It's difficult to write a short review on phones these days. Some models have become so advanced that they can steer your car for you! The Xda Ignito doesn't have that particular function, but it's pretty impressive all the same.

The Xda Ignito is a 'smart phone' running on Windows Mobile 6.1, a system completely new to me and is also the first phone I have reviewed that doesn't have a keypad. Everything is done via the screen using either touch and tap by your fingers or the stylus that is provided. Being a long-term Nokia user who was a virgin to the joys of touch, it took me a few days to master, but now I find it much easier. Unless your eyes are engaged elsewhere, the touch system is much faster than the keypad.

The Xda Ignito is tiny. Really truly tiny and light. Next to the Xda my own phone looked like a brick (Nokia N95). It wasn't too small though but fitted in my hand comfortably and had a good solid feel to it. Despite its mini-me appearance however, the screen is huge in proportion to the rest of the phone and the graphics are amazing. Within minutes of setting up the Xda I was already watching a music video on Youtube and was so impressed that I had to watch several of them. If bored of Youtube the Ignito has a radio function for further entertainment. From there I skipped to a weather channel (to seek somewhere warm and sunny). I hate reading tiny screens, but after tapping the screen twice (to zoom in) I was gratified to find that the net comes up as clear as it does on my PC. This was especially important when I was very tired, a time when my eyes find it very difficult to focus on back-lit screens.

The Xda Ignito is an easy phone to navigate. I have an issue with reading instructions as really, life is too short for that sort of thing. The Xda has all its functions conveniently laid out at the base of the screen. Once an icon is tapped it opens up into an easy to read menu. To access your photos, contacts, music or messages, email is a easy as flicking through them, not dissimilar to the well publicised sliding screen iPhone system. It is called Touch Flo and is just that, touch and flow to what you want.

The camera is fabulous, truly it is. My camera on my phone is 5 Megapixels, but the Xda Ignito 3.2 Megapixel camera quality surpasses that. While taking the photo you can easily change settings with the tap of an icon, choose whether the photo is for MMS, wallpaper or your contacts list, and even had cute picture themes – everything from hello kitty to the clothes line. Light settings for night or day, panoramic, switching from camera to video and aforementioned background themes for amusing portraits are as simple as tap and touch.

My favourite application in this is the calendar. A friend recently informed me that getting a smart-phone had saved her life. Not being a particularly organised person, she'd cleverly acquired a phone that could sort out her schedule for her. Could the Xda do the same for me? Actually it did. Not only could I put in all my appointments but my 'To Do' list too. I could add how important the event was, who was coming, how sensitive the issue was, whether it was for business or pleasure and another other notes that could keep my poor memory on track.
This is standard on all Windows Mobile 6.1 phones but seemed like a match made in heaven on the Xda Ignito and I grew inordinately fond of the Xda in our time together.

The Xda is loaded with applications and functions and a full spec list can be found here but for the purpose of this review I found it incredibly user-friendly, very sleek and sexy in appearance and in application, fast and efficient. I think I went through a brief mourning period when it was time to hand it back.

Available from www.O2.co.uk and selected stores nationwide on Pay Monthly and Business tariffs (price subject to tariff)