Motorola Surf A3100

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It has been a long time since Motorola has made a touchscreen Windows Mobile handset. There was the dual-hinge MPx300 announced in 2004 but that model was canceled after a limited release in a few Asian countries and can be considered a rarity these days. Today, we have the Motorola Surf A3100. Though it isn't an attention grabber like the MPx300, at least it is available now at S$638 without operator subsidies.

Design

First announced at CES in January, the A3100 does not have a physical keypad. While some may balk at the liberal use of curves on this model, it's actually a refreshing departure from all the predominantly black or silver devices with straight edges. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but will be a good option for those bored with the more serious-looking phones.

While the A3100's shape and size may not garner universal approval, the use of materials is definitely top-notch. The bezel surrounding the front has a shiny metallic finish, while the back is constructed out of matte metallic material. Though the device isn't exactly light at 120g, the build quality is excellent.

Notice the trackball below the screen.
(Click for larger image)

Below the screen display is a trackball in the center and the Call and Hang up keys. There are no physical softkeys, so getting to contextual menus will require you to touch the bottom part of the screen. The trackball is similar to what you find in many BlackBerry devices. This navigational tool worked fine for the most part and acts as a selector when depressed. Though you can adjust the sensitivity in the settings, we found it not as responsive as BlackBerry's implementation. Also, given the available space below the panel, it would have been great if Motorola gave us an OK key, too, just so we don't have to keep moving our thumb up to the top-right corner to get out of menus and applications.

A power button sits on the top-left corner of the device, one that is unnecessarily tiny which made turning the set on difficult at times. On the left, you have dedicated volume controls, and on the right, a camera shortcut.

The A3100 comes with a microSD card slot found behind the battery cover. Swapping cards does not require you to remove the battery, so that's good. Syncing is done using a micro-USB port on the left edge. While some may lament the use of micro- rather than mini-USB, we don't find it a big deal because the industry will be transitioning to micro-USB and it will be pretty common soon.

Music lovers will be overjoyed to know that there is a dedicated audio port on the A3100 of the 3.5mm variety. This means you will be able use your favorite headphones without having to mess with adapters.

A 3-megapixel camera is found on the back and this comes with autofocus and an LED for lighting up darkly lit subjects. There is also a VGA camera on the front, above the screen, for making video calls.

Tags: Light-emitting Diode, Motorola Inc., RIM BlackBerry, Camera, mini-USB

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