O2 XDA Argon review

O2 XDA Argon Review

Reviewed by: Frank Lewis

Reviewed on: 11 July 2007

Performance
The Argon is powered by a 400MHz Samsung processor, and while it's not the speediest PDA we've used, it does feel quite nippy for most day-to-day tasks. Video wasn't really its forte, however, as it struggled to smoothly play an MP4 video at PAL resolution using the Core Media Player.

When browsing the Web via Wi-Fi, the big screen makes text slightly easier to read, but as the resolution is limited to 320x240 pixels, you'll still find yourself having to scroll across a page to view the full layout.

Unfortunately, the XDA Argon runs on Windows Mobile 5, rather than the newer version 6

When you're on the move you'll be limited to GPRS speeds as the Argon doesn't support 3G networks. Battery life isn't too bad, though. You'll get around four hours of talk time out of it, although this will naturally be curtailed if you make heavy use of the Wi-Fi connection or are running processor intensive tasks such as video playback.

Phone features are taken care of by the standard Windows Mobile Phone interface and call quality via the built-in speaker and microphone was very good. O2 also includes a pair of stereo headphones that double as a hands free-kit and plug into the mini USB port at the bottom of the PDA. If you want to make calls while driving, however, you'd be better off investing in a dedicated Bluetooth hands-free kit.

Conclusion
The big screen and chunky buttons will make the Argon tempting to some. Certainly it would be an easy upgrade option if you already own an XDA IIi, are happy with its range of features, but would like a touch more processor grunt and built-in memory.

Most people, however, are likely to be put off by this device's lardy frame, below par screen and general lack of cutting-edge features. There's just little here that hasn't been done better on rival PDAs that fall within a similar price bracket.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Kate Macefield