The Xda Zinc is O2's answer to a touchscreen handheld with a QWERTY keyboard. It's not for everyone, though, as you can tell by its size -- you couldn't put it in your shirt pocket without feeling the weight. Features-wise, mobile professionals who frequently edit Office documents will find the keyboard a godsend, while there are others who will probably be content with just a numeric keypad, sans the bulk. Although the Xda Zinc retails at AU$1,149, more affordable than the Dopod 838 Pro, you give up on certain features, such as HSDPA connectivity and BlackBerry Connect.
Design
At 109mm by 58mm by 22.6mm and weighing 175 grams, O2's Xda Zinc is about the same size and weight as the Dopod 838 Pro. Side-by-side, the curvaceous Dopod is undeniably sexier dressed in black-and-silver compared with the matte-grey casing and silver trimmings on the O2. But other than the QWERTY keyboard that slides out from beneath, which is about all that's similar on the two handhelds, both Windows Mobile 5.0 devices are, in fact, not quite the same.
At a cursory glance, we find more dedicated buttons on the Dopod that provide quick access to frequently used applications for surfing the Web, managing wireless connections, reading messages and voice dialling. But the O2 is not without its merits, either. There's a Hold switch on the left edge and the individual keys on the QWERTY keyboard are larger with slightly better tactile feedback, although some may prefer the softer pitch from typing on the 838 Pro. Over at the back of the unit you'll find a 2-megapixel camera with self-portrait mirror, LED strobe flash and onboard speakers.
What we didn't fancy was the location of the two soft buttons on the keyboard that eat into the W, E, U and I keys. Chances are you'll end up with unwanted key presses, more so if you are a hasty typist or typing while on a moving train. When you slide out the keyboard, the screen switches to landscape orientation almost immediately. Unlike the slimmer Xda Atom Life, the 2.8-inch LCD on the Zinc has a wider viewing angle, so your friends beside you would be able to watch the latest video clip without having to peer over your shoulder.
In our hands, the QWERTY keyboard was easy to use and lit up adequately for typing in dim light. Larger keys also meant our thumbs had to manoeuvre a longer horizontal distance which took a little bit of getting used to. If we had our way, we'd have preferred a little more room between each individual key. Overall handling felt very solid, though it would have been better if the keyboard slid out and locked into position more smoothly.
The Xda Zinc charges and synchronises with the PC via a standard mini-USB port, but falls short with a 2.5mm audio jack (considering its size, there certainly appears to be enough room for a 3.5mm port) which is incompatible with most standard earphones. So you're stuck with the bundled stereo wired headset with microphone unless you purchase an adaptor.
Features
The O2 Xda Zinc runs on Windows Mobile 5.0, which allows you to read, view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint (open and view only) documents directly on the handset. You also get the usual multimedia features like Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer and MSN Messenger so you can conduct online chats or Web browsing over Wi-Fi, 3G or GPRS networks.
Other wireless connectivity features on this triband (900/1800/1900MHz) Zinc include Bluetooth, A2DP and infrared. No FM radio or HSDPA support, though. If you're on an Exchange Server, you can also synchronise the device with the server via the ActiveSync program.
Synchronisation with the desktop and Outlook is a breeze. Once both terminals are connected, you'll get a prompt to set up a new user profile (if connected for the first time) and the ActiveSync program will go on to sync data between your desktop and the handheld. If you're travelling, connecting the Zinc to your PC would trickle charge the device.
Unless you rip the handheld apart, you won't see the important difference between the Xda Zinc and the 838 Pro: The Xda Zinc is powered by an Intel XScale PXA 270 processor that runs at 520MHz with 64MB of RAM and 128MB of ROM compared with the 400MHz Samsung CPU on the Dopod. Screen-wise, the large 2.8-inch, 240 x 320-pixel touchscreen LCD is easy on the eyes for document viewing, although this appeared washed-out when we were taking pictures outdoors.
The Xda Zinc comes installed with a number of proprietary software to enhance user experience. There's AutoInstall, AutoConfigurator (adjusts network settings), Connect (ROM updates), MessagePlus (one-stop place for checking messages), SMS Plus and Phone Plus (additional dialling features). Unless you can remember all 1,000 numbers on your handheld, we'd recommend you install the Phone Plus program when you first power up the device. What it does is enable smart dialling so that when you key in 2, 6, 3 and 8 on the onscreen numeric pad, you'll get a filtered list of phonebook entries beginning with "CNET".
Another useful and convenient feature is the O2 Plus program which allows you to switch between open applications by tapping and holding the cross button on the top right corner -- the action calls up the list of running programs. Just think of it as a taskbar on your Windows PC.
There are two cameras on this Zinc: One on the front for video calls and the other at the back with a 2-megapixel CMOS fixed-focus sensor. Unlike the 838 Pro, the camera on the face of the Xda Zinc doesn't sit flush with the surface of the phone and that could result in potential scratches. The addition of the camera could also force some business users to look elsewhere given that some companies or industries don't allow camera-phones on their premises.
Unlike the Dopod 838 Pro which uses the microSD/TransFlash card, the Xda Zinc employs the miniSD format for additional memory. You slot the card in on the left edge of the handset. To remove it, you need to press the media further in (having nails would help) and the card will snap out halfway from the slot.
Performance
The Xda Zinc runs on a 1,300mAh Lithium-ion battery (handheld shuts down when you remove the battery cover) and is rated for five hours of talk time and up to 220 hours on standby over GSM networks. You can expect the figures to be lower if you're a heavy user who thrives on wireless LAN and streams music to a Bluetooth headset. On regular usage, that is if you make only a few calls, text a few buddies while chalking up new game scores on the machine, the Zinc should be able to last up to 2.5 days before calling it quits.
During tests, applications loaded almost instantly even though there were programs running in the background. Video playback (116MB, 320 x 180-pixel video file at 24bits) was smooth and our music was moderately loud, although it would have been better if the speakers were on the face of the handheld, rather than behind. It wouldn't matter much if you're indoors, but when you're watching a video clip outdoors the audio would be projected away from you and, together with other ambient noise, sound output wouldn't be fascinating. Picture quality, on the other hand, was average at best. Some of our pictures turned out blurred because it wasn't possible to pre-focus on the unit.
During our review, we encountered situations where the time zone shifted to -8GMT (we set to +8GMT as our default) without us having to do anything, which ends up affecting our calendar entries. Problem is, an unsuspecting user could go for his appointments 12 hours later than the scheduled time if he didn't switch back to his local time zone. According to O2, this is a Windows Mobile issue and a ROM update (some time in March or April) should rectify it.
MRINAAL
09/06/2008, 06:14 AM
rating
4/10
I bought the O2 XDA zinc about two months ago. My firts PDA. So i wont compare. Per se, as a heavy use of phone, i find it hnags too often, hampering the communication process. also, the add on features providehd by O 2 softwares slow down the phone. it takes VERY long to detect the network when switced on, and each time settings go back to default. very frustration as i have to switch off the phone about 5 to 7 times each day to keep it from hanging. and as other users pointed out, the voice and volume settings are a major problem. All in all, great business features, but I would not recommed it to heavy users of the phone.
Pros: great businesas features
net and wifi connectivity
camera works well and the zoom is useful
battery life is decent for the number of features it offers
Cons: mentioned above.
keys too samall..cant read them clearly
hangs far too often. If O2 can fix the voice, volume and hanging of the phone, it would be a truely business mobile.
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POE
05/06/2008, 09:17 PM
rating
3/10
I've had this phone since it first came out, I have never experianced the time shift that others have mentioned...but
Pros: - good pda functions, wifi, love being able to access my emails on the run.
- Acceptable music and multimedia
Cons: - Sometimes when it rings it won't answer and some times when the volume is turned up it will only vibrate (no ring tone)
- Average sound quality on calls
- Speakers are on the back of phone
- Hangs regularly
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SOE
20/04/2008, 04:21 AM
rating
4/10
PLEASE DONOT BUY O2 BRAND PDA,
SO BAD CANNOT USE PROPER WAY,
CANNOT FIND SOFTWARE
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sg
22/08/2007, 10:45 PM
rating
8/10
Good piece but sometimes hangs...
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wood
15/07/2007, 11:14 PM
rating
2/10
When installed applications, some need to be reset the the device, clock and calendar change randomly sometimes after a soft reset.
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David_Cohen
27/05/2007, 11:08 AM
rating
2/10
The qwerty keyboard is flat & stiff. The send key is badly placed in the keyboard meaning you can very easily, mistakenly, send a message wen trying to press the "e" key.
There are also serious problems with the key lock system, resulting in the key lock deactivating when there is an incoming message or a missed call. this results in an active keyboard which is subject to dialing to the last used number. This phone has a great spec, but I have found it is a dog to use.
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Enlightened
15/03/2007, 02:02 AM
rating
8/10
Have been using O2 Zinc for quite sometime. It is a pretty decent.
However, there seems to be some glitches in the software. I have noticed the following to share with the others:
1. Sometimes the time zone shifted to -8GMT from default +8GMT without me doing anything, which ends up affecting the calendar entries.
2. Sometimes when USB is disconnected after sync with Outlook, WiFi is turned on automatically.
3. Wi-fi manager shows Wi-Fi on sometimes, but actually u r not connected and u cannot access the net. Also, u cant change that status to off.
4.When u close applications they run in background and slow down the Zinc if u dont stop those programs.
There was one instance when after I synchronised with my Outlook, the ROM went bonkers. It cudnt detect any contacts, files or calendar entries. Had to hard reset and bring it to previous state. Hope the ROM upgrade which I am supposed to do and I am going to do, fixes it!
Nevertheless, O2 has a more professional look vis-a-vis the cheap look of Dopod, and it has Wi-fi vis-a-vis Palm Treo which has a better OS software than Windows but no Wi-Fi.
Customer service support is ok.
Overall a pretty good looking phone withlot of interesting added software.
Pros: + Decent QWERTY keybd
+ Outlook sync quite convenient
+ WiFi
+ Elegant look & finish, Black wud hv looked better
Cons: - No Quadband
- No scrollwheel like Dopod 838 Pro
- A bit oddly located Volume keys sometime change the sound profile of the phone while handling it.
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