Fancy smartphone sings, dances, ditches GPS

THE HTC P3350 is based on the HTC P3300 which has been shipping for sometime and which is currently available from mobile operators O2 and T-Mobile.

The INQ already had a look at the P3300 several weeks ago, and gave it a considerably high score of 8/10 - so we had high expectations for the P3350.

This update to the much loved P3300 centres around the addition of further multi-media features to the device.

The P3350 also known as the 'HTC Love', consists of a dedicated media front-end for movies, music and radio (built-in FM), and a change in the look and feel of the HTC custom today screen.

The 3350 (left) alongside the 3300:

Aside from the main media front-end application, the media software includes both an 'Audio Manager' and 'Audio Booster' to aid you with your sound customisation - it manages and play music tracks, create playlists, and allows you to set music files as ringtones.

Although the software is easy to use and fairly comprehensive, we don't see much benefit over the usual bundled media applications, and wouldn't suggest this as a key purchase decision over the P3300, which only comes with standard fare Windows media players.

Whilst the specifications aren't top-notch, they're sufficiently capable of running the majority of PPC applications without any problems. The biggest deal breaker for us was the removal of the GPS functionality - a main killer feature of the P3300.

The specs are almost exactly identical to the P3300, except of course the GPS:

• Processor: TI's OMAP 850, 201 MHz
• OS: Microsoft? Windows Mobile? 5.0
• Memory: ROM: 128MB, RAM: 64MB SDRAM, NAND Flash: 128 MB
• Dimension: 108 mm (L) X 58 mm (W) X 16.8 mm (T)
• Weight: 130g with battery
• LCD: 2.8'' TFT-LCD, 240 X 320 with 65,536 colours
• GSM/EDGE: GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• Device Control: HTC RollR (Trackball and Track Wheel)
• Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, Wifi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
• Other: HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB and audio jack in one)
• Camera: 2 Megapixels
• Audio: Built-in microphone and speaker
• Headphone: AMR/AAC/WAV/WMA/MP3 codec
• Headphone: AMR/AAC/WAV/WMA/MP3 codec
• Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery
• Capacity: 1,250 mAh
• Standby time: Up to 150 ~ 200 hours
• Talk time: Up to 3.5 - 5 hrs
• Standby time: Up to 150 - 200 hrs
• Expansion slot: microSD memory card

A back view of the device:

The devices on their sides:

A press shot of the main GUI alongside the multimedia application:

A short INQ video preview:

In Short
A fantastic little smartphone, with the full capabilities of a Windows Mobile 5 PDA, but with full telephony support.

The navigation pad with its small track-ball and optional mouse-like behaviour are a real boon, and if you're fed up with the stylus they are comfortable alternatives.

There's one problem though - the removal of the GPS functionality from the P3300.

Considering the devices are similarly priced, and the 3350 is a later model, we can't understand the removal of such an important feature.

Whilst we'd usually recommend this compact fully featured Windows Mobile PDA, we can't help think that the P3300 is better off receiving your hard earned beer tokens. ?

The Good
Windows Mobile has a lot of software support.
Nice, compact PDA and mobile all-in-one.

The Bad
No HDSPA support.
200MHz CPU - can choke at times.
Limited memory - micro SD needs to up its capacity.
SD slot is under battery.
No headphone jack.

The Ugly
The GPS removal - why!

Bartender's Report

See Also
Nokia E65 Nokia N95 close-up preview
HTC P3300 Windows Mobile reviewed
Nokia N800 examined up-close