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Orange San Diego reviewed: Smooth surfing, clunky interface

CNET UK puts the Intel-powered phone to the test, calling it fast but saddled with an annoying user interface.

Brian Bennett Former Senior writer
Brian Bennett is a former senior writer for the home and outdoor section at CNET.
Brian Bennett
Orange San Diego
CNET UK

Sadly the Orange San Diego, the first smartphone powered by Intel's Atom x86 processor, won't make it the U.S. market anytime soon, if ever. Thankfully our colleagues at CNET UK managed to get their hands on the device to put it through its paces.

The phone is well appointed for its low £200 ($313) price, sporting a 4-inch (1,200x600 pixel) LCD screen, pleasing if rather unexciting construction, and 16GB of internal memory. There's even an NFC chip to support mobile payment systems.

Weak points, however, are the outdated Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, a mediocre 8-megapixel camera, and short battery life. Users won't be thrilled with the funky skin Orange placed over Android or the distracting bloatware that comes pre-installed either. Check out CNET UK's full review to see if the Orange San Diego earns a place in your mobile lifestyle.