Eten X800 Review

Messaging:

Different message types are placed in a single menu - SMS, MMS and e-mails. There is nothing unexpected here. Entering text is done by one of the following touch display methods:

We think that the on-screen keyboard is the fastest and most convenient way to do it, but if you train the other methods, they can also be quite handy! Combined with the T9 predictive system, entering text with the phone is pretty quick.

In addition comes Easy Keyboard that is a variation of the standard on-screen keyboard, but not a very impressive one.


Connectivity:

Nowadays, talking through the phone is not enough – Windows Mobile phones are pocket computers that are used for Internet, and as GPRS/EDGE are not fast enough, 3G modules are built-in. The sad thing is that like GSMs, 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) networks also use different bands on the different continents (2100 MHz for Europe and Asia and 850/1900 MHz for America/Australia, with 1700 MHz prepared for launch by T-Mobile) which means if the device is optimized for usage in one of the continents group won’t work in the other and vice verse. The Eten X800 is quad-band GSM and tri-band (850/1900/2100) UMTS/HSDPA, which allows it to be 3G used in both Europe/Asia and in the US, over the AT&T’s 3G network. The сupport of HSDPA (3.6MBps) will allow for even faster than the UMTS data transfer. X800 II will be usable in ANY GSM or UMTS network around the globe, but lacking 1700 MHz won’t work as 3G in T-Mobile US’ future network when it launches.

WiFi and Bluetooth come standard. Bluetooth is mainly used for connecting to other nearby devices, as accessories (earpieces, car-kits, multimedia devices) and for data transfer (transfer of files to/from another phone/PC). Cable connection can also be used, via the miniUSB port.

Like all other Windows phones, you need to have ActiveSync installed on the computer to connect to it. The program will let you easily synchronize the phone (contacts, emails, and organizer) with Outlook.

With WiFi you can connect to a wireless LAN network covering you, use it as an Internet source and view the shared documents (input \\name-of-computer in Internet Explorer and you will see what is shared).


Internet:

The mobile version of Internet Explorer is used for internet browsing. Because of the high resolution (640x480 pixels) of such devices, loading standard pages in full size is not a problem, and the scrolling is greatly reduced when compared to a QVGA. Full-screen option is present.


There is also One Column View that should "optimize" the rendered page for the display, but we are not fan of this option even in phones with lower-resolution displays. The page is narrowed, thus changing its initial look.

As it is a Pocket PC, you can always use third party software to replace the original one. We prefer using MicroSoft Deepfish browser instead of Internet Explorer, but unfortunately it is still in beta mode. We can hope soon there will be better browsers for this OS.