Motorola E680

It's without doubt that mobile phones are increasingly becoming sophisticated with integrated cameras and music players. Now, Motorola ups the ante and takes a stab at the portable media centers with the Linux-based E680. Does it have enough "oomph" to outshine the competition?

Design
Physically, this slate-like mobile resembles a handheld as a large 240 x 320-pixel, 65K-color TFT dominates the front. While it lacks a conventional keypad, the touch-sensitive screen lets you navigate intuitively by tapping on it. The digitizer used is adequately sensitive and poses no issues registering our taps. Touted as an entertainment device, Motorola has included an eight-way direction pad in a bid to enhance navigation and gaming experience. While the horizontal screen orientation is great for games, veteran gamers will be peeved as the navigation pad is a little stiff for optimum results.

Despite the streamlined outlook, this device has an arsenal of seven quick access buttons, of which only two are properly labeled. Therefore, differentiating the various functions can be mind-boggling. Motorola chose to lodge the stylus silo at the bottom of the unit which results in some inconvenience. To worsen matters, the telescopic stylus provided is too short to wield comfortably.

As with most camera-toting mobiles, the E680 has its lens and self-portrait mirror housed at the back of the unit.

Features
Although the E680 doesn't score high in the aesthetic department, it more than makes up with a plethora of gadgetry goodness. This media-savvy E680 pumps out impressive audio with the stereo speakers located at the back. Similar to the earlier E398, this device supports 3D sound for that added kick. Even in a rowdy room or train, we had no trouble noticing an incoming call.

Putting the speakers to good use, Motorola packs in a MP3 player and FM tuner. Unfortunately, there isn't an equalizer to tweak the sound to your preference. In addition to music, the company has gone the distance and added MPEG-4 video as well as Real media support to entertain users on-the-go. Make sure clips are formatted for the small screen else they may appear choppy during playback.

With newer camera-phones toting megapixel resolutions, it's disappointing for the E680 to sport a lackluster VGA sensor. However, this video-capable phone records in 3GP format and has enough tweaks to keep casual shutterbugs pleased. When tested, white balance was spot-on in most instances.

Memory-wise, the E680 comes with a generous 50MB internal memory. Supplementing this is an onboard SD/MMC expansion slot that lets you store up to 1GB of music and videos.

But the E680 is not all about having fun with multimedia and 3D games. This triband device packs a fair amount of horsepower for serious users. Mobile professionals can stay connected while traveling with the email client. Plus, the PIM functionality lets you have crucial contacts and appointments in hand.

Sporting Bluetooth and USB connectivity, connecting to the desktop is easy. It's worth noting the ease of sharing media. Users can exchange files with other devices via Bluetooth or infrared effortlessly. As a bonus, this mobile can function as a storage device similar to PalmOne's Tungsten T5 handheld.

Reception And Battery Life
During the review period, we encountered no issues with reception or voice clarity and the speakerphone was adequately loud.

The supplied 780mAh Lithium-ion cell proved good for about two days of moderate use. But if you intend to utilize the phone's multimedia functions, daily recharging is expected. When we looped music repeatedly with the antenna on, the E680 delivered slightly over 7 hours of playback, a far cry from the Sony Ericsson S700i's 17-hour feat.

Conclusion
With its Swiss Army Knife approach, the E680 should appeal to both multimedia enthusiasts and business users. It will doubtless face stiff competition from Nokia 7710 and the current crop of PDA-phones. However, its strong multimedia feature set and pocket size will certainly please many.

The Motorola E680 will be available from mid-November at S$838 (US$616.98) with a two-year plan and S$988 (US$727.42) without.