Smartphone Reviews: ASUS M530w

The ASUS M530w is one of the first Smartphones to run the new Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition.

ASUS M530w features at a glance:

Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition
Supports 3G
Powerfull Marvell PXA270 processor at 416 MHz
Full QWERTY keyboard
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0
2 Mega Pixels Camera

ASUS M530w Review: Overview

ASUSTek corporation has a very good reputation in the area of computer electronics, mobiles, PDA and pocket pc. Its latest models, the ASUS P525, ASUS P535 and ASUS P735 are very successful and reliable models. ASUS will soon make available to the market a new Windows Mobile Device, the ASUS M530w. Unlike the ASUS P525, P535 and P735, the ASUS M530w is a Smartphone (no touch screen). The device will run the new Windows Mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6 standard. The ASUS M530w is equipped with the powerfull Marvell PXA270 processor at 416MHZ and has support for 3G as well as a 2 mega pixels camera.

ASUS M530w Review: Design

The ASUS M530w has the QWERTY keyboard located below the 2.4 inch screen. Between the display and the QWERTY keyboard the ASUS M530w has in a clear and distinct layout the answer and end call keys, the Windows Mobile keys and a five-way select/action key in the middle. The keys are large enough which makes it easy to use. On the QWERTY keyboard the buttons are laid out in such a way that there is enough space between them (to avoid pressing two buttons at the same time) and the number pad is clearly distinguished. There is also a thumbwheel for quick scrolling on the left of the device. The thumbwheel is very useful on Smartphone’s and Pocket PCs since it can allow you to use your phone using only one hand. The thumbwheel on the ASUS M530w unlike some other devices is located on the left hand side.

Samsung SGH-i600	ASUS M530W

The size of the ASUS M530w is 117 x 65 x 13.8 mm and weights 135g. Compared to other similar Smartphone’s currently available like the Samsung SGH-i600, the Motorola MotoQ, the i-mate JAQ3 and the HP IPAQ hw6915 we can see that the ASUS M530w has almost the same length and width as the Motorola Q (one of the smallest Smartphones with QWERTY keyboard) but in terms of depth the ASUS M530w is about 2mm thicker than the Samsung SGH-i600 and the Motorola MotoQ but 5mm slimmer than the HP IPAQ hw6915. In overall comparison the ASUS M530w is smaller and lighter than the i-mate JAQ3.

ASUS M530w Review: Features

In terms of features the ASUS M530w is running Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition. This essentially means that it will have Office Mobile as well as Live Messenger and Windows Live Services.

The processor on the device is Marvell PXA270 running at 416MHz. The ASUS M530w is expected to be the fastest among the other Smartphone’s since the i-mate JAQ3 is running TI OMAP processor at 200 Mhz, the Motorola MotoQ an Intel PXA270 at 316 MHz and the Samsung SGH-i600 TI OMAP processor at 220 MHz. Asus has a tradition in using high speed processors on their pocket pc devices and they did the same on their first Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone. The device also has 256MB of built-in flash memory and 64MB SDRAM.

For connectivity the ASUS M530w is equipped with high-speed transfer capabilities to provide users with a host of multimedia benefits. With the 3G Video Phone, users can talk to anyone face to face, and 3G broadband makes downloading music, MV and other video and music programs a breeze. It is also able to utilize wireless connections via 802.11 b/g for high speed data transfers for total mobility. In addition, built-in Bluetooth technology seamlessly interfaces with other Bluetooth devices and provides freedom of movement without the hassle of wires.

Other nice features of the ASUS M530W include a built-in Business Card Recognition which allows users to use the ASUS M530w's 2.0 Mega Pixel Auto-Macro camera to capture the details of a business card and avoid tediously keying in the data into the contacts book.

Features Comparison Table: ASUS M530W- Motorola MotoQ -Samsung SGH-i600

ASUS M530W Review: Specifications