Orange SPV M500 REVIEW!

[Guest jonhitch]

For all those who were waiting for Dade's review here's the link to the first official UK review of the SPV M500!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/18/re...range_spv_m500/

What do you all think? Any comments from those who have also tried both phones - advantages/disadvantages of each?

[Guest marcyspark]

The M500 is just a repackaged I-mate Jam with a beefy camera isnt it?

Jams are ok - just not too keen on the lack of keypad. It makes it difficult to use as a phone first pda second type device. If you dont do too much smsing then the jam is nice.

The headphone output is a little quiet and not too basey - so it can do an ok job of being a portable audio player.

The screen response often has a lot to be desired and the device does not enjoy living in a pocket like phones do.

The camera may have more resolution but it counts for very little if the system responds to it as slowly as the JAM did. All you end up with is larger versions of images no better than the one from an SPV C500 (my current device).

I admit one thing though - the M500 is good looking. If you wanna pose with a hybrid pda/phone then this would be my choice!

I sold my Jam for a reason.... It wasnt a highly customisable phone. The SPV C500 that I have (with all orange logos and firmware removed) serves my purposes much much more AND has wicked battery life.

Cheers.

BruMM

[Guest MitchellO]

There is no diff in the camera, or anything else but the case. It is the same as any other Magician device.

[Guest MitchellO]

Jams are ok - just not too keen on the lack of keypad.  It makes it difficult to use as a phone first pda second type device.  If you dont do too much smsing then the jam is nice.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't find the lack of keypad a problem. Onscreen dialer, T9 input panel and onscreen kb is great! Better than a normal phone.

The headphone output is a little quiet and not too basey - so it can do an ok job of being a portable audio player.

Never had this problem. Audio and bass was fine for me. Better than my last PPCs (iPAQ 4355, 2215 and 1935)

The screen response often has a lot to be desired and the device does not enjoy living in a pocket like phones do.

Yeah, the screen can be a little unsensitive, but not majorly so.

The camera may have more resolution but it counts for very little if the system responds to it as slowly as the JAM did.  All you end up with is larger versions of images no better than the one from an SPV C500 (my current device).

VGA images look good, and the 1.3Mp images look ok, but not great.

I admit one thing though - the M500 is good looking.  If you wanna pose with a hybrid pda/phone then this would be my choice!

:) :D Absolutely!!

I sold my Jam for a reason....  It wasnt a highly customisable phone.  The SPV C500 that I have (with all orange logos and firmware removed) serves my purposes much much more AND has wicked battery life.

I have customized my dialer screen and today screen. What more is there on the C500? I don't have any probs with the customization options on the Magician.

Cheers.

BruMM

Cheers!!

[Guest rmg]

VoiceDial works well, particularly once I stopped shouting at the phone - the earpiece volume goes loud enough to make you think you're on speakerphone, though it isn't - and held it up to my ear. I thought I'd try it with a Bluetooth headset, but while the M500 paired with my Motorola HS850 first time round, it didn't work as expected with VoiceDial. While the software picks up what you're saying, it doesn't relay information back to the headset, so unless you can hear the handset's speaker, you can't tell if it's recognised your voice correctly. I'm still not certain the M500's own microphone wasn't picking up my voice rather than the HS850, but I think I was far enough away to trust the headset in this case. Taking VoiceDial's recognition on trust too, I just said yes after a suitable interval - it asks you to confirm or reject what it thinks you've said - and was always put through to the right phone.

Please Please Please Please Please can anyone with an M500 confirm if you can initiate voice dial from BT headset and wether you can issues commands through headset.

[Guest Flopsy]

Please Please Please Please Please  can anyone with an M500 confirm if you can initiate voice dial from BT headset and wether you can issues commands through headset.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am using an Orange SPV M500 with a Plantronics M3000 headset, and you CANNOT initiate voicedial from the headset button, contrary to the implication on the review.

Also, if you initiate voicedail using the button on the side of the M500, it DOES NOT use the headset - it uses the internal speaker and microphone - which just about works in a car if you have the internal speaker volume up at full.

Some confusion in various online reviews has come about from the fact that the ETEN M500 (note the same model number) has a different Bluetooth call stack and a modified version of the Buttons control panel applet which does allow you to assign Voice Dial (or in fact any other app) to the Bluetooth headset button.

However, there is some hope that someone will be able to create an app for this functionality, as the SPV M500 can respond to the headset button - this is in evidence from the fact you can double tap the headset button and the SPV M500 will autodial the last number dialled - handy for dropped calls. All it takes is a smart cookie.

And for once, this is one post I would *love* to be contradicted on...

[Guest MitchellO]

I have never seen the ability to voicedial using the BT headset button on the magician.

[Guest rmg]

I am using an Orange SPV M500 with a Plantronics M3000 headset, and you CANNOT initiate voicedial from the headset button, contrary to the implication on the review.

Also, if you initiate voicedail using the button on the side of the M500, it DOES NOT use the headset - it uses the internal speaker and microphone - which just about works in a car if you have the internal speaker volume up at full.

Some confusion in various online reviews has come about from the fact that the ETEN M500 (note the same model number) has a different Bluetooth call stack and a modified version of the Buttons control panel applet which does allow you to assign Voice Dial (or in fact any other app) to the Bluetooth headset button.

However, there is some hope that someone will be able to create an app for this functionality, as the SPV M500 can respond to the headset button - this is in evidence from the fact you can double tap the headset button and the SPV M500 will autodial the last number dialled - handy for dropped calls. All it takes is a smart cookie.

And for once, this is one post I would *love* to be contradicted on...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the clarification mate.

I will post this info at XDA_D and HoFo.