UK mobile phone reviews - O2 XDA Orbit Review

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Reviewer: Andi - Samarinda, Indonesia
Date: 7th Sep 2009

Great phone.

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Reviewer: Zoe - Taiwan
Date: 12th Feb 2009

For Billy Forbes from Belfast, UK, If you want to buy a spare stylus maybe you could try to contact HTC (a Taiwan based mobile company), because this mobile was produced by them, which is the similar model as HTC P3300. Otherwise, maybe you will find one on eBay, if anyone wants to sell their spare one. Good luck!

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Reviewer: David Beckham - Los Angeles, US
Date: 18th Jan 2009

Hi my wife bought me this phone recently when we were in England & it is rubbish! I'll be switching back to my Nokia N95. I will give this to my son, Romeo.

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Reviewer: Oly - Southport, UK
Date: 18th Jan 2009

Here's to Billy Forbes. I also have a friend who has this phone. If you check inside the phone box, they give you a spare stylus.

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Reviewer: Stephanie B - UK
Date: 16th Jan 2009

I have loved this phone. Had it for 18 months on a contract with O2. Found it easy to use, stylish. Handy, especially the camera which was great for capturing stuff to email & MMS to friends as it happened. Linked email & used daily. Never used the MP3 or radio feature so cannot comment. Found the logical step by step features really easy as I am not a computer geek but used the windows power point & word to work when necessary & send to others by email. Loved the stylus so can appreciate how it feels to lose it!

However, I found a biro was just as easy if necessary. Found the built in co pilot really good for business but it did have a habit of turning itself on if you jabbed the screen too hard. Which was often embarrassing in a text message or call.

Just changed it for an XDA Zest. Hope I find it as useful! Have already uploaded some music to the MP3 so maybe it the start of a new journey. Annoyingly co pilot does not come as standard on the zest. Anyone know how to save it from my old phone to the new one?

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Reviewer: Billy Forbes - Belfast, UK
Date: 17th Nov 2008

I have enjoyed my Orbit for 18 months now & only have one problem with it. I have lost the stylus or wand for using on the touch screen & cannot get a replacement anywhere. I have tried the O2 shops in Belfast & even contacted O2, all to no available. It is the first XDA orbit, can anyone help, please. O2 sent me a mini wand free of charge, I got a pack of three from one shop, they were too long & stuck out of the end of the phone, eventually breaking, but I must need the middle one & as I say, I have tried everywhere without success. Please, someone help.

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Reviewer: Merv Sheldon - Derby, UK
Date: 7th Oct 2008

I love this phone!

This review is written 18 after months of ownership of this great device. I use the phone & the calendar, I have made notes in word & excel, I use the sat nav feature in emergencies & I charge it up anywhere using a 2 dollar USB lead.

My wife has a newer build of the same phone & it is not as good with some of the menus being a little silly & not as friendly but hey, she loves the phone & uses it as. A phone & not much else.

Using it as a sat nav across a 3000 mile trip in the states, as a modem for the laptop via Bluetooth & updating the calendar directly from outlook is so easy & natural that I will actually cry when it dies & I have to get some new funkier variation of the same theme.

Last week I watched a film on the train, listened to music through normal headphones on the tube, picked up & replied to an email from my POP3 account whilst sat on the loo then plugged it into one of the hotel computers & it charged back to full in half an hour.

Personally I hate the current trend of attaching cameras & video cameras & MP3 players to everything from an egg whisk to a nuclear missile, but this is a PDA plus some & yes it hangs occasionally, yes sometimes the sat nav kicks in when you don't want it to but what a bit of kit this is, I am still the proud daddy of it & stuffed into a half decent case, it's as robust as the paper diary it replaced.

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Reviewer: Rosie - Dunfermline, UK
Date: 22nd Sep 2008

I've had my XDA Orbit for nearly a year now. I love it, though using the stylus can be a bit poser ish. I've got a new laptop at home with Vista, (though I am using Microsoft Outlook for email, contacts & calendar) & I don't know how to sync my XDA with it. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

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Reviewer: Reddy - Hyderabad, India
Date: 21st Jul 2008

Hey I am having O2 XDA Orbit. It's cool. I have a problem with it. I can receive data from other cells via Bluetooth but I am unable to send the items. CAN ANY ONE HELP ME OUT, HOW TO SHARE the DATA WITH OTHER MOBILES.

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Reviewer: Peng Ung - Perth, Australia
Date: 15th Jul 2008

I have had my Orbit for over a year now & it has been largely trouble free. However about a month ago the on & off switch stopped working & I had to operate the camera & switch it to the today screen. However I can switch it on & off if the phone is charging.

Can anybody tell me if this is a hardware or a software problem & how & where I can rectify it? Thanks.

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Reviewer: Stephen - Dundee, UK
Date: 10th Jul 2008

I have a 02 Orbit I put it back to factory setting & now it wants a administrator code, can someone help me cheers, Stephen.

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Reviewer: Bruce Cramer - San Antonio, US
Date: 10th Jul 2008

I have struggled with this phone for a year now & thought it was about time I put up my review. I love the size & layout of the phone but I have never got the GPS feature to work, the Wi-Fi works sporadically & I have to do a soft reset regularly. I cannot get it to do a hard reset & the processor size really shows. It is very SLOW.

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Reviewer: Steve - Bolton, UK
Date: 1st Jul 2008

I have had this PDA now for 18 months and last week upgraded to the Nokia N95. After a week the Nokia was back with the supplier and the Orbit was back in my pocket. It is by far the best phone & PDA I have ever used. I am definitely going to upgrade to the Orbit 2. I find using the stylus to input text etc a lot less cumbersome than using a keyboard. The features on this phone are awesome and for business use, top dog. Get one now you won't be disappointed.

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Reviewer: Dara - Coventry, UK
Date: 30th Jun 2008

It's fantastic phone better than NOKIA N95.

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Reviewer: Rtb - Essex, UK
Date: 3rd May 2008

Had phone now for 10 months. Had a PDA prior to this, so most functions were familiar to me. I agree with other users about the poor quality camera. Texting is good, especially predictive phrases as you can very quickly put sentences together that you have used before.

I just find sat nav a bit slow to connect. Must get an external sat nav aeriel to see if it improves the connection speed. Anyone know if this would be the case?

Wi-Fi is very useful, GPRS has been helpful in many situations.

Overall a good phone, PDA, Sat nav & MP3 etc.

However, there is one other downfall, memory doesn't get released as well as it should do after stopping applications in memory manager, even after updating to WM6. This could be what other users may be experiencing as slow down or crashes. A quick restart resolves this issue. But don't let this memory issue put you off buying one, it can be easily worked around by a restart every week or so. But then what Windows machine doesn't need a restart every week or so!

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Reviewer: Roxy Bell - UK
Date: 28th Apr 2008

I've had this phone for 14 months & I must admit it has everything you possibly need. However, after the novelty had worn off I found that texting was a big problem as the phone has a mini keyboard to press the little keys with a stylus, which isn't practical when texting on a train or a transcribers that doesn't recognise my hand writing. The phone over time has got slower & has a tendency to freeze for about a minute. I've found that the time & date resets to 00:00 6th October 2006.

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Reviewer: Amir Khan - Bolton, United Arab Emirates
Date: 23rd Apr 2008

Super phone.

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Reviewer: Andrew - UK
Date: 9th Apr 2008

I have used the orbit 2 for about two months now after upgrading from the orbit 1.

The only quirk is the front jog wheel my rubber band has come loose from the wheel, I suppose the type of glue to stick this rubber cover to the jog wheel is a quality control issue & hopefully should be sorted but apart from that the phone is excellent to use no problems with software & the touch flo software is good once you get used to it.

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Reviewer: Andrew - Kent, UK
Date: 7th Apr 2008

RUBBISH phone.

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Reviewer: Chris Bradbury - London, UK
Date: 26th Mar 2008

Once you get used to using the stylus, it's all easy, & works very well. Had two previously which did have some software problems, but latest one is trouble free. Biggest beef is that it is almost impossible to get the phone out of your pocket without activating something, especially the Co Pilot satnav, which then announces to the world WELCOME TO CO PILOT LIVE! The satnav is superb however, & nearly always chooses the best route.

A great phone. Just tried an Orbit 2, the original is much better, with better graphics & more facilities. So I sent it back!

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Reviewer: Marianne - Sheffield, UK
Date: 23rd Mar 2008

Hi, I have recently bought the phone & absolutely love it!

I am having a couple of problems with the co-pilot sat nav, I've registered it but it doesn't seem to be able to find my location on the gprs.

Any ideas?

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Reviewer: Chopsy - London, UK
Date: 14th Mar 2008

Great phone! Absolutely loved this device. It's rammed full of features & works very well. But I've just upgraded to a Sony Ericsson W960!

The good.
- Styling, good phone in a relatively small package.
- SatNav works great with TomTom 6 & having the built in GPS receiver is fantastic.
- Large screen.
- Syncs with Outlook, etc.
- Uses mini USB instead of non standard proprietary ports or cables.
- Bluetooth works perfectly with my jabra Jx10 headset.
- Wi-Fi is easy to set up & works well (never used it after initial set up though! ).
- Call quality is excellent.
- Great as a phone & a PDA.
- Battery life was good.

The Bad.
- Standard MS contacts & calendar apps are awful, take a look at the Sony Ericsson W960 to see how this should be done!
- No adapter supplied to convert mini USB to standard headset for listening to MP3s.
- No standard headset socket on device.

Other.
- As a PDA, this device is excellent. As a phone, usability suffers a little. To dial numbers or write text messages, you have to stab the screen with your finger or stylus. This will not be a surprise to anyone since there is no keypad on the phone but after a while it does become tiresome! This is the only reason I upgraded to a similar size phone but one with a keypad. I did use this for a year though & do still think it's one of the best gadgets I've ever owned!

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Reviewer: Abhishek - Lko, India
Date: 11th Mar 2008

The PhonE IS The CooLest MoDEL, GreaT LooKs, TO UsE IT is VERY VERY EASY. JUST GO & ByE IT AS SooN AS PosSIBLE, SO you HAVE A PROUD phone.

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Reviewer: Liam W - Londonderry, Ireland
Date: 6th Mar 2008

This is my first PDA phone, I find it user friendly, some nice features (even though I can't use half them). Have a memory card in & no problems.

Negatives are it keeps freezing & I need to reset to get it to do anything.

I have SERIOUS problems trying to get it to sync to the laptop. The toggle switch for the volume on the side has broken.

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Reviewer: Shakeel Hatteea - Coromandel, Mauritius
Date: 13th Feb 2008

My XDA Orbit help me a lot in my work especially I can use Outlook Express is very easy to do work better & many other interesting things. But I am still trying to send a picture or a sound clip from the gallery by using Bluetooth but I can't reach to do it as I have lost my manual booklet. Can you help me on that? Waiting your kind reply.

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Reviewer: Graham D - London, UK
Date: 12th Feb 2008

Hands down the best device I have owned. I previously owned an XDAIIi & XDAiis, so know the idea of the phone. I wanted GPS PDA & Mobile in one, & this does it with a camera too.

The great points are.
- The Phone is XDA's best yet & surprisingly good quality, Finally!
- The user interface is reasonably easy to follow & it has the PDA side covered.
-The roller ball mouse is a great addition, but totally unnecessary.
- The screen is pretty good & the whole device is very solidly built, well done!
- The Audio quality is pretty decent too.
- Sat Nav is actually really good, a great GPS, better than the Bluetooth one that came with Tom Tom.
- Converting music to ring tones is easily managed.
- Battery life is double what the XDAIIi could achieve. It get me two days normal use, & if I use Sat Nav for three hours, one days normal use.
- I have my 2GB micro SD card in it, easily enough for me.
- I love having my dog bark alarm call.

There are issues.
- My wife hates the dogs bark alarm call!
- The PEN is on the bottom, so it is where it can fall out, Buy (more) extra pens!
- The buttons can be programmed, & the voice recognition is a pain as you press it when you turn on & off. The sat nav doesn't come on by itself, you are pressing the button accidently.
- The WiFi is a disaster, but that is probably just me!
- The Camera is rubbish, but then I am a photographer, but the white balance just blows! It is useful for taking pictures of documents for recall later, or directions etc.
- When playing back movies in full screen it automatically minimises to adjust volume.
- What is the point of a Mini usb port for connecting the external headset? I ride a motorbike & this now means that I have to have Bluetooth through my helmet, this is a reasonably difficult way of doing things.
- The Sat Nav (Tom tom 5) won't allow me to have audio, but that may be a me thing.
-It doesn't have 3G, damn I wish it were on the 3G network with Skype.
- It doesn't talk to Mac's that is something that I would like.

All in all its easily the best smart phone device I have come across. Though the New HTC ones look really great with magic screens, they do seem complex & not user intuitive.

Much better than the Nokia E65 & N95 (despite rubbish camera).

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Reviewer: Apul - Ireland
Date: 5th Feb 2008

I like the orbit, I have it nine months, however I have spent a lot of time resetting connection details & now it is freezing all the time. I have to take the battery out to start it up again.

I want out at this stage.

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Reviewer: Chris - Wiltshire, UK
Date: 4th Feb 2008

I can't wait for my contract to expire so that I can replace this phone.

It's slow, difficult to use, the wireless LAN is unreliable, frequently needs that battery removed to turn off, keys are overly sensitive & sat nav regularly starts for no good reason & Windows is awful.

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Reviewer: Jose - Manchester, UK
Date: 29th Jan 2008

Hi there, I really do like the phone but since I did cancel my contract the GPS stopped working, can anyone help me to fix it please. I have a free GPS software with it is from O2. Thanks.

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Reviewer: Dougie - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 28th Jan 2008

Just a quick review in answer to some points made by Gerard from Ireland.

I frequently use the phone in the car with a Bluetooth headset while running GPS, & when a call arrives it pops up immediately & once the call has ended it returns to the SatNav software seamlessly. Battery life is good, better than I expected with all that running. I also occasionally use the phone to stream music to my Bluetooth stereo headphones with no problems at all, Bluetooth on this device is very good.

I have updated my Orbit with great advice received from both XDA developers & mainly XDA site, very recommended for a visit.

This phone has proven to be the best phone I have ever had.

P.S. I have mine configured to use an 8GB Micro SDHC card.

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Reviewer: Gerard - Sharry, Ireland
Date: 19th Jan 2008

From what I read here, I take it most of the users are new to Windows Smart Phone software for PDA's. My first PDA was a Dell. The only problem with it was I also had to carry a phone & camera. When I first research the Internet to see if I could just have two items only I was very surprised to see the O2 XDA2s had three units in one. There were two units for sale, one with & one without a key board. I went for the key board & in all the four years, I have it, I have used the key board once. If you used to PDA, you will have learned to use the style pen that comes with the unit & after a while with use your finger. My friends say I write the longest text they ever get & that is because it has the same setup as Word. In addition, that includes a very good spell checker, which I use a lot. You can also make up your own dictionary as you go along. Handy for odd names & places. I have never master short hand text & while I get it all the time bit by bit, I am converting my friends to move away from it. The camera is fine for recording A4 letters you sign & the miner bump, if you are unlucky. It is not for portrait & is not meant to be. The tape record works the same. The only thing it is missing is what the Orbit has.

If I have four criticism of the Orbit without seeing one, but going on what you all have said so far.

- I cannot see how partial it can be if it is one third smaller. The size of my XDA2s is no problem & never has been. & that where the Orbit has come into problems in that it has attracts the phone clients who are really not into PDA but more MP3 & MP4 video which the Orbit is not amid at.

- the maximum size of the Mini SD card. Today it should be able to take larger cards than 4GB. Most good GPS units take up to 4 GB just to cover all Euro & parts of Russia & that not the USA. Also the ram is not sufficient for a multi running appliance software, as a Phone, GPS & Bluetooth unit all running together if you have a car, adapter unit fitted. I cannot see how it can cope with the load on such a slow processor & small ram. It bound to lock up. I like the way the XDA is heading with the Orbit, but I would not buy it yet because it has a bit of everything but not enough to make it reliable. It needs to return to its original size, a faster Processor & a lot more ram. I use a 2400mAh battery on my old XDA2s & even with the Bluetooth on for my GPS, it will last for more than five hours for hand use. With an ear peace, you can leave it in your pocket if the size is a problem in public, as it appears to be with some people.

- I see the Bluetooth in the Orbit still has the same problems as the old XDA2s. It seems to be the week point with these units. My one never worked with the car radio Bluetooth kit. I was warned before it was fitted into my car by the radio technician. I will now sit back for a while & watch how it progresses before I will go for a new update unit. ALSO A WORD OF WARNING. As more & more people put very personal details on these units also the GPS records where you were, it can be used against you if it is robed or impounded for whatever reason. So a master delete program that has a time reset alarm by code you set would be a great accessory for the phone makers to add on to their units. It could save you one day in the future. A word of wisdom to O2 is do not leave it to long to update, as the choice in the market is getting better each day & loyal to a brand is not what it was in the past. If another unit on the market lives up to what I mention, then it is my next unit. Yours Gerard.

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Reviewer: Garry - UK
Date: 16th Jan 2008

What a load of rubbish I really think that this phone is a waste of money. It crashes practically every day, the screen goes black & nothing happens so you have to take out the battery & if you do that every day in my concerns will break it. O2 say that they have not had anyone else complain but I don't see how, this phone is rubbish.

The only thing on this phone that I like is the Co Pilot (satnav) it does work & works well once you have set it up properly & have got clear connection. But that have proved quite hard to do in most places. I have took this phone back three times now is absolutely rubbish, recently they have had my phone for over 3 weeks & then they give me a new one & this has broken recently too, it is definitely going back & I hope for a different model, but I do quite like the design that is why I have given it a generous score.

anyone WHO WISHES TO BUY THIS PHONE don't!

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Reviewer: Tony Castle - France
Date: 13th Jan 2008

Great phone, well worth the money & does everything an iphone can't.

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Reviewer: Peter - UK
Date: 12th Jan 2008

Impressed. Those of you wondering about the 4, 6 or 8GB SDHC cards will be pleased to know that you can apparently use them with a little tweak of your software at most. They have to be formatted on your laptop or desktop before use. For advice on how to achieve your goal look on the excellent XDA developer site. I agree the camera is poor but I didn't buy it for that.

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Reviewer: Rob Blades - Buckley, UK
Date: 5th Jan 2008

I have had my XDA orbit for 7 months & I think it is an excellent phone but, the camera is bad compared to the phone I thought it would have a better quality camera.

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Reviewer: John - UK
Date: 3rd Jan 2008

I just got my Orbit a few days ago & I am very impressed.

After a little struggle to get the SD card in & getting it all set-up it is working really well.
The speed is pretty much the same as my trusted PALM TX as long as I make sure that there are not too many programs running in background. The camera is a bit of a let down & shouldn't be taken too serious.

I found that I need the stylus in almost situations with the exception of the phone which works fine with my thumb.

Internet connection is straight forward, but closing the browser does not cut the connection (could be expensive).

I miss a few little things in the phone section. I get a lot of marketing phone calls & normally set my phone only to ring on contacts in my list & the rest goes to voice mail. I have not found a way to do this with the Orbit.

Another thing I don't like at all relates to windows mobile 6 & the insistence to only allow to sync with outlook (that is defiantly a con!).

Otherwise I am pretty happy.

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Reviewer: Bryan - London, UK
Date: 10th Dec 2007

Hi, getting the XDA orbit for Xmas. Can anyone tell me do you have to pay for the built in GPS for co pilot?

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Reviewer: Roger Herbert - Birmingham, UK
Date: 5th Dec 2007

4GB san disk for XDA Orbit problem. I have recently purchased a san disk aa0709xxc 4GB for my mobile it is an XDA Orbit however it will not auto detect it. The local O2 shop sell up to 8GB for this mobile & were quite confident that this should work. There was a comment made re formatting the disk by the mobile but it is not obvious how this can be done. Is the disk compatible if so what can be done for the mobile to recognise this disk? Has anyone any thoughts.

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Reviewer: Ray - London, UK
Date: 5th Dec 2007

XDA Orbit great phone as I have just upgraded from the mini XDA well can anyone confirm if they have a 4 gig micro SD card & if this works can they confirm the exact spec & manufacturer as all the 4 gig SD card's I've seen are the micro SDHC & not sure if it compatible with the XDA Orbit? Much appreciated in advance.

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Reviewer: Ben - Newcastle, UK
Date: 4th Dec 2007

I've just got one & it has everything I need! Although does anyone know how I can use a 4GB memory card in it. If I could use a 4GB card it would be PERFECT!

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Reviewer: David Lee - Bradford, UK
Date: 1st Dec 2007

I have used the Orbit for 3 months after an upgrade from XDA Exec. Mine came with Windows Mobile 6.

The Orbit is smaller than the XDA Exec & is easier to carry about. I can phone using one hand again, Exec needs two hands or Voice Dial. The Orbit screen is smaller, poorer resolution but clearly brighter than Exec, with wider angles of view. I chose to load Tom Tom Navigator 6 & Memory Map 5 Ordinance Survey Maps. WM6 allows them to share the internal GPS both work smoothly whereas with the Exec it was one or the other as they competed for the external GPS receiver com port.

I've only found two down sides to the Orbit. First, the 2.8in screen is too small for reading Excel spreadsheets (I carry data around with me) & too small for searching web sites when I go on line using GPRS. Interestingly, the 3.6in VGA screen on Exec gives a clearer (expected) & more fully detailed (unexpected) display of Tom Tom navigation maps of same place. & second, the battery life is average at best. If you use GPS it lasts less than 5 hours, shame if you're walking in the Dales using Memory Map. Switching off the screen extends life but WM6 still doesn't stop programme's running when you close them, so you need to go into Memory management in & turn them off. I get 3 days at most & prefer to charge the Orbit each night.

So I carry around the Orbit for everyday use, an excellent handy sized phone with the bonus of GPS, which just gets on with the job. However, when route planning & traveling with the family (driving or walking), I use the Exec, for its better screen which can be read from the back seat of the car!

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Reviewer: Wendy - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 29th Nov 2007

Just been reading through all your reviews, most of the problems, if not all, of your problems have a solution.

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Reviewer: Wendy - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 29th Nov 2007

I agree it's a fantastic bit of kit, the only thing that lets it down for me is the camera.

If you want to upgrade your 2GB microsd, you can now get a cab which will allow you to add sdhc support to your already fabulous orbit.

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Reviewer: Alan Smith - Stevenage, UK
Date: 25th Nov 2007

Fantastic bit of kit, I would be lost without it, I have upgraded to WM6, updated Co-pilot to version 7 & now want to replace my 2GB with a 4GB memory card, I know it can be done & have read some reviews of people running them, only problem is how do you do it?

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Reviewer: Zubair - Blackburn, UK
Date: 21st Nov 2007

Excellent mobile phone, if you know how to use it & download software, I just can't stay away from it, one of the best ones I have ever had.

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Reviewer: Rep - Inverness, UK
Date: 17th Nov 2007

Love it. Buy it. You won't regret it.

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Reviewer: Ivan - Bourgas, Bulgaria
Date: 6th Nov 2007

Super Mobile Phone.

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Reviewer: TP - London, UK
Date: 31st Oct 2007

This is a phone is not ideal for long term use. If you use it for more than 3 month your system will crash or go slow.

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Reviewer: Ranj - London, UK
Date: 29th Oct 2007

Well I thought I'd update on the review I left a little while ago here. Well 02 have pulled out the windows mobile 6 upgrade for the orbit which is great news I updated my rom a few weeks ago now & have to say the phone is PERFECT.

This is a great rom update & I am glad 02 put it out for us to all grab, & now with the upgrade the orbit is back on top of the windows mobile tower. The only problem I have was tom tom wasn't that stable, & would give me a problem certain times, also dual booting co-pilot & tom tom was a big NO NO. But with WM6 I tried tom tom & it was more stable & faster than my tom tom 500, also the GPS pick up quicker, & with a little software I run on it I can dual boot 2 navigation programs, am currently using tom tom & route66.

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Reviewer: Chris - Kent, UK
Date: 24th Oct 2007

I've had this phone since May. First I will say I really like the phone & functions on it, BUT! Have had nothing but trouble with it. I am currently on my 3rd handset. The first one kept turning itself off, I sent it for repair, but it continued to do this. The next handset, the call history went strange one day, & was non-existent after that. The latest handset, today, the on-off button decided not to function. Don't want to but anyone off, the XDA is a great phone, but has given me lots of trouble. Or maybe I was just unlucky.

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Reviewer: Ranj - London, UK
Date: 15th Oct 2007

A real improvement on XDA Mini but still not quite there. Having read write ups on the Orbit I went ahead & upgraded & am pretty pleased so far. No hang ups yet but its early days. So far:

Positives:
- Love Wi-Fi, much improved pop up telling you nearest hot spots/access points.
- Scroll wheels a nice touch & works well.
- Battery life is great improvement.
- Fast enough for me.
- Nice & slim, considering what it can do.
- Great screen & much improved speaker - mini XDA sounded far too tinny.
- Much nicer/user friendly than the N95 (which I was considering).

Negatives:
- Programmes don't close when you close them, they sit in the background.
- Headphone jack! Would much prefer 3.5mm jack so could use proper headphones that don't sound like tin cans strapped to your ears.
- Shutdown button right opposite voice command button, constantly calling people by accident!
- Could be slightly better spec, my girlfriends Samsung U600 seems to have better spec out of the box.

But overall I am very happy with the Orbit. It does everything well. Room for improvement, but from what I have seen so far this really is the best of the bunch.

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Reviewer: Julia - Macclesfield, UK
Date: 11th Oct 2007

Processor Speed verses Battery Life. I've had this mobile phone 4 months & my main grumble is that the 200 MHz processor is slow. After reading a review on another website, I've discovered that a faster processor would drain the battery quicker. I generally close down applications after use hoping to speed up the response times. With all the other apps properly closed I once timed that it took 16 seconds just to bring up the dialler screen before I could make a call - not good enough really. Perhaps it's the fault of the Microsoft Mobile 5 Operating System. I have upgraded the Storage card memory & moved my pictures onto it & have plenty of Main memory free for Programs & Storage.

Though I grumble about the speed I find it very handy indeed having MS Mobile Word, Excel & especially Outlook in my handbag, I.e. All my contacts, calendar appointments, notes & tasks. Having Internet Explorer on the phone has been useful occasionally but a bit slow. However, I avoid using it now as my first BT O2 phone bill was enormous even though I have a 512MB allowance in my monthly contract. I've installed CoPilot (the mobile SatNav software) & found it to be reliable & responsive. You need to purchase it at the same time as you obtain the phone for a 50% discount saving £50. The case, screen & buttons are good.

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Reviewer: Ian - West Midlands, UK
Date: 10th Oct 2007

This phone once customised is superb, the problems some reviewers have encountered can be easily overcome by a few tweaks & software additions (& as previously stated READ the MANUAL!)Had phone about a month, here's a few tips

- Co pilot (get a fix before driving off).
- Install better software than provide by wm6 (check spb software).
- Install a full screen keyboard for texting, email, word doc's.
- Set up active-sync to do what you want it to do.
- Have a look at the XDA-developers forum for help & advice.
- Keep running programmes to a minimum for extra speed.

IN CONCLUSION: I find something new this phone is capable of everyday, the best phone I have ever owned. Have fun!

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Reviewer: Nilz X - London, UK
Date: 28th Sep 2007

You guys heard of the X Factor. Yes? Well this little gadget has got the X FACTOR! I am crazy about this phone. It's worth an Oscar. Satisfied customer indeed. Well Done O2, at least you guys got 1 thing right. In fact this compensates for all your let downs.

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Reviewer: Khan - Dublin, Ireland
Date: 18th Sep 2007

Well I am using mobile phones for long time now but I think this is the best one of all. Sleek design, very light to carry & very fast to respond, excellent battery life, no other words can define it anymore.

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Reviewer: Brigitte - Croydon, UK
Date: 12th Sep 2007

I was so excited when I first started using it but now after 3 months I am so frustrated with the slow reaction speed that I want to throw it out the window. It does everything I want but the lack of speed means that I waste at least 1 hour in waiting time every day.

I've uninstalled co pilot & the speed slightly improved. Sat nav was so slow that I usually was halfway to my destination before it said 'welcome to co pilot live' Bigger memory did nothing. Another irritating factor is that I am forever surfing the web without being aware of it. I have unallocated the Internet explorer button but sat nav activated the Internet connection & did not shut it down.

The alarm is very unreliable & you have to un-tick & tick to ensure it will go off to wake you up. It is better to set a reminder in the calendar. You regularly have to switch it off or reset it because its stops responding & you have to stop all apps regularly to prevent it freezing up.

Beside all the above I want to love my XDA but frustration prevents me from doing so.

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Reviewer: Alan Keltie - Highlands, UK
Date: 10th Sep 2007

Having owned many phones & XDA's over the years including XDA II, XDA IIi & XDA Exec, the XDA Orbit has been the most stable & usable one that I have used so far. Masses of features, descent button layout & useful software. I prefer not to have a keyboard, as I am not much of a texter, but as an avid & constant user of XDA's I am really used to using the touch screen, (I suppose it's practice, just like everything else) I toyed with the idea of a Nokia N95, but I am really glad I stuck with the XDA's. I bought Co-pilot 6 for my XDA IIi & it worked fine but now it's all included even the GPS receiver is built into the XDA Orbit, so there is nothing else required for personal Sat Nav (only one thing to charge & that's the XDA Orbit itself). There are also some nice tweaks with WM6. XDA's have come a long way over the years & this is a lot of kit in a small package, it's not the fastest, but it's fast enough. I highly recommend the XDA Orbit; it just takes a bit of practice :-).

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Reviewer: Prithvish - Shffilld, UK
Date: 8th Sep 2007

Hey guys, I think this is a fabulous phone also I am a well acquainted user of PDA's & this phone is marvellous also be careful when you install software, install only the ones necessary as memory is a constraint but a few main software would be the Reso Explorer & picture viewer & the Beta Player a Mini SD would solve the problem & messaging is a constraint but over all this rating for the phone is 95% good just use it for a few months & you will know it's worth the trouble!

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Reviewer: Raja - Peterborough, UK
Date: 8th Sep 2007

Good Phone.

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Reviewer: Jeremy Evans - UK
Date: 7th Sep 2007

I have inserted a SanDisk 4GB card without success, the phone does not see the memory. A pain as the microdisk is in the least accessible place. I assume it just doesn't support the 4GB card. But let me know if that's not true.

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Reviewer: Mal Function - UK
Date: 5th Sep 2007

The phone makes me want to leave the company that gave it to me.

Prior to this I had the XDaIIi (this was OK but would lock up now & again) the time it took me to re-boot the XDaIIi & to load the program up again the orbit has just thought about doing anything with the program.

If you put ANY demanding software on it (like I am lumbered with) FORGET IT!
It will do stupid things & annoy you. I can't believe that when you press the X button (I.e. To close the program, like MS has done for years! ) it still has it open running in the background so you have to go to the stupid menu & close it AGAIN!

You have to be exact with your stylus on the key pad or you'll hit the wrong key - I didn't have this trouble on the XDaIIi.

Oh yes, after a while on the phone it gives me a headache. After a few months of ownership the screen bezle has started to come away & I have a pouch for it.

Please give me my XdaIIi back or I'll leave!

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Reviewer: Djs - UK
Date: 2nd Sep 2007

I've always owned Samsung phones (since having a contract that is) & always thought I was getting a good phone because of how insanely expensive they are, I know people who swear by Nokia's & Sony Ericsson, but until the n95 neither have appealed to me, & since using the n95, Well, Its a camera, with a phone, but that's it.

Now when I got this phone I was hugely disappointed, was tempted to go back to my old Samsung d500, however after tweaking I now love this phone, I've had it for ever a month & find new things about it all the time example, last week I discovered tomtom 6 lets you navigate to a contact, simply click navigate to, select the next page, & there is a contact button, provided you have the address of your contacts it will do the route straight away (well it impressed me). Tomtom software I bought for an existing windows pda, didn't come with the phone, & I didn't get the co-pilot free either with mine.

More to the phone though, first thing that really annoyed me about this phone was texting, its insanely difficult wit ha stylus (although now sometimes I prefer it) so I found a program called phonepad, (Google it if you want it) & basically it adds a keyboard like a phone pad with predictive T9 text & all that, so you can text easily like on a normal phone, only problem is this keyboard uses a different one to the default O2, so if you want to edit the dictionary you have to download another program called 'T9-Editor'.

The camera function on this phone is amazing to say the least, OK, it doesn't have a flash, (annoyed me at first) but it takes a picture instantly, I have never used a phone in which you can press the button & not have to hold the phone still whilst it processes the image, I've taken over a 1000 photos with this thing so far, & once you get used to it its really good camera, also there is a registry tweak to save the photos by folders sorted by date (which I love! ), the video is lacking, its very small 172x140 or some weird insanely small resolution, but video playback is impressive on this little device, however 640x480 videos taken with a Nokia n95 will not play smoothly with windows media player unless you over clock the device. 320x240 works flawlessly though.

Sound on this little device has impressed me no end, its so loud & so clear, it matches the Nokia's n73 music edition if not better than it.

One thing I always found to try on a phone, although I never use it for 3d games I wanted to try it, & surely enough, it impressed me too, put tombraider on it, it's like playing it on the playstation but with better graphics! Its insane, although highly difficult to play, only had one go to see how it runs.

Bit of advice if you're getting this phone, if you're going to upgrade to windows mobile 6, take out the memory card before doing so, this will save a lot of hassle as the O2 programs do not install if a memory card is in the phone for some reason.

The battery life in this phone is amazing, (considering all it can do) if you use it purely as a phone it will last longer than a lot of more popular phones available, (I actually charge this phone less than my girlfriend charges her Samsung e700).

Using tomtom without an in car charger on full brightness (after a full charge) I made a 3 hour journey & the battery was still on 40%, enough battery to take a load of pictures, but charged it on the return journey! (you can also set it to auto answer to speakerphone, which works very well, however the profile options don't have the option to turn this on & off which is annoying.

I personally couldn't recommended this phone enough, if you can get over the unusual way of texting, its an amazing phone, however if you text 24/7 & find it annoyed having to make 4 taps of the screen before you can right a message then I'd avoid it.

Oh & if you find the phone pads buttons are tiny when dialing a number there are 100's of free skins available that put nice chunky buttons there, making it feel like a natural phone when making calls.

This phone isn't for someone who is afraid of computers.

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Reviewer: Martin - London, UK
Date: 31st Aug 2007

I bought a 4GB micro sdhc card to use with the orbit but the phone is not seeing it. What can I do? What is the biggest GB one can use on it? Is there a 4GB SD card? I need help please.

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Reviewer: Tushar - London, UK
Date: 30th Aug 2007

Can any one please advice me how to organize the contacts in orbit. The problem is, if I copy contacts from the sim directory, in the contact page all the sim card & mobile contact shows & one name showing twice. But I don't want to see the sim contact. I want to see only phone contact. Can any one please advice me how do I do that?

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Reviewer: Dave Peters - Cambridge, UK
Date: 13th Aug 2007

This phone has some very nice features but its problem is the Windows Mobile OS. You cannot, for instance use it easily to make a phone call while on the move (isn't that the point of a professional unit?). It is impossible to quickly & easily choose a contact & call them with one hand free. All the buttons & keyboards have to be used with the pointer for best results. Try doing this on a crowded train or in a taxi or bus. You need 2 hands-free to use it. Nothing I have used compares with the Treo's ease of selecting & calling names from the contact list.

However, if you sit down at a table & use the thing it has some nice features. The web browsing is quite good, the camera is easy to use (but you can't select & email multi images, only one at a time - why?!). The on screen keyboard is surprisingly good but why the buttons so small? The dictionary picks up words & names you have used in the past & the predictive text is nice to use. The handwriting recognition is surprisingly good but the dictionary is different & works differently. It is as if different people worked on the software & never met.

The POP email is just not efficient enough for serious use. For example if you have a 100 emails to delete you cannot do a block select/delete. If you ask it to download only the last 2 days emails (to give higher speed) it deletes all previous ones unless you have gone to the trouble of manually moving 'to be saved' ones to a saved folder. Navigation thru the menus is really clumsy.

I never got the PDF reader to work although the Word/Excel reader does a good job. My MMS never worked (with O2).

The calendar/diary is a dog, forget it. Nothing like the easy-to-visualise 7 days to a layout Treo diary. If you move to a new time zone it changes all your future appointments. You have to remember this for planning meetings already entered after the date of your return. The person who thought this items up has clearly never used this feature.

I gave this phone 40% because of the lousy usability. It's really Windows Mobile that is the problem which is why I rate the Design & Features higher.

The web sharing worked fine with my laptop & was quite fast, easily OK to view web pages if you don't mind a bit of a wait. However, when signal levels are low it stops working.

I have had this phone for 4 months now & can't wait to get rid of it. Those people giving this a high rating cannot have traveled seriously overseas with it & cannot have used it in taxis & cars while on the move. This is, after all supposed to be a phone for serious business people on the move!

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Reviewer: Faz - Ellon, UK
Date: 10th Aug 2007

Excellent piece of equipment. I bought a second hand XDA II for £75 & the software had a problem, so took it to an O2 shop for repair, & they couldn't repair it so they gave me a new Orbit for FREE, as the old XDA II was still under warranty. YES I was well chuffed.

I can't fault the Orbit, once I set up the settings the way I liked them, the device works a treat, I have no problem with it at all. It did however take a bit of time to set the setting to my preferences, about 2 weeks.

As I use O2 pay as you go sim card, I called customer services & they talked me through the MMS & GPRS setting, as the phone is only available on prepay. Every thing works first time. With no problems.

I use a 4 GB mirco SD card, & stored the Copilot software on to that. Transfers data back & fro with WI-FI, Active Sync easily, was also surprised how well the software & functions performed. Camera is not that great, but works well.

I use a NAVMAN satnav in my car & tried out the Copilot against this, the NAVMAN came out a little better, but it is a dedicated device after all, unlike the Orbit its a 'Jack of all trades, & master of all'.

Over all, for the amount technology that's in this little device, it works well, & discreet!

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Reviewer: Andy B - Nottingham, UK
Date: 10th Aug 2007

I bought my XDA 6 months ago so have had plenty of time getting used to it. Boy what a phone, I love gadgets & this is some gadget. It still keeps me occupied for hours, even now.

I steered away from co-pilot & opted for tom tom 6 & it works flawlessly, whether of foot or in the car. A 2GB memory card at least is a must. I have video, music & applications coming out of my ears, the more the better, stops me getting bored.

Although the Nokia N95 seems a pretty good phone the screen is to small for my liking especially when using sat nav in the car, the XDA however is perfect, not as big as stand alone sat navs but does the job all the same.

I only gave it 80% on usability simply because it isn't no walk in the park to get used to if you are not much of a gadget geek (unlike myself) I took to it like a duck to water, to me its a toy & I love me toy LOL.

Have recently upgraded to WM6 & boy what a difference it makes, so much smoother, doesn't lock up (yet) & to its appearance is a lot easier on the eye, someone once compared it to a mini windows vista, & I must agree. A recommended upgrade!

All in all a fantastic phone, if you haven't seen or used one don't get that N95 just yet try the XDA Orbit, you'll be blown away.

Try it, Buy it, Love it.

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Reviewer: Kaan - Turkey
Date: 9th Aug 2007

This is fantastic =).

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Reviewer: Rob Britton - Gosport, UK
Date: 7th Aug 2007

I started with the HP Jornada & wished it had a phone, then came along the first HP PDA with a Phone. Useless! Never got reception, battery lasted hardly any time & it was a brick, sold it on eBay without any remorse.

The XDA Orbit comes along boasting all its features & GPS & my ears pricked up. I had to take the first one back due to a fault, these things happen I was told by the sales assistant. So he talked me into having another one. BUY THIS MAN A DRINK!

The device is brilliant! It does what it says on the tin & the extras you can add on over the net are brilliant. This device has renewed my faith in PDA Phones!

BEST PHONE HAD SO FAR!

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Reviewer: Paul - Kent, UK
Date: 5th Aug 2007

Hey lads, Can anyone tell me if the Orbit takes 4GB micro sd cards? Cheers.

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Reviewer: Ian - Reading, UK
Date: 3rd Aug 2007

I love this phone too much!
I'd recommend it to anyone who wants or needs its features but not if you want a phone that simply texts & makes calls as you might just find it just too complicated! I am not being patronising I genuinely forget how to access the phone function! I've had it for less than a month & after a fair amount of trial & error & a bit of manual reading I've finally got my head around most of it. Another thing to note is that there is no keyboard. I like it because it keeps the device smaller, but typing using a stylus via the touch screen (or handwriting) might not be to everyone's taste.

Here are some of the good bits:

GPS with Co-Pilot Live (6)
I was impressed with O2 for bundling the software, in-car charger & the cradle & suction cup for free. The charger is handy if you're going to be on a lengthy journey using the CoPilot as you'll have the screen on max brightness & the GPS activated - both add to battery drain.
Unlike a lot of people, I don't mind waiting a minute or two to get a fix. I just make sure I keep the Quick GPS topped up & get a fix outdoors (or in the car while I am sorting out my music for the journey, fastening my seatbelt, turning on the engine etc.) before setting off.

WM5
The operating system seems OK so far. It's not the newer WM6 which I know very little about but I am a light user of most of the applications on it so I am just happy that it's stable. Yes, there've been a few resets needed but nothing to moan about - no more than other phones I've had.
The inclusion of what might be dubbed 'lite' versions of apps like Word & Excel is a handy bonus for me as I use them now & again (to write this!). I call them 'lite' as they're not the full blown desktop versions but have enough functionality to be more than useful. I've not tried syncing with Outlook either. There's Windows Media Player in there too as well as Internet Explorer.

Wi-Fi
This is a great feature on O2 as the Wi-Fi is enabled. I am forever on an unnamed auction website using the Orbit while the good lady hogs the laptop (being poked on unnamed 'social networking' sites by new friends, apparently).
I've not used it at any hotspots out & about yet but finding connections is a doddle. Besides, if I am that desperate in future I'll be happy to pay to access the Internet using costly GPRS.

Camera
My biggest gripe is the camera. I've not managed to take a good photo! I am not writing it off yet as I may not have the settings right. I guessed beforehand that the camera probably wouldn't be up to Nokia N95 or Sony Ericsson Cyber shot standards & I knew that it doesn't have a camera light or flash. For me it was a hard compromise to make but I am not regretting it now.

There's also the usual MP3 playback, radio, Bluetooth, calendar, alarm, contacts &, of course, the telephone part of it too (quad band as well!).

As its Windows based there are quite a few extra things to do to the device to enhance it & tailor to suit your needs. Below are some things I've done already:
- Downloaded a free player for MPEGs as they're not supported by Windows Media Player.
- Downloaded an add-on called 'NoData' that lets you toggle the GPRS connections so it doesn't connect automatically & cost you money e.g. When you access Internet explorer without connecting to Wi-Fi first but leaves the O2 Active open to let you send/receive MMS.
- Added a 2GB memory card & moved the SatNav software over to the new card (using ActiveSync to temporarily copy the entire contents of the CoPilot card to my PC, then removing the 256MB CoPilot card from the Orbit & replacing it with the 2GB card & moved the files from the PC to the onto the new card in the Orbit via ActiveSync).

I'd recommend checking sticking 'XDA Developers' into your search engine & trawling through the forums for the HTC P3300/Artemis sections for links & threads for all sorts of common issues e.g. Memory card corruption etc.

Anyway, it's a good unit & does the PDA, SatNav & regular phone all rather well. It's not overly straightforward but then it's incredibly clever & does complicated stuff. A great bit of kit for a good price.

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Reviewer: Daithi - Belfast, UK
Date: 3rd Aug 2007

This is my first PDA type phone & I am very pleased with it - I really like the Wi-Fi feature for checking the web or e-mails.

I have a question. I recently bought a TOMTOM One, which has TOMTOM Home software - Can I use this on the XDA? Or would I need to buy a different piece of TOMTOM software? Thanks.

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Reviewer: James - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 24th Jul 2007

Hi, Can anyone tell me how they installed tom tom on an XDA ORBIT. E.G. What software package they bought & can you install it on the phone or does it need to run from SD card. Thanks James.

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Reviewer: David - Sydney, Australia
Date: 22nd Jul 2007

I love it but am constantly running out of memory for programs. How would I go about upgrading the memory? I have 54Mb or storage, 48Mb of Program memory & a 1Gb mini SD card.

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Reviewer: Rob - UK
Date: 20th Jul 2007

A fantastic bit of kit works well with my tomtom 6 software. One question does anyone know how to change the message tone to one of my own, I have done the normal call tone but am having some bother with the sms one, thanks.

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Reviewer: Steve C - Plymouth, UK
Date: 20th Jul 2007

I have been using this phone for 2 months now. It is worthwhile reading the very extensive manual to get the best out of this phone. Overall - very impressed.

Good Points
- Screen very good.
- Co Pilot almost as good as Tom Tom & certainly no need to pay extra for Tom Tom if you don't already have it.
- Excellent built in radio.
- WM 5 working very well & only had to do 1 soft reset in the first couple of days.

Bad Points
- Dropped around 10 calls over the two months.
- Easy to start programmes running inadvertently unless you remember to lock the keys.
Still learning though & lots of features not fully explored yet.

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Reviewer: Paul - Southampton, UK
Date: 19th Jul 2007

I have had my orbit for about 3 months. It has worked wonders until about 2 weeks ago when it decided to corrupt the 1GB memory card on board. Since then I have had the 'white screen of eternal patience' at least twice a day. I have reformatted the card & given the device a hard re-boot which seems to have cleared it. Since that though the co-pilot software won't re-install properly. So I am currently waiting for O2 to get back to me with technical advice. I feel a wait coming on.

I cannot deny the device is so really packed of features, however the design thought has left a little to be desired. Who puts the camera operation button just where your little finger of your left hand goes when you are holding it! Hence lots of booting up the camera at unnecessary times. Again who put the voice tag button where your thumb goes whilst holding the device with your left hand. I have now disabled one of the buttons due to nuisance starting of programmes I don't wish to run.

One last little thing more about regarding the programmes running in the back ground. If you want it to look like PC software then at least get it to act the same when I hit the x in the top right corner, to me that means shut the programme down, not hide it in the background on a list the thankfully the O2 software makes easier to find. All in all though when it is running well it is an awesome piece of hardware.

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Reviewer: Steve - Southport, UK
Date: 18th Jul 2007

Not a review but a question. Anyone! How do I use the phone to send text messages without having to use the stylus method? Is it possible? Great phone but I am having a few problems using it.

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Reviewer: Karl Sadler - Norwich, UK
Date: 15th Jul 2007

Well reading those before me it's a mixed bag, but I speak as I find & I think it's great, having used PDA's for ages I find this piece of kit great. No freezes, no hangs, it works really well & I've been under the bonnet & had a play! If you like something all singing & you can utilise its features there is nothing finer, if your phone is gonna bounce around in your pocket or handbag (delete as applicable) steer well clear. But if you treat it with respect it'll repay you in spades. The connectivity, the responsiveness & the build quality is great. I am well chuffed. XDA's are not for everyone, but it's the best if you want to do more on the move.

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Reviewer: Simz - UK
Date: 10th Jul 2007

Yep, this is another one of those devices you shouldn't buy if you haven't got time to read the manual. It has loads of features which on paper seems great but you will need to have IQ of upwards of a 1000 to operate the thing. It is extremely hard to use (& I am good with phones if I may say so myself).

I am not saying that it isn't a great phone, I am saying that it will take you a long while (& lots of hours reading the manual) to get things to work in the way you want it to. If you want an easy & user friendly device, this isn't for you. I suggest waiting a little while until O2 software progam or go for something like the Nokia N73 or any of the Sony 'W' range, trust me, you'd prefer it.

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Reviewer: Asim - Bangalore, India
Date: 10th Jul 2007

This phone is rock.

I bought this phone from UK it was lock to duel band but no problem for me I solved the problem & also I have changed the ROM version from 1.25.000 to 1.27.240 & now it is working fine with super fast. & the user interface & operating is very good.

If you are facing problem with GPS or freezing then better you upgrade the ROM it will fix the problem, but don't blame on phone.

Everything is good, they need to enhance this phone with more processing speed & camera flash. I hope soon they will launch a new version of this phone.

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Reviewer: Ganda - Wembley, UK
Date: 1st Jul 2007

Feature packed phone & great design. When the phone works it is superb & the ease of navigation makes use very simple & intuitive. Unfortunately, ever the optimist I am looking forward to receiving the new phone later this week.

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Reviewer: Jim Johnston - Tring, UK
Date: 30th Jun 2007

Utter rubbish. It takes an age to warm up, the record so far being 11 minutes. It freezes about twice a week & the battery life is pathetic. Coupled with O2's traditional mobile phone customer service policy (screw the customer every which way you can as they will complain anyway) this phone is no smarter than a brick. I swapped my Blackberry for this piece of junk, big mistake. It just doesn't do what it claims. The O2 contract however is very good & highly recommended. It's just a rubbish piece of kit.

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Reviewer: Mohamed - Male, Maldives
Date: 29th Jun 2007

I want to get O2 orbit software.

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Reviewer: Alex James - Wimborne, UK
Date: 22nd Jun 2007

I have had this phone for nearly a month now & I am not rating the phone at all. It always freeze's (I never thought phones freeze), the Screen Alignment is terrible, the only good thing was the contract that I got with the phone. I ADVISE PEOPLE TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS PHONE.

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Reviewer: Saman Firouzian - Mashhad, Iran
Date: 10th Jun 2007

This is the most compact pda, it fits all of my requirements.

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Reviewer: Dane Wilson - Northeast, UK
Date: 1st Jun 2007

Kevin, the following should help you to disable your GPRS.

Only programmes like windows messenger & the Internet & programmes that need updating etc need an Internet connection. If you can't disable the GPRS option within the programme that's using GPRS. Press the following on your phone - start>settings>connectionsconnections again>manage existing connections>tap & hold existing connection for more options>& just delete.

Are you using Wi-Fi? If not get one. You don't want to give phone providers more money. As you can get all Internet data using Wi-Fi free. Come on England 1-0 (sorry about that)

The file format for windows media player is not that good but there are plenty of programmes that will play almost anything. I got a magazine from Tesco called PDA Essentials £5.99 it comes with a CD with loads of programmes. (A good buy, it's where I got my main video & music player), but for now only transfer to phone MP3's & WMA file formats. Hope this is helps. Let me know how it goes

I am just going to go with top ratings from now on, Great phone.

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Reviewer: Dane Wilson - North East, UK
Date: 31st May 2007

I've had the XDA orbit for two months & overall I am really pleased with it. I was waiting for the iPhone but my contract was up & I needed a change from Nokia's interface, N91 (which I sold for £60) WM5 was new to me & after two months I am still trying to test it to its full capabilities with new applications & programme's & still enjoy the test! I have had to soft reset it quite a few times & hard reset only a few (as yet) due to freeze's & downloaded program errors.

I've tried to download data using WM torrents & using Wi-Fi but cant. I'll have to look in to it. Streaming data has limits, need to find the correct applications I think as I am still new to this type of solid testing of technology. Or is it that phones will never overtake the PC/Mac on the ability to receive the data users really need?

I enjoy using this phone as there don't seem to be a lot of them out there used buy the people I know (there all waiting for the iPhone). I don't think the iPhone will be out until next year? (2008) but who knows what Steve jobs is capable of?

To summarise, love it & I agree with Chris Jones (good review).

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Reviewer: Kevin - Croydon, UK
Date: 30th May 2007

I am real happy with the phone. I just have two Q's.

1) How do I turn off the GPRS? It constantly reconnects. Am I getting charged for being connected to the net on it or for downloading webpages? It's constantly reconnects, I have gone into settings a thousand times to no avail.

2) How do I play music on it? I have transferred every type of song on my PC, some with the windows media logo, some with ipod, none of them are recognized.

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Reviewer: Steve - Milton Keynes, UK
Date: 27th May 2007

I've had the Orbit now (upgrade from O2) for nearly two months & have to say I am very impressed.

GPS - worked perfectly from the word go. Fitted the memory card, attached the included stand to the front windshield of my car & chose as my test a work meeting which required me to get from Milton Keynes to Cirencester. I had some time to spare so chose 'shortest' option. It worked faultlessly & even when I went wrong (on purpose) it quickly recalculated the route & had me back on an alternative route within 20 seconds.

Phone - I've had many mobile phones over the years, my last being the Motorola v3i. I have to say that I don't find the Orbit any less easy to use than the moto. Press the green button, use fingers to dial using the keyboard on the screen. Hang up using the red phone. The speaker phone works great & coupled first time & seamlessly since with my Bluetooth headset. Perfectly easy to make one handed calls.

WM5/MS Exchange Push email - Nothing much to say, does what it says on the tin - seamless & offers me Wi-Fi when a network is available. If you really must have a keyboard then the blackberry is a better solution. However I use the stylus & block recogniser when writing emails, word docs etc & with a day's practice my speed is much better than with a thumb keyboard.

Build Quality - Excellent. I did buy a leather case to protect it a wee bit, but didn't bother with a screen protector. Never had any issues, the screen seems to be relatively robust - I use finger tips a lot & never had a problem. It's as clear & crisp as when I took it out the box.

Performance - V. Good. As a previous reviewer pointed out, you do need to go into task manager & close tasks on a regular basis because WM5 doesn't seem to close them properly for you. If you don't do this then the Orbit does creak a bit. It's a 2 second job though, so not a big deal & task manager is available as a single tap from the main screen. If you keep everything under control then it's perfectly speedy enough for me with enough storage to handle all my docs, spreadsheets, email & contacts.

Basically if you're a business user who uses WM5, makes car journey's to meetings in unfamiliar locations, & still wants a very competent phone all in a bundle small enough to sit inside a jacket pocket without ruining the line of your suit. This is a better solution in my opinion than the ubiquitous blackberry.

If you simply need a phone, the ability to listen to MP3 tracks, & a good camera then there are better solutions.

That's it - hope it helps.

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Reviewer: Jim - Prestatyn, UK
Date: 26th May 2007

Fantastic device. Immediately scrapped Co-Pilot & installed Tom Tom Navigator 5 (also works with 6 now). It works a treat. Link up to home wireless network with no problems. Phone works really well. If a little fiddly at times, but doesn't cause any real problems. Overall, best phone (PDA) I have had.

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Reviewer: Champy - Jammu, India
Date: 25th May 2007

THIS MOBILE IS SO sleek TO USE. IT LOOKS SO ATTRACTIVE.

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Reviewer: Alvin - Manchester, UK
Date: 23rd May 2007

I had the Orbit for 3 months now & I had just sold it yesterday. I felt nothing but anger towards this phone. It comes with GPS & CoPilot Live 6, the main selling point, but if only the software will work! I once set off on a 23 miles journey & by the time I got home, CoPilot still had not figure out where I am! Now what is the point eh? As for the screen, I had almost stabbed my finger through it without respond many time. In the end I am so sick of it that I just sold it on eBay.

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Reviewer: Garrett Byrne - Wicklow, Ireland
Date: 18th May 2007

I was a huge fan of the XDA II, as a great all in one device, despite its cumbersome size. Having used other phones like the Sony p900i, the XDA interface was streets ahead. After 3 years of fairly heavy abuse, I upgraded to the Orbit 4 weeks ago. The XDA II had begun freezing too frequently, & soft resets would not help much. I wanted a replacement device that would sync with outlook & was smaller my existing XDA II. Considered devices like the Nokia E50 but as I loved using the stylus & Windows Mobile interface, the Orbit option looked good. Four weeks on, these are my comments. I sync everything but email & had no trouble. Much prefer not having to delicately place my XDA in a cradle, for fear of damaging the pins etc. Major plus is size & sleekness of phone. Battery power is fantastic, no issues there. Headphones are dreadful - a big letdown. Like the XDA II, no shortage of features. Have yet to install GPS software, but if it doesn't work great, it won't upset me. My call history started freezing up last week, then speed dials would not work. Tried various resets but no luck. Handed it back to O2 on Monday & they replaced it immediately. I am only hoping that this one remains stable for more than 2 weeks. Will repost in due course!

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Reviewer: Chris Jones - Sheffield, UK
Date: 17th May 2007

This is a follow-up to my 'initial impressions' review of a month ago. That was long - I'll keep this short.

Battery life is quite good - but there is an extended battery (about twice the capacity) available on the Internet which goes one step further (almost essential if you are using GPS continually). There is also a rechargeable external-battery-cum-emergency-charger around.

I DID finally manage to get it working with Anquet Maps & I am overjoyed - it works perfectly (software free, but maps cost just over £100 for all UK at 1:50000 or about £15 for road atlas scale). The orbit displays the maps very nicely & keeps up perfectly with the 1-second ticks of the GPS. The problem was that Anquet couldn't read the internal GPS directly, you need a third-party 'splitter'. I use Franson GPSgate, but you might know a free one.

It also works with the 'free' satnav called 'Nokia Maps' (ex-smart2go). All the software & maps are free for browsing, but you need to pay for the actual turn-by-turn navigation.

The Orbit's internal GPS picks up satellites really quickly, & holds them well (a weakness of the N95, I've read several people saying).

I've changed my mind completely about the volume of the loudspeaker - it is plenty loud enough.

The only annoyance is a WM5 one, not specifically an Orbit one. Applications do not close, they just hide in the background, using up memory. They are supposed to managed in & out by WM5 so as not to cause a problem - but the Orbit does start to stutter (or at least some particular apps do) if there are too many applications hanging around in the background.

After two hard resets made necessary by some unwise downloading of dodgy apps that would not uninstall, I have now used it for four weeks with no further hard resets necessary (hint - keep CAB files for your apps on your storage card in a CAB folder, makes reloading after a hard reset a breeze.)

WHY WHY WHY do they not supply a storage card with the phone? Even a two-gig micro-SD is cheap (£20 online) these days.

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Reviewer: Jancey - Bristol, UK
Date: 15th May 2007

The XDA is a difficult phone to use being a Nokia user for many years at first I disliked the XDA & wanted to get rid of it my wife took ownership & I purchased a n95 now some 6 weeks later & hours of playing with the XDA I have purchased a second XDA phone the navigation system is slow to start up but when in use it is far superior to the N95 the n95 drops gps connection all the time the XDA fits in the hand better & I have now started to love it I like the reset on the XDA the screen is great a much better phone.

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Reviewer: Ian Gowler - Cambridgeshire, UK
Date: 12th May 2007

Have had an orbit now for 6 weeks & for first 2 weeks it was 100%. I used to have a Nokia phone & a HP PDA satnav. This looked the perfect alternative.

The main problem I have had is with the Bluetooth, it paired with my inbuilt car hands-free & would connect trouble free for first 2 weeks, then for no reason no longer worked! I have tried all the setting & eventually took it back to Carphone warehouse for a replacement which they did without trouble (well done carphone warehouse). The problem is that 2 weeks later I have the same problem & even after hard resetting the Bluetooth doesn't work to receive data or connect with hands-free. Carphone Warehouse have offered to send it away for a free repair but I'll be without my phone for 4 weeks.

Other than this the phone is excellent, Wi-Fi, sync with Outlook, Satnav all works 100%, anyone looking for a combo device without Bluetooth but it now!

Anyone with tips for the Bluetooth please post.

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Reviewer: Sean Dance - Fleet, UK
Date: 12th May 2007

Following my comments a few day's ago I have now got my orbit & wow it does what it say's on the box. Speed of the processor is OK, Radio went straight into Radio 2 (a result).

I've loaded all of my software from my Ipaq & again it works well, the only fiddly bit I had was getting tomtom6 working, & even this only took me 5 minutes or so.

The orbit hooked with my wireless network first time.

The only concern I have is not with the orbit but with the ActiveSync 4.2 & my memory-map software, which no longer works, any help would be welcome.

Sean

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Reviewer: Tom Thumb - UK
Date: 11th May 2007

Best phone ever. Battery life is very good, I have run it for 2.5 hours using satnav (TomTom) & Bluetooth & had half my battery still left. If you just carry it as a phone the battery lasts forever.

Satnav is very good I use it with tomtom 5, memory map & astonavigator. I find the processor handles this software with ease, much faster than my XDAIIs.

No problems with the 2 gig microSD in my unit (£9.96 on Amazon) you can change the SMS tone to anything you want.

Remember the GPS receiver won't do anything unless you have some software to make use of it. If you don't have any software make sure you get a bundle that includes some.

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Reviewer: Richie - Cork, Ireland
Date: 9th May 2007

I love mine. I managed to get Destinator GPS software & it work like a charm.

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Reviewer: Abhineet Prasad - Newcastle, UK
Date: 9th May 2007

For windows based mobile this is an excellent quad-band handset with GPRS. For a Pocket PC to have an FM radio, is a little unusual thing but very well implemented in & of itself, but the headphones-wise it's a disaster surely the headphones could have been much better. & they connect to the same mini USB port, which is used to charge the battery & provide a wired link to a PC for synchronising calendar, sounds sleek but bad when you're running low on battery & the charge for the phone is pretty impressive for a PDA.

Another problem is the microSD card, which is under the SIM Card, which makes it difficult to use if you want to transfer the data directly onto the card. Any kind of swapping of microSD cards is simply impractical. There are some great things about the XDA Orbit, though. Bluetooth sometime gives problem while transferring from another handsets & also if you have applications running on your phone then you might not be able to transfer file on to your phone even thought it has OK phone memory & then there is the excellent miniature trackball You roll it around under a finger or thumb & press to make selections. Yes, you could tap the touch-screen, but the trackball is so much more comfortable than the navigation buttons more usually found on Pocket PCs. & it glows blue when in use. Surrounding it, a wheel allows for vertical scrolling, such as through menu options.

But over all the phone is excellent piece of tech put together.

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Reviewer: Sam - UK
Date: 8th May 2007

Hi, I am yet to go with this phone, but apparently you can get 20MB of data for £10 if you ring up 02 after you have got the phone. The operator seemed to think it was a well kept secret.

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Reviewer: Sean Dance - UK
Date: 7th May 2007

Haven't brought it yet but will do on Thursday of this week. I have read a number of reviews where people have said that the orbit hasn't got built in GPS, may I suggest that you go back to the shop & talk to them.

To run the GPS you need the software whether CoPoilot, Tomtom memory map etc, thus if you are not running a suitable software it may appear that GPS doesn't exist, I have read all of the data on the orbit & it all seems to point to the fact that you need the software, so if you have not been given the correct advice stop knocking the phone & go back to your supplier.

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Reviewer: Dougie - UK
Date: 7th May 2007

I have recently bought the XDA & I can say that I am not happy that it says that it has built in gps receiver this is not true.

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Reviewer: Philip - Hertfordshire, UK
Date: 4th May 2007

Nobody should buy an Orbit until the microSD corruption issue is resolved.

It's a shame, as the feature set is fabulous & the form factor is really good. I am something of a power user of the PDA & the 201MHz processor is fast enough for everything I do.

But until I can have confidence that the device which acts as my phone/calendar/to do list/contact list/navigator will actually work when I go to use it (& not be showing a corrupted microSD disk), I could not recommend that anybody buys an Orbit. Shame, really.

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Reviewer: Mike Ferguson - Brechin, Scotland, UK
Date: 2nd May 2007

At last a Smartphone that does what it says on the tin, first time. Love it provides me with everything I need. The laptop has almost become redundant. E-mail through active sync is brilliant. Easy use of buttons & stylus. Works well in the car, in the office, in the home & at the football. When walking the dogs I listen to the radio very easily.

Good for business, good for home & good for leisure. Gets my vote.

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Reviewer: Melanie - UK
Date: 30th Apr 2007

Well I read all the reviews on this site before getting this phone & I would just like to say it is fantastic, the sat nav is actually better than the tom tom I have been used to & the start up time is really quick, the speakerphone is great quality too I can't understand why some people don't like this phone in my opinion its great!

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Reviewer: Yogin Sabnis - Bombay, India
Date: 26th Apr 2007

I am much enamored by this phone but it has not yet come to India. I have tried to look for it in Dubai but it is not available there too.

What I wanted to know is if I buy it in UK (I am going to London shortly) will I get a worldwide warranty & is there a service centre for the product in Bombay?

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Reviewer: Jim - Glasgow, UK
Date: 25th Apr 2007

The first 6 weeks were very good. No problems. Really good product. Then the lock-ups started, then the white screens started. No amount of soft or hard resets seem to cure this issue. It's going back to the O2 shop. Long live PSION.

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Reviewer: Tango - Bristol, UK
Date: 23rd Apr 2007

Hello fellas got this phone, no problems at all. Really good phone/gadget. Slight trouble. The keyboard or the transcriber appears right in the middle of the screen so can't see what & where's writing. Any help on this matter please?

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Reviewer: Phil - UK
Date: 21st Apr 2007

Bought this as replacement for phone / PDA.

Handset is a nice size, no too large to use as a phone. Bought leather case to protect screen.

GPS is highly sensitive & I can pick up 7-9 satellites inside the house. I have tomtom 6 Western Europe & very happy with satnav. Built in GPs also works fine with Anquet digital maps.

Battery gets consumed in a few hours if you have Bluetooth turned on / linked to a headset. So make sure you have it plugged in if using in this mode in the car.

Video & music playback is fine. But lack of standard 3mm jack for headphone is a pain.

Bought Photo contacts pro to add call filtering & different ringtones for groups of people.

Overall very happy.

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Reviewer: Borat - UK
Date: 20th Apr 2007

If you want a camera phone it is not your choice the 2MP camera is 100% useless & rubbish. If you need satnav navigation system I should say you will have a big problems with this device spend more & buy a real satnav not a toy. If you need a music player I am afraid you have too spend extra money for memory card but it has good speed to run music files. Just a mad can buy this phone if he needs an easy use mobile phone. I have missed many calls because when I press the answer button its hanging. You can't change the sms tone e. MP3. I have no hearing problem but the speaker voice is not good specially when you speech with phone in noisy places. No ring tone quality & if you choose your own ringtone its hanging when you answering the cals. Is anybody hire tell me how can he carry this phone in his pocket? It is too big but it not heavy.

Battery life is not bad. Big screen. No problem with PC like other phones (Nokia N series & Sony Ericsson).

Anyway I had Sony Ericson 990 & XDA mini b4. I think this one is better but it has every thing satnav 2MP camera windows, big screen &. But nothing in this phone work perfect.

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Reviewer: George Vc - Dublin, Ireland
Date: 20th Apr 2007

Well finally a good piece of equipment. I have been reading all the other comments here before I committed to buying. I must say that those of you who gave it top marks are right.

I have been trying out all sorts of mobiles & PDAs. I sill have the XDA-IIs which I will keep to watch movies - it has a bigger screen, but the XDA Orbit is the best I have ever have used as a phone & PDA.

If I have to point out a -not so good- issue, I would say that it sometimes is a bit slow. It does not bother me too much, but the manufactures obviously were balancing the unit between battery use - heat - design - & performance. A little more speed would make the Orbit 'the Best Mobile/PDA Ever'.

Everything else is superb. Try it out yourself. Well I am a happy customer.

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Reviewer: Niiv - UK
Date: 18th Apr 2007

Recently purchased XDA not happy that I had no sat nav software with phone & I thought that the orbit was a gps receiver, but its not. Now I need to purchase one the idea was to get a sat nav that wasn't going to be too expensive or I would have bought one.

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Reviewer: Bob Moeser - UK
Date: 15th Apr 2007

Absolutely bowled over! A client had asked if I had knowledge of the Orbit to be able to set his one up. Frankly I must have missed the advertising as I hadn't seen one. When I popped in to Carphone Ware House recently to have a look see before seeing my client, I just had to have one.

Frankly I cannot fault it as it does exactly what I need it to do. I added TOMTOM 6 software (rather than the offered application) as I had bought such for my old XDA2 (but couldn't get a decent SD / Bluetooth GPS receiver to work well) & this works adequately for my needs also.

Being able to just carry one handset rather than lots of bits & pieces is great.

Bottom line. Most impressed.

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Reviewer: No Longer Disappointed - London, UK
Date: 11th Apr 2007

I wrote a review back at the end of Feb explaining that I found the XDA too slow & thus returned it to the O2 store.

I do not wish to go off topic but have recently purchased the new Orange SPV M700. Some won't like the fact that it comes in white only, for the general public, it is slightly thicker than the Orbit but would suggest that those considering the Orbit look at the M700 as a viable alternative.

The processor is much faster & has given me none of the problems that the Orbit did. These is also a scroll wheel on the left hand side which makes one handed (no rude sniggers please) a more viable option - the wheel on the orbit was a good starter but was always worried about dropping it on the pavement if using the device single handedly.

No doubt those that love their Orbit phones will disagree but check out the alternative before you commit.

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Reviewer: Chris Jones - Sheffield, UK
Date: 10th Apr 2007

This review is a bit of a one-trick pony, because there is one particular shortcoming of the Orbit that prospective owners should know about.

One big selling point of the Orbit is the built in GPS receiver - so it will appeal to people who want satnav, but also to people who want to use topographical maps. The manufacturer has even gone one step further - there is a built in 'splitter' that can supply a GPS signal to more than one application - so you could theoretically have satnav driving instructions (e.g. TOM TOM) coming from the speaker while looking at an Ordnance Survey Map (e.g. on Fugawi, Memory Map, or Anquet with your position marked with a moving arrow).

As for SatNAv, I hear that it works with TOM TOM & CO-PILOT, for example. & if you upgrade through 02, you will get Co-pilot bundled for free on certain tariffs, & reduced on others.

HOWEVER - I am really interested in topographical maps. I recently got the whole of the UK on 1:50000 from Anquet maps. BUT, I have been unable to make my Orbit work with Anquet Maps. (A trawl of the Internet shows that some other software that uses GPS appears to be having problems too.)

The Orbit does not appear on the Anquet website as a tested bit of kit, so I should have checked that first. )2 have come back to me saying that 'This is not a known problem' - but they have not told me how to get Anquet working, either ! Anquet have yet to reply - but this is not an attack on them, they have only just had my email, & it will take them a while to check it out, of course.

I am sure this will get resolved, neither Anquet nor 02 will want their product not to work with such a prominent player's product. Bit if you have Anquet maps, you might want to hold off until Anquet add the Orbit to their list of tested hardware.

Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln. I like my Orbit a lot.

The main drawback is the lack of a keyboard - but of course I knew that before I bought it - & if you want a keypad, you will look elsewhere. The function keys & stylus can get you to where you want to be pretty quickly. The handwriting recognition tool software (THREE types to choose from) is pretty amazing ('transcriber' recognises scrawly handwriting BETTER than block caps! ) I am already learning how to make it recognise MY version of scrawling). & of course there is an on-screen keyboard. Making a call without a keypad seemed fiddly, until I recorded voice tags. I now make calls by pressing the voice key (under your index finger, when gripping the phone with your right hand) & calling a friend's name - works well & quickly.

Incidentally, the voice key also works as a 'pop-up a menu' key, so it's easy to, say, navigate a list, pop-up a menu, & click an option with the stylus (for deleting mail items, for example, or marking them as read. ALL the buttons are configurable, if you don't like their native function, or want to swap left & right (I am left handed, but I haven't bothered).

Perhaps the loudspeaker could be louder, so beware if you want satnav & you drive an old banger, or if your hearing is a bit dodgy.

The combination of GPS, GPRS, Wi-Fi, USB, & Bluetooth makes you feel pretty connected under any circumstances. I have been able to use Active Sync to keep my contacts & calendar (I don't synchronise my work email) up-to-date by either Bluetooth or USB. Pocket MSN works either by Wi-Fi or GPRS - although it always seems to work by GPRS if available, even if you would prefer to use Wi-Fi (e.g. at home) - perhaps I haven't found the right configuration option yet. Incidentally, I know that some Voice over Internet software has Windows Mobile versions, so you can use your Orbit as a Skype phone, for example, to make free or cheap calls via your home Wi-Fi if you have reached your free GSM call limit.

The screen is big enough to make Web browsing at home by Wi-Fi (at no extra charge, of course, unlike GPRS) a feasible option - when the significant other is hogging the PC.

However, there is no infra-red (but that is pretty slow & outdated now anyway), & it is not 3G.

It comes with all sorts of software - the mini-Word works very well, & the mini-Excel is good for looking at spreadsheets (but you cannot use it to create functions). You get PowerPoint, & there is Pocket MSN as well (for Hotmail & Messenger).

To summarise I like it so much, that I am NOT going to take it back (even though I told the 02 shop that I wanted GPS & they DIDN'T say it didn't work with Anquet). I have faith that 02 (well, the manufacturer, anyway) & Anquet together will make it work (mad, or what? )

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Reviewer: Andy H - Broxbourne, UK
Date: 30th Mar 2007

After reading some of the reviews, here is mine.

I have had my orbit for just over a week & it's my first PDA phone. I used an N70 & IPAQ 1940 with TOM TOM 5 on it. I was never happy about having to carry around a number of different devices, the orbit is what I've been hoping for. The features & facilities are excellent, the WLAN works great. I have installed TOM TOM 6 & gets a GPS signal within 30 secs of firing up the application. Yes, the micro SD is a bit fiddly but hey ! There is always a compromise somewhere.

I am still getting to know the device & other than the record button activating when I clip it into a car mount (annoying but I've disabled the button now) it's excellent & does everything I expect it to.

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Reviewer: Nick - UK
Date: 30th Mar 2007

It has no keys at all! What are you all you moaning about that must surely have known about it!

GPS users: get a fix before you move. If you switch on gps receivers in motion, you make life very hard even for a top spec marine system: the satellite (s) are about 11 miles up & belting along at least 10 times faster than your car has ever been. You are just not playing fair! Cities are also notoriously difficult for non xtrac antennas as the sky area is severely diminished.

Mr System Designer has contravened all 3 parts of the computer misuse act & is publicly stating so on these pages - don't know who he works for but I guess their data isn't safe either! & finally, who told you that you all have the same phone? Are you sharing?

You all have different phones sharing the same hardware I.e. the HTC Artemis. T-mobiles is the same device with Wi-Fi disabled.

All machines have different environments & are treated in different ways so they react differently. Unfortunately some of those delicate components don't even survive manufacture & you end up with a fragged box after a week - Send it back & don't listen to the Telco, if it's not fit for purpose its not.

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Reviewer: Alan Schofield - Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK
Date: 27th Mar 2007

Only had the Orbit for a couple of weeks but I love it. I've had an XDA, XDAii, XDAiiS & an XDA Exec but this one is probably the best of them all.

I miss the keyboard a little & the flash on the camera, as for 3G, I don't really use it enough to miss it.

Got the Orbit on an upgrade for £40 (on a £30 tariff) & installed TomTom6 that was previously on my Exec (I didn't bother getting the co-pilot software I am not impressed with it).

TomTom runs great & a 2.5 hour journey running GPS & a Bluetooth handfree kit used 25% of the battery which is not bad considering I'll generally have it on charge in the car anyway.

The mouse feature does not work too well with TomTom running but other than that I love it. One more gripe though, I'd like to be able to use the radio without the headphones, yes you can send the sound thru the main speaker but its a pain to have to plug the headphones in just for an aerial.

I love the size too, my Exec was like a brick, in fact I used to have a Motorola V3 as my pub phone so it would fit in my pocket on a Friday night.

So I sold the Exec, the V3 & the TomTom GPS receiver on eBay for a total of about £400, the Orbit cost me £40.

Guess who's happy!

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Reviewer: Very Disappointed - Exeter, UK
Date: 24th Mar 2007

Most of the reviews before this are from excited new purchasers. I have had mine about three months. It is going back in to O2 for the second time today. It keeps crashing leaving a white screen. The satnav is too slow when it works, the processor is slow & the storage much too small without purchase of card memory. I put 1 GB card in, a difficult task in itself unless you have small fingers! Web use is prohibitive in price.

It tries to do too many things & doesn't do any of them particularly well except the game 'patience' which you need a lot of.

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Reviewer: Marc Roberts - Basingstoke, UK
Date: 20th Mar 2007

Wow, what an awesome phone :)

First of all, as a phone it does the job as well as any other PDA phone, only it's a little smaller. It is not easy to use one handed due to the lack of keypad; not a big deal if you're used to using a PDA phone & you shouldn't be using it in the car anyway. Naughty people.

Now down to the fun stuff :) Anyone who has a SIP voice over IP account will be pleased to hear that the SJphone client works very well indeed. I use sipgate & the quality is flawless. Good for free calls when you have a Wi-Fi connection. There was almost no delay in the audio.

Skype works but outgoing audio is a little choppy. You can overclock the CPU to resolve this & Skype are still working on their 'Slow device' version anyway.

Inbuilt GPS is a real winner. I am waiting for delivery of my coPilot software so have not used it yet. I will probably end up installing Tom Tom. I HAVE however used a couple of pieces of software that justify my 'winner' comment:

Beeline GPS & WiFiFoFum. Beeline does the job that my Garmin eTrex Vista used to do; good for walking & geocaching, one less device in my pocket :)

WiFiFoFum is a wardriving application which can export data in various formats including netstumbler & POI. This means that when I want to wardrive I can leave my laptop at home :) I also hear that this runs in the background with Tom Tom running up front, but I am yet to try this.

I have found the GPS lock to be very fast & solid, the SiRFstar III chipset is good indeed.

Email works very well with Hotmail (As it should) & also very well with my IMAP provider. The only issue with IMAP is that I don't seem to be able to see sub-folders of my Inbox. I can use folders on the same level though, so that's not a big problem.

O2 ship the phone with a GPRS monitoring application which will help you keep track of your data usage.

The screen is Transreflective so you can see it in the sun & different brightness settings help conserve the battery, which isn't bad anyway!

The tracker ball is a nice idea & works well, I do worry about what happens when it gets dirty though.

Overall I am very happy with the phone, as you can tell!

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Reviewer: Richard - Leeds, UK
Date: 19th Mar 2007

Before I purchased this phone I read all the views & reviews etc. As I was undecided on the Orbit or XDA Min S. The orbit is fantastic! Been playing with it all weekend, driving my girlfriend mad! Was a bit complicated at first, but the functions are very user friendly, I haven't bothered with the tech books yet? As I think most tech guys do, until later on. I used to be with 3 network & this has been great so far! 9/10 guys! Can't wait to receive the navigation system! Haven't used this as yet, that's why I gave a slightly lower score.

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Reviewer: Robert Dawson - London, UK
Date: 16th Mar 2007

A fine piece of equipment. However, be aware that the micro SD Card is susceptible to corruption. Time & again I have heard from other users that this is a common problem. Check out 4 win mobile website & click on the 02 Orbit sub forum. This site provides & excellent insight about the device & has an excellent community which has solved many frustrating issues for me. Highly recommended!

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Reviewer: Andy Bridson - London, UK
Date: 16th Mar 2007

Do you even have this device? It doesn't have a keyboard because people want something that will fit in their pockets, it was never designed to have a keyboard so who cares.

As for the memory card, once you stick a decent size card in, how many times will you need to take it out?

Anyone get the impression some people just like to moan!?

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Reviewer: Dennis Ong - London, UK
Date: 12th Mar 2007

I had my XDA orbit a week ago & I must I was very impress by its features & design but like other reviews I find the micro-SD slot very user unfriendly. You have to take everything of before you can access it.

One problem that it have had is when I am using the gps, I have tomtom navigator 6 installed & it's OK once you get a good gps signal BUT! When you first start to use it the gps signal is 'amazingly slow'! I went to Heathrow & the signal came on halfway during the journey. I don't know if I need to adjust something from the phone or the gps unit is really rubbish. & one more thing I had a hard time looking for an external antenna for this unit & it doesn't use a usual mcx or mmcx connector it uses a MS-147 connector I found this from an ebay seller.

If anyone has the same problem as me please post.

Dennis

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Reviewer: Paul Wind - UK
Date: 10th Mar 2007

It does what it says on the tin! Yes you could spend a lot of money on a TomTom (rip off)! Admittedly you could spend even more on a PDA! & you could spend just as much on a mobile phone. But as a 3 in 1 device it really is superb. Some people out there will find fault & whine on but it does everything it says it does. A big thumbs up to the O2 Orbit.

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Reviewer: Rupert - Egham, UK
Date: 9th Mar 2007

I don't know why these high ratings!

1) The orbit is slow
2) The card is situated in a place where it is very difficult to access
3) GPS very bad (slow)
4) No keyboard
5) No 3G

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Reviewer: Colin - UK
Date: 1st Mar 2007

Before upgrading to the O2 XDA Orbit I had the XDA Mini S & before that the XDA2. The XDA2 was great but a bit big to carry around. The Mini S was smaller but still too thick due largely to the slide-out QWERTY keyboard that I thought would be useful & proved to be a complete waste of time - & space. The Orbit has done away with the keyboard & is really impressively neat, thin & compact. Great handwriting recognition & a neat soft keyboard are much better than a tiny keyboard that moves the device all over the place as you press the keys.

I've had my Orbit for 6 weeks now & it's not locked up or crashed once - unlike the XDA Mini S & the XDA 2. It works perfectly & it's stable.

Compact & light, it's a great, highly usable device which I use as a phone, SatNav, & for serious daily business use - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email & websurfing. Processor speed is absolutely NO PROBLEM. The processor architecture was purpose designed for this type of device & remember: processor speed is certainly NOT the only measure of its performance. The camera is excellent for taking impromptu shots in a business environment - e.g. whiteboard notes, product samples, exhibition stands etc etc. The phone soft keyboard is great & is easy to use with your finger (no stylus needed).

With email, phone, Microsoft Office, camera, MP3 player, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, media player, FM radio & a great display, it really is a fantastic little unit. Even the annoying telescopic stylus of the Mini S (that used to fall out) has been replaced. GPS is included & with the CoPilot 6 Live software (currently free from O2 depending on contract) it really is amazing. As an upgrade on a £40/month 1 year contract from O2 the complete package including Satnav software cost me the amazing sum of NOTHING!

It' shame that Microsoft doesn't include Voice Command with Windows Mobile 5. Buy version 1.6 for around £20 - you will be stunned by the functionality including voice dialing by name or number with no need to record voice tags, spoken announcements of who's calling you & an option to announce new emails by subject & sender & to read out your texts &, &, if you like, only over your wireless headset to preserve privacy.

Good points: Compact, great display, good 2MP still/video camera, Wi-Fi, Internet sharing (to access the Internet using the Orbit connected to your PC via Bluetooth) & great Satnav.

Bad points:
Not 3G - but apart from being able to use the phone & the Internet at the same time who needs it yet? How many people do you know who use video calling? Until the quality of video calling goes up & the price for the calls comes down dramatically 3G is not essential. Having said that, faster downloads would occasionally be welcome, especially when accessing the web using a notebook connected to the Orbit as its modem.

Suggested Additional Features
1. A flash for the camera would be useful.
2. A memory card that's accessible & can be hot-swapped.
3. FM radio that will play through the speaker & does not need the headset plugged in as it's aerial

In conclusion... The Orbit is an absolute stunner, highly recommended for personal use, business use or both!

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Reviewer: Disappointed - London, UK
Date: 28th Feb 2007

Purchased this phone because the prospect of a phone, PDA, camera, sat nav & Wi-Fi enabled device seemed too good to be true.

In reality it was too good to be true & I have returned the handset to O2.

Why? Well the Sat Nav software really isn't up to scratch. I previously used a TomTom system & have now reverted to this as the navigation software is so much faster & easier to use. The CoPilot Live system left me stranded in the wrong place twice over the weekend in the countryside & then led me a very long way round a quite easy trip in London the other day. Not impressed at all.

The PDA runs well when you get it out of the box. Sync up a thousand odd contacts & 4 years of diary notes & it slowed down to the point of utter frustration. I was constantly waiting for it to catch up as I went through my diary & contacts.

When Syncing with Windows Vista, the phone took everything from the computer but nothing was going the other way. This may have been me, but again the PDA was no use to me so I have reverted to my iPaq running Pocket PC 2003 which is much better at handling this task.

The Phone itself is fine. Hooked up to the built in car system that I have. But my 3 year old Nokia does the same thing!

The camera takes a fine picture but obviously, the quality of the lens isn't great so it's no substitute for a normal digital camera & they really could have improved on this. No flash either as most people have pointed out.

The Wi-Fi did hook straight into the house network so must say that at least that part of the handset was satisfactory.

It is an awesome concept - but poorly executed. With a faster processor, Tom Tom software & a better compatibility with Vista this handset would be fantastic. Sadly I had to send back what I was expecting to be the ultimate new gadget. Very disappointing. Hope the new iPhone will be better.

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Reviewer: Idris - Leicester, UK
Date: 26th Feb 2007

I bought the XDA Orbit for £350 smackers from eBay & came preinstalled with TOMTOM 6. Overall, I am impressed by its build, functionality & speed, apart from start up, this little kit is fast. I've used the TOMTOM more recently in Brussels when my colleague transferred the BeneLux map onto it - what would I have done without it? !

I would say its money well spent - I now have prayer timetables for anywhere in the world.

One downside - they could have done with larger keypad (similar to that of iphone) for ringing out. Bit tricky when you're fast typing.

Does anyone know where I can download more apps?

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Reviewer: Alan - London, UK
Date: 25th Feb 2007

When I got the phone there was mega problems geting to the phone to connect to the laptop, this was due to a software run time error within the phone software that affected the XP-OS on the laptop!

Living in London I thought, great, loose the Tomtom One & just use the XDA. Wrong! The satnav it appalling around the streets of London, slow, missing addresses, post codes don't match up & in one instance lead me down a dead end to get to my office. It's very slow to react with Satnav, Tomtom is instantaneous with no problems.

the menu system is over complicated with too many ways to input date with that fiddly wheel & a touchscreen that often does the wrong thing. Also as it runs on Wincrash expect a bug a two. Boot up failures are often. The chip was clearly not big enough to cope with the applications used & you need a Magnox reactor core to use it on the go as the battery life is next to useless in Sat Nav mode when walking. At one point it had lost Waterloo Bridge & insisted it was Southwark Bridge!

In all honesty it's a good phone but the question is why bother! You're better off with a Tomtom One if you have the space & just use the phone as a phone. Also the download costs are hideously expensive from O2 & with a bit of playing around on the Victoria Line we managed to find someone playing a game on his & we managed with a bit of tinkering to download his emails & daabook without him knowing due to security problem we found within the OS.

the touchscreen is OK providing you have the fingers of a mouse with the dexterity of a juggler, I often got errors due to the pressing two functions at once. In the end we binned the software on the device & installed Linux cut down & it works fives quicker with better functions as you can even use Gimp on the go!

It's basically a pose phone that is supposed to flashed around Sloan Square in ones Chelsea Tractor but in the real world get yourself a £14.99 phone that does all the the Pilot does with less fuss & a real tomtom.

I add we have all gone back to using cheap Sony Ericsson phones that work just as well. Remember these phones are today's technology but tomorrows bin fodder like the rest of them!

Alan Drayton

Systems Design & Developer

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Reviewer: Ketan - UK
Date: 24th Feb 2007

I've purchased it last week. It's amazing.

1) I am looking for Cover to protect the screen, from where can I find it, any one help me out?

2) Does any one tell me how to set ring tone from storage card?

Thanking You.

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Reviewer: Zohaib - Manchester, UK
Date: 22nd Feb 2007

Well, you all know what it does but I have a small problem, does anyone know how to install the NAVMAN software on it as I am having a great difficulty. Thanks

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Reviewer: Niv - Fife, UK
Date: 21st Feb 2007

I have just purchased the XDA, looking at the reviews it is looking like a good choice but I am concerned about the sat nav software & that if it is not supplied is there anywhere to download it. & is it necessary to have the 2GB san disc.

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Reviewer: Adam - Shropshire, UK
Date: 19th Feb 2007

Fitting so many functions into one device means compromise - question is, can you live with it? If you don't use all the features, there'll be a better device with fewer applications.

Generally the Orbit seems compact & robust, with a good readable screen. But 5 ways to navigate (keys, touchscreen, wheel, rollerball & voice command), many of which overlap or duplicate, is too much. The memory chip being located so awkwardly underneath the SIM card is a serious pain.

As a 'phone, no number keys is a real disadvantage, but I found texting OK with QWERTY touchpad. No caller loudspeaker compromises usability in the car - especially annoying as the SatNav instruction volume shows the 'phone is up to it. I also found intermittent faults with the keys it has got.

the picture quality as a camera is OK for a phone, but no flash (despite misleading specs) & modest uncovered lens means you'll still need a camera as well.

As a music centre no 3.5mm jack means you're stuck with the headphones supplied. I didn't test MP3 - the FM radio is OK, but its old technology - when can we have DAB on a digital device?

As a conventional PDA it's adequate providing you don't want to write long documents - in which case the Blackberry-type keyboard is clearly superior. The reality is all I am likely to use this for is as a substitute calculator, possibly organiser, & alarm - I don't need the e-mail, Internet etc. Because this is just so much easier from a PC.

But the crunch for me came with the GPS, & to be fair this wasn't the fault of the device but the CoPilot SatNav software supplied with it. Absolutely no house names (important in rural areas), missing postcodes, inaccurate maps (my village appears to be located on its bypass), & time-lag in certain modes (I.e. Instructions come after you've got there). This may be because they've crammed it onto a 256MB chip - but at the same time the chip holds European maps you can't access unless you pay more, & umpteen different languages & voices you'll never use.

I think I could have lived with all the other compromises if the SatNav software was up to scratch, but for my purposes it isn't. If, like me, you primarily want a mobile phone with extras, look elsewhere. If you want a GPS-enabled PDA with extras it may suit, but you'll need a better SatNav programme.

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Reviewer: Rowan Beesley - UK
Date: 18th Feb 2007

Fantastic phone. Co-Pilot is easy to use & doesn't need a data connection to be running unlike some SatNav systems, it just runs on the GPS & as such is free to use. The design is excellent, it feels well built & is easy to use. The Wi-Fi connection is very useful too to keep your GPRS costs down. One of the most impressive things is Google Maps which can be downloaded from Google directly, this small application is absolutely fantastic & really shows how far mobile phones have come in the last few years.

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Reviewer: Mike - UK
Date: 17th Feb 2007

Does anyone know whether the XDA orbit can hold more than, say, 2000 contacts? Thanks

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Reviewer: Malcolm - Calthorpe, UK
Date: 16th Feb 2007

Interesting reviews guys! I have been using an XDA exec for two years - & apart from the size it's been great. I upgraded the rom before Xmas & installed Rim's Blackberry software - which works fine - if a bit slow. Now the Exec has expired & I need a smaller but similar phone. The Orbit looks the biz. However, will it do push email? If so does it have its own or is it the RIM Blackberry for WM5?

Any advice welcome, Malcolm

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Reviewer: Tattoomanmatt - UK
Date: 15th Feb 2007

I have had now every XDA series that O2 have delivered, & all I can say is that the XDA orbit is by far better & in a world of its own. Still waiting for my co-pilot sat-nav package to come through as O2 was out of stock. But as a lot of you say both co-pilot & tom-tom work very well on the XDA ORBIT

GET THIS PHONE YOU WILL LOVE IT XXXBUYXXXBUYXXBUYXXBUYXXBUYXXXXXBUY

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Reviewer: Tim Newnham - Weymouth, UK
Date: 13th Feb 2007

I got my orbit on the 4/2/07 & I have to say I have had a problem already 13/02/07. I had phoned my girl friend to let her no I am on the way to pick her up; I put the phone down on the passenger's seat after. When I went to pick it back up to let her no I was out side the screen had cracked, the touch screen was working I.e. It was making a noise when touched but no picture. After allot of time on the home phone they told me to take it to the nearest 02 (to see what I can do). With the local O2 closed I had to make a round trip of 18 miles when I got there, expecting help I was told I had caused the fault & that I would have to pay the 25 pound excess for the insurance. I Tried to explain that there were no marks at all on the outside (so it can't have been dropped hit or crushed) & it was on the seat next to me, so the amount of force needed to crack the screen cannot have been generated. The assistant told me that they don't crack them self's (for which I do relies) & that its like buying a TV & dropping it outside of the shop, the people that sold you the TV won't care. To angry to respond I left the shop & continued on the phone to resolve the matter, I have two businesses & don't need to be wasting time running around after 02, I got the XDA to make my life easier. I believe that 02 on a hole is OK as long as your a new customer or you don't require any help after you sign the dotted line, but once they have you your just a figure.

About the phone as you can imagine I do not rate the phone very highly as it broke down in 8 days, also I did not relies this till the screen went, but you are completely reliant on the touch screen you cannot make calls text nothing not even 999. So if you are unlucky enough to find your self in a 999 situation the chances are the phone has cracked, & there's no way for you to get help. I can handle most situations but being told it's my fault & implying that I am lying I cannot, I feel as if I were treated like a criminal. One last point I had to fight between the help line & the local shop for ages & at no point where they really helpful or so called 'dedicated to giving the best experience', the shop was the worst they were going to allow me to stay with the phone, & if they had & I had no phone would I have still had to pay the bills for a service I was not getting, you bet I would of had to. So be careful guys.

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Reviewer: Darren - Bristol, UK
Date: 9th Feb 2007

I have quite a few smart phones over the years & I am particularly well impressed with this one. To have so many features in a fairly small phone is great. The processor runs fast enough, the co-pilot navigation software is OK, It's easy to use. This phone has many positives but I do have 1 negative. What a fiddly place to put the memory card (tucked under the sim card). A slot on the outside edge would have been much better. But hey, I am a very happy customer none-the-less.

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Reviewer: Hari - London, UK
Date: 9th Feb 2007

I got XDA Orbit in last month really its very nice & light weight & it works very well. Really I like this.

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Reviewer: Misheck - Birmingham, UK
Date: 9th Feb 2007

I absolutely love this small bit of kit. It is elegant, smart & sleek! It has a curvaceous & tenacious design. Almost everything about it is great! BUT O2 are going wrong on their tariff! Definitely 100% on all from me.

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Reviewer: Rebecca - Basildon-essex, UK
Date: 7th Feb 2007

Brought this phone from O2 last week, & I am amazed by the quality & user friendliness of such a compact little unit. I added a 2GB SanDisk sd micro card, & transferred TomTom 6 Navigator onto the card, I was worried this would fall over occasionally however it's been absolutely first class. TomTom 6 is a must, although I did get the CopPilot Live Free but I opted for TomTom 6, its fast accurate, & has no affect on the rest of the handsets features. I understand although the processor is only 201 MHz, I have been informed this is infact a core duo, processor? Which would explain why with at least six apps running the Orbit wisk's through the menus with ease. Anyone who want's something a little more from there phones, this is it. However to be honest you get a lot lot more. My only worries are damaging it by dropping it, & the Micro SD card holder is in a totally bizarre place, fortunately it won't be removed probably again & the headset USB thingy, what's going on there? I have a pair of foldaway Sennheiser PX100's but due to the design can't use them. But for the few Negatives - there are Many more Positives +.

Beck's

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Reviewer: Daz - Essx, UK
Date: 4th Feb 2007

Brought this recently with a view that if I did not get on with it I will be returning it to the O2 store.

However, I really cannot fault this unit. It does everything & a little more. People who have seen my phone are amazed by how compact this is & I have to say my primary function I brought this for is the phone & I am not disappointed. Having owned an O2 Exec previously the phone was fiddly. The Orbit is very well designed, 201 MHz processor you wouldn't know it unless of course you have WI-FI, Bluetooth, Sat Nav, & Playing a MP3 at the same time.

As I said I was expecting to return this back to the O2 store, no way I am keeping it, it's never crashed, it's never dropped a call, it's simply outstanding. The sat nav is really good too, as a TOM TOM owner, the CO-Pilot holds it's own.

I have installed a 2GB Micro SD Card. Off eBay £28.00. So go get yourself one. :-)

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Reviewer: Ryan Hoskins - Hereford, UK
Date: 3rd Feb 2007

What can I say, this is a very good bit of kit. I have worked in the mobile trade for 3 years & I haven't seen anything take could take this on! Great features from GPS to MSN.

My only problem which is why I give it 95% is O2, there data charges are HUGE! I would have gone for T-Mobile's MDA3 because of web'and'walk but I get no signal.

They question to put out is.

O2 have made a perfect handset but when are they going to make a tariff to suit it?

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Reviewer: Steve Ford - UK
Date: 3rd Feb 2007

The Orbit is the best XDA that I have owned, & I've had most of them, it is feature packed & very stylish. The copilot 6 sat nav works very well & is very clear & concise giving good, clear accurate instructions with pin point accuracy. the processor is fast & handles the wealth of applications well, I like the feel of the phone especially the track wheel & trackball which I think is a long overdue feature of the XDA series, all in all it's a 10/10 & well worth the money.

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Reviewer: Pak NG - Warrington, UK
Date: 30th Jan 2007

This is an amazing bit of kit. Processor a bit slow but adequate for my means. Only got phone 4 days ago & still playing with the features & sat nav (co-pilot 6), which btw is well worth the extra £50. Small & sometimes a bit fiddly to use but can you really have it small but not fiddly? I don't think so. Read some of the reviews most positive but micro sd card NEEDS to be secured because of its size. I think it will pop out too easily if it was located in a memory slot on the outside like my old XDA mini s was. All in all a VERY good phone.

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Reviewer: Jean-francois - London, UK
Date: 29th Jan 2007

I just got mine 4 days ago. The sat nav is brilliant even on walking mode it point exactly where you are. If you take time to explore there are great feature like Internet tracking with copilot. The menus is the same as pocket PC 2002 so easy to use Little down side the camera is only 2Mega pixels & not 5 as it could be.

It will be hard for others brand to make a better one.

Really great phone!

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Reviewer: Trevor Holland - Stoke-on-trent, UK
Date: 29th Jan 2007

What a fantastic phone! I have installed Tom Tom 6 to use with its inbuilt GPS receiver - it works perfectly & stops all the messing about with Bluetooth GPS devices that I had to use with my old N70. The media side is excellent, the radio is very good & Windows Media Player with its cataloguing capability makes finding the music you want to play dead easy. The Wi-Fi capability is an added bonus - surfing the news whilst in bed was quite a novelty.

Apart from these entertainment features, its business capabilities leave you wanting for nothing. The screen is superb. On its brightest setting you need to wear sunglasses! For those that say the text is too small, have a dig around the set-up menus & you will find that the text size can be increased.

Finally, the appearance of the phone & its build quality is superb. As they say, the nicest things come in the smallest packages. 10/10 for everything.

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Reviewer: Kiran - Kent, UK
Date: 28th Jan 2007

The Phone Is excellent, I brought it the other day & it is much faster that previous smart phones that I have had. There are a few ways of navigating around the phone, using the pen, or your finger, or the tracker wheel or using the tracker ball. Has most features which Microsoft computers have. Co-Pilot is amazing! If you have an external antenna for the GPS it can be plugged into the back of the phone to strengthen the signal. The phone is also very smart. Also has an Internet Browser so you can use Google & check your mail anywhere there is a Wi-fi Hot Spot. The Only downside I can think of is were the memory card is placed, but that is not a big issue. Overall the phone is great & I highly recommend it! 100% !

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Reviewer: Andy Taylor - UK
Date: 27th Jan 2007

This is my fifth XDA. Can't help myself & have to get a new one each year. Original XDA cllt when new but really screen not good & phone a bit iffy. XDA II very good but blue tooth not too god for GPS. XDA IIS looks the business but he phone was AWFUL. XDA Mini S brilliant but slowwwwwwww. Orbit is the best so far by miles. Does everything it says on the box & does it well. I was just getting used to the Mini S keyboard & I do miss that a bit but this one is sooooooooo much faster than the Mini S. I was really disappointed with the speed of the Mini S.

So far I can't fault the Orbit. Smaller & also with GPS which works perfectly with TomTom navigator 5.

Mind you I haven't dropped the Orbit yet. That is the real proof of the build quality. Mini S went to ground a few times from my top pocket but it always came up trumps.

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Reviewer: Alex - UK
Date: 26th Jan 2007

I just got this phone yesterday & am currently attempting to get to grips with it. I have traded in my D900 to the orbit because of the number of apps available. There are many +'s of the orbit but I am going to mention the -'s. The design is very attractive but this leaves no room for a physical keyboard, its hard to adapt, still it's only been 1 day so far though! Despite what the specs on this page say, there is no flash on the cam! Still a 2MB though. Currently downloading trial versions of software from spb software house, good site to check out. That's it for now. Might update later.

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Reviewer: Sue Stapely - London, UK
Date: 25th Jan 2007

After much research when my IT support guys told me for reasons too dull to explain they couldn't install a BlackBerry on our system, I bought an Orbit yesterday. Looks great but have immediately had some probs: after charging it up & a few hours of fairly easy use, it crashed & the supplier established that the SIM card had moved in its fiddly holder & caused this. Then it crashed after a further charge twice in the course of use today, deeply inconveniently as it is not holding its charge.

It also heats up to a worrying degree - not too hold to hold, & quite useful in snowy weather for keeping hands warm, but will it self-combust at some stage? I think we should be told & my inability - perhaps through my own stupidity - to find out how to forward texts is proving irksome.

Some work to do to familiarise fully with it, so rather a work in progress & if it doesn't hold its charge better soon, I may have to give it back.

Sue

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Reviewer: Chris - UK
Date: 18th Jan 2007

The phone is great. I've read reviews from people saying the Copilot 6 satnav is slow but that's rubbish. I used it for the first time last night & it was fantastic, I was very very impressed. It pin-pointed my current location in about 4 seconds & kept up with me during the entire journey. Instructions were clear, prompt, & very precise. The handset is small compared to other phones of this type but the features are not lacking. Overall I am very pleased I went for this phone, I'd recommend it to anyone. AWESOME phone!

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Reviewer: Louis Turfrey - Lichfield, UK
Date: 16th Jan 2007

Windows Mobile, loads of connectivity & above all - it just works! Better value with the SatNav option, but you have to pay for it in your rental costs. However, as I already pay that much - its fine by me! The wheel at the front is similar to the iPod, but better - because it moves. Don't know how long this will last but it feels solid enough. Much faster than the Mini S, & I don't miss the keyboard one bit.

Would have given it 100% for design & features, but for the silly placement of the MiniSD card. Though, saying that, with all the wireless capability you should never need to remove it.

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Reviewer: Mutaz Amin - Glasgow, UK
Date: 8th Jan 2007

Fantastic piece of kit. I love this phone, it's so good. It's so nice & small & the screen, although small, but it looks really good. Its fast, & now that I have the co-pilot, I saved lots ££££ buying a navigator. Definitely recommend it:)

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Reviewer: Peter Covington - Nottingham, UK
Date: 31st Dec 2006

Been using this new phone for the last week. Have now loaded Tom Tom 6 onto the device, which works excellently. Phone calls are crystal clear, whilst the device is relatively quick despite its relatively slow processor.

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Reviewer: Thura Maung-milestone - Reading, UK
Date: 31st Dec 2006

I just got it for my birthday on the end of November. It is quite usability, & including the GPS receiver & navigation system. Design is quite reasonable, but the size of handset is small. All features are really better than compare with the current handsets but again the screen size is small, & difficult to read information. Usability is again reasonable & may be annoying to move the items when the track ball & ring hover them.

Overall, I gave it to 85 percent.

These are the applications that I use currently:

Spb PocketPlus
Spb Diary
Spb Time
Spb Backup
Spb Weather
Spb GPRS monitor
FlexMail 2007

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Reviewer: Brian Barwick - Huddersfield, UK
Date: 24th Dec 2006

Excellent phone, the sat nav (Co Pilot) is absolutely excellent, the only down side is, it uses the newer micro SD cards, these are mounted internally, behind the SIM card! Would have been much better to have the slot externally, like the XDA IIi. All in all, I really love my new Orbit.



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