Olive FrvrOn V-G2300

As more and more of these budget handset companies spring to life the novelty factor is going to be their key selling point. In this case, Olive has launched the FrvrOn mobile. For those unfamiliar with mobile speak that means ‘Forever On’. The concept behind this handset is that it’s compatible with a normal AAA pencil battery for extra power supply. Philips had already thought of  this though, way back in January of 2009 with their X520 handset. Of course we never did see it on our shelves so Olive took a stand and voila, FrvrOn is now here. Take a closer look.

Form Factor
The FrvrOn is a small light weight handset that’s ergonomically quite sound. The curved rear paneling makes it quite comfortable to hold. The Rubberized keypad with raised portions on the keys is actually very easy to use and facilitates quick typing. I can’t say the same of the round five way nav-pad. It’s hard to press and makes navigation a bit tough. The 1.5-inch TFT LCD is quite clear and easy on the eyes. It has a mini USB port at the bottom which is actually used for just charging the handset and connecting the handsfree.

On the whole, except for the slightly tough navigation system, the G2300 is a compact, comfortable and well designed device.

Features and Performance
The G2300 has one flaw that stands out. The earpiece speaker is a bit low. It was quite hard most of the time having a conversation with anyone as the volume, even on full was quite low. I had to keep pressing the handset to my ear which was no picnic. The microphone was a non issue as people on the other end didn't seem to have any issues hearing me.

Interface
The UI is no different from any of the other lower end Java mobiles, but it’s clear and easy to use. There’s no lag while changing screens, accessing apps or typing. One minor issue is that you won’t be able to access some features like the radio if the battery is being charged by the AAA cell.

Media
The only media functionality the FrvrOn comes equipped with is FM radio. The radio app is quite simple. It automatically locates and stores all available stations or you can manually set the frequencies yourself. It can play in the background or via the loudspeaker. Reception was quite good on the whole. A couple of games like Sudoku and Tetris are preloaded to wile away those moments of sheer boredom.

Misc. Functions
Olive has loaded this handset with just the basics and no more. Features include an Alarm clock, Calculator, Time Zone and Stopwatch. The Calendar has no options for saving schedules or appointments but that’s where the Memo apps sin handy with its alarm feature.

Battery
This is the most interesting feature about the handset. Olive has gone with a low power 600mAh battery that’s capable of providing a mere 2 hours at best of talk time. That’s no good of course. So to enhance the battery life Olive’s FrvrOn handset has a space for a single AAA battery. A simple setting allows you to recharge the Li-ion battery from the pencil cell. SO in case you run out of power simply buy an AAA battery from a general store and you’ll get at least another half hour’s worth of talk time. It may seem a little weird though as it would have been simpler to just have a larger sized hence large capacity battery.  The reasoning seems sound but would defeat the concept of being able to charge your battery anytime anywhere without the need for a wall socket.

The Bottom Line
This is strictly a basic handset and aimed at a segment that’s looking for nothing more than making calls, sending messages and listening to the radio. With a price tag of Rs. 1600 (approx. MOP) the novelty concept of the handset is, to an extent, justified. For guys out in the field with no access to charging ports the AAA battery scenario works out quite well. But I do feel like the main battery should have had a higher capacity to begin with. The biggest flaw with the handset is of course the fact that it’s really hard to have a conversation with a handset that you’ve got to shove that far into your ear to hear clearly.