We include reviews of two Windows Mobile-based Smartphones in this issue; the Motorola MPx220 and the Orange SPV C500. These devices use the same OS as the Pocket PC and have some of the same built-in applications. However, there are significant differences between a Smartphone and a Pocket PC. Before reviewing the individual devices, let's describe the common features of Windows Mobile-based Smartphones.
Orange SPV C500 (top) and Motorola MPx220 (bottom)
What is a Windows Mobile-based Smartphone?
The term "smartphone" generically refers to a mobile phone that also provides advanced data functions, including an appointment calendar, to-do list, detailed phone book, an Internet browser, and the ability to send and receive e-mail and SMS messages. A Windows Mobile-based Smartphone uses an operating system and application suite designed by Microsoft to provide advanced data features on a mobile phone. Unlike the Pocket PC, a data-centric PDA, the Windows Mobile-based Smartphone is designed primarily to support its mobile phone functionality. It's a mobile phone first and a PDA second.
While the Windows Mobile-based Smartphone uses the same operating system as the Pocket PC, the hardware specs and user interface are tailored to support its primary use as a phone. Instead of a touch screen, it comes with a standard 12-key phone keypad which allows dialing by touch—a difficult feat to accomplish on a touch screen! Smartphones use a smaller 176x220-pixel color display, which allows the manufacturer to create a smaller device. In addition to the keypad, most Smartphones have a five-way navigation button for application control. For Pocket PC owners, the look and feel is comfortably familiar.
The Smartphone has the features you would expect to find on a mobile phone, including call mute, call hold, call waiting, call history, custom ring tones, and a speakerphone mode for hands-free calling.
Smartphone versions of most Pocket PC applications
The current version of Microsoft's Smartphone software is known formally as "Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone Second Edition." It retains many features of the previous version of the software, including Internet Explorer security, and always-on data connectivity to GPRS or 1xRTT networks, allowing data to be "pushed" to the phone. However, Second Edition has a number of changes over the first version, including improvements to the Bluetooth and messaging software, and an enhanced version of Internet Explorer, which now has the ability to reformat Web pages to display them in single-column mode. This eliminates the need to scroll horizontally on a Web page. Unlike Second Edition on the Pocket PC, you cannot change the orientation of the Smartphone's display to landscape viewing mode.
Many of the same applications found on the Pocket PC are also built into the Smartphone. These include Messaging (Inbox), Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Pocket Internet Explorer, MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player, Voice Notes, Calculator, Jawbreaker and Solitaire, and setup and configuration utilities. The Smartdial application (Fig. 1) supports the phone capabilities of the device. In addition, phone functions are integrated into some of the built-in applications. For example, select a phone number in Contacts, or select a phone link in an Inbox message (Fig. 2), and the phone will dial it automatically.
Figs. 1 and 2: Smartdial (left) helps you locate and dial a contact's number quickly. Select a phone number link (right) in an Inbox e-mail or SMS message and the Smartphone will dial the number automatically.
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