Eric Lin
07-12-2003, 12:32 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/n/3792.html' target='_blank'>http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/n/3792.html</a><br /><br /></div>With the launch of the e100 this week, everyone's adding their two cents. Infosync weighs in on the new Orange Smartphone...<br /><br />"The recently-announced SPV E100 from Orange is a close brother to the original SPV. The older sibling was released some nine months ago on the Orange network in Europe, and with this hardware update the family is making inroads world-wide. The basic Tanager reference design is to be found behind a range of handsets, of which the E100 is one. <br /><br />Although identical in chassis to the original SPV, the E100 boasts a considerably redesigned exterior. Having been regular SPV users for some time, we have come to quite like the design despite certain flaws. The silver-and-grey exterior was quite classy, and the buttons, although small, provided precision for quick texting. The D-pad, with its separate action button, was a particular favourite of ours too."<br /><br />The reviewer (Anthony Newman) likes the new screen better and the fact that now it comes with the Elekson keyboard in addition to all the other swag, but otherwise he doesn't see much improvement. Infosync, being a fairly OS-neutral place is comparing the e100 to other smartphones, not just to other MS Smartphones. (capital S, see?) As such they lament the lack of bluetooth, the short battery life, and some of the software's downfalls.<br /><br />While they don't gush about the e100's features, they don't dump on it either, giving it credit as a respectable effort. They admit it's good, but not everything they had hoped for.