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| Sharp GX20 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2003, 3q |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 95 X 49 X 25 Mm |
| Weight | 102 G |
| Display |
| Type | Cgs, 65k Colors |
| Size | 240 X 320 Pixels |
| | - Second External Display (80 X 60 Pixels), 65k Colors
- Four-way Navigation
- Status Light In 7 Colors |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (16 Channels), Recorded |
| Amount | 20 + Custom |
| Customization | Composer, Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 500 Entries, Photo Call |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 2 Mb Shared Memory |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 8 (4+1 Slots), 32 - 40 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | Yes |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems, Mms |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml |
| Games | Yes + Downloadable, |
| Colors | |
| Camera | Vga, 640x480 Pixels, Video, Flash |
| | - Java
- T9
- Organizer
- Calculator
- Voice Memo |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 720 Mah |
| Stand-by | Up To 250 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 3 H 30 Min |
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Sharp - GX20Razor-edge with the Sharp GX20
Major features
Tri-band compatibility
Dual colour LCD screen (internal and external)
Integrated digital camera and camcorder
Caller ID with picture
WAP 2.0 browser over GPRS
Polyphonic ringtones (16 tones) with ringtones composer
Ability to send & receive SMS, EMS, MMS messages
Data cable and IR connectivity
Java application compatibility
Built-in torch
Online content - Vodafone Live!
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Sharp GX20
1 x Battery
1 x User Manual
1 x Quick Start Guide
1 x Charger
1 x Handsfree earpiece
1 x Hand strap
1 x Warranty Card
1 x CD-ROM
Overview
Introduction
In this, the third generation of mobile telecommunications devices, manufacturers are under increased pressure to perform. Some prefer to break exciting new ground, producing handsets that amaze, shock and even repulse due to their “uniqueness”, while others prefer to simply tweak classic standards to suit new purposes. Sharp seem to have a hint of both approaches in mind and that is shown clearly in the new Vodafone Live! enabled GX20.
The very first thing that you notice about the GX20 is how similar it is in appearance to the GX10. For the uninitiated, the GX10 was the original clamshell designed Sharp phone specifically engineered for use with the Vodafone Live! service. It was meant to be: a very capable user friendly phone combined with on online service to cover most mobile needs. If you’re still interested see the GX10 review. So the vibe raison d'être on picking up the GX20 is a very similar one to that of its predecessor but its differences are many.
In leaping over the highly successful GX10, the GX20 has more than proved its worth. Obviously it shares a fair bit with its younger brother, including three quarters of its name, but the phone has been added to in all the right areas to make it even more comfortable to use. But enough rambling, lets take a look.
New/outstanding features
The feature that could most easily be described as outstanding is the in-built digital camera. Quite simply an extremely impressive camera, set apart by the number of parameters that can be controlled by the user making it much more versatile than the average built in camera.
The integrated mobile internet and entertainment service, in the form of Vodafone Live!, has also been well improved, giving a very comprehensive service offering everything from news updates to Java games and ringtones.
The CD included in the box installs a program on PC that allows transfers between the phone and the PC. Ringtones, pictures, wallpapers, contacts and even videos can be backed up onto a PC or downloaded to the phone.
What totally amazes me is the internal screen, and oh what a magnificent screen it has got! The GX20 uses twice the pixel found on basically any handsets in the market and clam it all into the same average size screen you found on other handsets, although its screen is still bigger than the GX10. The quality of the screen will blow your breath away, where you might sometime imagine that your screen has a hole through it when the camera mode is on, using your screen as a view finder.
Its external screen now also has 65K colours, which also adds to the pleasure of using this phone. It could also be used as a viewfinder, which is extremely useful for taking your own portrait photo.
A built-in torch, which also acts as the flash for digital imaging, has also been included in this neat package. An extremely useful tool for anyone indeed, especially when you need to find a torch to use at night! Although it would never beat a normal torch, it’s still also handy to have around in the dark.
The integrated digital camera could now also serve as a video camcorder, allowing those happy moments to be capture not only as still, but as live action! =)
Physical aspects
On the outside the corners have been more rounded for a subtle yet noticeable smoother feel. The outside screen is now bigger, displaying 60x80 pixels at 65K colours, enabling it for other uses… The camera lens now has a macro or micro dial for greater options in photography and there is a strange circular protrusion that could also be useful for some sinister purposes.
On the inside of the shell the screen appears to be bigger (from memory… maybe I’m just getting smaller) and there is a dedicated button bearing a Vodafone logo, but apart from that all appears to be the same as the GX10.
Great to hold in your hand and light in general, the GX20 is simply a pleasure to be processed as your personal handset in this area of the product! =)
User Interface & display
As with the GX10 the keys and general layout is top notch. The feel of the phone is very solid and the key presses are very definite; epic messages are no problems. The dedicated Vodafone Live! key, the only real button that has been added, is handy but the two key presses previously needed on the GX10 were not overly tiresome. The screen is perfect for the application and is clear and bright even in sunlight.
The menu structure and navigability is almost exactly the same as the GX10 with only a few minor changes. It also should be noted that there is a fair bit of memory for saving tones, pics and videos, and SMS/MMS. It would take at least a month worth of heavy usage to fill it. The predictive text input is up to scratch for moderate to fast typists, but lags a bit when given to a teenager in a maths class.
Making and receiving calls
Making calls is a very simple affair, as with most modern phones. Scroll through the phone book and press the green phone. Receiving calls is also easy. You can store a photo with the contacts in the phone book, so when your boyfriend/girlfriend calls you can set the phone to display a beautiful picture of him/her (or alternatively perhaps a picture of a ball and chain if you happen to be married…). Audio quality is average and the speakerphone is reasonable in volume and quality.
Messaging
Typing with the GX20 keypad is breezy and attaching pictures and other files to MMS is all part of the process of sending the message, making it very simple to do. The process of sending a blank message with no bells and whistles is slightly frustrating though having to go through 4 or 5 menus just to get through options you don’t want to use. Receiving messages is a standard thing as well.
Connectivity
The phone is engineered around its connection to the Vodafone Live! service. This is via GPRS and thus it is a very strong feature of the phone. The phone can also communicate with a PC via infrared (IrDA) or serial cable. The phone even comes packaged with software for managing your data.
You could also use the GX20 as a wireless modem for connecting your notebook computers onto the Internet, but watch your GPRS fees mind you! =)
Build quality
The build quality of the phone is generally very high and the new more rounded corners make for a better overall feel to the phone. As always with flip phones, one must be wary with the spring action in the flip. The GX20 does feel like it would have a fair amount of life to it, with a reassuring click open and shut.
Battery life
Sharp quotes the battery life of the Li-ion battery at up to 220 hours standby and up to 210 minutes in talk mode. In practice, in the time that I had it, with moderate usage, I could only get about 2 days without having to recharge. With such a magnificent colour display found inside and outside, I guess that’s the trade off sacrifice we would all have to take! =)
Major features...
Tri-band compatibility
Being a tri-band phone, the GX20 is compatible with basically any GSM network in the world! An extremely useful function for world travelers, without the need to bring an additional phone when traveling to a country that doesn’t support the type of networks being available to your current handset.
Dual colour LCD screen (internal and external)
The Sharp GX20 has dual 65K LCD colour display. Being 2 times higher resolution than the GX10 the internal screen at 240 x 320 pixels is very impressive. In daylight the screen is still perfectly visible, so long as your wallpaper is not too complex that the text gets lost. In pitch black the screen is almost too bright. A small price to pay for daylight visibility although there is always the brightness control.
The external screen at 80 x 60 pixels is perfect as a viewfinder for the camera for self-portraits, far exceeding the curved mirror on the GX10. It’s also a pleasant change to have a colour background for the outside screen, with colour wallpapers or even photos which you have taken. The only problem with this screen is that to activate the light you must open the flip (or have just closed it more importantly) meaning it was probably just as easy to look at the inside screen.
Integrated digital camera and camcorder
The GX20 comes with an integrated 310K pixels digital camera with flash support, 3x digital zoom, and storage for up to 75 pictures (240 x 320). The camera could also be used as a digital camcorder, allowing video clips of up to 11 seconds to be taken and sent via MMS to another MMS capable handset.
Caller ID with picture
You could even link a saved photo of your mate against their contact name and number in your phonebook, with the GX20, so when they call in, not only their name and number pops up, but the photo as well! =) Extremely cool feature to have if you find reading names is slow and frustrating when viewing photos are easier.
WAP 2.0 browser over GPRS
The GX20 could be used to surf the Internet via WAP, using its WAP 2.0 browser. You could also use the GX20 as a wireless modem, allowing you to connect it with your notebook computer, so it could be used to surf the net also with the use of a data cable or infrared.
Polyphonic ringtones (16 tones) with ringtones composer
A fairly common standard among new phones meaning that the compatible polyphonic ringtones have up to 16 voices, or different instruments, or parts. These tones are getting closer and closer to actual audio and at the moment a 16 voice tone is sounding like a bad karaoke track (or a Midi track for those musically inclined). Speaking of actual audio, the phone also plays .wav files (of the appropriate size) which can be downloaded from the Vodafone Live! service or from a PC.
Ability to send & receive SMS, EMS, MMS messages
Being an extremely messaging compatible phone, the GX20 allows you to send and receive SMS, EMS as well as MMS messages. You sure won’t feel outdated with such an amazing devices as this!
Data cable and IR connectivity
With all this info easily downloadable, your phone then becomes fairly valuable, holding all those things you’ve spent your hard-earned cash on. Anyone who has lost a SIM card full of numbers or a phone full of your favourite tones will know you do not want to leave the entire contents of your phone without backup. With this in mind Sharp have included the ability to transfer info from the GX20 to a PC (no Mac support, sorry) and vice-versa. There is a CD included with the phone which installs a program to your PC with no worries allowing you to manipulate multimedia content on your phone via IrDA or serial cable. I only had a chance to test the IrDA method and it worked flawlessly.
The program is very intuitive and useful offering a range of options to customise your GX20 experience. You can transfer almost all your favourite downloads off the phone on to the PC for backup or sending to others. The only exception to that rule is that copyrighted music tones or polyphonic tones do not appear in the software, stopping you from downloading them to your PC and distributing them, frustrating but reasonable.
Transferring also works the other way, from PC to GX20. Any picture from your PC can be transferred with minimal fuss; the software even has built in picture editing software to make pictures appropriate for the phone screen. Audio in the form of either .MIDI / MMF files or .WAV files can also be transferred. Note, though, that there is a size limit on individual files, both picture and audio, so editing might be essential. Phone book data is also transferable to back up your phone’s book, or to transfer contacts from your PC or even possibly to store entire different phone books for different uses. MMS/Movie files can also be downloaded.
Java application compatibility
With Java application support, the GX20 allows you to download games or useful tools using WAP via GPRS or with a data cable / IR. Now you can always find new games to play while you’re bored and never get tired of your phone again!
Built-in torch
The GX20 has an integrated torch available, extremely useful to search for things in the dark! Never have to worry about looking for your misplaced keys in the car, or anything you drop in the dark again, as this phone allows you to just switch on the trusty torch to light up your way. The torch is also used as the camera’s built-in flash when required.
Online content - Vodafone Live!
When it comes to the Vodafone Live! service, a fair bit has changed. From the minor changes, like moving some menu items into new, easier to navigate menus, to the major changes like new content it all works for the benefit of the experience. The biggest change since my last experience with Live! is the extent of content available.
There is a huge range of wallpapers, PXT, screensavers, polyphonic and monophonic tones, as usual with their associated price tags, but there is also quite a few free downloads for those like me who cringe when they see the mobile bill in the mail. All this online content adds up to a valuable resource for completely personalising your phone from tone to wallpaper and even having enough options to change it according to your mood (if the price is right!). I found also that the news service has improved significantly as well. For a modest cost of 50 cents a day/report (depending on which section of news) you can download news stories as they happen, sports reports as they occur and entertainment news stories as they entertain.
The most exciting development though is the increase of range of games. Vodafone has struck up deals with big names such as EA Sports, Acclaim and Eidos meaning that our favourite games from the past will likely been seen on the Java platform and exclusively on Vodafone Live!. The first major release by Eidos is Lara Croft Tomb Raider, which I had the chance to play on the GX20. The screen does the game justice and the tactility of the keys on the phone made for a pleasant gaming experience. Another option I had the opportunity of exploring was that of downloading MMS Video clips. Obviously the clips must be small to download, but with that in mind I downloaded an excerpt of Christina Aguillera’s new clip (it was all that was on offer, I swear!). Due to size constraints the video and audio quality was poor and I don’t believe it was worth the effort. We’ll see how this one develops.
Problems/Issues?
As far as problems with this phone, I could not find many. Sharp claims an improved battery life, but in the short time I had the phone I cannot verify the claim only getting a few days at a time. The phone was a little uncomfortable on the ear during extended conversation but audio quality was OK. Other than that I would just be complaining for the sake of filling up this paragraph as much as the others! =)
In Summary
With the GX20 Sharp have built on the solid foundation that was the GX10 and built a fine looking, well designed and functional phone which is hard to flaw. The camera is of the standard that I would think would be useful on a phone, giving clear images and control over parameters, as opposed to lesser cameras which only give images suitable for small applications. The Live! service has developed even further as well making that aspect of the phone attractive for those with the financial ability to take it on. I personally would have liked to have kept the review model as the phone was such a good entertainment device and a great mobile communication device at the same time, which is just what we all need, a bit of “play” with our work. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: shgarp , shzarp , wsharp , dsharp , shartp |
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