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I recently switched over to using a Symbian Mobile phone after using a Windows Mobile mobile phone for close to over 4 years. In these 4 years I had the Imate JAQ and the Asus P320. The Imate JAQ was a big solid phone whose screen broke. It didnt have a lot of features (only built in ones of Windows Mobile 5) but was sturdy nonetheless (except for the screen). The screen repair would have cost me Rs. 4000 (phone cost somewhere around 6k). That’s one reason to absolutely avoid the Imate brand in India. Blackmail type prices on service and little customer service (it was based out of Dubai if I remember).

The Windows Mobile Interface

Switch over to the Asus P320. This baby was awesome on paper, it was loaded to the core with features, GPS, WiFi, High Res Screen, Desktop Application, Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. This phone had it all and I was one of the 1st people in India to buy it. It had it all except reliability, the phone was very frail. The signal could never be received and every 3 months something would break off the phone.

The customer service was unreachable most of the time. In my 1.5 years of this phone , the GPS antenna cap broke, the stylus broke, the screen almost broke. The internal stylus lockin switch broke etc. Not only that the phone was terribly underpowered. All in all a super flop phone from Asus.

Then around 3 months ago, my brother got an extra Nokia E63. Before that I was looking to get one of those Chinese phones. These Chinese phones have a user interface very similar to Windows Mobile and also cost very little. But I thought if Asus being a branded Chinese Phone was so hopeless, that I can very well imagine the quality and service that seemingly anonymous brands would have. I decided to take the plunge and get the non touchscreen but Qwerty keyboard Nokia E63. It reminded me of my Imate JAQ except that it was 100 times lighter and a 1000 times sleeker than the bulky JAQ.

The switch

The switch from Windows Mobile to Symbian was surprisingly easy. Probably because the Windows mobile phones I had used were so underpowered that the Symbian phone seemed lightning fast in comparison. Even Chinese mobile phones (now banned mostly) were slower than my E63. Another interesting thing about my Nokia E63 is that its made in Finland while most Nokia E63s I see with people are made in China. I am hoping the Finnish pedigree makes it better in quality.

In Windows mobile even to receive bluetooth files or to send them to a folder of your choice, all this used to be hacking in itself. So I liked the intuitiveness of the Nokia E63 and its symbian interface. Its actually true that symbian is very regulated and not as versatile as the windows mobile. Infact a lot of software cannot even be thought to work in this Symbian interface, but I do not have many complaints. The speed and reliability of the Nokia E63 more than makes up for it.

I am a happy convert from the Windows Mobile franchisee to the Symbian Franchisee

But I am looking forward to Windows Mobile 7, Windows 7 was a gamechanger in the PC domain, lets see if Windows Mobile 7 can do the same in the mobile phone segment.

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This is the 2nd part of the review, you may read the 1st part at Wisetechie.com

When you explore the phone further , you see many more changes as compared to the Nokia E71. A change on the back cover is very apparent, the Nokia E71 has a stee back cover held in place by a press down switch while the Nokia E63 uses a lock mechanism which I believe is kind of better and much easier to operate. One feature retained is the small light around the middle button which flashes on missed calls and other notifications, it looks very very classy.

The E63 is bulkier than the E71 and more heavy, that is a turn off to a lot of people especially when your friend takes out his E71 and you see the shiny sleek metallic body which is smaller than your E63 and has more features.

There is a difference in internals also, I found slipping in the SIM card an ordeal, initially the SIM Card would only go in half way into the Nokia E63 and the manual surprisingly had no instructions at all on the whole thing. After searching the internet I realised its a common problem, the SIM card has to be pressed a little and then pushed inside for it to go in all the way.

As far as the software interface goes, there are a few improvements with the newer Symbian version. But 1 annoying thing is that unsigned applications are prohibited by default, really a big time waste, shut it down in application options to be able to install all kinds of applications which are signed or unsigned.

I also noticed a better and more useful switch application. The Youtube and Facebook links on the desktop are a pretty big plus. The 3G will ensure you get good data speeds and the Wifi is alo pretty reliable like the Nokia E71

All in all both the Nokia E71 and the Nokia E63 are awesome phones and worth every penny you spend on them. If you dont mind a slightly bulkier phone with no GPS and would like to save some cash along the way too , Nokia E63 is the way to go

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The fare wars have begun, this time it isnt on the skies though, but its for the humble mobile phone which have become a gadget used by almost every Indian. This this undoubtedly the dawn of a new era. Most GSM companies have slashed their rates by a good margin. Reliance went a step further reducing rates for all GSM and CDMA customers to 50p/min for all local calls. Whats more is that they are openly challenging Bharti and Vodafone to follow suit by making a mockery of their conditions apply things and special vouchers needed to get equivalent rates.

See the latest ad by Reliance mobile which makes a mockery of Airtel, Vodafone and others who don’t actually reduce their rates without conditions , enjoy Hrithik’s performance as a Pied Piper :

Here is to hoping all the big players realise that their drop in revenue will be nothing compared to the people who switch to other companies after they dont reduce their rates.

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3G services were finally launched in India (New Delhi to begin with !) by state owned operator MTNL or Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited. MTNL is the first operator to be given a license to operate 3G services in India. Other operators will have to bid for the spectrum in special auctions. With the new rules saying 2G rights will also be given to 3G operators things are getting heated up in the 3G spectrum domain. Currently MTNL has launched its 3G services only for corporate clients on a test basis.

3G or 3rd Generation services offer an enhanced rate of data transfer which enables special services like high speed broadband, video calling and digital-interactive content over the air. My dad’s new phone the Nokia E71 has a video calling feature and other 3G services built in , so when its launched for general public , i will try them out.

It remains to be seen what will be the quality of the 3G services offered by MTNL. MTNL is one of the worst mobile phone operators in Delhi , some of the inside jokes on MTNL’s service go like MTNL helps prevent cancer by not connecting your calls and that MTNL has an inbuilt minute minder, as most calls get disconnected within 1 minute of you starting to talk.

BSNL has also been given 3G spectrum to launch their own 3G services. The dawn of 3G services in India will bring good times for sure to the consumer. And with private companies in the fray and competition, the consumer will be king and will be the one who gains most.

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It seems like a normal phone until you read the “Special Feature”.

Special Features:
Video Projector: can project cell phone screen as well as external video source (composite input adapter included)

Yes, the thing is an actual projector in a phone, how cool is that ? , Its no ordinary Iphone clone. It costs $345 which really isnt much for some of the rich folks out there, but the projector feature is definitely worth killing for.

The photos of use seem to suggest good clear pictures, the only caveat being the 975 grams weight.

It even got engadget coverage.

You can buy it from dealextreme.

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All those who own Chinese mobile phones in India , beware !

Most Chinese mobile phone makers use fake IMEI numbers or use the same number for a large number of mobile phones. In the event of a terrorist act or any other criminal activity the Govt. is unable to trace the accused people.

Hence it has been recommended to the Govt. that Chinese mobile phones be banned in India. Not just sale of these, but usage of these on all Indian networks also be banned. Most network operators will be banning Chinese mobile phones as soon as they get directives from the government which shouldnt be very late seeing the current security situation in the capital.

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This is the Asus P320, we check out its desktop and desktop features.

Enjoy this great phone with Windows Mobile professional 6.1 and GPS

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So all of you with your Hiphones, Ciphones and other Chinese clones with ofcourse be happy with the great and more importantly cheap phones you have. Some Chinese phones even come preloaded with Windows Mobile professional editions 6.1 and 6.0. They have learnt how to pirate even Microsoft’s other mobile applications and libraries, but what they cant do is give you a genuine IMEI code.

The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI code is a unique code that every GSM and UMTS phone must have. The last digit of IMEI is a check digit :

The Check Digit is calculated according to Luhn formula (ISO/IEC 7812). See GSM 02.16 / 3GPP 22.016. The Check Digit shall not be transmitted to the network. The Check Digit is a function of all other digits in the IMEI. The Software Version Number (SVN) of a mobile is not included in the calculation. The purpose of the Check Digit is to help guard against the possibility of incorrect entries to the CEIR and EIR equipment. The presentation of Check Digit (CD) both electronically and in printed form on the label and packaging is very important. Logistics (using bar-code reader) and EIR/CEIR administration cannot use the CD unless it is printed outside of the packaging, and on the ME IMEI/Type Accreditation label. The check digit shall always be transmitted to the network as "0".

The check digit is validated in three steps:

1. Starting from the right, double a digit every 2 digits (e.g. 7 → 14)
2. Sum the digits (e.g. 14 → 1 + 4)
3. Check if the sum is divisible by 10

Now i must say i didnt come up with the following explanations, we came up with them while discussion on forums. How do Chinese generic phones and clones get IMEI codes ?

1. The manufacturer destroys and old phone and allots its number to new phone (highly unlikely)

2. The manufacturer uses the IMEI of stolen phones.

In both the cases it is not hard to see that the manufacturer will not be able to meet the IMEI demand by himself. Hence many Chinese generic phone makers have starting putting the same IMEI in thousands of phones, as a result a lot of people are facing problems.

Some networks ban the usage of the same IMEI by more than 2 phone, this may be banned on a first come first served basis or a straightforward ban all with same IMEI basis.

Another potential threat is the terrorist threat, law enforcement has often used the IMEI as a tool to trace locations of criminals and terrorists. This evidence is very important in terms of reconstructing events. Its not easy to pinpoint location using IMEI but you can get the area and tower the cell-phone is contacting.

The last and third problem is ignorance and theft, in that order. Supposedly i am a gullible customer. I buy the phone w/o realising that its IMEI may be the same as all the other phones by the company. Now my phone is picked from my pocket. I go to the police, being an influential person i am able to tell the operators to ban my phone. Operators will ban phones based on IMEI supplied. and in turn all Chinese phones by that manufacturer will be bricked and become useless for all.

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Asus really loves India, thats why they release all their phones in India before many of the leading world markets. The latest to hit the shelves is the Asus ZX1. The phone is a special edition Lamborghini model and is priced at a whooping Rs.48000 or $1200. Now i can buy a good laptop with that amount, why would i buy this phone. But our job is to review the phone and here goes :

Asus claims that the phone has a ‘chassis-inspired aerodynamic flow’ and the ‘amazingly sharp profile’. Its made up of carbon fibre and stainless steel so that it may last a long time. Its looks are killer and we agree, amazingly thin and stylish at the same time. The Lamborghini logo looks fantabulous. The specs of the phone are :

Specifications – Our comments are in Italics

Networks
HSDPA 3.6Mbps, UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz, EDGE/GPRS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz; Class 10 - Awesome Quadband and HSDPA !

Operating System
Microsoft Windows® Mobile 6.1™ Professional – The latest and best mobile OS

Weight
119g (With Battery) – A little heavy

Standby Time
150 ~ 200 hours – Good and Decent

Talk Time
3G: 2~3 hours*; 2G: 4~5 hours  – A little on the lower side

Display
2.8´´ TFT LCD Screen, 65,000 colors, QVGA 240×320 pixels – Just 65k colours, pathetic for 48k bucks

Processor
TI OMAP™ 2431 450MHz + EMP U360 – Nice processor

GPS
Built-in GPS Sirfstar III - Always Handy

Memory
256 MB Flash + 128 MB SDRAM – Decent RAM, also the unit has expansion slot

Expansion Slots
Micro-SD; Supports SDHC – SDHC saves the day

The thing also comes with a large number of ASUS Applications

Anytime Launcher, EziMusic, EziPhoto, MultiHome, NewStation, Backup, ASUS Zip, Ur Time, Business Card Recognition, Auto Cleaner, Meeting Time Planner, Remote Presenter, Voice Commander, GPS Catcher, Call filter, ASUS Status, ClearVue PDF Viewer, Network Auto Configuration, Youtube / Flickr Uploader

Camera Resolution
3 Megapixels, 0.3 Megapixels for Video Telephony – Good, but at 48k 5MP would be better

Verdict:

The phone is a stylish looking, mean performance machine, the only worrying thing is the price tag, spending 48k just for the Lamborghini stamp is plain stupid. Not many people will buy it, and those who do will be better of buying HTC phones which cost 30k but offer similar and better features.

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The Asus P320 video review.

The video shows the Asus P320 mobile phone review, various features such as Asus Today Screen, Asus Launcher, Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 features, GPS, Google Calendar. Web browsing of the handset is also tested. The today screen features a weather icon like the HTC touch, a feed reader, a notes utility. Also worth noticing is the Asus status feature.

Essential buying guide for anyone looking to buy an Asus P320 mobile phone.

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