Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Orange SPV Phone Review

Posted by timothy on from the sticky-fingers dept.

Ian Bell writes "HowardChui.com just posted a review on Microsoft's new Orange SPV which is the first commercially available Smartphone. The SPV stands for Sound, Pictures, Video and you can download games like Doom or listen to MP3s on the speaker or even chat to your friends using the built-in MSN Messenger. But for all that the SPV features, there is no Bluetooth support. It still looks like a killer phone and I like that it is smaller than the PocketPC phones currently on the market."

4 of 237 comments (clear)

  1. he's clueless... by stewart.hector · · Score: 4, Informative

    He is obviously clueless...

    "While it seems to lack a little bit of polish as the first commercially available Smartphone, the SPV is not a bad device. "

    Erm, It isn't the first commercial smartphone. Symbian phones have been around for a while, years in fact - for example, Erccisson R380 (I think there was a version before this one?), and Nokia - the Brick - Communicator 9210 - and there was a version before this too.

    With Symbian you get a rock solid phone and software, far more than MS can possibly provide. Symbian phones have far better security and their OS isn't bloated, as opposite to MS its in pathetic (toy) OSes.

    --
  2. Re:he's clueless... or not by Faeton · · Score: 5, Informative
    Howard's obviously not clueless to this, as he's reviewed both those phones already a while back. Check out his site.

    Smartphone (with a capital S) is Microsoft's brandname for... smartphones (duh!). They've copyrighted the name, so that's what Howard means when he writes "first commercially available Smartphone".

    I've played with the phone myself, and the OS isn't bloated compared to the Symbian phones (they're about the same). In fact, my Nokia 3650, which uses Symbian, crashes every now and then. I'm not saying the MS one doesn't crash, but don't think because it's made by someone other than Microsoft that it's automagically better.

  3. Re:if the phone sucks by AdamInParadise · · Score: 4, Informative

    Bollocks!

    First Orange is a network operator, not a cell phone manufacturer. Second, the phone is made by HTC and resold in a few countries by different operators. Orange had no say in the design. Now it seems that they neuteured the phone by preventing the user from installing unsigned software while not working with developers to provide them with a easy way to sign their apps.

    --
    Nobox: Only simple products.
  4. I own one of these... by CountBrass · · Score: 4, Informative

    Been using it for the last few months and it is AWFUL !

    Sure it sounds great, colour screen, plays mp3s, core PDA functionality, web browsing and email using GPRS (I signed up for 7 megs a month because I thought this would be useful).

    But it is terrible !

    So what's the problem ? Well it hangs. All the time. I get busy cursors when all I'm doing is navigating the menus. It hangs when I'm trying to make a call (it seems to get its knickers in a twist if an incoming call arrives whilst your starting an outgoing call.

    Personally I'm really pissed off at having skipped the Ericsson (which I thought was too big) for this pile of shit. Been very happy with every Orange 'phone I've ever owned (been an Orange customer since they opened up here in the UK) but the SPV stinks. Edward

    --
    Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.