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another CNet review: Mio A701

Apr 20, 2006 gps navigation, gps phones, gps reviews, mio

Bottom Line
This is one from is CNet.uk. They reviewed the Mio A701 and gave it 7.5 out of 10. They say it is a decent GSM/GPRS/GPS handheld with some nice features, although it lacks Wi-Fi.

Design
The Mio A701 is slightly taller than the average small-format connected Pocket PC thanks to its built-in GPS receiver, whose antenna is located above the screen. It’s also thicker than many similar devices, such as the i-mate JAMin and Orange SPV M600. Although these differences are small (the A701 measures 59mm by 117mm by 22mm and weighs 150g), they do mean that the Mio A701 feels a little large both for the pocket and when held to the ear to make voice calls.

Styled in silver and shiny black, the Mio A701 looks distinctive, although it follows the general Pocket PC design, with buttons below the screen and dotted around the sides. The buttons beneath the screen are separated by a small, round navigation key. Call and End buttons form the top button pair, while beneath them there’s a button that starts the Windows Media Player, and another that starts your navigation software.

The flash memory slot, which accommodates SD and MultiMediaCards (MMCs), is located on the right-hand side, as its more usual spot on the top edge is occupied by the GPS antenna. The slot is covered by a rubber protector, which looks susceptible to breaking off. The right-hand side also houses the reset button, a 2.5mm headset connector and a button for starting the built-in 1.3-megapixel camera.

The camera software is well implemented. One of the softmenu keys allows you to choose the image resolution (120×120, 240×320, 480×640, 768×1024 or 1,024×1,280 pixels), set up to 8x zoom, switch between burst, timer and normal modes, and change the brightness of the captured image. The White Balance settings are automatic. Other changes, such as image quality and a setting to run a slide show when the A701 is connected to a PC, require a little more effort to configure.

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