Matt M reviews his XDA II after a full month of usage - has his opinion changed? Read and find out ...

Performance

Performance is definitely still far better over the XDA, and (of course) the QTek 7070. However, having encountered some of the known issues with the XDA II (such as the 31 process limit), I have definitely revised this in part. Slowdowns do occur as you approach the maximum processes, and this can be a bit aggravating. Still, nowhere near as bad as some of the forum users, who have reported the impact poorly written applications can have upon their XDA II. My experience in this regard has been very positive, and I've not had to worry.

Pricing

I still regard it as a reasonably priced device given what it includes - provided you are inclined towards a phone that is more PDA than anything. Telstra's Mobile Mail Exchange service has proven to be somewhat of a disappointment - at AUD$120 per month on a 24 month contract for the i-mate Phone Edition (the same unit as the XDA II, only rebadged), it's not particularly good value and at this stage you'd still be best advised to purchase outright if at all possible. Fortunately there's some great prices out there, such as Buyquick.com.au which is currently offering the device for AUD$1,379 (AUD$220 less than the recommended retail price).

I feel disappointed that accessories have not surfaced quickly enough here. They're pricy enough, but many people do judge phones on the availability of accessories such as spare batteries, replacement headsets, and others. This is more a problem with O2 Asia, but it certainly is a concern for prospective buyers (and even current owners).