After months of rumors, blurry pictures of prototype cases (or someone’s old loafer) it appears that Apple is going to introduce a new iPhone model and I see little reason for all this excitement.

Okay, give me a few minutes before you grab your torches and pitchforks. The iPhone is a fine smartphone. It has a nice web browser, allows you to play Angry Birds and even allows you to download a slew of apps that let you pretend it’s used for serious work. I even heard that some Verizon customers actually use it successfully for phone calls.

This year’s model will probably be lighter, thinner, have a bigger screen, run a little faster and maybe even have a better camera. Nice features, but hardly a reason to camp out at your local mall. What makes an iPhone special is the operating system (iOS). Apple is set to release the latest iteration of iOS sometime in mid-October. Because of the developer beta releases we all know most of the new features. That operating system will run on an iPhone 4 and even the two-year-old iPhone 3GS.

Over on the Android side of things it’s even worse. About twice a week, Samsung, HTC, or Motorola announces another phone that looks pretty much like the last phone. It’s then given about 12 different names by the various carriers. Sure, there are differences. Some have bigger screens, some have keyboards that slide out, some are a bit faster, they all play Angry Birds, and some even make phone calls.

Google also has a new operating system coming out; they’re calling it “Ice Cream Sandwich”. If nothing else, this is proof that we have run out of good names for our technology projects. Unlike Apple though, Google and its phone manufacturing partners and carriers like to make the upgrade process much more of a mystery.

We seem to be stuck in the same place that the PC industry has lingered for about a decade. The phones all pretty much lookalike, and even with the various operating systems they all basically work alike. After waiting months, standing in line for hours and spending hundreds of dollars you end up realizing you’re still playing Angry Birds and hoping your phone call goes through.

While the operating systems are incrementally getting better there’s little to get excited about. C’mon while iOS 5’s new notification system is certainly welcome…it’s hardly a game changer.

So, I’ve decided to make a short list of what I’d like to see in the next generation of mobile phones and phone services:

1. Screens – I’m tiring of peering at tiny screens, zooming in, zooming out and sliding back and forth. Let’s start projecting that display out to nearby TVs, computer monitors, car navigations screens…or my windshield for that matter. Sure, there are times when you want to use the smaller, more private screens, but most of the time we find ourselves near a bigger display unit. I know someone may suggest holographic imaging, but I’m going to save that for my list in 2016.
2. Battery Life – Yes, I know it’s getting better, but I still have to carry a charger around…and for every improvement in battery size there’s a new feature to drain it even faster. In the old days our home phones didn’t require a “wall wart” or battery and were able to live off the power that came over the phone line. I’m thinking it’s time for the carriers to come up with a way to send a few amps along with those text messages.
3. Too many radios – My current phone has a GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2G, 3G and 4G radios inside. They’re now starting to include NFC (near field communications) in the devices. Multiple radios means added complexity and added battery drain. Let’s cut this down and speed the whole lot of it up.
4. Text input – Fix it. I’m tired of typing on glass, or tiny keyboards. All of the auto-correction systems should be renamed “auto-aggravation” . Voice input works sometimes, but generally leads to frustration and the utterance of a few words that seem not to be in the device’s dictionary. There’s got to be a better way.
5. Phone Size – Remember when the hottest phone on the market was the Motorola StarTac and even better the Razr. I know that some consider their phone a fashion accessory…to me it’s just pocket ballast. The smaller and lighter the better. I guess I’m one of the few that liked flip phones. Perhaps something similar in style to the old Treo 300 would be possible.
6. Phone Call Quality – For many decades after Alexander Graham Bell (or Antonio Meucci if you prefer) the quality of phone calls improved. By the 1970s you could actually hold a comfortable conversation over the device and there was really no such thing as a dropped call. When cell phones were introduced things were a bit dicey at first, but we’re now almost 40 years out from the first mobile phone and things aren’t getting much better. It’s time garbled voices and dropped calls become history.

Motorola gave us mobile phones, Handspring, Palm, RIM and a few others bumped us to the next level and then Apple and Google made smartphones more than email or texting devices. Who’s next? Can Microsoft re-enter the contest after years of sub-par products?

Better yet, maybe a couple of people will meet in line at the Apple Store, grab a napkin and start to design a revolutionary mobile communications and computing device. Just make sure it plays Angry Birds too.

Filed in categories: Android related, Articles, iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: Android, iOS, iPhone, Mobile Phone

The New iPhone is Coming; the New iPhone is Coming…Who Cares? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2011 at 2:28 pm.

The last several years have seen an explosion of mobile phones, more and more of which are able to access features and apps via wireless broadband.  Most of the attention has been on the big players with their “smartphones,” such as Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s BlackBerry and the many Google Android-based devices from various hardware makers.  However, there is another whole group of phones known as “feature phones” or “quick messaging phones” that, while they may not command the horsepower or notoriety of the big boys, are nonetheless loaded with features.  One such device is the Pantech Laser, a super-slim, touchscreen mobile phone with slide-out QWERTY keyboard available through AT&T.  Let’s have a look!

NOTE: All images in this review are clickably enlargeable for your viewing pleasure.

Background

To set the stage here, my perspective is shaped by currently being a very happy iPhone 3GS user.  I am also a former BlackBerry Curve user and was happy with that device as well prior to getting the iPhone 3GS.  However, though I doubt I’ll ever go back to a BlackBerry-style device (I like my full touchscreen a lot), never say never.  I also reviewed the Pantech Link from AT&T, which is currently serving quite nicely as the “spare” phone in our household.  I will make references to the iPhone 3GS and the Link throughout this review as a frame of comparison.  Also, my 10-year-old daughter, who has been the most frequent user of the Link, checked out the Laser and helped give me another perspective on it.

Inside the Box

As with the Link, the Laser’s box is small and compact, with little wasted space.  Box contents:

• Pantech Laser mobile phone
• AC wall charging adapter “brick”
• Micro-USB cable
• Quick-start guide
• Tutorial CDROM

Hardware Specs

• Display – 3.1 inch resistive touchscreen, 480 x 800 pixel, 262K AMOLED
• Input – touchscreen with predictive text, slide-out full QWERTY keyboard with backlit keys
• Weight – 4.06 ounces
• Dimensions – 4.45 x 2.28 x 0.39 inches
• Color – Blue
• Battery – removable Lithium Ion; up to 1000 mAH; up to 5 hrs talk , up to 14 days standby time
• Operating Frequency – GSM/GPRS/EDGE = 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; 3G = UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900 MHz
• Memory – Internal = 150 MB; Expandable = up to 32 GB via microSD card
• Camera – 3 megapixel (2048 x 1536) still, MPEG4 video, 8x zoom
• Worldphone capable – 190+ countries for phone, 130+ for data
• Bluetooth 2.0, USB port, speakerphone
• Ringtones: polyphonic, MIDI, MP3

Software and Apps

• Mobile email – through Yahoo! Mail, AOL Mail, Hotmail, AT&T Mail, Gmail
• Messaging – text; IM through AOL®, Windows Live, Yahoo Messenger; video share
• Address Book – 1000 contacts
• Mobile Browser
• AT&T Mobile Music Player – supporting MP3, MIDI, iMelody, WAV, QCP, M4A, AAC, 3GP audio formats, streaming radio, music subscription services, MusicID and playlist creation
• Multitasking – voice and data simultaneously
• AT&T Navigator – with turn-by-turn directions
• AT&T Social Net
• Ypmobile
• AT&T Social Net
• Voice memo recording
• PC suite for PC to phone file sync
• Drawing Commander – access apps with the trace of a finger

The Hardware

First Impressions

The Laser is touted by Pantech as the “thinnest sliding full keyboard device ever offered by AT&T,” and at less than 1cm thin, it seems to live up to this billing.  It is very thin and I almost didn’t believe it had a slide-out QWERTY keyboard until I actually tried it for myself for the first time.

Front/Face

The Laser’s face has a simple, understated look.  First, the shape.  The Laser’s footprint is rectangular with flat sides, slightly rounded along the top and bottom, and with rounded edges and corners.  Shape and size feel good in the hand.  Framing the face is a very deep blue (so deep you’ll only be able to distinguish that it’s blue and not black while in the right light), glossy metallic bezel.   Three dedicated keys (hang-up, escape and answer) line the bottom of the face.

Sides

As mentioned above, the Laser is quite thin, especially for a having a full-keyboard slider.  Around the outer perimeter is an iPhone 4-esque matte silver band, textured with a checked pattern to provide some gripability.  Along the upper right side is a volume rocker key and along the upper left side is a device lock key.

Top

Along the top is a pop-out cover for the charge/headphone jack port.  Though I like the idea of built-in port protection, I’m not a big fan of these pop-off covers, because they are typically time-consuming to use, can be difficult to open and close, and they eventually break off and get lost anyway.  However, this is a micro-USB connection, which I think is more versatile than some type of proprietary connector (which the Pantech Link has).

Back

The back is a matte, slightly metallic blue with a textured pattern.  The camera, situated in an oval-shaped silver bezel, is located in the upper left corner of the back.  The speakerphone grille is located in the lower left of the back.

The battery was easy to access, just get a fingernail in the small groove and give a small push.  To access the microSD card and SIM card, the battery itself must be removed.  Not much of an issue with the SIM, since you probably won’t need to remove it much.  However, having to remove the battery before popping out the microSD might be an issue, depending on how often you access it.

Touchscreen

The touchscreen’s display is quite nice, with the colors and resolution being visually appealing.  The touchscreen’s performance, however, leaves a bit to be desired.  I am accustomed to the iPhone’s capacitive touchscreen interface, which, after having sampled multiple devices, I have to say I still feel is best.  The Laser’s resistive touchscreen often requires some finessing to get it to do what you want.  Multiple pokes, hesitations and mis-selections were fairly common, as well as inadvertently launching an app while page-swiping.  A bit frustrating.  This in fact was one of the things that my daughter noticed and commented on right away.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Laser equipped with touch feedback vibration, I feature wish I had on my iPhone.  If I get sick of it, I can turn it off, but for now I kinda dig it.

Keyboard

The Laser’s keyboard is full QWERTY with four rows of keys.  The layout and spacing are fine, at least for my hands, but the keys, which are a soft rather than hard plastic, have a bit too much compliance for my linking.  I had to press on them harder than I’d have liked in order to get them to register.

Battery Life

The Laser’s battery has a decent life.  At full charge, it had no problems going several days in a combination of standby and active use.  I suspect that were I to utilize the data connection heavily, the battery life would decline sharply.

Camera

The Laser’s camera performance, while not quite up to par with many of the higher-end smartpones, is nonetheless not bad.  As shown below, it can produce still images up to 3 megapixel (2048 x 1536) and videos in MPEG4 format.

As is typical with phone cameras, no flash means interior images will usually only turn out when the subject is well-lit.  See the sample pic above of my desk at work.  Keep in mind that my work area has the prototypically harsh industrial overhead fluorescent lighting found in most corporate cubicle farms, which actually made it turn out quite well, though with some graininess.

On the other hand, exterior images turn out quite decent, as seen above.  One item of note here: the camera hesitates quite a bit when snapping a pic.  If you’re trying to snap something quickly, forget it.  Daisy, one of our pugs in the photo above, had been patiently staring at me for a photo, but in the time between me hitting the button and the camera actually snapping the pic, she’d turned her head to check out a “Squirrel!” (Doug the Dog reference for you Up fans out there).

Voice and Data Performance

Voice performance is on par with other AT&T phones—not terrible, but not outstanding.  Data performance was so-so, even on the 3G network.  It appeared slower than the iPhone 3GS.  Not sure if this was a function of the speed of the device, or the actual data connection.  The Laser’s data connection performance is acceptable.  Although it is capable of utilizing AT&T’s 3G data network, I found its performance on 3G to be a bit choppy.  It occasionally hesitated when launching web-based apps and frequently hung for several seconds when refreshing the screen on a web page.

Software

The Laser’s OS layout appears borrowed from style elements of iOS, but a bit more from Android with its swipe-left/right page feel and some limited capabilities of adding widgets and favorites.  The Laser has a suite of factory-provided software and has the capability of downloading additional apps via the mobile web.  Here is where I got really irriated with this phone.  For nearly every on-board app that I launched, the Laser would go out to the web, then come back with a message telling me that I would need to pay to use the app.  This was in addition to the data rate I was already paying.  I don’t really know if this is an AT&T thing, or a non-smartphone thing, but it seemed very “bait-and-switch”-ish, or at the least, very “nickel-and-dime”-ish.  If the phone already has an app installed (or appears installed), why then make the owner pay to use it?  That said, between the pre-installed apps and what is available through the AT&T AppCenter, you can find Laser-compatible versions of most, if not all, of today’s more popular apps.  Facebook, Twitter, a mobile mail client and web browser, and so forth are on-board, with more available in the AppCenter.

Final Thoughts

OK, so maybe you’re not into all the smartphone hoopla.  But maybe you are really into texting, and occasional mobile web use.  And yeah, you wouldn’t mind having some of the hardware and software features on those shmancy smartphones.  If this even kinda describes you, then have a look at the Pantech Laser.  No, it’s not a smartphone, but I’m not sure it’s actually trying to be one.  Its hardware (super thinness, form factor and slider keyboard) are all very nice and its software and performance are fair to good.  It’s a pretty decent step in the smartphone direction from its cousin, the Pantech Link.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Mobile Phone, Pantech, slide

Pantech Laser Mobile Phone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 9, 2011 at 12:30 pm.

Being born in the 1970s, I grew up in a world where landline telephones were a central part of every person’s life.  Every teenage girl had a princess phone, and every family kitchen had a wall-mounted phone with a ridiculously long cord.  Talking on the phone hands-free meant tilting one’s head sideways and using one’s shoulder to press the phone to one’s ear, a custom that spawned not only a market for handset shoulder rest pads, but surely also helped to swell the bank accounts of many a chiropractor.   I find it necessary to explain this because, as mobile and VOIP telephony technologies have advanced, traditional landline handsets can be found in fewer and fewer homes.  Normally I applaud the relentless march of technology as it tramples and grinds outdated technologies under heel; but the truth is that I actually like holding and using a landline-style receiver.  Fortunately, Native Union makes it possible to embrace both modern technology and old-school practicality with their line of Moshi Moshi handsets.  They sent me the Moshi Moshi 02 to review, and I found it to be exactly what I had been hoping for.

Features

• Design by French designer David Turpin
• Black soft-touch or white high-gloss finish
• High-quality speaker and microphone
• Compatible with all mobile phones via available adapters
• Can be used for VOIP computer calls via available USB adapter
• Weighted base
• Included silicone mat to protect your mobile phone
• 3.5mm jack is compatible with iPhone

The Hardware

Taking the Moshi Moshi 02 out of the box for the first time, I was struck by how solid it felt in my hands.  The attention to fit and finish is impeccable, and both the receiver and base have a nice heft to them.  Both pieces passed the “squeeze test” without a pop or creak, and the soft-touch finish feels nice and is sufficiently grippy (I received the black model, so I cannot comment on the glossy finish of the white model).  The underside of the receiver features a single, easily-locatable button that provides a satisfying tactile response when depressed.

A coiled cord is hardwired to the receiver, and can either be plugged directly into a mobile phone (if your phone has a 3.5mm jack, or you can use one of many available adapters), or can be plugged into the base.  The base has two 3.5mm jacks, one for the receiver, and one to connect an additional included 3.5mm cable to your mobile phone.

The design of the receiver and base are impressive, the simple squared corners of the base providing a sharp contrast to the gentle curves of the receiver.  Native Union has managed to provide a design that would look at home on just about any desk, and that is very complimentary to whatever hardware you end up using it with.

The package also includes a small silicone pad, intended as mat for one to place one’s mobile phone onto.  I didn’t find much value in this when I had my iPhone plugged into the MM02′ s base, since the phone was sitting perfectly still, tethered to the weighted base.  However, the mat’s utility became apparent when I plugged the receiver directly into the phone, as I had a tendency to drag my phone around the table when I reached the limits of the coiled cord’s unstretched length, and the mat at least gave the phone enough grip to hold it in place for longer.

Sound quality

In short, the sound quality of the receiver’s speaker and microphone are as good as you’re likely to get in any telephone.  Test calls using the MM02 through my iPhone sounded at least as good or better than calls made using the iPhone directly or a Bluetooth headset, for both ends of the call.  It is clear that, while using the MM02, the weakest links in sound quality are in either the mobile phone itself or the network.

I had hoped to be able to test the MM02′s performance with Skype as well, but in order to do so one must use the Moshi Moshi USB adapter, a $20 accessory that Native Union sells separately.  I did not receive an adapter for the purposes of this review, and the adapters are currently unavailable on the Native Union website, so there was unfortunately no way for me to get a test of the MM02′s VOIP performance.  I’m sure it’s every bit as impressive as its mobile performance, but it would have been nice to have been able to confirm that.

Usage, and Other Notes

At its heart, the MM02 is just like using any corded headset & mic device.  The button on the receiver performs the same functions as the button on a corded headset would, even going so far as to work with the single-, double-, and triple-click functionality of such a headset in the iPod app on the iPhone.  The end result is that using the MM02 to receive calls is effortless… just lift the receiver, press the button to answer the call, have your conversation, and then press the button again to end the call.  Naturally, one still needs to use one’s mobile phone to initiate outgoing calls.

One very minor complaint is that the included 3.5mm cord that connects the MM02′s base to a mobile phone is a straight cord.  I can’t imagine that it would make sense to place one’s mobile phone very far away from the MM02′s base — especially considering that physical access to the mobile phone is still needed for dialing out — so it seems like a coiled cord would make more sense.  As it is, the straight cord is somewhat stiff, and ends up cluttering up the desk surface.  The only benefit I can see to the straight cord is if one is planning to use the MM02 exclusively for Skype calls on a desktop computer, because it would certainly be more appropriate than a coiled cord for running behind one’s desktop.  If that’s the idea, however, I’d think it would make more sense to include a coiled 3.5mm cord with the MM02, and include the straight 3.5mm cord with the USB adapter.

Conclusion

The Moshi Moshi 02 is a solid piece of hardware, and if you make or receive a lot of mobile phone calls from your desk, and you’d rather use a full-size receiver than a wired or Bluetooth headset, then you can’t go wrong here.  The MM02 isn’t terribly expensive at $60, though it starts to become somewhat pricey if you add in the $20 USB adapter.  I can definitely see the MM02 earning a permanent place on my desktop.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Mobile Phone, skype, Telephone

Native Union Moshi Moshi 02 Handset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 28, 2010 at 3:18 pm.

A multitude of messaging mobile phones were launched in 2009, and the trend appears to be continuing in 2010.  The recently-release Pantech Link offered through AT&T is one such device (see Press Release here).  It is a new handset with nice hardware for a great price.  Let’s dig in.

NOTE: Click any image below to enlarge

Background

In the interest of full disclosure and to establish a baseline, my perspective is shaped by currently being a very happy iPhone 3GS user.  I am also a former BlackBerry Curve user and was happy with that device as well prior to getting the iPhone 3GS.  The iPhone 3GS is used for size comparison purposes in the images below.

Inside the Box

The box itself is relatively small and compact, which is nice for both eco-friendliness and if you are inclined to save it for storage.

Box contents:

• Pantech Link mobile phone
• AC wall charging adapter
• User Guide
• Quick Start Guide

Hardware Specs

• Display – 2.4-in, 262k color TFT LCD display, 320×240 resolution, 5 lines for text in basic
• Input – Two soft keys and four-way scroll and selection “OK” keys
• Weight – 91 g (3.2 oz) w/ standard battery
• Dimensions – 4.5″ x 2.4″ x 0.39″
• Memory – Internal 80 Mb, expandable to 32 Gb with microSD (not included)
• Battery Type – Standard Lithium-Ion (Li-ion), 920 mAh capacity, Minimum Standby Time 10 days (250 hrs), Minimum Talk Time 3 hrs
• Operating Frequency – GPRS/EDGE Quad-Band, UMTS/HSDPA Dual-Band; GSM

Software and Apps

A basic list of on board software and apps is below, but for a more comprehensive list, check the Link info on the Pantech and AT&T sites.

• Mobile Email – through Gmail, Yahoo! and others
• Messaging – Instant messaging including text/picture/video
• Address Book with 1,000 contacts – syncs with online AT&T Address Book
• Mobile Web browser
• Mobile Share through AT&T Online Locker
• AT&T Navigator – GPS
• AT&T Social Net
• AT&T Mobile Music player plus downloads via Napster and eMusic
• Multitasking voice and data
• Bluetooth support
• AppCenter – download apps through AT&T
• YPMobile – yellow pages
• Tools: alarm clock, calendar, notepad, voice memo, calculator, tasks, stopwatch, unit converter and more

The Hardware

The hardware of the Link is actually quite impressive.  As can be seen from the images, it is a BlackBerry-style “QWERTY bar” design with a physical keyboard.  To me, it resembles the Nokia E71 series or possibly the Samsung Jack.  What struck me immediately was how thin and lightweight the Link is, yet with a fairly solid heft that prevents it from feeling “cheap”.

Front/Face

The face of the Link has a rather sophisticated black color scheme, with dark metallic accents and white and blue on the keys.  It has the metallic bezel made popular by the iPhone, this one in a darkened metal finish.  The display is quite nice, with good color and resolution.  The input array consists of a six dedicated keys, a rocker disk with center button and the full QWERTY keyboard.  When the rocker disk is used, a ring around it glows blue–a nice touch.  All have a nice feel and provide a soft click for tactile feedback.  The keys are all hard, not soft, similar to the BlackBerry Curve, but a bit more compact together, yet not unusable.

Sides

As can be seen from the images, the thickness of the Link is actually quite impressive.  It is every bit as thin as the iPhone 3GS, quite a bit thicker than most of the current BlackBerry devices.  Along the perimeter of the Link and at the very bottom of the keyboard runs a band of very dark (almost black) blue metallic.  Light has to hit it just right in order to notice it.  Very subdued.

Along the right side near the top  is a pop-out cover for the charge/headphone jack port.  Though I like the idea of built-in port protection, I’m not a big fan of these pop-off covers, because they are time-consuming and can be difficult to open and close, and they invariably break off anyway.  I am also not a fan of non-USB connectors on these device, and also not having a standard mini-3.5mm jack is a big negative to me. Lower down along the right side is camera shutter button.  Along the left side near the top is the volume rocker, and slightly below that is another pop-off cover that is begging to be broken off, this one to protect the microSD slot.  Finally, the upper left corner has a through hole so that a lanyard, charm, etc can be attached.

Rear/Back

The back of the device is plastic in an all-flat-black color scheme, with the vast majority of it covered by a tiny diamond pattern.  Also, there is a rounded edge around the perimeter of the back.  Both the diamond pattern and the rounded edge have a slightly rubberized feel to them, with the rounded edge feeling slightly more so, presumably to give some texture for gripping.  Roughly the bottom half of the back is a removable panel to access the battery and the SIM card, and I had no difficulty with removing/replacing battery, SIM or the access panel itself (see image below).  The camera lens is mounted in the top center of the back (see image below).  The lens itself is surrounded by a small blue ring in keeping with the Link’s color scheme, just above it is a tiny concave mirror for self-portraits, a feature I wish was present on my iPhone 3GS.  Just to the right of the camera is the speakerphone grille, consisting of a hex-shaped pattern of holes.

Camera

The 1.3MP camera takes pictures that are acceptable for a quick shot here and there, but not much more than that.  There are actually several settings that the user can configure, which is unexpected, but they don’t seem to help the overall picture quality much.  The settings consist of: Integrated 1.3 M CMOS Camera, Resolution up to 1280×1024 (1,310,720 pixels), Mpeg4 Video recording/playing up to 15f/s (QVGA size), 5 or 10 second self-timer function, Photo album and video album; Customizable Resolution, Brightness, White Balance, Color Effects, Quality, Self-Timer.

Battery

Battery life seems quite good for this phone.  I charged it for about 7 hours out of the box, and it has held a charge under regular (but not constant) use for over four days and is still going.  I suspect that this is mainly because the screen is relatively small and doesn’t require as much power.

Voice and Data Performance

I pulled the SIM card out of my iPhone 3GS and placed it into the Link, so that I could test out the Link on the AT&T network.  The voice network was performance was comparable to that of my iPhone 3GS, with a similar amount of difficulty in connecting and dropped calls, so this this may be the AT&T network itself.  However, the actual call quality was slightly less clear than the iPhone.

Data Connection Performance

The data connection on this device is through AT&T’s 3G network, reverting to Edge when 3G is not available.  I found that the Link seems to pick up and hold the 3G connection with virtually the same frequency and solidity as my iPhone 3GS.  However, the speed of the 3G connection seems a bit slower than my iPhone 3GS.  I am unsure if this is due to the processing speed of the data connection itself, or because the overall speed of the operating system is contributing.  It resulted in anything from an annoying split-second delay in launching an app  a several-second wait to upload/download data from the network.

Software

The operating system of this phone is a step up from a standard mobile phone, but does not have the capabilities of a true smartphone OS such as webOS, iPhone,  Android or even BlackBerry.  I found it to be relatively comparable to the BlackBerry OS in navigation and  appearance, but not in capability.  The AT&T AppCenter was a bit cumbersome to navigate.  Having said all this, I found the selection of on board apps and utilities to be quite impressive in a phone of this price range.

Final Thoughts

In the category of mid-level smartphones, the Pantech Link is an overachiever in its hardware, with its styling and feel, and is average in most everything else.  I was pleasantly surprised with the on board app selection in a phone of this type, but the speed of the OS and data connection and AT&T’s nickel-and-diming on data-based features tend to bring it down.  Overall however, I would characterize this phone as great buy for the AT&T’s currently offered price of $9.99 with a new 2-year contract.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Mobile Phone, Pantech

Pantech Link Mobile Phone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 23, 2010 at 2:44 pm.

Microsoft recently announced the launch of two devices from their new “Kin” line (aptly titled Kin One and Kin Two) with a hearty emphasis on social networking/sharing.

Both phones are touch-screen/slider models and contain cameras (Kin One – 5 megapixel / Kin Two – 8 megapixel).  Microsoft also touts the Kin as the first in-phone implementation of the Zune service, and users can stream music over the air, on the go.

According to Microsoft’s Robbie Bach, these phones are geared towards the “Lifecasters.”  If you aren’t sure what a Lifecaster is, it’s  your Facebook/MySpace friends that need to remind you of vital information such as, “I just woke up!” or “It’s sunny today!”

Both models will be available through Verizon in May.  Pricing is not yet available.

[Courtesy of CNET]

Filed in categories: News, Wireless

Tagged: Microsoft, Mobile Phone, Social Networking

Can Microsoft’s “Kin” Win? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 12, 2010 at 7:34 pm.

Jitterbug has announced the new Jitterbug J by Samsung in Red. People who buy this phone will receive official American Heart Association Heart Healthy Tips text messages on the Jitterbug that they can implement in their own lives and share with loved ones. This phone also has a LiveNurse feature, which offers unlimited, 24-hour access to a registered nurse for medical advice and support right from the phone.  Full press release after the jump.

Jitterbug Joins the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women® Movement to “Speak Up” Against Heart Disease

San Diego, Calif. – January 7, 2010 – Jitterbug, the leader in delivering easy-to-use, innovative wireless services to people who seek simplicity, today announced that the company has become a proud supporter of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women® movement. To show its full support, Jitterbug is donating $500,000 to the American Heart Association to help raise awareness so women can lead longer, heart-healthy lives.

Jitterbug’s contribution to Go Red For Women is an important example of the company’s leadership in offering customers access to health and wellness services that are simple, intuitive, and fully supported by high quality customer service. As a participant in the movement, Jitterbug has announced the new Jitterbug J by Samsung in Red, giving customers not only a “Red” cell phone to show their solidarity for the cause but also a unique way to communicate the message and “speak up” against heart disease. Customers who purchase the phone will receive official American Heart Association
Heart Healthy Tips on the Jitterbug that they can implement in their own lives and share with loved ones.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, and we at Jitterbug want to do our part to create solutions and save lives,” said David Inns, Jitterbug CEO. “Contributing to Go Red For Women and further developing a family of easy-to-use services for heart health is another example of how Jitterbug is committed to using wireless technology to improve the health and wellness of our customers.” The new daily Health Tips service joins Jitterbug’s current offering of helpful services including the award-winning Jitterbug LiveNurse, which connects customers to 24-hour registered nurses, as well as a regularly updated audio information library for medical advice and support. Like all of Jitterbug’s services, the daily Health Tips and Jitterbug J by Samsung in Red cell phone will be fully supported by Jitterbug’s 24/7 customer service staff. Integrating these crucial customer service interactions into every aspect of the phone differentiates Jitterbug as the complete service experience.

“Our new relationship with Jitterbug will allow us to reach even more women as we fight their number one killer, heart disease,” said Neil Meltzer, American Heart Association Board Chairman and President and COO, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. “Jitterbug’s dedication and support will help Go Red For Women deliver health information to that encourages women to make life-saving choices everyday.”

The Jitterbug J by Samsung in Red cell phone will be available to consumers in January at Jitterbug.com and by calling 866-292-6005.

About Jitterbug

Jitterbug is the leader in delivering a full range of wireless-based innovative, easy-to-use and life-enhancing services to people who seek simplicity. The company is differentiated from others through its high-quality approach and through its ability to provide the best customer service experience and relationship possible. The company has been widely praised for its ability to deliver the benefits of innovation and technology in an easy to use format. Jitterbug has received prominent national media accolades from the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, Washington Post and major TV broadcast networks.

The Jitterbug cell phone and service is sold nationwide at leading retailers such as Sears, Radio Shack, CVS and ShopKo, as well as direct to consumers at 1-800-918-8543 and online at Jitterbug.com. Service coverage includes the U.S. and Canada. Jitterbug is located in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit www.jitterbug.com.

About Go Red For Women

Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s solution to save women’s lives. With one out of three women still dying from heart disease, we are committed to fighting this No. 1 killer that is largely preventable. GoRedForWomen.org, a premiere source of information and education, connects millions of women of all ages and gives them tangible resources to turn personal choices into life-saving actions. We encourage women and the men who love them to embrace the cause. For more information please visit GoRedForWomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278).

About Samsung Telecommunications America

Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of four main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, and Telecommunication Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Mobile Phone

Jitterbug supports the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2010 at 10:54 am.

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

We all know that we shouldn’t use our cell phones while driving, yet most of us still do. To try and not be “that driver” who is fumbling to pick up the phone that fell on the floor, using my knees to steer on the highway or holding the phone with one hand while sipping an extra hot half-caf  soy Venti Latte with the other, I’ve been using the ProClip Mounting System for the past few years.

The idea is simple: mounting your cell phone, PDA, etc. in your vehicle, but the implementation is unique. Rather than using a generic holder that clips into your vent or takes up a cup holder, ProClip is a two-part system that combines a dedicated mounting bracket specifically for your vehicle with a dedicated holder for your specific device (phone, PDA, music player, etc). As their site says, you “choose your holder for your device” and “choose the mount for YOUR vehicle”.

Here’s what the holder looks like with the optional tilt swivel attachment added on:

The Holder:

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

Here’s what the mount looks like without a holder attached. It matches most gray interiors and really doesn’t look too bad to me:

The Mount:

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

Let’s first look at the part that connects to your vehicle–the mount. On the site you’re presented with drop-down menus that narrow your search down by Make, Model and Year. It has a huge selection of vehicles and unless you drive a Ferrari or Lamborghini (not listed unfortunately) you should be able to find at least one option for your vehicle. For both of my cars (a 2007 Mazda 3 and a 2004 Nissan Murano) there are actually two options: the Mazda one can be mounted on the upper mid section of the dashboard or on the right side of the center console. The Nissan options are for either the left or right side of the center console.

For both of my cars I chose the right side of the center console (next to the passenger’s legs) since that was a more convenient place to look, easier to reach, and I wouldn’t be knocking into it each time I sat down. I do find that I caution passengers not to bump into it when they sit down, yet have not actually had anyone knock it off.

The mount itself is quite nice and actually snaps into the seam between the center console and the surrounding frame. It includes double-sided tape (one side already stuck onto the mount) for a more permanent installation. In both of my cars I have not used the tape and have never had the mounts come off without being intentionally removed. Installation is easy, but a bit scary at first. The included instructions (also available on their website for each specific mount) are very nicely detailed, but involved jamming a wedge into the seam to separate it, then popping the tab on the mount in. If I drove a really nice car, I might be a bit reluctant to pop the holder in, but honestly it’s not going to damage the car (not a guarantee!).

So now that the mount is in place there are two more things to choose: the holder and whether you want a fixed or swivel solution. The device holder is chosen similarly to the mount, by Brand and model.

There are actually four options for the Omnia: Standard Holder, Holder with Tilt Swivel, Holder with Tilt Swivel and Cigarette Lighter Charger, and Holder with Tilt Swivel and Straight Cable for Fixed Install. I chose the Holder with Tilt Swivel which allows me to tilt and rotate the device rather than keep it upright (as the Standard Holder does) in order to rotate it so it’s at the right angle for me. The other options add dedicated (aka clean looking) cables for charging the phone. The “straight cable” is just a non-coiled charging cable that can be more easily hidden (again, for a cleaner looking solution).

Here is what my installations look like in the Mazda 3 with a holder for the Samsung Omnia. You’ll notice that since I didn’t purchase the holder with included charging cable I just plug directly into the phone. It works for me, but having it all integrated would be pretty cool.

Rotated horizontally

Rotated vertically

One potential problem with this solution is that it’s not future proof. If you upgrade either your car or your device, you need to purchase a new mount or holder which can run from $25 for the Standard Holder up to $79 for the Holder with Tilt Swivel and Straight Cable. That’s sometimes more than the upfront cost for a new phone! I have upgraded twice since I started using the system and each time I wait a week before inevitably buying the new holder.

One thing to note is that since the holder is designed for each specific device, odds are you’ll have to remove the device from your fancy leather case.  This isn’t such a big deal for easily removed cases, but for the cases that fit quite snugly or snap on, it might be a deal breaker (for either the case or the holder).

Along with the two required pieces, there are some options you can also add. There are quick release plates that let you switch between device holders (you still need to purchase dedicated holders for each device), charging and data connection cables, tilt/swivel plates, a handlebar mount for your bicycle, extension arms, etc. There’s also a horizontal extension plate that allows you to hold two devices on a single mount, which is pretty cool.

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

So, the big question is “Is it worth the cost”? For me, the answer is “absolutely”. I don’t know what I’d do without this in my car. Being able to pop my phone in, plug in the charging cable, hook up the aux cable to listen to music, and be able to access my phone semi-safely is a huge benefit. My phone never slides into that gap between the front seat and center console (aka the black hole that no hand exits unscratched) and never falls onto the floor when I have to slam on the breaks because I was distracted by talking on the phone. Also, when I do need to use the phone to make or receive calls, it’s somewhat safer since I’m not fumbling to hold the phone and press keys. If you use your phone regularly in your car to talk, listen to music/audio books, or just want to make sure your phone is in-reach and charged, this is a great solution.

(Please always use a hands-free device when using your phone in your car! I use the Zivio Boom Bluetooth Wireless Headset and LOVE it.)

Filed in categories: Car Gear

Tagged: Mobile Phone, Mount

ProClip In-Vehicle Device Mounting Solution Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2009 at 7:31 am.

I’ve been a big fan of Palm Treo smartphones for quite awhile. Since I purchased my very first smartphone (Treo 650), I’ve been using one as my main phone on and off for over three years now. During most of that time, I’ve been a Palm OS user, but I have also used Windows Mobile Treos during that period too. We’ve all watched the slow evolution of Treo hardware and even slower evolution of software – at least on the Palm OS side, throughout the past several years. That’s why I tend to be an on again, off again Treo user. I get bored with either the hardware or the software and get the itch to try something new for awhile. I really liked the Treo 800w and was looking forward to an unlocked GSM version of that model. But instead of doing that, Palm decided to release the Palm Treo Pro. Let’s check it out…

Hardware Specifications

Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition
Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201 400MHz
Memory: 256MB user memory (100MB user storage), 128MB program memory
Display: 320 x 320 pixel transfective color TFT touchscreen
Radio: HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM radio
Tri-band UMTS – 850MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz
Quad-band GSM – 850/900/1800/1900
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g with WPA, WPA2, and 801.1x authentication
GPS: Built-in GPS
Bluetooth: Version: 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate
Digital Camera: 2.0 megapixels with up to 8x digital zoom and video capture
Expansion: microSDHC cards (up to 32GB supported)
Battery: 1500 mAh Rechargeable lithium-ion, Talk time: up to 5.0 hours, Standby time: up to 250 hours
Size: 2.36″ (W) x 4.49″ (L) x 0.53″ (D); weighs
Weight: 4.69 oz

Package Contents

Palm Treo Pro smartphone
Rechargeable battery
AC power charger (100-240 volt, 1A power cable)
Micro USB sync / charge cable
Headset
Stylus
Get Started Guide

Design and Style

First let’s have a look at the Pro and a few of its siblings.

On the Left, you see the Treo 680, in the middle is the new Treo Pro and on the Right is the Centro.
It’s easy to see that this new Treo Pro more closely resembles the Centro, and not the 680.

The Treo Pro is available in any color you like, as long as it’s Black ) Shiny Black. So shiny, that I had a difficult time taking decent photos of it.

The face of the phone has a nice touch screen color display. This is Palm’s first phone that has a flush mount display. I have to say that I do like the lack of a bezel.

The back of the phone is very sleek, with the Palm logo and ring around the camera lens in chrome. There’s a small speaker grill on the back, along with the stylus silo in the bottom corner. The shiny plastic is a magnet for smudges, but appears to be scratch resistant.

To gain access to the SIM card slot and microSD slot, you have to remove the entire back cover of this phone. It is an understatement to say that this is not an easy task. The first time I wrestled with the darn thing for 30 minutes and was completely frustrated until I thought to use one of those little grippy rubber mat things for helping you remove a lid from a jar. Only by using it, was I able to remove the cover. Grrrrrrr…

Below the display is a panel of navigation, application and function buttons. Let’s start with the outside buttons and work our way inward. On either side, there is a small round button with LED illuminated edges. On the Left is the standard Call Send button and on the Right is the Call End button. These buttons are slightly domed and are easy find blindly with your thumb.

There are four backlit application buttons, that surround the center 5-way navigation button. These app buttons are flat, have very shallow travel and provide minimal to no  tactile feedback. The center button has the best tactile feedback of all the buttons on this phone and works well.

Like all Treos, the Pro has a QWERTY keyboard. And like the Centro, the Pro’s keyboard has clear plastic keycaps. Although the keyboard is pretty flat, it works just fine and I had no problem with its size or spacing. I really don’t care for the clear keys though. Light glares on them, making it hard to find punctuation characters. In my opinion, the keyboard and application buttons are a step down from what the 800w offers.

Top to bottom: Centro, Treo Pro, Treo 680

The first thing that I noticed about this phone was how thin it was. It is the thinnest (and some would say sexiest…) Treo to date. In hand, the Pro feels extremely solid and comfortable. My gadgeteer squeeze test yielded no flexing or creaking. The only part that rattles when you shake this phone is the mute button.

On the left side, there is a long thin rocker button that controls volume levels. This button sits almost flush with the case and has weak tactile feedback. Below it is the camera launch / shutter button, which is slightly raised and has decent tactile feedback.

On the opposite side, you’ll find an infrared port and WiFi button. This button is very small, sits flush with the case and has pretty much no tactile feedback at all. If WiFi is turned off, pressing the button will power it on and automatically connect to your
last used access point. If it’s already on, pressing the button will bring up the connections dialog box. To turn off WiFi, you can do so through the Today screen.

On the bottom of the phone, you’ll find the new style micro USB power / sync connector that Palm started using with the 800w. There’s also a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. Yay, nice addition! Palm even includes earbuds with a built in microphone and a call answer / end button. Too bad you can’t use that same button to pause music while playing though.

On the top edge of the Pro, you’ll find the mute switch and radio power / display button. Pressing this button once will toggle the display on / off. Holding it down for several seconds will toggle power to the GSM radio. Surprisingly, this button will not completely power down the device though. Actually, there isn’t a way to power off the Treo Pro besides removing the back cover and the battery. In my opinion this is really lame! I might not complain that much about it if it were easy to remove the back cover, but that’s not the case at all. Far from it.

Like I mentioned earlier, the Treo Pro’s display is flush with the face of the device. It’s crisp and bright. As a touch screen it is responsive and finger friendly.

One very cool new feature of this Treo is the screensaver. While the display is toggled off, the time of day and date are displayed in monochrome. I love this feature because I carry my phone with me when I go on walks. I used to always have to press a button to wake the phone up to see the time. Now I just look at the display and it’s there in big letters, easy to see.

In addition to the time, small icons will appear while in screensaver mode to alert you to missed calls and text messages. For some odd reason, missed alarm notifications and voice mails aren’t shown. Go figure.

Camera

I hope you haven’t been holding your breath, waiting for me to say that the Treo Pro has the best camera of any phone ever! If so, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the built in camera is just as crappy as every Treo that has come before it. Am I being harsh?
Maybe just a little… As is, the camera is useful for those times when no other camera is available. Here are a few sample pics:

Click thumbnail to view full sized image

As you can see, the images are a bit fuzzy and flat looking.

WiFi

The Treo 800w was the first Treo to include WiFi, and the Pro also includes it. I had no problems using it at all. It connected quickly to my access point when the side button was pressed. Surfing with Pocket Internet Explorer felt pretty snappy all things considered.

GPS

The Treo Pro includes a built in GPS that you can use with Google Maps and Windows Live Search which are already included on the phone. TeleNav GPS Navigator comes pre-installed on the Pro too. You have to pay a monthly fee ($10) to use it after the trial period has expired though. This GPS can also work with other third party navigation apps such as CoPilot.

Bonus Software

In addition to all the regular Windows Mobile applications, a few extra goodies have been added to the Pro. First of all, the Today screen has some added functionality.

You’ll notice the icon in the upper Right corner…

Pressing it will bring up the currently running tasks list. You can press the big Red X to close all running applications, or you can close individual processes in the list. Tapping the wrench icon will bring up the regular Task Manager application and tapping the memory chip will bring up the Windows Mobile memory settings app.

Clicking the communications status bar on the Today screen will launch the Communications manager application. This is a quick and dirty little app that has on/off switches for all your com settings.

In the GPS section of this review, I mentioned that the TeleNav GPS application is included on the Pro. Another application that is included and installed is WorldMate Pro. This a really nice travel app that allows you to check weather at different locations, flight status, various converters, etc.

Other software additions include Sprite Backup software and a streaming media application from HTC.

Overall Performance

The Treo Pro doesn’t feel nearly as snappy as I remember the 800w feeling. I wouldn’t say that it is dog slow, but I get a sense of slight lagging when I load and switch between applications. I’ve also noticed some overall wonkiness at times with the device that occurs when I’ve tried to load a large eBook or video. Instead of just killing the viewer or reader app, it will make the whole system unstable. Resetting the device requires (you guessed it…) that you remove the back cover. Bleh.

I found video playback through the Windows Mobile media player to be hit and miss. Sometimes the whole phone would freeze up or refuse to load a video. Other times, they would play, but with considerable missed frames or with hurky jerkiness.

Call reception and call audio quality seemed to be as good as I would expect from AT&T – the GSM carrier that I tested this phone with. I had the normal issues that I deal with all the time, some calls that don’t go through when you dial them, static, etc. Volume levels were definitely loud enough for me though, no complaints there.

As for battery life, I didn’t do any extensive testing as I often had the phone plugged into USB to sync and install applications. During those days when I wasn’t installing or syncing, I could get away with around 2 full days between charges.

Conclusion

I wanted to really like the Treo Pro, I really did. Heck, I was so sure that I would love it, that I bought this device with my own cash ($550) instead of just trying to get a review unit! I really regret buying it now though… I have to say that this is the first Treo that I’ve purchased that has disappointed me so badly. Although it looks very nice in my opinion, the way it performs is very
underwhelming. Maybe it’s the fault of Windows Mobile or an underpowered CPU. I’m really not sure. If the Pro were running Palm OS, I wouldn’t like it any better… I suppose that the biggest reason why I don’t like this phone though is the buttons. That might seem like a trivial reason, but I’m all about how easy it is to use a device and the buttons on the Treo Pro are crummy. If only Palm had used the 800w design for their unlocked GSM phone instead of this one. I think my days of cheerleading for Palm are numbered unless they do something great soon. And unfortunately, I really don’t see that happening…

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related, Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Palm Treo Pro Smartphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 24, 2008 at 8:00 am.

Here’s a first – a mobile phone with a built in Bluetooth headset. LG’s Decoy for Verizon is a cool little slider phone that has a headset dock on the backside of the phone. Now you’ll have no excuse for hands-free talking while driving.

Hardware Specifications

Technology: CDMA
Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band)
Data Transmission: High-Speed EVDO
Dimensions: 4.01″ (H) x 1.97″ (W) x 0.67″ (D)
Weight: 4.05 oz.
Display: 262K Color TFT, 240 x 320 Pixels, 2.20″
Standard Battery: 800 mAh
Usage Time: Up to 230 Minutes (3 Hours & 50 Minutes)
Standby Time: Up to 330 Hours (13 Days & 18 Hours)

Package Contents

Decoy phone
Standard Li-Ion battery
Travel charger
Integrated Bluetooth headset
Bluetooth headset charging adapter
Bluetooth headset cavity cover
User guide
Quick reference guide

The Decoy has a sleek design that really appeals to me. The front looks like liquid silver with its glossy mirror finish and the back is a Blue with a slight rubberized feel.

The front of this phone has four buttons and a 5-way navigation joystick in the center. The joystick has circular ridges on the top, to keep your thumb from slipping off as you use it. It’s not difficult to use the joystick, but I think I prefer a regular 5-way navigation pad.

On the back, you find the camera lens and the cover for the Bluetooth dock. This is what the phone looks like when you don’t want to use the included headset. More about this in a minute.

The front of the Decoy slides up to reveal the backlit keypad. The keys are slightly bumpy, making them easy to press. They also have good tactile feedback. The center button on the top row that looks like a microphone will launch the voice command application when pressed. Using this feature, you can dial by name or number by just saying “Call Jeanne Webster”. The voice command feature is also launched by pressing the main button on the Bluetooth headset.

On the left side of the phone, there is a volume up/down button and the USB charging port, which is protected by a plastic cover.

On the right side, you’ll find a microSD flash card slot and the camera application launch / shutter button. There’s also a 2.5mm headphone jack and lanyard attachment point.

When open, the Decoy is still a pretty slim and compact phone.

In hand it feels solid and comfortable to hold.

Of course, the most interesting feature of this phone is the built in Bluetooth headset. To use it, you remove the plastic cover, which reveals a built in holder that holds the headset and even charges it while it’s docked.

The headset itself is pretty small and only has the one ear pad size, meaning that it probably will not fit everyone. For control, it has one main call start / end button on the face, which doubles as the pairing and power button. It also has a volume up/down button on the top edge.

A separate dock is included that you can connect to the USB AC adapter for charging.

The headset then snaps easily into the cavity on the back of the phone. Pairing is simple and another nice feature is that when the headset is docked on the back of the phone, its battery status shows up next to the Bluetooth icon on the top status bar of the display.

The phone’s interface should be familiar to you, if you’re a Verizon customer. It’s not much different from the LG Chocolate 3 which I just reviewed. The Decoy includes all the same V Cast features which allow you to view video and download/buy music. One interesting thing I noticed was the fact that I was unable to play .MP3 songs that I copied on to a microSD card. This worked just fine on the Chocolate 3… I tried to buy a song using V Cast, but no matter how many times I tried, it kept erroring out during download – even though I had a full signal.

One special application included on this phone is a chat client that supports AIM, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo!.

As far as using this phone for its main tasks – making and receiving calls, I was impressed by call clarity and volume. I also liked the way it shows very large numbers when you manually key in a phone number. That makes it easier to see when you’ve made a mistake if you are outside in full sunlight.

Having a designated place to store a Bluetooth headset is very cool, but buying this phone without a new contract or an upgrade is pretty expensive at $350. As an alternative, I’d be more likely to probably just buy a less expensive phone and a separate headset. You can save considerably (right now, $200) if you buy this phone with a 2yr contract, though. If you’re going that route, I’d say that this is a sleek phone with a cool feature at a decent price.

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

LG Decoy V Cast Phone (LG-VX8610) Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 25, 2008 at 9:30 pm.

I’ve been an AT&T customer for several years now. The main reason being that I can easily switch SIM cards between the various mobile phones that I have the opportunity to review. This convenience has been great, but if I am honest, call quality and audio clarity on the AT&T network really isn’t the best… at least not in my area. Also, AT&T has not rolled out 3G here in little old Columbus, Indiana. Funny thing is that Verizon’s 3G (EVDO) network is already here. So, I’m going to try some Verizon phones and see if I might like to switch carriers. LG’s Chocolate 3 is my first Verizon feature phone to test. Let’s take a look.

Hardware Specifications

Technology: CDMA
Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band)
Data Transmission: EVDO
Dimensions: 3.87″(H) x 1.94″(W) x 0.64″(D)
Weight: 3.36 oz.
Display: Internal LCD: 260K Color TFT, 320 x 240 Pixels, 2.2″ External LCD: 260K Color TFT, 176 x 220 Pixels, 1.76″
Standard Battery: 800 mAh
Usage Time: Up to 270 Minutes (4 Hours & 30 Minutes)
Standby Time: Up to 350 Hours (14 Days & 14 Hours)

Package Contents

LG Chocolate 3 Phone
Standard Li-Polymer Battery
Wall/USB Charger
User Guide
Quick Reference Guide

It’s been awhile since I’ve used a flip phone, not to mention a non-smartphone. I’ve actually been looking forward to using a basic phone again. The Chocolate 3 isn’t exactly a basic phone, but it’s easy to use, small and very inexpensive (or even free) when you either re-up or sign up for a new Verizon account.

The Chocolate 3 is available in Blue or Black. I was sent the Black version to review. It’s really more of a shiny Charcoal color though. The top part of the flip is glossy and shiny, so it does attract smudges and finger prints. The back part has a thin coating of rubber, which helps you keep a firm grip on the phone during use.

What I really like about this phone is the generously sized outside LCD display and the front navigation wheel.

That front display is color, backlit and can be used to access your media (music and photos), as well as check your messages and calender. I do wish that the clock was visible at all times instead of needing to press a button to see it. But that’s not a big deal.

The navigation wheel isn’t a touch wheel. It actually spins like a tiny record or can be pressed to cycle through the main menu options. The center of the wheel acts as a select button.

The 2.0 megapixel camera lens is also located on the front of the phone. Don’t count on this phone to be your only camera… the pictures it can take aren’t too great.

The Left side of the phone has a 3.5mm earphone jack (hidden under a rubber plug), volume up/down buttons, voice command button and a micro USB port for charging the phone. The USB port is protected by a narrow plastic cover that swivels to allow access.

On the other side of the phone, there’s a microSD card slot, music application launcher button and the lock button. Like the USB port, the microSD slot is protected by a narrow cover. Every time I would open either cover, I worried it would snap off.

Flipping the phone open reveals a flat backlit keypad. I’ve never been a real fan of flat keyboards, but I haven’t had any issues using this one. All of the buttons are generously sized and have good tactile feedback. It is a bit difficult to tell exactly where each number is located if you’re not looking at the keypad though.

In hand, the Chocolate 3 feels light and comfortable. When closed it fits easily in any of my pockets, and when open, it feels like a full size phone that goes from your ear to your lips. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to hold a mobile phone between my ear and shoulder ;o) Try that with a Centro!

Making and receiving calls

As a phone, the Chocolate does a better job than most of the AT&T phones that I own. Call quality is great and I didn’t have any issues with dropped calls, audio anomalies or volume problems etc. It was quite nice not to have to say “are you there?” at least once during every conversation like I normally do…

I enjoyed using the voice command key to make calls, play back songs, etc. No voice training necessary, just press the button and follow the voice prompts.

Software

Coming from using various Palm and Windows Mobile smartphones, I was afraid that I would seriously miss not having the ability to install applications. In all actuality, this phone has made me feel surprisingly liberated. The only application that I truly miss is an eBook reader.

The user interface on the Chocolate is simple and easy to navigate. There are just 9 main menu options, that all fit on one screen.

The Chocolate is a music phone and has a decent built in audio player that allows you to control playback while the phone is either open or closed. You can listen to tunes through earbuds, through the built in speaker or using the built in FM transmitter, which is a cool feature to have built into a phone. Music can be stored on a microSD card or by downloading through the V Cast Music Rhapsody service and saved in the 1GB of internal memory. One thing I did notice is that you if you opt to save your .MP3 or .WMA files to an microSD card, you can’t save them in folders. From what I found, songs have to be dumped into the root of the card in order to be recognized. I did not try any type of syncing software with my PC though… You can connect the phone to your PC via the included USB cable and is supposed to automatically install a client application on your PC.

V Cast also allows you to watch video clips and TV shows. I was surprised at how smooth video playback was, even when I only had a 1 bar signal. While I’m not sure I’d want to watch an entire episode of Heroes on the Chocolate’s little display, I’d not have any issues watching a few clips here and there when I needed to kill some time.

VZ Navigator, which is a map and navigation service provided by Verizon is included on the phone and is very cool. You can pay by the month ($9.99) or by the day ($2.99) to use this feature. It has turn by turn voice prompts, movie search, maps and traffic, and local search features.

Conclusion

I’ve really enjoyed using the LG Chocolate 3 phone for the last week or so. I found it easy to use and very compact. I like being able to just slip it into one of my jeans pockets when I’m on the go. My favorite feature is the large outside display. Too bad that it doesn’t have an eBook reader, if it did, I’d seriously think about using it as my main phone. It’s a good phone with a nice set of features (especially if you like music) and doesn’t cost much at all if you’re upgrading.

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

LG Chocolate 3 V Cast Music Phone (LG-VX8560) Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2008 at 10:10 pm.

The Palm Treo 800w smartphone is Sprint’s latest Treo with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. It’s been designed for business users and operates on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, with support for EvDO Rev. A data speeds. It’s also the first Treo with built in WiFi.

Unfortunately for me, I don’t live in the EvDO Rev. A coverage area, so I wasn’t be able to test how well this device performs with broadband speeds. I will tell you that Sprint claims that the 800w provides users in the EvDO Rev. A coverage area with expected average upload speeds of 350-500 kbps (versus 50 –70 kbps with EV-DO Rev. 0) and download speeds of between 600kbps and 14mbps (from 400-700kbps). Peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps (from 2.4 Mbps), and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps (from 153 kbps).

Hardware Specifications

Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition
Processor: +TI OMAP 2431
Memory: 256MB user memory (~ 170MB user storage), 128MB program memory
Display: 320 x 320 pixel transfective color TFT touchscreen, supports 16-bit color (65k colors)
Radio: Qualcomm MSM6800A chipset supporting EvDO Rev A and mobile receive diversity
Digital Dual-band: CDMA (1900mHz and 800MHz)
WiFi: 802.11b/g
GPS: Built-in GPS (standalone and assisted); Sprint Navigation
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0+ A2DP
Digital Camera: 2.0 megapixels with 1280×1024 resolution and 2x zoom
Expansion Slot: microSD card
Battery: 1150 mAh Rechargeable lithium-ion, Talk time: up to 4.0 hours, Standby time: up to 200 hours
Size: 2.28 x 4.41 x 0.73 in
Weight: 5.0 ounces

Package Contents

Palm Treo 800w smartphone
Rechargeable battery
AC power charger
Micro USB sync / charge cable
Headset
Stylus
ActiveSync Software installation CD
Basics Guide
Get Started Guide

Design and Style

As soon as I took the 800w out of the box, I was struck by its small size. It’s shape and size is similar to the Centro which I like quite a bit more than the previous design of past Treos.

Left to Right: Palm Treo 750, Palm Treo 800w, Palm Centro

Although the 800w doesn’t look like it’s much smaller in than the Treo 750 in the image above, it is noticeably so in hand. It’s both thinner and flatter and feels very comfortable in your hand.

Top to bottom: Palm Centro, Palm Treo 800w, Palm Treo 750

A smartphone stackup shows that the 800w is a bit thinner than the other two devices.

At the time of this review, the 800w is only available in one color. It is Grayish Blue, with the back half of the case having a rubberized texture for better gripping. For the most part, the updated design of this phone really hasn’t changed that much from previous Treo’s. It still has the familiar QWERTY keyboard, 5-way navigation button and a camera on the back. One big difference is that the display is 320 x 320 pixels. That’s a big improvement over previous Windows Mobile Treo’s, that were only 240 x 240.

The display is crisp and vibrant, but I wouldn’t mind if it were just a little bit brighter. The image above is at max brightness and was snapped without flash.

The backlit keyboard is easy to see and type on. I like this keyboard better than the one on my Centro due to the fact that the keys do not have shiny clear bubble tops which are sometimes hard to see. The application, control and navigation buttons are also superior to the Centro. They feel more robust and I really like the small Left and Right buttons that map to the bottom screen functions. It’s easy to hold this phone in one hand and use the thumb of that hand to access all the buttons to make a call or launch a program. All of the buttons have excellent tactile feedback, so you’ll know if you’ve actually pressed the button.

On the Left side of the phone, you’ll find the volume adjustment buttons and a Voice recorder launch button. Then on the Right side there is the stylus slot, an IR port and the MicroSD card slot that is accessible without needing to remove the battery cover.

Along the top edge of the phone, you’ll find the ringer on/off button and the one-touch WiFi button. Yes, this is the first Treo to have built-in WiFi. Hold the button down for a few seconds and it will turn on WiFi and show you a list of available networks that you can connect to. Hold the button down again and it will disconnect from any connected network and will turn the WiFi feature off.

Take a look at the bottom of the 800w and you’ll find an unusual sight for a Treo… The Universal / Athena sync and charge connector has been replaced with a Micro USB connector.

If you haven’t seen a Micro USB connector before, here’s how it compares to a Mini USB connector. The Mini is on the Left, while the Micro is on the right. I’m a little disappointed that the Mini USB wasn’t used as most people have several extra Mini cables hanging around that they could use to sync and charge. This special connector is also used for the included headset. That’s right, the 800w does not have a 3.5 or 2.5mm earphone jack. Bummer.

Camera

Treo’s have not been known for their fantastic photography prowess, and that hasn’t changed with the 800w. Although the resolution has been increased to 2 megapixels, the images it can snap are mediocre at best. Great for snapping when it’s the only camera you have handy, but that’s about the extent of it. Here are a couple examples to check out…

Click thumbnail to view full sized image

As you can see, the images are only so-so. They have good color, but are not every sharp. You also can’t get too close to your subject… as in macro shots. Which for me is one of the more useful uses for a mobile phone camera. I like to snap info out of books or magazines instead of writing things down. No joy doing that with the 800w.

Overall Performance

The Treo 800w feels very responsive even when there are quite a few applications loaded. It helps that this Treo has more memory that previous models. There’s just a very slight lag when an application loads, but once loaded, switching between them is very quick.

I was able to watch some videos using the Windows Media player and was happy with the performance.

Call quality is clear and volume levels are loud enough for me. Reception seemed fine, but during most of my testing, I was roaming on Verizon.

As for battery life, I didn’t do any real testing as I had the phone plugged into USB off and on to install applications. The battery does have a lower capacity than some previous Treos, but the talk time and standby time are listed as pretty close to the Sprints prior Windows Mobile Treo.

Software

In addition to all the regular Windows Mobile applications, Palm and Sprint have added some of their own special sauce to the mix. First of all, the Today screen has quite a bit of functionality.

You see all the standard items such as upcoming appointments, number of unread emails, etc., you can start typing a name or a number to lookup someone to call.

You can also conduct searches via Live Search or the Maps application. Speaking of Live Search, I really love that application. You can look stuff up my typing in a name, or by speaking it.

Some of Sprint’s bundled in applications include:

Sprint TV

More than 50 live television channels available including CNN mobile, FOX sports and E! Entertainment; access NFL Network and special programming via Sprint Exclusive Entertainment. There are full episodes of various shows like Hannah Montana. No, I don’t watch that show. Really! ;o) The quality isn’t HD or anything, but it’s fun to watch something when you’re bored. Works over WiFi too.

Pocket Express

Easy to navigate web portal with customized up to date content such as sports, weather, news, stocks and movie info. This is another application that I like to waste time in when I’m waiting for someone or taking a break.

Sprint IM

Access to Yahoo! Messenger, AOL’s AIM® service and MSN Messenger.

Sprint Navigation

Delivers voice-guided and on-screen turn-by-turn GPS-enabled driving directions, 3-D moving maps similar to an in-car navigation system or personal navigation device, as well as more than 10 million local listings and real-time intelligent traffic alerts with one-click rerouting, anywhere on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network.

Sprite Backup

Easy to use backup and restore application with scheduling abilities.

Corporate business users will be interested in the fact that you can use this device with an exchange server to for up-to-date email, contacts, calendars and access to other productivity applications. Delivery of Outlook email using Direct Push Technology requires your company to use Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 or 2003 upgraded to service pack 2.

Conclusion

From the VERY short time that I’ve been able to play with the Palm Treo 800w, I can tell you that I’m really liking it so far. I just wish it was already available in a GSM version so that I could buy one for myself (sorry Sprint). I really like the new case style, the 320 x 320 display and of course the built-in WiFi. If I was in the market for a new smartphone (I just bought myself a Centro), I might very well buy this one. If you are a Windows Mobile fan that likes a QWERTY keyboard in a nice compact package, you should really check out the Palm Treo 800w.

Price is $249.99 after a $250 instant savings, $100 mail-in rebate, and two-year contract.

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related, Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Palm Treo 800w Smartphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 14, 2008 at 8:30 am.

The Sony Ericsson Z520a is a rather simple phone by today’s standards. It doesn’t have a media player, it doesn’t have a good camera, and it doesn’t even come with any games. What it does come with is a fairly easy to use interface, a nice compact size and good battery life. About the only frill you do get is Bluetooth, which is really standard equipment on all but the absolute cheapest phones nowadays. More about all this later.

On terms of specs, the phone is 3.3 x 1.8 x 0.9 inches (or 83 x 46 x 24 mm), and weighs 3.3 oz (or 94g). It includes 16MB of memory, with no way to expand. It is a quad-band GSM phone, supporting the 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz frequencies. According to Sony, the phone gets 9 hours of talk time and 400 hours of standby time to a charge.

Inside the Cingular (or AT&T, I guess) branded box, you get a charger, a manual, the battery and phone. The phone has an outer display that is fairly bright and easy to read, and appears to be made of a genuine, good LCD; none of the ghosting problems that are reminiscent of a Palm IIIc. The very poor camera is on the front as well. The side has the camera button, volume rocker, and IR lens, and the back reveals the speakerphone and battery door. The back of the phone reveals the rather funky antenna (the loop of plastic above the phone itself), the speakerphone, and the battery cover.

By the way, when I say the camera is poor, I mean poor. I suppose it is adequate and par for the course for most cell phone cameras, but Sony generally bills themselves as a media company. Granted this phone is an entry-level phone, but I think they could have done better. Here is a sample image:

Click thumbnail to see full size image

When you turn the phone on, you are greeted with a short “How-To” video similar to a Palm device. The buttons are very large and very easy to press. Even the D-Pad is comfortable to use. The keypad’s larger size makes it very easy to type out SMS messages, and perhaps play games. If only some were included.

That’s right, no games are included. All you get is a World Clock and a weird app that lets you make ringtones by typing them in with your keypad. The UI is fairly straightforward, and isn’t overly encumbered by custom AT&T fluff like many phones nowadays are.

Bluetooth is about as easy to use as any other dumbphone; navigate to an impossibly hidden menu, turn bluetooth on, turn discovery on, pair with your device, exchange passkeys, and you’re set. One cool thing I noticed is the phone is supported by iSync in Leopard, allowing you to sync contacts, notes, todo’s, and calendar. Also, apparently Sony has licensed Salling Clicker, as the phone can also serve as a remote commander for a Mac running Leopard. It’s pretty rudimentary; about the only thing I could get it to do is move the mouse and left-click, but it did work. Pretty cool.

Battery life is actually very good; I’ve found that I only have to charge the phone every three days or so. I guess having a phone with few frills makes for a long-running, reliable phone.

In short, this is a good, easy-to-use phone, with few frills. It would make an excellent phone for a first-time user, or someone who just gets the free phone every time their contract is up for renewal. It’s built very solidly and should be good to go for the two year period, I would think.

This phone has been discontinued by SE, but you can still find it on eBay and other online retail shops for less than $200.00.

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Sony Ericsson Z520a Mobile Phone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 3, 2008 at 7:30 am.

Most people that read this site probably know that I’m a big fan of Palm OS and have been using a Treo for what seems like forever. A couple years ago I went through a whole
nightmare ordeal buying a SprintPCS Treo 650 that was hacked to run on the Verizon network. Then I moved to Cingular / AT&T,
got GSM Treo 650 and later a
Treo 680. As for the new
Centro, I haven’t purchased one yet and am not sure that I will. Why? Well, I seem to have found
my way back into the Windows Mobile camp by way of the
Pantech Duo smartphone from AT&T.

Hardware Specifications

Windows Mobile Standard (Smartphone) v6.0
416 MHz Marvell Bulverde CPU
Quad-band world phone – 850/900/1800/1900 MHZ
Dual-band domestic UMTS/HSDPA
2.2″ QVGA LCD with LED backlight
128 MB Flash ROM plus 64 MB SDRAM
Dual sliding keyboards
Bluetooth v1.2 with A2DP
MicroSD(TM) memory slot, expandable up to 2 GB
11-pin mini-USB (USB 1.1)/ audio jack in one
1.3 megapixel camera with 4x zoom
Weight: 3.88 ounces
Dimensions: 4.02 x 1.97 x 0.83 inches
Battery: 1320 mAh Lithium Ion with up to 3 hours talk time and up to 10 days standby

Package Contents

Pantech Duo phone
AC adapter charger
USB charging / sync cable
Earphone jack adapter cable
User manual and CDs

First of all, I just have to say that I love, love, love the form factor of the Duo. For me it is the prefect size. It is small enough to fit in my jeans pocket, coat pocket, etc. and is comfortable to hold and use.

In hand it is solid, but almost doesn’t pass the gadgeteer squeeze test due to some slight flexing and creaking of the plastic
casing. Most people won’t go around squeezing their phones like I do, so I think this phone will be fine for normal day to day use. I’m not sure I’d
want to use it in environments that would need a more rugged device though. I sure wish it had a metal casing instead of plastic, as I think that would raise it to another level.

Made of shiny dark Grey plastic, the Duo is a smudge and fingerprint magnet. I
find myself constantly polishing it on my pant leg to wipe the marks off.

Most of the front surface of the phone is occupied by the 2.2 inch color display, which is bright, crisp and easy on the eyes. Above the display is the speaker and status LED. Below the display is the navigation button grouping.

In the center of the grouping, there is a round 4-way nav pad with a select button in the
middle. Surrounding the nav pad are six small buttons with an additional button directly below the nav pad. The top row of buttons map to the functions at the bottom of the display. Under them are buttons for the home screen and
previous screen. The next row of buttons are your standard call and end/power buttons. The last button is the profiles / lock button. All of these buttons are small, but they are raised enough to allow you to easily find the desired one with your thumb-tip. They also have good tactile feedback and are backlit.

On the back of the phone, you will find the 1.3 megapixel camera lens and snap-on battery
pack.

On the left side, you’ll find the volume adjustment rocker switch.

The opposite side has the camera launch / shutter button. To launch the camera application, you have to hold down the button for a few seconds. Then once the application is running, pressing the
same button will snap a picture. Below the camera button, is the voice recorder / voice command button.
The Duo has MS Voice Command software built in that will allow you to dial
numbers and launch applications without any training. You can say things like
"Call Jeanne at work" and it will repeat your request then dial the number.
It’s very useful for those times when you’re driving and
should have your eyes on the road instead of your phone’s keypad.

On the top edge of the Duo, you’ll find a MicroSD card slot. Unfortunately this
phone does not support newer SDHC cards, so you’re stuck
with a 2GB limit.

On the bottom is the sync / charge port. This is also where you plug in the included earphone adapter cable, so that you can use earbuds / earphones to listen to music.

Of course, the main advantage of this phone over other Windows Mobile Smartphones is the fact that it has dual keyboards.

The entire top surface of the phone slides up to reveal a regular numeric keypad to use for dialing a number, texting with T9 input, etc.
The keys are relatively flat, so it is difficult to type blindly. That said, the keys have good tactile feedback and are backlit.

You can also slide the entire face sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard perfect for those times when you need to enter more than a little text. Like the numeric keypad, this one is also very flat. The keys are also small and somewhat hard to press unless you use your thumbnails. Even so, it’s very nice to have a full keyboard to type long text messages.

It’s amazing that two keyboards can be built into such a slim device. Opening
and closing either keyboard is a simple one-handed operation. I was impressed
how firm and robust the mechanics felt. I’ve used some sliding keyboards on
other devices and found them to be a bit too wiggly for my liking.

Another cool feature is the fact that when you slide open the QWERTY keyboard, the display will automatically rotate to be in landscape mode.
This happens very quickly with almost no lag at all. Like I mentioned above, the
display is very comfortable to view. Below you’ll see a picture that I took to
give you an idea what it looks like. I didn’t use flash and didn’t touch up the
photo.

The resolution of the display is 240 x 320 and has 262k colors, which is fine
for PIM (personal information management) type activities and not so fine for
surfing regular web pages. Pages formatted for mobile devices work fine though.
I like the display so well, that I wouldn’t even mind reading a book on it. )

I found the overall system performance to be surprisingly snappy. Launching and
toggling between applications is quick and painless. Watching videos was surprisingly smooth and skip free.

What about battery life? From my testing, it seemed to be from ok to good. I
typically recharge my phones every night and rarely use one enough in one day to
drain it, so I don’t usually run into any problems. I have noticed it drop a bar
or so in a day where I have only used it to make a few calls and sent a few text
messages.

So, we’ve established that I love the form factor, dual keyboards, the color
display and system performance. Now for the bad news…

Click thumbnail for full-size image

The Duo’s built in camera is crummy. I mean really crummy. The images are out of
focus, with blotchy colors and sometimes the outside edges of the snapshot are warped. The
camera works in a pinch, but only barely.

The Duo does not have WiFi or a built in GPS. I guess this isn’t a shocking
revelation, but it seems that a lot of smartphones these days have those feature
as standard. I can forgive the lack of WiFi on this phone due to the fact that
the screen is so tiny that I wouldn’t really care to take advantage of that
feature anyway. An iPhone it is not.

Another thing to consider is that the Duo only has Bluetooth 1.2 instead of 2.0. Version 2.0 is more robust and allows for faster speeds when tethering the phone to a laptop. The Duo does have A2DP though, so that means you can listen to your tunes through Bluetooth earphones.

The worst problem with this phone though is call quality. When I first started testing
it a few weeks ago, I would receive calls where the person on the opposite end
could hear me, but I was unable to hear them at all. I’ve also had an occasional
dropped call in areas where the signal is typically very good. People have even
commented that I sounded like I was talking with a sock in my mouth. I’m often
hungry, but I assure you that don’t eat socks. ;o)

Software Bundle

You get the regular suite of applications that make up Windows Mobile Standard, like Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Internet Explorer, Media Player, Pocket Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, File Manager, Calculator, etc. Also included:

Brain Challenge game
Bubble Breaker game
JewelQuest2 game
Midnight Pool game
Scrabble Blast game
Solitaire game
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07 game
Google Maps

Java VM
ClearVue PDF viewer
World Time

Also included are a few apps from AT&T that require an extra fee to use. Some of them include:

XM Radio (monthly fee req.)
AT&T Music

MobiTV (is pre-installed (monthly fee req.)
Cellular Video
MyCast Weather (trial version)
TeleNav Maps (link)
XPress Mail
AT&T Mall
MySpace Mobile

I don’t have any real complaints about the software other than I wish the trialware and payware apps weren’t installed by default as I would not use them and they just clutter up the applications listing.

As a non-Windows person, I used MarkSpace’s MissingSync to sync the Pantech Duo with my Mac. It works great and is a must have for Mac users.

Bottom Line

The Duo phone was a loaner from AT&T and I have to admit that even with the call quality issues, I am very sad to have to pack it up and send it back to them. I have really enjoyed having a small smartphone that can easily fit in my hand and pocket like this Duo. I guess I can hope that the Duo will become so popular that Pantech might decide to come out with a better version in the future… But more surprising than liking this phone, I also found that I missed using Windows Mobile. Yes, it’s true… I guess I’m just getting bored with Palm and its overall stale OS, that WM feels more fun and interesting to me. As I finished this review today, I was going through my draw o’phones and decided to pull out the HTC Excalibur to use for awhile. Hi Windows Mobile, glad to be back (if only until something else piques my interest…).

The price listed is for a phone without any contract. You can get better deals through AT&T with a 2yr contract.

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related, Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Pantech Duo (C810) Windows Mobile 6.0 Smartphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 10, 2008 at 10:00 pm.

Every time I decide to buy a new mobile phone, I get excited that it might become my new favorite. I’m really anxious for a new favorite. A phone that has all the features of my current favorite (Treo 680), but with enough new features that takes me to my gadgeteer happy place. If the Treo works for me, why do I want to chuck it for something new? Because I get bored easily and am never satisfied. ) Will the Nokia E61i transport me to mobile phone nirvana? Let’s see…

Hardware Specifications

Operating system: Symbian S60 3rd Edition
Memory: Approximately 60 MB of available user memory
Hot swappable microSD memory card support up to 2 GB
Quad-band GSM/EDGE coverage for international usage (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) with WCDMA 3GPP
2.8” QVGA landscape active-matrix color display supporting up to 16 million colors (320 x 240 pixels) with an active area of 56.9 x 42.7 mm
WLAN: 802.11b, 802.11g
Bluetooth 1.2 specification
2 megapixel camera
Weight: 5.29 oz
Dimensions: 4.61 x 2.76 x 0.55 in

Package Contents

Nokia E61i
Battery BP-4L
Travel charger
Wired headset
Connectivity Cable

The E61i has a serious / business style to it. The design seems a bit straight laced and stuffy… at least to me. Now I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it might cause some people to look the other way.

The casing is a combination of brushed aluminum and charcoal colored plastic. The front is almost entirely comprised of the 2.8 inch display and QWERTY keyboard. Above the display there is new email status LED / ambient light sensor and a small power button.
The LED is supposed to blink for a missed call, text message,
email, and multimedia message. You have the ability to turn on or off any of
these options. During my review period with this phone, I never was able to get
this to work reliably and never for a missed call. I think one time I saw it
blinking for a text message.

On the back you will find the easy to remove battery cover and the 2 megapixel camera lens.

The only other physical buttons on the E61i are located on the Left side. Here you will find the up/down volume buttons and a voice recorder / voice command button. Pressing the voice recorder button once will launch the recording application. To begin a recording, you must press the center select button on the front of the phone. Holding the side button in for several seconds will launch the voice command application and cause it to listen for your command.

Along the bottom edge of the phone, you’ll find the power port, data / proprietary headset port and IR port.
That’s right, there isn’t a regular headphone jack built into
this smartphone.

I’ll admit that the Treo has spoiled me. Now I feel like I must have a smartphone that has a QWERTY keyboard. Without one I feel a bit lost and all thumbs. As a result, I get along relatively well with the E61i’s keyboard. The keys are a bit larger than the Treo’s, but are flatter and have less tactile feedback. They are also backlit, but only light up when the ambient light sensor detects that your are in low light. I had no problems getting used to the keyboard layout for texting or calling. I did have more trouble getting used to the navigation buttons located above the keyboard. The 5-way nav button in the center is too small in my opinion. The surrounding buttons are also too cramped.

As you can see in the image above, the Nokia E61i is wider than the Treo 680.

But, it is thinner… Is it better to be thinner or more narrow? For me, the E61i feels too wide to be a phone. It feels awkward to hold up to my ear and talk into it. It’s not THAT much larger than the Treo, but in hand, it just doesn’t feel nearly as comfortable to me. That said, it does feel very solid and well built. It passes the gadgeteer squeeze test with absolutely no protest.

The display is large and easy to read. I wouldn’t say it’s wonderful as I’m
currently spoiled by the
iPhone. But it is crisp and the colors are not washed out. The display is a
lot better than it looks in the images I have shown below. All of those images
were taken without flash, but they do appear to be a bit washed out for some
reason.

Battery
life on the E61i is excellent. It is rated for 4-9hrs talk time and 12-17 days of standby. I’ve used it for what seems like a week without
connecting it to the AC adapter for a recharge. Granted, this is during a week
that I only used it for an occasional call and text message. But still, that’s
pretty darned good if you ask me!

The signal strength / reception with this phone is equally impressive. Nokia as
a rule seems to make phones that can how to hold a signal better than most
phones I try. This phone is no exception. I’ve been able to use it in places
that I’ve only seen a ‘no signal’ or ‘no service’ message on other phones. I’ve
also found that I can drive through areas where my other phones (Treo / iPhone)
always drop the call. Not so with this phone.

Sound quality
during calls is clear and the volume is very good for both sides of a conversation. No gripes there.

For a lot people here in the US, the E61i will disappoint because it isn’t a 3G phone. It just
has EDGE. This would definitely disappoint me if I actually had 3G in my town… The E61i does have WCDMA though… so if you’re in Europe, you will have 3G speeds.
The E61i has built in WiFi which works fine but given the size of the display,
surfing on it isn’t exactly a great experience.

So, as far as hardware goes, this is a solid phone that performs well, but lacks
some pizazz when it comes to style. Now let’s take a look at the user interface
and built in applications.

This is the home screen. It is functional, although not overly customizable. As
you can see, there is an application launch bar to the right of the clock. There
are also a few status lines. The phone comes with 2 themes, but you can find
many more online.

Pressing the small phonebook button in the navigation bar will bring up the contacts application. From here, you just start typing part of a name. First, Last or even the middle name, and it will filter down the list to just show the correct matches. As you can see, contact records can have images associated with them if you desire.

Incoming and outgoing calls are shown on the home screen, along with missed call status.

The E61i has a very good software bundle built into it. Included is a copy of Quickoffice which gives you the ability to edit Microsoft Excel, Word and Powerpoint files right on the phone.

There are also several media players on the device, including RealPlayer, Flash Player and an MP3 player.

The music player has a simple interface and supports MP3 and AAC formats. You can play music through the built-in speaker or through the proprietary earbud (yes, earbud… not earbuds) included with the phone.

The 2 megapixel camera has a simple interface and takes mediocre pictures. I guess a so-so camera is better than no camera at all. Right?

Click thumbnails to see full size image samples

The web browser is pretty good if you don’t mind surfing on a tiny display. You use the 5-way nav button as a pseudo mouse to move to the links that you want to click on.

Image rendering isn’t too bad and moving backwards and forwards through pages that you’ve visited is done through a convenient thumbnail view of the pages.

I didn’t find the messaging client to be all that friendly. It’s one application that you use for text messaging and email. Accessing email is painfully slow. I used it to access my IMAP account, so maybe that’s why it might be slower than with POP. Even though I had it set to pull down full messages, it would only download the headers. Then if I wanted to read a message, it would have to pull that down. It just felt very cumbersome to me.

I also don’t love the way this phone handles text messages. The message does not show up on the display when it comes in. Your phone just beeps and tells you that you have a messages waiting. You have to then navigate to the message to read it, which takes too many key presses for my liking.

When I purchased the Nokia E61i, I was hoping to fall in love with it. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. While I do appreciate some aspects of this phone (namely the great reception), the size, cramped keyboard and overall feel of the OS just don’t do it for me. At least this time I can say that I gave a Symbian device a real honest to goodness try. It’s time for me to get back to my quest to find my perfect phone. Wish me luck with my next try.

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Nokia E61i originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2008 at 9:15 pm.

Fans of Palm smartphones and PDAs continue to wait as days, weeks, months and years drift by without a major update to their favorite mobile operating system. It’s not far from the truth when I say that the Palm operating system hasn’t changed all THAT much since it’s introduction back in the late 1990′s. It still has the same look and feel, which is both comforting and let’s face it, kinda boring. While the OS side of Palm remains the same, they have offered hardware updates on a semi-regular basis. The latest one in the stores is the Palm Centro. This is a CDMA EvDO smartphone running on the Sprint network. How does Palm’s most affordable (when purchased with a 2yr contract) smartphone stack up? Let’s find out…

Hardware Specs

Operating System: Palm OS 5.4.9 (Garnet)
Processor: Intel XScale 312 MHz processor
Memory: 64MB non-volatile flash memory available for user storage
Display: 320 x 320 pixel 2.2in TFT touchscreen with support for over 65,000 colors
Wireless: CDMA2000 EvDO with fallback to 1XRTT and IS95, Bluetooth 1.2, Infrared (IR)
Digital Camera: 1.3 megapixel 2x digital zoom, Video capture with 352 x 288 pixel resolution
Expansion Slot: microSD (up to 4gb)
Battery: Rechargeable 1150mAh lithium-ion, Talk time: up to 3.5 hours, Standby time: up to 300 hours
Size: 4.22 x 2.11 x 0.73 in
Weight: 4.2 ounces

Package Contents

Palm Centro smartphone
Rechargeable battery
AC power charger
USB sync cable
Software installation CD
User documentation

Hardware Design

Front

Available in Onyx (Black) and Ruby (Red), I was sent the Ruby Centro to review. The Onyx version is available now and the Ruby model will be available in November. Unlike the Treo 680, the casing on the Centro is slick plastic. The kind of plastic that easily attracts smudges and fingerprints. You don’t notice this on the face of the Centro, but it is visible on the back.

Compared to Treos, the Centro is smaller in all dimensions. This is a good thing as it is much more pocket friendly. The smaller display is still comfortable to view though. It’s crisp, bright and has vivid colors. I had no issues even reading ebooks on this device.

For people familiar with the Treo line of smartphones, they will recognize the small thumbboard keyboard. It is significantly smaller than the Treo’s keyboard, but is still very usable. The semi-soft plastic keys are backlit, which is great for low light. The spacing of the keys is tight, but I found my normal practice of using my thumbnails to work equally well on the Centro. No complaints at all as far as the keyboard is concerned.

Above the keyboard is a grouping of main navigation keys that include four app launcher buttons, a 4-way directional button, the power/end button and the talk button. All of the buttons have adequate tactile feedback and are backlit.

Back

If you flip the Centro over, you’ll see the camera lens, built-in self portrait mirror, speaker grill and stylus silo. The Centro’s camera is on par with other Palm smartphone cameras. That means it’s pretty mediocre. That said, it works fine for quick snaps when you don’t have access to your ‘real’ camera.

Click thumbnail to see full size image

The built-in speaker on this phone is loud! Quite a bit louder than my Treo 680. If you want to use this phone as an alarm clock, I don’t think you’d ever be able to sleep through an alarm. The Centro also includes a ring tones and alarm sounds that my Treo 680 does not have.

Left Side

On the Left side of the phone you will find the up / down volume adjustment buttons and a user assignable button below it. I wish the volume buttons protruded a bit farther from the side of the phone. As is, it’s a bit difficult to feel them when you need to make an adjustment.

Right Side

On the opposite side, you’ll find the infrared port, lanyard attachment point and the microSD card slot. The card slot isn’t immediately noticeable. It’s directly to the Left of the IR port. You can’t access the slot without removing the battery cover on the back of the Centro though.

Once the cover is removed, the door over the card slot can be opened and you’ll have access to the card. Not overly convenient, but I suppose that microSD cards are easily lost, so it’s best not to be fiddling with them often anyway ;o)

Top

On the top of the Centro, you’ll notice the always handy mute toggle switch. When activated, the phone will vibrate for calls. Very useful during meetings and other places where you don’t want to disturb others.

Bottom

The universal charging / sync connector is located on the bottom of the phone. This connector remains unchanged from previous Palm devices and is compatible with existing cables.

Next to the universal connector is a 2.5mm headset jack. Too bad Palm didn’t include any earbuds with the Centro… As is, you’ll need an adapter if you want to use a regular 3.5mm set of earbuds with this phone.

I remember when I originally saw images of the Centro, that I was not impressed with the design. It appeared very toy-like / cheap. After having actually held and used this phone, I now don’t feel that way at all. Now, I would probably not opt for the Ruby version of the Centro, but I do like the overall design and size of this phone.

Treo 680 and Palm Centro

It feels great in my hand and fits more easily in my back pocket when I’m walking around. As far as being cheap, the Centro does not feel that way in hand. It’s solid and does not creak or flex when subjected to my tried and tested Gadgeteer squeeze test.

Software

Installed in ROM

Documents to Go v10 – Read, edit and create MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and text files
Sprint TV – Video
On-Demand – Web portal
Google Maps
Palm’s Pics & Video
PocketTunes
IM – Chat client for AIM, Yahoo and Windows Live Messenger
Palm Blazer v4.5.8 web browser
VersaMail v4.01 – Email client
Sudoku – Number game
pTunes v4.0.4 – Pocket Tunes audio player
Phone – dialer application
Voice Memos
World clock
Calculator
Camera
Camcorder
Calendar
Contacts
Memos
Messaging – Threaded SMS client
Tasks

There’s really not a lot new here that wasn’t in the Palm Treo 755p that I reviewed a few months ago.

Just like the 755p, the Centro still has the old style phone dialer application. This doesn’t bother me as I am not a big fan of the tabbed application included with the Treo 680.

There is a new game though… Sudoku. Fans of this game can rejoice… others (like me) just say whoopdeedoo. ;o)

This is the point in the review where I’m trying to think of what more I can say about this product. The thing is that there is no innovation in the Centro. The software is the same as it’s been for a long while now. Really, the main features of this phone are a smaller form factor than previous Palm phones, and the excellent price. You can pick up a Centro from Sprint for $99 if you opt for a 2yr contract. That’s crazy cheap for a great little phone like this one. If you compare the specs of the $199 Palm Treo 755p to the Centro, you’ll find that it has the same processor, same screen resolution and same camera resolution. The 755p does have more memory though. It has 128MB (60MB persistent user storage).

If the Centro was available in a GSM version, I’d gladly trade my 680 for it. I like the size a lot and find it to be just as snappy as the 680 and equal in all other aspects of operation. The Centro is basically the same phone as the 680, only for Sprint. If you’re a fan of Palm OS devices and a Sprint customer looking to purchase your first smartphone, I think the Palm Centro is a great buy.

Price with 2yr contract is $99. Without contract the price is $399.00

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Palm OS related, Phone

Palm Centro Smartphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 23, 2007 at 3:05 pm.

I’ve been a fan of Apple products since I purchased my first iPod back in 2003. Yes, I waited until the 3rd generation of the world’s most popular audio player was on the market before I drank the kool-aid. Two years later, I took another gulp of that kool-aid and ditched my Windows PC, for an iMac and haven’t looked back. It did take me 3 tries before I finally made that switch though, as I always found some reason why the Mac OS didn’t quite do it for me. And now, I find myself standing at yet another Apple crossroads in my gadget life. This time, it’s with the world’s most hyped mobile phone: the
Apple iPhone.

After Apple broke the news that they were NOT going to allow developers to create installable 3rd party applications for the iPhone,
I was pretty sure that this device would be a disappointment to me. Their
consolation prize of web applications just sounded lame and equally
disappointing. I’ve been using a Treo 680 (and previously the Treo 650) for a long while now, so not having access to great 3rd party applications is almost unthinkable, when it comes to a feature on my phone. Of course, the fear of disappointment did not keep me from standing in line on 6/29/07 to buy my 8gb Apple iPhone. But after having used this phone for a little over a week, I am to the point where I have to ask myself if this is the right device for me. Before I let you in on my decision, let’s actually take a look at a phone that may have garnered more attention than Alexander Graham Bell’s original invention.

Hardware Specifications

Operating System: OS X
Memory: 4gb or 8gb versions available
Processor: (unknown)
Display: 3.5 inch 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 160 dpi
Wireless: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), WiFi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Digital Camera: 2.0 mega pixels with 1200×1600 resolution
Battery: (unknown capacity) Rechargeable lithium-ion, Talk time: up to 8 hours, Standby time: up to 250 hours, Internet use: up to 6 hours, Video playback: up to 7 hours, Audio playback:5up to 24 hours
Size: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 in (115 x 61 x 11.6 mm)
Weight: 4.8 ounces (135 grams)

Package Contents

Apple iPhone
Small folding prong AC adapter with USB input
USB docking / charging cable
Docking cradle
Earbuds / microphone
Polishing cloth
Apple stickers
Warranty info
“Finger Tips” User guide

After waiting for months and months to finally get my hands on an iPhone, unboxing it and holding it my hand for the first time was a real gadget lovers moment. I found the iPhone to be even sexier in person. The size, shape and feel of the iPhone in your hand makes you appreciate all of the engineers at Apple. There is no doubt that they are masters at creating wonderful consumer electronics. Let’s take a hardware tour…

Hardware

The entire front surface of the phone is a color display made of completely flat glossy glass. Yes, it’s a fingerprint and smudge magnet. Did you think otherwise? ;o) The color display is beyond gorgeous. I think it might be the best display I’ve seen on any handheld device to date. It’s so crisp and sharp that at first it looks like it’s not even real. You know how they have demo devices in stores with fake screens? That’s what the iPhone looks like. It’s just too good to be a real display. But it is real… the colors are great and the resolution is tight. I also found the display to be viewable in full sunlight. It does get dark, but it is readable.

What I love best about the iPhone display is the fact that it’s glass. Unlike other handheld displays that we’ve all been used to for years, this one seems almost impervious to scratching. It’s also completely rigid and does not indent when you touch it. Speaking of touching the screen, I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to feel comfortable tapping, swiping, pinching, etc. the screen with my fingers. I come from the PDA world, where doing so
is a no-no. I will say that after a very short acclimation period, I’ve found that I really enjoy tapping away with my fingers. Stylus? What’s a stylus? BTW: if you think you’ll just be ‘safe’ and use a stylus with the iPhone, instead of your fingers… you can’t. It won’t work. So just give
in and touch it!

All of the finger gestures of pinching a screen to make text / images smaller or
spreading your fingers to make it larger, work just like the videos you see on
Apple’s site. The actions feel natural and the results are smooth and fast. This
feature in itself will change handheld devices forever. Yay!

There is only one button on the face of this device. It is located in the center bottom edge.
The Wake / Home button brings the iPhone out of idle and gets you back to the
main menu whenever you press it.

Surrounding the display is a ring of chrome and if you flip the phone over,
you’ll see that the back shell of the phone is constructed of brushed aluminum and Black plastic. The iPhone is sealed, you can not open it to swap batteries when needed. If / when you need to have the battery replaced, you have to send it to Apple along with $86 to have them do the switch. Can you say grrrrrr?

On the Left side of the iPhone, you’ll find a small switch at the top that toggles the speaker On/Off. I have always appreciated a similar switch on my Treo, so I love that Apple also included it on the iPhone. Below this switch is the volume up / down rocker switch.

On the bottom edge, you’ll notice the speaker / microphone grills. The iPhone has good sound through the built in speakers. I actually did a double take when I hit Play in iPod mode and heard music playing through the speakers. It surprised me to hear an iPod playing music without earbuds plugged in. Volume levels are
very good as well. I can totally use the iPhone as an alarm clock.

Between the speaker grills is a standard iPod docking connector. Even though this is a standard 30pin iPod connector, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to use ALL of your old iPod accessories with the iPhone.
Some accessories work, some don’t.

Apple was nice enough to include a small dock with the iPhone. You can use it or just plug the included cable directly into the phone to charge and sync with a computer.

On the opposite end, you’ll find the power switch. To power the iPhone off completely, you hold down the power button and then confirm that you want to power down by swiping the screen.

Next to the power switch is the GSM SIM card slot and earphone jack. To open the card slot, you have to use a paperclip or push pin to ‘eject’ it.

Regarding the earphone jack, it’s a standard 3.5mm jack, but there’s an issue with the fact that it is recessed
into the case. Depending on thickness of  the plastic around your favorite earbuds, the connector might not make good contact in the jack. I tried several pairs of non-Apple earbuds with the iPhone and none of them fit correctly. Quite annoying! And if you are thinking of using a pair of external speakers with your iPhone, well… I wish you good luck. I’ve sure not had any.

Of course the earbuds included with the iPhone work just fine. They actually aren’t your typical Apple earbuds
though. There’s a tiny microphone and switch built into the Right ear cable. The
switch will pause and play music and will allow you to answer / end calls. These earbuds work remarkably well and I really liked being able to listen to a phone call with sound coming into both of my ears.

In hand, the iPhone feels extremely solid and comfortable to hold. My Gadgeteer squeeze test yielded no flexing, creaking or cracking and shaking the phone produced no rattles. I
also have to say that after using this phone for the past week with no case or screen protection, it looks as perfect as the day I unboxed it.

To give you an idea of how the iPhone compares in size to other popular devices, I’ve photographed it with my 60gb iPod Video and the Treo 680.

The iPhone is quite thin and definitely pocketable (either in your back pants pocket, jacket pocket or cargo pants pocket.

Another stack up view. Treo on top, iPhone in the center and iPod on the bottom.

Activation

So, you’ve just purchased an iPhone and you want instant gratification. Guess
what? You can’t just start using it as soon as you walk out of the store or open the box. Unlike all the other GSM phones I’ve used in the past, you can’t pop in your existing AT&T SIM card and skip away into new phone bliss. Nope, you have to back home, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your Mac or PC, pop the iPhone in the cradle and activate it through the iTunes. This means you will need an active internet connection as well.

Once you’re connected and start the activation process, you’ll have to commit to a 2yr plan. Plans start out at $59.99/mo., which includes 450 minutes, 200 SMS messages and the $20.00 unlimited data plan. My monthly rate stayed the same, so I was a happy camper.

Set up continues with iTunes configuring your email accounts, what music, video, photos to sync, etc. Everything is very easy to setup and understand. In no time at all, I was activated and ready to explore my new device…

WiFi and Bluetooth

Transitioning between using WiFi and EDGE is seamless. It just happens on the fly with no intervention from you. Surfing via WiFi on this device is a joy. EDGE, not so much. Ok, it’s not horrible… But it is slow.

As is, Bluetooth on the iPhone isn’t all that feature rich. It’s only good for using headsets right now. No tethering and no A2DP profile for wireless audio
earphones.

I have been very pleased with overall system performance and battery life on the iPhone. The built in applications load almost instantly. If only there were 3rd party apps… You would think with such a gorgeous screen, WiFi and playing music through the speaker would be a real drain on the battery. But, Apple has done a great job cramming lots of juice in what must be a tiny battery package. I’ve gone a couple of days without charging. Very Nice!

Ok, time to talk about the software…

Software

When the iPhone is idle and the screen is Black, pressing the center ‘home’ button
on the face of the device will turn on the display and prompt you to unlock by swiping the screen. Any missed calls, voice-mails, etc. will be shown in a list on this home screen when you press the home button. You can change the wallpaper on this screen, but you
will only see it when the phone wakes up from idle state.

Here we see the main menu. The top line of the display gives you your signal strength, carrier name, EDGE / WiFi signal indicator, time of day, and battery level indicator. Below the status line, is a bank of 12 icons for all the main applications. Then along the bottom is a row of the 4 main apps (Phone, Mail, Safari and iPod).
Unfortunately, you can not customize this menu in anyway.

I’m going to give a quick look at each app in order of appearance in the menu.

SMS (Text Messaging)

Although MMS (Multimedia messaging) is not a feature on the iPhone, good old SMS messaging is. This is an easy to use application that keeps a list of the people you’re texting, and your threaded conversation.
Those of you that are expert thumb typists may find the hunt and peck finger
keyboard a little hard to get used to, but after a short while, I was able to
use my thumbs for quick typing. I have found that the auto word correction when
you mistype a word works great too!

Calendar

Nice calendar application that has an agenda (list), day and monthly views. New events can be added on the device itself, including repeating and multi-day events with notes.
Your calendar info will sync with iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC.

Photos

The iPhone has a mini version of iPhoto. Your images can be organized in rolls and albums. You can use your finger to flip through images, or go to slideshow mode, complete with cool transition effects.

From this viewer, you can email pictures to your friends, assign pictures to your friend’s contact record or set as a wallpaper to the power on screen.

Camera

The iPhone has a 2mp camera built in that takes snaps that are actually really good. Cameras built into mobile phones tend to be pretty lame, but I was really surprised how well the iPhone camera does.

Click on thumbnails to see full size images

The camera app is dirt simple. It just has one on screen button to take the picture. That’s it, no user changeable settings or nothing… Just a shutter button. Unfortunately, you can’t capture video… Just images.

YouTube

Can’t get enough of watching YouTube videos? Then this app is for you. It lets you see the most viewed videos for the day, week or all time. You can bookmark them, email them and search for them.

Watching to videos using WiFi is great. EDGE, not so great…

Stocks

Keep an eye on your family fortune with this stock ticker.

Google Maps

Everyone’s fave map app is on your iPhone. Use your fingers to zoom in and out, view in map, satellite or list (directions) mode. In list mode you specify starting and ending addresses, and you are presented with turn-by-turn directions.

Weather

See if it’s going to rain tomorrow. No radar / satellite images though…

Clock

The included clock application is very nice. You get a world clock that you can use to see the current time in 4 locations. You also get a nice alarm clock with snooze and repeating features.

But wait, there’s more… You get a stop watch with laps and a timer feature. Nifty huh?

Calculator

A generic calculator…

Notes

Keep all your bits of info in this application. The only problem is that it doesn’t sync to your computer! That also means that you can’t import text into it. No searching, cutting and pasting either. Can you hear me groaning over here? If I had to pick one of
the main things I use my phone / PDA for, it’s looking up info in my notes / memos. The lack of this feature a really big deal for me. I’d trade the YouTube app and even Google Maps for a full featured memo app in a heart beat. (

Settings

Settings for each application / feature are all found in one place, instead of inside each individual application. I’ve included just a few of the screens here, so you get the idea.

Phone

Above all else, the iPhone is a phone. So it has to have a great phone interface in my opinion. It does a good job, but there are a few noticeable omissions.

The iPhone’s version of speed dialing is the Favorites screen. This is where you list all of your frequently dialed numbers. The issue I have with this method of making a call is, that it  requires me to do the following steps to make a call:

1. Press ‘home’ button to wake up iPhone from idle state
2. Swipe finger to unlock iPhone
3. Press Phone icon
4. Press Favorites icon (if not already on that screen)
5. Tap number to dial

Ugh… too many key presses. Not to mention the fact that it’s not really safe to have to interact with the phone that much if you happen to be driving. Incase you’re wondering, No, there isn’t a voice dialing feature on the iPhone.

The contacts view allows you to search your address book for people to call. Scrolling is done by flicking your finger up and down on the screen, or by pressing a letter on the right sidebar to narrow the search.

There’s always the good old standby dial pad… One of the great features of the iPhone is
Visual Voicemail. Instead of just getting a number of voice mails you have waiting, you can see
a list of exactly who each voice mail is from and when it was recorded. You have the ability to listen to them in whichever order you desire. You can also view / listen to deleted messages.

Another feature I appreciate is that you can easily change your greeting whenever you wish by tapping the greeting button and recording a new one.

During my week of using the iPhone, I’ve not had any issues with dropped calls or bad reception. I’ve noticed a few instances with low volume level calls though… A boost in
the earphone volume would be a nice addition in the first software update.

Mail

For the most part, I love the mail application. It beats the pants off of anything I’ve ever used on Palm and Windows Mobile smart-phones.
It supports MAP and POP3 (compatible with the most popular email systems � including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail) and renders messages in full HTML with inline
images. It was dead simple to setup (iTunes imported my Apple mail settings for all my accounts).

The iPhone can also view PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel email
attachments. One thing missing is Apple’s great junk mail filtering though…

Safari

The Safari web browser is wonderful. Again, it’s the best browser that I’ve used on a mobile device
so far. I don’t normally surf all that much on my phones, but surfing on the iPhone is much more enjoyable than any other phone/pda surfing experience that I’ve had.

You see the entire page the way it’s meant to be seen, then you use the pinch and spread finger gestures to zoom in on what you want to read. It’s really very intuitive and easy to do. I didn’t find it annoying to scroll around to read articles at all. And of course, you can rotate the display
horizontally to see more text.

Double tapping on an image will zoom in on the image to fill the screen. Double tapping again will zoom back out.

Safari’s version of tabbed browsing is paged browsing. You can have multiple pages open at once and scroll through a thumbnail view with a swipe of your finger.

Of course the iPhone is not 3G capable. It’s just EDGE. And as such, surfing via your data plan is much slower than when using WiFi.
Another gotcha is the fact that the browser is not Flash capable right now. I
guess I don’t surf very many sites that use Flash, because I didn’t notice the
lack of this feature… but I know a lot of people are complaining about it.

iPod

The iPhone is Apple’s first widescreen / touch-screen iPod. The finger scrolling features really lend
themselves to the iPod interface. At first I missed the wheel scroll feature, but not for long.

Cover flow is another cool feature. It’s more of a gee whiz, look at what I can do feature though… I don’t use it normally, just when demoing the phone to other people. I prefer good old scrolling through artists and albums
lists.

Sound quality through the included earbuds is on par with other iPods that I own. No complaints there. My question is, when will there be an 80gb iPhone? ;o) I want ALL my music on my phone, not just a small subset.

Watching video on the iPhone is wonderful. You will fall in love with the widescreen
format, that’s for sure! I know I have.

What’s Missing?

All the built in apps are very nice (with the exception of the Notes app…). But I’m greedy and want more! I want 1000′s of cool 3rd party apps that I can install on the phone like I can on my Treo. Web apps are… well… lame if you ask me. I don’t want a crappy web app! I want a real application that works when I’m
out of my coverage area, or while I’m in my basement where the signal is weak.

It only took me about 24hrs to start missing the following things:

No 3rd party apps (what I’m missing most is a date calculator, gas mileage app, unit converter and
e-book reader, telnet, ssh client)
No note / memo syncing
No task / to-do syncing
No text search
No cut and paste
No file manager
Can’t use as external storage / flash drive
No external storage card for expansion
No voice recorder
No games included! What’s up with that?
No way to add my own ring tones
Can’t sync via Bluetooth

After reading all the things I’m missing with the iPhone over my Treo 680, it
drives home the fact that the iPhone is not a smart phone. It’s a feature phone.
I think that’s where a lot of us so called power users will find fault with this
device. We’re just expecting too much out of it. I know I was. When I first saw
/ heard about the iPhone, my ears perked up and I started dreaming of the new
and improved Newton Message Pad. Well, it’s time to realize that the iPhone is
not the new Newton, the new Palm, new Windows mobile or Symbian phone. It’s just
a very cool feature phone.

Bottom Line

I’m not going to lie to you, I do love the iPhone. Even though it’s crazy expensive for a phone, I love the display, love the widescreen iPod, love Safari, love Mail, really like the camera, appreciate automatic syncing through iTunes whenever I plug the iPhone into the computer (think Windows Mobile ActiveSync, only this sync actually works…) and have grown to enjoy the touch keyboard.
I also share the excitement with all the hackers out there that are trying to
open this device to make it better than it currently is. It feels like the early
days of the Palm Pilot, when every other week brought us some cool new
application or accessory. But all that said, it’s difficult to imagine myself
using the iPhone as my main device much longer. Unless I want to continue to carry my Treo with me to use for all the functions that the iPhone lacks… But that would mean that I would have to swap the SIM in and out whenever I need to telnet or SSH into my
web server. That’s just too much of a pain.

The biggest issues keeping me from switching to the iPhone right now (in order
of importance to me) is the fact that I can’t have all my text files on the
device, can’t search those text files for info, and that the phone is closed to
installable 3rd party apps. I’m hopeful that these things will change in the near future
and that the iPhone will eventually become the smart-phone that I want it to be. I am keeping my iPhone close at hand.
But it just won’t be in my pocket 24/7. At least not for now…

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Apple iPhone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 10, 2007 at 11:00 am.

It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve not reviewed a BlackBerry device in over 6 years. The last device that I reviewed was the 950, which was an email only device shaped like a pager. Back in 2001, BlackBerry products did not have telephony capabilities. These devices were for one purpose and one purpose only: email. Wow, times sure have changed, haven’t they? That’s especially evident with the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 series smartphone. This little beauty sports a quad band GSM radio, a wonderful display and an innovative trackball pointer. Will this phone cause me to put my Treo 680 and 750 in my drawer o’ phones, or will it end up there itself? You will have to keep reading to find the answer.

Hardware Specs

Processor: 312 MHz Intel Xscale processor
Wireless: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Quad band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
Memory: 64MB Flash
Expansion Slot: MicroSD
Display: 2.2 inch 240 x 260 pixel TFT, 65,000 colors
Bluetooth 2.0
Digital Camera: 1.3 megapixel, with 5x digital zoom, 352 x 288 pixel resolution
Battery: Rechargeable 900 mAh lithium-ion
Talk time: up to 3.5 hours
Standby time: up to
15 days
Size: 4.2 x 1.97 x 0.57 in
Weight: 3.1 ounces

Package Contents

BlackBerry Pearl
AC charger
USB cable
Handsfree wired headset / microphone
Getting Started Guide
Push to Talk Guide
BlackBerry User Tools CD

The Pearl is a thin candy bar style phone that fits easily into most pockets. I personally prefer candy bar phones and really have enjoyed the form factor of this one.

The case is made of a shiny charcoal and chrome colored plastic. The upside is that this phone looks very slick, the downside is that the back attracts fingerprints and smudges quite easily.

Half of the front of this device is taken up by the 2.2 inch color display. I know that sounds really small for a smartphone, but in reality, I’ve found the display to be more than adequate. It’s bright and easy to read in all lighting conditions. A built in ambient sensor automatically adjusts the screen brightness based on the current light levels. Unlike the Pocket PCs that I’ve used with this feature, the BlackBerry actually does a great job with it.

Above the display is a status LED that blinks Red when you have a new email or voicemail. It also blinks Blue when you are paired with a Bluetooth device.

Below the display is the ‘pearl’ trackball mechanism and dial pad / keyboard. I wasn’t really sure how well I would like using the trackball as I’ve never been a fan the full size computer input version. But after only a short period of time adjusting to it, I’ve come to find that I really like it. The ball itself is pretty small. If I were to compare its size to a another object, I would have to say that it looks to be close in size to a BB. You know, the little copper colored orb that you shoot out of an air gun… The trackball rolls freely in all directions and has a smooth but not slick surface. It’s easy to use your thumb to control the ball. It’s also a bit springy and has good tactile feedback when you press it in to select items.

The keys and trackball are both backlit. Like the display, an ambient light sensor controls the backlight for this area. As you will notice from the images above, the BlackBerry Pearl does not have a typical QWERTY style keyboard. There are 25 keys including the trackball. On either side of the trackball, there are 2 keys. On the Left there is the Send and Menu keys. On the Right side, there is the Escape (Back) and End/Power keys.

Most of the main keys do triple duty in that they will be assigned to 2 letters and 1 number or symbol. You might be thinking that entering text with this phone will be a laborious task. Actually, that’s not the case because the BlackBerry uses something called SureType. It’s a very nicely implemented adaptive text style of typing. For example, most non QWERTY keyboard style phones have something called Multi-tap where you have to press 1 key multiple times in order to select the desired letter. With SureType, you just press the keys normally and 9 times out of 10, the word you want is shown correctly. If not, you can choose the correct word in the word list shown on the display. More about that below.

In hand the Pearl feels great. It’s the perfect size for a phone that just happens to also have quite a few smartphone features built in. I really appreciate that this device looks and feels like a phone instead of like a PDA brick that you can make calls from. It’s solid and passes the Gadgeteer squeeze test with passing marks.

The back cover is easily removed (don’t you hate phones that require a pry bar to open them?) to reveal the battery compartment, SIM and MicroSD slots.

On the Left side of the phone, you will find the earphone jack (2.5mm), mini USB sync / charger connector, and the Left convenience key which is mapped to the Push-to-Talk feature by default.

On the opposite side, you will find the volume adjustment buttons and Right convenience key which is mapped to the camera application by default. Both convenience keys can be remapped to the applications of your choice. The hole you see on the Left in the image above, is a lanyard attachment point.

If you look at the top of the BlackBerry, you’ll find a Mute button and a slit in the case. I believe that the slit is the ambient light sensor, but I could be wrong. The Mute button does not turn off the ringer, it turns off the speaker when you are in a call.

To turn off or change the ringer, you can either press and hold the # button or go into the profiles application from the main menu.

There are several ways to make a phone call with the Pearl. You can search your address book for a contact and click the trackball on their desired number. Another way is to go into the phone log and click on one of the listings in the log to call that person. Yet another way is to use the built in voice dialing feature which works pretty well. You can always just start typing a phone number or a person’s name from the main menu and you’ll presented with a listing of names that will continue to filter as you type.

This is what the screen looks like when a call comes in. You have the ability to answer or ignore the call. Ignoring the call will immediately send the caller directly to voice mail. Too bad there isn’t an ignore with text message option…

The default Cingular ‘desktop’ looks like this. You just roll the trackball to the desired application and press it to launch. The phone also comes with some BlackBerry themes, but I find the Cingular theme to be easier on my eyes.

Let’s take a look at the built in applications. The Pearl has all the necessary PIM (personal information manager) apps that you would expect from a smartphone phone. Since I’m a Mac user, I did not install the included PC desktop software package. Instead, I use MarkSpace’s MissingSync for BlackBerry. It allows me to easily sync with iCal.

The Pearl has a Calendar application that looks and feels remarkably Palm-like. The calendar has monthly, daily and agenda style views that you can choose from. You can set the default view that you would like to use every time you launch the calendar app.

There is a Task application, Search app and a MemoPad app. I really like that the search application searches for text inside the memos from the MemoPad app. And I’m very happy that the Pearl includes the MemoPad app that syncs
wonderfully with my Mac using MissingSync.

When you think of a BlackBerry device, you naturally think of email. This phone is no different in that regard. It has strong email features that can be used with an exchange server or a plain old POP email server like the one your ISP offers. The only thing you will need to be able to actually access your email though is a data plan. Actually, you’ll need a data plan to do any data related tasks including email, web browsing. That fact became painfully clear to me after I purchased my Pearl from eBay and was unable to surf the web right out of the box. I mistakenly assumed that my regular Cingular Unlimited Media Net plan would allow me to do everything I would need. I’ve never ran into issues with other phones I test, so I didn’t think I’d have a problem with this one. Wrong.

A BlackBerry device is a different animal than other phones. You must subscribe to one of the BlackBerry specific data plans in order to fully enjoy the benefits of the phone. These plans range in price from $34.99 – $79.99 per month (these prices are with Cingular. Other carrier’s prices will vary) on top of your regular cell phone bill. I opted for the cheapest plan at $34.99 /mo. Once they turned on the service, email and web browsing were magically enabled.

I decided set up my regular julie@the-gadgeteer.com email address for the Pearl. Set up is easy either through the browser on your phone or using your desktop web browser connected to your BlackBerry web account.

The email interface on the phone is not very fancy as you can see in the images above. That’s one disappointment that I have as I wish there were more bells and whistles. Some features that I find missing are the ability to create and save messages to folders, html email viewing, multi message selection for deleting. I would have to say that the last issue that I mentioned in that list is the one that annoys me most. Every morning when I first check the phone, I would find over 100 emails in the inbox. Usually, I wait till I get to work and use a web interface to read, respond and delete mail. At some point during the day though, I’d have to manually delete each email one at a time on the phone. Tedious is an understatement when you receive as much email as I do. There is a setting to automatically delete messages after a predetermined time… but 15 days is the lowest setting.

So, that’s the bad side of email on a BlackBerry Pearl. The good side is that this phone typically receives new email faster than my desktop computer. There’s also the fact that you don’t have to tell it to go fetch messages. It does that automatically.

Composing and responding to messages is pain free with SureType. As you type, it senses the correct word and displays it as you type. If that word is not what you want, you can choose from a list of other words that fit with the letters you pressed and select from them. In the example above, I typed the word hello, which it correctly guessed without me needing to correct it. If that wasn’t the word I wanted, I could choose from the other words listed. You can also edit the word list to add words that you commonly enter that the phone doesn’t recognize. All in all, I have found entering data on this phone to be almost as comfortable as doing similar tasks with my Treos.

Now let’s check out the browser.

For some reason there are two browsers on the BlackBerry, but I’m really not sure that they differ in any significant way. They both start up the same, look identical, have the same menus and are annoyingly slow. Granted, I only have EDGE in my area. But I have found surfing with this phone to be pretty frustrating. More than 25% of the time, I’ll receive an error like you see above when I try to launch the browser.

Pages do look fine with the built in browser though. Graphics render just fine and navigating from link to link with the trackball is not uncomfortable. Of course the screen is small, so it’s not like you would ever consider making this device your primary web surfing machine.

I also tried the Opera mini browser with this phone. It’s a bit less annoying than the built in browser, but not by a significant margin.

The Pearl also has a nifty mapping application (TeleNav Maps) built in that you can use to get turn by turn driving directions. The free versions requires you to feed it starting and ending addresses, but with the premium version ($9.99/mo.) and a Bluetooth GPS you will get voice GPS directions.

A few of the other built in applications include an MP3 player, video player, calculator and an breakout style game which is pretty addictive.

The built in camera on the Pearl can take pictures with resolutions of 1280 x 1024, 640 x 480 and 320 x 240. It also has a built in LED flash that helps for low light shots. Like most phones, images captured by built in cameras typically aren’t too great. I found the BlackBerry Pearl’s camera to be better than average though. Check out my sample pix below.

Click thumbnail to see full-size image

I have really enjoyed using the BlackBerry Pearl for the past 2 weeks. I love the form factor, enjoy the trackball, love how fast the phone pulls down my email, and have been impressed by the battery life and reception. All that said though, I’m sad to say that a few issues will keep me from making this my main smartphone… First and foremost, the biggest issue for me is the expensive monthly data plan. Then there’s the email client. It lacks some important features that keep me from totally loving it. Another problem is the slow web browser. But I could live with that since I don’t really surf all that often with my phone. I guess the BlackBerry Pearl is going to go live in my drawer of misfit phones for awhile… It’s a sad sad thing…

Filed in categories: Blackberry related

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Smartphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 6, 2007 at 6:00 pm.

I’ve been a Palm Treo junkie since March of 2005 when I began my odyssey into the world of smartphones. It was a strange journey that began with a Sprint Treo 650 that had been hacked to work on the Verizon network. Then I switched carriers from Verizon to Cingular and purchased an unlocked 650, which I’ve been using as my main device ever since. In the past year, I have seen Palm release the 700p and 700w for non-GSM carriers. No joy for me! But, finally Palm has released a new GSM phone. The 750v is a quad band (850, 900, 1800, 1900) phone for the Vodafone network. Right now it is only available outside the US, but will eventually be available here. Of course you didn’t think that I would be patient enough to wait around for that day did you? Ummmm…. NO! A little googling turned me on to PhoneSource-USA.com and one day later I had an unlocked 750v in my hands.

Hardware Specs

Operating System: Windows Mobile 5.2

Memory: 128MB / 60MB nonvolatile flash memory available to user
Processor: 300MHz Samsung processor

Display: 240 x 240 16-bit color (65,000+) TFT touchscreen display

Radio: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS radio, GSM bands: 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS bands: 850/1900/2100

Connectivity: Bluetooth 1.2 wireless technology, Infrared (IR)

Expansion: miniSD card slot

Camera: 1.3 megapixel with 2x digital zoom
Audio: 2.5mm headset jack is stereo headset compatible

Battery: Removable 1200 mAH Lithium-ion
Talk time: up to 4.5 hours GSM / 2.5 hours UMTS, Standby time: 10 days
Power: AC adapter (Input 100-120V ~ 50/60Hz 0.2A / Output +5.2V)
Size: 111mm x 58mm x 213mm
Weight: 5.4 ounces / 154 grams

Package Contents

Treo 750v
Li-ion battery
AC charger with 4 country adapters
Stereo headset / mic
USB sync cable
Getting Started CD
Quick Start Guide
User Manual

The design of the 750v hasn’t changed radically from the original Treo 600, 650 and 700 models. That said, there have been some subtle changes, so let’s take a look.

Hardware Design
Front

The first obvious thing that you will notice about the 750v is its lack of an external antenna on the upper left corner. You might worry that a lack of an external antenna might cause reception to suffer. I’ve actually found that the 750v gets better reception than my 650. I’ve been able to use the 750v in places where my 650 would have problems with dropped calls and bad audio.

Everything else about this phone looks very familiar, which is both good and boring. I guess Palm didn’t want to mess with a good thing considering how popular the Treo has become. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a little innovation…

Compared to the 650, the 750v has slightly larger buttons and keyboard keys. It also has more rounded corners, which makes it feel smaller in your hand. But if we compare the size of both devices, there really isn’t a big difference. The 750v is 1 ounce lighter than the 650 and feels solid. This phone passes the Gadgeteer squeeze test with nary a creak or flex.

The thumb board keys are square with rounded corners and seem to be a bit flatter than the 650 keys. The tactile feedback is good and the layout is identical to the 650, so the learning curve is nil if you’re someone that is upgrading from a previous Treo device. The 5 way navigation button and phone buttons are shaped a bit differently and the call Answer / Start button and call End / OK button are actually 2 buttons now instead of 4. Each set is a rocker button instead of an individual button. I haven’t found this to be a problem so far.

The keyboard and other keys light up when activated. You will notice that the 4 points of the nav button do not light up though like they do on the 650. Not a big deal, just pointing it out.

Let’s talk about the display… The resolution is 240 x 240, which is a step down from what I’ve been used to with the 650 (320 x 320). I was worried that this would bother me, but so far I’m not noticing a huge difference. Granted, so far I’m mainly just using the built in set of core applications. We’ll see what happens when I get to the software section of the review.

Left to Right: Treo 650, Treo 750v

Besides the resolution issue, the display itself is easy to read, the colors bright and the text crisp.

Back

The stylus silo, camera and speaker are located on the back of the phone. You’ll also notice that the outer shell of the 750v is a deep Blue. What you can’t see, is that it is rubberized. This is a nice improvement over the 650, which I’ve always found to be a bit slippery.

The back side has ridges (hard to see in the picture) along the sides that give the phone a thinner feeling in hand.

The built in speaker on the back of the device is loud enough for demoing an MP3 to a friend and definitely loud enough to be used as an alarm clock.

The camera built into the 750v seems to be worse than the crummy camera built into the 650. Which seems odd to me because the 650 is only a .3 megapixel and the 750v is a 1.3 megapixel. I’ll let you judge for yourself though.

Left to Right: 750v, 650. Click thumbnail to view full size image

Left to Right: 750v, 650. Click thumbnail to view full size image

The images on the left was taken with the 750v, the ones on the right the 650. Both were taken within seconds of each other from the same distance. The only thing I did was to set the 750v to snap at 640 x 480, since that is the max resolution of the 650. As you can see, the image taken with the 750v is noticeably blurrier. Disappointing…

Hey, does anyone really use these tiny self-portrait mirrors? I mean, how can you even see yourself in these things?

The stylus included with the 750v is typical skinny stylus.

The battery cover pops off without much trouble, and reveals the battery compartment and SIM card slot. The battery included with the 750v is 1200mAH. The 650 has a 1800mAH battery. I tried my 650 battery in the 750v and it does work. But, it’s too thick to allow the battery cover to snap back on. I’ve yet to really test the battery life of this new phone, so I’m not sure how the difference in capacity really compares.

Left Side

The left side of the phone has a volume adjustment rocker button, and a user definable button. I prefer the shape of the volume rocker on the 650. The ends of the 650 button are raised so that your thumb can easily find the right end to press for adjustment. Volume level through the earphone on the front of the phone seems a lot louder than the 650. I’m used to keeping the 650 set to max volume, I don’t need to do this with the 750v.

In the image above, you can see how the thickness of the 750v compares to a 650.

Right Side

On the right side, you’ll notice the new location for the IR port and memory expansion slot.

The 750v doesn’t have an SD card. Instead, it has a slot for a MiniSD card. The change from SD to MiniSD isn’t a big deal, except for one issue… the ability to easily add WiFi to the 750v. MiniSD WiFi cards are coming to market, there is at least one available now: the Spectec SDW-822. But the the problem with that one is that the card sticks out of the slot, making it easy to accidentally break off the door. For me the lack of WiFi really isn’t that big of a deal. If I want to surf, I just use my mobile data plan.

It’s hard to see in the image above, but at the bottom right corner under the card slot, there is a reset switch. This location is more convenient than under the battery door like previous Treo models.

Top

The top of the 750v has the speaker on/off switch. When you switch it to the off position, the Treo will vibrate to remind you of the setting.

Bottom

Nothing much has changed along the bottom edge of the 750v. You can see the 2.5mm audio jack, sync and power connections and the microphone, which has moved to a new location to the Right of the power port.

Speaking of power, when I first pulled out the AC adapter, I was reminded that this phone is from the UK and not the US. I wasn’t too concerned due to the fact that a USB charge/sync cable was also included. But then I noticed some plastic slugs at the bottom of the box that included outlet prong configurations for power outlets of different countries. Great for world travelers!

As far as the hardware, this Treo is on par with previous models. The build quality feels rugged enough for typical day to day abuse. I do wish the camera were better and that the resolution of the display was higher. So far these are my only two gripes, but I’ve only been using this phone for a few days.

Now let’s take a look at the software side of the 750v. I’m not going to cover every application because that would make this already long review into a novel. But I will talk about the phone application and a few other things that people have asked me about.

Software Installed On Device

ActiveSync
Alarm Clock
Bubble Breaker
Calculator
Camera
Internet Explorer Mobile
File Explorer
Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile
- Email
- Calendar
- Contacts
- Tasks
- Notes
Microsoft Office Mobile
- Word Mobile
- Excel Mobile
- PowerPoint Mobile
Modem Link
Phone
Pictures and Video
Picsel PDF Viewer
Quick Tour
Search
Setup email for Vodafone
SIM Manager
SMS / MMS Messaging with chat view
Solitaire
Sounds and Notifications Manager
Terminal Services Client
Voice Command
Windows Media Player 10 Mobile
Wired Car Kit Support

Software on CD

Adobe Reader (link for your desktop)
ActiveSync 4.2 (for your desktop)
Audible (link)
Avvenu (link)
Dynomite! By Astraware
Outlook 2002 (for your desktop)
Spritesoft Backup and restore
User Guide pdf

First of all, as a Mac user, I have been syncing my phone using MissingSync for Windows Mobile 5 from Mark/Space. I’ve been very happy with it. The only feature it lacks is the ability to sync notes files.

The screen that you’ll be viewing most of the time on the Treo 750v, is the Today screen.

Included with the phone are 3 or 4 themes, like the one you see above. Like all Windows Mobile devices, you can configure it to show your upcoming appointments, status of tasks, emails, etc.

There are several ways to make calls. If you press the Green Talk button, you’ll get a popup showing your most recent contacts. From there, you can initiate a call. Pressing the Menu key (button above the Red End Call button), will give you access to various settings.

If you just start typing a number or a name, a search box will display that will filter based on the numbers / letters that you type. Once you find the person you want to call, you can then press Select to dial.

Yet another way to make a phone call, is to configure the speed dial feature. With this feature, you can have text buttons, or pictures. The picture above on the left, gives you an example of both. It’s interesting to note that you can’t customize your Today screen to have no speed dial buttons. At a minimum, the Voicemail button has to be there. Hmmmmm…

There’s always the good old dial pad. Not sure why you would want to use this, when you can press the keys, but it’s there if you so desire. For reference, the Treo 650 dial pad is shown on the right.

The call log is accessible my pressing the menu button from the Today screen.

The log can be filtered by different criteria. You can also access the call timer screen, which basically tells you how many calls you’ve placed and how much time you’ve talked since the log was last reset.

For reference, I’ve included the call log screens from the Treo 650 above.

When a call comes into the 750v, a small popup with the caller’s name (if a member of your contact list) will display at the bottom of the screen. If you have a picture associated with that person, it will display along with the name.

If you don’t want to answer the call, you can ignore or ignore with a text message. A selection of messages are available from a popup list or you can create your own. Missed calls have the dialog box as shown above on the right.

Text messages display at the bottom of the Today screen. Multiple messages are threaded. Clicking on the block will show the threaded conversation.

You can even add emoticons. ) This threaded chat feature was first available on the Treo 650. Below are screenshots of the 650 chat app.

As you can see, the 750v chat application is very similar.

Surfing the web on the 750v has been similar to what I’ve been used to with the 650. The screen is small, so the experience isn’t exactly wonderful. That said, it’s fine for reading text and sites optimized for mobile devices.

The pictures above give you an idea of how much information you’re able to view per screen. You can view in fullscreen mode, which does offer a few more viewable lines of text.

Watching movies on the 750v is doable, but not advised. I say this because the 300MHz processor isn’t really up to the task. Yes, you can watch movies, but I found that they do pause and stutter here and there. Also, the screen is just too small for comfortable viewing. In full screen mode widescreen formatted videos are stretched and look pretty fuzzy and pixelated.

Due to the size of the 750v’s display, applications made for higher resolution Pocket PCs, will not always display correctly on the Treo’s display. A lot of times you have to scroll down to see the bottom of the screen. For this fact, it’s always best to download the latest versions of your favorite apps, as they will have probably taken the smaller display into consideration and will compensate.

Comparing the 750v to the 650 isn’t quite fair, as they do run different operating systems. But, I will say that the 650 feels snappier than the 750v. Not by a huge margin, but I do notice a difference. Other than the speed issue, I’ve been surprised that I’ve easily made the transition from Palm OS to Windows Mobile. At this point, I’m not entirely sure the move is going to stick, but I’m going to give it a good try.

I have been asked a few questions concerning the 750. I thought it best to include them below:

Q. When is this freakin’ phone going to hit the Cingular market?
A. Good question. I wish I knew the answer too…

Q. Will the Cingular phone have HSDPA? Or just UMTS?
A. The 750v has UMTS, but HSDPA can be enabled through software. When the phone comes out for Cingular, it will most likely be enabled.

Q. Because you have used both (650 and 750v) Which one do you prefer when it comes to the phone app and using your Treo as a phone?
A. The 750v because it has a little better reception and many ways to make calls.

Q. I don’t think it’s fair to set the 750v to take a picture at 640×480 and compare
them that way. I understand what you were trying to do — compare apples to apples.
A. Hmmm, good point. I’ll take some more shots in the next couple of days and add them to the review.

This phone is not yet available here in the US… You can find it on some import sites if you are willing to pay a premium. I got mine from PhoneSource-USA.com. The price was an insane $759.95.

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, Wireless

Palm Treo 750v Windows Mobile Smartphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 27, 2006 at 12:00 pm.

The first time I saw pictures of the Nokia N80 back when it was announced, I was thrilled. As soon as I saw the laundry list of
features, I knew I had to have it! I already had a Treo 650 with Sprint, but the software was sometimes buggy and Sprint worked
poorly at my house. In the middle of July, I got a chance to leave my Sprint contract without the termination fee, so I immediately opened an account with T-Mobile and ordered a new N80 from eBay.

The very impressive specifications:

• 2.2″ 352×416 262k (18-bit) display
• Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM with GPRS and EDGE
• 2100MHz (European and Asian only) UMTS
• USB 2.0
• Bluetooth 2.0
• 802.11g wifi
• 3.2MP (2048×1536) main camera with LED flash and macro
  mode
• 0.3MP secondary camera for video calling
• 40MB internal flash memory and hot-swappable miniSD slot
• Symbian OS 9 with S60 3rd edition

The first thing I thought when I opened up the box: It’s so small! Don’t let any of the stock photos fool you into thinking that this phone is large. It’s much smaller than I expected. Even with the phone open, it’s positively miniscule compared to my Treo.

The box includes a USB 2.0 cable, 3.5″ headphone jack adapter, a European power adapter with the new smaller plug, a software CD, a folder filled with product literature and manuals, an adapter to change old style power adapters to the new size, the most tangle-prone headphone/headset assembly ever designed, and a 128MB miniSD card.

You have to put the SIM card in for the phone to be recognised by the network, and that’s fairly straightforward. Right around
this point you will see that the battery is very small! More about that later. The phone will work without a SIM, but only as a PDA. The miniSD slot is tricky. The memory card is inserted with the logo facing away from the screen. My rubber door didn’t want to close all the way until I fiddled with it for a while. I would have liked a proper hinged cover, like the 6680 has, much better. I’m afraid to use this one too much for fear that it will eventually not close anymore.

After all of that, you can press the power button on the top of the device. It’s a little hard to press, but it’s worth it once you see the screen:

The screen is positively gorgeous. I always thought that my Treo’s LCD looked good, but this display is just so incredibly crisp. Pictures vibrant and have lots of detail in the gallery application, which is fairly basic. Video clips play in RealPlayer very, very poorly… if they play at all. Half of the time, RealPlayer crashes.

The camera application has a lot of different settings. You can see what they do in real-time.

Sample pictures:

This picture was taken in the dark to show the effectiveness of the flash.

As you can see, the picture quality is much better than your run of the mill camera phone. The macro mode is definitely an
improvement over typical fixed-focus phone cameras, but I still would have liked to see true auto-focus.

The front camera is pretty good, considering it’s VGA resolution. When I use the front camera in my house, there are blue and green artifacts because it’s adjusting for the low light.

The best camera in the world wouldn’t matter if the phone wasn’t good for talking with people, though. Luckily, the N80 is an
excellent phone! You can have as many contacts as the phone has memory, and you can assign multiple numbers, a picture, and a personalized ring-tone to each contact. The reception is excellent. Calls through the main speaker are clear, and I was even able to have a conversation while the signal was at the lowest marker without words dropping out. The speakerphone is very loud and clear, and the callers don’t get muffled like they did with my Treo.

Opening the slider will answer calls, and closing the slider will end a call. One thing I wondered was if you could make a call
while the slider was closed, and you can. You can either start the call while the slider is closed, or press the left soft-key and
then close the slider while you’re on a call. Pretty handy, although it’s easier to hold the phone when it’s open.

There is a voice command program that seems pretty nice, but whenever I try to activate it, it comes up for just a moment and
then won’t open again until I restart the phone. I can’t get it to work at all. There’s also a button on my bluetooth headset that
triggers the voice command, and that does the same thing.

My Sony Ericsson bluetooth headset seems to work well for calls, but the phone seems to want to use it to play music as well. It
will work, but it’s not what it’s designed for! Bluetooth is much faster than it was for my Treo or my older Sony Clie, even though
my Powerbook only came with Bluetooth 1.1. The wifi reception is also good. I have two wireless routers on opposite ends of my
house, and the N80 can detect both networks.

The N80 comes with two web browsers. One is an unspectacular WAP 2.0/HTML browser, and the other browser is an excellent mobile browser that’s new for S60 3rd edition. This browser uses the same rendering engine as Safari, WebKit, and it does an acceptable job of shrinking content down to fit the screen; it even displays some flash content. There is also a nice little map of the entire web page that comes up when you’ve been scrolling for a while or when you press the ’8′ key. I wish that I could rotate the display while the web browser is open… I also wish that the web browser would just give you an error instead of closing suddenly when it tries to load a page that’s too big! Most pages load within 4 or 5 seconds when browsing over wifi. I live in a rural area that doesn’t have EDGE data yet, and GPRS download speeds are downright pokey, measuring in at about 38kbps, so it can take a while on the road. 3G service will only be found in Europe and Asia, and this phone will never work with American 3G networks.

As a smart-phone, the N80 can run third party applications. While this is true in principle, old Series 60 applications won’t run on the N80 or many of the other members of the N series because the new Symbian OS 9 isn’t compatible with older applications for security reasons. Programs are slowly being re-released that are compatible with the updated OS, but they’re hard to find. All Java applications run fine, though.

When you hold down the menu button, a list of all open applications shows up. Yes, there is actually a mobile operating system that is sensible about multitasking! You can then switch to a different program or you can press the ‘c’ button to close it.
There’s no need for 8 menu deep program managers or carefully programmed multitasking hacks. It is very nice to
have the option of just going to a different program if your application is busy downloading something.

The audio player is pretty nice. You can play back MP3, AAC, and AAC+ files, and there’s a third party program for streaming
internet radio. It lets you create playlists and view music organized by artists, albums, playlists, genres, and composers. Nokia made a big deal a while ago about how they were going to be the biggest seller of MP3 players very soon, but I don’t think it’s
so great. My iPod may be old, but it is an easier and better MP3 player than any mobile phone I’ve seen. The Nokia music player
interface is one of the better ones I’ve seen, but I can’t imagine someone owning this phone and using it as their primary music
player. Maybe I’m just not as good as I thought about this whole convergence thing

There is also a radio tuner, but it can only be used when there’s a wired headset or headphones connected because it uses the
wires as the radio antenna. Personally, I don’t listen to the radio, but I’m sure lots of people like having that choice. The sound quality of the included loop-around headphone/headset thing is pretty bad, and it has so many little wires on it that I can’t
even imagine the mess it would be in after living in my pocket for a while. The internal speaker is good, considering what it is. Oh, and it’s extremely loud! I have no trouble hearing even the faintest of my ring-tones.

I tried to sync my N80 with my Mac right after I got it, because I already had a fully populated address book that I was not going
to put in by hand, and it didn’t quite work. The Sync app on the phone didn’t want anything to do with any kind of computer, and iSync said that the N80 wasn’t compatible! What?, I thought, knowing that iSync has supported S60 phones for some time now. A Google search later, I was adding a string to one of iSync’s configuration files. It wasn’t very hard, but Apple should stay
more current about these things.

The rated battery life for this phone is 3 hours of talk time or 192 hours of standby time. I’m not really sure how realistic those
times are. I don’t know of anyone that talks on their phone nonstop from the time it comes off the charger until it dies, nor do I know of anyone who uses their phone as a decorative ornament and never uses it, but the phone lasts through an average day for me with an hour of wifi/GPRS usage, 45 minutes of calls, and a bit of text messaging and taking pictures. The screen will turn off after a while, and a piercing very bright blue LED will flash to tell you that the phone is still on. I don’t like this, especially when I’m trying to go to sleep. You can turn this sleep mode off, but that might drain the battery much faster.

The N80 can really do it all. Every smart-phone should have wifi, and S60 is much better than Palm OS for many little reasons.
Still, I don’t think it’s right for me. I miss the solid form factor of the Treo, all of the third party applications, and predictive T9 is no replacement for the thumb-board. T-Mobile just doesn’t have enough coverage where I live, and that’s the biggest reason why I’m going to sell this phone. For other people, this might be the perfect phone.

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Nokia N80 Smartphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 1, 2006 at 6:49 pm.

Over a year and a half ago in December 2004, the much anticipated Treo 650 smartphone arrived on the market. This first model was a CDMA version from Sprint, but several months later a GSM version and then a version from Verizon also became available. Since its release, the 650 has become the most popular smartphone (combination PDA / mobile phone) device on the market. Time has not stood still for Palm. Their latest smartphone is the 700p. Should 650 owners pony up to buy this upgraded model, or should they keep their cash and wait for something with more revolutionary features, instead of evolutionary?

Hardware Specs

Operating System: Palm OS 5.4.9 (Garnet)
Memory: 128MB (60MB user accessible) non-volatile
Processor: Intel® XScale™ 312MHz processor
Display: 320 x 320 color TFT touchscreen display 16-bit color displays displays up to 65,536 colors
Carrier compatibility: CDMA 800/1900MHz digital dual-band, CDMA2000 EvDO network-backwards compatible with 1xRTT and IS95 networks
Wireless: Bluetooth® 1.2 wireless support
Camera: 1.3 megapixels with 1280×1024 resolution, video capture with 352 x 288 resolution and audio
Audio: 2.5mm headset jack is stereo headset compatible-requires a stereo headset adapter, sold separately, for use with standard stereo headphones

Expansion slot: Support for MultiMediaCard, SD & SDIO cards
Battery: 1800 mAh removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, Talk time: up to 4.5 hours, Standby time: up to 300 hours
Power: AC adapter (108-132 VAC/60Hz)
Size: 2.3″ W x 4.4″ H (excluding antenna) x 0.9″ D (58mm W x 113mm H x 23mm D)
Weight: 6.4 ounces / 180 grams

Package Contents

Palm 700p
Li-ion battery
AC travel charger
Stereo headset
USB sync cable
Software installation CD
Read this first poster
Getting started packet

Hardware Design
I’ve been a Treo 650 (GSM) user for over a year now, so I don’t think it will be much of a surprise that this review is going to be really heavy on 650 vs 700p comparisons. The overall design of the 700p, is almost identical to the 650. There are just small subtle changes that a quick glance would probably overlook.

Left to Right: Treo 700p, Treo 650

The main differences that stick out when you compare the two smartphones, are the 700p’s more rounded bottom edge, squarish nav button, and new application button layout. Size and weight are the same, and for the most part, cases for the 650 will most likely fit the 700.

Left to Right: Treo 700p, Treo 650

If you take a look at the back side of both devices, you will again see that they are quite similar. It would have been nice to include a small hole in the shell for reset switch access.

Top to Bottom: Treo 700p, Treo 650

Here we notice a redesign of the Volume up/down buttons. Instead of one large rocker type switch on the 650, there are now two separate buttons to adjust the sound level.

Top to Bottom: Treo 700p, Treo 650

The location of the microphone has changed a little on the 700p, as has the size of the IR port located on the top edge of the phone.

Left to Right: Treo 700p, Treo 650

Of all the physical changes, I would say that the changes with the keyboard are the most significant. The new squarish shape of the navigation button and keys are not a big deal, but the keyboard layout definitely is. At least it is for someone that is already very acquainted with the 650 keyboard. If you look closely, you will see that the Power/Call End and Call Send buttons have both changed in shape and location. The Menu button has taken the place of the right Shift button, and the Application Home button has moved from the left side of the keyboard to the right side. There’s also a new Phone button that launches you directly into the built in dialer application.

Do I like the new layout / design? Right now I would say that I don’t like it all that well. The keys feel a bit cramped and I find myself pressing the Menu button when I really wanted the Shift button instead. That said, I’m sure after a couple of weeks, my brain would rewire itself, the new layout would seem natural.

Let’s take a more detailed look just at the 700p.

Front

Nothing new and exciting here folks. Not that the 700p needed to be redesigned from the ground up right? I mean the Treo hasn’t become the most popular smartphone due to a shoddy design. But it’s human nature to be a bit disappointed that this new version has changed so little.

In hand the plastic casing feels solid and didn’t yield too many creaks and cracks when I performed the Gadgeteer squeeze test. Mostly the keyboard seemed a bit more squeaky than what I’m used to with my 650.

The keyboard has good tactile feedback and is backlit. Each key has 3 different key assignments. Lower and Uppercase letters and then an additional number or symbol.

Left Side

Located on the left side are the Volume adjustment buttons and side key. These buttons are flatter and smaller than the same buttons on the Treo 650. I think they are a bit more difficult to press.

Back

The backside of the 700p has the camera, self portrait mirror, stylus silo, speaker and battery cover.

The 700p has “sharper” corners than the 650. This actually makes the phone feel slightly smaller in hand.

Luckily, the charge / sync port is the same as the 650, so if you do plan to upgrade, your old accessories will be compatible with this new phone. Unluckily, the earphone jack is the same lame 2.5mm instead of the standard 3.5mm size that 99.9% of earphones use. Yes, I know that this size jack has been used because that is the size used for most wired handsfree headsets. But the Treo has Bluetooth, get a wireless headset instead )

One nice little feature that the 700p has that the 650 doesn’t, is that now when you switch the speaker to mute, you’ll feel a little physical vibration feedback.

Regarding the speaker, the volume through the earpiece seems to be a lot louder on the 700p when compared with the 650. Volume levels for alarms and such remain about the same though. Alarms on the 700p can be set to vibrate in addition to sound.

What about the display? Well, it’s the same 2.57in diagonal, 320×320 pixel, 65K color screen that the 650 has. When I compared both side by side at the highest brightness level, I would say that the 700p’s display was ever so very slightly brighter. I could only tell a difference when looking at the application lists. The White background was a little brighter. I’m being very picky here. Both displays are crisp and clear and very easy to read except in full sunlight.

Left to Right: Treo 700p, Treo 650

One main difference with the 700p, is the upgraded built in 1.3mp camera. It has a max resolution of 1280×1024. The 650 only has 640×480. This upgrade is noticeable. Check out the comparison pictures below. Click the thumbnails to view the full-size images.

Left to right: Treo 650 (640×480), Treo 700p (640×480), Treo 700p (1280×1024)

Left to right: Treo 650 (640×480), Treo 700p (640×480)

Left to right: Treo 650 (640×480), Treo 700p (640×480)

Left to right: Treo 650 (640×480), Treo 700p (640×480), Treo 650 zoom x 2 (640×480), Treo 700p zoom x 2 (640×480)

The 700p still doesn’t have a macro mode, so close up shots still look crummy. I don’t think the 700p does that well with long distance shots either. The house pictures look pretty blah. The best shots are ones where the subject is 3-5 feet away.

Besides the camera update, the 700p’s memory has been increased. Now instead of having just 23mb of user accessible memory, you’ll have 60mb. This is a very nice increase for those of you that like to install lots of 3rd party applications. The processor remains the same though, so you won’t notice any differences in overall speed of the device. Personally, I’ve never had a gripe with the 650 when it comes to system performance.

Battery size remains the same between the 650 and 700p as well. Both use a 1800mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

Bluetooth has been updated from 1.1 to 1.2. No A2DP profile though, so no listening to your MP3s via Bluetooth headphones. I don’t know what the upgrade from 1.1 to 1.2 really gives you. However, it is important to note that DUN (dial up networking) is now supported without 3rd party apps like PDAnet.

My tests on both phones with several headsets seemed to yield the same results. Bluetooth via a Treo works best when the headset and handset are within very close proximity.

Another upgrade for the 700p is EVDO or EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized). EVDO is a wireless broadband data standard supported by Verizon and Sprint. It’s only available in some areas of the country. Of course, it’s not available where I live (Columbus, Indiana). Even though the following tests really don’t mean anything because I’m comparing a Treo 650 on Cingular with a Treo 700p on Sprint, here you go anyway…

Using the built in Blazer browser on both handhelds, I visited http://dslreports.com/mspeed. Here are the results of the speed tests.

As far as the hardware goes, I can’t complain THAT much about the 700p. Of course, there are things I really wish had been included with this new model. Features like compatibility with Palm’s SD WiFi card, A2DP Bluetooth protocol, and better Bluetooth range. But I can actually live without these things…

Now let’s take a look at the software bundle for the 700p.

Software

Installed in ROM

No significant changes to:
Bluetooth Manager, Calculator, Calendar, Card info, Contacts, HotSync Manager, Memos, Phone, QuickTour, Tasks, World Clock, Messaging, Versamail, Camcorder, Camera

Blazer Web Browser v4.5 – Upgraded version now supports streaming media (WMA, ASF, WMV and MP3)

Documents To Go version 8.0 – View and edit Microsoft Office documents including Word, Excel. Also view Powerpoint and PDF files. This is a great app!

Pictures and Videos application has some interface updates:

MyTreo – Userguide and news download (via Hotsync or wireless) application:

PocketTunes – Replaces Realplayer as MP3 player

Voice Memo – Voice recorder application. This application is used to record voice memos, voice emails and ringtones:

On Demand – Cool wireless portal application from Handmark for news, entertainment and information, weather, etc. I think this is my favorite new application!

Check out what’s on TV tonight.

Weather info with forcast and radar.

SprintTV – Watch video on your Sprint Treo 700p.

I goofed around a little with this application, but I don’t think I have a EVDO connection in my area.

Sprint Software Store – Convenient way to spend money ;o) Cool though.

Software on CD-rom

Audible – Audio book software
Bejeweled – Tile game
Documents To Go (for your desktop) – Sync changes to/from MS Office documents with handheld
eReader – eBook reader
Palm Files
Remote File Access
Solitaire – Card game
Traffic for Treo smartphones
Treo Voice Dialing

So, do I think the Palm Treo 700p is a smartphone worthy of your hard earned cash? My answer is maybe. If you have already have a perfectly good Treo 650, I would say the upgrade doesn’t give you enough oomph to justify trading up. This is especially true for me as I’m on the Cingular network and so far there isn’t a GSM version of the 700p available. But for those of you that have yet to try a Treo smartphone, I would not hesitate to recommend the 700p. It’s an easy to use phone with a great feature set, tons of accessories, even more software and a large established community base.

PHONE	CARRIER	PRICE	AFTER REBATE
Palm Treo 700p		$449	$299
		$379	$279

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Palm, Palm OS related, Phone

Palm Treo 700p Smartphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2006 at 9:28 am.

The smartphone designers at HTC recently
introduced their fourth-generation product, code-named “Tornado” and
running the latest Windows Mobile operating system. Like previous
generations, the Tornado is (or at least will be) available under many
different brand names including those of major wireless carriers;
i-mate is among the first to offer it for consumer purchase.

i-mate
markets two versions of the Tornado design which are based on the same
hardware but are packaged differently. The i-mate SP5
is the business-oriented design, while the SP5m reviewed here is
targeted at consumers, with a silver housing and dedicated media player
keys. Other versions of the Tornado (such as should be substantially
similar, but may add or remove software or hardware features. (The
Cingular 2125, for example, lacks WiFi.)

Opening the Box

The SP5m ships with a typical set of accessories:

• SP5m phone
• Multi-voltage power adapter with European plug
• Stereo earbuds with microphone and volume control
• USB cable
• Belt clip case (not shown in image above)
• ActiveSync and Outlook 2002
• Manuals and documentation

The
review model also included a US power adapter and a 128MB MiniSD card;
retail packaging might differ. The phone will charge through the USB cable, which uses the same mini connector commonly found on cameras.

The supplied case does not fit quite as well as it could, but it holds the phone securely and the belt clip is snug.

Hardware Specifications

The SP5m is comparable to most Windows Mobile smartphones:

• GSM 850/900/1800/1900 for compatibility with all North American and European GSM networks
• GPRS (Class 10, 32-48 kbps) and EDGE (up to 236 kbps)
• Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition operating system
• 64MB RAM (18MB available for user data and apps)
• 200 MHz TI OMAP CPU
• MiniSD memory card slot
• 240×320, 65k color display
• USB port
• Bluetooth v1.2
• WiFi 802.11b
• 1.3 megapixel (1280×1024) camera
• Up to 5 hours talk time, 250 hours standby with included battery

Physical Design

The
SP5m is compact and fits nicely in the hand. Build quality is good with
no creaks or uncomfortable edges, and it has just the right amount of
heft to it. The display takes up more than half of the face, squeezing
seven rows of keys into the area below. The keypad is a bit small;
people with large hands may find it cramped.

(Left to right: iPod 30GB, Nokia N90, SP5m, Nokia 3595)

(Bottom to top: iPod 30GB, Nokia N90, SP5m, Nokia 3595)

As
you can see from the comparison images above, the SP5m is compact,
smaller than even the much less featureful, entry-level Nokia 3595.

Since
the SP5m does not have a touch-sensitive screen, the small joystick nub
just above the number keys is used for navigation, in conjunction with
the home, back, and left and right softkeys found in the row just below
the display. Also present is a row of four round keys which are
hard-wired to start the web browser and control the music player.

The
display is easily one of the best I have seen on a mobile device
recently. Small details are easy to see, the backlighting is bright and
even, and colors are vivid. (The screen shots I took for this review
don’t really do it justice.)

Above the display, two LEDs
flank the speaker. One changes colors to show network and charging
status, and the other blinks when WiFi or Bluetooth are turned on.

On
the right side of the SP5m, near the top, is a button which starts the
camera software and takes a picture. On the left is the volume rocker
and an additional button which opens the Communication Manager
(described more fully below).

The
camera lens is located in a typical position on the back of the SP5m,
along with a self-portrait mirror. Above it, a gray rubber plug covers
an external antenna port.

The power button is located at the top end of the SP5m, next to the infrared port.

The
only external connectors on the SP5m are a headset jack (which does not
accept ordinary stereo headphones without an adapter) and a mini USB port which is used for both synchronization and charging.

The
MiniSD memory card slot is positioned underneath the battery, a
baffling inconvenience considering that the SP5m is positioned as a
music and media phone.

Software

There are two kinds of devices that are commonly called “smartphones”. Some are the combination of a PDA with a full-sized phone; others are phones with advanced software but without the large touch screen of a PDA. The SP5m is in the latter category; if it is a full-featured PDA you are looking for, consider a Treo or HP iPaq instead.

The
SP5m runs the Smartphone edition of Windows Mobile 5, the latest mobile
operating system from Microsoft. The Smartphone edition of Windows
Mobile 5 shares the same code base as the PDA edition, with changes to the user interface to accommodate the lack of a touch screen. The standard software bundle includes:

• Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks
• SMS/MMS messaging
• POP3, IMAP, and Outlook email
• Voice notes
• Still and video imaging
• Picture and video library
• Mobile Internet Explorer
• Windows Media Player
• Speed dial/voice command manager
• File manager
• Task manager
• Pocket MSN
• MIDlet manager for Java applications
• ActiveSync
• Communication Manager
• Games (Solitaire and Bubble Breaker)

Notably
absent from the usual collection of Windows Mobile software are Pocket
Office and Microsoft Reader, smartphone versions of which do not exist
yet. You could install third-party software to replace them, but if you
need to do that you should probably consider a PDA phone instead.

The home screen is customizable, and the PIM
software is similar to that on Windows Mobile PDAs. The program
launcher uses a 3×3 icon grid so you can select applications from the
keypad.

In
addition to the Outlook-compatible contact manager, the built in
software allows programmable voice tags and will look up contacts as
you key in letters of their name.

A
reasonably full-featured file manager is included, as is a task manager
from which you can stop running tasks to free up memory. (In normal
usage this should not ever be necessary, but if you use a lot of third
party applications it is still possible for the system to slow down if
too much is running in the background.)

Windows
Mobile 5, unlike previous versions, uses the same code base on
smartphones and PDAs. In theory, this should make it much easier for
developers to write one application that supports all devices. Even so,
running PDA-oriented software on a smartphone is still likely to be difficult because of the lack of a touch-sensitive screen.

Performance

I
tested the SP5m on the Cingular and T-Mobile networks in my area. My
home has usable but not great Cingular “Orange” 850 MHz coverage and is
on the fringe of T-Mobile; Cingular also has 1900 MHz coverage in the
city, on the former AT&T (“Blue”) network. The RF performance of
the SP5m is about as good as most other phones I have tried, with no
unexpected dropouts on either network. I was unable to extensively test
data speeds, but the SP5m successfully uses Cingular’s EDGE network, opening pages and downloading files much faster than my other, GPRS-only phones.

The
SP5m’s software performance is good, but seems to rely on leaving
commonly used applications open; opening a program for the first time
can take several seconds. This is likely to be an issue if you run a
lot of add-on software, but for everyday use of standard phone
functionality the built-in memory is sufficient to keep all the
necessary programs running.

Voice quality is good, and the built-in speaker is loud, though not quite as loud as some other phones I have tried.

Using the SP5m

Music and Media

The
SP5m is positioned as a music phone, to the point of having dedicated
media player buttons on its keypad. The built in Windows Media Player
application handles both music and video, and it will synchronize
tracks and playlists with the desktop. The supported formats include MP3, WMA, and AAC (unprotected only) for audio and MPEG-4 and Windows Media for video. Streaming is also supported, and works well over WiFi. If you have a solid EDGE
connection, you should be able to listen to audio streams over the air
as well, but I wouldn’t recommend trying that unless you have an
unlimited data connection.

One thing you will definitely want
to do if you use the SP5m for music is get a better set of headphones.
A set of earbuds (with mic for hands-free calling) are supplied in the
box, but their audio quality leaves a lot to be desired. The audio
connector uses a four-conductor 2.5mm jack, so you’ll need an adapter
to use a standard headset.

Wireless Internet and Bluetooth

Unlike
most phones, “smart” or otherwise, the SP5m includes 802.11b (WiFi)
capability, so you can use it with existing wireless networks. Not only
is this a great way to save money if you don’t have an unlimited data
plan from your wireless carrier, but it will usually be much faster
than the speeds you will get over the air.

Pressing a dedicated button on the left side of the SP5m opens the Connection Manager, shown here:

From
here you can turn WiFi and Bluetooth on and off, activate silent mode,
or start ActiveSync by pressing a numbered key. If WiFi is on, the SP5m
will automatically connect to any of your preferred networks whenever
you are in range. If it finds a new network, you will be prompted
before it connects. If you need to configure WEP or WPA security, an advanced settings panel is available in the phone menus.

The
SP5m’s WiFi works flawlessly on my home network as well as at the
public hotspots I have visited. It doesn’t seem to be much harder on
the battery than a voice call, but I still wouldn’t recommend leaving
it on all the time.

The built-in Internet Explorer web
browser supports many web features and does a passable job at squeezing
full-sized sites into a small display, although you’ll probably want to
use mobile-oriented sites whenever possible.

The SP5m
supports Bluetooth 1.2, which offers improved audio quality and
resistance to interference compared with Bluetooth 1.1. With a
compatible headset (mine is a Plantronics Voyager 510) audio is clear
and voice dialing works well.

I did notice a couple of quirks
in the Bluetooth implementation. One is that there is no way to force
reconnection to a device that is already paired, without pairing it
again. If you use it with a headset that supports multiple devices,
this means that if you turn the headset off after using it with
something else, the SP5m may not find it again later unless you go
through the pairing process again. Another minor issue I noticed is
that if you set the SP5m to be discoverable through Bluetooth, that
setting sometimes doesn’t stick for more than a minute or so. I think
this is probably by design, but since there is no warning about it in
the user interface I can’t be sure.

Synchronization

Like
all Windows Mobile products, the SP5m synchronizes very well with
Windows, and not at all with any other desktop platform. It is supplied
with ActiveSync 4.0 as well as Outlook 2002 (in case you don’t have a
newer version already). Once installed on the desktop, ActiveSync stays
running in the background and keeps the phone’s contacts, calendar, and
tasks up to date continuously as long as it is plugged in. The SP5m
will also use the desktop’s Internet connection as long as it remains
tethered, even if WiFi is available. ActiveSync also provides a browser
for the phone’s file system, so you can easily copy music, pictures,
programs, and other files to it.

Since I normally use a Mac
to manage my personal information, I have only used ActiveSync for
contacts (which I copied over to Outlook as vCards) and copying files.
I was hoping to use Missing Sync or PocketMac, but neither of those
applications support Windows Mobile 5 yet.

I am also somewhat
disappointed that WiFi syncing (or network sync of any kind, for that
matter) is not supported. Microsoft apparently removed network sync in
ActiveSync 4.0, just when WiFi is becoming commonplace in mobile
devices. Bluetooth sync is still supported, though.

Camera

As
with most camera phones, the SP5m’s imaging capabilities are minimal,
useful only for the sake of convenience. Pressing a button on the top
right of the device starts the camera software, and pressing it again
takes a picture. The lens is fixed focus, there is no flash, and the
maximum resolution is 1280×1024. Image quality is typical of most
camera phones: relatively poor.

(Click on the thumbnails above to view the original image taken directly from the phone.)

In
the examples above, I attempted a self-portrait first under normal room
lighting, slightly dim but well within the exposure capabilities of a
typical digital camera. When that didn’t work too well, I tried again
with direct lighting. Finally, the last example is of some trees in my
back yard, to show detail. It should be obvious that the SP5m isn’t
going to replace a dedicated camera any time soon; if you need a camera
phone with decent imaging quality, try something along the lines of a Nokia N90.

The
camera application is basic, offering modes for general photography,
messaging, and contact photos. The only imaging options are digital
zoom (up to 8x at lower resolutions) and an “ambience” setting which
conflates white balance, exposure, and color settings into a single
menu. Images can be saved directly to the memory card and managed with
a separate “Pictures and Video” application.

The SP5m can also record MPEG-4, H.264, or Motion JPEG
video at a maximum resolution of 176×144. Given the general quality of
the camera this is a novelty at best, suitable primarily for impromptu MMS messaging.

Locking and Unlocking

The SP5m under review is unlocked in the usual GSM sense, meaning that it will accept a SIM
from any provider. But, as I found out only hours after I opened the
box, there is another kind of lock to be concerned about in the world
of Windows Mobile.

One of the first pieces of add-on software
I tried to install on the SP5m was the driver for the Brando Smart
Keyboard. This is a folding keyboard which uses Bluetooth, but it is
not a standard HID device and requires a driver to be installed. (The SP5m apparently supports Bluetooth HID
keyboards without a driver, but I don’t have one to test it with.)
After downloading the most current driver and copying the .cab file to
the phone, it refused to install because the driver did not have the
proper digital signature.

Windows Mobile’s security
architecture includes a variety of application locks which are
unrelated to the usual sort of “unlocking” we usually associate with
phones. As I was soon to find out, the SP5m ships with some of these
locks turned on by default, preventing you from installing unsigned
applications or changing certain registry entries and files.

Even
if you never try to install unsigned software, there is a good reason
to unlock the SP5m, and that is to change the mapping of the Internet
Explorer key. In its default configuration, it is hardcoded to go to
the i-mate home page every time it is pressed, even if Internet
Explorer was already open and showing another page. This is highly
annoying, but if you have to pay for your wireless data usage it can
also be expensive, since accidentally touching that button will cause
the phone to connect to GPRS/EDGE and download a rather large and graphic-laden page unless you are very quick to bang on the END button to stop it. Luckily, the extra buttons are mapped to shortcuts that you can edit… if the phone is fully unlocked.

The
procedure for removing the application lock is not hard, and you can
find instructions on the web quite easily. But I wish it wasn’t
necessary in the first place. If you’re buying a device at full price
from a neutral vendor (and that’s the only way to get an SP5m, in the USA at least) you should be able to run any software you like on it.

Customization

One
of the advantages of a smart phone is that, in most cases, they can be
customized extensively with not only ringtones and color themes, but
applications and system tweaks. That is definitely true of the SP5m,
but it also displays some odd choices of what parts of the system are
customizable and what parts are not. (This is probably Microsoft’s
doing, not i-mate’s.)

For example, the order of icons in the
application launcher cannot be directly changed. The first ten or
eleven of them are in a standard order, and the rest are in
alphabetical order. By comparison, on Series 60 phones you can create
folders and rearrange icons to put your favorite programs where you
want them. On a Windows smartphone, this requires editing the registry.

Likewise,
you can’t change the ActiveSync name of the phone. If it decides to
call itself “WM_JoeUser_1” you’re stuck with it unless you break out
the registry editor again. A minor issue, to be sure, but some of us
are picky about what our toys are called.

On the other hand,
Windows Mobile has a very flexible system for making custom themes
which goes beyond simple color changes and wallpaper, so visibly
personalizing the SP5m is easy.

Conclusion

I will
admit that I am probably not the target customer for a device like the
i-mate SP5m, since I use Macintosh on the desktop and carry a Palm PDA.
But for the larger market of Windows users, a phone that syncs to
Outlook and Windows Media Player is probably quite handy. It’s hard to
recommend the SP5m over any other current Windows Mobile smartphone,
since nearly all of them are variations of the same design, and the
choice is likely to come down to bundled features and carrier support.
Still, I like the SP5m and am using it as my primary phone.

The
biggest downside to the SP5m is, in my opinion, the oddly restrictive
application locking that prevents essential customizations like
reorganizing the menus and remapping the hardware buttons. If I hadn’t
found out how to unlock it, I probably would have very quickly smashed
it in frustration after my second or third accidental press of the
Internet Explorer button and its mandatory visit to the i-mate home
page. With that fixed, there are no other big issues with the SP5m that
I can complain about, except perhaps the poor quality of the camera (an
issue the SP5m has in common with a lot of camera phones).

The i-mate SP5m is not sold directly by any carrier, though some carriers do offer their own branded version of the HTC Tornado design; it is available through vendors of unlocked GSM phones for a street price of around $500 to $550.

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone, Smartphone, Windows Mobile, Wireless

i-mate SP5m originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 25, 2006 at 5:05 am.

In September 2005, my daily driver PDA was an
HP
iPAQ hx-4700 and my mobile phone was the
Samsung i550,
a Palm OS device that was never technically released in the US. I thought
that I was satisfied with the combination of the two devices – enjoying the best
of both PDA worlds in a sense – but there were times when I really longed to
have the freedom of carrying just one device that could do "everything".

Granted, the i550 could operate as a full fledged PDA and phone, but I
felt that its screen was just too small for full-time use since I enjoy reading
eBooks so much. The 4700′s comparatively enormous screen was perfectly suited
for eBooks and viewing everything else, but of course that PDA was not – and
would never be – a phone. Therefore my interest was raised when I heard about
the latest offerings from the Taiwan based company
High Tech Computer: the
i-mate branded
Jas Jar / HTC Universal
and the Sprint branded

PPC-6700 / HTC Apache.

Each was a Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone device with its own set of
special features. The Universal boasted a very appealing laptop/Tablet PC form
factor with a larger sized VGA screen, while the Apache had a more compact size,
EV-DO speeds (when/where available) and a sliding landscape-based keyboard.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with HTC, you should know that they are
the world’s largest producer of Pocket PC OS-based PDAs. HTC designs many of the
Pocket PCs and mobile phones
with which we are all familiar, but they never brand them with their name.
Instead, the designs are outsourced to other companies like Hewlett Packard,
i-mate, Audiovox, and others. But back to my story…

I wasn’t that surprised to learn that the HTC Universal would only be
offered on GSM/GPRS networks, such as T-Mobile and Cingular – because that is
almost always the case with cool new phones. I am a Sprint customer, which means
that I have to use a CDMA based mobile phone (no SIM card). While I miss out on
a lot of the trendy new phones, I generally enjoy great coverage and an
excellent data rate, so I guess in the end it more or less evens out.

So imagine my surprise when it was announced that Sprint would be the first
US carrier to offer the HTC Apache – the first Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC
Phone Edition device to be sold in the United States.

Of course I had to get one!

Specifications:
Battery Type: User removable / rechargeable 1350mAh Li-Ion
Battery life: Up to 4.7 hours talk time, up to 200 hours standby
Measurements: 4.25′ x 2.3" x 1.0" (according to the Sprint site) / My
measurements with a micrometer: 4.25" x 2.3" x 0.92"
Weight: 6.07 ounces according to the Sprint site / 6.6 ounces on my scale
Processor: Intel 416 MHz
Wireless: CDMA EV-DO, Bluetooth (v1.2) and WiFi, IrDA FIR
Operating Mode: Digital dual-band; this device operates within the CDMA
frequency bands of 1900 MHz digital and 800 MHz digital
Platform: Windows Mobile 5.0
Expansion Card: MiniSD
Memory: Flash ROM – 128MB / RAM 64MB SDRAM
Screen: 2.8" diagonal, 240 x 320 TFT-LCD with back-light LEDs, 65K Color touch
screen
Audio: Receiver/Speaker, Hands-Free supported, microphone
Camera: 1.3 mega pixels CMOS, with video light

Sprint introduced the PPC-6700 in early October, and at the time it was only
offered to their business customers. Rumors were abounding that it would soon be
offered to non-business customers, but there were no firm dates and I didn’t
want to wait. I paid close attention to the postings at
pdaPhoneHome, as other
non-business customers posted strategies which had and hadn’t worked as they
tried to get theirs. I called various Sprint numbers repeatedly, talked to
multiple service reps and tried everything short of begging, all to no
avail.

In the end, I went where I have had good luck finding other hard to buy items
in the past – eBay.

Once I had found a few eBay sellers that actually had the device in hand, I
decided upon the maximum amount I was willing to pay and then proceeded to
lose quite a few auctions. Evidently I wasn’t the only person with the eBay
idea, and evidently I wasn’t willing to pay the "going" amount. After a few days
of searching, bidding and losing, I was finally able to purchase a brand new and
unopened 6700 from a reputable seller. I have to laugh when I think back to the
whole process and what I went through trying to get my hands on a 6700. But in
retrospect the hunt was rather fun – even if a bit frustrating – and it did
allow me to start using the device more than a month earlier than I would have
otherwise.

Around the end of November, Sprint began selling the PPC-6700 to non-business
users and about that time other CDMA providers also began to sell rebranded
versions of the device.
Verizon calls their version the XV6700,
Qwest has the PPC-6700Q,
while Alltel,
Telus and other regional
carriers are offering the UTStarcom PPC-6700. Whatever it’s called, these are
all basically the same re-branded HTC Apache. Because there is a chance that
some of the various rebranded models have different features or limitations than
the specific model I have been using and am reviewing, just bear in mind while
reading that my experience is specifically limited to the Sprint version.

Once I finally received the PPC-6700 I had to pause for a moment, as I always
do when I am about to set my current PDA to the side and move on to the next.
Would the Apache be my perfect convergent device? Would I miss the glorious
screen of my iPAQ 4700? Would I like the much anticipated Windows Mobile 5.0? Or
would the PDA form factor bug me, being a PDA first and a phone second? I had
plenty of questions, and I was ready to find some answers…

Included in the PPC-6700′s box are the device itself, a standard battery, a
mini-USB charger, a stereo headset, a carrying case, two styli, a dual-slot USB
Sync cradle, phone user guide, getting started CD, installation guide, and
various items of Sprint paperwork.

Similar to past iPAQs and PPC Phone Editions, the Apache uses a plastic body
which has been painted matte silver. Because of it’s weight, the phone feels
substantial, but the plastic has a rather cheap finish. The paint will
eventually flake or wear off on oft-handled areas, and I have noticed this
already occurring on the bottom of the PDA near where the mini-USB port connects
in the cradle. If I couldn’t have my first choice of an all metal body, then I
would have much preferred an all over matte black with a slightly rubbery
texture, similar to the finish on the matte black

Motorola PEBL phone.

The 6700′s case is stiff and when flexed doesn’t have any obvious creaks,
however the battery cover does feel a bit thin and there is no locking mechanism
to keep it in place. If squeezed "just so", the moveable keyboard might trick
one into thinking that the case is flexing, but it is just the keyboard sliding
as it is supposed to do.

Once I actually had it in my hand, the 6700 seemed much smaller than expected
- even though I had known its measurements in advance. At 4.3" tall x
2.3" wide x 0.9" thick and weighing 6.6 ounces compared to the
iPAQ’s 5.2" tall x 3.0" wide x 0.6" thick and 6.8 ounces, the 6700 felt much
smaller overall. Of course, the smaller case size also means a smaller screen:
2.9" diagonal on the 6700 versus 4.0" diagonal on the iPAQ 4700. However,
the Apache’s screen was a definite size improvement over the i500′s sub-2"
screen. After reading many eBooks over the last couple of months on the
6700′s 3" screen, I have decided that this is the smallest size screen I am
comfortable using. Of course, there are still times when I will power on the
4700 and once again fall in love with the larger VGA screen. That extra inch
coupled with the VGA resolution really does make a difference.

For comparison’s sake, I am also showing the the 6700 next to the iPAQ 1945,
which measures 4.5" tall x 2.8" wide x 0.5" thick and weighs 4.3 ounces. While
the 6700 is nearly twice the 1945′s thickness, it is otherwise the smaller PDA.

from left to right: PPC-6700, iPAQ 1945 & iPAQ 4700

from top to bottom: PPC-6700, iPAQ 1945 & iPAQ 4700

from top to bottom: PPC-6700, iPAQ 1945 & iPAQ 4700

Since I usually keep the 4700′s extended battery installed, which raises its
depth to 0.8", the thickness of the 6700 has never seemed bothersome. As a
matter of fact, I think that the extra girth allows me to keep a more secure
grip on the phone.

Make no mistake about it though, dropping the 6700 is always a distinct
possibility. Its smooth silver plastic case does not have any type of rubber
grips on the side, nor does it have a slot for a wrist-lanyard. Cases aren’t
really an option just yet, as the majority of the ones available are pouch
style, which means the phone is completely naked when in use. At this time
Piel Frama is the only
manufacturer making a play-through case for this phone, but it does not allow
full use of the keyboard when the PDA is inserted. It is still better than a
naked phone however, for those that live in fear of the day when they’ll drop
the 6700 and crack its screen.

Of course, much of the reason why the PPC-6700 is so thick is because
of its sliding side keyboard, which transforms the 6700 from a portrait oriented
PDA to a landscape mini-laptop with a thumb-board.

Opening the keyboard immediately flips the screen to landscape
orientation

I have spoken with some who think that the 6700′s sliding keyboard feels like
it won’t hold up over time, and others who have had experiences where it slid
open at the wrong time. In my opinion, the sliding mechanism on the 6700 is fine
and should last the life of the phone. The front half of the PDA is held to the
keyboard by two rails, the tracks of which can be seen when the keyboard is
opened. When the two halves are sliding against each other they don’t feel
wobbly and there is no play.

When the keyboard is fully extended, there is a clicking noise as it locks
into position. When the keyboard is shut, there is also a clicking sound as it
locks into place. However, there is some play between the top half of the PDA
against the bottom, by which I mean that it is possible to easily cause the two
halves to go slightly askew while they are in the "locked" position. As this
happens, there is an audible click as the two halves separate or come back
together. I would like to have seen a more secure method for joining the two
halves and keeping them shut. Perhaps this could have been solved if
there had been a button release for the keyboard, but then such a release would
have made the keyboard a bit less quick to open. I guess it was a trade-off.

Sliding the keyboard takes a simple push against the top portion of the PDA,
while holding the bottom in place. This can be done by the fingers of whichever
hand is holding the 6700 as it sits in the palm. Sliding open the keyboard
causes the screen to switch from portrait mode to landscape mode almost
instantaneously. There can be a bit of a lag, but I have never found it to be
more than a second or so.

The screen 240 x 340 resolution screen is bright and quite easy on the eyes.
I generally keep the screen’s brightness set to about 3/4 when on battery power,
and it has not caused a huge drain on battery life. Even though the 6700′s
screen is not a VGA resolution, it’s smaller size makes it appear sharper than
the same resolution would appear on a larger screen.

It does not take much pressure to cause the keyboard to slide, which can lead
to the keyboard opening as the user grips the PDA in one hand while they are use
the stylus on the screen with the other hand. Because it is natural for a
right-handed user’s thumb to rest against the top of the sliding face, just a
little bit of push from that thumb can cause the screen to slide open.

Left-handed users will find that the tips of their fingers curling around the
back of the PDA will cause the same unwelcome opening.

Unfortunately there is no fix for this phenomenon other than learning not to
push on the sliding half, which may be a real point of frustration for some
users. My hope is that if a proper play-through case is ever introduced it will
allow the opening of the keyboard while also keeping the two halves shut.

Because I have one of the earlier PPC-6700s, my keyboard has a white LED
backlight that is activated when the keyboard is open and any button is pushed.
The extended functions for each key are highlighted with a red LED backlight,
which is very easy to see. If no buttons are pressed the keyboard lights will
extinguish after a user-chosen 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 seconds. I have read that more
recent PPC-6700s are shipping with a blue LED backlight and no red LED for the
extended key functions. In my opinion, that is a less desirable configuration.

The keys on the board are quite squared off, and each has a hump at its
center which helps the thumb feel centered when rapidly pressing them. So far I
haven’t worn the silver paint from any of the keys, but I suspect that it is
just a matter of time. The "F" and "J" keys have faintly raised touch-bars,
presumably to help orient the user if they are touch-thumbing. The keys have a
satisfying muffled "click" when pressed, and they are large enough that I
haven’t felt particularly crowded while typing.

One of the things that takes a little bit of getting used to is the lack of
dedicated numbers keys on the keyboard. Because there is so little space for so
many keys, numbers and symbols are accessible by pushing and holding the red
function key. However, when the keyboard is open and the phone application is
also open, the red function key does not have to be pressed for the numbers to
work.

I was never much of a thumb-board user before I got the PPC-6700, but I have
actually grown quite proficient at its use. Whether it is firing off a reply to
a text message or composing an entry for my online gear diary, the keyboard is
quite handy to have as it offers a respite from manually entering text on the
screen.

Now is a good time to take a look at all of the buttons, indicator lights and
other features built into the exterior of the 6700…

The top of the Apache features a prominent antenna nub with a built-in stylus
silo, a miniSD slot and a power button which when quickly pressed will turn the
PDA on or off, but when pressed and held will turn the screen’s backlight on or
off.

The stylus is rather thin, and while it works fine for quick data entry, a
fatter bodied replacement stylus would be the better choice for someone that
does a lot of data entry.

Above the screen on the right is an LED that glows orange while charging,
solid green when fully charged, and blinks green to show various notifications
that can be set by the user in the Start/Settings/Sounds &
Notifications/Notifications folder. On the left side, is a bi-color indicator
LED that blinks blue when Bluetooth is turned on and green for WiFi. In between
these two indicators is the phone’s speaker.

The button cluster on the lower front is as follows (starting in the upper
left corner and going clockwise): the non-assignable left soft key which
corresponds to the selection shown on the left bottom of the screen, the
user-assignable Start and OK buttons, the non-assignable right soft key which
corresponds to the selection shown on the right of the screen, the green phone
button which answers calls and pulls up the phone screen from any program, the
four-way navigation joystick which also presses in for entering
selections, and the red phone button which hangs up calls and exits from the
current screen.

The right side of the 6700 has a re-assignable camera button, which in its
default duty will activate the camera when pressed and held. I have found that
sometimes I can give what I think is a quick accidental touch and it will be
enough to activate the camera. This can be annoying, but it hasn’t been a big
enough problem to cause me to re-assign the button to <none>, which is one of
the options.

The left side features the re-assignable voice recorder button – I use it to
open eReader, the volume slider, the re-assignable Internet Explorer button and
the Infrared port.

The very bottom of the Apache holds the reset button (activated by the tip of
the stylus), the mini-USB port, the headphone jack and the microphone.

As you can see, my mini-USB port has been scraped by repeated
insertions in the cradle

The back of the PDA houses an external antenna port, the camera lens with its
"normal" and "macro" slider setting, an LED spotlight which works with both the
camera and the camcorder, and a small shiny surface which is described as a
"self-portrait mirror", but which doesn’t do much more than draw attention to
the slit which makes up the speakerphone on its left.

The speakerphone is a handy feature to have, but it is only effective in a
quiet room. Even when turned all the way up, background noises will cause it to
be almost useless.

The battery door has one grippy 1.5" rubber strip which does help keep the
6700 from being too slippery on smooth surfaces, but is otherwise
ineffectual. As I previously mentioned, the battery door slides right off when
the correct pressure is applied, and there is no lock with which to keep it
securely shut. I am sure that there are quite a few 6700 users that have come up
with their own methods of keeping it shut, and I am sure that they would agree
that the lack of a lock was a severe oversight. Hopefully this is another issue
that will be resolved once a properly fitting play-through case is introduced.

The cradle is a simple weighted black plastic base with green LEDs to
indicate that it is both charging and syncing, as separate cables power each
function. Behind the front slot which is sized o hold the 6700 even when
sporting its optional extended battery, is a second battery charging tray which
will fit both the standard and extended battery models.

I really like that the PPC-6700 uses the mini-USB connector for syncing and
charging. These are easy to find and work on a multitude of other devices.

There is an included wired stereo headset, but since the phone has Bluetooth,
I suspect that most users will opt for the unwired solution instead. The
included belt-clip pouch is pretty lame. It offers no protection when using the
PDA whatsoever, and it is feels cheap. However, as is often the case (no pun
intended), it is better than nothing.

Battery life on the PPC-6700 has been quite good. I have found that I can
easily get through the day with Bluetooth on, answering and making calls as
needed, and using various PDA functions. WiFi use is obviously a bit more of a
drain, but I try to always keep a charging cable nearby just in case.

That covers the hardware portion of this review, now it’s time to take a look
at the software…

The Today Screen looks much the same as it has on other PPC Phone Editions.

The upper menu bar shows the tappable buttons which access further features
and information. From left to right, are the Start Menu which opens a list of
pinned programs as well as recently opened applications, the call
status/connectivity information icon which displays what mobile network is
available (in my case 1X and not EV-DO). 1X surfing is similar to 56k dial-up. I
was able to experience EV-DO speeds while we were in Seattle, and they were
incredible. I get all the data surfing I can handle at 1X or EV-DO speeds for
$15 a month.I really am looking forward to the day when San Angelo gets EV-DO!

This icon also changes to show when the
network is being accessed…

… and when WiFi is working.

There is a registry hack available which allowed me to get the connection
icon to tell how long I had been connected to the Sprint Vision network, as well
as a button to easily disconnect. That hack and many others that are just as
useful

can be found here. I highly suggest that anyone even thinking about getting
a PPC-6700 peruse this informative forum.

The next icon shows the phone’s signal strength in "bars", and when tapped
will display network status and related options. There is an option to turn off
the phone, also knows as "turning on" Flight Mode. Pressing Settings will take the
user to a screen which allows the customization of various phone settings.

The speaker status icon is directly controlled by the volume up and down
slider on the left side of the phone, and it is also accessible by tapping the
screen icon. This there are two sets of volume controlled by this icon, the
phones and the PDA’s. Each may be set to "On" and then different independent
volumes may be set, or they may be set to Vibrate or Off. The same slider button
will also control the volume of a call in progress if accessed during the call.

The last icon is Time and Next Appointment, which when tapped displays the
date, time, remaining battery life and next appointment.

As I previously mentioned, the 6700 is the first US Pocket PC Phone Edition
to feature Windows Mobile 5. Perhaps the biggest difference between this newer
version and PPC2003 is memory management. Instead of the adjustable slider most
Pocket PC Users have grown used to, memory is now managed on a non-user
adjustable screen. No longer is the total main memory displayed. Instead, the
user is told how many MBs are available for storage, and how many are left for
running programs.

WM5 now stores all installed programs in Flash ROM, which has its good and
bad points. Good being that if the PDAs battery dies, none of the stored info or
programs will be lost. I found out the bad news when I asked Leonard with
Pocket PC Techs if they would be
able to perform a memory upgrade: If I understood his reply correctly, Since the OS is directly written to the same
memory that is used to store the user added programs, there are no after-market
options for upgrading the memory. It has been a major adjustment for me to go
from using a 128MB RAM Pocket PC Techs
upgraded iPAQ – meaning 61MB storage and 65MB program to the Apache’s
non-upgradeable 92MB – meaning 43.5MB storage and 49.42MB program. I have done
my best to only load programs in main memory that must be placed there to
operate correctly and all other programs on the
miniSD, but I am still just left with about 16MB free and I feel rather crowded.

One of the new features is the way that programs are loaded during an
install. Instead of choosing from ActiveSync where a program will be stored, the
option is given on-screen, along with a reminder of how much space is needed and
how much is available.

The Sprint PPC-6700 comes with a CD which includes various add on software
titles, including:
Sprint PCS Software Store provided by Handango™: described as "an
intelligent on-device catalog of applications and digital media."
Action Info™ for access to your favorite brands: eBay®, Amazon.com®, FOX
Sports™, AP News, AP Stocks, Microsoft® MapPoint®, AccuWeather®, Restaurant
Row™, and Zap 2 it™ Movies. Included is a free month’s trial, but a subscription
is pretty pricey at $50. I did use the free month and while I enjoyed the easy
interface, I still haven’t taken the plunge and bough the program.
Audible Listener Info and Rebate Offer: Selection of more than 23,000
titles of audio books, magazines, newspapers, radio programs, and more with a
free month of AudibleListener®, or sign up for an AudibleListener® 12 month
membership and get $100 cash back.
Citrix® GoToMyPC®: for fast, easy, and secure access to everything on
your office PC from your Windows Mobile™ Pocket PC device.

There are several software titles loaded into ROM that I don’t use, including
Audible, Action Info and Sprint Business Connection. Since I don’t use them and
I can’t delete them, I have had to settle for deleting their icons so I at least
don’t have to look at them in my program list.

One of the earliest problems I discovered while using the PPC-6700 was that
there were huge issues when a Today Screen plug-in had to access the memory card
for information. This could be something as innocuous as Battery Pack Pro trying
to tell me how many MB were left on the memory card, or
Newsbreak trying to
store downloaded content onto the memory card. Lock-ups and slowdowns became the
order of the day. It took reconfiguring these programs to not access the storage
card and re-formatting my MiniSD card before the problems would cease.

A later issue with the 6700 involved the PDA’s becoming completely locked up with
a dark screen, needing a soft reset to revive. During this time if any calls
came in there would be no notification, as the unit was effectively dead. Almost every time I have run into
something like this, it has been the direct result of a program that I
installed – but that is not always the case. Which brings me to another issue…backups.

While it is great that the information on my PDA will never be erased because
the battery died, that has really never been a problem for me. I suspect that
whoever was responsible for determining what software would come preloaded on
the 6700 decided that since stored items would not be erased due to battery
loss, there was no reason to install a backup utility. Unfortunately, that is
not the only reason that such a program comes in handy. I have had to do no less
than five hard resets since I got the PPC-6700 because of issues that arose from
a software incompatibility that could not be solved by erasing all traces of the
program through an uninstall and registry scrub. Thankfully I have been able to
backup many of my applications and settings with
Sunnysoft Backup
Manager, although there are still little settings that never seem to make it
through a reset and restore intact.

The PPC-6700 came with a new version of ActiveSync, 4.0, which has since been
upgraded to

ActiveSync 4.1. I had little to no problems syncing with ActiveSync 4.0, but
since the "upgrade" I have noticed that connections between my PDA and desktop
have become a bit…quirkier. It is not uncommon to get multiple errors,
and I have seen a popup window telling me that anything added since my last sync
will be lost more times than I care to comment upon. I have done everything from
turning off my desktop firewall and anti-virus protection to starting from scratch, and somewhere in the
process I seem to have struck a balance so that I only see the errors once every
day or two. This is not exactly something a new Pocket PC user is going to
understand, and it is not something that an old Pocket PC user will want to
accept. Let’s just say that I am dealing with it. <sigh>

Some of the specialized features of the PPC-6700 are the ability to orient
the screen in just about any direction…

This feature is also accessible from the static menu on the lower bar of the
Today Screen. It is accessed from the third icon on the lower right of the
screen.

This first icon on the static bar allows quick access to the power settings
and battery display, while the circular icon is a quick link to the Wireless
Manager.

The Wireless Manager is also quickly accessible by pressing and holding the
Internet Explorer button on the left side of the case.

The 1.3 mega pixel camera is handy to have along, but it is not a feature
that I use regularly. Here are some shots taken by Julie and me when we were at
Mobius. These pictures were taken in a well lit room, while sitting next to a
window.

Not so great, but as always – better than nothing.

Here is the screen that is seen when the camera is in use. Accessible are the
flash/LED light, zoom, other settings and tools. Ordinarily, the item which the
camera is pointed at will fill the screen, not this blood red color.

The LED light on the back of the PDA does help light things a bit, but it is
not really powerful enough to be a sufficient "flash’ in a darker room. It does
make for an excellent flashlight, however.

Photos taken may be directly attached and sent in emails, a process which is
easily accessible directly from the camera.

One of the features that I have enjoyed is the ability to add a photo to
incoming callers. A popup window will appear at the bottom of whatever screen is
open, announcing the caller’s number, as well as their name, company and photo
if they are in the user’s Contacts.

Their photo will also show when calls are made or calls are incoming.

Notice that there is an option to answer or ignore the call, and that if the
call is not answered an icon will appear showing that it was missed.

While the PPC-6700 does have a lot of cool phone features, in my opinion it
is first and foremost a PDA. I feel this way because the 6700 does not
have built-in numeric buttons which are easily accessible when the keyboard is
closed and because one handed phone operation is possible but not exactly intuitive.

While I have really been impressed with the form factor and all the things
that I am able to do with this small device, I do not feel that the Apache is a
phone I could ever recommend to a complete novice. Between the quirks that I
have found and the necessary work-arounds to get it to do things that it should
have done out of the box, there are enough problems present to frustrate someone
without infinite patience or online answer resources.

With that said, even though it has been an exercise in patience and
frustration, for the most part I am very happy with the PPC-6700. At this time, it is the best PDA for me.

Obviously I was not able to cover every nitty-gritty detail in this review,
and there are people who use their PPC-6700s entirely differently than I do. If
you have specific comments, tips, or questions, please post them in the
forum.

PHONE	CARRIER	PRICE	AFTER REBATE
Sprint PPC 6700
		$429	$379

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related, Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, Wireless

HTC Apache / PPC-6700 Pocket PC Phone Edition originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 17, 2006 at 9:49 am.

The N-Series is a new (in 2005) line of high-end multimedia phones from Nokia. The N90 is targeted at photography and video, with a 2.1 megapixel camera and a design tailored for imaging.

Opening The Box

The N90 box is filled with a variety of items:

• N90 Phone
• Multi-voltage AC adapter with European plug (AC-4E)
• Charging adapter CA-44 for use with standard power accessories
• 64MB RS-MMC memory card and adapter for full size MMC slots
• Stereo earbuds with microphone
• USB cable
• Wrist strap
• Nokia PC-Suite for Windows 2000/XP
• Manuals and documentation

The N90 does not use the 3.5mm power jack common to most Nokia products, but rather a smaller 2.0mm jack. To plug in a standard Nokia AC adapter or car kit, you will need to use the CA-44 charging adapter. Extras cost about $8, in case you need one for home and one for the car. Alternately, the supplied AC adapter will work with American power if you attach a Euro-to-US plug converter; these cost about $5 at Radio Shack.

Hardware Specifications

The N90’s hardware specifications are worthy of its positioning:

• EGSM 900/1800/1900, GPRS/EDGE (max 236kbps down, 118kbps up)
• WCDMA (UMTS) 2100 (max 384kbps down, 128kbps up)
• Series 60 (Symbian) operating system
• 31MB internal memory
• RS-MMC card slot
• 352×416, 256k color main display
• 128×128, 4096 color external display
• USB 2.0 high speed port
• Bluetooth 1.2
• Up to 10 days standby
• Up to 4.5 hours talk time
• 2 megapixel (1600×1200) camera with LED flash, autofocus, macro, 20x digital zoom
• Carl Zeiss optics

For those of us in North America, the lack of 850 MHz support in the N90 may be a problem. T-Mobile uses 1900 MHz exclusively, so the only thing you might miss out on is a bit of roaming coverage; Cingular, on the other hand, uses 850 MHz in many areas. Perhaps Nokia will eventually release a North American version of the N90 with 850 MHz support, but unless and until that happens I don’t recommend it for Cingular customers.

Likewise, the 2100 MHz band is not currently used in the USA, so the N90’s UMTS support doesn’t work here. EDGE is available from both T-Mobile and Cingular, and may come close to broadband speeds, however.

Physical Design

The first thing I noticed when I took the N90 out of the box is its heft. At over six ounces, it feels more substantial than most phones. Closed, it is large for a phone, though not overly so, and its boxy shape seems deliberately designed to evoke a camera-like feel.

(Left to right: Sony PSP, Nokia 3595, Nokia N-Gage QD, N90)

(Top to bottom: N90, N-Gage QD, 3595)

Although the N90’s design is based on a typical clamshell layout, it has three parts instead of the usual two, with the top and bottom flaps hinged separately to a rotating lens barrel. It opens into three basic configurations: phone, still camera, and video.

When you open it to talk, the N90 is quite long and will reach from the ear to the chin of almost anyone. The presence of the lens barrel feels unusual at first but is not hard to get used to. If you hold the phone in your left hand, it is very easy to accidentally put a thumbprint on the lens, until you get used to avoiding it. (The actual lens is behind a piece of clear plastic, so this is, at worst, a minor annoyance.)

To take still images with the N90, you leave it closed and turn it sideways like a compact camera, twisting the lens barrel outward. In the video configuration, you open it halfway and twist the display, so that you can hold the phone upright with the lens pointing away from you. This is easier to show than to describe, so check out the pictures below to see the various ways to hold the N90.

The following pictures show the controls on the sides of the N90. On the left are the camera lens, charging port, and Pop-Port (under a rubber cover). On the right are the memory card slot (behind the metal door) and camera controls (joystick and shutter button).

The external display on the N90 is almost as big as the main display on some cheaper phones. Not only can it have wallpaper, but you can read incoming text messages and answer calls on it without ever opening the phone.

Imaging and Video

The stand-out feature of the N90 is its camera. With a Carl Zeiss f/2.9 35mm (equivalent) autofocus lens and 2.1 megapixel (1600×1200) sensor, the N90 is in a photographic class above most other camera phones. Its physical construction and built-in software are designed to make it feel and act more like a real camera than most of the competition.

For still photography, you don’t even have to open the lid. Flip the lens barrel out, hold the N90 sideways, and it looks and feels almost exactly like a compact camera. The camera software activates almost instantly, the cover display becoming an electronic viewfinder, and you can control many of its settings with the tiny joystick next to the shutter button. As on most digital cameras, you can press the shutter halfway to lock exposure and focus, or just press it all the way down to take a quick shot. You can flip the lens, take a picture, and put the N90 back in your pocket in a few seconds.

Opening the N90 and twisting its main display around into the “camcorder” position also starts the camera software quickly and automatically, but with a different user interface tailored to the larger screen. In this configuration you can access all of the camera settings, record stills or video, and view the gallery.

In either configuration, the camera software is intuitive and very much like what you would find on any other digital camera. I don’t have a lot of experience with other camera phones, but I have a hard time imagining that any of them are more convenient than the N90.

The quality of the N90’s images seems to be reasonably good. I took a couple of outdoor test shots, which you can see below along with similar shots taken with a Nikon Coolpix 800 (which is also a 2.1 megapixel camera) immediately afterward. The Nikon images were taken at minimum zoom (roughly equivalent to the fixed focal length of the N90’s lens) with default, automatic settings for white balance and exposure. (Note: click on the images to see the full, unedited versions.)

First, the images from the N90:

And the ones from the Nikon:

The N90’s images are, by comparison, very warm. Interestingly, if I apply iPhoto’s automatic enhancement filter to the Nikon images, the colors become comparable to the N90’s unedited output. The difference may be a matter of preference; I happen to like the Nikon’s “coldness” better, but I suspect accurate color would be somewhere in between the two.

Next, here are a couple of self-portraits taken under normal room lighting by holding the camera at arm’s length while sitting at my desk, the first with flash and the second without. Notice that even the flash shot is somewhat grainy, and shows blurriness due to camera shake.

Although full specifications for the N90’s camera are not provided in its marketing literature, the EXIF data from these images can tell us a few things. The flash self-portrait is ISO 800, 1/8 second shutter—no wonder it’s grainy and a bit blurry. The white LED “flash” simply cannot provide the same amount of light as even a small tube flash. This is a necessary compromise for a camera phone, but it is also a limitation to be aware of.

Based on the EXIF data of all the images, it appears that the N90’s camera has a fixed aperture of f/2.9, sensitivity from at least ISO 250 to 1000, and shutter speeds from at least 1/8 to 1/2500. According to the manufacturer’s specs, it focuses down to 10cm. All things considered, this is an impressive amount of photographic flexibility for a camera phone.

The N90 can record video as well, although only at a relatively low resolution (352×288, 15fps). Three video quality levels are available; the highest uses the MPEG-4 codec, the lower two use 3GPP and are suitable for e-mail or MMS messaging. Here are some short (10 second) videos in all three formats, so you can see the difference:

[1.1MB MPEG-4]
[212KB 3GP]
[112KB 3GP]

(Note: The N90 does record sound with its videos; if the samples seem not to have audio, it is because there wasn’t anything but wind noise to record.)

Software

Like many of Nokia’s other models, the N90 is based on the Series 60 (Symbian) platform. Though the Series 60 platform is not quite at the same level as the Palm or Windows Mobile PDA operating systems, it has better-than-average contact management, synchronization, and third-party application support. The N90 comes with an extensive set of software:

• Contacts, Calendar, To-Do, Notes
• Still and video imaging
• Messaging (SMS, MMS, POP3 and IMAP4 email)
• Gallery (image, video, and sound clip management)
• Movie Director (edit movie clips)
• Kodak Mobile (share and print photos)
• Voice Recorder
• Adobe PDF reader
• QuickOffice (read only access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents)
• RealPlayer
• Image and video editors
• MP3 and AAC music player
• Symbian web browser
• Opera web browser
• Info Print (printing directly to Bluetooth printers)
• Nokia PC-Suite for Windows (2000/XP)
• Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition for Windows
• Adobe Mobile Video Editor for Windows

The main display of the N90 has twice the resolution in each direction as most other Series 60 phones. Most of the built-in software, including all of the standard Symbian applications, uses the full resolution of the display, and it looks fantastic. Applications that don’t expect a high resolution display will be scaled up, looking somewhat fuzzy but still quite usable. Taking pictures of an LCD rarely does it justice, but here are a couple of comparisons between the N90 and an older Series 60 device (the N-Gage QD, which also happens to have the ugliest color scheme ever inflicted on a phone):

(First and third screens: N90. Second and fourth: N-Gage QD.)

And some more screens from the Symbian OS and software:

The review model also came with Nokia Lifeblog, which tracks all of your photos, calls, and text messages in a unified timeline which can be synchronized to your PC or to the web. It also includes an uploading tool which makes it easy to publish photos to a weblog or Flickr photostream.

Using the N90

Operating the N90 is, in most ways, just like using any other Series 60 phone. Therefore, my comments here will focus on new or interesting features not found in older models.

The first visible change from previous incarnations of the Series 60 system is that the home screen is more PDA-like, with a row of shortcut icons and a listing of upcoming events. Along with the usual two programmable buttons, this makes up to seven applications available without going through the menu, and given how much software the N90 comes with this is a welcome addition.

Another interesting feature of the N90 is its voice dialing, which is not based on prerecorded tags. Instead, it actually tries to recognize the names of your contacts, adapting to your voice the more you use it. While this is a nice idea, I was not able to make it work very well in practice. My impression is that it requires some training and tweaking before it reaches full accuracy, and I haven’t had enough time with the N90 to do that yet.

One surprising omission from the N90 is the lack of a vibrating alert. Why Nokia left out such a fundamental feature is a mystery to me, especially given that the N90 is otherwise very well endowed.

PC Connectivity and Synchronization

The first thing I did after unboxing the N90 was to try to synchronize it. Pairing it with my PowerMac G5 for Bluetooth communication was as easy as usual, but iSync did not recognize the N90. This is a well-known problem, but since the N90 is a Series 60 device it is possible to poke at the innards of iSync to make it work. (The fix is relatively pain-free, but I don’t recommend it for the faint of heart since it does involve changing files internal to Apple software.) This done, iSync installed its conduit on the N90 and loaded up my Address Book and iCal data without problems. Sending files in both directions with Bluetooth was also flawless, and significantly faster than with the N-Gage QD (also a Series 60 device) I use as my everyday phone.

Since I don’t use Windows, I can’t say much about the PC Suite software, except that it claims to handle synchronization, saving images, loading music, and ripping CDs. The PC Suite works with Bluetooth or USB 2.0 using the included cable.

If you are upgrading from another Series 60 phone, the N90 includes a “Transfer” application which uses Bluetooth to copy your contacts and settings from your old phone. It is far more efficient than using the SIM, because it copies the entire contact database including multiple phone numbers, addresses, and images.

Music

The N90 is capable of playing music, but not really designed for it. The built-in audio player handles MP3 and unprotected AAC formats, but there is no way to control it with the phone closed. A larger obstacle is the lack of a conventional headset jack on the N90; the supplied earbuds connect directly to the Pop-Port on the side, leaving no way to plug in standard headphones. If you want music capability in your phone, the N91 is probably a better choice.

Conclusion and Availability

My opinion of the N90 is mixed. There is a lot to love about it: a comparatively excellent camera, nice display, and a good software bundle, just to name a few things. My only complaints about its design are minor: lack of vibrating alert and a headset jack, and the different-than-usual power connector.

The lack of 850 MHz support is potentially a bigger issue, since it cuts out a big chunk of the American GSM market. It’s not surprising that high-end devices like this one are available in European versions first, but I still hope that quad-band, instead of tri-band, will someday become the norm. (The N90 does everything else, after all.)

In addition to the usual GSM phone importers, the N90 is now (as of the 2005 holiday season) available in the USA through CompUSA and Ritz Camera, priced at $600 without contract.

Filed in categories: Wireless

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone

Nokia N90 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 13, 2005 at 9:17 am.

When I bought my O2 XDA II Mini in February this year, I
thought “Now this device will be a keeper for at least a
year”. How silly of me. As soon as I started reading about
the HTC Universal, I knew that was going to change. A device that had a
built-in keyboard, WiFi and VGA was for me!! As the device
materialized, I was very interested still, but the size and price were
huge!! There was no way that I was going to spend on a PDA Phone what
could be spent on a decent laptop. Besides that, there was also the
size factor. When I got the Mini, I was exposed to the world of a
small, all-in-one device that could do the duty of both my phone and
PDA.

Then I started reading about the HTC Wizard. This device
seemed perfect. Built-in WiFi? Check. Keyboard? Check. Size? Just
right. I placed an order for the K-JAM with Expansys Australia on 24th
October. They expected it to ship in 10 days. That seemed fine. But,
then that date kept bumping up. Searching through various forums, I
found out about an Australian-based company called
AnythingOnline.
A quick call to them on Friday, 31st October, found that they had stock
(51 in stock!), and that they would ship on Monday. I immediately went
to their site and placed an order. It was slightly more than Expansys,
but they could guarantee me that I would get it next week. I emailed
Expansys that I wanted to cancel my order, and sat in wait for next
week when my i-mate K-JAM would arrive.>

The
Arrival 

True to their word, the K-JAM showed up on Tuesday morning at
my dad’s office. I was at school, so had it sent there so he
could sign for it. It was a painful day at school, as dad SMSed me at
9am to say that it was on his desk (at my request unopened). Not only
did I have to wade through 6 classes during the day, but I had to wait
for him to get home from work!!!! 

He got home at 5:30pm, and I was ready to tear into this sucker

First Impressions 
(1/11/2005 – 2/11/2005) 

The i-mate K-JAM box

Included in the box were the following items: 

• i-mate
  K-JAM
• 1250mAh
  Battery
• 2
  Styli (one in device, one spare in box)
• AC
  Adaptor (Australian plug)
• USB
  to miniUSB Charge/Sync Cable
• Stereo
  2.5mm Headset with Answer button and volume control
• CD
  With ActiveSync 4.0 and Outlook 2002
• Slip
  Case (will take about later)
• i-mate
  Pamphlet

The obvious glaring omission for a device of this price is a
cradle. I like to be able to dock my PDA somewhere that I can see the
screen, but I can live with it. I did with the Mini….

When I first opened the box I was quite surprised at the size
of the device. I had seen pictures on the internet that showed the size
of the HTC Wizard next to the HTC Magician (which I had prior to the
Wizard), but in hand it just seemed amazing that they could pack
everything into a device this size. Unfortunately I sold my Magician
before I received the K-JAM, so I can’t directly compare
them, but here are some photos with other devices I currently
own. 

iPod nano, Sony PSP, K-JAM, Nokia 8210 

Nokia 8210 and K-JAM – funnily have the same size
colours! 

From top: iPod nano, Nokia 8210, K-JAM, PSP 

The extra thickness of the device (compared to the Magician)
is noticeable, but during use it is fine. I did find that it was really
bulky when combined with the bundled case, so until I receive my PDair
case, I have resorted to using the device without a case.

At the moment this suits me fine, but I intend to get a screen
protector ASAP. It is definitely worth it to have the built-in
keyboard! But more on that later… 

The first thing I did before I turned it on was insert my SIM card and
512Mb miniSD card. After I had gone through the silly tutorial (yep,
the same one from WM2003, and PPC2000 I think) I did a soft reset to
prevent all the bundled programs installing, including an Anti-Virus
program which at the moment is useless, as I have read they slow down
the device ridiculously. By doing this I have likely saved myself a lot
of trouble, and have a much more stable device. 

So far I have installed my main apps, some of which are certified for
WM5 and some that aren’t. I haven’t experienced any
problems with them. On my device I have: 

• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  TCPMP
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Total Commander
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  PHM Regedit and PPC Plus
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  SPB GPRS and Pocket Plus
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Opera Mini (MIDlet one)
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  MS Stock Scramble (MS Games Pack)
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Monopoly
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Macromedia Flash ActiveX
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  AvantGo 5.7
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Skype 1.2 Beta
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Agile Messenger (the free one)
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  AE Uptime
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  PocketRAR
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  MS Voice Command 1.5

The Hardware 

The i-mate K-JAM 

Before I look at the device, lets look at the specs: 

• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  TI OMAP 850 200mhz Processor
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  128Mb ROM (~47.5Mb available)
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  64MB RAM
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Quad-band GSM Radio with GPRS/EDGE – 850/900/1800/1900Mhz
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Integrated WiFi Radio – 802.11b/g
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Bluetooth 1.2 (2.0 update expected soon)
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  miniSD slot
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Integrated Stereo Speakers
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  2.8” QVGA LCD – 240×320 Resolution
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Built-in slide-out QWERTY thumboard
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  1.3MP CMOS Camera with Flash Light
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  miniUSB Port (charging and syncing)
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  2.5mm Stereo headphone/headset jack
• style="color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 12pt;">
  Windows Mobile 5

Left Side: Comm Manager Button, Volume Slider, Left Speaker 

I, as were many people online, was initially a bit afraid of the use of
the OMAP 850 processor in the K-JAM, but after a bit of reading, I
figured it would be ok. I have found it to just as good as my XDA II
Mini which had an XScale PXA272 416Mhz processor. It has stood up to
all the applications I have installed, including Skype which states
requirements of a 400 MHz processor. The only area that I have noticed
where the XScale beats the OMAP by any noticeable difference is playing
video in TCPMP. TCPMP has optimizations for the XScale so I figure
that’s why. Don’t get me wrong, I can play videos
that are formatted for the PPC, just not ones with the highest
bitrates. This isn’t a concern for me, as I rarely play video
on my PDA anymore (using the PSP for that). Overall, the system
performance is great. 

Right Side: Camera Button, IrDA, Right Speaker, Voice Dialer
Button 

Using the K-JAM is just as easy, if not easier, as it was with the
Mini. The K-JAM is the perfect size between PDA and phone, so no
looking like an idiot when you hold the phone to your head to take a
call. I am very happy with its call quality, which I have noticed seems
better and louder than the Mini. The person on the other end can hear
me clearly too. I should also mention the speakerphone on this device
is excellent. I can hear the caller easily over the stereo speakers,
and they can hear me quite clearly from 3 metres away. 

The screen on this device is EXCELLENT. It is a lot brighter than the
one on my Mini, and I typically use it at half brightness because it is
so bright. The 2.8” size is excellent, as things are not too
small, but the higher density of the pixels gives a sharper picture
with less black lines between them. 

Next up is the WiFi. I have had a PDA with built-in WiFi before (the
iPAQ 4355), and it is soooo much better than having an external WiFi
card. The sheer convenience of just taping an icon and having WiFi come
on is fantastic. Not only does it have WiFi, but it also uses the newer
(and faster) 802.11g standard, with a maximum throughput of 54Mbps. Not
doing any scientific tests, I can say that it is much faster than my
Mini with Sandisk SD WiFi card was at transferring files. I transferred
a 6Mb MP3 file in less than 15 seconds, which took a lot longer using
the Mini + SD WiFi combo. The b/g radio does offer better performance,
which is great. It doesn’t really help with internet access
though, as 3Mbps Cable sees little (if any) benefit over the faster
connection.

Top: Power Button and miniSD Slot 

I have only used the Bluetooth for syncing, but it works very well for
that. It seems a lot faster than the Mini did, but this could also be a
combo of WM5 and ActiveSync 4.1. It is a lot easier to setup BT
ActiveSync now that there are options in ActiveSync on the PPC for
it. 

The speakers in this device are AWESOME!!! I have never heard such a
loud PDA before. Ringtones are deafening, as are playing MP3s. At
highest volumes on MP3s there is some distortion, but even at the
highest they go with good quality they will blow you away. I was always
annoyed when I would miss a call on the Mini because of the low ringer
volume, but I know this will not be an issue for this device! 

Back: 1.3MP CMOS Camera, Flash Light, Removable Battery Door 

The camera isn’t anything to get excited about, its still
pretty poor, but an improvement on the Mini’s camera. The
Flash Light does help, but only if the camera is within 50cm of the
target. It is rather useless, but never mind. If you’re
looking for a good camera, you aren’t looking at a PDA to
fulfill that need.

Daylight – no flash

Inside – no flash

But as I said with the Mini, a camera is better than none, and this one
will do if you don’t have your good camera handy but want to
take a snap of something. 

Bottom: Lanyard, 2.5mm Headset Jack, miniUSB port, Battery Cover
Switch, Stylus 

Now it is likely that one of your main reasons (as it was mine) for
buying the K-JAM (or other variant) is the built-in thumboard. The
thumboard has a blue backlight for seeing it in the dark. I am very
happy with the keyboard. I tried the HTC Blue Angel keyboard, and the
membrane style wasn’t that great. This keyboard has separate
buttons that have great tactile feel, good spacing and are a decent
size. The device automatically switches into landscape when you slide
the keyboard out which is a nice feature. I haven’t had any
problems using the keyboard so far, and have found it to be better than
the one on my iPAQ 4355. The backlight can be a bit annoying when it
isn’t quite dark, but its not too bad. HTC have done an
excellent job of fitting a decent keyboard into a small device like
this, without having to sacrifice screen space like with the iPAQ
hw65/67xx. 

The keyboard backlight 

Having the soft keys definitely comes in handy when you get a stylus
like the one supplied. It is a bit better than the Mini, because of its
thickness, but it is a return to the telescopic days. This stylus is
ridiculously small when collapsed, and on occasion it doesn’t
extend when removed from the silo. 

The hardware buttons on the face of the device are very study, have
excellent feel and do not flex at all. They don’t wobble like
I found on the Mini. The only issue I have found is the top two buttons
have started to wear off.

They are cut into the metal, and filled with a grey paint, but the
paint has started to wear off. The Messaging icon was half gone, so I
scratched the rest off. I expect the IE icon to go soon too. It looks
fine without the paint, just a bit lighter. The Send/End keys light up
their appropriate colours which is a nice touch. 

The case that comes with the device is not that great. Unless you want
to carry it on your belt, it’s too thick to put in a pants
pocket. It would be ok in a jacket pocket, but even then I think
it’s a stretch. I have been carrying the device without a
case and that seems to work pretty well. It makes it easy to use the
keyboard, as there is no case in the way to obstruct use of the device.
I have a PDair case ordered, so I will see if I will continue without a
case or use the PDair one.

Update 13/11/05: Received the PDair case, and its fit just wasn’t that
good. The K-JAM wouldn’t sit straight in it, and the way is clang to
the device (a piece of plastic between the screen and keyboard) seems
to strain the slider. I have sent it back and am waiting to receive a
replacement case (the PDair Aluminium version for the K-JAM). 

The K-JAM uses a miniSD slot, which is absolutely tiny!! I ordered a
512Mb card off eBay at the same time as I placed my order with
Expansys, so I got it well before I received the K-JAM. As you can see,
compared to other memory cards its tiny. 

 

miniSD Card and Comparison between miniSD Adaptor, miniSD, MS Duo and
MMC

The battery in the K-JAM is a 1250mAh Li-Ion removable
battery. So far, I am very impressed with the battery life of this
unit. I can use it for about 7hrs, with a combination of WiFi, BT,
GPRS, Calls and music, in addition to standard PIM functions. I was
amazed that it could last this long under such stress!!

That OMAP processor must really be saving power. I rarely got
about 6.5hrs of that sort of use on my Mini, and that doesn’t include
using my SD WiFi! 

That about does it for the hardware side of the device. Lets look at
the software. 

Software 

The K-JAM comes with Microsoft’s latest addition to the
Windows Mobile lineup: Windows Mobile 5. The greatest thing I have
found about the new operating system is the one-handed operation of the
device by using “soft keys” to navigate programs
(just like the MS Smartphone OS has done since the beginning). This is
great on a small device like the K-JAM, as it means you
aren’t constantly reaching for the (toothpick) stylus. This
is especially important because of the keyboard, as it is preferable
not to have to keep taking out the stylus all the time. 

Older applications may not yet have soft key support, which is quite a
shame as it makes navigation a lot easier. It would be great if WM5
could detect when an app has only one or two buttons on the menu bar
and automatically assign them to soft keys. 

As you will see in the following screenshots, the included applications
all take advantage of the new soft keys. On my Today screen I have used
a registry mod to change my right soft key to Agile Messenger. 

 

Today Screen and Phone Screen 

 
 
Programs and ActiveSync 

 
 
Internet Explorer in Full Screen and Standard view 

  
New Contacts View with Picture Support and Comm Manager (Toggle
WiFi/BT/Sound ON/OFF) 

 

File Explorer (with new Folder Up button) and Windows Media Player 10.2

 

Pocket MSN (not a dead web link but a menu!) and MSN Messenger 

Memory Panel (notice lack of allocation slider due to WM5 memory
configuration) 

I won’t go through all of the various WM5 features, as they
are largely the same as WM2003. For a great review of WM5, have a look
at
this
BargainPDA article. 

Conclusion 

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. The device doesn’t
show any slowdowns as the processor might suggest. Even though you only
get a fraction of the 128MB ROM for your own use, the portion you do
get is bigger than that on 64MB devices. I have loaded all of my
applications into ROM, only having music and files on my 512Mb miniSD.
WiFi and BT work very well, and the 802.11g radio does make a
difference in the speed of file transfers over the network. The screen
is excellent, and very bright. I wish it used SD cards, as I already
had an SD card, but miniSD isn’t too expensive so
it’s not really a problem. 

Price: AU$1127.40 delivered 

Manufacturer: HTC and branded by i-mate 

Purchased:
AnythingOnline

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Phone, Pocket PC

i-mate K-JAM HTC Wizard Pocket PC Phone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 16, 2005 at 11:20 am.

Updated 05/12/2005

Background:

I’ve never been a mobile phone junkie, but I’ve been wanting a new phone
pretty much since the day I upgraded to the Motorola T720 a year ago. I quickly
came to the realization that I didn’t like flip phones at all. When the phone
would ring while I was driving, I would fumble around trying to pull it out of
my pocket and then would need 2 hands to open it. I wanted a candy bar phone
again… But, since I wasn’t a phone junkie, I just resigned myself to using it
for a year till I could then upgrade to something else.

I don’t really use my phone that much, but I always have it in
my jacket pocket or gear bag just in case. Along with the phone, I also carry
whatever PDA I’m currently using. Lately that has been the
HP hx4700 iPAQ. I’ve not used a Palm OS
PDA as my main PDA in a long while. Actually, the last time I did, it was with
the Tungsten | T… ages ago in other
words.

Recently I have found myself pining away for a Smart Phone. I thought I
lucked out when I received 2 Windows Mobile Smart phones at the last Mobius
conference that I attended. Unlucky for me, GSM coverage in my area is sorely
lacking. I tried both phones with Cingular and AT&T SIM cards only to discover
that neither could get an adequate signal where I live. The best carrier in my
area is Verizon. I actually have a tower about .5 miles from my house. This
allows me to even use a mobile phone in my basement if I like.

When Judie and I attended CES earlier
this year, we met up with Dan Parson’s, who hosts The Gadgeteer. He had the
Treo 600.
He kept using it to check his email and do work on his web server while we were
all at a restaurant. Very cool! Judie had reviewed the 600 a year earlier. At
that time, I figured if she didn’t like it enough to buy one after the review,
that I probably wouldn’t either. So I didn’t.

After seeing Dan’s phone, I started wondering if the Treo would be a good
phone for me. It was available for the Verizon network. But PalmOne had recently
come out with a newer model, the 650. The only carrier with the newer model was
Sprint, and like Cingular and AT&T, coverage at my house was pretty much nil. I
didn’t want to buy an older model like the 600, so just put it out of my mind.

Then I started hearing about some ingenious hacker types that had found a way
to hack a Sprint Treo 650 for use on the Verizon network. The conversion
required a special cable and some software tweaking, nothing I wasn’t adverse to
doing, but I tend to be lazy and felt it was a bit of a hassle, so I again, I
just put it out of my mind.

The 650 instantly jumped back into my mind earlier this week when I decided
to do an eBay search on "Treo 650 Verizon". Instantly I found people selling
hacked phones ready to activate. No cables, or hacking needed. I didn’t need to
procrastinate any more, I pressed the Buy It Now button and had myself a Treo
650 for $659 with next day shipping included.

03/01/05

Played hookey from work so that I could be at home to receive the Treo…
10:30am, DHL knocked on my door and handed me my new toy. I opened the Sprint
branded box and pulled out the 650. It was smaller than what I thought it would
be. Bigger than my Motorola, of course. After all, it’s not just a phone but a
full blown Palm OS PDA as well.  I find the Treo very comfortable to hold.
It’s solid and heavy… my favorite combination. Along with the fact that it
doesn’t flex or creak when I squeeze it, I’m very happy with the build quality
of this device.

As always, the first thing I did was plug it into the included AC adapter for
charging.

3hrs later when the charging indicator LED turned from red to green, I was
ready to activate it on the Verizon network. This required me to call consumer
service and be a big fat liar. According to some folks in the Treo forums,
Verizon can either be nice or not so nice if you tell them the truth. I’ve
always been of the mind that honesty is the best policy, but since I just spent
$659 bucks, I decided to forego my morals for the day ;o) The customer service
person that picked up the phone was super nice. I told him that I had purchased
a phone off eBay (not lying yet…) and that I wanted to activate it. He asked
me if I had the ESN (Electronic Serial Number). I told him yes (still not
lying…) and gave it to him. Then he asked me the make and model of my phone. I
told him it was an Audiovox 9100 (liar liar pants on fire!). At that point, he
told me to turn off my phone, turn it back on and dial *228 and then press 1
after it picked up. Approximately 10 seconds later my phone was activated and he
tested it by calling me. Easy and simple, just the way I like it! He asked if he
could do anything else for me, so I told him that I was interested in a data
plan. I ended up adding a $4.99 mobile web plan to my account thinking it would
allow me to check my email and surf using the Treo. He then asked me to go
through some steps to make sure the new plan was working correctly, but none of
the steps / menu picks matched what I had available on the Treo. Oops! I told
him it was all working fine as I thought I could figure it out later by
myself… I hung up with Verizon and did a little happy dance.

I proceeded to install Palm Desktop from the CD included with the phone. Soon
I had synced my new Treo with Outlook and was joyous to see that all my
contacts, notes, and calendar items and synced perfectly. At this point, I
started to remember just how much faster Palm OS syncs as opposed to Pocket PCs
with ActiveSync…

I spent the rest of the night surfing Palm OS software site trying to find
all my old fave programs.

Before I turned in for the night, I tried to get the web browser to work and
was unsuccessful at connecting. The phone kept giving me a PPP time out error.
Frustrated, I emailed the person I bought it from and went to bed.
 

03/02/05

My first full day with a Smart Phone…

I left the Treo on the charger all night and would leave the phone / radio
powered on the entire day. This was going to be my first day to see what the
battery life was like. Unfortunately, this was also a very busy day at my day
job, so I didn’t have a chance to really goof around with the phone for most of
the day. During the day I
probably powered the Treo on 10 times or less to check memos, calendar items and
the address book. I didn’t play any games or read any books. Just used it for
light PIM type usage. As far as using the actual phone, I only made 1 or 2 very
short calls. By late afternoon, the battery indicator already showed that
it was about halfway drained. This kind of worried me…

In the little time that I did use the Treo for PDA related tasks, I
immediately found myself missing the ability to write on the
display. The lack of a Graffiti area felt very strange to me. That said, the
ability to navigate through most applications while holding the device in one
hand is pretty easy for the most part. I’m still getting used to it though…

Placing calls just using one hand requires that you first press the Power/End
button, then press the center navigation select button to unlock the keyguard
(aka hold feature). Then you can either press the blue number keys on the
keyboard or use the on screen number pad to dial a number. If you need to look
up a number in your contacts list, you can just select the contacts quick button
on the screen and then start typing in the letters of either a last name or
first name that you wish to dial. As you type, the list of matching names will
get shorter and shorter till the one you want to dial is either left in the
list, or you can scroll to it and press select to dial. Using this method to
dial a number that you don’t often dial isn’t bad at all.

For numbers that you dial all the time, you can assign speed dial buttons /
letters to. Once you do this, it’s as easy as pressing the Power/End button,
pressing the keyguard unlock button and then holding down the speed dial letter
for the number you would like to call. Some people might think this is too many
steps… I’m going to install the included voice dialing demo soon and try it
out…

I need a case or something for this phone. So far I’ve been transporting it
in a old leather drawstring Vaja bag and then stowing it in my gear bag. Not too
efficient… Until I get a screen protector, I don’t feel confident just putting
it in my jacket pocket.

On the drive home from work I was happy to find out that the screen is still
viewable in bright sunlight and with sunglasses  on. I was also happy to
notice that the signal strength all day was as good or better than my old
Motorola T720. Even in my basement. Yay!

The person I bought the phone from called me to talk about my question
concerning web surfing. He let me know that the $4.99/mo. Mobile Web package
would not allow me to do what I wanted and that I would need a regular data
plan. He told me to call Verizon and tell them that I had a Treo 600 and that I
wanted a high speed data plan. Argh, that means calling and fibbing again…

Put the Treo on the charger for the night and decided not to charge for a few
days to see how well the battery really performed.

03/03/05 & 03/04/05

The max volume level on this phone is excellent! Love the speaker phone too.
And I’m really happy that the alarms for the calendar are polyphonic! Yay! I
haven’t tried to install any additional ones yet… Like most phones, you can
assign different sounds to different phone events, like voicemails, known caller
and unknown caller. Out of the box you can’t assign individual tones on a per
caller basis though.

Spent some time sending and receiving SMS messages. Too bad the Treo doesn’t
have a predictive text feature. No big deal really since it has such a nice
keyboard. The keyboard is quite small though. People with large finger tips may
have problems pressing more than one key. I either hold the phone in one hand
and just use my thumb to press keys, or I hold it between both hands and use
both thumbs. The dual thumb method seems to work better when I want to write
more than a couple of words at a time.

The keys are hard plastic with definite tactile feedback when pressed. The
layout is QWERTY, but each key has up to 4 different characters assigned to it.
To activate each character, you can either press the key alone, or with a Shift
button, Alt button or Option button.

The entire keyboard is backlit which is invaluable when trying to type in the
dark. The keys above the keyboard (except for the Home and Menu keys also light
up.

The only other buttons on the Treo include the large volume rocker button on
the left side, user assignable side button and the ringer on/off slider switch
on top.

Lgreenberg in the
comment area
for the review mentioned that I could have just purchased a non-hacked Sprint
Treo 650 and then add a $5/mo. feature to the phone that allowed free roaming on
Verizon towers. I was like DOH, I wish I would have known this sooner. That and
the fact that Sprint’s data plans are much lower than Verizon’s had me bummed
for awhile. I ended up writing the seller to see if he would honor his return
policy. I figured I could sign up with Sprint and go for the roaming deal. Then
someone else mentioned that if I ended up roaming, that I would not be able to
use the data plan on a Verizon tower… I decided to check with Sprint later to
see if they actually might have equipment on the Verizon tower .5 miles from my
house.
 

03/05/05 & 03/06/05

Had planned to really get to know my new Smart Phone during the weekend but
ended up doing other stuff instead. You know how weekends can be…

I did sign up on PalmOne’s site for the free 128mb SD card that Treo 650
owners are entitled too. This is to help make up for the fact that this model
has less available memory than the previous model. The 600 had 24mb available,
while the 650 only has 23mb. 1mb might not sound like anything to really get
torqued about, but it’s the fact that the 650 uses Non Volatile RAM on the 650.
This memory type enables the device to not lose your data if the battery goes
dead. Great stuff, but the memory also uses larger block sizes. This means that
programs on the 650 take up more space in memory than the same programs on a
600. Clear as mud? Anyway, people were pretty unhappy about this problem, so
Palm decided to offer a free 128mb SD to all Treo 650 owners. I was able to go
to PalmOne’s site, enter my phone’s serial number and the serial number for the
software CD and badda boom, badda bing, I am getting a free card. Not that I’ll
probably use it in the Treo, but it isn’t costing me a cent. I’m off to search
for a good deal on a fast 1gb SD card!

I think that first battery charge problem was just a fluke. I didn’t charge
the Treo for 4 days, and it still had over half the battery left. I still need
to do some better testing though.
 

03/07/05

Monday’s, gotta love them. Or not… On the way to work I had to make a
couple of calls, I was surprised that I can now make calls one handed without
even really thinking about it. Even looking up a number in the address book
wasn’t too difficult while trying to keep my eyes on the road. I still need to
install the voice dialing demo software…

Finally got around to calling Verizon today to dump the Mobile Web add-on and
add a high speed data plan. Removing the add-on was a piece of cake. Getting the
data plan was a little hairy. When I first asked, she seemed confused and asked
what kind of data plan I was wanting. I told her something so I could surf the
web and check email. Then she asked me what phone I had. I told her a Treo 600
(…and let the lying commence!). She questioned where I got the phone because
their records were showing that I had an AudioVox. I told her I got it on eBay
and then she wanted to know if I needed to activate it. I told her no, that I
had already done that last week. So then she wanted me to tell her the serial
number (ESN) for the phone. I told her the one she had on file, and she was even
more confused, but she then said that there were three plans. For $20, a 20mb
plan and for $44.99 an unlimited data plan. I told her that I wanted to try out
the $20 plan. So she tries to add it to my phone, but keeps mumbling that it
won’t work. She puts me on hold, tries again, and still can’t get it. Finally
she asks me to hold and tells me that she’s going to get a tech to come on the
line. I’m thinking oh oh, here we go… The tech gets on the line and asks me
point blank if I have a Spring Treo and I figure I’ll just come clean, and I
admit that I do. I never do say it’s a 650 though… He then tells me that even
though the phone will work as a phone, that they can’t guarantee that it will
work for data. I say that I know it will because other people are successfully
using it. He then says that he can get a 2nd level tech to come on to help. At
this point, the original person I was talking to says she can handle it from
here and she lets him get off the phone. She then tells me that she’ll just go
through the back door and add it for me. I’m like YES! But she
tries and tries and isn’t successful. She finally mentions that for some reason,
the only option that is coming up is for the unlimited plan, the $5 and $20
plans aren’t showing up. I tell her to go ahead and add the $44.99/mo. plan.
Bingo! She gets it to go in and within seconds, I’ve connected and am surfing to
Google using the built in Blazer web browser. Life is good!

I immediately go over to my friend Bill’s desk and show him the phone with
the Google site up. He grabs it from me and proceeds to search on lewd keywords.
Why? Because he could ;o)

Although surfing on the Treo isn’t ideal, it does work and the speed isn’t so
slow that it makes you want to crawl the walls. I’m not sure I’ll keep the plan,
but I will use it for one month and just see how useful it is to me. Since I’m
around a full sized computer 95% of the day, it is probably going to be
removed…

On the way home from work, I stopped at the local Sprint PCS store and asked
the guy behind the counter if he knew if the tower near where I live had Sprint
equipment on it. He gave me a blank stare and said that he didn’t think so and
that there was going to be a tower going up in my area in the next couple of
months. He couldn’t tell me exactly where it would be going though… Since I
have yet to even hear back from the person that sold me the Treo 650 regarding a
return, I figure I’m stuck with this one and will just deal with the higher data
plan charges. That is if I even keep the data plan after one month…
 

03/08/05

Was very much missing Graffiti today, so I installed Graffiti Anywhere. This
is a great freeware app that allows you to write Graffiti anywhere on the
screen. I still want to try a couple other solutions too, but I don’t want to
bog down the Treo with a bunch of software right away. I want to see just how
well the stock apps do their job. So far I’m quite happy.

Had a meeting this afternoon where I didn’t want the phone to ring. It was so
simple to just flip the ringer on/off switch on the top of the phone. No endless
menu navigation was needed. Turning this switch to the off position actually
turns off all system sounds which is cool. If a phone call does come through,
while the ringer is off, the phone will vibrate.
 

03/09/05

Wanted to test the audio quality but realized that the Treo has a mini phono
jack instead of a regular sized (3.5mm) jack. Unfortunately an adapter is not
included.

Also came to the realization today that a reset switch is not handy at all.
At first I didn’t even think there was one, but then found it under the battery
cover.

Becoming quite accustomed to navigating with my thumb on the 5 way navigation
pad. It’s 2nd nature now.

Received the free 128mb SD card in the mail today. That sure was fast, and I
took the free shipping method! I still need to buy a 1gb card…
 

03/10/05

Tested my data connection today.  Here’s a short list of websites that
worked fine: The Gadgeteer, eBay, my local bank, CNN, C-Net, My Yahoo, Slashdot,
and more…

The only site I had problems with (so far) was PayPal. A popup that said it
was trying to download non Sprint content  asked if I wanted to download a file.
I said ok and it downloaded an error message into my Memos and then went back to
the site I had been on before trying to load PayPal.

Blazer doesn’t seem to allow you to click on links until page has finished
loading. This is kind of a pain for really large pages like CNN. When I would
try to click on a link, it would give me an java error… Are there any better
browsers I should be trying?

As far as speed, I used
http://www.dslreports.com/mspeed to check that out. Trying the 200k test, I
only got 19kbit/sec on my first try. Granted, I was testing in the basement and
only had 1 bar of signal strength… A 2nd test upstairs with 2 bars signal
strength gave me a result of 33kbit/sec. Hmmm, crummy results. It feels faster
than that. Not sure what I should be expecting from Verizon though. I’ll do a few more tests tomorrow at
work.

Configured Versamail and was able to download email from my Gadgeteer POP3
account via a hotsync and through
the phone wirelessly. However, I wasn’t able to send mail through the phone. I kept getting an
authorization error… All the settings were taken directly from my desktop, so I’m not
sure why it wouldn’t work. I will be trying other clients soon. Versamail also
caused my Treo to soft reset at least twice. Not cool.

I stumbled upon a really cool FREE program called Win-Hand that is a PC
Anywhere type of program. Set up was a snap, and soon I was seeing and
interacting with my XP desktop on my Treo! Of course it was slow as could be,
but the wow factor was totally there. I was even able to type in a window on my
XP via the Treo.

I’m very surprised at how much I’m loving this phone / PDA combo! I used to
say that I would never want a phone that was also a PDA because I felt that
either the phone or the PDA would suffer from being combined into one device.
I’m here to say that I was wrong when it comes to the Treo 650. Everything is
integrated so well that it’s a pleasure to just have one small device instead
of two devices.

So far everything about the Treo has really captured me.  The screen is
bright, and crisp. Yeah, it’s not as big as my hx4700, but that’s ok. The only
thing I really would like the large screen real estate for, would be surfing. I
can deal with it. Reading ebooks on the screen won’t bother me at all.

Battery life seems to be excellent so far. System speed is wonderful. The
built in camera is ok. I have a real camera (Nikon Coolpix 8800) for pictures
though.

I think the major joy so far with the PDA part of this device has been coming
back to Palm OS. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I came back. It’s
just like putting on a comfy pair of jeans. I forgot what it was like to use
quick loading, easy to use apps. It’s actually making me excited about PDAs
again!

I’ve only been using the Treo 650 for a little over a week, but in that time
I’ve only turned on my hx4700 iPAQ once. I don’t find that I am missing it at
all. So, what is the answer to question in the title of this article: Can a
Smart Phone Become My Main Brain? It is a resounding YES. To Judie’s
dismay, my hx4700 iPAQ is officially retired. I may even eBay it…

In a few weeks after I really get used to the Treo 650, I’ll be posting a
follow up to this article talking about my favorite applications and hardware
accessories to use with it. So stay tuned…

05/12/05

I said in my last entry that I would update this article in a few weeks.
Those few weeks have actually turned out to be almost 8 weeks now. Time sure
flies when you’re having fun!

I’ve had the Treo 650 for a little over 2 months and I’m still loving it just
as much as the day I received it. It has turned out to be a great PDA and an
equally great phone.

Even though I rarely use the phone to surf or do wireless email, I haven’t
turned off the Verizon data plan yet. I’m afraid as soon as I do, I’ll be sorry.
Since I work in an office at a computer all day long, about the only time that I
do use the phone for data is when I’m waiting to meet a friend for lunch, or
while waiting for an appointment at a doctor’s office. That said, checking email
with the Treo is a joy with SnapperMail.
This application is definitely heads and shoulders above Versamail which comes
loaded with the Treo. Some other apps that I have been enjoying using are:

Avantgo – News download app
BackupMan – My favorite backup program

Butler – Adds tons of extras to the Treo to make it even better
Cleanup – Gets rid of deleted app
leftovers
Calorie King Diet Diary – Keeps
track of calories and exercises
Graffiti Anywhere – Freeware app that
allows you to write Graffiti on the Treo screen
eReader – My favorite ebook reader
Noah Pro – Simple dictionary program
Today – Freeware
today screen that shows upcoming appts, tasks and emails.
AcidSpider – Great solitaire game
TCPMP – Great freeware video
player

I even converted an entire movie from Windows Media Player format to play on
the Treo. The conversion took forever, but it was just a matter of dragging the
video file to the hotsync app and letting it automatically convert it. Yes, I
actually watched an entire movie on the little screen using the built in
Pictures and Video app. This application is pretty limited to features, but it
got the job done. The movie was the infamous Napoleon Dynamite. Having it on my
Treo was actually pretty handy because I was able to watch it while being sick
in bed one day.

As far as accessories, there are really only two things that I’ve been using
with the Treo. The
Vaja
T65 iVolution case, and the

Seidio USB Sync/Charge cable. As of this writing, they are my favorites.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I’m very happy with all aspects of
the Treo 650. Battery life has been excellent, phone volume and reception are
great, and the PDA integration with the phone is unrivaled as far as I’m
concerned. I’m really liking just carrying around one device now instead of two.
The only things that can make this phone better would be more memory and built
in GPS. But as it is, I don’t see myself upgrading to another phone in quite a
while. I don’t think I’ll even spring for a real Verizon 650. I’ll just stick
with my hacked Sprint version.

Check for best price on Treo 650′s here.

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged: Cellular, Mobile Phone, Palm, Phone

The Treo 650 (Can a Smart Phone Become My Main Brain?) Article originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 12, 2005 at 12:00 am.