| Smallest GPS-equipped phone ever? |
May 16, 2008
 Asus has released a new Windows Mobile 6.1 phone it claims to be the smallest ever with GPS. With a height of 3.9 inches, the P320 includes a 2.6-inch display, two megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g wireless, and a variety of software add-ons, the company says.
We do not keep formal track of the stats, but the P320 definitely seems to be one of the more pocketable smartphones. The 2.2 inch wide, half-inch thick device has a screen resolution of 320 x 240 (QVGA).
The Asus P320 fits GPS into a small body
Not surprisingly, Asus had no room for a QWERTY keyboard, but the P320 does feature a five-way controller, plus the array of buttons expected on a Windows Mobile phone: start, ok, pickup, and hangup keys, plus the usual two matched to the menus at the bottom of the screen. Unlike some models, the P320 also has a lock/unlock switch on the side.
The P320 provides quad-band (800/900/1800/1900) GSM connectivity, with GRPS data mode. As touted, it also includes GPS, courtesy of an unstated chipset, while additional wireless interfaces include 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth. Maps and other data can be brought to the phone via its side-mounted microSD slot.
Asus has employed a 201MHz TI OMAP 850, along with 64MB of RAM and 128MB of flash. The device also includes a two megapixel digital camera, Mini USB port, a 2.5mm headset connector, and an 1100mAh lithium-ion battery.
The P320's relatively slow processor and stingy RAM complement might not be for "power users," but Asus sugar-coats that pill with its typical bevy of software add-ons. In addition to all the standard capabilities of Windows Mobile 6.1, Asus has included an enhanced Today screen, featuring a scrolling ticker of recent emails, SMS messages, and RSS headlines delivered via the bundled Newstation tool.
Like other recent Asus phones, from the ritzy Asus-Lamborghini ZX1 to the dual-display M830, the P320 also comes with proprietary voice command, call filtering, and program launching utilities. An application called Auto Cleaner optionally ensures that when a program is shut down by clicking on the X in the top right of its window, it's actually removed from memory. Unlike desktop editions of Windows, Windows Mobile does not normally do this.
Features and specifications listed by Asus for the P320 include:- Processor -- TI OMAP850 clocked at 201MHz
- Memory -- 64MB of RAM and 128MB of flash
- Display -- 2.6-inch touchscreen display, with 320 x 240 resolution
- Camera -- 2 megapixel
- Wireless:
- WAN -- quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) GSM, with GPRS/EDGE
- LAN -- 802.11b/g
- PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- Other I/O:
- Expansion -- microSD slot
- Dimensions -- 3.9 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches
- Weight -- 3.7 ounces
- Battery -- 1100mAH lithium-ion, life not quoted
Asus did not list pricing or availability information for the P320, but the device appears to be on sale now.
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