BenQ P50

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Connectivity seems to be the key word for BenQ's latest PDA-phone, the P50. Like the O2 Xda IIs, the P50 offers infrared and Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. It also comes with quadband GSM support (GSM850/900/1800/1900), making it great for globetrotters. Add to that an onboard QWERTY keyboard and 1.3-megapixel camera, and you've one of the most feature-packed handhelds in the market today.

Editors' note:

The S$1,088 (US$784.26) price stated above does not include the 5 percent Goods And Services Tax which is applicable for purchases in Singapore.

Design
The BenQ P50 is a hulking grey beast that weighs in at 170g. Not too heavy considering the myriad of features embedded within, its brick-like design gives the impression that it is weightier than it seems. Most people we showed the P50 to found it a tad too bulky but liked the strong build quality. Many also agreed that the dark color casing added to the whole rugged, stain-resistant look and feel for the handheld. A nice touch on BenQ's part is surrounding the edge of the P50 with a strip of slip-resistant material, which provided us with a good grip on the PDA during use.

Even with a smaller width than most PDAs, the P50 offers the standard 320 x 240 QVGA display in its 2.8-inch TFT LCD screen. Also squeezed into the BenQ's narrow frame is an onboard QWERTY keyboard which forms the extended section of the handheld below the screen. The tiny buttons on the P50's keypad, similar to the ones found on the Treo 650, are so cramped that it's a pain to type text documents of considerable length. However, the rounded keys are generally responsive with enough tactile feedback to make it endurable.

	The tiny buttons are responsive but can be quite a pain to type for long periods of time (click for larger images)

We noticed some slight differences between the P50's keyboard layout and a standard QWERTY version. Commonly used items like the comma, period and exclamation keys seem to have switched positions for no apparent reason. However, practice does improve the typing experience marginally. The main telephony buttons are largish and prominent on the P50 and the quad-directional joystick is rather responsive though we rather prefer one with real estate for larger fingers.

We'd have expected the more common 3.5mm audio jack to come with the P50 given its large form factor, but BenQ has chosen to equip its PDA-phone with the smaller 2.5mm jack. Like most handhelds, the P50 comes with an integrated slot on the top right for the stylus. (An additional stylus is bundled in the standard package). BenQ has thoughtfully added hinged covers for the onboard Secure Digital (SD) card expansion slot below the keypad as well as the USB port and audio jack on the right edge of the device.

Features
BenQ justifies the P50's bulk with a full array of features meant for the globetrotting executive. Marrying Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with a quadband phone gives plenty in terms of connectivity though it falters with a lack of Push-mail applications. For data storage, the BenQ comes with 128MB of in-built memory, 64MB RAM and 64MB ROM. For expandability purposes, there is an SDIO/MMC slot which supports the 1.3-megapixel CMOS camera for video and picture files.

Using Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, the P50 allows for native aspect switching from portrait to landscape view which is good for surfing the Internet as well as video playback. Wi-Fi setup for the P50 was a simple matter of click and connect, and the onboard Intel PXA272 416MHz processor did not show signs of lag even when we had four different programs turned on at the same time.

Though we were not spectacularly impressed with the quality of the pictures, the built-in flash unit did help in churning out JPEGs in dimmer situations. The camera also allows for settings like white balance, brightness and multishot mode. The video camera mode permits unlimited recording time demarcated only by the size of memory card. In this case, BenQ recommends a higher-speed SD card for best results.

	The user interface of the bundled Remocon software (click for larger images)

Our review unit shipped with an interesting mix of programs like PocketStudio (a photo editor), Universal Remocon (a remote control software) and Cyberon Speech Commander. The Remocon comes with its own database of brand settings which enables the P50 to be recognized as the remote controller for almost any electronic device with infrared right out of the box. We tested this against most of the current range of televisions at the local hardware store and found the P50 to hit the sweet spot on most counts.

In quiet environments, the Speech Commander performed pretty decently with accurate readings of voice commands. We were delighted that it was not just about voice dialing, it also enabled voice activation of the programs in the P50. While the P50 is touted as one of the first few PDAs to ship with the Skype software, the application is readily available for anyone to download from the Web site.

Other accessories in the standard package include a earphone headset, screen protector film, cleaning cloth, leather case and USB hotsync cable.

Performance
The underpowered 1,240mAh battery means the P50 is good for only slightly more than a day's usage. Daily charging via the supplied travel adapter is a must, though the removable battery gives the user the option of carrying around an extra. Call quality was clear with the main unit during test runs, though the handsfree set left the other party straining to hear what we were trying to say.

During tests, the 262k-color LCD delivered sharp and crisp images, though we found the onboard speakers slightly lacking in volume range when viewing movies and listening to music. Looping a WMV file in full-screen mode with the backlight and sound set to medium, the P50 lasted all of 5 hours and 20 minutes.