA protocol is capable of speeds up to 384kbp/s. The GSM 900, 1800, and 1900MHz network bands are supported when using a 2G service or when roaming out of 3G coverage areas. GPRS and EDGE data protocols are available when using 2G services.
The O2 Xda Zinc has an integrated wireless chip for connectivity with 802.11b/g networks. I tested the handset with several WLAN networks, both secure and insecure. Getting connected to the WEP security network was a little tricky as the key would not work the first few times, but after some fiddling everything worked fine. Using the WLAN connection does chew up battery life quite quickly, so when not in use be sure to use the Wireless Assistant to turn it off.
The Internet Explorer Mobile application automatically uses the active data protocol to browse the internet. I tested it using GPRS and WLAN connectivity – both worked without fault. Internet Explorer Mobile has a full screen mode and the display can be switched to landscape mode for widescreen viewing of web pages.
Local connectivity is easy with a choice of Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, or Infrared. The Zinc uses ActiveSync for transferring files and synchronizing. The sales package includes a USB data cable, but ActiveSync also supports Bluetooth and Infrared for wireless connectivity.
Using my Macbook I transferred several MP3’s to the Xda Zinc via Bluetooth, and reached speeds of about 51kbp/s. Pairing devices with the Zinc is achieved via the Connections tab in the Settings menu. The O2 Wireless Assistant makes it easy to quickly disable or enable any wireless service used on the Zinc.
Multimedia package
Windows Media Player Mobile comes in the standard application suite on Windows Mobile OS handsets. Closely resembling the PC Windows Media Player, version 10 of the Mobile version supports a wide range of video and audio formats and maintains an easy to use library of all compatible files stored on the handset.
Media Player Mobile can be accessed via the Programs menu or direct from the Start menu. When opened the library is displayed, and users can select music, video, TV, play lists, or go to the Now Playing window. If files have just been transferred to the handset they may not have been added to the library – selecting “Update library…” from the options menu will re-scan the internal and external (if a memory card is present) memory for compatible files and add them to the library.
Popular file formats supported by Windows Media Player Mobile include MP3, AAC, MPEG4, 3GPP, WMA, WMV, and AVI. Video can be played back full screen, and thanks to the multitasking environment of Windows Mobile music can be played while sending a message or browsing the web.
Java on the Zinc is handled by the Esmertec Java service. I achieved the following results on the O2 Xda Zinc with the JBenchmark Java benchmarking tools:
JBenchmark 1.0 19666
JBenchmark 2.0 1106
Unfortunately JBenchmark 3D would not run on the Zinc, giving the Java error: ‘java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError’. The results for JBenchmark 1.0 and 2.0 are extremely impressive.
‘Bubble Breaker’ and the classic game of Solitaire are the only pre-installed games on the Xda Zinc.
PIM applications
The Zinc includes a wide range of useful PIM applications as standard, and is easily synchronized with a Windows computer using the included ActiveSync software.
When the Zinc is started for the first time, an auto install wizard appears and can install 5 different applications with the push of a button. The applications are O2 Phone Plus, CodeWallet Pro 6, WorldMate 2006, Jeyo SMS Backup, and O2 Plus. These applications are easy to use and have some great features. CodeWallet Pro 6 can store a huge range of information like credit card and banking details, PIN numbers, personal information, files, and more. WorldMate 2006 offers weather forecasts, currency conversion (with updating of rates via a data connection), and world clocks.
ActiveSync is the file transfer and synchronization software for all Windows Mobile devices. The software is lightweight on system resources and is very easy to use. Once set up ActiveSync can automatically synchronize contacts, e-mails, calendar appointments, and more every time the Zinc is connected. File transfers are through a Windows Explorer like application which supports drag & drop. ActiveSync on the Zinc also supports synchronization with an Exchange server.
‘Notes’ is a pre-installed application which displays an interactive note pad, which is written on using the stylus. Audio memos can also be recorded using Notes.
The Windows Mobile application package includes PowerPoint Mobile, World Mobile, Excel Mobile, ClearVue PDF viewer, and several other productivity applications. All of these applications are pre-installed on the Zinc and accessed through the Programs menu.
Build quality
The Zinc is an extremely solid handset and the build quality is acceptable. Weighing 175 grams and measuring 109mm x 58 mm x 22.6, it’s on the smaller side for PDA handsets. Users coming from a non-PDA background may have some concerns about the size, but I found that I could easily carry in the Zinc in my pocket without it becoming a burden.
My only criticism of the Zinc’s build quality is the sliding mechanism used for the keyboard. I expected a metal rail system, similar to that used in most slider form-factor handsets. The keyboard on the Zinc one plastic slider on each side, which does not smoothly slide up and down and does not lock into place sufficiently in the closed position. This meant that every time I took the Zinc out of my pocket the keyboard would be slightly ajar, and closing it would waste a couple of seconds while the display re-orientated itself.
I’m happy to report that the buttons on the keyboard are very tactile and comfortable to use. Typing on the keyboard is also very comfortable if you wrap your hands around the Zinc and use your two thumbs to type. I would have liked the space bar to be a little bit larger as it’s hard to reach with short thumbs.
The battery is really hard to remove as there is not enough leverage to flick it outwards. Most of the time I felt like I was going to snap the connectors off, but thankfully I never did. The battery cover is very easy to remove, it simply slides down with a small amount of force.
Battery life
According to O2, the included 1300mAh battery pack keeps the Zinc powered for around 220 hours (standby), or up to 5 hours of talk time. With low to medium usage of the handset I could get about 2 and a half days out of the handset before I needed to recharge. I was not able to test the Zinc using a 3G SIM, so all my usage was with 2G services.
Using the “Meters” item on the Today screen makes it easy to monitor battery level – enabling the feature displays two bars which measure battery and memory status in percentage form. The Zinc can be charged using the AC adapter or via USB when connected to a computer.
I did note that using the WLAN functionality of the handset chews up the battery life like no other, even when at 50% power mode. Best practice would be to only enable the WLAN service when required, and then turn it off when not needed – instead of leaving it on all the time.
Major features...
Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz support
The O2 Xda Zinc offers near world-wide 2G connectivity with support for three of the four major GSM bands: GSM 900, 1800, and 1900MHz. The Zinc supports the GPRS and EGDE data protocols for connecting to the Internet over the GSM network.
3G WCDMA 2100MHz network connectivity
The 3G 2100MHz band is also supported, providing data connectivity up to 384kbp/s. A forward-facing VGA digital camera is positioned above the Zinc’s display for video calling, and browsing the web over WCDMA data is made easy with the Internet Explorer Mobile application.
Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
The Zinc is your usual PDA form factor handset, but has one major difference from its competitors: a slide out keyboard. The 41-button keyboard slides out from the left hand side of the Zinc, and makes writing long e-mails or documents a breeze. The 2.8” display automatically aligns itself horizontally when the keyboard slides out for wide-screen viewing.
128MB of Flash ROM and 64MB RAM
Out of the box, the O2 Xda Zinc that I received had approximately 60.15MB of memory available for storage, and 51.21MB for programs. That makes a total of 111.36MB of user accessible memory.
The File Browser application provides an icon-based interface to the Zinc’s memory. As the Zinc uses the Windows Mobile operating system, the file system is very similar to a Windows computer. For example, the My Documents folder contains (most) user data, and includes separate folders like My Pictures and My Videos, and My Music. There is also a Program Files folder, which stores the data for installed programs.
MiniSD memory card expansion slot
The Xda Zinc supports miniSD memory cards via the hot swappable port on the left side of the handset. The miniSD slot is wide open and not protected by any rubber stoppers or plastic doors, which is a bit of a disappointment.
Unfortunately there is no miniSD card in the sales package.
Intel XScale PXA 270 520MHz Processor
The brains of the Xda Zinc is a single Intel XScale PXA 270 processor, clocked at 520MHz. The operating system is mostly fast, but some operations will cause it to freeze for a couple of seconds, occasionally freezing completely.
Windows Mobile 5.0 Operating System
The familiar Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system is utilized on the Xda Zinc. The operating system is very easy to use and extremely similar to Windows XP. The Today screen (idle display) is highly customisable and can display battery/memory status, unread messages, calendar notes for the day, wireless connection status, and much more. The large 240 x 320 pixel touch screen display is the perfect interface for Windows Mobile 5.0.
Integrated 802.11b/g WLAN
There’s no need to pay for GPRS/EDGE or WCDMA data when there’s a wireless hotspot around – and thankfully the O2 Xda Zinc is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.11b+g standards.
It’s a little tricky to get WEP/WAP security set up on the Zinc, but after some fiddling around the Zinc will automatically connect to specified networks with no interaction with the user. The Internet Explorer Mobile browser will utilize the WLAN connection for browsing the Internet.
Infrared, USB version 2, and Bluetooth version 2.0 connectivity
For local connectivity the O2 Xda has all the favourites – Bluetooth, USB, and infrared. The latest version of USB and Bluetooth are supported (version 2.0 for both), offering high speed, reliable data transfer.
The Xda Zinc uses a miniUSB port for all wired connections (including charging), and the sales package includes a USB data cable. Microsoft ActiveSync is also included, which is used for all data transfer between the handset and a Windows computer.
Files can be sent wirelessly to/from compatible devices direct from the File Browser application by selecting the “Beam” option – which will then scan for Bluetooth devices or allow you select Infrared.
2.8” 65,536 colour touch-screen TFT LCD @ 240 x 320 pixels
The front of the Zinc is almost completely occupied by the 2.8” LCD, which can display up to 65,536 colours in the 240 x 320 active pixels.
2mpx CMOS camera with video and still image capture
The O2 Zinc has two digital cameras – a 2mpx one on the back of the handset, and an additional VGA camera on the front for video calling. The Zinc’s viewfinder application only uses the 2mpx digital camera; the VGA camera cannot be used to capture images or video.
Still images up to 1600 x 1200 pixels can be captured, with several other resolutions offered. Video can be captured in MPEG4 or 3GPP format up to 320 x 240 pixels. The camera has many additional features including quality, white balance, flash mode, zoom, self timer, burst mode, frame, and effects.
For more on the camera, visit the Camera Performance section of this review.
PDF viewer and Microsoft Office Mobile application suite
ClearVue PDF viewer and three Microsoft Office Mobile applications come pre-installed on the O2 Xda Zinc. Mobile version of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint have the ability to view and edit supported file formats, which may have been received via e-mail or transferred via USB/Bluetooth/Infrared.
Windows Media Player Mobile and stereo speakers
Windows Media Player Mobile supports the most popular video and audio file formats, including MPEG4, 3GPP, MP3, WMA, and WMV. Full screen playback of video is supported, as are M3U play lists. Using high speed USB 2.0 and the drag & drop functionality of ActiveSync, files are easily and quickly transferred to the internal (or external, if inserted) memory.
The O2 Xda Zinc includes stereo speakers for high quality audio playback.
Problems/Issues?
QWERTY keyboard issues
My major problem with the QWERTY keyboard was the plastic rails that attach it to the top part of the handset. I expected a similar sliding mechanism to that used in most slider handsets: metal rails. The keyboard is quite large, and doesn’t slide smoothly with the plastic rails. It also doesn’t lock into place when closed, and almost every time I put the Zinc into my pocket I pulled it out half open.
Additionally, the space bar was too small for my liking, and difficult to reach with my thumb. It takes up the same size as two buttons, but upsizing to three would have made using the keyboard much easier.
Keypad hold switch
The left hand side of the Zinc has a hold switch, which prevents any key presses or taps to the screen from being interpreted. Unfortunately the switch is built flush with the rest of the handset, and cannot easily be flicked up or down when holding the handset front-on. To move the switch I had to hold the handset on its side and use my thumbnail to flick it up.
Slightly pedantic, but this would be one of the most-used buttons on the handset as there is no software equivalent for locking the keypad/touch screen on the Zinc.
Assorted operating system issues
Although Windows Mobile 6.0 was recently released, the O2 Xda Zinc was manufactured before this, and therefore runs version 5.0. I found several minor bugs with the Zinc, which caused the handset to freeze, or crash completely.
Switching between applications too quickly would almost always freeze the handset for a couple of seconds. At one stage I was using the camera viewfinder application when a call came through, which froze the handset until I managed to get out of the unresponsive camera application. The incoming call window would not display, but pressing the green pick up button initiated the call.
A reset button can be found on the right hand side of the handset, which is pushed in with a small object (the end of the stylus is perfectly sized). Pressing the button will reset the system, losing any unsaved data.
No miniSD card in sales package
The Zinc has 128MB of flash ROM (split into 64MB for programs and 64MB for user storage), and supports miniSD memory cards. For a PDA phone I’ve come to expect memory cards in the sales package – the Zinc does not come with one.
128MB of memory is reasonable, but external memory storage has become more than just additional storage. Using memory cards makes it easy to transfer files to and from different devices by just removing the card. No need to install programs or carry around cables.
In Summary
The O2 Xda Zinc is a fairly decked out PDA. There is only one other similar handset on the Australian market at this time, the Dopod 838Pro (click for review?). Both handsets have similar functionality, but their defining feature is the slide out QWERTY keyboard.
Key features of the Zinc include WLAN 802.11b/g connectivity, Bluetooth and USB 2.0, large 65,536 colour QVGA touch screen, 2mpx digital camera, and the popular Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. A great thing about the Windows Mobile operatig system is that it comes with many pre-installed applications: on the Zinc users will find mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, MSN Messenger Mobile, Internet Explorer Mobile, and many other Microsoft applications. O2 also have their own fair share of pre-installed applications, including ClearVue PDF viewer and WorldMate 2006.
Compared to the Dopod 838Pro, the Zinc has a faster processor (Intel 520MHz, the 838Pro is a 400MHz Samsung), but both have the same amount of RAM (64MB) and flash ROM (128MB). One of the only features the 838Pro has on the Zinc is the HSDPA connectivity. The O2 Xda Zinc only supports the WCDMA 2100MHz 3G network band.
The Xda Zinc is available for approximately $1150, and should definitely be considered by those in the market for a PDA handset. |
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