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The O2 XDA Stealth : Review

The O2 XDA Stealth offers another option for those who want a Windows Mobile / pocket pc phone. So far Windows Mobile phones had either a sliding QWERTY keyboard (HTC TyTN, i-mate k-JAM, i-mate JasJar etc), or a QWERTY keyboard on the front (HP IPAQ hw6515, hw6915, Motorola Moto Q, UBIQUIO 501 etc), or no physical keyboard at all (i-mate JAM,i-mate JAMin, O2 Atom etc). The O2 XDA Stealth was made for those who like the “traditional” phone design with the sliding number keypad but powered with Windows Mobile 5.0. The device does not offer any special connectivity options like 3G or built in GPS but it does have built-in Wi-FI and Bluetooth. The physical dimensions of O2 XDA Stealth can be compared with most Nokia and Sony Ericsson models and thus making the device attractive for the “normal” mobile phone users. The combination of design and Windows Mobile features can also satisfy the needs of the demanding windows mobile user.

O2 XDA Stealth Design

The O2 XDA Stealth looks like a “regular” phone. The lack of a QWERTY keyboard and the sliding keypad makes you think that it is another Symbian phone. When you power on the phone you start to realize that behind the O2 brand is another Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone. The O2 XDA Stealth is running Windows Mobile 5.0 Phone Edition. The display is a touch panel and there is a stylus for performing all PDA functionality, as you do on any other pocket pc.

The size of this device is 110 x 53 x 22.5 mm. This is slightly bigger (smaller in width) compared to O2 Atom Exec but smaller than the HTC TyTN. The weight is 140g, which is the same as O2 Atom Exec but lighter than HTC TyTN (176g) and ASUS P525 (160g).The display is 2.4 inch, with 320X240 resolution. On the front and below the touch panel, there are the selection buttons, calling buttons and a four way directional pad with a small enter key in the middle. When you slide open the phone you will see the keypad with the dialing buttons set in the standard way, the same as you find on all regular phones. At the bottom of the phone there is a USB socket used for PC synchronization and for charging. Next to the USB you can find the stylus.


O2 XDA Stealth Features

The Xda Stealth is a tri-band (GSM900/1800/1900) phone with 192MB of flash ROM and 64MB of RAM. In terms of expansion there is a miniSD card slot (located on the side). The processor is Intel XScale at 416Mhz. For connectivity the O2 XDA Stealth offers built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g as well as Bluetooth. The camera is at 2 mega-pixels and it is located on the rear. It should be noted that the Stealth has no 3G Capabilities. Compared to the other 3 devices, HTC TyTN, ASUS P525 and O2 Atom Exec the Stealth does not have infrared but the ROM of 192 MB is bigger than the 128 MB of TyTN and ASUS P525.

In terms of Software, the Xda Stealth runs on Windows Mobile 5.0, with capabilities for push e-mail, MS Office Mobile (word, excel) and Web browsing in other words all the usual applications that come bundled with Microsoft Windows Mobile. In addition the O2 XDA Stealth has software that simulates a virtual answering machine. You can use these features to record a message that people that dial you will hear when your phone is busy.
O2 XDA Stealth Performance

To analyze the performance of O2 XDA Stealth we concentrate on these 4 important factors: processor speed, phone functionality, battery life and camera quality.

Processor Speed: The O2 XDA Stealth has an Intel Xscale PXA272 processor running at 416 MHz. This alone makes you except that the performance of the device will be good. After experimenting and working with the phone for a few days we can state that the performance of this device is good and above average level. In fact it performs better than the TyTN. The respond of the O2 XDA Stealth to running programs and switching between running applications is excellent.

Phone functionality: The signal strength / reception is not the best you can find but is not that bad (the signal strength depends on the carrier you’re a subscriber). Compared to HTC TyTN we found that the TyTN had better reception under the same conditions and using the same carrier. The quality of audio during calls is good but the maximum volume for the earpiece could be better.

In terms of connectivity we noted before that the device is only tri-band GSM with lack of support for EDGE and 3G.

Camera: The camera is activated by pressing the dedicated button on the O2 XDA Stealth’s left side. The camera is at 2 mega pixels with Auto Focus and Flash. The quality of the pictures is better that what we expected to find on a 2 mega-pixel camera. The presence of flash makes night time pictures to look good especially when they are viewed on a PC.

Battery Life: The O2 XDA Stealth has a lithium polymer battery and according to official O2 the battery has up to 4.5 hours talk time and 150 hours standby time. Translating that to plain words with average use and having wi-fi and bluetooth turned off you will need to charge the device every other day.

Labels: Mobile Phone, O2

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