Communication and music in your pocket<\/p>\n
Zatni Arbi, Contributor\/zatni@cbn.net.id<\/p>\n
Competition can result in rather unusual ideas, with cell phones
\na very good example of this. As you must have noticed, I have
\ntest-driven dozens of cell phones. While some do not have truly
\ndistinctive features and others differ from the rest of the pack
\nonly by their appearance, certain models do have strong points
\nthat really stand out. At any rate, the cell phone industry is
\nmarked by the pursuit of fresh ideas.<\/p>\n
The idea implemented in the Motorola E398, however, has been
\naround for some time. But the execution of the idea is certainly
\na welcome one, especially for those who cannot live without music
\nconstantly ringing in their ears. Courtesy of Motorola Indonesia,
\nI was able to play around for two weeks with this tri-band cell
\nphone with three-dimensional audio capability.<\/p>\n
The Motorola E398 can store a lot of MP3 music, and its
\npowerful stereo speakers can reproduce music without too much
\ndistortion. Of course, due to its size, you cannot possibly
\nexpect ear-shattering, earth-stomping sound from a cell phone.
\nStill, it marks the arrival of a new genre, as the E398 is the
\nfirst mobile phone that can produce 3-D music from its speakers.<\/p>\n
Motorola E398 is a one-piece cell phone that feels a tad heavy
\nin your hand. Actually, the spec. says the weight is 110 grams.
\nLike other Motorola cell phones that I have test-driven, this one
\nfeels very sturdy, too. The plastic body feels a bit rubbery, so
\nit does not slip easily from your hand. Texting with one hand is
\nstill fairly effortless. (Please, for heaven's sake, do not do
\nthat while driving!)<\/p>\n
Texting could be more convenient if Motorola made a couple of
\nchanges. First, they should change the screen background to plain
\nwhite without lines dividing the rows of text. Second, they
\nshould choose a slightly bolder font to make the text more easily
\nread.<\/p>\n
Third, and I really think Motorola should do this, they should
\nget rid of the box cursor that appears each time you insert a
\ncharacter. This box always appears each time you type in a
\ncharacter, but it will disappear if the cell phone does not sense
\nany additional thumb-press on the same button. If you press the
\nsame button while the box cursor is still there, the character
\nwill change to the next one the button is for. The I-beam -- the
\nthin vertical line -- should be adequate for texting.<\/p>\n
The headset jack is located on top of the unit, and is covered
\nby a rubber flap. While that reduces the possibility of water and
\ndust penetrating the cell phone, it does not make it look pretty.<\/p>\n
The rest of the phone is highly likable. Its 65k color screen
\nis fairly large, and you can adjust its backlighting. I
\nespecially like the keypad and the joystick. The buttons are firm
\nand give you confidence that you have entered the right
\ncharacter. They are neatly arranged, and it is easy to enter text
\nwithout really looking at the keypad. On the left-hand side you
\nwill find the audio volume buttons and the voice dial activation.
\nOn the right-hand side is a button for the camera. All the
\nbuttons are easy to use, and they are equally firm. On both sides
\nare colorful LED lights that will start flashing the moment a
\nmessage or call arrives.<\/p>\n
As you would expect from a cell phone designed like the
\nMotorola E398, the camera is fixed at the back. On top of it
\nthere is a round convex mirror to let you take your own picture
\nor that of people standing behind you. The VGA camera is average,
\nand there is a camera flash that will help a little in a very
\ndark room. This cameraphone cannot record video, although it can
\nplay MPEG4 video files.<\/p>\n
The strength of this cell phone, as mentioned earlier, is in
\nrecording and playing back MP3 files. Its key selling point is
\nthe three-dimensional sound that it is able to produce. The bass
\nis so powerful that it can become a vibrator. Motorola supplies a
\nUSB data cable for transferring files from your computer to the
\nE398. This means you can easily have MP3 music as the ring tone.<\/p>\n
In addition to the USB cable, the E398 also has Bluetooth
\nconnectivity. Data storage is crucial when you talk about music.
\nThe E398 comes with a tiny TransFlash (T Flash) card. This small
\nflash memory card comes with an adaptor that will convert it into
\nan SD (SecureDigital) card. The T-Flash card is so small that I
\ndid not even notice it when I was unpacking the phone from its
\nbox.<\/p>\n
The card was introduced by SanDisk, and you can expect it to
\nbe used in more and more small gadgets such as cameraphones,
\ndigital cameras, portable MP3 players, etc. Motorola was the
\nfirst to use this new format; Siemens is reportedly supporting
\nit, too.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, the E398 is clearly another well-built cell
\nphone from Motorola that is very comfortable to use. With 3-D,
\nsurround-sound capability, MMS, GPRS, chat, Java games, office
\ntools, etc., this device can cover a lot of ground. If you want
\nto show off a new cell phone to your friends and colleagues with
\nsome powerful music and a light show, this will turn their heads.
\nIt will be a great companion for a long time, too.<\/p>",
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