Review: Toshiba Portégé G910 Windows smartphone

As powerful as modern mobile devices are, they suffer when it comes to inputting data.

The Toshiba Portégé G910 aims to address this by providing a full keyboard inside a clamshell design.

First impressions leave you in no doubt that this Windows Mobile 6 device is designed for business users.

The front is basic and features a small display that can be used to view missed calls or the time.

However, its small size means it’s for quick reference only.

A standard mini-USB socket is used for both synchronisation and charging, while a micro SD card slot lets you increase the memory capacity.

There’s also a fingerprint scanner, which is an excellent way of ensuring a high degree of security without using passwords. This scanner can also be used to launch programs with a finger swipe or as a scroll wheel in long documents.

Moving inside reveals a landscape screen with four shortcut keys down each side, backlit keys and a camera for video calls. There is also a 2-megapixel camera at the rear, along with an LED for use in low-light conditions. The quality of the camera isn’t great but reaches the standard we would expect for a device such as this.

A GPS receiver is also built into the G910, but you don’t get any sat-nav software included; basic navigation can be performed by downloading Google Earth.

Ultimately, the limited front display means that anyone wanting to use it first and foremost as a phone should look elsewhere. The fingerprint scanner and keyboard, along with HSDPA and Wifi support, make the Portégé attractive to anyone needing to work securely on the move but many will prefer to opt for one of the new breed of cheap notebooks, such as the Asus Eee 901 or Acer Aspire One.

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