14 DAY TRIAL // One of the few handset manufacturers that centers its production on mass-market dual SIM mobile phones, Korean company WND Telecom is looking to offer a perfect mix to its customers: ultra convenient price, flexibility and style. Founded in 2006 by four young professionals from diverse backgrounds and global locations, the company aims at bridging the gaps in today's mobile industry. Their first product Duo 2000, available in March 2007, was one of the few cheap dual SIM phones on the market. Since then, WND Telecom enlarged its handset line-up with new models, but their main focus remained on stylish dual SIM devices at affordable prices. The company’s latest handset, WND Wind Duo 3200 Glow, doesn't really come up with something new in terms of technology, but I was surprised to find a few features that are not really specific to low-end mobile phones.
Announced in December 2009, WND Wind Duo 3200 Glow has been made available on the market this month, January 2010. The slim handset comes in three color versions: black, silver and white. The price for which you can acquire this mass-market mobile phone is around USD150.
style="color: rgb(170,51,51)">Design
Wind Duo 3200 Glow is extremely slim and looks very stylish at first glance. In fact, the mobile phone doesn't surpass the 10mm thickness, as it only measures 9.9mm. Even though it weighs around 100g (including battery), the device is perfectly pocketsizable and reminds me of the old Samsung U100, which is only 5.9mm thick. The candybar measures exactly 113.5 x 49.5mm and features a 2.4-inch touchscreen. I have received the black color version of the device, which I could say that is not really the best choice. First of all, you cannot see the symbols on the keypad, unless the backlighting is in use. Secondly, the phone is covered by a mirror foil, which strongly resembles LG Shine. That means your phone will be full of fingerprints and grease most of the time. Thankfully, these are not so obvious and you can also use the device as a mirror.
The keys on the keypad are a little bit hard to push, and the same goes for the bid rounded D-pad button. This will probably hurt those that are using the phone for texting pretty often, but on the other hand, it will be more difficult for users to accidentally dial a number when the phone is kept in a pocket. As an extra security measure, you can lock the keypad by holding # button pressed for a few seconds. To be able to unlock the keypad, you will have to click on the green Accept calls button and touch the screen in the middle. Wind Duo 3200 Glow only features a small proprietary port, which can be used for charging or synchronization with the PC. You can also insert the headset that comes with the phone in the same port. The 2.0-megapixel camera on the back of the device doesn't sport any additional features and doesn't seem to be protected against scratches. Under the back cover of the candybar, you will be able to notice a microSD slot for memory card and two slots for SIMs. The sales package contains a telescopic stylus as well, which greatly helps owners navigate the menus using only the touch screen. The device is also surrounded by a thin LED stripe that will glow in different colors, according to the settings you opt for. This is the main reason the handset received its Glow name, but the option can also be turned off if you don't want to look like a Christmas tree every time someone calls you or you simply receive an SMS message.Overall, the construction of the device is simple and robust, but the cheap plastic is exposed to scratches. The screen too can be easily scratched if you don't keep the protective cover that comes with the device.
style="color: rgb(255,102,0)">Display and Camera
Wind Duo 3200 Glow features a 2.4-inch touchscreen display that supports 65k colors and 240x320 pixels resolution. As a touchscreen, the display is almost unbearable to use unless you do it with the included stylus. Controlling the phone with your finger is almost futile and I don't recommend it unless you have steel nerves. On the other hand, when you use the telescopic stylus included in the sales package, everything comes back to normal. I would also recommend turning off the Animation effect, as the device works terribly slow. While not the best display out there, in terms of contrast and brightness, it's a good one for a low-end device.
The included 2-megapixel camera doesn't feature any additional capabilities like autofocus or flash, instead you are "blessed" with a 3x digital zoom feature. In terms of quality, I suggest that owners of the device avoid using it or simply forget that it exists. I have tried to take some decent pictures with it, but the results were far from what I had expected. If you like abstract art, you should use it by all means, but otherwise the camera feature is to be avoided at all costs. The interface of the camera is pretty straightforward and poor in settings. You will be able to joggle with options such as: White balance, Scene mode, Effects settings. The maximum resolution that can be used to take pictures is not 1600x1200, but 1200x900 pixels, which is weird. The camera can also record clips, but the quality is even lower than that of the pictures. Check out the samples below, if you want a better view on the Wind Duo 3200 Glow camera.style="color: rgb(153,204,0)">Menu and Software
The proprietary phone interface of Duo 3200 Glow, looks surprisingly easy to use and intuitive. I think it's a mix between Nokia's S40 and LG's interface. The main screen also features a set of shortcuts, which can be accessed by touching the small arrow on the left corner. Otherwise, you will have to click the rounded D-pad to enter the main menu of the phone.
The latter features nine submenus, which can be accessed by either clicking on the screen, or selecting the designated number on the screen and clicking Enter (D-pad center button). What I really liked about this phone is the fact that it works perfectly with both SIMs, at the same time. Users will have the option to set their default SIM, which means that all calls will be made from that number. Even after setting the default SIM, you will still be able to choose to make a call from the other SIM, by clicking on the number you want to dial and selecting the SIM you want. The phonebook of the device can have enough space for 500 names, but the attractive feature is the fact that it displays both SIMs phonebooks. Each number displayed in the phonebook will be tagged, so you will know which SIM you have stored that number on. I was surprised to discover lots of applications and productivity tools on a low-end device. Moreover, these are really working and seem to be useful for a wide range of people. The Applications submenu includes: Ebook reader, Calculator, Unit converter, Currency converter and Lifestyle. The latter contains a set of healthcare applications such as: Calorie counter, Body fat calculator, Daily calorie allowance and Pregnancy test. The Organizer submenu includes more applications like: Calendar, To-do list, Alarm clock and World clock. The File manager of the device can be found under the Gallery submenu. Other features of the phone, which can be found into the Settings area of the handset include: Touch dial pad, Speed dial, Blacklist, Auto redial, Line switching, Screen calibration, Schedule power on/off. The candybar is also Java compatible and it includes 1 game (Fisherman), but more Java compatible games can be added.style="color: rgb(153,51,102)">Communication
Wind Duo 3200 Glow supports GPRS connectivity class 10, but I haven't been able to make the correct settings no matter how hard I tried. The included browser seems to be a little bit faulty, but the data connection settings section has a plethora of options. Anyway, I believe the lack of EDGE or connectivity makes the subject pretty uninteresting.
In terms of messaging, the candybar is compatible with a basic range of messages: SMS, MMS, email and Bluetooth (2.0) messaging. Moreover, the candybar supports Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for wireless music listening and fast data transfer.
The phone can be synchronized with the PC as well thanks to the PC Suite found on the included microSD memory card. The producer also advertises the phone as being capable to be used as a remote control with the PC when the Windows Media Player is employed to see a movie. This only works on Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems.The triband (GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900) network compatible mobile phone has a good GSM signal reception, but fails when it comes to sound. Users will not be able to talk on the phone in noisy areas, even with the volume at maximum. The sound is rather mediocre, especially for those that need to hear you.
style="color: rgb(170,51,51)">Processor and Memory
Unfortunately, lack of Internet connectivity prevented me from finding out what kind of processor Duo 3200 Glow uses. Still, by the looks of it, the phone cannot include a better CPU than a mere ARM9 family running at 201 Mhz.
In additon, the candybar doesn't have any internal memory available for storage, but comes with a 1GB microSD card included in the sales package. Still, it can be upgraded through the microSD slot card up to 4GB.style="color: rgb(255,102,0)">Multimedia
Wind Duo 3200 Glow cannot and should not be classified as a music phone, so expectations should not be high. The candybar includes a regular music player and Radio FM, which both feature a standard interface. Furthermore, as the device includes only the specific WND proprietary port and no adapter, you'll be stuck with the headset that comes with the phone, which is very low in terms of performance. The Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support is nice, but the sound is way too low in quality, especially when you turn the volume to the maximum.
The FM radio can only memorize nine base stations and is solely available when the headset is inserted into the WND proprietary, and lacks RDS function. The MP3 player can be used in the background, but the interface is scarce in functions. It looks pretty standard, and recognizes almost any type of multimedia file: MIDI, sp-MIDI, MP3, AAC and AAC+. There's no equalizer, so you cannot change the sound of the music in any way. The Media submenu also includes a Sound recorder, Image viewer, Video player, Schedule FM Radio recorder.style="color: rgb(153,204,0)">Battery
Duo 3200 Glow features a 920 mAh Li-Ion battery, which depletes at an average level, depending on your needs. The official numbers stated by WND are 150 hours of standby mode and three hours of talking. I got about four days of use, with about 30 minutes of talking every day. It might last longer, around five days, if you only use it for one or two short calls per day. I would say that the battery is a good point overall.
style="color: rgb(153,51,102)">Impressions
Even though the candybar looks very nice and stylish at first glance, I would've expected more functionality and a higher quality of its components. I know people are more interested in look these days, but not being able to talk on the phone because the sound is way too low is not really acceptable. Overall, I was impressed by the easy management of the two SIMs, but I was a little bit disappointed by the performance aspect of the candybar.
The Good
The Bad
style="color: rgb(170,51,51)">Sales Package
WND Wind Duo 3200 Glow handset Battery Li-Ion 920 mAh Charger Wired headset USB Cable Stylus
