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By Damian Koh
Mar 02, 2007

The Xda Zinc is O2's answer to a touchscreen handheld with a QWERTY keyboard. It's not for everyone, though, as you can tell by its size--you couldn't put in your shirt pocket without feeling the weight. Features-wise, mobile professionals who frequently edit Office documents will find the keyboard a godsend, while there are others who will probably be content with just a numeric keypad, sans the bulk. Although the Xda Zinc retails at S$1,298 (US$853.95), S$100 (US$65.79) more affordable than the Dopod 838 Pro, you give up on certain feature, such as HSDPA connectivity and BlackBerry Connect.

Design
At 109 x 58 x 22.6mm and 175g, O2's Xda Zinc is about the same size and weight as the Dopod 838 Pro. Side-by-side, the curvaceous Dopod is undeniably sexier dressed in black-and-silver compared with the matte-gray casing and silver trimmings on the O2. But other than the QWERTY keyboard that slides out from beneath, which is about all that's similar on the two handhelds, both Windows Mobile 5.0 devices are, in fact, not quite the same.

At a cursory glance, we find more dedicated buttons on the Dopod that provide quick access to frequently used applications for surfing the Web, managing wireless connections, reading messages and voice dialing. But the O2 is not without its merits, either. There's a Hold switch on the left edge and the individual keys on the QWERTY keyboard are larger with slightly better tactile feedback, although some may prefer the softer pitch from typing on the 838 Pro. Over at the back of the unit you'll find a 2-megapixel camera with self-portrait mirror, LED strobe flash and onboard speakers.

What we didn't fancy was the location of the two soft buttons on the keyboard that eat into the W, E, U and I keys. Chances are you'll end up with unwanted keypresses, more so if you are a hasty typist or typing while on a moving train. When you slide out the keyboard, the screen switches to landscape orientation almost immediately. Unlike the slimmer Xda Atom Life, the 2.8-inch LCD on the Zinc has a wider viewing angle, so your friends beside you would be able to watch the latest video clip without having to peer over your shoulder.

In our hands, the QWERTY keyboard was easy to use and lit up adequately for typing in dim light. Larger keys also meant our thumbs had to maneuver a longer horizontal distance which took a little bit of getting used to. If we had our way, we'd have preferred a little more room between each individual key. Overall handling felt very solid, though it would have been better if the keyboard slid out and locked into position more smoothly.

The Xda Zinc charges and synchronizes with the PC via a standard mini-USB port, but falls short with a 2.5mm audio jack (considering its size, there certainly appears to be enough room for a 3.5mm port) which is incompatible with most standard earphones. So you're stuck with the bundled stereo wired headset with microphone unless you purchase an adapter.

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