E-Ten's latest WM6 (Windows Mobile 6) handheld comes with all the features of the glofiish X800 with the addition of a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The M800 is the name of this new PDA-phone, one that succeeds the M700, the company's other QWERTY-enabled device.

Pros

The M800 comes with an impressive feature list. It has a VGA (640 x 480) display, just like the X800. Also like the X800, it sports a complete set of connectivity options including HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. And like every device from E-Ten, the M800 will also feature GPS navigation using the SiRFstar III chip.

The big difference is, of course, the QWERTY keypad. The screen slides out toward the right to reveal a keypad which is meant to be used with the device in a landscape orientation. While we can't comment on the quality of this keypad for now, the inclusion of two LEDs on the right side is a great touch. We first saw this on the HTC TyTN II--lights that show when the Caps Lock and Function keys have been pressed so you make fewer mistakes when capitalizing letters and using punctuation.

Cons

Even though the Samsung 500MHz processor is no slouch, we can't help but feel that the M800 may be let down by its 64MB RAM. While it is a standard amount for many WM6 devices, the M800, with all its features for power users, could do with more. RAM is used for storing data when applications are in use, which makes having more better for running multiple programs concurrently.

The softkeys and shortcuts on the front below the screen are touch-sensitive instead of physical depressible ones. We handle quite a number of mobile phones in our line of work, and so far, very few get it right when it comes to non-tactile buttons. There are, of course, exceptions like the Sony Ericsson K850i, but by and large we prefer regular keys. This is one aspect we will be paying close attention to when we get a review unit in our Labs.

Bottomline

The addition of the M800 to E-Ten's line of PDA-phones is a good thing. This will appeal to those who must have a QWERTY keypad and still want all the features of the X800. At the time of writing, the X800 was finally on sale in Singapore at a price of S$1,188. We expect the M800 to be slightly more expensive than that. According to the company, it will hit stores before the end of the year.