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If you are looking for a PDA phone that is packing absolutely everything, then your choice is limited to only a couple of models from various manufacturers, one of which is O2's Xda Flame.
In fact, the O2 Flame is probably the highest-specified Pocket PC around at the moment – it's powered by a 520MHz PXA270 processor; a powerful new nVidia GoForce 5500 2D/3D graphics accelerator; and more (see the specs box).
The only thing missing from the extensive feature set is a GPS (Global Positioning System) chipset.
Unfortunately, the Flame is the second largest Pocket PC phone edition device we've seen so far (the Dopod U1000 wins first place, hands down).
Flame on!
As I said, the Flame looks big and feels big in the hand as well.
But surprisingly for its size, O2 has opted to put in a MicroSD slot instead of a regular-sized SD slot.
On the upside, the Flame's huge amount of storage space means that you don't necessarily need to expand memory.
But it would have been nice to have a regular-sized SD slot instead so that you can, for example, use the Flame as a picture viewer when you take the SD card out of a digicam and pop it into a regular SD slot.
However, to O2's credit, it has opted to have the MicroSD slot easily accessible on the side, which means you don't have to take out the battery to access it like on some other handhelds.
Buttons are pretty standard on the Flame, with all the usual Hangup, Call, Windows and customisable keys on the front.
On the right side you have the volume rocker switch, the MicroSD slot and the digital camera shutter button, while the left side of the device is taken up by the record and wireless button.
Between the record and wireless button is the infrared port and a small, proprietary video output port.
The Flame is supplied with audio-video output cables which allow you to connect to a regular TV, thanks to the extra horsepower provided by the new nVidia GoForce graphics processor built into the device.
A cool thing is that the Flame's cables are regular RCA audio-video jacks, unlike the Dell Axim x51v which offers a video output option but only with an optional VGA cable.
This makes the Flame's video output eminently more usable because it can be plugged into any TV, making it a viable option as a portable videoplayer!
Talking about playing videos, the Flame's screen is gorgeous – the colours are a little on the warm side, but the viewing angles are better than on my Axim x51v.
The touchscreen is also pretty sensitive, which means that it will respond to the lightest of touches. This is especially important because, unlike O2 Atom Life I reviewed recently, the screen is sensitive enough for the handwriting recognition to work without problems.
About the touchscreen, the Flame is supplied with a stylus but this is unbelievably small for such a large device. It's too short and too thin. While it is still usable, the stylus is a hard to use comfortably even with my small hands.
Performance
As expected, the performance of the Flame is unquestionably good – everything launched immediately and there is no slowdown or memory problems.
The only hiccup with the device is that unfortunately, since the graphics processor is pretty new, it is as yet unsupported by my favourite multimedia player, CorePlayer, which means I could not perform any video stress tests on it.
Nevertheless, for everything else, the Flame is just ultra-responsive and I'm sure that once drivers are available for CorePlayer, video playback will be better than on anything else out there right now.
Unfortunately, battery life is just the opposite. Without WiFi on, you could probably run the Flame for about 1.5 days which is okay for a device like this.
But turn on WiFi and battery level goes down alarmingly fast – you'll barely be able to get through the day on a single charge if you surf just for a couple of hours using WiFi.
Since the battery is a whopping 1,620mAh in capacity, I had expected more from the Flame. I'm pretty sure the main culprit is a very power-hungry WiFi chipset, so you're advised to use WiFi sparingly if you get the Flame.
Oh yes, while the screen is nice, brightness levels seem a little low even when the brightness slider is pushed all the way up compared with some other Pocket PCs.
The other thing I found is that, like the Atom Life, the Flame's generous amount of storage space is let down by the fact that file transfer can only be initiated via Microsoft Activesync.
For one thing, Activesync file transfers are painfully slow and when you plug it into another PC without Activesync, the Flame will not be recognised as a USB flash drive.
The built-in 2.0-megapixel digicam has autofocus and takes reasonably good photos in bright light, it's better than some brand name phones, but it's certainly not the best I've seen in a Pocket PC.
Software bundle
I've said this before and I'll say this again – O2 has the most generous software bundle of any PDA maker on the market and what you get with the Flame is no exception.
The Flame comes with a long list of applications which you can install (or not) upon first startup of the device.
Apart from the usual bundle of O2 applications (e.g. O2 Connect, O2 Phone Plus, O2 SMS Plus, etc) there's also MobiMate's Worldmate application and also, most notably, an application called Remote Control so that you can utilise the Flame's infrared emitter as a universal A/V remote control .
The remote control already has a list of built-in codes for various brands of televisions, hi-fi and satellite TV receivers, but also works as a learning remote so you can add on controls for devices not listed.
All in all, a very good software bundle rarely, if ever, equalled by O2's competitors.
Phone
As a phone the Flame performs like every other Pocket PC phone edition device – it's easy enough to make calls, and support for the 3G (third-generation) communications network is good.
The only problem is that typing out an SMS (short message service) message tends to be a little difficult because the device has no keyboard or alphanumeric keypad.
Otherwise, all the usual standard phone functions are there and thanks to O2's setup application, all the appropriate 3G and MMS (multimedia messaging servcie) settings will be done for you when you first switch on the device with your SIM card inserted.
Conclusion
So what do I think of the O2 Xda Flame? Well as far as performance goes, I like it a lot – with so much RAM, storage and speed at your disposal, there's nothing you can't do with the Flame, really.
I also particularly liked the wide viewing angle of the screen, although it would have been nice if the backlight could go just a bit brighter.
Unfortunately, the Flame has a couple of drawbacks. It's a little too big, especially if you want to use it as a phone.
Also, all those great features come at a steep price –RM 3,688. You could get a notebook PC and a cellphone for that.
The choice is yours. Some people may find the features and the much smaller size (compared to a notebook PC, that is) worth paying that kind of money for.
Pros: Fast processor; lots of RAM and storage space; loads of bundled applications; nice screen.
Cons: A bit big; expensive for a PDA phone.
XDA FLAME
(O2 Inc)
3G Pocket PC Phone
Processor: 520MHz Intel PXA 270
Operating System: Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Phone Edition
RAM: 128MB
ROM: 2GB + 64MB (1,740MB available for storage)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11g, GSM 900/1800/1900, WCDMA 2100
Expansion: MicroSD
Screen: 3.7in 480 x 640pixels TFT LCD
Battery: 1,620mAh lithium-ion polymer
Other features: 2.0-megapixel autofocus digital camera, secondary VGA camera (for video calls), nVidia GoForce 5500 2D/3D graphics accelerator
Dimensions: 74 x 17.5 x 126mm (w x d x h)
Weight: 190g
Price: RM3,688
Website: www.seeO2.com
Submitted Date: Aug 03, 2007
Source: Malaysia Star
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