SlashPhone Exclusive Videos of the Helio White Drift Google Map and Buddy Beacon
Last update:  27-11-06 Submitted by Chris Davies
Views: 2765 Home Videos


So you've seen the video unboxing, you've seen the photos, and now you want to know if the Frost White Helio Drift is your new pin-up phone. Well join SlashPhone for this video walkthrough of the Drift's MySpace, GPS and Buddy Beacon features.

At the end of the day, a white case (no matter how sexy) is just a white case - the big question is, can the Drift's innards keep you happy until upgrade time? Well, take a QVGA, 320 x 240 pixel display, throw in fast-locking GPS and mix together with crisp, colourful Google maps, and you start to get the all-in-one goodness of Helio's latest handset.

MySpace has been a phenomenon perhaps for two reasons - the social side and the self-expression side. Helio obviously can handle the former, with the Drift supporting blogging, messaging and searching of others' profiles, but can it adequately bring you the embellished profile designs on a relatively small display? The answer is, of course, no; you'll never get the full effect of someone's customising hours, but then considering the design-car-crash of much of MySpace that may not be such a bad thing.

GPS is quick to locate your position and starts up with a single click. You get a whole lot of map at a decent resolution on the bright screen, and zooming in feels as fast as it does when you're browsing the map your PC. The positive points are support for Google Map Traffic, which uses colour coding to illustrate congested routes, and speedy route calculation; the negative has to be the lack of verbal instructions for navigation. It could get pretty dangerous using the Drift while driving!

Finally, the Buddy Beacon. Helio brand it as an easy way to keep track of your friends, which - as long as they all have a Drift of their own - it can be. The Beacon server needs to be regularly pinged to keep your location updated, which is both a plus for privacy (there are some times you just don't want to be tracked) and a minus for ease, but you can poke your friends via the UI to get them to ping. The Drift uses MapQuest to show your buddy's location, at which point you can track them down or avoid them, depending on who owes who money.

At the end of the day, whether the Drift is for you will depend on three factors. Firstly, are you a MySpace fan? If not, then Helio's promise to make the social networking site mobile won't mean too much to you. Secondly, do you walk a whole lot more than you drive? The Drift's GPS is fast and accurate, but without voice guidance not much use in a vehicle unless you have a second person with you to read out instructions. Finally, do your friends have - or want to have - a Drift too? If not, you won't be making much use of the Buddy Beacon feature, since everyone has to have that same model phone in order for it to work.

The demographic that Helio are aiming at is obvious, and they're offering a powerful phone with some pretty compelling features. Whether that demographic will take to the Drift - or recoil from its model-specificity - will remain to be seen.

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