Today we finally got around to properly scrutinizing one of
DStv Mobile latest handheld devices, the Walka 7. Truth-be-told it has been
laying about for weeks (probably months) and I have no excuse for not getting
to it sooner, but better late than never so here we go.
As some of you may already know this is a larger version of
the DStv Mobile Walka and were going to dig as far as we can to help answer the
question “...is bigger really better?”. But first a little recap DStv Mobile is
an arm of Multichoice Africa (a well known digital satellite television
provider) that specializes in providing means to view live satellite broadcast
via a range of mobile devices – from your Apple iPhone to you Samsung Galaxy
Tab, mostly independent of an internet connection. The Walka 7 is an upgrade
version of the Walka, its name being derived from its 7 inches screen.
Out of the box, your Walka 7 will come with a charging USB
cord and a charging base, a stand and a quick guide, earpiece excluded. You can
put it on and start watching right away (assuming you’ve sorted out the
subscription bit), but I strongly advice you fully charge it first which would
talk about 4-5 hours give or take 30 minutes. Another thing worth noting is you
should use the charger that comes in the box because pervious Walka chargers
may not charge the Walka 7.
The Walka 7 stand has two groves built into it, one of the grooves
is at a 45° angle and the other is at 60° angle. The device sits comfortable in
either groove as long as it is placed on a flat surface. Sure beats that rubber
suction bulb on the previous model – what were they thinking?
On a full charge it’ll playback for about 6 hours, which
seems worth the charging wait. The device has a wide screen to allow 16:9
aspect ratio viewing but is not HD compatible. It’s just a ‘wider’ screen. Its
full bouquet of 16 channels will appeal to some but not all types of consumers.
The device is significantly heavier than its predecessor,
lacks the grip groves of its predecessor and you would probably get tired of
carrying it about after half an hour, it also no lanyard hole. It seems that
the Walka 7 wasn’t meant to be carried about, good thing it has a competent
stand this time. This Walka model still uses a somewhat antiquated aluminium
antenna to receive its transitions, even though most mobile devices today have
embedded antennas.
The Walka 7 was meant
for consumers who usually work long hours at desks, although for more actively
mobile consumers like ‘students’ I would recommend the original Walka since it
light weight and more mobile. The Walka 7 available at all Multichoice outlets
and goes for NGN 18,900 (Eighteen Thousand Nine Hundred Naira Only).
So would you be getting a Walka 7 or will you pass? Let us
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