To receive TV and radio you have to plug in the provided headset, as this acts as an antenna. You can play the sound through the handset speaker or headphones. We were able to tune into close to the maximum 50 DAB stations available. The number you get will vary depending on where you are in the country, just as with any DAB set. There are some channels that offer 'interactive' services via Pocket Internet Explorer -- you hit the TV on/off button and if these are available they load into Pocket IE.
The TV coverage is more limited. There are four channels -- BBC1, ITV1, Channel 4 and E4. BBC1 is trailing for a year. Channel 4 isn't yet the full C4, but rather its Short Cuts made-for-mobile channel. On all channels, some US, sports and film content won't be broadcast at all due to rights issues. There's a seven-day programme guide, and you can set a reminder to watch a channel on a particular day at a particular time.
The 1.3-megapixel camera lacks a flash or self-portrait mirror and therefore its specifications are decidedly average. Which, apart from the TV, is probably a good word to sum this handset up. Average.
Performance
The TV and radio performance was pretty good. They both worked watchably well in areas with good reception and we successfully tested them on a moving bus and car. However, it didn't work well on a train -- it frequently froze -- and occasionally cut out on the bus and car if we were in areas with very bad reception.
Another problem we found was that the images on the TV didn't refresh fast enough in relation to the audio, creating a dubbed film-like effect, with people's mouths not moving in time with what they were saying.
The camera delivered quite well considering its low pixel count. We wouldn't be embarrassed to share the images it produced.
Battery life is a letdown, though. Continuous TV play off a full charge got us three hours of watching. That is enough for a movie and some soaps, but we'd have liked more. A more traditional MP3 rundown test with the screen forced on delivered just over eight hours of music.
Edited by Mary Lojkine and Andrew Lim
Additional editing by Nick Hide
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User reviews4
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pAno Nymous 25 March 2007
Good: DAB Radio & TV on your phone
Bad: Chunky
Comment: Listen to DAB Radio and watch DAB-IP TV on the move. Has a loudspeaker so can also be used as mini portable radio. Play your MP3s on the move. Bought a 2GB MicroSD card for ~£20 so have plenty to listen to. Multitasking so play games/read an ebook (pdf/doc/txt) whilst listening to the radio. Wish it was less clunky, mind you.
Jon Jon 17 January 2007
Good: DAB radio, screen, headset
Bad: Poor battery life, poor network coverage on SMS send only, customer support
Comment: Cannot handle all of the functions offered - if a typical day is browse, send SMS, make calls and possibly look at TV - and all on the move - the battery lasts no more than two hours. It's quite difficult to use and customer support is not geared up to dealing with a Windows mobile phone. Browsing and email hikes the monthly bill up as well.
The DAB radio is very good even on trains, but there's no Qwerty keyboard.
As a phone, yes, as a radio, yes, but you get the distinct feeling the battery is struggling to cope. It certainly is bleeding edge technology.
M. Hemingbrough 5 January 2007
Good: Nice screen for playing movies, radio very good.
Bad: Keys are not very clear for texting.
Comment: Very nice phone for price.
See all 4 user reviews