Unveiling the Gigabyte GSmart MW998 Specs Price Pros & Cons

Overview of the Gigabyte GSmart MW998

The Gigabyte GSmart MW998 is a mobile device that represents the early era of smart handheld devices. Released in 2008, the MW998 combines the capabilities of a mobile phone with PDA features, characteristic of the smartphones from that period. It's powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional, providing a professional and business-oriented user interface suitable for the era's mobile computing.

Design and Build

The GSmart MW998 boasts a substantial and compact build, with dimensions of 110.5 x 55.5 x 18.5 mm and a weight of 140 grams. This design is typical of mid-2000s smartphones, offering a balance of portability and functionality. The device is equipped with a 2.6-inch TFT resistive touchscreen, displaying up to 256,000 colors, with an effective palette of 65k colors. The screen resolution of 480 x 640 pixels offers a relatively high clarity of 308 ppi, which was quite notable at the time.

Network and Connectivity

The GSmart MW998 supports GSM technology with 2G bands covering 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 frequencies. This makes the device compatible with global GSM networks, although it lacks both GPRS and EDGE, which might limit certain network capabilities. However, it does include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0, facilitating wireless data transfer and internet connectivity. The absence of 3G or 4G further underscores its position as an early mobile technology.

Platform and Performance

This device runs on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional Operating System, which was designed to bring office functionalities to mobile devices. It is powered by a Marvell PXA270 processor clocked at 520MHz, which was a competent processor for straightforward tasks typical of early smartphones. Its performance is supported by 64MB of RAM, limiting it to generally low-intensive applications customary of that time period.

Storage and Memory

The MW998 is equipped with 64MB of RAM and 256MB of ROM. While these storage options may seem minimal by today's standards, they were acceptable for mid-2000s mobile devices. Users had the option to expand storage via a dedicated microSD slot, allowing for additional data, multimedia files, and support for more complex applications.

Camera Capabilities

The main camera on the GSmart MW998 is a 2 MP unit with autofocus capability, capable of capturing satisfactory images for casual use. Video recording functionality is also present, though it lacks the sophistication and image quality of modern smartphone cameras. The device does not feature a selfie camera, which was often the case in the early smartphone era.

Sound and Audio

Audio capabilities in the GSmart MW998 are straightforward. The device does not have a loudspeaker, but supports vibration and downloadable ringtones in various formats including polyphonic, MP3, WAV, and WMA. Notably, the device lacks a 3.5mm audio jack, which limits options for wired audio connections.

Battery Life

Performance is sustained by a removable Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery, allowing for up to 150 hours on standby and up to 4 hours of talk time. Given the lack of power-intensive features, such battery capacity ensures adequate longevity per charge during unsophisticated use.

Miscellaneous Features

The GSmart MW998 is encapsulated in a sleek black body, offering a business-ready aesthetic. It features essential communication functions but lacks more modern features like GPS or radio. Connectivity is supplemented by a miniUSB 1.1 port.

The Position of Gigabyte GSmart MW998 in Today's Context

Although discontinued, this device reflects the innovative steps taken in the transition from feature phones to smartphones. Its functionalities, though basic today, laid groundwork in mobile computing and set the stage for more sophisticated innovations to follow. Its form, operating platform, and capabilities underscore the advances that have been made since its release, allowing it to remain a part of tech history discussions and as a point of comparative evaluation for current mobile technology.