Orange Option Icon 225 USB Modem - reviews

Orange Option Icon 225 USB Modem (review by TheGadgetStylist on 19/06/2008)

Ease of Use

Style and Design

Battery Life

Camera

Music Player

Mobile Internet

Reliability and Quality

Overall

Orange's Mobile Broadband offering took me by surprise to reveal itself as a true contender in the battle for top spot.

I'm not sure if there was a logical reason for my low expectations of Orange's Mobile Broadband modem. Perhaps it was the dated design of the modem I saw when researching it online. I am used to 3's black and lime green super slim dongles, or the classy shiny blue O2 modem that both make a dull piece of plastic look fairly exciting and dare I say 'sexy'.

I am pleased to say that my prejudices were a little unfair - think function over form.

As mentioned above, the first impressions were poor. The usual crappy plastic packaging box containing the ugly duckling of USB modems didn't get me too excited. In it's defence, once I picked up the modem the build quality seemed good - a nice solid, high quality feel which looked like it would last plenty of months bouncing around inside my backpack whilst roaming around London. One plus point of the design is the ability to store the cap on the end of the modem, rather like a pen top, so you are much less likely to lose it unlike the O2 USB modem.

Getting started was a little challenging, although that's probably my fault for being a 'deviant' Mac user. I had to download some software from the Orange site*, supported by a very helpful chap from the Orange Tech Support team, but once this was installed I was up and running in seconds. The Orange Connection Manager software was easy to use and easy on the eye. All you need to do when you want to connect is click on the Orange logo to open the Manager then click the big, round 'Connect' button. Easy!

I found the connection quality itself to be excellent everywhere I tried it. From coffee shops and at home, to a relaible connection that lasted from London to Crewe on a Manchester bound train. Download speeds are great - emailing and web browsing are akin to the experience you get from home broadband. Even video streaming of BBC's iPlayer was quick and painless.

Overall Orange Mobile Broadband is a great performer, only let down by it's functional looks. It's a strong challenger to the market leading O2 offering, with O2 just holding the edge by including free access to 7,500 wi-fi hotspots. If this doesn't interest you then perhaps Orange is worth a try.

 

*Orange assure me that this was down to it being an early test sample and that all PC and Mac users should find that you can just plug the modem in and the software installs from there.

 

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