Toshiba Portégé G710

Expected March 2008
27th February 2008

Announced last month and due to hit the streets in the next couple of weeks, the Toshiba Portégé G710 is a BlackBerryesque device running Windows Mobile 6 and featuring a built-in GPS receiver.

It doesn't just look a bit like a BlackBerry, the Portégé G710 is aiming at exactly the same market as devices such as the BlackBerry Curve 8310. The Portégé is different though in that it runs Windows Mobile, and it is possible to integrate the device with a Microsoft Exchange server for push email support.

The 2.46" 320 x 240 pixel display is pretty standard for this type of device, although the lack of a touchscreen may prove irritating when used with a satellite navigation package. On the back is a 2 megapixel camera, and the G710 supports microSD expandable memory, it also comes with Bluetooth 1.2 and USB 1.1 connectivity.

It isn't a 3G phone - the Toshiba Portégé G710 is a quad-band GSM device with GPRS and EDGE data. There is no WiFi either. Although high-speed data is a nice thing to have, it isn't really necessary for email and the Toshiba G710 should behave just fine when it comes to messaging.

It's not clear if there is any kind of SatNav application bundled with the G710, but there are a variety of commercial applications available if you want them.

At 115 x 62 x 13mm and 130 grams in weight, the G710 is pretty similar to the competition, although a little slimmer than most. The 1050 mAh battery can drive the G710 for up to 3 hours of talktime and 8 days standby time. Windows Mobile does tend to drain the power cell quite quickly, so the battery life on the G710 is not as good as some of the non-Windows competition.

The Toshiba Portégé G710 does seem to be one of the most promising handsets in its class - if you are looking for a BlackBerry style device but you want to run Windows, then the G710 certainly looks to be a good option.

No exact release date is known, but we understand that the G710 should be available in early March for around €220 / £150 before tax and any carrier subsidy.