Smartphone Thoughts: Metallic Marvel: The Dopod 595 Reviewed

The Unboxing
I prefer to make my reviews at Pocket PC Thoughts as detailed as possible. I may be a reviewer, but I'm also a consumer, and like any consumer, absorbing every bit of detail helps with the purchasing decision. That's why my first review here at Smartphone Thoughts is going to be no different. I want you to know every positive and negative aspect of this device, so I definitely will not hesitate to point out the flaws that exist. It focuses on the hardware and the software, though I've geared this review more toward existing Smartphone users, so aspects of the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system aren't covered to great lengths. That said, if you're new to the world of Smartphones and would like to learn more about what Windows Mobile has to offer, you're more than welcome to post questions in this thread. I'll endeavour to answer them as best as possible.

To kick things off, we head straight to the box, which is bathed in a hot collection of red, black and white (Dopod's company colours). Dopod certainly wasn't afraid to splash the box with pictures of the 595 from the side. One of the shining aspects of the 595 is its slim form factor (14.8mm). When you look at other candy bar Smartphones such as the HTC Typhoon (17.0mm), HTC Feeler (18.0mm), and HTC Tornado (17.0mm), you soon realize that the 595 is one of the most compact Smartphones around.

Inside the box, there's more than just the 595 itself. Here are the extras:
[*]1,190 mAh lithium polymer battery;[*]AC adapter;[*]USB synchronization cable;[*]Stereo headset (Mini-USB) with a microphone, clip and volume controls;[*]Two earpads;[*]Leather case with belt clip;[*]EULA, quick start guide and 370-page user manual;[*]Getting Started CD (includes Microsoft Outlook 2002 and ActiveSync 4.1).
Interestingly, despite the 595 shipping to me in late October, the CD was dated July, which explained the inclusion of the older ActiveSync 4.1. If you choose to purchase this device and find yourself in a similar boat, it's worth downloading and installing ActiveSync 4.2 instead (or if you're a risk taker, there's also the beta version of ActiveSync 4.5). I'll be covering most of the bundled extras a little later. For now, we head straight to the design of the 595 and size comparisons with other devices.