Brief review of the final version of E-TEN Glofiish X500

When I was writing “Big introduction to pre-production version of E-TEN Glofiish X500” a couple of months ago, I came across some issues. It was hard to tell if they were due to the unfinished, pre-production status of the device or if they were design flaws. That is why I borrowed a final retail version from distributor AH Mobile to check if the issues were fixed. In this article, we deal only with problem areas, and I therefore strongly recommend that you read the preceding review first to understand what this update is about. To make the picture complete, I should note that the device had the latest ROM version, WWE_032_0354.

The first difference is noticeable at first sight. The back of the device is now completely black and looks more elegant, in my opinion. Besides, assembly quality has improved and all parts including the battery door are now perfectly aligned and fit tightly. I did not notice any other visual changes. Added to the box were two CD-ROMs, one with bonus applications, the other with localisation software whose inclusion depends on the target geography.

From the technical point of view, the final version does not differ from the pre-production unit in any way. The specifications are as follows: a Samsung SC32442 processor @ 400 MHz, 64/128 MB of memory, and a brilliant display. In the big review, I expressed some reservations about the device’s audio capabilities. The final version performs better in this respect, yet room for improvement remains. The sound quality is better, without any disturbing noise or rattling, but the volume is still quite low. I put the X500 to one ear and Palm Treo 750v and Qtek 8310 in succession to the other, and found the E-TEN significantly quieter even at the maximum volume than the other devices. It was tolerable even in a not very quiet environment but other users may perceive it very differently.

The E-TEN Glofiish X500 is a very well connected device, featuring Bluetooth and WiFi. Both modules worked reliably in the pre-production unit, with one issue occurring in each of them. Whereas the problem with WiFi was fixed and it now allows Skype calls (Skype is pre-installed in the ROM). This can save your phone charge in places with good WiFi coverage. However, the Bluetooth A2DP profile is still lacking – no wireless stereo music this time. I performed some tests on the Bluetooth and WiFi and found no further problems.

The phone module has improved as well. I would be absolutely happy with it hadn’t it been for the low volume. Sound quality and response times are incomparably better than in the pre-production unit – E_TEN’s developers must have worked very hard. Like other recent E-TEN devices, the X500, too, carries a number of additional utilities that simplify dialling, typing text messages etc. but there has been no innovation. Maybe next time :).

I drove a few dozen kilometres with the Glofiish X500 when I tested the GPS module, using TomTom 6 as the navigation application. Everything worked well most of the time. It seemed to me that reception is slightly worse than in the Glofiish M700 but I could not compare them directly and cannot tell for sure.

There has also been some improvement in the quality of photos produced by the device’s 2-megapixel camera. Don’t expect miracles but there has definitely been a step forward as compared to the pre-production unit.

And that’s about it. Overall, the E-TEN Glofiish X500 has matured. Fitted with the latest firmware version (WWE_032_0354), it is a very powerful Windows Mobile device integrating all features one can think of. With a few exceptions, there is very little to criticise. Judging from the past few months, E-TEN has proved its commitment to fixing bugs and updating the system. If new issues emerge, there is a good chance they will be fixed within days or weeks by a patch and subsequently by a new ROM version. All I can say after the new tests is that if you have been considering X500 but were not sure, there is no reason to hesitate any further.

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