ETEN M600 Review

E-TEN stayed with their previous design scheme of the M500, simply changing the casing to a matte black. At first glance it resembles the MDA Compact, however slightly thicker due to its 1440mAh Li-ion long-life battery. With dimensions measuring 111.7 x 60.7 x 22 mm and weighing 165 grams, the M600 is a smaller Pocket PC not utilizing a physical keyboard. The back battery cover has a beveled exterior which keeps the device securely in your hand.

On the top of the device you will notice an SD slot. Thankfully, this is a full sized SD card slot as opposed to a MINI SD with less storage capabilities. At the expense of this full sized slot comes the loss of an infrared port that was standard on the M500. The SD slot is also SDIO compliant meaning it is operable with GPS receivers, handheld scanner equipment and other peripherals.

Next to the SD slot is a silver power button. It is very convenient location and with a single tap will shut down the touch screen so no inadvertent calls can be made. Press it gently once again and the phone restores to normal operation mode.

The next set of device controls on the left end includes the camera button, volume controls, voice record and the rest button. The camera button will directly launch the camera application which utilizes the 1.3 mega pixel camera on the back side of the device. This same button is used to take actual pictures and video.

The volume controls are conveniently labeled with + and -. As where traditional phones require you to push in on these corresponding labels to adjust the volume, the M600 uses a sliding mechanism. This method makes in call volume adjusting easier and more respondent. It essentially helps avoid the occasional mishaps when adjusting the volume during an active call. Directly below the volume controls is a smaller round button which accesses the voice recording application. Press it once and it launches the application, hold it down and it immediately begins to record until the button is released.

The other four buttons surrounding on a center directional pad are located at the bottom of the device. They top left conveniently accesses your contacts list immediately and the top right brings you directly to the home screen. The send and end call buttons are distinctly labeled and the center keypad acts similar to a PC mouse as it browses through lists and pressing down on it selects your current highlighted selection. The only drawback to this collection of buttons is there is no backlighting option for easy navigation in low light.

Peripheral ports include a headset jack for the included headset and a proprietary USB port. The USB sits perfectly in the matching black disk shaped cradle. This cradle is optional as the USB adapter can be plugged directly into the M600 as need be. The included cradle also includes a second charging dock for a second 1440mAh battery.

Sitting in the center of these multiple controls is a vibrant touch screen 240x320 display, capable of 65,536 colors.  This vast TFT-LCD display can be navigated with the included telescopic stylus. Many will agree that this is one of the better on the market as it expands from 82mm to an impressive 118mm.