Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Intex IN3333

Plenty of functions and features
Decent battery life
Extremely loud speakerphone
Music player is quite good
FM reception is quite decent
Gaming is a lot of fun
Browser doesn't always work too well
Only Java games are preloaded 
Comes with a 512MB card

Take it from a daily commuter. Quite literally it seems every second person on the train is playing some game or other, both high-end and entry-level handsets taken into account. Now Spice has launched its X1 gaming mobile in the Indian market, and this could stir things up for the avid mobile gamer. Don’t expect the games to be too high-end or flashy, but the old 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System game ROMs will give users a very nostalgic feeling, or a blast from the past if you will. But here’s the whole story...

Form Factor
Spice’s X-1 is a very stylish looking handset, at least from the front. The rather odd speaker mesh on the rear under the 2 MP 
camera lens is not very attractive. A 2.4 inch display makes it quite convenient for the purpose it was designed for. It has a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. The five way Nav-Pd is useful, but the keypad could have been better. The ‘2’ key, located just below the Nav-Pad, is a bit difficult to use while messaging, so words with an ‘a, b or c’ can be an issue. The shortcut keys to the browser and game section come in handy. 

The handset has volume keys, dedicated camera key, and the proprietary slot for the USB, charger and gaming console connector located on one side. Three dedicated music keys are on the opposite side, above the hot-swap microSD card slot. To make certain games more accessible without the gaming console, Spice has added a couple of action keys near the front speaker. (A similar design exists in the N81 as well.) 

The gaming console has a holder for the handset that can be adjusted from the rear to fit the phone. But try not to make it sit in too tight, or the buttons on the handset won't work. The gaming console is designed to look and feel like just like any other console gaming console. Not as sophisticated as Sony’s or the XBox, but rather like in the old 16-bit game consoles. It hooks up the handset via a cable that fits into a 2.5mm socket at the bottom of the pad, and the other end goes into the propriety slot of the handset. 

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