Orange SPV M5000
November 18th, 2005 - Posted in Other
First came the silver T-Mobile MDA Pro, then O2’s jet black XDA Exec; as Orange’s SPV M5000 makes its debut in charcoal, Europe’s largest mobile network operators - sans Vodafone - all peddle their own twist on a device originally known as the HTC Universal. Naturally, their shared heritage means they also share common traits - which is why they Orange SPV M5000, although powerful and with connectivity options up the wazoo, still conjures intermittent fits of frustration as WAN issues rear their ugly head.
Grey is the new black
At 128 x 81 x 25 mm and a 285 g, the Orange SPV M5000 outmeasures and outweighs even heavyweights such as Nokia’s 9500 Communicator, yet remains surprisingly pocket friendly. Borrowing a page from the world of tablet convertibles, the device not only opens to become a clamshell; its screen half also swivels 180 degrees and closes to allow for tablet mode operation, with phone functionality not only preserved in both of these modes but also when closed.
Buttons sprout from every corner of the SPV M5000, allowing for quick access to important functions. It takes a bit of practice to open the device in clamshell mode without accidentally pressing one or two of them, but apart from this we’re as pleased with the buttons as we are with the sturdy, angular stylus; the large, dual alert LEDs and the front-mounted Infrared port. On the note of audio, we find - expectedly tinny - dual stereo speakers mounted in front, as well as a 3.5 mm earphone jack mounted in back - a bit impractical for pocket use.
The 1.3 Megapixel camera on the back of the M5000 takes decent pictures, but does not quite measure up to the likes of recent handsets; still, it trumps any other communicator on the market but for the MDA Pro and XDA Exec, although we have to say that the LED flash is more of a gimmick than anything else.
Review by Info Sync World