Our review of the Geeks'Phone ONE - Page 2 of 5

Core Functions

the ONE

While using the Geeks’Phone ONE, I was impressed by the general overall call quality, with and without 3G turned on via the Android settings. It is surprising to me how even some higher-end devices can offer you the world in terms of features, but overlook some basic aspects such as call quality. There was no noticeable difference with the call quality on my ONE compared to my landline, when at home. Furthermore, the ONE obtained a solid signal for voice calls, including in some pretty large buildings. A number of different devices with the same SIM card cannot boast the same results. Unfortunately, at times the 3G connectivity was marginally weaker than other devices I have used with the same network operator and SIM card. It goes without saying that I experienced no dropped calls while using the ONE.

The device’s 1100mAh battery offered enough juice to keep the ONE ticking over for about two days of heavy use. Alternatively, it lasts a lot longer when left to handle just calls and general use. If you plan on using GPS and 3G data connectivity with push-email throughout the day, you can expect the device to last closer to 24 hours. In terms of data connectivity, the ONE supports HSDPA downoads at 7.2Mbps and HSUPA uploads at 5.7Mbps, when used on networks that support those speeds.

As you might expect, the Android contact manager is the first port of call for managing your contact details on the ONE. Similarly, it performs great. Unlike the Hero, you are unable to search for contacts from a hardware key, but you can of course start typing from the home screen and that will begin to narrow down your options. As with other Android devices, you can add favourite contacts and a myriad of contact data for each one. On my version of the ONE, there was SmartDial installed, which may prove useful if it ships on the retail version.

Geeks’Phone ONE offers an odd jog switch button for lowering or increasing the general ring volume on the device. This switch is found on the right face of the device. If you push it far enough down, it moved into a semi-locked position, which silences the device. Obviously a vibration alert can be enabled in this situation. As with other Android devices, you are able to set your own custom ringtone very easily, although the stock options are a little thin.

My copy of the ONE had been passed around a little bit prior to arriving at my desk. It was not entirely clear to me what applications will be shipping with the device, but after some digging, I turned up the following list; Notepad, GDocs, Cleanoid, , Ebuddy, iMusic, RMaps, GPS Waypoint Tracker, Shazam (music-tagging), GeekStore, Java J2ME Virtual Machine, Bluetooth File Transfer, Bluetooth A2DP Driver, Range+ Enhanced Wireless Driver, SlideType. My favorite is eBuddy. This application supports a myriad of instant messaging clients, including MSN, Yahoo!, and AIM. Text messages were organised in a simple to follow threaded routine, whereby previous messages are displayed above one another in a chronological fashion. It goes without saying that the usual IMAP/POP support is available via the Android OS, but if you would like exchange support, Dataviz RoadSync is included for free. We really like this addition.

The data speeds achieved by the ONE were variable, but comparable to other devices such as the Hero. I would not go so far as to say that it performed as well as the Samsung m900 Moment, although we do not have any analogous speeds figures in order to make the comparison. WiFi connectivity is also available, and this was a seamless process thanks to Android OS, along with the WiFI hardware the device offers. Furthermore, the ONE works with Bluetooth stereo headphones as well as headsets.

Physical Aspects – Multimedia / Apps – UI / Conclusion – Gallery

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Our review of the Geeks’Phone ONE

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