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View Full Version : GPS-maker NDrive Prepares HSDPA and GPS S400 Phone

Paul Martin
11-17-2008, 01:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/11/11/windows-mobile-6-1-based-ndrive-s400-gets-specced-and-pictured/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/...d-and-pictured/</a><br /><br /></div><p>"<em>Tired of the same 'ole, same 'ole when it comes to Windows Mobile 6.1-based handsets? Yeah, well you probably won't dig the NDrive S400 too much. Sure, it has its own personal charm, but by and large it's fairly predictable. Not that we're kvetching about a 624MHz Marvell PXA310 CPU, 128MB of RAM, quad-band GSM connectivity, HSDPA support, a VGA (640 x 480) display and aGPS, but there's no denying this thing could use a dash of personality. At any rate, we're also informed that it'll arrive with Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, a microSDHC slot, video out, a 1,500mAh battery, accelerometer and an FM radio module, and being just 16.9-millimeters thick with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard isn't too shabby, either. As these things always seem to go, pricing and availability is anyone's guess.</em>"</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/ppct/auto/1226895606.usr251.jpg" title="NDrive S400" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This little guy popped up on the Portuguese website, <a href="http://pocketpt.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=25334" target="_blank">PocketPC.net</a>.&nbsp; Primarily known for it's GPS devices, last year Portuguese-based NDrive released it's first GPS phone, the <a href="http://www.ndriveweb.com/products/product/32/" target="_blank">S300</a>, in Europe, Africa, and South America. The S300 offered WiFi, 2g connectivity, and GPS, but only had 64MB of RAM and was made by their device partner, TechFaith Wireless.</p><p>Perhaps learning a lesson, the S400 has a beefier 128 RAM and a new manufacturing partner in SIM Technology.&nbsp; As you'll note in the specs below, it also contains 2 processors, both the Marvell PXA310 624Mhz + Qualcomm 6280.&nbsp; In this interesting split, the Marvell seems to be for applications and the Qualcomm for utilizing the HSDPA and GSM. (The MWg UBiQUiO 503G also uses dual processors, including the Qualcomm 6280).&nbsp; Interesting, the Qualcomm <a href="http://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2004/040513_msm6280_print.html" target="_blank">MSM6280 Chipset</a> can also support video encoding and decoding, still cameras up to 4 MP, and 2D/3D video support, so the S400 might be distributing some graphics tasks to the Qualcomm for faster performance, especially for something like video telephony.&nbsp; It will be interesting to see the benchmarks once this ships.</p><p>Ndrive S400 Specification:</p><p>* OS: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional<br /> * CPU: Marvell PXA310 624Mhz + Qualcomm 6280<br /> * Memory: 256 MB ROM / 128 MB Ram<br /> * Network: Quad-band GSM/UMTS/HSDPA 7.2MBps <br /> * Display: 2.8-inches with VGA (640 x 480) resolution<br /> * Camera: 3.0 megapixel with auto focus<br /> * GPS: A-GPS<br /> * Bluetooth 2.0<br /> * Wi-Fi<br /> * MicroSDHC card slot<br /> * 1500mAh Battery<br /> * Video Out<br /> * Accelerometer<br /> * FM Radio with RDS</p><p>In looking over SIM's website, the picture and specs look a lot like the <a href="http://www.sim.com/productssolutions/mobilehandset/U1.htm" target="_blank">U1</a>, so it will be interesting to know if NDrive requested anything special for their version.&nbsp; At this point, costs, release dates, and carriers are all unknown, as well as whether North America will ever see one.</p>
V-iPAQ
11-18-2008, 03:55 AM
Qualcomm MSM6280 Chipset can also support video encoding and decoding, but will it?
HTC users are still waiting for video drivers for the TYTNII, Polaris, and others.

Everytime I hear Qualcomm, I think 'slow, incomplete, incapable'
Paul Martin
11-18-2008, 05:09 AM
Qualcomm MSM6280 Chipset can also support video encoding and decoding, but will it?
HTC users are still waiting for video drivers for the TYTNII, Polaris, and others.

Everytime I hear Qualcomm, I think 'slow, incomplete, incapable'

Ouch! If NDrive faces the same driver challenges HTC users have (http://www.htcdriver.com/faq.html), that doesn't bode well. Hopefully, it will be different, but I suppose we won't know until reviews begin.
ianl
11-19-2008, 02:31 AM
I have no objections on "boring" grounds - for the most part, this is well-specced.

The UMTS frequencies are crippled, however, with only 2100Mhz supported. Regional districts using the longer wavelength, lower frequency 850Mhz to cover distance (USA, Aus, SA etc) are ignored for the densely populated European and Asian cities.

A pernicious development, which HTC amongst others is also now indulging in. Only Eten left to carry the flag - for how long, we wonder ?
Paul Martin
11-19-2008, 03:56 AM
The UMTS frequencies are crippled, however, with only 2100Mhz supported. Regional districts using the longer wavelength, lower frequency 850Mhz to cover distance (USA, Aus, SA etc) are ignored for the densely populated European and Asian cities.

If this device is indeed based on the SIM U1, it's a tri-band UMTS 850/1900/2100. The GSM offers Quad-band support for 850/900/1800/1900MHz. The specs I pulled from the Portuguese site are incomplete and don't specificy exactly which frequencies are supported. I'm leaning on the U1 lookalike myself. Have you seen evidence it's only has single band UMTS support? Am I missing something?

Paul
chaves
12-09-2008, 04:07 PM
Hello,

Right now i have finished the review of Ndrive s400.

The device have a great performance, i donīt know any device VGA with the same speed.

See for yourself the results of benchmarks...playing videos itīs easy for this device!

There are a video about performance showing how it reacts.

I invite you to check the entire review at PocketPT.net, with google translation:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pocketpt.net%2Fforum%2Findex.php%3Fshowtopic%3D25804%26st%3D0&hl=pt-PT&ie=UTF-8&sl=pt&tl=en


Keep up the good work ;)