HTC Qtek P3300
HTC Phone
As a general rule, today’s PPCs tend to target the business user. As such, PDA’s usually have a rather brick’ish look about them, and therefore have, with few exceptions, stayed there. The recent notable devices that have a rather stylish look about them include the I-mate Smartflip, Blackberry ‘Pearl’, and most notable the HTC P3300, based on the Artemis platform. And, while its sleek form factor, gunmetal grey coloring, and lightweight footprint are certainly nothing to sneeze at, the P3300 brings more to the table than simply looks, including some unique technologies (at least for a PDA).
Chief among the interesting features of the P3300 are its unique trackball/jog-wheel system. The jog wheel, new to PPC’s, is an interesting addition, allowing you to rapidly navigate emails, menus, and web pages. The trackball on the unit functions in two completely different modes. The default mode simply allows the user to scroll through menus etc., in much the same way as the wheel. The other mode, called ‘mouse mode’, actually adds a cursor to the screen, and allows the user to navigate the screen, and click on any object by depressing the ball.
Although only sporting a 200Mhz processor, the Artemis performed well at the majority of tasks. Accessing contacts, scrolling through emails, running 3rd party applications were easy and quick, with no stalling or freezing. And, the EDGE-enabled internet access was satisfactory for basic web-browsing and email retrieval.
As a phone, the P3300 is an above average PPC phone. Call quality is excellent, with parties on the receiving end hearing me neither especially clear nor particularly fuzzy. Dialing is very simple through the Pocket PC dial-pad interface, or via the built-in voice command software. Scrolling through a large number of contacts is quick and easy using the jog-wheel system.
The HTC P3300 comes with Bluetooth 1.2, with the A2DP support for streaming stereo sound to your headset. Although pairing the P3300 with headsets is quite easy, and bluetooth voice calls sound clear and crisp.
One of the best features of the Artemis is the integrated GPS. With a built in GPS Sirf-Star III chipset, navigation was seamless. The unit comes bundled with TomTom 6, and included in your purchase is the ability to download one free city-map. Additionally, there is an external antenna port on the back of the unit which enables you to achieve better satellite reception.
The camera has a 2MP resolution, and boasts HTC’s new camera UI (introduced on the TyTN), with more options than ever before. Pictures came out clean and clear, and taking videos was a snap. While the integrated camera will not replace your Nikon, it sure is handy, and actually quite effective.
The HTC P3300 is an excellent product. While not for everybody, it really combines many desired features in one simple and elegant device. For many people, a keyboard or a faster processor is a necessity, and this device will not fit the bill. However, for those of us who are tired of lugging around chargers, cables, GPS kits, bluetooth mice, or an oversized PDA Phone, the HTC P3300 is just excellent product!
