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I don’t often wax lyrical about packaging, but here I am going to make an exception because O2 has done a very swish job. The box at first appears unopenable, then you see a small tab on each edge of one of the short sides marked ‘pull’. Do as instructed and two drawers slide out – one where you are pulling, one on the other side of the box. One drawer houses the phone, the other everything else, including ActiveSync software CD, printed quick guide and full manual, belt clip style case, stereo headset and USB cable. Like I said, swish.

There is a vague familiarity about most Windows Mobile 5.0 handsets, and the candybar design of this one is no exception. Its 110g weight and 109 x 46.5 x 18.5mm do not surprise. The mostly black fascia with silver trim is reasonably appealing but not stunning, and the design element of two different types of curve for the top and bottom edges, where the top edge curves downwards towards the handset back and the bottom edge curves inwards towards the centre of the casing is so subtle it could well pass you by.

Still, it is substance rather than style which should sell a handset to you, and here the Xda IQ has quite a lot of plus points on its side.

Windows Mobile Smartphones don’t have touch sensitive screens like their Pocket PC cousins, so their key-based navigation systems have to be effective. In this case a total of seven front mounted buttons augment the number, Call and End keys.

One: a mini joystick which provides four way navigation and a press to select option. This protrudes a good way from the front fascia and is easy to get hold of with a thumb. Two and three: buttons to the left and right of the mini joystick which open the contacts software and Messaging centre– for SMS, MMS and email creation and management.

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