The O2 Orbit is an upgrade to other XDAs like the Mini IIs. I have a review here on the Mini IIs too, so I will be comparing the two in this review. The O2 Orbit is in fact a rebadged HTC device.
Got this O2 Orbit as an upgrade to my O2 Mini IIs about 3 weeks ago. The moment it was released I had wanted it because of the GPS feature on it. I do not really need the FM radio since my car MP3 player can do a better job.
Now on to the review.
The biggest selling point of the Orbit is it has built in GPS hardware. This does not need to be used with the CoPilot software although I did. I also used it with GPSwalk, a hiking software, while other owners reported that they use it with TomTom and Route 66 and said it works fine with them. CoPilot comes free if you are on a tariff of £40/month or more. Personally I do not find CoPilot the easiest software to use, but this is a review for the phone, not the software so lets get on. The GPS seem to get a fix very quickly, I think this is because it update via the internet every 3 days. Good thing about it being built in is that there is no need for a bluetooth GPS hardware separately.
What I had said about the XDA Mini IIs still is true for the Orbit, the huge screen is great for playing movies on. However it does not have
stereo speakers now and it seem that the sound of the Orbit is a touch softer than the Mini IIs. This is strange as spoken directions should be as loud as possible. One problem with the headphone connection is it uses the same port (mini USB) as the charger, so you cannot charge the phone and use it with the headset at the same time. I think Motorola headsets should work on this unit if you so prefer.
There are some changes to the button and controls from the so familiar one of the Mini IIs. I could decide if I like it yet or not. Gone is the 4 way D-pad of the Mini IIs, replaced with a trackball. It is also the select button, and it could be set to work like a mouse, with an on-screen pointer. A little pointless on a PDA device, but it is up to you. Around it is a scroll wheel, like, say, an iPod. The scroll wheel scrolls up and down, but so does the trackball. What is the point? Not too sure. Also missing (and missed by me) is the button for the message centre. It is replaced by the GPS button. It is again a little pointless as the shortcut to CoPilot is right on the Today screen. There is more than a few repeats on this unit. For example on the Today screen, the bottom soft button is for calendar and contacts. Contacts is fine, but calendar is displayed by default as part of the Today screen anyway. Another button missing is the connection button to turn on bluetooth and Wifi, but not missed too much by me.
It is just about more unstable than the Mini IIs. I even managed to corrupt the installed O2 software within 4 days and have to uninstall it completely from the system. While this may not be a problem with the unit itself, it comes preloaded with the unit straight from O2. However another problem recently occurring on this unit is the program bar for the text input (any type) placed itself at the wrong place. It should be at the bottom, but once it appears about 1/4 of the way up. This caused me to see the underlying program, which happens to be Today. Now, while Windows Mobile is supposed to 'feel' like a Windows desktop, the windows are not resizeable! The only way to sort this out is to do a soft reset,
While the finishing of this unit is more stylish in black and silver, the plastic parts seem to scratch easily. The lack of an included case seem to make this worse. The old simple silver plastic of the Mini IIs seems to be wearing better. The trim around the screen is in black metal, which makes it feels cold when held against the face.
You can connect by GPRS, EDGE, Wifi, or by ActiveSync to the internet. Sadly O2 does not provide EDGE on their network. And I couldn't understand why there is no 3G.
It had slimmed down a lot from the Mini IIs, but it does not come with a built in keyboard. Also missing is the simulated phone pad for input. It is impossible to input data with your fingers now. Anyhow, attempts to input SMS while driving WILL lead to a crash, be warned!
Now for the biggest complaint of the unit, it uses a MicroSD cardexpansion slot. Here are the problems with it. a) It is hidden under the sim card, under the battery. So there is no quick swap to it. It fact it is a right pain to get to. b) Why use a MicroSD? They are so easy to lose. The reason for using smaller storage card is to make smaller devices, but this is a huge device, I bet a full size SD card could fit in it! c) Because there is no standard SD or CF (well a bit big I know) slots, you cannot use SD device that will fit on other PDA devices. d) Need to spend money for another new memory card, again! (and see below)
Only the bare minimal comes in the box; the phone, earphone, CDs, charger and cable. There is no case to protect it, and the finishing for this phone does not seem to wear that well. As I said earlier, you can get the CoPilot Live 6 software if you get it with a tariff of £40 or more. If you take that, you will get a car holder, car charger, the software both on CDs and on a 256mb MicroSD card. The software itself takes up 200mb on the card, so it is not very useful. In fact Europe mapping is on the card, but you can't use it unless you pay more for it.
Battery and charger is the same as the Mini IIs, but the connector on the unit looks different. But they will fit. I use a common Mini USB cable for connection of all my device (to keep things simple). However the battery does not last well, especially with GPS usage. Typically I can use it for 2 or 3 days before I need to charge it.
Now would I recommend the device? Yes, but do not get the included software. The phone comes free on tariffs of £35. You cannot switch to a lower tariff in 9 months, so the software effectively costs £45. Pay more and get a better software, and don't worry, it will run on the device. Also do get a case for it!
So to sum it up: Speed - Slightly faster than the Mini IIs on startup, but still slow, took about 1 1/2 minute for it to be ready. Look & Feel - Quite slick, and good feel of the plastic finishing on this unit. Feels kind of rubberly. However it is still a huge device. Memory/capacity - No MicroSD card included, built in only about 64mb available, so poor. Comfort & Portability - Depends on what you see this as, a phone or a PDA? If a phone, it is huge, if a PDA, it is small. However it still feels comfortable to hold, and don't weigh down in my pocket too much, so good. Robustness & Durability - While I had not dropped it, I am sure it wouldn't like it very much due to the huge touch screen area. Care have to be taken with this device. Also I had pointed out the issue that the finish can easily be scratched, so poor. Ease of use - Anyone who use windows should have no problem with it. However there is the usual problem of not being able to close a program on Windows Mobile the way we are used to, so easy. Range of Extra Features - You can install almost anything you want on it, so I would say excellent. Instruction manual - While satisfactory, it is an O2 manual. I would prefer a HTC manual which tells me more about the device instead of a rewritten one. Manufacturer Support - O2 shop doesn't even sell a case for this, much improvement is needed. Value For Money - It is cheaper than some phones with less features so its good value. Recommend to potential buyers - Yes with reservations stated above. Do not get it with CoPilot if possible. Overall rating - It does its job, but not brilliantly. However given the number of features, it is pretty good, if you like gadgets.
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Advantages: Lightweight, Loads of features, GPS, free Win Mobile 6 upgrade Disadvantages: Touchscreen can be a little fiddly, cheap headphones, no case included
hailstormxp 17.10.2007 (17.10.2007)
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Review of O2 Xda Orbit
Advantages: Lightweight, Loads of features, GPS, free Win Mobile 6 upgrade Disadvantages: Touchscreen can be a little fiddly, cheap headphones, no case included
hailstormxp 17.10.2007 (17.10.2007)
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Review of O2 Xda Orbit
Advantages: Good looks, huge screen, software, range of features Disadvantages: Apps not easy enough to find, battery life not great when running WiFi or Bluetooth
MikeB_86 09.06.2009 ·
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