Possibly marking the beginning of a revolution, the SXG75 from BenQ-Siemens is the first candybar from a major handset maker which wholly integrates GPS navigation; Jørgen Sundgot investigates.
Review summary of the BenQ-Siemens SXG75:
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 The main allure of the BenQ-Siemens SXG75 is its merging of phone and GPS functionality into one comparably compact device - a feat which it pulls off with reasonable success. Unfortunately, either aspect is revealed as mediocre when isolated from the other, and as such only users with an equal interest in both will find themselves content with the handset. Particularly worthy of note is the good battery life and audio quality, while quality-minded buyers will frown upon both the sub-par 2 Megapixel camera and the relative heft of the device. Release: March 2006. Price: $375.
Pros: Merges phone and GPS functionality; FM radio with RDS; good battery life
Cons: Mediocre phone and GPS functionality; bulky; camera not the best
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Full review of the BenQ-Siemens SXG75:
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It's not an entirely novel proposition, but BenQ-Siemens' hefty SXG75 is the first GPS phone from a major handset maker to sport a traditional - albeit bulky - candybar form factor at 112 x 53 x 20 mm and 134 g. Available in black or metallic white, the handset's exterior is rather cluttered, graced as it is by a myriad of buttons which provide one-press access to the Media Player and Navigation applications, among others. Speaking of which, the keypad and navigational pad are both deserving of adjectives such as easily-distinguished, large and responsive, but we could easily do without the annoyingly bright blue backlight.
Not that way, the other right
Getting to grips with GPS navigation is an exquisitely simple affair; press a button, and up pops VDO Dayton Mobile. The 2.2-inch, high-resolution QVGA display is highly legible and more than sufficiently bright, but expectedly has problems displaying more than basic information due to its small size. The numerical keypad - although decent in its own right - is hardly ideal for inputting addresses, however, rendering the ability to store favourites even more handy than usual. Meanwhile, the points of interest (POI) database seems to be reasonably up-to-date, automatic recalculation is supported and users can tweak calculation by parameters such as shortest/fastest, allow/avoid toll roads and more.
Aided by AGPS support, the SXG75 proved mostly precise during testing, succumbing only occasionally to confusion in the presence of tightly spaced parallel roads. Our main concern with the GPS functionality of the handset is the reliance of subscription and prepaid schemes to obtain map data; available options include purchasing unlimited navigation for fixed time periods or lookup for a fixed number of routes. This approach is very uncommon, and although users benefit from access to always-updated information which is updated bi-annually, one should be mindful of the costs involved as compared to the purchase-once map solutions available with competing GPS phones.
It's a phone, too
In addition to its GPS capabilities, the SXG75 does quite a few other things - such as making calls with excellent audio quality and provide 3G connectivity for laptop owners. The onboard browser isn't much to brag about, however, nor is the MP3-supporting media player which provides only the most basic of functionality. Further on the note of mediocrity, the built-in 2 Megapixel camera shoots stills with a noticeable blue tint, and also suffers from poor contrast and slight overexposure. Catering to both of the latter is an RS-MMC expansion slot; not exactly state of the art.
On the other hand, Bluetooth performance proved quite good, and the integrated FM radio with RDS support represents a nice addition - particularly in light of the so-so media player. Other mentionables include USB connectivity and Infrared, as well as a talk time of close to 4 hours and up to 10 days of standby.
Price and availability
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