Thursday, March 22, 2007
E-TEN Goes QWERTY: Glofiish M700 Reviewed
Posted by Darius Wey in "HARDWARE" @ 08:30 AM
Performance: Does It Meet Expectations?
Let's cut to the chase. With a Samsung S3C2442 400MHz CPU, the M700 flies. It rarely chokes when handling video, music, pictures, VoIP, and other demanding tasks. Of course, it's just one of many components that contribute to its solid all-round performance, and we'll have the opportunity to explore the others when we examine benchmark results later in the review.
Memory is always a hot discussion topic in enthusiast forums, so I've provided two sets of data here for your assimilation. They focus on available storage and program memory with and without E-TEN's bundled applications installed (the latter scenario can be created by holding down the camera button during the device's initial configuration phase).
Hard Reset; Applications Installed
Hard Reset; No Applications Installed
A little over a half of the M700's 128MB ROM is available for use as storage. E-TEN's applications consume approximately 14MB. If you're not the sort of user who installs a vast number of applications, then the remaining storage space should be more than enough. If you are, then there's always a microSD card for additional storage space. The M700's 64MB RAM should be sufficient for most users. With all of the Office Mobile applications open (including that of Outlook Mobile), the M700 follows the X500's footsteps in consuming just (roughly) 1.5MB RAM.
While E-TEN's initial batch of Glofiish devices fail to target 3G, they don't leave EDGE out of the equation. Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity ensures that compatibility in North America (namely, the 850MHz networks) is hardly an issue. They may match each other on paper, but it's questionable as to whether the X500 and M700 utilize the same chip and antenna. Over a month's worth of testing, I discovered that the M700 failed to achieve the same level of signal strength as the X500. Where the X500 would achieve 100%, the M700 would achieve 75%. On occasion, it'd dip to 50%, and in certain environments where cellular connectivity was known for being weak (e.g., lifts and underground parking lots), the M700 would lose a connection. That said, it's not as bad as it sounds. Under a normal usage pattern, the M700 will stay connected most of the time, so you'll rarely have to worry about missing that important phone call. Call quality tends to be decent, and the other party is usually very audible. Thanks to the latest ROM (0354), the echo and incoming SMS issues (discussed in my X500 review) have been eliminated. Incidentally, this also applies to the X500, so regardless of which Glofiish you have in your hand, an upgrade to ROM 0354 is recommended.
Bluetooth 2.0 gives the M700 an edge over some of its predecessors and competitors. Driving its faster transmission speeds, lower power consumption, and greater available bandwidth is the Microsoft Bluetooth stack, with E-TEN's own user interface sitting on top. Leaving Bluetooth active during standby mode has a minimal effect on battery life, although as will be discussed a little later, the M700's battery life isn't stellar to begin with. A Class 2 specification gives the M700 an approximate ten metre range. I tested this in an open environment with five different headsets and achieved an average of eight to nine metres (on par with what I was expecting). A2DP performance wasn't perfect, although audio quality in this regard appears to be linked to the Microsoft stack rather than the device itself. Unfortunately, like the X500, I was unable to reconnect my Bluetooth stereo headphones to the M700, despite the two being paired. The solution is an arduous deletion and re-establishing of the partnership.
Wi-Fi performance is very solid. 802.11b/g and WPA2 support give the M700 greater compatibility with many wireless networks. And as far as range is concerned, the M700 was able to match my laptop in consistently discovering and connecting to distant networks. FM radio performance tells a different story. It's much like the X500 in that it leaves a lot to be desired. Reception is generally very weak, particularly indoors. The bundled stereo headset wire (which acts as the antenna) requires a lot of adjusting in order to attain a clear signal. As you'd expect with a SiRFstar III chipset, the M700's GPS performance is rock solid, both indoors and outdoors. Tracking sensitivity is good. The number of satellites fixed hovers around five to ten. Cold boots rarely take longer than a minute, and warm boots are instantaneous. There's no bundled GPS navigation software, so you'll have to keep in mind that they're a separate purchase.
