Orange SPV M500 review

Orange's SPV M500 is similar to other handheld organisers we've seen, such as the i-mate JAM. Running Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Second Edition Phone Edition, it extends the business-focused end of Orange's SPV range of connected organisers.

Design
Orange's SPV M500 measures just 58mm wide by 108mm deep by 18mm high and fits very neatly in the palm of the hand. This compactness boosts the SPV M500's appeal over bulkier Pocket PC Phone Edition devices -- it's easy to carry and feels comfortable when held to the ear for voice calls. The SPV M500's weight of 150g is not a great deal more than the average smart phone: certainly, if you have previously been carrying a handheld and a mobile phone, this device will reduce the load on your pocket or briefcase.

Visually, the SPV M500 stands out from most handheld/phone devices thanks to its slate-grey livery. This makes for nice aesthetics, but the ergonomics are pretty standard.

The bottom front of the device offers a bank of buttons ranged around a central navigation pad. The pad supports four-directional movement, with an Action key in the middle. To the upper left and right are Call and End keys, and beneath these are two shortcut buttons: the left one accesses your contacts, the right one your diary.

On the left edge is a slider that activates both device and in-call volume. This is flanked by two buttons: on a short press, the lower one activates the built-in voice dialling, while on a long press it starts the voice-recording software. The upper button launches the built-in camera and takes a photo on a second press.

The right edge houses the power button, which is flush with the casing to guard against an accidental press. The infrared port is on the lower right edge along with the (somewhat flimsy) stylus.

At the top there's a single SD card slot, while the bottom edge houses the power connector and a 2.5mm audio jack. A rubber cover protects these ports and the soft reset button.

In the box you get a spare stylus, a USB connection cable, stereo earphones with volume control, the standard PC connectivity suite comprising Microsoft's ActiveSync and Outlook 2002, a belt-style carrying pouch and two printed manuals (one Orange-branded, the other generic). Between them, the manuals are comprehensive.

Features
The Orange SPV M500 incorporates a tri-band GSM/GPRS phone, while the processor is Intel's PXA272 running at 416MHz. The internal memory complement is disappointing, with just 64MB of RAM installed. After a hard reset, after which a range of Orange applications automatically install, the device recognised 57.41MB as present and just 37.01MB free for user access. A portion of the ROM is also user-accessible -- 7.29MB was free on our review device.

If you don't need to install much third-party software, then 44MB of available storage may be enough. But if you want additional applications, or need access to large chunks of data, then you'll need an SD card. If you also need Wi-Fi, then you have a problem, as this feature is not built in and would have to be added via the SD card slot as well. Bluetooth is integrated, so you can use a hands-free earpiece for voice calls.