Orange launched the first UK phone to run Microsoft’s smartphone software, followed that hardware up with a revamp, and has now released the first device to run the new Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone platform. Each new phone has offered some ergonomic tweaks; with the SPV E200 we also get a couple of major additions in the shape of Bluetooth and a built-in digital camera.
Design
At first glance, the SPV E200 could easily be mistaken for its E100 predecessor: its size and shape is very similar at 50mm by 120mm by 24mm, as is its 130g weight.
There are a few subtle but significant differences in the casing, the most important of which is the incorporation of a lens for the built-in camera in its back. The action key has also changed, although it retains its joypad-like design, while the twin softkeys have a slightly different look -- they remain small, and are just as pesky to locate and prod as they were before, but precision comes with practice. The number pad keys are raised slightly from their base plate, which makes them easier to hit, and they benefit from a bright blue backlight.
We still don’t like the positioning of the earphone/handsfree jack on the bottom right of the casing -- where it’s likely to cause problems in the pocket. Why can’t it go in the most ergonomic location, on the top edge? We have no argument with the location of the SD/MMC card slot on the lower left edge, nor with the power, voice note and volume keys that reside along the upper left edge. Overall, the E200 feels comfortable in the hand, if a little on the large side.
The bright, transflective display delivers 176 by 220 pixel resolution and 65,536 colours, and is unchanged from the SPV E100. Sit the two models side by side and it’s impossible to tell the two screens apart in terms of quality.
Features
The SPV E200 is a tri-band GSM/GPRS phone that delivers all the features you’d expect for voice call management, including WAP, polyphonic ringtones, voice memos and so on.
This being a smartphone, manufacturers tend not to talk too much about processors and memory. These features do matter though -- especially if you’re more accustomed to the greater storage capacities of handheld devices. The SPV E200 is powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP 710 processor running at 132MHz, and has 32MB of on-board RAM, plus 64MB of flash ROM. Storage capacity can be augmented via the SD/MMC card slot, which has SDIO support.
Orange has finally managed to include both Bluetooth and a camera in an SPV. Both are pretty much de rigueur for a phone that claims to be in any way smart, so their appearance is welcome. Bluetooth is tricky to activate if you don’t have a Home Screen layout that offers shortcut access to the Settings area; it takes three key presses to get to the screen that allows you to switch between on, off and discoverable modes. We’d have liked a hardware switch.
The camera is one of the best we’ve seen in a phone. It captures both still and moving images, the former at three resolutions (160 by 120, 320 by 240 and 640 by 480) and the latter at two resolutions (176 by 144 and 352 by 288) with or without audio. There are several ambience settings, including one for dim lighting and an option that lets you manually tweak brightness, gamma, hue and saturation.
Results are fair, and the range of settings helps, but this is obviously no alternative to a good standalone digital camera. Also, candid snaps are difficult to get because there’s no hardware button to activate the camera. On the plus side, a small reflective plate beneath the camera makes it easy to take pictures of yourself.
The SPV E200 runs Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone and is the first UK phone to do so. The new platform got what the industry calls a ‘soft launch’ -- which in plain terms means it has crept out rather quietly. In fact, it’s possible that anyone considering a purchase and comparing the SPV E200 with Motorola’s
MPx200 won’t even realise that they run different core software versions.
The differences between Windows Smartphone 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone are, for the most part, incremental issue-fixes rather than fundamental developments. Here are some of the key changes we have discovered.
Microsoft has added a Bluetooth stack and camera support. The Home Screen has had its Programs menu renamed a more Microsoft-like Start. Inbox now caters for multiple email addresses rather than just one, and there’s a new SMS character counter. All in-application menus now have keypress options, which saves the bother of scrolling down through an options list -- you just hit the appropriately numbered key to make a selection. Usefully for professional users, it’s now possible to set separate Peak and Off Peak Mobile ActiveSync rules, which should allow more cost-effective use of the phone.
A new application in the shape of the JawBreaker game, which comes with the Pocket PC version of Windows Mobile 2003, is supplied, and overall the new platform seems faster. There were certainly fewer occasions on which we had to wait for the phone to catch up with our keypresses, although we did experience this on occasion.
Orange augments the Microsoft application bundle with some ROM-based tools of its own, plus a suite of third-party applications which you install from a supplied 8MB SD card. These include full versions of Pocket Slide Show (PowerPoint viewer) Dockware (screen saver) and Rebound (game), along with time-limited trial versions of CodeWalletPro (for keeping information such as passcodes secure), eWallet ( another passworded data manager) List Pro (list manager) and PowerTasks (to-do list manager).
Performance
The SPV E200 feels pretty good in the hand and is ergonomic to use as a phone. The basic diary, contact and task management features work well enough, although the cramped display that’s characteristic of this type of phone can let the power user down. Microsoft’s improved software seems to run less erratically than before, and the various enhancements are welcome.
Speaker volume is impressive: listening to MP3 playback at full volume is almost too loud for comfort, and although there is some distortion at this level it’s really not bad at all.
Unfortunately battery life lets this phone down. Orange quotes three hours’ use and three days on standby. We conducted a simple test and got three hours of MP3 playback before the phone started to reduce volume automatically. And although we got around five hours’ use before the battery gave up, we weren’t happy making phone calls that far down the line. You will absolutely need to dock this phone every day to avoid battery drainage.
Overall, though, this is the best incarnation of the SPV range we’ve seen to date. The built-in camera and Bluetooth bring it up to today’s standards, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone software is more robust and feature-rich, and the phone is neither too large nor too unwieldy to carry around. It’s just a shame about that poor battery life.
Specifications
| Connectivity / expansion | |
|---|---|
| Docking cradle | Yes |
| Wired connections | USB |
| Expansion slot | SD/MMC (8MB card supplied) |
| General | |
| Form factor | candy bar |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 487x233x1167 mm |
| Weight | 120 g |
| Memory | |
| Memory expansion | Yes |
| On-board memory | 32 MB |
| Messaging & data | |
| Messaging services supported | SMS |
| Email client | Yes |
| Email protocols supported | POP3 |
| Networks | |
| 2.5G | GPRS |
| OS & software | |
| Operating system | Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone |
| Software included | Pocket Outlook; Pocket Internet Explorer; MSN Messenger; Windows Media Player; Jawbreaker, Solitaire; Voice Notes manager; Pocket Slideshow, Dockware, Rebound, CodeWallet Pro, eWallet, List Pro, PowerTasks |
| Synchronisation software | yes (ActiveSync) |
| Phone | |
| Vibrating alert | No |
| Speakerphone | Yes |
| Voice dialling | Yes |
| Voice recording | Yes |
| Display | |
| Native resolution | 176x220 pixels |
| Colour depth | 16 bits |
| Power | |
| Talk time | 3 h |
| Standby time | 72 h |
| Expand | |
Images
Member reviews
This is small box full of tricks. Actually it's just the right size, it feels solid and both screen and keys are large and easy to use. If you want a small light, simple to use phone for just making and receiving calls then go get the latest Nokia they give away with your favourite breakfast cereal. However, if you are willing to spend a bit of time learing how this phone works and take some time customising it to your liking then don't walk, rush, out and buy it now. MSN Messenger is built-in and Internet Explorer does a stellar job of displaying most Web pages on the phone's small-ish but very clear screen.
- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10Lots of potential and a step forwards from my original SPV for features. But poor battery life and poor call quality let down what is otherwise a great phone. Overall it's left me diappointed.
- 6.50 out of 10
6.50 out of 10Simply outstanding -- the only niggling flaw is the battery life.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10I've got one of these and believe me, they are beyond fantastic! Can't imagine going back to an ordinary phone now. Yes, the battery doesn't last long, but you'll get used to plugging it in -- other than that it's absolutely fab!
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10- 7.50 out of 10
7.50 out of 10Also why didn't they include voice activated dialing and a message editor for your PC, like Nokia's.
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10The Orange booklets and support features are not much use for the detailed programs -- the Internet is the best place to find out about how all the features work and the full capabilities of the phone!
- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10Overall a great phone. The screen is clear and the software is easy to use and quick to learn. Very small niggles about media player. Rubbish file structure for MP3s (get smartCD) and won't play videos in landscape (get PocketTV).
- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10For the previous e100 a software update was made available to extend battery life. I believe that removing the SD card elongates battery life.
As a user of the original SPV I was unsure about upgrading to the E200. However, I have absolutely no regrets. The included software, OS stability improvements, additon of BT & camera make the E200 a superb device. Granted, the home screen requires a liitle tweaking to get the best from and battery life is on the poor side. Overall, too many plus points to really bring down the E200 few failings.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10It is a mini version of an ipaq with mobile phone facility. A bit niggly to figure out how to use as Orange and Microsoft do not provide clear instructions on all features even though their manual is over 100 pages long! Brilliant phone packed full of features including a flight mode...u can use it whilst on the plane (not actually calling anyone just the featuresof the phone.)
- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10As above - only the battery life lets it down.
An interesting point relating to the review: there IS a way to access Bluetooth from the home screen; just hold the Home key for a couple of seconds.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10Plus connect it to your computer and you've got an exceptional device
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10Had mine a few days now -- really pleased with it. Handles so much better than my original SPV -- battery problems yes, but it's because of a mishandling in the programming of the storage card handler. Remove it (and the plastic dummy) and battery life will vastly improve.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10Faster, camera, Bluetooth, more memory. Where do you sign up eh?
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10I had one of these spv's for just under a week.
I can honestly say, it was so awkward to use, I give it back. The buttons were too small, the feedback was slow and the GUI was inconsistent in so many ways.
Now this is the interesting part... This phone runs on Windows Smartphone 2003, its nothing like windows, I mean it doesnt even have cut,copy and paste. The only windows like feature is the icons! On top of that, the battery is so awfull, if u do buy it, get urself a spare battery as as it doesnt last long.
What else is bad? The adress book is so clunky to use, its a nightmare just trying to find an entry. How card can it be to find an entry in a diary? Bluetooth causes the phone to drain very very quickly, however the internet access and email seem to work quite relialbly and fast.
On the whole, I think Microsoft have a long way to go, before the whole phone is more windows like...
- 5.50 out of 10
5.50 out of 10I had owned a P800 up until yesterday and what a pleasant change the E200 makes. For me the synchronisation is really important and the SmartPhone uses ActiveSync which is fantastic - make a change in Outlook and seconds later it appears on your phone.
The phone itself is easy to use and intuitive. The camera is great, the screen is clear and with a decent sized SD card it's like having a phone and an iPod rolled into one.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10Much better than an A920!
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10My original SPV was very frustrating, but this seems to work well. Only crits:
Battery life is very short; Bluetooth doesn't allow modem connection with Pocket PC 2003 devices.
- 6.00 out of 10
6.00 out of 10Only trouble I've had is finding SD cards that work correctly.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10Had my phone for almost a week, took it back once thinking the battery was duff...received a new battery. However, it still doesnt seem to want to standby for even 24 hrs -- it's specced at being much much more. Not sure if I'm going to keep it, as a mobile which doesn't have a battery life isn't much good to me.
- 7.50 out of 10
7.50 out of 10Needs better battery and better Bluetooth.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10Having bought the camera myself, I think it is the way forward for mobile phones. Having a video mode is a definite plus against the competition. Saying that, the picture quality needs to be tweeked both in camera as well as video mode, for improved sharpness -- especially in subdued light. To appeal to the massses who prefer a flip, I think the SPV E200 might do well being remodelled as a flip phone.
- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10Definitely don't regret buying this -- I think it's amazing. Excellent screen; great camera (videos with sound and not limited to a few measly seconds like some Nokias); a lot faster than the original SPV; easily customised; MP3 player is great; tonnes of third party apps available on the Net; great gaming.
Need I go on? The only thing I complain about is the pathetic MMS editor -- why, oh why, oh why does the phone not support AMR(the standard sound format for MMS)? This means sounds recieved can't be played on the phone -- what is going on? You also can't send WAV files (which are converted to AMR in the original SPV), only MIDIs, which are rubbish. WHY? No formatting of the text either and no page timing. The original SPV did all this. The old saying 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' certainly rings true here.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10If you enjoy carrying a charger around with you, then this phone is for you -- the battery dies in half a day. The ActiveSync took 6 install-unistall attempts and one returned handset before it worked; the Bluetooth rarely decides to connect to the Jabra headset. It's not very ergonomically designed (top heavy), and I often find my hand straining to reach the buttons. It takes ages to completely turn on or find any address book entry! If you want my advice, buy the new Nokia with all the same features. Most annoyingly none of the voice notes can be downloaded to PC. Apart from that, they have packed a lot of useful features.
- 5.50 out of 10
5.50 out of 10- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10It's got everything you want, apart from low battery life. Recommended to everyone.
- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10I finally don't have to take my phone and iPaq. I have been a Nokia user from day one, but this phone is mustard.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10This is the best phone I have ever had. Battery life lets it down a bit, but it's still great.
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10If it sounds like we are all singing from the same song-sheet... we are! The E200 is an amazing piece of kit: it has all of the functions you really need while on the move. I have been using a Nokia 9210 Communicator up until now, the thing that wins the E200 over for me is the GPRS. Using the phone to send and receive emails on the move is certainly quicker with the E200, and cheaper using the GPRS as opposed to CSD.
WELL DONE to Orange and Microsoft for a brill phone, I wish I'd have had one before... but if anyone from Orange is reading these reviews... hurry up with a fix for the battery please!
- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10Cool phone... but 72 hours standby? No way -- 36 tops... :(
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10Without doubt this is the best mobile phone I have owned. The reception quality is very good, and navigating is easy. Graphics are excellent, pictures excellent and video good. Manual could be better, especially when synchronised with computer, but with a little time this is easily overcome.
The addition of the SPV keyboard (£24.99 from Orange business shops) is a bonus and makes use very easy.
Only real minus is the battery life.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10Having spoken with Orange with regard to the SPV E200, they have said there has been issues from customers -- and staff who have the phone -- of the phone crashing or having problems. I am surprised these weren't found out before they released it onto the market and got a fix. I've been told a fix is in the pipeline, but not been told when and in what form.
- 7.50 out of 10
7.50 out of 10- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10Everyone says what a phone when I walk down the street, and it is the best money can buy I think. It has a camera like you wouldnt belive, and the video's are the Bomb! It has MSN so what more could you want? It has poor battery life, but don't let that put you off because I would recomend this phone to any one who isn't Boring! It is the best phone i have ever had -- the photos are like real people! And you can film movies for up to 7 minutes!
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10This phone is exactly what the first SPV should have been: it's responsive, clever, syncs well with Outlook, and recalls phone numbers effortlessly.
However the call quality is atrocious. Try before you buy. I want to get rid of mine, as I can't hear the other person if we're both in areas with background noise, and you have to concentrate to ignore the buzzing the rest of the time.
- 5.50 out of 10
5.50 out of 10Brilliant phone with brilliant features. Being a programmer, it's excellent because I can write my own software for it using the SDK! How brilliant is that? The battery life may be disappointing, but since I'm at school most of the time I don't use it through the lessons now do I? I'd reccommend this to anyone! The camera quality is excellent. And tell me another phone that lets you record video for 7 mins? Usual limit is 12 seconds! I had a T610 but this phone breaks the barrier!
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10absolute A************ phone!
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10Superb product with plenty of support from Orange. A wealth of software out there, with more becoming available all the time. Only real drawback is the battery life.
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10Excellent phone that's now even better due to a ROM update from Orange's UK Web site that improves battery life dramatically.
- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10Despite having fantastic features, this is a very hard to use phone. All the wonderful hardware is let down by a User Interface that is clumsy to use and buggy. Multiple button presses to get to basic operations, sounds that play LOUD when you set system sound level Low, Inability to stop the SMS incoming message tune (which has to be long since it only plays once..) The Media Player turns the screen light on when changing tracks (if in belt clip all this does is drain the battery more), and then turns light off while watching movies.. Bluetooth kills battery and is 7 keystrokes to turn on and off.. Phone microphone stays on while using supplied handsfree headset. And so on.
There is also really good stuff, but it's negated by silly bugs and usability mistakes. So, If relaxed operation is important to you, get a Nokia/Siemens/LG.. But then you'll miss out on the cool functions...
Finally the battery life is pathetic, 10 hrs of moderate use, claims of 100hr standby (from Orange NL) are not realistic in real-word situations.
- 6.50 out of 10
6.50 out of 10Truly a great phone but the battery has to be improved -- one day max if you're not on the phone too long. Also the camera could do with being crisper especially in dim light. Apart from that I'm very impressed with this product.
- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10This is a great phone in every way but for one thing -- its battery life. The battery lasts just 6 hours, then runs out of steam. 1st battery 6 hours, 2nd battery 6 hours now on the 3rd and its pony. I think I'll stick to my Nokia 6310i that lasts for a solid 4-5 days with heavy use, which I need the phone for.
This phone has some great features, but its life in using them is... suspect. Great try Orange
- 6.00 out of 10
6.00 out of 10I love it! I took it out of the box and found that I could find most things straight off (although the Orange handbook appears to tell a few porkies!)
If you think Bill Gates is the spawn of Satan then you will never like a Windows-powered phone, but as a Windows user and pocket PC user I love the integration with Outlook and Internet Explorer.
The latest ROM update has supposedly improved battery life, but if you've ever used a Pocket PC that lovely colour screen does eat the battery, so for me it's not an issue. Just buy a spare battery if you think you might need it.
My phone has not locked up (my Panasonic GD87 did that all the time).
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10You will need a spare battery. I work for Orange and have played with a lot of phones: 6600 buttons too small for the average bloke to use; P900 very fiddly menus. The SPV is very reliable and has sorted the problems the earlier models had, but is very natural to use -- everything is where it should be.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10Easy to use, full of features. Shame about the 1-day battery life.
- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10This pocket PDA phone is the best you can get. AND, the battery issues have been fixed along with the sound quality bug. All new E200s are shipped patched and there is a ROM update available from the Orange website for the early handsets. It blows the original SPV away and is improved in every way possible. The camera is excellent, video very good. Bluetooth works seamlessly and the whole phone interface is more intuitive and easier to use with many shortcuts in place to make life simpler. It just can't be beaten!
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10...rubbish battery.
- 7.00 out of 10
7.00 out of 10Update the ROM for longer battery life and enhanced sound. The phone is FREE if subject to contract and payment plan.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10Video and photo playback is excellent. Sunchronis all your contacts, emails and calendar with your PC. And best of all, you can access the Internet wherever you are -- invaluable!
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10An excellent mobile. I Also have a PDA but this now sits unused most days. Screen quality excellent, although some dust is visible behind it. Download the ROM upgrade to increase the battery life.
Web browsing on a mobile finally useable.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10...apart from the battery life.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10All features good but even battery life online upgrade doesn't make a large difference. Sound quality, photos etc all A1. Full use of phone linked to computer only available with XP and that info not available before purchase.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10This is the better of the SPV range of phones from Orange. The camera quality is excellent and with it also having bluetooth this makes it the better of the smartphone range from Orange. Well done Orange on this one.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10Oh why is it so difficult to produce a car charger that works. We have tried two. It now appears that according to Orange there is a problem with the charger that they sell. Given that this type of phone is aimed primarily at business and the battery life is so poor, it is incredible that they haven't sorted this out before.
- 6.00 out of 10
6.00 out of 10- 5.00 out of 10
5.00 out of 10...should have longer battery life
- 5.00 out of 10
5.00 out of 10- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10With such a bright good-quality screen battery life was always going to be more like a PDA's than a phone's, but I suspect where most users are going wrong with battery life is in charging. I bought my phone with the latest ROM upgrade and I charged it for 16 hours, not the initial 3 hours stated in the Orange manual. With light use the phone has lasted me 3 days with a 512MB SD card in it all the time. This EXCEEDS the stated standby time which is 3 days without use. Unless you are a heavy user this phone should easily last the day with normal use, including use as a personal stereo.
My main gripe is with the buttons. They are small, thin, and most of them are angled making them a bit awkward to press, especially for a man. The worst one is the joystick button which has a regular tendancy to move when you just want to press it down, often resulting in the execution of the wrong function. Using the numbered menus however is a good way of avoiding this. The other main problem is that there are so many mistakes in the manual. Also some of the OS functionality is not well thought out, eg. the backlight comes on when Media Player changes songs. This can result in a lot of wasted battery power if you're listening to music whilst out and about for a few hours. The phone also does not appear to save copies of outgoing SMS messages which is something I was used to on my previous phones.
Overall a good phone and would certainly recomend it to anyone who wants to carry a single device rather than seperate phone, personal stereo, and PDA.
- 7.50 out of 10
7.50 out of 10This is a great phone except the poor battery life. It came with a useful plug that allowed for both continental and UK plugs (supplied) which means when I am abroad I don't worry about whether I have enough adaptors! Internet Explorer on it is the best quality I have seen on a 'normal-looking' phone. Spending some time working out what it can do is well worth it and you will wonder why you have not had a phone like this before.
I was disappointed with what you can when you hook it up to your PC, I have to say. Considering Microsoft had a hand in it you expect more.
I probably use only half the functions but knowing there is a lot more there is satisfying.
Great phone, they just need to sort out the battery life and the usefulness of hooking it up to a PC. I can't wait for the next generation of it.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10I am coming to the end of my year with the SPV and I will be getting an upgrade but I will still keep the SPV in my briefcase. I am actually nervous at not having a proper browser on any new phone! (SPV has Internet Explorer). The battery life is something you learn to live with. To be honest, it ceases to be a problem after a while. I just leave it to charge overnight and I'm away for the day or more. Even a quick 30 min charge before going out for the evening will leave enough juice to keep it going.
The camera could be better and the video has a 'stalling' tendency but overall it is a great phone. Only just learnt that SPV stand for "Sound Photo Video"!!
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10excellent camera provides good clear photos on fairly high res screen. obvi not a patch on sony's v800 but fine never the less. msn messenger is great, as is other bundled software. i love it, you'll like it. buy it.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10Ive had mobile phoned for several years now but always been on pay as you go, not being a big user I never saw the need. However a recent job change demanded more talk time so I opted for the contract. This phone was free on the basic £15.00 a month contact with 30 free text and 120 mins anytime any netwrok which suited me to the ground.
Ive used a few phones over the years my last phone was a NEC e313 whilst this was a cheap phone it was on the large side and was locked the 3 network which was crap! so went back to my trusted Nokia 3510i, when I received my new E200 I was amased. It does just about everything with a few small extra peices of software. Plays MP3, WMA, I have installed a 256mb mem card with loads of songs and 2 full movies (avi)and installed loads of games. so it keeps me entertained when iam at a loose end. its has loads of other great fetures such as midi (poloyphonic) ring tones you can also set mp3 files for real sound ring tones.
This phone came with windows 2003 out of the box and the battry life whilst is not up to the qulity of the nokia 3510i is more than adaquate at over 3days standby.
Over all iam very impressed the whith this phone and would not go back the the 3510i
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10Its amazing. A computer in a phone.
- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10- 7.50 out of 10
7.50 out of 10- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10The phone is excellent to look at, and has many features, though since I have it as a works phone, I don`t really need most of them. It is not really very user friendly. There does`nt seem to be any way to transfer pictures and videos to your PC except by e-mail. Also if you forget your own number, there is no apparent way to call it up, like you can do on most mobiles.
- 7.50 out of 10
7.50 out of 10Pity the battery life couldn't be better, plus more support and downloads for the phone. Apart from that a brilliant phone well worth the money
- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10- 8.00 out of 10
8.00 out of 10The phone is excelent, but there are support promblems in my country (Bulgaria). If you need MP3 player, internet and another applications in your hand, this is the phone.
- 9.50 out of 10
9.50 out of 10- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10Had one on contract a while back and foolishly sold it thinking I'd never use the feautures anyway. How wrong I was! I bought another on eBay as I missed it so much. Now that one is on eBay as I've upgraded to an SPV C550!
The SPV E200 is a good phone apart from the battery and I would recommend it to anyne.
- 8.50 out of 10
8.50 out of 10- 9.00 out of 10
9.00 out of 10