3Man
11-12-2006, 05:10 PM
Vodaphone 710 Phone Review
Note : This review is written by an editorial member of 3G staff for the readers of www.3G.co.uk and for the members of the 3G Forum. A full list of 3G Phone Reviews by phone manufacturer and date order can be found here http://www.3g.co.uk/3GPhoneReviews.htm.
Review date 11th December , 2006
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December06/V710_3.jpg
Best features
Tidy clamshell design
Small for the pocket
Well designed keypad
Specification Details
Size 91.2 x 46 x 23.5mm
Weight 99g
Display Main display 262k colours
Display resolution Main display 176 x 220, Front display 96 x 94
Camera 1.3 megapixels
Video recording / playback Yes
Audio playback MP3
Connectivity Bluetooth
Internal memory 18MB
Memory card slot miniSD
Java Yes
Messaging SMS, MMS
Email client Yes
Ringtones Polyphonic
Internet browser HTML, WAP 2.0
GPRS Yes
Frequency Tri-band GSM + 3G
Talktime 3 hours 20 mins (2 hours video call time)
Standby 300 hours
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2005/BuyBlack.gif (http://shop.3g.co.uk/)
Voda’s Own Branded 3G Clam
Vodafone’s clamshell 710 is the company’s first shot at a self branded 3G consumer handset. It is only available on Vodafone Pay as You Talk. In fact, it is the first handset manufactured for Vodafone by China's Huawei Technologies as a result of a strategic handset alliance signed by the two companies in February 2006.
The handset is part of the company's strategy to leverage its purchasing power with Original Design Manufacturers (ODM) to the benefit of its customers and offers all the latest 3G consumer services and a sleek, clamshell design at a new, low cost.
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December06/V710_2.jpg
The 710 is a small and neat 3G handset – you could easily mistake it for a standard non 3G clamshell phone. It shades under the magic 100g marker by a single gram, and in overall size it is very comfortable for the hand and pocket when closed. It has that ‘bar of soap’ feel about it thanks to its nicely rounded edges and the rubberised surface on the casing.
The black and silver patterning on the front of the 710 is punctuated by the small red flash of the Vodafone logo. There's a small front screen which is sadly only capable of displaying black text and images on its 96 x 94 pixels. The front cover also houses the main camera lens and an LED flash.
You can't use this lens to take a picture of yourself. And you can't start the camera without opening the clam. When you do open the phone up a tap of key on the phone’s right edge activates the camera and you're ready to shoot photos or video.
Both are fairly limited. The maximum video resolution is 176 x 144 pixels and the maximum image resolution is 1.3 megapixels (1280 x 1024 pixels). You can apply just a couple of effects: sepia and monochrome, and can set the white balance so that it is appropriate for fluorescent, incandescent, outdoor, indoor, or night lighting or simply have that automatically set itself.
There is a second camera inside the clam, sitting beneath the screen, and this is the one you use for video calling. You can also use it to take photographs of yourself simply by choosing ‘internal view’ from the camera options menu.
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December06/V710_1.jpg
With the clam closed the same side button that you use to launch the camera lets you make a voice recording. It has another function too – which we will come to in a moment.
The phone has a music player and this has its own dedicated launch button on the right side of the navigation pad. The phone will play music stored on the internal memory or on a memory card. Volume through the phone speaker is not very loud when you have the clam opened. It gets louder when you shut the clam, though. Plug-in the provided 2.5mm headphones and available volume ratchets up nicely, but if you're looking for a phone with high-quality sound output you may want to look elsewhere as there is rather too much treble and not enough bass on offer here.
When you are playing music with the clam closed the front screen provides information about the current tune. You can control volume with the clam closed and can move through a playlist: you use the camera button first and then use the volume control. Tapping the camera button again puts the volume rocker back where it should be - controlling volume.
There is 18MB of memory in the Vodafone 710. That won't go very far if you want to carry music around with you so it is good to see an expansion slot on the right side of the casing. This accommodates miniSD cards and you can swap them without the need to power the phone down.
The numberpad area of the Vodafone 710 is really nicely designed. The available space is used well, with each of the three rows of number keys separated from the others, and the keys themselves large and raised, so that they are easy to find and hit.
The area above the numberpad has a very distinctive look to it and the keys, while not this time especially large, are well spaced and easy to use. The four points on the navigation button all act as shortcuts to different features – one takes you to the SMS creator, one to your contacts listings, one to Vodafone Live! and one to the file browser so you can easily find snapshots, music, videos, or whatever. Add in the two buttons dedicated to launching the music player and 3G video calls and you can see that it is fairly easy to get around this handset’s features at speed.
Bluetooth is here of course, but not infra red, which is a bit of a shame. The built in software not already mentioned includes a diary, task manager, alarm, calculator, converters for units and currency, memo maker, stopwatch, and timer.
There’s access to the Web but the low pixel count of the screen (176 x 220) doesn’t really lend itself to displaying Web content too well. You’ll almost certainly need to do some horizontal scrolling to get around pages, and all but the least complex are a bit of a trial to use. You’re going to be better off sticking within Vodafone Live!
In the end, the Vodafone 710 is a phone that is good at some things, not so good at others. It is neatly designed, and feels very comfortable in the hand and pocket. The keypad makes good use of the available space and it is easy to hop about within the phone’s features.
On the other hand the music player lacks oomph while the screen and camera are middle of the road. The bottom line, then, is that for those looking for a 3G Pay as You Talk handset that is not at the leading edge, Vodafones 710 is a neat, tidy option.
Pros
A small and pocket friendly clamshell with a nicely designed number pad and accessible memory expansion.
Cons
Camera capability is a little below what we’d like, short on internal storage.
Verdict
This is a handset of ups and downs, with the downs in the music and camera departments, the ups focussing on size and usability.
3G Total Score 81%
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2005/BuyBlack.gif (http://shop.3g.co.uk/)
This review covers the above mobile phone only and does not address the performance of any 3G Network. The score is based on a 3G mobile phone checklist.
Copyright : You are advised that this material is the copyright of www.3G.co.uk and is our own personal view only. (C) All rights reserved 2005. Whist every care has been taken in the preparation of this review, the author nor 3G.co.uk cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of the information it contains, or consequence arising from it.
Note : This review is written by an editorial member of 3G staff for the readers of www.3G.co.uk and for the members of the 3G Forum. A full list of 3G Phone Reviews by phone manufacturer and date order can be found here http://www.3g.co.uk/3GPhoneReviews.htm.
Review date 11th December , 2006
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December06/V710_3.jpg
Best features
Tidy clamshell design
Small for the pocket
Well designed keypad
Specification Details
Size 91.2 x 46 x 23.5mm
Weight 99g
Display Main display 262k colours
Display resolution Main display 176 x 220, Front display 96 x 94
Camera 1.3 megapixels
Video recording / playback Yes
Audio playback MP3
Connectivity Bluetooth
Internal memory 18MB
Memory card slot miniSD
Java Yes
Messaging SMS, MMS
Email client Yes
Ringtones Polyphonic
Internet browser HTML, WAP 2.0
GPRS Yes
Frequency Tri-band GSM + 3G
Talktime 3 hours 20 mins (2 hours video call time)
Standby 300 hours
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2005/BuyBlack.gif (http://shop.3g.co.uk/)
Voda’s Own Branded 3G Clam
Vodafone’s clamshell 710 is the company’s first shot at a self branded 3G consumer handset. It is only available on Vodafone Pay as You Talk. In fact, it is the first handset manufactured for Vodafone by China's Huawei Technologies as a result of a strategic handset alliance signed by the two companies in February 2006.
The handset is part of the company's strategy to leverage its purchasing power with Original Design Manufacturers (ODM) to the benefit of its customers and offers all the latest 3G consumer services and a sleek, clamshell design at a new, low cost.
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December06/V710_2.jpg
The 710 is a small and neat 3G handset – you could easily mistake it for a standard non 3G clamshell phone. It shades under the magic 100g marker by a single gram, and in overall size it is very comfortable for the hand and pocket when closed. It has that ‘bar of soap’ feel about it thanks to its nicely rounded edges and the rubberised surface on the casing.
The black and silver patterning on the front of the 710 is punctuated by the small red flash of the Vodafone logo. There's a small front screen which is sadly only capable of displaying black text and images on its 96 x 94 pixels. The front cover also houses the main camera lens and an LED flash.
You can't use this lens to take a picture of yourself. And you can't start the camera without opening the clam. When you do open the phone up a tap of key on the phone’s right edge activates the camera and you're ready to shoot photos or video.
Both are fairly limited. The maximum video resolution is 176 x 144 pixels and the maximum image resolution is 1.3 megapixels (1280 x 1024 pixels). You can apply just a couple of effects: sepia and monochrome, and can set the white balance so that it is appropriate for fluorescent, incandescent, outdoor, indoor, or night lighting or simply have that automatically set itself.
There is a second camera inside the clam, sitting beneath the screen, and this is the one you use for video calling. You can also use it to take photographs of yourself simply by choosing ‘internal view’ from the camera options menu.
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December06/V710_1.jpg
With the clam closed the same side button that you use to launch the camera lets you make a voice recording. It has another function too – which we will come to in a moment.
The phone has a music player and this has its own dedicated launch button on the right side of the navigation pad. The phone will play music stored on the internal memory or on a memory card. Volume through the phone speaker is not very loud when you have the clam opened. It gets louder when you shut the clam, though. Plug-in the provided 2.5mm headphones and available volume ratchets up nicely, but if you're looking for a phone with high-quality sound output you may want to look elsewhere as there is rather too much treble and not enough bass on offer here.
When you are playing music with the clam closed the front screen provides information about the current tune. You can control volume with the clam closed and can move through a playlist: you use the camera button first and then use the volume control. Tapping the camera button again puts the volume rocker back where it should be - controlling volume.
There is 18MB of memory in the Vodafone 710. That won't go very far if you want to carry music around with you so it is good to see an expansion slot on the right side of the casing. This accommodates miniSD cards and you can swap them without the need to power the phone down.
The numberpad area of the Vodafone 710 is really nicely designed. The available space is used well, with each of the three rows of number keys separated from the others, and the keys themselves large and raised, so that they are easy to find and hit.
The area above the numberpad has a very distinctive look to it and the keys, while not this time especially large, are well spaced and easy to use. The four points on the navigation button all act as shortcuts to different features – one takes you to the SMS creator, one to your contacts listings, one to Vodafone Live! and one to the file browser so you can easily find snapshots, music, videos, or whatever. Add in the two buttons dedicated to launching the music player and 3G video calls and you can see that it is fairly easy to get around this handset’s features at speed.
Bluetooth is here of course, but not infra red, which is a bit of a shame. The built in software not already mentioned includes a diary, task manager, alarm, calculator, converters for units and currency, memo maker, stopwatch, and timer.
There’s access to the Web but the low pixel count of the screen (176 x 220) doesn’t really lend itself to displaying Web content too well. You’ll almost certainly need to do some horizontal scrolling to get around pages, and all but the least complex are a bit of a trial to use. You’re going to be better off sticking within Vodafone Live!
In the end, the Vodafone 710 is a phone that is good at some things, not so good at others. It is neatly designed, and feels very comfortable in the hand and pocket. The keypad makes good use of the available space and it is easy to hop about within the phone’s features.
On the other hand the music player lacks oomph while the screen and camera are middle of the road. The bottom line, then, is that for those looking for a 3G Pay as You Talk handset that is not at the leading edge, Vodafones 710 is a neat, tidy option.
Pros
A small and pocket friendly clamshell with a nicely designed number pad and accessible memory expansion.
Cons
Camera capability is a little below what we’d like, short on internal storage.
Verdict
This is a handset of ups and downs, with the downs in the music and camera departments, the ups focussing on size and usability.
3G Total Score 81%
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2005/BuyBlack.gif (http://shop.3g.co.uk/)
This review covers the above mobile phone only and does not address the performance of any 3G Network. The score is based on a 3G mobile phone checklist.
Copyright : You are advised that this material is the copyright of www.3G.co.uk and is our own personal view only. (C) All rights reserved 2005. Whist every care has been taken in the preparation of this review, the author nor 3G.co.uk cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of the information it contains, or consequence arising from it.