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Review of Dopod 838
Author: cheewee
Aside from HP's efforts, O2 has been pretty much uncontested when it comes to the Pocket PC phone arena in Singapore. However, the landscape is set to change very soon. Dopod will be launching a series of Windows Mobile-based devices in November here. Note-worthy models include 2 Pocket PC phones, the Dopod 900 and Dopod 838, and the Dopod 586w, a Wi-Fi capable smartphone. As expected, all devices will feature Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system.
Before the Xda Atom came to light, the Dopod 838 (aka HTC Wizard) was touted by many as an O2 Xda Mini replacement. Although physically larger than the Mini, the Dopod 838 sports a nifty slide-out keypad and the sorely missed, Wi-Fi. PPCSG takes a look at this slick slider.
Review of Dopod 838 (HTC Wizard)
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#2
cheewee 
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Posted 19 October 2005 - 11:20 PM
Design
Cast in a shade of grey that resembles Sony Ericsson’s P910 smartphone, the Dopod 838 exudes an executive feel. This appearance is further upheld by the unit's sturdy build and good finish.
Dopod planted a 2.8-inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) screen that displays 65K colors on the front facade. The speaker and two configurable keys that launch the message app and browser respectively sit at the top. A directional pad, the Send and End buttons are located at the lower portion. As the unit is based on Windows Mobile 5.0, the manufacturer has added 2 soft-keys just below the screen for convenience.
The left profile has a button mapped to Comm Manager that lets you quickly switch on or off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GSM. A volume control can be found here, too. The speaker grille with a match on the opposite side prevents sound out of the unit from being muffled.
Look on the right and you can find a key to activate voice dial, the infrared port, reset hole and the shutter button to snap pictures. When used for photo-taking, the thoughtful placement of the shutter and lens lets you hold the Wizard like a digicam while the 2.8-inch screen doubles as a large viewfinder.
Flip over the back and you’ll find the lens for the onboard camera, self-portrait mirror and photolight. A removable 1,250mAh Lithium-cell powers the unit so you can swap batteries on long trips.
Like most handhelds, the power switch and memory slot reside at the top. It is unfortunate that its manufacturer HTC chose miniSD over the more cost-effective and common SD format. Hence, it may be a deal breaker for some potential buyers who have invested in a large capacity card.
The sync-and-charge port comes in the form of a mini USB connector which is much preferred over a proprietary one. However, Dopod has opted for a 2.5mm headset jack so you’ll need a converter if you want to use your favorite pair of earbuds. A telescopic-stylus slots into its silo at the bottom right. During the trial, we felt the stylus is too light and short to use comfortably.
While the Wizard is thicker than the Xda Mini, hidden below the top-fold is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. However, that did not stop it from slipping into my back jeans during the trial. When extended, 42-button keyboard is a god-send for people who have yet learnt to wield the stylus for quick input. Considering the relatively small estate, the keypad is well-spaced and exhibits good tactile feel. The 2 softkeys, Tab, Start, OK, Enter and directional keys work together to keep the stylus at bay when in use. But apps will need to be written to take advantage of Windows Mobile 5.0's one-handed operation capability. That said, due to landscape orientation, using the Wizard with a hand can be challenge. To assist in typing in poor lighting, the buttons light up in conservative white when used. However, it's a tad dim. Rather than a predetermined backlight interval, a light sensor to switch it on and off dynamically would be nifty and could bring about power savings.
Cast in a shade of grey that resembles Sony Ericsson’s P910 smartphone, the Dopod 838 exudes an executive feel. This appearance is further upheld by the unit's sturdy build and good finish.
Dopod planted a 2.8-inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) screen that displays 65K colors on the front facade. The speaker and two configurable keys that launch the message app and browser respectively sit at the top. A directional pad, the Send and End buttons are located at the lower portion. As the unit is based on Windows Mobile 5.0, the manufacturer has added 2 soft-keys just below the screen for convenience.
The left profile has a button mapped to Comm Manager that lets you quickly switch on or off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GSM. A volume control can be found here, too. The speaker grille with a match on the opposite side prevents sound out of the unit from being muffled.
Look on the right and you can find a key to activate voice dial, the infrared port, reset hole and the shutter button to snap pictures. When used for photo-taking, the thoughtful placement of the shutter and lens lets you hold the Wizard like a digicam while the 2.8-inch screen doubles as a large viewfinder.
Flip over the back and you’ll find the lens for the onboard camera, self-portrait mirror and photolight. A removable 1,250mAh Lithium-cell powers the unit so you can swap batteries on long trips.
Like most handhelds, the power switch and memory slot reside at the top. It is unfortunate that its manufacturer HTC chose miniSD over the more cost-effective and common SD format. Hence, it may be a deal breaker for some potential buyers who have invested in a large capacity card.
The sync-and-charge port comes in the form of a mini USB connector which is much preferred over a proprietary one. However, Dopod has opted for a 2.5mm headset jack so you’ll need a converter if you want to use your favorite pair of earbuds. A telescopic-stylus slots into its silo at the bottom right. During the trial, we felt the stylus is too light and short to use comfortably.
While the Wizard is thicker than the Xda Mini, hidden below the top-fold is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. However, that did not stop it from slipping into my back jeans during the trial. When extended, 42-button keyboard is a god-send for people who have yet learnt to wield the stylus for quick input. Considering the relatively small estate, the keypad is well-spaced and exhibits good tactile feel. The 2 softkeys, Tab, Start, OK, Enter and directional keys work together to keep the stylus at bay when in use. But apps will need to be written to take advantage of Windows Mobile 5.0's one-handed operation capability. That said, due to landscape orientation, using the Wizard with a hand can be challenge. To assist in typing in poor lighting, the buttons light up in conservative white when used. However, it's a tad dim. Rather than a predetermined backlight interval, a light sensor to switch it on and off dynamically would be nifty and could bring about power savings.
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#3
cheewee
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Posted 19 October 2005 - 11:29 PM
Features
With regard to imaging, the 1.3-megapixel camera records JPEG stills up to 1280 x 960 pixels and video clips at 176 x 144 pixels. Interestingly, you can choose to save interpolated pictures of up to 1600 x 1280 pixels. Still, we think it's a job best left to Photoshop.
HTC has obviously made significant inroads as images taken now have much better clarity, contrast and color saturation compared to the O2 Xda II Mini. With all settings at Auto, the camera performed ideally with sufficient lighting. However, when it gets too bright, there’s a tendency for the camera to blow out especially under high-contrast conditions, no thanks to its limited dynamic range. To illustrate, here's a shot of a motorbike. Notice that part of the image loses details when it is too bright.
In addition to the usual mode, there is Burst feature that takes VGA-quality shots in quick succession. Simply hold on to the shutter and the camera will continuously snap pictures. Then, there is a Sport mode that captures images with faster shutter speed. Macro mode is still missing but a photo-light now brightens dim conditions a fair bit for close-ups. Also new is the time-stamp feature where shots are automatically imprinted with the date and time.
Except for 3G, the Dopod 838 packs in pretty much all the necessary connectivity options you will need to get work done on the road. There're Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth v2, infrared and quadband GSM. Unfortunately, EDGE is pointless here as none of the Singapore telcos support it. Also, we would have preferred the feature-laden Bluetooth stack from Broadcomm than the Microsoft variant as the latter misses out on some useful Bluetooth profiles.
Running on Windows Mobile 5.0, the Dopod 838 has the ability to do screen rotation on-the-fly. Conveniently, the screen will toggle to landscape mode when the keyboard is extended. It will flick back automatically to portrait when closed.
For incoming calls, the Dopod 838 takes in MP3 in addition to WMA music files. However, you will need to stick to WAV files for other notifications such as text message alerts and alarm. Thoughtfully, users can swiftly activate silent (vibration) mode by pressing and holding the Comm Manager quick button located at the top left of the unit.
Like all Windows Mobile devices, the Dopod 838 can be used as a music player. Using a better quality Sony Ericsson earpiece, the unit churns out crisp and clear audio through Windows Media Player 10. Personally, treble is a wee-bit on the high side and bass lacks a solid punch but a player with equalizer should let you tweak the audio to your preference.
One significant advantage of Windows Mobile 5.0 is the addition of Persistent Storage. Now you no longer need to worry about losing data when the battery is flat. Programs and user data reside in ROM and so information will stay intact even after the unit runs out of battery.
With regard to imaging, the 1.3-megapixel camera records JPEG stills up to 1280 x 960 pixels and video clips at 176 x 144 pixels. Interestingly, you can choose to save interpolated pictures of up to 1600 x 1280 pixels. Still, we think it's a job best left to Photoshop.
HTC has obviously made significant inroads as images taken now have much better clarity, contrast and color saturation compared to the O2 Xda II Mini. With all settings at Auto, the camera performed ideally with sufficient lighting. However, when it gets too bright, there’s a tendency for the camera to blow out especially under high-contrast conditions, no thanks to its limited dynamic range. To illustrate, here's a shot of a motorbike. Notice that part of the image loses details when it is too bright.
In addition to the usual mode, there is Burst feature that takes VGA-quality shots in quick succession. Simply hold on to the shutter and the camera will continuously snap pictures. Then, there is a Sport mode that captures images with faster shutter speed. Macro mode is still missing but a photo-light now brightens dim conditions a fair bit for close-ups. Also new is the time-stamp feature where shots are automatically imprinted with the date and time.
Except for 3G, the Dopod 838 packs in pretty much all the necessary connectivity options you will need to get work done on the road. There're Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth v2, infrared and quadband GSM. Unfortunately, EDGE is pointless here as none of the Singapore telcos support it. Also, we would have preferred the feature-laden Bluetooth stack from Broadcomm than the Microsoft variant as the latter misses out on some useful Bluetooth profiles.
Running on Windows Mobile 5.0, the Dopod 838 has the ability to do screen rotation on-the-fly. Conveniently, the screen will toggle to landscape mode when the keyboard is extended. It will flick back automatically to portrait when closed.
For incoming calls, the Dopod 838 takes in MP3 in addition to WMA music files. However, you will need to stick to WAV files for other notifications such as text message alerts and alarm. Thoughtfully, users can swiftly activate silent (vibration) mode by pressing and holding the Comm Manager quick button located at the top left of the unit.
Like all Windows Mobile devices, the Dopod 838 can be used as a music player. Using a better quality Sony Ericsson earpiece, the unit churns out crisp and clear audio through Windows Media Player 10. Personally, treble is a wee-bit on the high side and bass lacks a solid punch but a player with equalizer should let you tweak the audio to your preference.
One significant advantage of Windows Mobile 5.0 is the addition of Persistent Storage. Now you no longer need to worry about losing data when the battery is flat. Programs and user data reside in ROM and so information will stay intact even after the unit runs out of battery.
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#4
cheewee
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Posted 19 October 2005 - 11:33 PM
Performance
Powered by a Texas Instrument 195MHz OMAP 850 processor, one main concern would be the speed of the unit. Compared to a 416MHz O2 Xda II Mini, there is a noticeable lag when launching apps. Hence, instead of closing programs, we recommend letting them run in the background for better user experience. This isn't an issue for devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 as RAM is used solely to run programs while ROM caters to storage. Therefore, you won't run into a memory crunch. The Wizard packs in 128MB ROM of which about 44MB is available for storage and 64MB RAM (about 49MB available for programs).
During our trial the unit exhibited sluggishness when doing heavy multitasking. For example, when we are texting in MSN Messenger through a GPRS connection while listening to 192kbps MP3 music stored on the miniSD card, the machine couldn't keep up and characters appeared after slight pauses. Fortunately, if you don't perform intensive multitasking, the unit will remain reasonably snappy for most tasks.
Deal with the slightly underpowered processor and you will be rewarded with good battery life. With all wireless connectivity off and backlight set to maximum, the Dopod 838 clocks in an impressive 8 hours and 29 minutes. In comparison, the Xda II Mini managed 5 hours and 40 minutes.
As a phone, the Dopod 838 exhibits better reception than the O2 Xda II Mini. The basis for this statement came from the fact that the connection didn’t cut off in the underpass for the Dopod while the Xda II Mini had problems. During daily usage, voice quality was good.
While Persistent Storage is a welcomed addition, it leads to some minor inconveniences. The installation of programs will take a longer time as compared to previous iterations of the Windows Mobile operating system as files are written to ROM rather than RAM. Plus, launching programs now takes a slightly longer time too.
Who should get this
The Dopod 838 is more suited for mobile professionals who are more concerned with managing their busy schedule and keeping in touch through the plethora of connectivity options this Pocket PC phone offer. Those looking for a PDA with an input alternative to the usual stylus should take a good look at the Dopod 838. It offers possibly the best compromise of device and keyboard size.
However, if you are into intensive multimedia tasks such as video playback and 3D gaming, the Dopod 838's paltry 195MHz processor will be a letdown.
Powered by a Texas Instrument 195MHz OMAP 850 processor, one main concern would be the speed of the unit. Compared to a 416MHz O2 Xda II Mini, there is a noticeable lag when launching apps. Hence, instead of closing programs, we recommend letting them run in the background for better user experience. This isn't an issue for devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 as RAM is used solely to run programs while ROM caters to storage. Therefore, you won't run into a memory crunch. The Wizard packs in 128MB ROM of which about 44MB is available for storage and 64MB RAM (about 49MB available for programs).
During our trial the unit exhibited sluggishness when doing heavy multitasking. For example, when we are texting in MSN Messenger through a GPRS connection while listening to 192kbps MP3 music stored on the miniSD card, the machine couldn't keep up and characters appeared after slight pauses. Fortunately, if you don't perform intensive multitasking, the unit will remain reasonably snappy for most tasks.
Deal with the slightly underpowered processor and you will be rewarded with good battery life. With all wireless connectivity off and backlight set to maximum, the Dopod 838 clocks in an impressive 8 hours and 29 minutes. In comparison, the Xda II Mini managed 5 hours and 40 minutes.
As a phone, the Dopod 838 exhibits better reception than the O2 Xda II Mini. The basis for this statement came from the fact that the connection didn’t cut off in the underpass for the Dopod while the Xda II Mini had problems. During daily usage, voice quality was good.
While Persistent Storage is a welcomed addition, it leads to some minor inconveniences. The installation of programs will take a longer time as compared to previous iterations of the Windows Mobile operating system as files are written to ROM rather than RAM. Plus, launching programs now takes a slightly longer time too.
Who should get this
The Dopod 838 is more suited for mobile professionals who are more concerned with managing their busy schedule and keeping in touch through the plethora of connectivity options this Pocket PC phone offer. Those looking for a PDA with an input alternative to the usual stylus should take a good look at the Dopod 838. It offers possibly the best compromise of device and keyboard size.
However, if you are into intensive multimedia tasks such as video playback and 3D gaming, the Dopod 838's paltry 195MHz processor will be a letdown.
Check out Mobinauts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mobinauts
#5
bnycastro
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Posted 27 October 2005 - 04:36 PM
Can this be purchased SIM free and unlocked in Singapore? Does it have English OS? Have you used the k-JAM's keyboard [if yes, which has the better keyboard]??? Thanks in Advance and great review!
#6
vicott
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Posted 27 October 2005 - 05:03 PM
Dopod 838 will be available in S'pore, so there are no issues with SIM lock. Do join us for the gathering next week if you want to try out the device. :smile:
Personally, I feel Dopod 838 has a comfortable keyboard. The keys are larger than other versions of HTC Wizard by other brands, e.g. O2.
Personally, I feel Dopod 838 has a comfortable keyboard. The keys are larger than other versions of HTC Wizard by other brands, e.g. O2.
#7
bnycastro
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Posted 27 October 2005 - 07:03 PM
Though I appreciate the invite I really can't [I'm in the Philippines] but I'm sure you guys will be posting your impression of the dopod here 
I'll wait for your updates thanks!!!
I'll wait for your updates thanks!!!
