The MWG Zinc II smartphone is the follow up to the O2 Xda Zinc. Aesthetically, the device is similar in size to other smartphones (59 x 109.5 x 17.5mm) and has a large 2.8″ TFT touchscreen. The phone weighs 185g and has a slide-out QWERTY style keyboard. For ease of input, the phone has a nice solid feel, with a nice slider action for the keyboard, but you can certainly feel the difference in weight from a standard mobile phone.
The phone comes with an impressive range of features, most notably the 500 MHz Samsung processor, which is more than capable of running Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional. We were surprised that the 64MB of installed RAM did not slow down the operating system, and indeed we found the phone capable of running multiple programs in parallel. The phone comes with 256 MB of internal memory and also has an expansion slot for microSD cards.
Unlike many smartphones, the phone comes with a mini slide-out QWERTY keyboard that makes interacting with Microsoft Office Outlook and other mobile office software somewhat easier than phones with standard keyboards or just touch screens for data entry. Although the Zinc II also comes with a 2.8″ QVGA TFT touch panel and stylus for easy navigation and data entry, which we found to be very responsive.
The phone is quad band, which means it will work on any network in the world and is fully compatible with 3G networks (tested on three). Data transfer over 3G networks with the phone is up to 3.6 Mbps.
The MWG Zinc II also comes with 802.11b+g WiFi connectivity (for connection to wireless routers and access points), Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (the latest Bluetooth standard for fast and secure data transfer) and also has Built-in SiRF III GPS for use with navigation. software like Tomtom or Google Maps, which we found to be responsive and accurate when used with Google Maps.
The only real drawback to the MWG Zinc II is the 2.0-megapixel camera, which is much lower than other smartphones where the standard is becoming 5.0-megapixel.
Even with all these features, the MWG smartphone battery is apparently capable of maintaining a standby time of up to 260 hours and a talk time of up to 6 hours.
The Zinc II is capable of receiving stereo sound through built-in speakers at reasonable quality, and a stereo headset is also included for more personal audio or video playback. The smartphone also comes with a power supply with interchangeable plug adapters for a variety of countries around the world (great for travel).
All in all, if you need a good quality smartphone, with all Windows Mobile 6 Professional features and you are not so interested in camera or video quality, the phone will definitely fit your needs. It can be purchased from Expansys UK, for £349.99 (including a £50 cashback offer) or free on select T-mobile and 02 contracts.
