Review: Orange SPV C600 Review MSMobileNews.com - Windows Mobile News and Reviews (Smartphones and Pocket PCs)

Review: Orange SPV C600 Review MSMobileNews.com - Windows Mobile News and Reviews (Smartphones and Pocket PCs) Orange SPV C600 Review
Author: Brody on 01/01/1970

Orange SPV C600 Review

The SPV C500 was a landmark in the world of the Windows Mobile Smartphone for one real reason - its size. When initial photos were leaked there were a lot of people who complained about what they believed was an ugly phone that would be their next upgrade however when the size of the C500 was realised and the design slightly tweaked people started to look at it in a whole new light. I think it’s fair to say that the C500 has been the most successful Windows Mobile Smartphone to date. Early adopters of the previous incarnations of the SPV range started to see the average user with a C500; this market penetration has given Microsoft and Orange a platform from which to further expand their Smartphone portfolio with confidence. Step in the C500's predecessor, the SPV C600.

Orange currently has the C550 on the market so many potential customers may be wondering why the C600 is being released so soon, well the easy answer to that is simple - choice. The C550 is marketed as a music phone with multimedia hardware keys on its front. In reality the main difference between the C550 and the C600 is the upgrade in operating system on the C600 as it features the newly released Windows Mobile 5. Although appearing to be minor on the surface (more aesthetically pleasing menus etc.) the changes behind the scenes are numerous, for example the implementation of Bluetooth in Windows Mobile 5 is improved. Don't let that put you off the C550 (see our review here) however, given the choice I’d opt for the C600 every time. Developers will be looking to cater for the latest operating system after all.

The C600 is similar in form to the C500, its dimensions differ only slightly however there have been some minor changes on the outside. The first thing that people will notice is the inclusion of a joystick to replace the rocker that was present on the C500. The general consensus seems to be that a joystick is the way to go however the rocker did offer superb vertical scrolling which was great for reading messages, websites, e-books and other blocks of text. A joystick however is undoubtedly more suited to the games market, even if it has been a long time since we last saw a nine way joystick that included diagonal movement.

The outer casing of the C600 is a grey colour slightly darker than that of the M5000 (read our SPV M5000 review here) and features sharp edges to contrast the occasional smooth curve, I very much like the design of the C600, for attention to detail notice how the Orange logo has been extended at its top right corner so that, as it bends with the corner of the device, the logo appears square to the eye.

The joystick aside, the keys feel slightly more raised on the C600 when compared to the C500, they are easier to depress which, at first, can result in unwanted characters being selected however, as is the case with every new phone its all a matter of growing accustomed to the feel of the device, this didn't take long.

On its base the C600 features a mini USB socket for synchronisation and a 2.5mm headphone socket which provides both hands free and headphone functionality. The sides offer keys to alter earpiece volume, start the phone's camera and voice notes programs as always and the top houses the power switch as well as the loudspeaker. This layout is common with the C500 as you would expect of an evolutionary device.

Orange SPV C600 Review

As is the case with the C550, the C600 houses a 240x320 QVGA screen which eclipses that of the C500, you'll wonder how you got by with the C500 when you see it! The Orange homescreen is present as always, it works well but can be changed easily if you so wish.

A screen with a higher resolution provides a superior reading solution however, until many developers catch up, the change paired with the upgrade in operating system will undoubtedly cause compatibility issues. Luckily most developers are releasing Windows Mobile 5 compatible versions of their software with QVGA support so time will solve the majority of people's fears with regard to this problem.

Windows Mobile 5 requires Active sync 4, version 4.1 of which is now available directly from Microsoft (see here). Synchronisation is seamless as always with the supplied USB wire and Bluetooth synchronisation is also a possibility for a wireless connection to your PC.

The integrated camera takes stills at 1.3 MegaPixel quality which is fine for snaps but won't replace your digital camera, the stills are of a good enough quality to print assuming you have the correct lighting conditions, unfortunately without a flash, photographs in the dark are beyond the capability of the C600.

The C600 also records videos at a resolution of 176x144 at best in MPEG-4, H.263, and AVI which should keep the vast majority of user’s happy, duration being limited only by the amount of storage that you have available; this is great for capturing those embarrassing moments!

The headphones supplied with the C600 are of the same style as those that came bundled with the C500, they do their job sufficiently, doubling as both headphones and a hands free kit. Music played in Windows Media Player can be set to pause when you making and receive calls too which is a great function, especially when you consider that it starts up again upon completion of the call! This is something that has bee available on Smartphones for a while now but it’s still a great selling point.

The phone features a miniSD card slot which is essential for storing extra files, whether they be audio (MP3s, WMAs etc) videos (DivX, MPEG etc) or anything else besides! Other than multimedia files I use my memory card to store games, applications and satellite navigation software, having all of this in one smaller than average mobile phone is always both fun and useful.

Unfortunately the SPV C600 doesn’t have WiFi, it’s evident that it was a possibility; the gap in the very useful Communications Management program is proof of that. In the USA the Cingular 2125 is a very similar phone, the major difference being the lump at the top and the inclusion of WiFi (the lump being an aerial). I guess we can be thankful that the lump isn’t present on the C600 however WiFi would have been superb.

Another missing feature is 3G connectivity; I’d have loved to have put my new 3G SIM to the test however the C600 was never going to be a video calling device so I guess we’ll still have to wait for a 3G Smartphone. To clarify, a 3G SIM does work in the C600 however it doesn’t work at 3G speeds, it simply runs at 2.5G speeds when accessing the Internet etc. Whilst I’m talking about the Internet, Pocket Internet Explorer (PIE) runs in full screen mode in Windows Mobile 5 which is a huge improvement as the utilisation of as much screen space as possible is essential on a mobile device.

Windows Mobile 5 features a 9 item menu which is easier on the eye than the old list view; each position on the menu corresponds to a numbered key on the keypad too which can save you a lot of time scrolling.

To conclude, the Orange SPV C600 is an evolutionary device that takes another step towards the perfect Windows Mobile Smartphone, in my opinion all that is lacking is the inclusion of WiFi and 3G connectivity, were these two things present this phone would be wining awards left right and centre. As it is the SPV C600 is a pretty great phone, with each evolutionary step comes a more robust Operating System, set of applications and improved hardware, to be honest there’s little doubt that the C600 will be present in “best buy” lists for the foreseeable future and justifiably so. Given a choice of any Smartphone on the market at present the C600 comes top of my list and I won’t be alone in this choice, head down to your local Orange retail store and try it for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

The Orange SPV C600 is available from Orange retail stores and via the Orange website from £0, how can you argue with that?! Click here to get your hands on one.