Panasonic X200

We all know how many runway models look almost anorexic to the point that a little gust of wind would blow them off their feet. Seemingly inspired, the Panasonic X200 is wafer-thin but equally gorgeous. Unfortunately beauty is often skin-deep and this candy bar isn’t quite as sweet as it looks.

Design
The first thing that strikes you about the X200 is how slim the handset is. At 12.9mm, it is even thinner than the Motorola V3 when closed and its predecessor, the Panasonic X400. The test unit we reviewed comes decked in black with a stylish silver finish while the external loop antenna is reminiscent of the Sony Ericsson Z200. The build quality is excellent and the 86g mobile feels comfortable in the palm of your hand. Alas, the facade doubles as a fingerprint magnet much like the classic Sony Ericsson T610. Users who are particular about this may wish to keep a cleaning cloth handy. Overall though, Panasonic has definitely produced a looker with this model.

Like the X400, the X200 is equipped with a 128 x 128-pixel TFT screen which is a tad small for comfortable viewing. That said, wallpapers, pictures and icons look vibrant and vivid on the 65K-color display.

The conventional keypad is flushed with the surface of the handset to maintain the thin, wafer-like image of the X200. This gives the buttons a less tactile feel but doesn’t adversely affect user operation of the phone.

Features
The functionality of the X200 is identical to the Panasonic X400. Like its clamshell counterpart, the X200’s menu system consists of a nine-icon grid layout which permits the user to select functions using the corresponding numerical buttons. The ability to access six customizable shortcuts by pressing the up direction on the circular keypad is a nice touch. When creating a new message, MMS shows up as the default menu selection which is slightly inconvenient since SMS is the more common form. Included is T9 predictive input as well as support for Chinese and Malay languages. However, characters do not appear as quickly as pressed which may frustrate people with speedy thumbs.

One drawback to the X200 is its dualband capability. GPRS support is available for the occasional WAP surfing but the small display dampens the whole experience. Strangely, the calendar function serves solely as a reference since it does not allow for note-taking.

In terms of multimedia capabilities, the X200 comes with a built-in VGA camera which captures still images with minimal shutter lag. Picture quality is fairly decent, if unspectacular, while tweaking options are limited to changing twilight mode, anti-flicker setting and image size. The 16-chord polyphonic ringtones inevitably sound dated when compared to the 40-chord melodies available in most handsets today. Also, FM radio is not available in the X200.

Reception, Battery Life And SAR
We had no problems with voice clarity but the X200 occasionally dropped the network signal when inside an underground train station. Also, the 600mAh Lithium-ion lasted only two days which is slightly disappointing considering the X400 used the same battery but managed about three days.

The highest Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value recorded for this model was 0.784W/kg, which meets international requirements concerning exposure to radio waves.

Conclusion
The X200 currently retails for S$368 (US$270.94) with a two-year plan and S$518 (US$381.38) without contract. Users looking for a good-looking, stylish phone with decent camera capabilities may find this Panasonic offering irresistible, but look elsewhere if you need triband support and long battery life.