Internet

As an entirely new infrastructure upgrade based on CDMA technology, Cingular's UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) system requires significant time and investment. Currently only available in select markets (Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tacoma and Washington, D.C.), UMTS will be rolled out to additional markets throughout the year.

Upgrading from EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution), a 2.5G standard, to UMTS, a 3G standard adopted my much of the world, customers can transfer data at theoretical rates of 384 kbps. However realistic rates will be more around 220-320 kbps, still a significant improvement over EDGE which transfers at 70-135 kbps.

While Cingular's UMTS is faster than competing GSM networks, unfortunately it is still slower than the more advanced EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) technology from CDMA carriers like Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Offering rates of 300-500 kbps, EV-DO currently provides the fastest transfer speeds from wireless carriers in North America.

Storage

Featuring 64.0 MB of free memory for multimedia storage, consumers may find themselves running out of space loading large files such as MP3s and video clips.

Fortunately the CU320 also comes with a TransFlash memory card slot, located on the left side. Capable of accepting cards up to 512 MB in size, the removable storage lets consumers to not only save more multimedia, but also transfer them to and from the CU320.

Connectivity

Providing Bluetooth wireless connectivity, CU320 users can synchronize and pair with other Bluetooth-enabled devices within a 10 meter radius. Able to transfer and offload multimedia to and from a PC, the CU320 offers fast synchronization with Calendar, Notes, and the PhoneBook, allowing users to take their work with them.

< Prev Next >

This article is Copyright 2002-2009 Mobiledia Corp. and the review in part or in whole may NOT be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from Mobiledia. For information on reproducing any part of this review (or any images) please contact us.