Panasonic X700 review: Glossy Symbian

New mobile phone with older functions

Panasonic X700 is using the operating system Symbian 7.0s with graphic build Series 60 v.2.0. That is completely same as e.g. at Nokia 6600 and that is also the reason for controls and choice of functions. Today's Nokia phones are already using more sophisticated environment with new applications. We can take it as a drawback - Panasonic is coming with the same applications a year after Nokia and Siemens did. In some cases - for example with the multimedia functions - it is a step behind them.

As Siemens SX1, Panasonic also modified a standard environment of the Series 60 - they added its icons, modified titles, placed the standard programs in the menu totally differently than the common way. Overall, I am quite happy with the phone control.

Icons and arrangement of programs is different form other Series 60 phones • various types of other selections

Measuring the phone speed

I enjoyed the Panasonic speed until I loaded my contacts list and synchronized my tasks. Speed of the phone was the same after this operation as the speed at the other Series 60 phones. During setting of e-mail box the phone was restarted by itself but it happened just once.

Panasonic X700 uses processor ARM4 on frequency 104 MHz. Even that official specification claims about 8 MB of user memory, the overall capacity is 16 MB. Entire memory is not available - even at the phone without any running applications, there were only 4 MB of memory left. RAM memory right after startup is round about 9,5 MB.

With SPMark04 program I was able perform a 3D graphics test and to compare Panasonic X700 with other phones. With the result 424, it is the slowest Symbian Series 60 phone, together with Sendo X.

Let's go straight to measure Java speed, supported by Panasonic X700 as MIDP 2.0. jBenchmark computed result 2156 (1.0) and 76 (2.0). It is the average result in the first case and above the average in the second case.

Starting with the phone

Functions description takes us back to well-known system Series 60. Except small details, everything is the same as e.g. at Nokia 6600. I cannot say much good about calls sound quality; Panasonic is on the same level with Nokia and that means "not much". The sound is with bass backgrounds but also often with noises in the background; generally, the loud handsfree is good but could be better.

Entering and dialing a number

Address book uses complete shared memory and can be synchronized with a PC. Access the address book by pressing a key and then search by entering letters of a name. There is an address book in the phone, an address book on the SIM card and callers group management. It is possible to assign to contact a number of various information - e.g. a date of birth, which is a change compared to Nokia phones. This item is not copied in the calendar, so its usability is questionable.

Searching in the address book • detail of a contact

Each name can be assigned with a picture that appears on the display by an incoming call; it works also at the inner display. An individual ringing tone can be assigned either directly to a name in the address book or to a group of callers. Ringing profiles offer classic possibilities, e.g. filtering by groups that you can set. Holding the "#" key switches the phone to a silent mode.

Ringing profiles menu

Panasonic X700 normally uses 40 tones for ringing XMF files. This format combines real sounds with MID melodies. MID files can also be used, as well as WAV format. Unfortunately, the Panasonic cannot work with MP3 files and it is not even possible to use them as a ringing tone.

Ringing tones are in XMF format in default.