Reviewed by Kinny Chen APR 2000 Phone Reviewed:  Panasonic GD90 with a "Pearl" colour casing. Being one of the less known brands on the GSM mobile market, Panasonic has begun to make some new ground with their latest model, the GD90.  With an overall weight of just 88 grams and a slim handset design, the dual band GD90 has a standby time of 95 hours, a talk time of 200 minutes, and is sized to fit comfortably in the hand, pocket or handbag. With the phone being priced under the $500 mark, it is definitely one that is worth getting!

Impressions - The Phone in the Hand On picking up the phone, the first surprise is the actual weight of the phone itself - followed by the special texture of the phone's finishing.  The finishing of the phone's exterior is different from any other phone that I have come across previously - which provided a unique "feel" towards further appreciation of what the phone has to offer.  The keys are also quite tactile. There are two choices of colours for the GD90 - navy blue and pearl.  I was using the latter for this review - but have used the former on occasion.  Personally, the pearl colour would be the only choice for me - as the navy blue delivers a totally different (negative) feel for me. Why Pearl?  One problem is with the "material" used for the finishing is that it takes fingerprints easily.  Where the colour is darker, the prints become more evident.  In the case of the pearl, prints are not visible unless you really put the phone right in front of you.  For the navy blue, the phone would have natural graffiti all over by the time that the phone has been handled numerous times. The size of the phone can be considered "perfect" - considering its overall weight and design.  Whilst waiting for incoming calls or text messages, the GD90 can be placed virtually anywhere that deems "fit" - whether it be the pocket of a tight pair of jeans, shirt, or inside a handbag.

On turning on the phone, the 5-line LCD lights up in a fluorescent green colour that is different from the normal "green" most find on mobile phones.  On the GD90, the lights for the keypad and the LCD are separated – with the LCD using a backlight similar to the "Indiglo" or Casio "G-Shock" watches.  This gives the user a clearer view of whats being displayed.  A choice of two backlight colours is available - green or amber. At the same time, one of the "minuses" of this phone is the difficulty in reading the LCD when the backlight is not active.  Even after setting the contrast of the LCD to its maximum, it is virtually impossible to read the display on an angle whilst being placed on a table with sufficient lighting. Having dimensions of 118 x 42 x 16.5mm (L x W x D) and a considerably ergonomic design, the phone comfortably fits the curvatures of the face providing painless, lengthy, conversations to the hands and ears.

Using the Phone's Menu System

The word "menu" was displayed on the lower right hand side of the LCD.  Being a Nokia fanatic, I went for the button right below that (referred to as the "key" from this point onwards) - which immediately bought up a list of the top-level functions available.  This key is similar to Nokia's "Navi-Key" that can be found on their 3210, 5110 and 3110 models. 

For convenience, the keyguard option was highlighted immediately whilst bringing up the menu.  Therefore, by pressing the "key" two more times (once more to select keyguard, and once again to confirm keyguard), it conveniently locked the keypad.  Unlocking it requires the user to press the "key" again twice.

Going through the menu system is somewhat a breeze.  By using the navigation key to move up and down (located right under the LCD), each menu item is easily accessed (and clearly defined) where each function only requires a press of the "key".  On some occasions, where functions may have a number of possible selections, the navigation key is used to access those selections by moving it left or right.  This concept is somewhat unusual at first – but is grasped over a short, but extensive usage, period.

Using the Phone for its Main Purpose - Making & Receiving Calls

With the EFR (Enhanced Full Rate) audio codec being included in most phones manufactured over the past two years, and available on most GSM network providers (I am a user of Vodafone by the way - and they do have EFR), the phone's performance in audio quality is considered 'above average'.

The listed battery times - 95 hours for standby and 200 minutes for talk time - will depend on which network you are using and the current audio codec being used.  Testing it on both Telstra and Vodafone networks, the phone have come close to both these numbers on a full charge (which takes approximately 100 minutes).

There are a total of twenty (20) ring tones available with the option for the user to use the phones internal vibration alert in discreet environments.  By holding down the "#" key, the vibration alert is immediately enabled and all ring and message tones are disabled.  Unfortunately, this option does not turn off the keypad sounds - making the "#" shortcut key somewhat pointless.

The phone book can be accessed from the phone book icon key located on the left hand side of the handset.  This would immediately bring up phone numbers from the selected memory area (ie. Phone, SIM, Both).

A special feature of the phone, when putting in the number to call, is that it has a "database" of country codes that can be accessed by using the "+" IDD shortcut.  By brining this up, the phone allows the user - via the use of the navigation key - to choose the country that he/she would like to call. Unfortunately, one of the problems is that you have to know your 3-letter country abbreviations (ie. AUS, USA, etc) - or you may just end up playing Trivial Pursuit instead.

Caller profiles can also be set. Five (5) profiles can be set - where each profile can have their individual ring tone. By placing the telephone number(s) of the people that you want to have special notification of when they ring, a different backlight colour will show and the selected ring tone for that particular entry will be used instead of the default.

What about Sending SMS Messages?

The GD90 has the basic functionality of any other phone on the market - which means that it can perform SMS messaging from the handset itself.  But for those who sends a lot of SMS messages, this phone is not recommended. 

Being a Nokia user, who has gotten used to the T9 Dictionary on the new series phones (ie. 3210, 7110, 8210, 8850), it was a nightmare actually to try and send a message using the GD90 - as it took 3-4 times as long.  Even using a pre-T9 Nokia or Ericsson phone to type an SMS message is not as hard.

Although having an awful message input system, the GD90 does offer message delivery confirmations (or delivery reports), which is offered on all Nokia model handsets.

Any other Functions not Already Mentioned?

The GD90 also offers a "memo" function that allows the user to record two 15-second messages during phone conversations, which can be played back when convenient. 

The SIM Application Toolkit is also available - which allows users to access network value-added services (such as Vodafone's "MobileBank" feature).

A phone "turn on and "turn off" alarm option can be used to schedule when a user wants the phone to turn on or off throughout the day.  So far, this is the only phone that I have come across that has both on and off options available.

 Accessories?

• Car Kit
• Desktop Charger (with battery slot)
• Extra batteries
• Software Modem / PCMCIA connection to the GD90 handset

For the casual mobile phone user - whether it'll be male or female, this is a phone worth purchasing.  One of the main considerations for this is that the phone has a very "general" appearance that would appeal to virtually all audiences.  The silver colour of the GD90 is the preferred buy.

If you're one that uses the phone for SMS also, then consider a Nokia with the T9 dictionary instead - as it is a nightmare to do SMS messaging on this handset!

In terms of talk time, usability, functionality and price combined, I personally feel that this handset is comparable to the three major brands of mobile phones around - Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia.  Priced at less than $500, it is one phone that is truly worth getting if your budget is set around that mark.

Although Panasonic does not seem to specialise themselves in the design and manufacture of mobile phones, the GD90 has shown that the company is willing to be innovative and take into consideration the needs of the general mobile user.  Over time, we may see handsets from Panasonic that may just "beat" models offered by the three major brands mentioned previously.

Specifications
Dimensions	118 x 42 x 16.5mm
Weight	88g
Volume	84.5cc
Talktime	200 minutes
Standby	up to 95 hours
Colours	Silver
	Blue
Standard Kit  Contents	Handset + Battery Pack (EB-BSD90) + AC Adaptor + Operating   Instructions.

Key Features

• 20 Selectable Ring Tones/Melodies
• 2 Colour LCD Backlight
• Dual Voice Memo
• 100 Mobile Phonebook Locations
• Exceptional Battery Life
• Built-in Vibration Alert
• Clock and Alarm
• Hot Key Dialling and Service Dial Numbers
• Software Modem Compatible
• Support for Multiparty and Call Transfer
• Easy to Use
• Triple Rate Codec/EFR Improved Sound Quality
• Fax and Data Compatible (internet/e-mail access)
• SMS Capability

Supplementary Services

• Support SIM Toolkit Class II
• Send and receive SMS
• Cell Broadcast
• Advice of Charge
• Calling Line Identification