The Panasonic GD88 is a triple band mobile phone that combines an integrated digital camera and a flip-top design. Opening the folder reveals a very bright colour screen capable of displaying 65,535 colours at a resolution of 132 x 176 pixels.
When the folder is open and the phone is in camera mode, the large LCD acts as the viewfinder. The centre navigation key acts as the shutter button and when pressed the phone mimics a classic camera "click"-- annoyingly even if the phone is in silent mode.
A 2X digital zoom is achieved by pressing up. Pressing left or right on the navigational keys while in camera mode will adjust the exposure setting (+/- 2). You can add effects while taking a picture including twilight mode (for night shots), adding frames, negative shots. A range of editing options is available for stored images--brightness, size and format. Images can be stored in JPEG or PNG format in a variety of compression settings.
A handy feature in the pictures folder is the date/time file naming convention. For example, an image labelled 04152132 denotes the picture was taken on the 15 April at 9:32pm. This is much better than seeing a simple icremental file name in the "IMG00001" style.
The camera can operate with the folder open or closed. If you want to take self-portraits the button below the sub-LCD acts as the shutter button when in camera mode . If you're wondering how you take a photo of yourself with no viewfinder, Panasonic included a small circular mirror below the lens--although it reminds us of those distorting mirrors you see in fun parks.
You can transfer pictures via MMS, email, infrared or a data cable (optional extra). Adding text to an MMS containing an image will shrink the image down to half its size to make room. Then you can add sound, change the colour of the background or the colour of the text.
For text input, the GD88 includes T9 dictionary, but it does not have the ability to add custom words. However, there is a nifty cut and paste feature which can speed up message editing.
The GD88 is light on the games side, with its sole entry being the rather unexciting Herding Sheep game. The title alone should give you a clue as to its thrill level; you play as a little dog running around barking at sheep, guiding them into a pen.
The keypad buttons are large and flush with the phone. This flat design means the keys are easy on the fingers but can be a little hard to navigate during SMS entry. There is 5-way navigational key similar to previous Panasonic phones like the GD75, but on the GD88 the joystick has been replaced with a flat button so it doesn't interfere with the folder closing.
The Panasonic GD88 measures 97.5 x 49 x 23 mm and weighs 103 grams. On the outside of the folder the sub-LCD can show the date, time, signal strength and remaining battery power. When you receive a call, it will show the caller's name or phone number.
The translucent button below the sub-LCD is backlit and will fade in-and-out a blue light during a call. This is a good reminder to the user that a call is active even when the folder is closed. When in idle mode, pressing the button will bring up the icons representing current phone settings.
One of the features that we love about the GD88 are the personalisation options. Starting from the outside, the sub-LCD can be assigned colours for different events. For example you can set the sub-LCD to light up blue for incoming calls, green when receiving an SMS and orange for an MMS. You can use photos taken as wallpaper and a clock or calendar can be superimposed over the top. Further customisation is though the right soft key, which can be programmed as a short cut for a variety of functions and ring tones can be assigned to individual callers or caller groups.
There are twenty different ring tones on the GD88 and they come through crisp and loud if set to maximum volume. Panasonic have managed to include a range of classical music, club tunes, 80s disco beats and even the sound of a pinball machine. While there were many quality ring tones, we were quite amused to hear the one containing cheesy American slang, "Yo...Yo! C'mon!"
There is an enhanced phonebook available if you choose to use the phone's memory rather than your sim card. You are able to store more information like an email address and notes on the person. You will also be able to assign them a caller group, store a photo of them that you can see while browsing the phonebook, specify a ring tone for them and even allocate a colour that the sub-LCD will flash if they call.
One flaw in the GD88's design is a distinct lack of volume from the earpiece. A couple of extra decibels on the maximum setting would have made conversations in noisy environments much easier. The loudspeaker used in hands free mode is audible in the office environments or in the car, but again, the highest volume was still a bit quiet for raucous places. Another let down with the mostly well-implemented flip design is that you can't answer phone calls simply by opening the folder. On a similar note, closing the phone does not end a call.
Panasonic boast a maximum battery life of 220 hours in standby. In our tests it lasted just under 3 days under high use of the camera and normal use of the phone. To fully charge it again took only 80 minutes.
Aside from a few little quirks, Panasonic have made a great phone that combines a camera, flip design and lots of flexibility in personalisation.
Panasonic GD88
Company: Panasonic
Price: est AU$1,465
Distributor: Panasonic
Phone: 13 26 00
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my boyfriend got one of these phones not even a week ago and it is already stuffed. it started switching itself off every 10 mins or so the day after we bought it.