If you need a Pocket PC with an integrated GSM/GPRS module, you do not have much choice. There are only a few models with Phone Edition besides the widespread XDA / MDA / iMate and DOPOD which are all essentially the same product by Taiwan manufacturer HTC.
All items are neatly arranged in a white box. The user is getting all the usual accessories.
In their bid to lower cost, and end-user price, Eten has left out the following: - Missing Manual - CDROM contains ActiveSync 3.7.1. Does not come with licensed Microsoft Outlook but an evaluation copy. - M500 is made of plastic unlike its competitors which is made of metal
Well not great misses since most users use Microsoft Office which already comes with Outlook and Microsoft has already updated ActiveSync to 3.8 which you can download from http://www.pocketpc.com
Excellent Size
The M500 has a great size. About the same as the Sony Ericsson P800. Narrower than O2 XDA II Mini but thicker.
Its dimensions measure just 111.7 x 60.7 x 22 mm and at 170grams it is a close competitor to the O2 XDA II Mini.Do bear in mind that this little device packs a quad-band phone, 1.3 megapixel camera (with flash light rather like the Panasonic X70) and 130MB of internal memory
Comparing M500 against the P300 / HP Ipaq 1940/ O2 XDA II Mini
First to attract attention is the device itself. After all the Eten M500 did win the iF International Design Award.
But more on the device itself later, let's first take a look at the accessories. The package includes low-quality earplug-type stereo headset with a 2.5-milimetre jack, similar to that supplied with most other Phone Edition devices. On the cable, there is a small silver "bonbon" with a microphone, a button and a volume control. There is a clip on the cable to attach the headset to the clothing.
The cradle is very light, with a detachable USB cable. The base is small, round, silver. The cradle offers an extra slot for charging a spare battery, with a LED indicator. At the back of the cradle, there are two connectors - a standard mini-USB connector for connecting a standard USB Type A device, and a slot for connecting the charger / USB sync cable.
The M500 can be charged using 3 configurations:
Another accessory is a case. It looks great and it is not thick. This means that the case will not make it overtly bulky then you put the M500 inside.
A flip with a magnetic lock protects the device against slipping off accidentally. The case is lined with fine suede. A string handle allows you to carry the phone in your hand or you can remove this and use the belt clip.
The cable is permanently attached to the body and there are no attacheable plugs.
The cable is long enough, nothing more to say about it: We should not forget about the stylus, which is only one in the package. PDA styluses usually have symmetrical (circular) profile but this one is asymmetrical. That means it will fit in place only one way.
Also it has one of the biggest stylus I have ever seen in a PDA, after fully extending the extensible portion.
Design
At first sight, you will be surprised by the size of the M500. It seems Eten is stressing on the width of the device. With the smallest width in the market, the m500 is the handiest Pocket PC Phone in the market.
The device is much thicker than the O2 XDA II Mini though but with its feature pack internals, some things has to be compromised.
A closer examination of the front panel will reveal the trick with the size of the device. The diagonal is 2.8 inches long, which is equal to a little over 72 millimetres. To get a better idea of the size of the display, check the images for comparison. The size is not the only exceptional feature but more on the others later.
There are 2 LEDS. On the left is the LED for bluetooth and the right corner is the GSM / Battery Charging Phone LED.
The loudspeaker is located on the back below the camera lens.
Below the display, there are four buttons (two system ones for controlling the phone and two user-definable keys) and a functional joystick. The center button for the joystick is quite inset, do its quite difficult to press this.
The device is right-handed like most other PDAs, i.e. designed for holding in the left hand. That is why the on/off switch, a software rest button and a three-way scrolling wheel are located on the left side, while there is absolutely nothing on the right. The wheel is sunk perhaps too deep in the body - it may be the reason why it did not respond perfectly but it may be just a matter of training.
Unlike in other devices, the rear is worth our attention. The camera flash light and metal mirror are located behind.
Now, let's look inside. The CPU is a Samsung S3C 2440 400 MHz Processor running at 400 MHz.
Battery Life is average. It can last from 12 hours - 15 hours. Fortunately the device can be charged by itself using the USB cable or via the USB Cradle. So if you are the type that goes out of office early in the morning and doesn't return till midnight then it may be necessary to get a spare battery. But if you sync your PDA everyday then basically everytime you synchronise you will also be charging the device.
As far as compatibility is concerned, there are no differences between Intel and Samsung processors and all applications should run correctly (but for some very specific exceptions) such as if you use processory specific apps such as TV Remote Control software.
The Eten M500 offers just a great memory. 64MB and 78MB of useable memory in the safe storage area. This gives you more than 130MB of useable memory which is the best of any PDA phone this size.
One unique feature for Eten is the Big SMS display when SMS messages are being received. Definitely great for users who drive since you can see this easily.
The Eten M500 incorporates a loudspeaker and speakerphone which has been missing in their previous models.
Besides a GSM/GPRS module, the device now has bluetooth built-in.
The Eten has a backup battery to take care of the memory contents when you need to replace the main battery, the same solution as in other Pocket PCs.
As I have mentioned before, this model of Eten M500 features an integrated digital camera. I will say that it has the best camera quality I have seen in any Pocket PC Phone so far. It offers images in 4 resolutions, 1280 x 960, 640, 480, 320x240, 176x144
Capturing video is also supported. Quality of video is also good, not jerky as in other phones. Guess the fast Samsung 400 MHz processor does help in this area. Videos are recorded in MPEG-4 format.
The following series of images illustrates how the M500 deals with not very good lighting conditions indoors.
Eten M500
The device is a standard Phone Edition, which means it offers the complete package of applications from Microsoft for GSM-enabled devices. Technically, it is a quad-band phone supporting 900/1800 and 850/1900 MHz frequencies. This means you can use it in US and fully compatible with most networks.
Besides standard features, such as call redirect and call waiting, it offers automatic reply to an incoming call and supports cell broadcast. Call alert can be sound (a WAV file) or vibration.
It also offers Call Filter. This feature will auto answer the call with automated voice message to inform the caller that the user is unavailable and to try again later.
SIM Manager manages data on the SIM card and can copy entries between the SIM and Contacts as well as manage archived SMS messages. And finally, there is a SIM Toolkit which can be used e.g. for GSM banking.
The M500 is quite a good phone that will not amaze with unique features but is sufficient for everyday use. Like other Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, the Eten M500 is not a standard Class B phone.
The Eten M500 offers one integrated SD slot with I/O support, so it should not be a problem to use e.g. a wi-fi card. Common memory cards worked fine.
Software
There are quite a few bonus apps:
Frequency Dialer Call Filter (already mentioned earlier) Image Maker Image Wizard
Available from Trends Mobile Pte Ltd and authorised resellers at SGD$1068/-
Small Size, Great Camera, Larger Memory, Quad-Band phone for using in CDMA networks as well as GSM, Flash light.