Gadgets and Gizmos

Sharp TM 100 is certainly an unusual looking phone, looking a little like the offspring from a romantic liaison between a Siemens SL55 and a Sony Ericsson T610. It would be uncharitable to call it “ugly” – but the TM 100’s set square straight lines seem rather harsh when compared to the curves of the GX series. In addition, the placement of controls around the main navigation keys looks awkward and unattractive. Sharp have never been terribly good at competing at looks, and the TM 100 is no exception.

The main feature is the excellent 320×240 pixel display in 262,000 colours, which appears to be identical to the one found in the GX30. This is a higher resolution screen than the one found in the Sony Ericsson P900, but it’s much smaller, meaning that the TM 100 boasts the sharpest display in any mobile phone.

The camera is only a VGA-resolution device, but it does have a macro lens, making it similar to the camera found in the GX20 – there’s a digital zoom too. While not the best camera available, it is easily better than many of its competitors in the class, and is certainly a better unit than the one found on the T630. Sharp manufacture the screen and camera themselves.

This is a tri-band GPRS capable phone. There a WAP 2.0 browser built into the TM 100, and it supports standard email protocols. The TM 100 runs Java for games and other applications, supports MMS messaging, polyphonic ringtones and also has a built-in speakerphone. There’s a set of organiser functions built into software, plus an integrated video player.

Internal memory is 2.5Mb which is enough for a few reasonable quality photos. Unlike the GX30/GX32, there’s no removable memory. Connectivity to a PC is through USB cable or infra-red, but not Bluetooth. Physical dimensions are 100×49x22mm, and weight is 105 grams. The Sharp TM 100 is tightly integrated into T-Mobiles t-zones service for additional content, downloads and value added functions.