Earlier, we have posted on New PalmOS smartphone – the Xplore M70 , not much info was released at that time.

Visiting back to GSL website for M70, found that they update the user manual on the page.

In the user manual (PDF) it stated that the M70 does comes with a SD/MMC slot, the SIM card design was simular to other Xplore, under the battery (Instead of the Treos SIM Tray design).

User Interface

Like most other Xplore, M70 also comes with a custom made Launcher with lots of info on the Status bar and the DIA, status info like: miss call, battery level, signal level, call redirect status and bluetooth status can displayed.


Quick Launch is also config-able using the Jog Netvigator in the center.

Phone
Simular to Treos, normal phone setting like call dirvert, calling card prefix, LED light indications, etc etc are buildin, compare to the Treos, M70 also comes with like Video Caller display, Custom ringtone on the SD Card, and Custom ringtone for different contacts (Read PIM section later)

In the phone call, user can also easily access to the phone numbers they need, I like the idea, please no more home button, contacts, find the target please.

Communications



A very rich function Mail Client called Mobile Mail, I suggest it is the Mail client announce before by PalmSource and Visto for PalmOS Garnet and Cobalt.
(I can’t seems to be able to find the original english site of Mobile Mail 5.2 on PalmSource, but the PalmSource Italy, and even spanish…)



Worth to know more about the Mobile Mail 5.2, Visto – PalmSource and Visto Announce Availability
of Mobile Mail 5.0 for Palm OS Garnet and
Palm OS Cobalt stated some key features:
– Over-the-air push email as well as scheduled or user initiated email synchronization
– Support for MS Exchange, Lotus Domino, through integration with Visto Mobile Personal Edition and Visto Mobile Enterprise Server
– IMAP, POP3 and SMTP
– Enhanced IMAP folder support enables users to subscribe to up to 16 server folders

Remeber M70 was announced with “Push Email” feature? hum..


A WAP Browser was included, the WAP browser is from Jataayu Software jBrowser Version 3.0.0 (same WAP browser was used on the Samsung SGH-i530, I did search about information on this software for long, thought they were closed….)


On the Bluetooth, pretty much like other PalmOS devices, but one point worth to mention for the headsets handling, much better than the Treos, on the M70, user are allow to set where does the ringtone goes when ringing, like Speaker and Earpiece (we need 3rd party software like HeadCold to do so on Treos), and user are allow to select how to recieve the call when in-comming calls come, like earpiece or headset (It was supportted on the M$ smartphone edition for ages already, where is this setting on my Treo?).

Multi-Media
The Camera App and the Photo List apps looks simular like other devices.

The M70 also comes with a MP3 player and a Movie Player, instead of a “Real Player” which does not play real movies, the build in MP3 player on the M70 looks clean and nice.

The manual didn’t state what file format the Movie player would take, but I suggest at least 3GP as it is so common on mobilephones now.

M70 also comes with a Voice Memo app. (where was mine one on the Treo 650?)

PIMs

Custom ringtone settings for different contacts are supported by the Address Book app, a point to mention is the chinese search handling on contacts has been fix or at least enhance, which was so crippy on the Treos..

Others
A File Explorer has been included, allowing user to manage file on their SD card (We will have to do custom ROM dump and reinstall the PalmOne file explorer on our Treo…)


And Finally, a Clock app supporting repeat and More than 1 entry (cron like), the world clock on Treo is just so……..um….lack of function…

A Backup app has been include, good, at least GSL knows user need backups, wonder do Palm thinks their Treos are sooooo stable that no backup is needed?

Click to enlarge


PalmDesktop comes with SMS hotsync, thats a good idea, sometimes we may want to see what has been SMS (Next is privacy issue again, how good is the security on PalmDesktop?) and a Melody Converter is also included, so long MP3>WAV>AMR by what-so-ever!!!!!

Overall, I will have to agree, the M70 is a way more welly packaged PalmOS Smartphone than others, see most function and features what a Power Phone user needs has already been included, unlike the Treos, which we need to spend a long long time to search for 3rd party software support to get some basic phone features…

GSL Xplore Offical site – Xplore M70 PDA Phone
GSL Xplore Offical site – Xplore M70 PDA Phone User Guild 1.1 in PDF