Upside: The first thing that catches the eye is, well, the Xda II mini's tiny form factor, particularly when placed next to its heftier sibling, the Xda IIs. According to O2, the Xda II mini is about two-thirds the size of the Xda II and weighs just 150g, making it a far more portable PDA-phone for frequent travelers. The matt silver-white finishing on the exterior adds to the overall clean and comfortable touch and feel, although our first impression is that the mini somewhat lacks the design elegance of the earlier Xda offerings.
Impressively, O2 manages to equip the Xda II mini with a faster 416MHz processor than the Xda IIs. The tradeoff is a cutback on the onboard memory size to 64MB RAM and 64MB ROM, although O2 makes up for this with a free 256MB SD memory card bundled in the standard package. This will certainly come in handy for storing images snapped by the built-in 1.3-megapixel CMOS camera, again an improvement over the Xda IIs and Xda II's VGA-capable shooters.
Downside: The Xda II mini comes with all the standard connectivity options such as Bluetooth, infrared, triband GSM/GPRS and USB (through the mini USB port). What's missing, however, is built-in Wi-Fi which will probably disappoint avid hotspotters. Although users can still connect to a wireless network via an optional WLAN card, it will mean that the MMC/SDIO expansion slot cannot be used for other purposes.
One of the tradeoffs for the reduced form factor of the Xda II mini is its smaller 2.8-inch TFT touchscreen. Even though it offers the same 320 x 240-resolution and 65K-colour depth as its Xda IIs predecessor, the result is smaller fonts which can be quite an eye strain for some.
Outlook:
Despite some minor quirks and tradeoffs, the handheld's smaller footprint should still appeal to those who want both form and function in a 2-in-1 device. Priced at AU$1,199, the Xda II mini is attractive enough for a Windows mobile device, but finds itself competing with the popular Treo 600.
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nicholas danso
24/09/2008, 07:59 PM
rating
8/10
my O2 XdaII Mini works well except
the battries runs down fast
Pros: very goods phone with clear volume
Cons: nost easy getting the battery in Ghana
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helen
25/07/2008, 01:01 PM
rating
7/10
Hi where can I purchase a new back for my O2Xda mini as all the clips have broken on mine and the phone keeps switching off due to the loose connection. Thanks
Pros: great software support
Cons: no keyboard
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eden
24/07/2008, 12:25 PM
rating
6/10
where can i get the computer installer for the 'O2 Xda II mini' ?
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jane
22/07/2008, 02:09 PM
rating
6/10
can u put wifi with it?
lik maybe with a card?
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o2 xda ii
09/06/2008, 01:32 PM
rating
8/10
O2 Xda II Mini best of the best and simple phone. Fast and best features. I like my pda becuse of its camera. Its camera results is great.
Pros: User-friendly interface.
Very easy to use.
Cons: Nothing.
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Udbodh
01/06/2008, 03:51 PM
rating
6/10
I have phone 'O2 Xda II mini' and i want to
put dictionary on it, but i am not able to put
it.
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Ed
23/04/2008, 11:35 AM
rating
8/10
Cute little gadet for me.. Im comfortable with it... I have no problem with it...
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Gemmar
09/01/2008, 10:00 PM
rating
8/10
i have had this pda phone for almost 2 years now. No regrets shelling out big bucks for this (my first pda phone). Still having second thoughts replacing it with newer (but not quite better?) models.
Pros: Small enough, easy to interface with windows-based PC.
Cons: Encountered some weird hang-ups, which required soft reboot. Small internal memory. No Wifi.
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Yo
03/10/2007, 02:56 PM
rating
7/10
Had the phone for quite a while now, and its an excellent PDA in terms of price, size and functionality. I just wish it had wi-fi and a different kind of casing.
Pros: Fast, Small, Cheap.
Cons: Case scratches INCREDIBLY easily, no Wi-Fi, camera is useless at night.
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Agus
21/08/2007, 05:10 PM
rating
6/10
the best PDA, small and sweet. I make over 2 years and i don't need change with anather PDA
Pros: Good performan and heavy
Cons: only 3 days battery life
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