E-TEN glofiish X600 review

E-TEN isn't a particularly well known brand in the UK but that doesn't mean it should be ignored. This relatively small outfit has managed to produce some nifty devices in its time, including this new handset, the E-TEN glofiish X600.

The X600 is currently available for around £300 SIM-free.

Design
The first thing that hits you when you take the X600 out of its box is its quality look and feel. It's sturdy enough to take a few hits but also has a smooth, rubberised finish that, although not essential, differentiates it from most of the competition.

Size-wise and even features-wise it's very similar to the HTC P3300 (O2's XDA Orbit) but instead of a scroll ball, you're presented with a small joystick that's easy to use. If you don't want to use the joystick, you can input data via the X600's large colour touchscreen.

As with most Windows Mobile devices, touching the touchscreen with your fingers isn't always the best way to interact with the X600, so you do get a stylus that's stored in the bottom right corner -- keep in mind that you're likely to use it a lot.

Make sure to wipe the camera before taking a shot or you may find your photos come out blurry

Accessing the microSD slot is easy as it's not protected by any fiddly covers -- you just have to pop it in at the bottom of the X600. The camera is equally easy to activate using the dedicated shutter button the right side.

Features
The X600's 2-megapixel camera isn't worth writing home about but it will let you print out relatively good quality small prints and is great for MMS messages. There's no LED photo light or flash, so shots in very low light aren't possible, unfortunately. But then again, this isn't a high-end camera phone. This phone's main strengths are in accessing work emails on the go and using Microsoft Exchange Server.

The X600 doesn't have a mechanical Qwerty keyboard, but its main functions are reading emails and replying with short messages, which it enables you to do very well with an on-screen keyboard. This can be switched to 'Easy Keyboard' mode, which gives you a larger keyboard layout, and makes it much easier to tap the screen accurately.