| work and huddled around to watch excitedly as | | | | |
| the wrapping was torn off and we opened the | | | | Camera |
| box to review it!The Atom Life enters the | | | | |
| Indian market as part of 02's new strategy to | | | | The 2 megapixel camera takes decent pictures |
| divide its five main product segments: | | | | with resolutions ranging from 80x60 to |
| performance, lifestyle, messaging, hybrids, | | | | 1600x1200. An LED strobe flash and a |
| and smartphones. The products in each segment | | | | self-portrait mirror are also built in. |
| have feature sets appropriate for their | | | | |
| target market. This device fits into the | | | | Shaping the Masterpiece |
| lifestyle category with its good looks and | | | | |
| multimedia capabilities. Speaking at its | | | | At first glance, the Atom Life looks like any |
| launch in Mumbai recently, 02 Asia Pacific | | | | other 02 model, but look closely and you'll |
| and the Middle East CEO, Mark Billington, | | | | see a few subtle differences. The device's |
| stated that the Atom Life is a PDA that will | | | | glossy black plastic screen is the in-call |
| power the user both at work and play. We | | | | speaker grille, which also houses status |
| decided to put this claim to test. | | | | lights-green for standby, red for charging, |
| | | | and blue to show that Bluetooth is switched |
| Packed with Features | | | | on. Volume controls are on the left, and the |
| | | | camera and record buttons are on the right. |
| The 02 XDA Atom Life is a tri-band GSM 900 | | | | Keys on the front panel include call accept |
| 1800/1900 phone with GPRS and EDGE | | | | and reject controls, two soft and media |
| capabilities. The built-in Wi-Fi | | | | player shortcut keys. |
| functionality makes it an excellent device to | | | | |
| check e-mail on the go. GPS (Global | | | | The Atom Life weighs 145 grams which is quite |
| Positioning System) navigation is not built | | | | light for a PDA. Its slick form makes it a |
| in, but it's possible to add an external | | | | true style statement. |
| receiver. The Atom Life is 3G capable-the | | | | |
| front-mounted VGA camera makes video calling | | | | Chinks in the Shining Armour |
| simplistic In-call voice reception is nice | | | | |
| and dean. | | | | 02 markets the Atom Life as a PDA that |
| | | | doubles up as a multimedia device. Even |
| The Atom Life runs on Windows Mobile 5, so | | | | though it has SRS-WOW surround speakers, the |
| mobile versions of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint | | | | volume levels could have been higher. The |
| and Excel are included. These applications | | | | glossy black plastic finish is prone to |
| ens that your work won't suffer no matter | | | | fingerprints and smudges, and the chrome |
| where you are. Other preinstalled | | | | plating- especially around the stylus holder |
| applications include 02 AutoConfig, 02 | | | | slot-wears out easily with heavy use. The |
| Autolnstall, 02 Connect, 02 MediaPlus. 02 | | | | 2.7-inch LCD screen might look good at first, |
| SMSPIus, and 02 PhonePlus, which make the | | | | but it isn't the clearest we have seen. Team |
| phone economically strong. 02 Connect offers | | | | this up with terrible viewing angles and you |
| access to software updates via a GPRS | | | | have real disappointment on your hands. The |
| connection, while 02 MediaPlus allows you to | | | | quality of still and video photography is |
| access all your stored music, videos, and | | | | also below average. |
| photos from a single interface. You can use | | | | |
| PocketMSN to access your Hotmail account and | | | | Verdict |
| chat with your contacts through MSN | | | | |
| Messenger. The Internet Explorer makes | | | | The 02 Xda Atom Life is a brilliant device, |
| browsing the web a breeze. There's also a | | | | and a great solution for all your business |
| mobile version of Windows Media Player 10. | | | | and multimedia needs. There's a chance that |
| And to round off the package, there is | | | | you might find it a little confusing to |
| Microsoft ActiveSync to connect the Atom Life | | | | handle initially but once you get the hang of |
| to your PC.The Atom Life is powered by an | | | | it, organizing your daily schedules and |
| Irte XScale PXA 270 processor running at a | | | | carrying out vital daily tasks will become |
| mind-blowing 624 MHz. We were impressed by | | | | very convenient. Also, the enhanced |
| the capabilities of this processor, which was | | | | multimedia functions make the Atom Life a |
| able to multitask and run heavy applications | | | | pleasure to work with. The elegant shape |
| without am hiccups. It features 64 MB RAM and | | | | ensures that you are carrying a guaranteed |
| 1GB of internal flash memory. A MiniSD card | | | | style statement in your pocket. As the |
| slot for expanding the memory is located on | | | | maufacturers said-the Xda Atom Life surely |
| the top of the phone. | | | | does power you at work and play! |