o2 XDA Stealth

The o2 XDA Stealth has a lot going for it. It has a sleek slider design that is sure to impress everyone who lays their eyes on it. It can connect to multiple different GSM frequencies for world travelers. It has a relatively impressive display which features up to 65 thousand colors and 240 by 320 dots of resolution - and it has a touch screen.

Unlike so many other phones, the o2 XDA Stealth is working hard to set itself apart from the pack. Instead of the common flip phone style design that is all the rage these days, the o2 XDA Stealth features a sliding design much like the Motorola RIZR. Furthermore, unlike just about all of the modern phones that require the operator to use keypad inputs to navigate through the phone's menus, the o2 XDA Stealth has a touch screen. And instead of the typical Linux or Symbian operating systems that are so prevalent in today's phones, the Stealth opted for Microsoft Windows Mobile instead.

On the flip side though, like a modern day high end cellular phone, the o2 XDA Stealth does have a lot of the features that you would expect. The obligatory 2 megapixel camera is built in (and it even has a flash), there is a speakerphone, an audio recorder, a music player capable of a variety of formats, and you can even expand the memory via MicroSD cards. MP3 ringtones are even supported, a godsend for anyone who wants their cell phone to sound like something better than an early 1990s video game. The o2 XDA Stealth even has WI-FI 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth functionality so you can access your data wirelessly from just about anywhere - and it can also support GPRS networking.

All of these deviations from the norm, while impressive to the average person who is looking for a cutting edge phone, have placed the o2 XDA Stealth in a strange position. Is it a phone, is it a PDA, is it a smart phone? Nobody really knows for sure, as it certainly is not designed to look like a smart phone or a PDA and it definitely has more power to its processor and operating system than a typical phone - so what is it?

Well, unfortunately what it is - is expensive and useless for most people, as it really does have too many features, most of which a majority of people simply will not use. Furthermore, the battery life on the o2 XDA Stealth is tragically bad, and can only last through four hour of talk or 150 hours of standby. This is in comparison to much less expensive phones that can last multiple times longer than the o2 XDA Stealth. Also, the included stylus that comes standard with the phone is garbage, uncomfortable to use and extremely flimsy.

Pros

• The touchpad adds a unique dimension to using the o2 XDA Stealth
• Unique design for a smart phone
• Tons of features, just about everything that o2 could think of is thrown in

Cons

• Poor battery life
• Badly designed stylus
• Despite the touch screen, many functions are restricted to the keypad
• Prohibitively expensive for many people
• Not 3G compatible
• Some applications launch whether you want them to or not
• Usability is lacking due to its relatively small screen

Overall

There is no doubt about it, the o2 XDA Stealth is an amazing phone - or at least it should have been. It is unfortunate that there are so many glaring issues that hold this phone back from being what it could have been.