Motorola A780 smartphone

Posted by T3 Online on Fri 26 Oct 2007

Lose the map and try this satnav-packing mobile.

Proper men can't ask for directions, so hurray for this smart phone, which comes with satnav software to help you avoid ending up in random fields.

Everything's swell on the navigational side of things, with the CoPilot Live satnav application gently guiding you along your route using built-in maps of the UK and Ireland, which are clearly visible on the decent-sized screen. We didn't have any problems with glare on the LCD, and the directions emanating from the speaker were loud enough to hear even above the rumble of the motorway.

A-to-B-guidance duties aside, and once you get past its large, woodlouse-like design, you'll notice a smart phone with some neat touches. For starters, there's that external keypad on the flip - great when you're using the handset just for calls and you don't fancy pecking at the internal touchscreen with the stylus.Talking of the main display, it's a large, clear and responsive LCD that trounces the one on the T-Mobile MDA Compact - another smart phone featuring CoPilot.

The Linux operating system is a doddle to navigate, being logically laid out with essential info and options easily available - for instance, you'll find the battery life displayed on the main screen, rather than tucked away like it is on Windows Mobile.

As is the case with all smart phones, you can sync your emails, contacts and calendar, although the Motosync PC software isn't as easy to set up as Microsoft's equivalent, ActiveSync.

So, while it may be fat, ugly and a little bit uninspiring, this Motorola is a good all-rounder that's very user-friendly, with the inclusion of satnav adding another string to its bow.