Generally, the only candy bars I like are loaded with chocolate, but I found the Cingular 2125 to be an exceptionally sahweet candy bar style device.

This was my first opportunity to spend any quality time with a smartphone running Windows Mobile 5.0 and my sweet tooth was definitely satisfied. Persistent memory storage helps applications run faster and prevents me from losing any work when the device shuts down. Also, the improved power management features really make a difference in battery life. (So does the power button: until you get the hang of it, the tiny "on" button makes the device very difficult to boot up.)

Lovely to look at
After I did power it up, I was struck by the brilliance of the screen. The colors are jewel-like and the clarity is crisp. This is a pretty one! The screen is generous for a phone, with a 2" TFT color display-and the space is used well. In its standard configuration, the Today screen displays the date and time, as well as links to your profiles, appointments, and text messages. And Cingular still managed to leave room for five program icons that run across the top of the screen, which gives you easy access to the programs you've used most recently.

When I clicked the "Start" button, I was pleased to see a screen of nine clearly labeled program icon options, rather than the usual numbered list. This visual display is a much more intuitive way to display choices. If it looks like a camera, it is. If it looks like a calendar, it is. In addition, I found you can also use the keypad to make your choices; the numbers mirror the position of the icon on the screen.

• Press "1" and you get the top row, left icon: Messaging
• Press "2" for top row, middle icon: Contacts
• Press "3" for top row, right icon: Calendar
• And so on

Delightful to hold
Turning it over in my hand, I was impressed with the slim, sleek form factor. It's a featherweight-only 3.74 ounces. It's also skinny-only 4.57 x 1.81 x 0.69 inches. The Cingular 2125 fits so easily into a back pocket it's easy to forget you put it there. I thought I misplaced it and asked my husband to call it; I was quite surprised to hear my pocket ringing. I know that sounds like looking for your glasses on top of your head, but this phone is super model-thin.

For navigation, Cingular chose the "joystick," similar to those found on many laptops. The joystick is actually a little button that you nudge right, left, up, or down, then push to select. I don't usually find them very joyful to use, but was pleasantly surprised to find it a vast improvement over the ultra-sensitive navigation bar on the phone I've been using lately.

Included software
I'm a heavy ActiveSync user. I depend on it for keeping Outlook Contacts, Tasks, and Calendar items up to date. Of course, unlike Pocket PC Phones, Windows Mobile smartphones don't come with the other Office Mobile applications that I use all the time, such as Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and now PowerPoint Mobile.

Cingular, however, gives you the tools you need to view files created with those applications. ClearView Suite is a collection of Microsoft Office and image file viewers you can use to open and view Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents or JPG, BMP and PNG files. ClearVue lets you choose the zoom level you wish to view documents. Of course, the more you fit on the screen, the less you're able to read; but if you need a sense of layout or to test the transitions on a PowerPoint, the higher magnifications are great, too. The viewers are not pre-installed-you'll have to install them yourself-but they are included on the CD-ROM that comes with the smartphone.

For staying in touch, Pocket MSN, which includes MSN Hotmail, also comes with the device.

A Media-Rich Machine
When it comes to media, the Cingular 2125 is decked out nicely with Windows Media Player 10, a 1.3 megapixel camera and video recorder. With Windows Mobile 5.0, I could assign a picture to a contact and that image would show not only in the Contacts listing, but also in IM and e-mail. You can set the resolution (up to 1280 x 1024 pixels or down to 160 x 120) and make other choices, such as lighting and whether or not to apply the "Date and Time stamp." Your media is easy to find. Photos are stored in My Pictures; videos are stored in My Video-just like your familiar Windows desktop computer.

The video recorder works well and the camera captured nice images even in the low light of a rainy Seattle afternoon. The stereo audio jack on the bottom of the device makes for a nice listening experience, too.

What's inside?
There is a trick to removing the back cover. The back has a smooth, uninterrupted finish. On the verge of using a small screwdriver in the one slot I could find, I called a local Cingular store. The answer: grasp the smooth surface tightly, push down firmly on the back, and pull apart vigorously. Happily, I succeeded in entering, not breaking, the device-and once you're inside, the SIM card is easy to remove if you have a need to swap it out into another mobile device.

For data storage, the Cingular 2125 uses miniSD cards. That's one of the formats supported by the reader in my desktop PC, making it easy to transfer files.

Here's some of the technology that's also inside:

• Bluetooth connectivity for using Bluetooth enabled accessories
• GPRS/EDGE High-Speed Data Access
• 850/900/1800/1900 MHz - Quad-band for international compatibility
• 64 MB SDRAM/64 MB Flash ROM
• TI OMAP 850 200MHz processor
• Multimedia messaging - send text, pictures and sound

The Cingular 2125 may not be able to replace chocolate, but it is more than capable of doing everything you need a small smartphone to do. What could be sweeter than that?

Tyson Greer
Chief Executive Officer
Ambient Insight, LLC.
 Tyson@AmbientInsight.com

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Reference
This article was originally published on the Microsoft Windows Mobile Web site. Click here to link to the original publication.