Smartphone Reviews » WindowsMobile

Sprint Treo 700wx Review

Leroy — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 00:53:29 +0000

Verizon has had the only Windows powered Treo for long enough. Today Sprint introduced the new and improved Treo 700wx. This is great news for Sprint users like myself, who until now only had the Palm OS powered Treo 700p. The Treo 700wx is very similar to the Treo 700w , with the main difference being the desperately needed memory increase. The Sprint Treo 700wx also comes with DUN, which allows you to use it as a modem for your laptop. How much does the Treo 700wx cost? $649, or $499 with a 2 year contract.

Sprint Treo 700wx Specs

312 MHz Intel XScale CPU
128 MB Flash ROM with 60 MB for storage
64 MB RAM
240×240 pixel screen
EV-DO access or Sprint’s Power Vision network
Bluetooth 1.2
Windows Mobile 5.1 Pocket PC Phone Edition

Sprint Treo 700wx Reviews

Mobile Tech Review reviews the Treo 700wx and writes – ‘The Treo is hard to beat in any form, and the 700wx improves on the 700w by adding more memory. This and the 700w are by far the easiest Windows Mobile Pocket PC phones to use one-handed and Palm’s usability enhancements and hardware design are a winning combination. The smartphone is responsive and stable and generally a joy to use in business and messaging-centric settings. Sprint’s Power Vision EVDO service is a bargain at $15/month for unlimited data transfer and the Treo’s web browser and strong email client will keep you well connected (including push email).’

PC Mag reviews the Sprint Treo 700wx and writes – ‘Sprint currently sells two excellent handhelds. One is the Palm Treo 700p, which combines the familiar Treo form factor with a gorgeous 320-by-320 screen, EV-DO networking, and the very snappy performance of the Palm OS. It’s hands down my favorite Treo and one of my favorite handhelds ever. On the Windows Mobile side, the Sprint PPC-6700 offers more power with a faster processor, a better screen, and integrated Wi-Fi wireless networking. It’s the best device for frequent travelers currently on Sprint’s network. So while the Treo 700wx does a decent job, it’s simply outmatched by the competition on two fronts.’

Treo Central has a first look type of review for the Sprint Treo 700wx and has apparently fallen in love – ‘The 700wx is fast. EvDO is fast. The device itself is very responsive – especially compared to the 700w.’, ‘Yes, it works as a dial-up modem. Windows only (so far as I can tell – it requires software be installed on the desktop), and it works. Works great‘

Treo Central completed their full review of the Sprint Treo 700wx and is 100% in love with it – ‘The burning question, I suppose, is whether it’s the best smartphone currently on the market. Not to put too fine a point on it: is it better than the 700p? Here’s my take: the 700wx is more powerful and has more functionality but WM5 is still less intuitive and easy-to-use then the 700p’s PalmOS. Nevertheless, for me, the 700wx is better.’

Cnet reviews the Sprint Treo 700wx and writes – ‘As we mentioned earlier, we experienced improved performance with the 700wx over the Treo 700w. The device was responsive as we performed various tasks, even with multiple applications open. We had no problems transferring, viewing, or editing Office documents, and music and video playback were also smooth.’

Tags: Treo, treo+700wx, Smartphone, pda,

ETEN M600+ Review

Leroy — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 16:44:25 +0000

ETEN updated their M600, and renamed it the M600+ – not the most creative name I’ve seen. What does the ETEN M600+ hare to offer? Read on to find out.

ETEN M600+ Specs
Items in bold are upgrades from the M600

256 MB ROM
2.0 Megapixel digital camera
Bluetooth
MSFP (push email)
Samsung 400 MHz CPU
Wifi
GSM/GPRS
64 MB RAM

ETEN M600+ Reviews
Phone Arena reviews the ETEN M600+ and experienced bad sound quality – ‘The sound quality is awful! We’re not sure if the problem is with the model or our phone particularly, but the sound is just terrible. In a noisy environment almost nothing is heard, and even the loudspeaker’s volume is not high enough. The microphone quality is also pretty low and the other party will hardly hear what you’re saying.’

Tags: eten, m600+, windows+mobile, smartphone, pda, pocket+pc

HTC Tytn Review

Leroy — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 04:24:36 +0000

HTC has spend many years behind the scenes in the Pocket PC and Windows Mobile world. The HTC Tytn marks the first time that HTC will be selling a device under its own brand name. Will they be successful under the little-known HTC brand name? We’ll soon find out.The Tytn is based on the HTC Hermes design – I’m sure we’ll still see other companies producing smartphones based on the HTC Hermes design – it is a great one. It seems to be a minor, though needed, update to the hugely successful HTC Wizard.

HTC Tytn Specs

OS – Windows Mobile 5
CPU – Samsung 400 mHz
Memory – 64MB RAM; 128MB flash
Display – 2.8″ 320×240
Wireless: HSDPA / UMTS / GSM / GPRS / EDGE
Dual Cameras
Bluetooth 2.0
WiFi

The HTC Tytn certainly has the specs to make it a solid contender. There’s nothing revolutionary in the way of hardware here, with HSPDA being the major new feature.

HTC Tytn Reviews

The Mobile Gadgeteer reviews the HTC Tytn and is almost convinced, but holds back due to pricing concerns – ‘I was seriously considering the TyTN as my next purchase, but I can’t afford the US$700+ at this time and without the certainty that the TyTN will work on T-Mobile’s 3G data network later this year or early in 2007 I didn’t want to sell my Nokia E61 to offset about half the cost. The only improvement I would like is a second shift key on the right side of the keyboard and the use of a standard 2.5 or 3.5mm headset jack.’

Phone Arena reviews the HTC Tytn and is impressed with the jog dial – ‘Very convenient is the new “jog-dial” with confirm function which is located on the left side of the phone, or on the bottom when the keyboard is slid open. Jog-dial keys has been traditionally used in Sony phones for years, and take place in Sony Ericsson smartphones’ line as a comfortable way to navigate a touchscreen-capable device. Next to it is a hardware OK button as well, which acts the same way as pushing the jog-dial. Because if this innovation, the need of using the stylus is very limited.’

Tech Digest reviews the HTC Tytn and writes – ‘The design of the Tytn is superb. It feels solid but not heavy, and the keyboard slide is smooth, with a reassuring click when it’s in place. The screen automatically switches from portrait to landscape on that magic ‘click’ and there are soft buttons in both views which make it easy to access key functions,if you don’t fancy getting out the stylus for the touchscreen.’

MTekk reviews the HTC Tytn and writes – ‘Small, light weight, stylish, feature packed with 3G, hardware keyboard and more buttons then any user ever dreamed, the HTC TyTN is certainly a dangerous rival in the marketplace. It could be called the Atom of 3G devices, and certainly offers users a viable pocket pc entrance into the 3G realm. ’

Tags: HTC, hermes, tytn, windows+mobile, pocket+pc, smartphone, pda

Qtek 8500 review at Pocket Now

Leroy — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 15:50:30 +0000

Pocket Now reviews the Qtek 8500 and likes the screen, but laments its usability outdoors – ‘The Qtek 8500’s design is very stylish, slim, and sexy. Since HTC has crammed a 240×320 pixel screen into a 2.2 inch area, the crispness and color of the display is excellent… except outdoors. If you’re outside during the day, this screen gets totally washed out. The shiny plastic covering also helps cause a lot of glare while outdoors.’

This sounds like a big oversight from HTC / Qtek on this one. A phone must, above all other things, but usable as a phone. And that means outdoors. With the “normal phone” form factor of the Qtek 8500, people are going to use it even more like a regular phone. That means dialing while walking, texting while walking outside, etc.

Qtek 8500 review at TrustedReviews

Leroy — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 20:46:24 +0000

TrustedReviews reviews the Qtek 8500 and has this to say – ‘It is nice to see Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone break away from the candy bar format, and there is nothing amiss with the software itself which stacks up to its appearances in other hardware well. Indeed the inclusion of the ClearVue suite could be quite an advantage for some. The wheeze of offering a pink variant should increase the Qtek 8500’s appeal, too.
But there are plenty of alternatives to choose from in the Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone camp, and unless you are a flip phone fan not a great deal to recommend this variant over one of the others. ‘

Dopod 818 Pro

Leroy — Mon, 29 May 2006 15:00:00 +0000

While at first glance, you might mistake this device for an O2 XDA Atom, it is in fact a Dopod 818 Pro. Based on the HTC Prophet design, the Dopod 818 Pro has many of the features we’ve come to expect from HTC devices.

Dopod 818 Pro Specifications

Windows Mobile 5.0
128MB ROM / 64 MB RAM
Bluetooth 1.1
WiFi
2.0 Megapixel camera

Not a whole lot new going on here, just the familiar. Many are fans of the small form factor of this device, which is a welcome relief to those who had bulky smartphones. On the filpside, it does not have a keyboard. This, to me, is a dealbreaker. I use my smartphones heavily, and need the flexibility that only a bulit-in QWERTY keyboard can provide. The one feature to take note of is the advanced ( for a smartphone ) 2.0 Megapixel digital camera that is integrated into the Dopod 818 Pro.

Dopod 818 Pro Reviews

CNet reviews the Dopod 818 Pro and writes – ‘Perhaps the biggest selling point of the 818 Pro is its price. At S$938 (US$576.20) with a two-year plan, it’s considerably cheaper than the O2 Atom while offering almost the same feature set. All in all, although it doesn’t sport any new tricks or killer applications, the 818 Pro is a value-for-money choice for those looking for a convergent device that’s portable and versatile.’

Ouch – still a tad too expensive for my tastes. $600 with a 2 year plan is a tad on the high side for the devices I tend to go for…. I look for $600 with no contract, or at least in that ballpark. In any case, time will tell whether this device becomes a success, or just gets lost in the crowd.

M.A.G.I.C. Smartphone

Leroy — Fri, 26 May 2006 19:17:00 +0000

The M.A.G.I.C. Smartphone is one of those devices that makes you step back for just a moment, to make sure you’re really seeing what you’re seeing. Currently a prototype, this device has the potential to leave the smartphone-loving public in awe if released on time, and at a reasonable price. Check it out :

M.A.G.I.C. Smartphone Specifications

CPU : Intel Xscale 624 mHz
512 MB ROM / 512 MB RAM / 8 GB Micro-HDD
Micro SD slot
Dual QVGA screens – 3.5″ outside, 2.8″ inside
WiFi
Bluetooth 2.0
Dual 2.0 Megapixel cameras – 1 inside, and 1 outside
VGA Out
QWERTY keyboard
Bio-Metric secure entry
Weight : 300g

Ok so you’ve seen the good. The bad? Pocket PC Thoughts had a tip that the retail price is expected to be $1500-$2000. American dollars. D’oh. $2000 buys me, oh let’s see, 3 Palm Treo 700p’s, or a Treo 700p plus a smoking laptop. At a price more like $800, this device could have huge potential. While still a huge price tag for a smartphone, I think people would see the benefits of everything this phoen has to offer. Hopefully Advance Tech Communications will have some sort of cost breakthrough, so we can see the M.A.G.I.C. Smartphone succeed.

O2 XDA Trion

Leroy — Fri, 26 May 2006 15:00:22 +0000

O2 Germany is set to release the O2 XDA Trion – which is based on the new HTC Hermes design. While we don’t have a set release date yet, we should see this device in the early July timeframe.

O2 XDA Trion Specifications

Samsung 400 mHz CPU – supposedly equivalent to an Intel 520 mHz CPU.
128MB ROM / 64 MB RAM
microSD slot
2 Megapixel camera
GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS – Supposedly a future upgrade to HSDPA
Windows Mobile 5.0
Bluetooth 2.0
WiFi

Very similar to the HTC Wizard / Apache designs, it looks like the Hermes didn’t stray very far from what works. A few extra buttons here and there, and some upgraded hardware are just icing on the cake. Here’s hoping for some improvement in the battery area. Last but not least – cool name – the Trion. I like it.
Via Dave’s PDA.

T-Mobile MDA Review at MS Mobile News

Leroy — Thu, 25 May 2006 22:16:05 +0000

MS Mobile News reviews the T-Mobile MDA and doesn’t seem all too impressed – ‘I’m still undecided as to whether I like this device or not. I hate the cheap feel of it but I love the fact it has both wifi and a keyboard in a compact form. It is certainly more usable as an everyday phone than the Universal but there’s something about it that just really puts me off. What you have to remember here is that there are only two real advantages to having this device over say the Magician, wifi and the keyboard. If neither are important to you then don’t bother with the Wizard. If they are important to you then you must take into consideration the appalling battery life you get while connected via wifi and the fact that because the keyboard slides out from the side, there is little or no improvement to one-handed use when compared to the Magician.’

I’ll have to agree with the battery life point – my wife’s PPC-6700 gets awful battery life!

E-Ten G500 Review at Pocket Now

Leroy — Mon, 22 May 2006 13:59:30 +0000

Pocket Now reviews the E-Ten G500 and laments the lack of a keyboard – ‘Over all, this is a great device. Yes, it does have its quirks and issues, but most devices do. While I would like to see ETEN work on the 850MHz band issue, and get it resolved (I was quite disappointed with its initial cell phone performance.), I’d also like to see an ETEN device with some kind of keyboard. Using Spb Full Screen Keyboard to respond to e-mail is NOT easy. Color me spoiled by the HTC Wizard if you want, but I’ve really gotten used to an external, permanently attached QWERTY keyboard that tucks neatly away when its not in use.’