ETEN G500 review

Performance:

At one point I had about 15 applications running at the same time and I didn't even know it by the performance I was getting out of the Eten. When you start a program all you see is the indicator that it is loading, and then it runs as smooth as you can imagine.

The reception was a little above average. Even indoors I was able to get good 3-4 bars of signal and compared to my other available phones from the same provider it was the least to say the same. Also we should not that the G500 is a quad-band unit, so you'll be able to use it even if you travel oversees, as it is a global “world” phone.

The sound (both incoming and outgoing) is as fine as it could be. Talking on the phone, recording speech or listening to music is of top quality as far as sound goes. The speakerphone as well performed very well, and both the people you talk with and you will hear the conversation clear without problem.
The ringing tones are really loud and the vibration is powerful, so you will hardly miss a call, even in a noisy place. Also it should be noted, that any music MP3 file can be put as a ringtone, so your favorite singer or band will alert you on an incoming call.

Before I even started looking at the phone I had it for about a week and it was in stand-by regime, so that stayed pretty close to the manufacturer's suggestion on the stand-by time (200 hrs). The talk time that I put on it was within the specifications (4 hrs), which is not a bad time for a powerful Pocket PC Phone with large display.

Conclusion:

I want to remind you that this is a sophisticated device and it is one of great complexity, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that it requires a higher commitment level from its user. If you are not familiar with using a PC or with the available managing software on the market, you will struggle in the beginning. If you are an experienced user all I have to mention is that it is a fully functional version of Windows Mobile 5.0 with all the bells and whistles that come with it. The handling of the device is very intuitive and you can be very efficient with it once you get familiar with all the little additions ETEN has put in it. The handwriting recognition software is a very big plus, since it turns the Eten into a note taker that is pretty well developed. The voice commands will save you lots of time and the software (that comes with it or the one you install) will help you manipulate and control your data flow at a very efficient level. One little drawback is that when you are looking at a large file you realize that the screen of the G500 is nowhere close to a regular PC screen, but if you adjust the font size, you can use it very comfortably. Another useful thing was the fact that you can flip the screen, so that you can use the device both vertically and horizontally. If you are only using a few applications or would like a more structured view of all the available resources on the handset, you can always put the M-Desk to use, which is a tabulated screen with content that you control.

Having said all that, we have to keep in mind the target market for the G500 - users who want in-car navigation, Pocket PC and phone in one device. The G500 combines all the necessary features needed - superb GPS functionality, thanks to the SIRF III chipsets; Windows Mobile 5 operating system and interface, fast 400 MHz processor, and large/bright display. I do not see the lack of Wi-Fi as major drawback since it can be added as add-on card. The only major drawback of the G500 as it was with the M600 is the lack fast data such as EDGE.

As always, if you are interested in becoming part of our review team, drop me an email at: kidoborg@phonearena.com