iKoMo iK202

Introduction / Preview : iKoMo iK202

DO YOU think that most clamshell camera phones sold in the market are way too big, making them difficult to put in one,s shirt pocket? Well, you are not alone. 

This is probably why the iK202 camera phone from Hong Kong-based iKoMo comes in a smaller package – approximately half the size of most clamshell phones.  

The iK202,s square design makes it look like a mini GameBoy Advanced SP portable games console. 

The company managed to trim down the size by reducing the keypad,s buttons to just six and then “slicing” each button into two. 

Although the keys look incredibly small, they were actually not that difficult to press, mainly because most of us normally use our fingertips when SMSing. 

What,s inside
Despite being small built, the iK202 is certainly not on the petite side when it comes to features. As a matter of fact, it offers almost all the features that you would expect from an entry-level camera phone. 

Being a “fun” phone, the iK202 has an interactive menu – you have to cycle through a bunch of animated tools (PC, webcam, organiser, telephone, etc) to access the camera phone,s functions. 

For example, if you want to go into “settings” just press the corresponding button repetitively till you get the “PC” icon. For camera functions look out for the “webcam” icon. 

The iK202 features a 0.3-megapixel digital camera which allows you to take an image at up to 640 x 480pixels.  

Quality-wise, photos taken were on par with most camera phones that we have tested.  

Shots taken under bright sunshine produced the best results, with less noise and better colour composition. 

You can also make use of the built-in picture frames such as Christmas tree, magician,s hat and wedding bell to further enhance your photos. Kinda cool, although using the frame in your picture will increase its file size. You are limited here by the 4.5MB internal memory capacity.  

The camera function also features a self-timer, 4x digital zoom, serial shots (continuous shooting) and video-shooting for up to 10 seconds (videos can be sent as MMS).  

One feature that really stands out is the built-in speaker. When set to the highest settings, the alarm could even wake up your neighbour! Okay, we,re exaggerating, but you get the picture. 

Bundled with the phone is an extra lithium-ion battery, a travel and desktop charger, a handsfree kit, PC sycn software, user manual and serial data cable. 

This is the one that stumped us: A serial data cable in this day and age when all other phone manufacturers are using USB cables? 

This is not a problem if you enjoy installing the driver, switching off the PC, plugging in the cable, and switching on the PC just to get it to work.  

Once successfully installed, you can easily sync the phonebook, schedule, to-do list, memos, SMSes, images and melodies with your PC. 

So cute...
I showed the phone to some women friends and colleagues and the typical response was “awww, so cute.”  

When I showed it to the guys, the comments were somewhat reserved. Some said “too small for me” or “cool.” I even got some smart alecs who remarked how it looked like a funky cigarette lighter. 

Unfortunately, the price is a bit on the high side considering the other phones that are available in shops today. For the same price, you can get more features like Bluetooth, infrared and an external memory card slot. 

Hopefully, in the next version, the company will beef up the features, use USB and bring the price down. 

Pros: Cute design.
Cons: Price serial data cable. 

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