Toshiba Portégé G710 in Smartphones

The reason for this is Toshiba opting for a slim 1,050mAh battery to help keep the G710's dimensions so compact. Although the good news is that you can recharge it via the mini USB cable, we don't think anyone should be worrying about battery life over a weekend.

GPS
The Portégé doesn't come with any GPS software, so you'll have to either buy your own - or select a bundle that includes such software - or download Google Maps. The former is the only choice if you want turn-by-turn driving instructions, but Maps will let you see your location to an accuracy of a few metres.

Google Maps actually offers the same service to non-GPS phones using triangulation (it sees what phone masts you can access to work out your location), but GPS is far more accurate. One minor note, though: GPS has an inevitable impact on battery life, which - as discussed previously - isn't one of the G710's strengths.

With the right software you could theoretically use the G710 in a car too, and there's an external aerial socket built into the unit (and Toshiba advertises a screen holder on its website too). In bright conditions, though, you might find the screen difficult to see, as it isn't a transflective display (another sign of cost-cutting). We found it nigh-on impossible to see in direct sunlight.

Conclusion
Unlike the BlackBerry, you won't find the Portégé discounted to zero on an 18-month call plan. You pay the full asking price, slip in the SIM of your choice, scroll down to the Settings menu and select the operator: Orange, O2, T-Mobile or Vodafone. It then automatically updates the phone with the relevant settings.

And Toshiba certainly does its utmost to justify the £200 asking price. Its skill is making a cheap unit feel and look much more expensive, and there's no disputing you're getting a lot of features for your money: IT departments on tight budgets that need all those features should certainly add it to their pool. But it's not difficult to find compromises under the sleek surface, which means most people will be happier with the slightly uglier, slightly thicker BlackBerry 8820.

Author: Tim Danton