With the explosion of Windows Mobile based devices in the past 24 months, it is challenging to find a device that is unique. After all, most of the current devices are developed by HTC and simply re-branded by the Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) or carrier. The challenge with this approach however is two fold. One, although the devices may be the same from different OEMs, not all of the devices have the same feature sets. This can lead to confusion in the marketplace. Secondly, if there is an issue that impacts a particular model, it is likely all of the OEMs and carriers will have that same issue. 

Seeing to have more control over the devices and the quality of them, O2 has developed the XDA Atom. This non-HTC device is developed in association with Quanta Computer Inc. (QCI) and provides a unique, full featured Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone in a powerfully small package. The Atom sports a spectacularly crisp QVGA display and speedy 416MHz PA217x processor with a 128MB ROM and 64MB of RAM. The available memory can be expanded through the Mini SD slot located at the top of the unit. The sleek design is attractive and makes the Atom a hard device to put down. For a truly converged Windows Mobile device, it is hard to beat the O2 XDA Atom. 

The Atom itself is a small 58(w) x 102(L) x 18.5(T) mm and weighs in at 140g. The front of the device is dominated by the QVGA screen with phone Receive and End buttons, the Windows button and Media button surrounding the D-Pad. The speakers are next to the Windows and Media buttons and produce surprisingly good sound quality for their size. The back of the Atom is predominantly smooth and only the 2MP camera interrupt it. The camera itself has a small light next to it for low light assistance when taking digital photos.

Because O2 has been involved in the development of the Atom, they are able to more tightly control the feature set of the device through regular ROM updates. These ROM updates include fixes for issues but also include new functionality. For this review I am using ROM 20060426 which is currently not available to the general public. This ROM features AKU 2.2 and MSFP which allows the Atom to be configured to receive “push” email. With this functionality, you can send and receive email much like that of a Blackberry user without the requirement of having to sync your device via ActiveSync to send or receive the email.

By having this level of control, O2 and QCI have also continually been able to improve the radio stack in the Atom together. Although the radio stack was outstanding during the first release, the continue improvements have shown greater stability and range in the GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Voice quality of the Atom is fantastic and is superior to many devices I have tested or used.

As with all Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, the Atom has a built-in complement of applications. These applications include Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile and Pocket MSN. The Mobile office applications in Windows Mobile 5.0 have greatly improved over previous versions of the applications and function closer to their desktop counterparts than ever before. For a complete list of the features and functions of the standard applications in Windows Mobile 5.0, visit the Microsoft Windows Mobile site at http://www.windowsmobile.com. 

Similar to the control O2 has over the ROM images, so to do they over the applications in the Atom. O2 has done an impressive job on applications they have included in the Atom. While some of these applications are designed to be replacements for included Windows Mobile 5.0 applications, others are uniquely O2 and set the device apart from other competitors. One such unique application is the Auto Configuration application.

The Auto Configuration application is started when the Atom is first powered on or after a soft-reset. It is a step-by-step guide for setting up your Atom that includes the configuration of your time, date, email, and regional settings. This application is simple but effective as it prevents you from having to navigate through multiple screens and settings on your device.

Throughout the world, approximately 1.5 billion SMS messages are sent each day. SMS, or Text Messaging as it is commonly referred to in the United States, is a simple way of sending short messages to anyone’s SMS enabled cellular phone or Windows Mobile device. In order to use SMS on the Atom, your cellular provider must have this feature enabled on your account. Check with your provider to determine costs and fees, especially if there is a per-message fee. 

SMS can be done via the Windows Mobile Messaging client and it is effective for most users. O2 however has taken it a step further with their O2 SMS Plus application included with the Atom. With this, users can send and receive SMS messages in a chat-like interface, making it easier to follow a conversation as well as provide a more real-time experience.

A key application that truly sets the Atom apart from many other devices is the O2 MediaPlus suite. This application allows you to view photos and videos, listen to music and listen or record FM radio! The suite provides you a common interface for all of the functions which can be navigated by using the D-Pad or stylus.

The FM Radio utilizes the built-in FM tuner within the Atom. The interface shows your available radio stations as well as an easy-to-read display of the name of the station you are listening too. Because FM radio is different for all areas of the world, you can create a quick and easy list of stations available in your area by tapping the Menu>Auto Scan feature. Like a FM radio in your car or home, the Atom will scan the airwaves for stations and automatically create the list of stations. You can then select the station and tap Menu>Edit Channel to rename the station to something a bit more user friendly. Additionally, you can create a group of stations which will be stored on the device for future use. This is particularly handy if you travel frequently as you can create a list for various locations easily.

While listening to FM Radio, you also have the ability to record the broadcast. To start a recording, tap the Record icon on the controls and application will continue to record until the icon is tapped again. The file is saved by default in My Documents/My Music with a file name that includes the channel from which it was recorded. By using File Explorer, you can find the file, listen to it and even set it as your ring tone!

The My Music and My Videos applets in MediaPlus are somewhat self explanatory in that they provides you quick access to music and video files located in your Atom’s memory or on a Storage Card. The files can be sorted a variety of ways including by Album, Artist and Genres or in the case of videos by Name, Date or size. Once a file is selected to be played, MediaPlus automatically opens Windows Media Player to play the file. In the case of the My Music application, a library can be built by the application in order for files to be found quickly.

Although a separate application, O2 also includes an outstanding graphic equalizer in the Atom. This applet has several pre-defined equalizer settings for various music types and can be turned on or off with a single tap. The equalizer runs in the background while music is played form My Music or another music application. The equalizer is amazingly good and adds a high level of richness to the music, especially with earbuds.

The last applet in MediaPlus is My Pictures which allows you to sort and view images on your Atom. Like the other applets, My Pictures provides thumbnails of images stored on the device and when selected, your default image viewing application is opened.

New to the latest ROM builds from O2 is the Today Connection Plug-in. The plug-in allows you to see at-a-glance the network which your phone is connected to as well as your WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth connectivity. By tapping the plug-in, you open the Connection Manager on the Atom which allows you to enable or disable the cellular, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

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