We've said before how much we like E-TEN's Windows Mobile handhelds, and the X600 gives us a reason to say it again. The company often manages to pull together neat hardware and attractive software in order to bulk out the Windows Mobile core. In this case we are looking at Windows Mobile 6 Professional, by the way, which means a touch-screen and SIM support.

The Glofiish X600 isn't quite at the top of the tree as far as communications is concerned. It has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GSM but not 3G built in. However, there is a GPS antenna crammed into its tiny 107mm x 58mm x 14.7mm frame, and at 136g in weight you get quite a lot of bang for your gram.

The small size of the X600 means the screen is just 2.8 inches corner to corner, and its 320 x 240 pixels can sometimes seem a little cramped, but no more so than other small format Windows Mobile devices.

Shortcut buttons on the front of the device help you get around, as does the touch-screen and a side-mounted button for the built-in 2-megapixel camera. The lens is accompanied by a flash and a tiny self portrait mirror.

If there is one thing I really don't like it is the minute joystick that sits under the screen. This is the standard alternative to a neat little navigation pad, and I found it just too small and fiddly for comfort. I'm also not convinced that, protruding as it does from its surroundings a little, it is entirely safe from knocks and damage.

I said that E-TEN adds a neat software bundle to the Windows Mobile standards. This includes a Today screen add-in that can give you weather forecasts and quick access to your contacts, alarm and recently used applications. There is also a nice speed-dial application as an alternative to the Windows Mobile one.

If you press one of the buttons beneath the screen a three-by-three grid pops up that lets you access some applications, flick the screen into wide format, access profiles and so on. There's software to send your GPS location in an SMS message, an FM radio and a call filter here too. There is a microSD card slot for expanding on the built-in memory, and it is nicely accessible on the bottom edge of the device.

Grumbles? Yes, there are a couple. The headphones slot is 2.5mm which makes it difficult to use your preferred headset; though the FM antenna is built into the supplied earphones so you are rather stuck with them anyway. And I've already said that I don't like the mini joystick. But this is nonetheless a small and neat Windows Mobile 6 Professional handheld.

Without 3G but with GPS, without operator subsidy but with FM radio. This is definitely not the handheld with everything, but it does have some very nice features, and is small enough to fit most pockets.