• HTC P3300 Review
• HTC P3300 GPS and TomTom Navigator 6
• Compare HTC P3300 with HTC P3600 and HTC TyTN
• ETEN X500
• ASUS P535
  

HTC P3300 Review

The HTC P3300, also know as HTC Artemis and O2 XDA Orbit, is one of the pocket pc devices with a broad range of connectivity features. The HTC P3300 is a pocket pc phone edition and has built-in WI-FI, Bluetooth, FM Radio and a built in GPS receiver. Other devices with similar connectivity features are the HP iPAQ hw6915, ASUS P535 and the ETEN X500.

Until recently the HTC P3300 was an innovative device, with its small and stylish design and the full set of connectivity features including a GPS receiver. With the release of the ETEN X500, a device that is the thinnest pocket pc device with built-in GPS and a better processor than the HTC P3300, the standards have changed.

The HTC P3300 is the first attempt of HTC to produce a pocket pc with phone functionality and built-in GPS. Before the HTC P3300 there was the Qtek G100 but that pocket pc had no support for phone functionality so that device cannot consider as the predecessor of HTC P3300.

HTC P3300 Design:

What really makes the HTC P3300 a very attractive pocket pc it’s the design. The device measures 62,5mm (L) X 111mm (H) X 12,5mm (P) and weights only 124g. You can easily hold the device on one hand and with the presence of the jog wheel and trackball (HTC RollR) on the middle you can use it only with on hand. The trackball can be used for scrolling through the menus or to move the cursor on the screen and make selections as you do with a laptop trackball. On the left and right side of the wheel you can find the ‘make call / answer’ and ‘end call’ buttons as well as the dedicated windows mobile 5.0 keys. The power and dedicated camera button is located on the right side together with the stylus holder while the volume control slider, dedicated voice control key and soft reset button is located on the left side. On the back of the device you can find the 2.0-mega pixels camera, the self-portrait mirror and a socket for an external GPS Antenna. At the bottom there is the microphone jack and the USB connector. On the top of the HTC P3300 resides the external speaker. The microSD expansion slot is located beneath the battery.

The display is a QVGA, 2.8” size with 65K colours and the standard 320 x 240 pixels resolution. The quality and brightness of the display is good and can be viewed very nice from different angles and under different conditions (dark-light).

The overall quality of the device is very good and it gives you a feeling of a well-built and solid structure.

HTC P3300 GPS:

One of the most important features of HTC P3300 that distinguish this device from other pocket pc devices is the built in GPS receiver. The GPS receiver embedded is a SIRF-STAR III Chipset with tomtom navigator 6 software. By default you can download one free map to use on your GPS device. In addition to the built-in GPS receiver, as mentioned earlier, there is also a socket for an external GPS antenna for better satellite reception.

The HTC P3300 offers 2 GPS related software. The first is the Quick GPS. Quick GPS is a program made by HTC and is included in HTC P3300 that is used to speed up the time for determining your GPS position by downloading the latest satellite data via and Internet connection (GPRS, WI-FI, ActiveSync).

The second GPS related software is TomTom navigator 6. TomTom is one of the best GPS software in the market and it really adds value to the GPS functionality of HTC P3300. Once you download your free city-map you are presented with a demo of how to use your GPS software and you are ready to go.

Overall the reception of the GPS is very good and the size of the device makes it handy to use in the car (using the card holder) but also on the move either using the neck strap (attached on the bottom of the device) or in your hand. Mind that the use of GPS for a long time reduces the battery life and this is bad if you use the device as a phone.

HTC P3300 Camera:

The camera of HTC P3300 has a 2-mega pixels resolution. It is the same camera as the one used in HTC TyTN but with no macro-mode, auto-focus or flash. The quality of the camera pictures is very good especially in good lighting conditions. There are a number of options available for taking pictures and video (different size and resolution, picture quality, effects etc.).

HTC P3300 Connectivity:

Besides the built-in GPS receiver described above the HTC P3300 has support for Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and FM Radio.

The Bluetooth profiles supported include:
A Hands-Free Profile (HFP) which can be used for Bluetooth connection between headset and device, a Human Interface Device Profile (HID) for Bluetooth keyboard connection, advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for sound transfer, Personal Area Network Profile (PAN) but Bluetooth network connection with a PC and SIM Access Profile (SAP) which can be used for accessing a SIM Card of a Bluetooth phone from another Bluetooth phone.

The FM Radio of HTC P3300 is simple to use with good quality. To activate the radio you need to add the external stereo headsets to the device. You can manual search thought the stations and use the 20 memory slots to save your favourite stations or perform an automatic search.

HTC P3300 Performance:

The performance of the HTC P3300 is something that was discussed even before its release. The presence of the TI OMAP processor at 200 MHZ was one of the disappointing factors for this device with the plethora of connectivity features. Before HTC P3300 was even launched some suggested that the processor will be slow to satisfy the performance requirements of the average pocket pc user. This was said because the same TI OMAP processor was available on the QTEK 9100 and S200 and the performance was not so good.

The truth about HTC P3300 performance is that the 200 MHZ is not enough to satisfy the demanding pocket pc user but it is sufficient to satisfy the average pocket pc user (at least some of them). In other words when you can accept the fact it may take up to 1 second for the Start menu to open and that the device will be very slow when you open a couple of applications the same time the HTC P3300 will be the device for you. If you want to use SKYPE (over Wi-Fi) and have a quick response from your device when you play a game or do your PDA tasks then the performance of HTC P3300 will not leave you satisfied. On the other hand if you want a slim and compact device to use as your regular phone with built-in GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and do not have any special requirements (e.g. Skype) then the speed may not be such an important factor.

HTC P3300 Software

HTC P3300 is running Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU 3.0. Besides the applications and functionality offered by WM 5.0 you can find the following applications bundled with HTC P3300:

ClearVue PDF. This application is equivalent to Acrobat Reader for pocket pc. With ClearVue PDF you can open and read PDF documents on your pocket pc.

MIDlet Manager. This application can be used to Load and runs java scripts on your HTC P3300 pocket pc.

ZIP Application. This application can be used to handle ZIP files on your Pocket PC

Smart Dialing. Enables fast search in contacts, similar to that found on WM for Smartphone.

QuickGPS - Application used to quickly identify GPS Position by connecting to the internet (via GPRS, wi-fi) and download co-ordinates.

TomTom navigator 6 - GPS Features - The GPS Software used on the HTC P3300 is TomTom Navigator 6.

HTC P3300 with build in GPS and TomTom NAVIGATOR 6

Features:

Easy to use: The simple installation and intuitive user menu gives you the perfect navigation experience.

Detailed maps of your region & the major roads of
Europe on a memory card: Door-to-door navigation in your region and cross border navigation to any town in Europe.

Clear and accurate spoken and visual instructions: Easy to follow route instructions and crystal clear 2D or 3D maps lead you from door-to-door whether you travel by car, by bike or on foot.

Easy call handling: Never miss a call or SMS message while navigating through on-screen instructions.
Navigate direct to contacts stored in your address book.

Easy to useEffortless installation: Everything is on the memory card, just insert in your device, activate and you're set to navigate.

Intuitive user menu: The easy-to-use menu gives you the perfect navigation experience.

Portable: Easy to take with you whether you travel by car (using the TomTom in-car Holder), by bike or on foot.

High sensitive SiRF Star 3 GPS receiver: Ensures a quick GPS fix and optimal and accurate reception.

Improved power management: To optimize the battery life of your PDA or mobile phone.

Customisable status bar: Improve readability by customizing your status bar to show only the information you need.

Tip feature: Discover everything your NAVIGATOR has to offer with useful on-screen tips.

Extensive guided tour: Pick up features quickly and get the most out of your TomTom NAVIGATOR from the start.

Extensive preferences: From temperature (C/F) to air pressure (Pascal or Mbar), and more.

The latest and most complete maps: Detailed maps of your region and the major roads of Europe, pre-installed on a memory card. For door-to-door navigation in your region and cross border navigation to any town in Europe.

Route choice: Plan your route to fit your requirements, such as: quickest, shortest, by foot, avoiding toll roads and congestion charge areas, by required arrival time, etc..

View routes: Preview and test your TomTom’s proposed route before you set off.
Itinerary Planning: Programme in the schedule of places you want to visit before you leave the house.

Fast re-routing: Miss a turn or instruction and your TomTom instantly recalculates your route from your current location.
Easy location search and selection: Choose how you want to define your destination: street & house number, postcode (UK & NL only), contact, GPS coordinates, city center or intersection.

Points of Interest: Café, car park, cinema or petrol station. 1000’s of POI’s pre-installed. Search by proximity to current location, on your route, near a specific city, etc..

Clear user interface: Crystal-clear 2D or 3D graphics, nightview and 65,000 colours. For optimal visibility.

Realistic visual instructions: Visuals on your NAVIGATOR replicate road signs, making them easier to follow.

Pedestrian centric map: View your position using the special 2D map view which is fixed in one position and which can be zoomed in and out for better orientation when navigating on foot.

Huge choice: TomTom NAVIGATOR speaks some 22 languages in over 50 different voices.

Compass: Displays compass on screen, for even better orientation.

Easy call handling: On-screen instructions remain visible while making phonecalls or receiving SMS messages.

Dial a POI: Directly call a POI from the main menu.

TomTom HOME: Use TomTom HOME software to manage the files on your device (maps, etc), get new updates on your PC or Mac in advance, and much more.

Pre-installed Safety Cameras database: The most up-to-date available list of safety cameras is pre-installed on your NAVIGATOR.

TomTom NAVIGATOR comes ready for a wide range of TomTom PLUS services and downloads, including:

Real-time traffic: Up-to-the-minute traffic information, jam alerts and road condition warnings. 1 month trial for free*, click here for offer and availability.

Real-time weather reports: A real-time overview of the weather before you leave, including 5-day forecasts for the place you’re going.

Safety cameras: Receive and report alerts when there are safety cameras coming up, fixed or mobile.

Maps: City, national and regional maps. Just download the areas you need.

Voices: Download funny and famous voices to bring variety and fun to your journey.

POI’s: 1000’s of extra POI’s are downloadable.

TomTom Buddies: Instant Messaging and more, allowing a user to keep in touch with a selected group of people and keep track of their locations.

TomTom is committed to make driving more safely on the roads. Our navigation solutions encourage you to get from A to B as safely as possible.

Clear & accurate spoken and visual instructions: Easy to follow, calm instructions given with plenty of notice mean that you can focus on your driving.

Speeding alert: Alerts you that you’re speeding, even if you're not in navigation mode.

Safety cameras: Receive and report alerts when there are safety cameras coming up, fixed or mobile.

Safety Lock: Disable a number of menu items before you start driving, ensuring that maximum attention is kept on the road.

HTC P3300 - What's in the Box

When you buy the HTC P3300 you can expect to find the following items in the box:

1. HTC P3300 pocket pc phone
2. Extra stylus
3. AC Charger
4. Car Charger
5. USB Cable
6. stereo headset (usb)
7. Car windscreen mount kit

HTC P3300 Review Conclusion:

The HTC P3300 is one of the devices with an excellent set of connectivity options. The built-in GPS, Bluetooth and WI-FI are a perfect combination. The device does not have a QWERTY keyboard neither does it support 3G. Once the HTC P3300 was announced it was an innovative device. At that time no other pocket pc device was available with the features of HTC P3300. Once the 3300 was released another device, the ETEN X500 came to market. The ETEN is a similar device with the same connectivity options but with a much faster processor. It is difficult to say that the HTC P3300 is not a good choice for a pocket pc phone since the only ‘bad’ thing about it it’s the processor. It is easy though to say that there are better devices with the same features, like the ETEN X500 and even better the ASUS P535 (upcoming device). The ETEN X500 is 430 GBP and the HTC P3300 440 GBP.

HTC P3300 Review: Comparison with HTC P3600

Design:
As mentioned above both the HTC P3300 and HTC P3600 share a compact and stylish design. The HTC P3300 measures 108mm x 58mm x 16.8mm and the HTC P3600 has the same height and width but it is about 2 millimeters thicker (108mm x 58.2mm x 18.4mm). The weight of HTC P3300 is 130g and of HTC P3600 150g. The display of both devices is 2.8” transflective TFT-LCD, 240 x 320 with 64K colors. 

The ergonomics of HTC P3300 and HTC P3600 is different, the major difference being the presence of the HTC RollR (Track ball and track wheel) on the HTC P3300 and the existence of 5-way Navigation Control and Jog Wheel on the HTC P3600. Having tried both devices, we can say that the 5-way navigation control and Jog Wheel on the HTC P3600 is much more user friendly and helpful than the HTC RollR on the HTC P3300. With the HTC RollR you sometimes get the feeling that the roll is too loose or even broken and that makes your navigation experience a bit frustrating. On the other hand the Jog Wheel and the 5-way navigation control on the HTC P3600 is a very reliable way of navigating though the device menus using only one hand. It is the best combination of navigation controls we have seen so far on a pocket pc device.

Processor:
The processing power of these pocket pc phones is another major difference. The HTC P3300 is equipped with a TI OMAP™ 850 processor running at 201 MHz  and the HTC P3600 is equipped with a Samsung® SC32442A processor 400 MHz. The difference between the processing power and performance of the two processors is noticeable with the Samsung being more efficient and faster. This does not mean that the performance of TI OMAP is bad; simply it means that the HTC P3600 is faster. On our review of HTC P3300 we noted that the device is not recommended for demanding pocket pc users who want the fastest possible pocket pc but is enough and good for the average pocket pc user. It can run most of the applications without problems. On the other hand the HTC P3600 is a fast pocket pc which can satisfy the most demanding users.

Memory and Expansion:
The memory for both devices is the ‘standard’ in our days 128 MB ROM and 64 MB RAM but the expansion slot is different. The HTC P3300 has a microSD slot and the HTC P3600 has a miniSD expansion slot. In general the miniSD is preferable because the price of buying one is cheaper and currently is has more capacity than the microSD cards.

Phone Network Support and Connectivity Features:
Another major difference of HTC P3300 and HTC P3600 can be found in the network and connectivity features. In simple terms the HTC P3300 has a built in GPS receiver and the HTC P3600 does not, and on the other side the HTC P3600 has support for 3G while the HTC P3300 does not support 3G. Both devices have Quad band support for GSM/GPRS/EDGE and in addition the HTC P3600 has also support for Tri-band HSDPA/UMTS 2100 (EU), 850/1900 (US).
There is built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 on both devices and infrared for HTC P3600 only.

The HTC P3300 also has an FM Radio while the HTC P3600 does not.

Camera and Applications:
There is a 2 mega-pixel camera on both devices. The camera is located on the back of the device. The HTC P3600 also has an extra VGA camera on the front that is used for Video Calling and for taking self portrait pictures.

For bundled applications both devices have the HTC Communication manager, a very simple and useful application that is used to control all the connectivity features on the device. Also both pocket pc’s have applications for pictures and video, ZIP software for handling Zip files on the pocket pc, PDF Viewer for viewing PDF files, Bluetooth explorer (for file sharing) and  a backup software. In addition the HTC P3300 has a GPRS monitoring software and GPS Navigator software (TomTom navigator 6).

Battery:
The battery of HTC P3300 is Lithium-ion 1200 mAh with a maximum talk time of 5 hours (GSM) and up to 200 hours standby. The HTC P3600 has a Lithium-ion 1500 mAh with a talk time of 5 hours for GSM and 4 hours for UMTS. The standby time is 200 – 250 hours for GSM and 180 – 250 hours UMTS.

Price:
The price of HTC P3300 is aprx 450 GBP and of HTC P3600 is aprx 460 GBP.

HTC P3300 specifications: