Dopod S300

By Jessica Dolcourt, CNET.com
Dec 25, 2006

Smart phones have come a long way in terms of design and form factor. You're no longer restricted to carrying around bricks for phones and instead have a choice of sleek, sexy numbers like the Motorola Q, Samsung SGH-i320N and the RIM BlackBerry Pearl. Yet, smart phones are limited in that they all sport a candy-bar-style form factor--that is, until now. Today, Dopod's S300 (a.k.a. HTC StrTrk) is one of the first Windows Mobile 5.0 smart phone to rock a sleek clamshell design. To sweeten the deal, it carries a very reasonable price tag of S$98 (US$70.70) with a contract. Overall, we like the new look, though there's a period of acclimation and some quirks, such as small side keys and an inconveniently located expansion slot. Feature-wise, there's nothing really new here. However, for flip phone fanatics who want that Windows Mobile functionality, the Dopod S300 is a solid choice--actually, it's your only choice.

Design
We have mixed feelings about the Dopod S300's design. While we're fans of the clamshell form factor and its slim profile (98.5 x 51.4 x 15.8 mm; 99g), this isn't the most attractive handset we've seen, and it's a bit long in its closed and opened state. The former is not a problem if you slip it into a purse, but a couple of guys complained to us about the length of the phone as it stuck out of their jeans pocket. Also, when held up to the ear for phone calls, the mouthpiece extends down quite a bit. That said, we commend the thinness of the smart phone (à la the Motorola Razr) and to be fair, we grew to like it more as we got acclimated to the design.

On the front flap is a 1.2-inch LCD that garnered a lot of oohs and aahs from passersby, thanks to its sharp 128x128-pixel resolution and the cool blue font, which offers a nice contrast against the phone's black casing. The screen shows off all the basic info, such as date, time, network strength, and battery life, and we really like that you can change the wallpaper and backlight time-out. When the music player is activated, the external screen will show you the track title, artist, song length, and volume. Conveniently, just below the screen, you also have music player controls, including track forward, track back, and play/stop. Above the display is the Dopod S300's camera lens, but disappointingly, there's no flash or self-portrait mirror, though you can use the external display for the latter.

A button on the right side of the phone activates the camera. However, this sliver of a control occupies the top, thinner half of the flap, making it hard to find and press by feel. The same problem exists on the left spine, where you will find the voice recorder button and volume up/down keys. We really had a hard time adjusting the audio levels during phone calls and often had to pull the handset away from our face to find the controls; it's even worse when you hold the mobile in your right hand as you have to use your index finger to manipulate the buttons, which seems a bit unnatural when compared to using your thumbs.

There's some redemption when you open the Dopod S300 and are presented with a beautiful internal screen and a spacious keypad. The TFT LCD measures 2.2 inches diagonally and boasts a sharp, 240x320-pixel resolution. Colors are bright, and text and images are extrasharp. Like all devices running Windows Mobile Smartphone Edition, the S300 does not have a touch screen. Rather, you navigate the menus and enter commands via the controls below the display. You have two soft keys, talk and end buttons, a home page shortcut, a back button, a five-way navigation control, and a numerical dial pad. Like the phone itself, the style of the keypad reminds us of the Motorola Razr with its flat design and laser-cut look. The buttons were easy to press and the numerical dial pad was particularly roomy, so even users with larger fingers shouldn't have a problem. That said, the lack of a QWERTY keyboard makes the S300 better for viewing e-mail rather than sending it.

The Dopod S300 does have a microSD expansion slot, but it's inconveniently located behind the battery cover and the SIM card. We're already irked that we have to remove the battery cover, but having to go through two hoops to access the expansion slot is truly a hassle. Finishing out the S300's design elements is a power/USB cable connector on the lower right side, as well as two small LEDs on the lower-left corner of the front cover that blink different colors for network status (green), Bluetooth (blue), and battery status (orange).

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