Overview
This is the first CDMA phone that I have come
to review since the system was introduced into Australia. As GSM handsets have provided us with increasing number of
available applications and practical uses, most of us have become comfortable
with the situation. Considering
upgrading or changing over to CDMA may be an issue if we had more than one
mobile number and wanted to take our mobile handsets overseas to roam.
But one thing’s for sure – and that is the ease of trying to use one of
these CDMA handsets. Most of you
would also agree that GSM handsets have become very hard to use – especially
those that contain an endless list of features that we may never get to use.
A primary function of a mobile phone is to enable its user to make a
phone call when required – and CDMA phones simply does just that!
I have come across many GSM phones over the years – and I must say that trying
to work out how to use the small and lightweight Hyundai HGC-610E was a breeze.
Once the phone was turned on, it logged onto the Orange network
automatically. The 4-line display,
slightly larger than that of a typical Nokia display, was easy to read with a
larger-than-usual sized text. The
display is located on the phone’s top-flip side – similar to that of the
Motorola v-dot series phones.
Navigating the phone was also made simple thanks to simple user-friendly icons
& indicators, and menu and function descriptions.
So finding a specific function, like changing the ring tone, did not
require much effort – but just a simple understanding that you need to change
the type of ring tone from the menus :)
On top of having the ability of up to ten speed dials (one for each numeric
digit), operations such as adjusting the ringer level can be made by accessing
the volume buttons on the left-hand side of the phone while having the flip open
and not in a call. Accessing the
messages menu simply requires a user to press the right function key whilst in
the main screen – something like a hot key.
| "The
sound quality is crisp and comparable to a land line."
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The phone also features
text messaging which, surprisingly, allows a user to send to users with a GSM
mobile phone and not being restricted to the CDMA network.
The T9 input method also helps makes typing messages a breeze (I was
actually surprised to find this feature available on a CDMA phone).
But one restriction of sending and receiving short messages via a CDMA
phone is the 120-character restriction imposed on each message.
On GSM phones, the maximum number of characters per message is 160.
The HGC-610E also features WAP. Browsing on the Orange site using WAP over CDMA felt faster
than on a GSM phone. This was
especially apparent when it came for loading a series of pages within a short
space of time.
Call quality was average when compared to a typical GSM service – where sound
quality is crisp and comparable to a land line.
Average talk and standby times on a single battery were not all that pleasing.
I was only able to get around 3 days standby with minimal talking on the
phone. Charging the phone’s
lithium ion battery to full capacity, according to the manufacturer’s
specification, needed approximately 300 minutes (or five hours) – meaning that
it would be wise for you to put the phone into charge every night before going
to bed. Maybe getting an extra
battery is a good idea after all – since the sales package comes with a
charging stand allowing for batteries to be charged without the need of a
phone.
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Overview (Page 1)
