Motorola E680i

Design
While it is clear that more could have been done to improve the blocky design of its E680 predecessor, Motorola has decided to stick with the exact same look, dimensions and weight for the E680i, which is quite a surprise for many considering they have had more ergonomically designed offerings such as the RAZR V3. On the plus side, measuring 109 x 53.8 x 20.5mm and weighing 133g, the E680i maintains a relatively small frame for a feature-packed PDA-phone.

The 320 x 240-pixel, 65K-color TFT touch screen may not be as impressive as the 640 x 320-pixel screen of the Nokia 7710, but it is very bright and offers a crisp display. For most applications, it is almost unavoidable for users to utilize the touch screen since there are no onboard keyboard or number pad.

The E680i boasts an eight-way direction pad and gaming keys which, when held in landscape position, are similar to what you find on most game controllers today where the buttons are within easy reach of the thumbs and index fingers. Unfortunately, stiff buttons, lack of clear labelling for some of the quick access keys and the unusual placement of the stylus at the bottom of the device can take a little getting used to.

Features
Once again, this area is where this triband (GSM 1800/1900/900) phone stands out. Touted as an entertainment mobile, the E680i falls somewhere between the Nokia N-Gage QD game-phone and the business-oriented Nokia 7710.

With expandable Java support, full landscape viewing option, simultaneous key-press capability, 3D sound engine and stereo speakers as well as vibration effects, this handset is clearly built to provide an enriching multimedia experience, be it for gaming, watching MPEG-4 videos on RealPlayer, listening to MP3s or utilizing the FM tuner. You can further enhance this experience by purchasing the complementary wireless Bluetooth stereo headset.

The E680i packs all the standard PIM functions you will find in most PDA-phones, from a calendar organizer to voice recording to an email client, thus making it a fairly decent mobile office tool. With GPRS Class 10, WAP 2.0, an internal modem, Bluetooth and USB functionality, you can easily stay connected anytime, anywhere. The infrared port, which is fast becoming obsolete, has been removed. As with the E680, it can also function as a portable storage device.

Another major improvement from its predecessor is the increase in expandable memory support. The previous 1GB limitation for the onboard SD/MMC expansion slot has been doubled, although it should be noted that internal storage for the E680i stays at a paltry 50MB.

The most disappointing feature would be the VGA camera. Although it is able to record videos in the 3GP format and has 8x digital zoom, its low resolution somewhat pales in comparison to the standard megapixel camera found on most phones today.

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 lasted for about 1.5 days of moderate use. Do expect to charge the battery more regularly if you intend to frequently use the phone's multimedia and gaming functions.

The highest SAR value for this handset is 0.59W/kg, which meets international guidelines for exposure to radio waves.

Design
Conclusion Despite several key improvements over its predecessor model, the E680i is clearly not Motorola's best effort. Having said that, the phone will still appeal to PDA-phone enthusiasts looking for a device with strong multimedia, gaming and PIM functions.

The Motorola E680i is available at S$588 (US$353.26) with a two-year plan and S$738 (US$443.38) without.