Mobile Phone ReviewsHTC P3400i Review: The Affordable Pocket PC, an Ideal Business PDA phone

HTC P3400i Review: The Affordable Pocket PC, an Ideal Business PDA phone

HTC P3400I

This week, we managed to grab a unit of the HTC P3400i for review. The dashing phone comes with a sleek and swanky archetype. The entry level PDA phone pretty much raises the bar keeping to HTC’s signature style in terms of its affordability. The smartphone is ideal for young business executives who are looking for a reasonable level of functionality at an affordable price. The high end device meets our needs as the perfect companion for business meetings and trips. It’s also as a great partner to unwind after work.

Attributes:

For users like us who prowl on the practicality of a device rather than style, the smart device is almost appropriate. Powered by radical Windows Mobile 6 Professional, the PDA gives an intense mobile experience with its simple intuitive interface. This feature works great for us as it empowers us to be more productive by allowing efficient management of Microsoft Excel and Word Mobile files. And yes we don’t have to wait endlessly to retrieve emails. The Direct Push Synchronization technology does that for us instantly. Windows Live Messenger, Internet Explorer Mobile, Pictures & Videos and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile to playback…Phew, the phone is much more than literally a mobile PC.

You can’t go wrong with the large high resolution colour 2.8” touchscreen display. It is accompanied by a stylus that lets you draw, write or make a selection with a single tap, a great feature that is not otherwise supported by the iPhone. The phone sometimes makes head turns with its music clarity. It does offer a more dynamic and powerful audio experience with HTC’s Audio Booster allowing sound settings like bass and 3D sound. HTC’s Media Hub can turn your boring day into quite a musical one with enjoyable music and movie clips. We don’t have to struggle with access to multimedia programs; it is made effortless by the Audio Manager.

The smart PDA boasts of an amazing connectivity comprehending EDGE, Quad-band GSM and GPRS technologies. The phone additionally has an external GPS that enables users to set the correct GPS communication ports, when required. You have to use it to believe it as this attribute is really useful when you have connected a GPS receiver to your device or there are programs on your device that access GPS data. The Live HTC Home feature lets you access practically everything under the sun like time, quick launcher, weather forecast of more than 3000 cities, one touch ring tone settings, favourite people and much more.

If you do have a tendency to go overboard with web surfing, the application disc accompanying the device features the Spb GPRS Monitor that lets you calculate network usage costs by keeping a tab on the amount of data transfers made via the GPRS or GSM network connection. Off late we have stopped bothering about backups of data as the Sprite Backup makes this really quick and easy. You don’t even have to worry about the reception quality when you are driving; the car antenna connector will do it for you.

P3400I2

You can also enjoy a great wireless audio experience with the A2DP& AVRCP Bluetooth 2.0. The major attraction of the HTC phones is the two pre-installed games, Bubble Breaker and Solitaire. Out of the two, the Bubble Breaker is a really popular game and it is sure to get people envious at times. The JBlend lets us download and install additional Java applications which further enhance the gaming experience.

The phone is a great grab especially for those who prefer functionality rather than just a good looking clutch phone. The HTC P3400i is highly accessorized by a protective carrying pouch, a USB Sync cable that can be connected to synchronize data from your device to the PC, an AC adapter and a stereo headset for efficient volume control along with a Send/End button to receive a call or put a call on hold. The additional stylus is a relief considering the tendency to misplace things at times.

The phone will truly enable users to handle all business requirements with a 1250 mAh battery that can withstand a talk time of up to 3.5 to 5 hours and a standby time of up to 150-200 hours. Journeys are now fun with a media playback time of up to 12 hours for WMA and up to 8 hours for WMV.

Downsides:

One major setback of the phone is the very small keypad. Though it’s a QWERTY keypad, it can really get quite cumbersome at times. Even after changing the settings, the keypad is just too small and it does take a few months to adjust to it. Though the phone is characterized by a CSD Line Type that can be used when making a circuit switch data (CSD) connection, the device tends to freeze at times while copying data.

You may also struggle with the stylus in crowded places. Don’t even imagine using your fingers for this job! It’s quite tiresome and can get annoying at times.

For a smartphone, we are sure HTC could have added much more than just a 2.0 mega pixel CMOS camera. The picture and video quality is not something one can really boast of. Data hogs may find alternatives as the smartphone will not satiate their 3G or Wi Fi needs. Another negative aspect of the phone is you can’t keep many applications running simultaneously. Minimizing the applications tends to consume much of the battery.

Nevertheless, we would say the HTC P3400i is ultimate in mobility, bundled with an array of useful multimedia applications that help get through tasks effortlessly. It can be surely availed of by all market segments along with young business executives as it’s a great value for money. The technologically cutting edge PDA is a good buy at a bold price of $488 (inclusive of 7 % GST) which is around Rs 20,400.

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