The Glofiish X500+ is E-ten's latest foray into the Windows Mobile device arena, with a few tweaks from the X500 original - such as improved display and camera functionality.

On paper, the X500+ makes an enticing proposition. It's one of the first wave of devices built around the latest Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system.

This touchscreen device doesn't just provide the usual Microsoft-powered fare - it grabs your attention with must-have features such as its built-in GPS antenna, and Wi-Fi capability.

It also boldly claims to be the thinnest all-in-one Windows Mobile touchscreen phone that you can find - with a measured depth of just under 16mm. This might be the case, but it is still no miniature.

The integrated satnav, 2.8-inch stylus-responsive screen, and wireless data connectivity may justify some of the size. But it still remains that this is significantly heavier than the very-similarly-specified HTC P3300 (better known as the O2 XDA Orbit).

What makes the X500+ different, however, is that E-ten has tried very hard to make this unlike other Windows Mobile machines. These smartphones can end up being unnervingly similar to each other, whoever makes them, thanks to the standard features and interface limitations of the Microsoft operating system.

But this Glofiish challenges this norm, not only with its attractive matt black casing - it has also made a fair go at customising the interface to give a refreshingly different user experience.

Quick links

Fire up the phone, for instance, and the standby screen offers mini icons for the major applications and utilities - quick links that allow you to see and find things quickly. Unlike other Windows Mobile devices, you don't have to hit the Start icon to find out what is on offer.

Better still, if you hit the Home key above the screen, program items and programs are split up into different tabbed subscreens - with Phone, Fun, PDA, and System features being sensibly split up for easy access.

The content of these hotlists can be customised, to speed your way round the phone's many features still further. The onscreen interface is also supplied with a specially-designed skin, whose orange colour palette makes a refreshing change from the standard Windows blue.

The advantage of a touchscreen is that it makes for a very simple looking device. But the lack of numberpad does mean that making calls to new numbers is more hassle than with a normal phone. What's more, unlike some serious smartphones, there is no hidden Qwerty keyboard to pops out to your rescue when typing up emails and SMS messages.

You do get an onscreen typewriter console but the letters on this seem rather smaller than on some other models, forcing you to be more deliberate and controlled with the stylus.

The phone is loaded with 128MB of RAM and 64MB of ROM, and the memory can be increased with the use of a MicroSD card (not supplied). This slips into an uncovered slot at the base of the phone - so can be removed and changed without the need to fiddle with caps, covers and battery.

Refreshingly, the handset uses a simple jack input for connecting a headset; it's not the most common 3.5mm size, but the 2.5mm interface provides an easy route for attaching a wide range of earpieces via an adapter.