REDFLY Mobile Companion Review

July 30, 2008

One of the challenges with using Windows Mobile devices, as with most mobile devices, is the size of the screen. It is great having Office Mobile on the latest and greatest device but doing a significant edit of a document on a 3.5" QVGA screen is, well... fun? Granted, on bigger devices that have VGA screens, the HTC Advantage comes to mind, it is a bit easier but you still end up doing a lot of side-to-side scrolling. Couple this with either a soft keyboard on the device or a small thumboard to type with and once again, doing big edits on a document is, well... fun? How then do you get around this quandry? With a colorful insect of course!

The Celio REDFLY is designed to help resolve this difficulty for Windows Mobile users by allowing them to connect their device via a USB cable or Bluetooth to the REDFLY and gain an 8", 800x480 VGA display and full QWERTY keyboard. The REDFLY has no memory, storage or operating system itself. It is literally an extension of your device, utilizing the memory, storage and operating system of it. Even better, the REDFLY has a VGA output so you can display on an external monitor or projector straight from the device, something only a select few Windows Mobile devices can do natively. All of this in a package that is less than 2lbs. and 9" wide and under $500? If you a a true power user of your Windows Mobile device, you should seriously consider a REDFLY. It could save your eyes and thumbs!


Figure 1: The REDFLY Closed

The REDFLY itself is 1" x 6" by 9" (Depth x Width x Length) in size and puts it in the size of a Ultra Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) or Handheld PC. It is lightweight, coming in at 2lbs. with the 4500maH battery built into the unit. The outer case, as you would expect, is a metalic red with the edging and inside a dark grey. The 78-key QWERTY keyboard is black and has great tactile feedback when using it. Just below the keyboard is a touchpad which will give you mouse functionality while using the REDFLY. The touchpad has both a left and right button just below it as well.


Figure 2: The REDFLY Open


Figure 3: The REDFLY Compared to an HTC Advantage X7510 (on left) and a SmartBook G-138 (on right)

On the back of the REDFLY you will find the VGA output connection as well as two USB 2.0 ports. These ports can be used to connect USB items such as mice and keyboards as well as your mobile device. In fact, if you connect a USB memory key to the REDFLY, it will appear as a memory card on your Windows Mobile device! If you do not want to connect your mobile device via USB you can also connect through Bluetooth. The REDFLY supports the USB 2.0 standard which is backwards compatible to 1.0 devices. The 9v AC Power Adapter port is also on the back of the device.


Figure 4: The Back Edge of The REDFLY

The power button of the REDFLY is on the right-hand edge of the base where the hinge for the display is located. When you turn on the REDFLY, like your Windows Mobile device, it is instantly on and ready to use.


Figure 5: The REDFLY's Power Button & LED Indicators


Figure 6: The REDFLY's Keyboard & Touchpad

It is important to remember that the REDFLY will only work with Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6 Professional (PocketPC) and Standard (Smartphone) devices and currently only a small subset of the total number of devices available. For a complete list of what devices are supported visit http://www.celiocorp.com/smartphone. Having said that, I did test the REDFLY with a number of devices including several that were not on the Celio website. All of them worked just fine although older O2devices did tend to have a little graphics trouble. All of the HTC devices I tested - The AT&T Tilt, the T-Mobile Wing, and HTC Advantage - worked fantastically well. The same is true for current MWg devices - Atom Life and Zinc II - although I did not test it with the new Atom V. More devices are being added as Celio does more testing but if you use a device not listed on their site, they will not provide technical support for that device and the REDFLY.

As I indicated earlier, the REDFLY itself does not have any built-in memory or storage nor does it have an Operating System in itself. Rather, it utilizes those items on your Windows Mobile device. The best way to think of it is that the REDFLY is an extension of your device. It merely allows you to access data, applications and information on your device through a much more convenient and easy-to-use display and keyboard.

To begin using the REDFLY you must first load the REDFLY driver application onto your Windows Mobile device. This can be done via the included CD-ROM, from your desktop via ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center or Over-The-Air by visiting the Celio <a href="http://www.celiocorp.com/install">website</a> on your device. After soft-resetting, your device will automatically start the REDFLY application in the background. At this point you can connect your device to the REDFLY via a USB cable or Bluetooth and it will automatically connect and display your Windows Mobile's Today screen on the REDFLY. It is literally that simple to connect!


Figure 7:My Today Screen on The REDFLY

On the back of the REDFLY are two USB 2.0 ports which will allow you to connect external devices such as a mouse or USB storage key. The REDFLY has a built int touchpad with both a left and righ key. I have never been a fan of touchpads myself so connecting an external mouse is a must for me. With the REDFLY it is simply a matter of plugging one into one of the USB ports. Windows Mobile has native mouse drivers (bet you didn't know that!) so any USB mouse should work. I used a Microsoft Notebook mouse and it discovered it instantly. If you connect a USB key to the device, your Windows Mobile device will recognize it as a "Remote Storage" and will allow you to access files on the drive as well as store files to them.


Figure 8: The REDFLY with My Mouse Attached


Figure 9: The REDFLY Display with a USB Drive Attached (Seen as \"Remote Storage\")

One of the great features of the REDFLY keyboard is the F-Key row and shortcuts. Some of the shortcuts include the ability to open Internet Explorer or Messaging by pressing and holding the Windows Key and corresponding F-Key. It is another way of saving you some mouse clicks.

I have been using the REDFLY now for several weeks and have in fact taken it on two different business trips with me. I have to say it makes using my Windows Mobile device much easier, especially on airplanes. Given the small form factor of the REDFLY, I can easily open it up while in a seat in coach and still type and use the touchpad with no problem while having the bigger screen and keyboard to really "work" with my device. I also found that the REDFLY was quite durable, having no problems with the normal wear-and-tear of laptop bag travel.

The number one question I received here at Gear Diary after I posted part one of the REDFLY review circled around the $499.95 pricing. Most who wrote felt it was considerably too high and on the surface it indeed looks that way. Let's however do a better comparison. In addition to the REDFLY I also have a HTC Advantage X7510. That device is approximately $1250 and includes a great 5" VGA display, detachable keyboard and is a great device overall. If you were to purchase a T-Mobile Wing ($499) or AT&T Tilt ($599) and the REDFLY, you would still be anywhere from $999.90 to $1099.90 total, some $200-odd dollars less than the X7510. With this combination you would have a much larger 7" display and full QWERTY keyboard, something you would not have on the X7510. So if you do a real comparison, the prices are actually in your favor by going with the REDFLY.

Ultimately there is little question the REDFLY is aimed at the business market and should do quiet well. Still, if you are a power Windows Mobile user, you should consider this handy device for your needs.

What I Like
Full Size Keyboard
USB Hub support for mice and USB keys
Instant On

What I Don't Like
Not much - works fantastically well!

For more information visit the Celio Corporation website

To purchase the REDFLY, visit our Expansys Affiliate Store

MSRP: $499