As the cohabitation of computing and telecomns produce some odd offspring, JOHN HARRIS goes on a two-week search for a mobile phone that will deliver the fruits of convergence.

I was paroled this month. After serving two years of hard time, I can now taste freedom, swig liberty and gaze upon a world of opportunity.

In other words, my mobile phone contract is over.

Since mid-2004, I suffered using a so-called “smartphone” that promised the world, but couldn’t deliver Tasmania. My clamshell Motorola MxP200 has a short 24-hour battery life, sluggish software and indifferent phone performance. Its only redeeming feature is it can retrieve my office email from anywhere, even when I was in China.

So, like a reborn bachelor, I’m now back on the prowl with an eye for what’s hot.
I went looking for a smartphone, because if my phone is smart, I don’t have to be.

The first lesson of my search is how many phones just don’t suit me.

For example, the Nokia N70, was a perfect 10 on the spec sheet: The chunky handset has a two megapixel camera with built-in flash, 20x digital zoom, FM radio, MP3 player, email, web browsing and video streaming. It even makes phone calls.

Unfortunately this phone was far too smart for me. Its multifarious features meant I spent far too much time pushing the cursor through many layers of icons to find what I wanted. I also found the phone’s Symbian software sluggish, which made it frustrating to use. Our irreconcilable difference was that the N70 could not retrieve email from my office’s Exchange Server, which made me miss my dodgy old phone.

Next up was a Motorola RAZR V3i, a sleek-looking sportscar of a handset that performed like greased lightning compared to the N70. As well as a 1.2 megapixel camera, the V3i had an MP3 player and plenty of other bells and whistles.

The V3i’s slender clamshell design is instantly appealing while its sensible software design puts the most commonly used features within a couple of button clicks. Sadly, after reading the manual, fiddling with many settings and a pleading email to Motorola, I discovered that the V3i can’t remotely retrieve Exchange email.

The third phone I checked out is the 02 Atom, an amazing handset that is literally all screen and no keypad. If you want to call someone, you press numbers on the Atom’s touchscreen.

The unit’s Windows Mobile 5.0 software offers plenty of functions including a two megapixel camera, FM radio, MP3 player and Web browser. The Atom is also handy for work as it can synchronise email, diary notes, contacts and tasks using either a desktop cradle or, from out of the office, over the GPRS data network.

I fell in love with the Atom’s stylus-driven touchscreen – you can even give it the finger. This saves a lot of mucking around with keys to find required functions. The screen was also the Atom’s shortcoming. It’s difficult to read in bright daylight and, even in good lighting, the on-screen characters are small.

Overall, the Atom was the best combo of phone and pocket organiser, but it’s not a perfect match, so I’m still looking.

John Harris is managing director of Impress Media Australia. You can email him at jharris@impress.com.au or visit his website at www.impress.com.au.

© 2006 Impress Media Australia

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