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Hi guys,
I was a long xda owner, got almost all xda models from the first til magician and find it really addictive. But I was wondering since wm2005 won't come out for my magician, not the official one at least so i decided to switch to smartphones. But i really have some humps in this matter. well these are the questions i sum up for u guys kind enough to answer and thanks in advance:
1. What are the main advantage of pocketpc phone over smartphone (beside the touch screen) word and excel (since i never use them anyways)
2. whats the best smartphone to date (i live in asia btw) and its gotta be windows mobile 5 oh and with camera at least 1.3mp and i dont really care if its qvga or anything, just want it small size oh, and if possible not silver please (my mini gets easily corroted since i live in bangkok or jakarta - both are high humid places)
3. Is this a wise decision? my main reason of switching was mainly because of the size (even mini is too big and heavy for me) and now most of the time i never use the stylus and use my finger instead to navigate, or sometimes the buttons.. i really need a one-handed operational device.
thanks for your input guys, i will decide based on your comments. thanks again
::adit
1. more cpu juice and more ram and more applications i guess
2. check out Tornado forum it seem to have much of youre requirements
3. different people different needs different tastes different answers to this question
hey rudegar, thanks for your opinion, yeah i'm looking at tornado right now, but unfortunately its not yet available here in asia, well bangkok... and well different opinions, thats why i created this thread, to know what u think of it, like whats ur opinion if u are given 2 devices, one pocket pc and one smartphone, they both are equally priced the main difference is size or touch screen. For the application, yes I believe that pocket pc has much more apps than smartphones but have anyone ever used them all, I mean productive apps, most pocketpc users uses almost the applications that smartphones also has? well except for games but right now my opinion smartphone has more advantage to its brother, pocket pc. Do I hear other voices? can I be proven wrong about this? thanks you guys...
::adit
I am waiting for the Tornado too. It isn't out anywhere yet and no set release date but people say next month.
well i would get a pocketpc phone over a smartphone because the only cellphone i ever had which were not a pocketpc was a really really really old motorola which dident even have t9
and some programs i know i cant get for smartphones like the hp48 emulator which i love very much so i dont have to carry around my old hp48 as well
so basicly a touchscreen is important for me and
a big screen is also nice
but i dont really know much about the tonado apart from it's spcs which look pretty sweet
I think the difference is that the XDA range are Primarily Pocket PC's with phone functions tagged on, and in many cases, not too well. Whereas a Smartphone is primarily a phone with Pocket PC features.
I think the difference is that the XDA range are Primarily Pocket PC's with phone functions tagged on, and in many cases, not too well. Whereas a Smartphone is primarily a phone with Pocket PC features.
Hi cruisin-thru,
Yes, I believe everyone knows that at the moment, but with microsoft renaming both to be "windows mobile" so i think they're getting to a point where theres no difference between both except for the touch screen (usability) and not the OS or application (functionality). Well as we all know, it quite far from it, but at this moment, u can find most of ppc apps in the smartphone, or similar to it with same functions. Oh btw, i checked out HTC tornado.. its a nice piece of hardware but I didn't like the model for the 'm' or normal version thanks guys...
::adit
The Tornado can also run Pocket PC apps if im correct, but they won't work
perfectly cause of the absence of a touchscreen.
I have to say this, I own a MDA Compact (Qtek S100 ) for almost 6
months now.... and since I bought a W800i to just use as cameraphone, I
haven't touched my MDA Compact. It felt like a huge relieve to finally use
a REAL phone again. I can't explain it, it's just a feeling. Everything feels so
much stable and logical. With the MDA Compact I have a continous feeling
that it could crash any second although that has NEVER happened before. I
had a S60 smartphone before this PPC, but if I ever buy another
smartphone, it'll be something like the Tornado. I made the mistake to be
obsessed by specs and forget about quality. Yeaah, the Wizard will have
WIFI, 2.0MP camera, MP3 player, etc. But this doesn't mean it will work
perfectly or deliver great quality. The W800i's camera is truely amazing,
the MP3 playback kills my MDA Compact's, etc.
Btw does someone know if the smartphone version of WM5.0 again has this
horrible thing that apps don't close and have to be closed by using the
taskmanager?
if the other smartphone versions work that way i would say yes
ms dident announce any changes of such nature with 2005
that i know off anyway
It makes sense to keep the program active for fast switching and is great when multitasking, however it makes no sense when you take into account the memory constraints. It would be nice if the option to exit or minimise to background was an option.
I'm getting ready to buy my first PPC phone and wanted some advice from people who have used these devices.
I've owned a cell phone for about 3 years now (a basic one). I'm a heavy computer user (mainly PCs with Windows or on rare occasions Linux). I love to tinker and build my own PCs.
What interests me the most about a PPC phone is making my life easier. I buy the computers for our school (I teach 5th grade). I'd like to get a phone that can keep my Google Calendar and Gmail on it plus browse the web from time to time. I'd also like to be able to do other stuff on it, like watch video clips, listen to MP3s, and take the occasional picture. Games might be fun too when I'm waiting around. I don't have much use for GPS at this point (though I admit it would be fun to play with sometimes). I like the idea of getting after-market applications and games to make the PPC phone more productive/enjoyable. Being able to have control over how it handles phone calls is another plus. Size isn't too important to me. I'm more interested in functionality and smart design. I like the idea of a big screen and a QWERTY keyboard.
I've thought about Palm OS. It seems very smartly designed, but I don't like that it can't multitask. I will use my device for a variety of tasks at the same time (like I'm doing with my PC at the moment. I don't know much about the other OSes beyond the Windows flavors.
Right now I'm leaning toward getting a Treo 750 when Cingular comes out with it or a Cingular 8525 (HTC Hermes). From what I've read it appears that the Treo is one of the best designs (easier to use and more functional). The 8525 has better hardware specs and a bigger screen. So, I'm not sure which way to go.
I'd love to hear some of people's opinions and advice. At this point I'm not even sure what things I need to focus on.
Thank you in advance for your input.
I'm getting the Hermes next month when my contract upgrade is due.
Well I Like "enough to recommend to you" The QTEK 9100, since i got mine and thanks to this forum, i can tinker till the cows come home., I've flashed it, unlocked it, downloaded and experimented with its ROM and external ram, upgraded the phone skin, completely made it into a totally different beast from when it was shipped from vodafone...
I can connect without cost using wifi (54G) to: internet, msn,skype, pocket news reader (spb insight), and internet radio.
I can sychronise with active sync, my documents, calender,contacts and others, I can setup many email accounts for downloading to the device
watching films, jurrassic park is 113megs at QVGA resolution, and can be viewed full screen too, the keyboard ejects out the side of the device and lights up in dark. comes with office suite, and windows mobile 5 devices today are very good, you can use gprs too the whole package is the best device i've previously owned the following devices.
nokia N91, HDD corrupted after 4 days, crashed more times than Barry Sheen!
Nokia 6630 good phone but boring...it was symbian os
HP Jornado 928 (ppc 2003) crashed a lot, eats battries like hell
Nokia 6600 good phone bit basic really
Nokia 9310i good phone, good screen, poorly made
Nokia 9110i well made, black and white screen, liked it then
and the Qtek 9100 has satisfied all my demands and given me great freedom
TOM TOM 6.010 runs flawlessy for 7 hours continuosly without a charge and there was still 10% battery left, what other device will do that for you eh!!!!
The device is not perfect but out of all the other stuff out there, it's the best i have owned yet.
whoster69, I have similar needs to you and I have gone for the Palm treo 750v. After using it for 3 days I can say I have not needed to use stylus even once this is how good one handed usage of this phone is. This is the only WM device that has been designed for being a phone. Wizard and Hermes seem as if phone functionality was added as an after thought.
Battery doesn't seem to be as bad as some people said it is (still haven't needed to recharge yet), coming from Wizard and Magician screen took some getting used to but now its ok.
One of the reasons I didn't get Hermes was of the sliding keyboard. I used to loathe Wizard keyboard as everytime I needed to type something I would have to slide the keyboard and wait for the OS to adjust itself. I am very happy with Palm keypad. Although the keys are smaller but the shape and tacitle feedback means they are very practical.
I am a WM user for 4 years now. My first device was Magician, second one is Polaris and the next one will be Iphone 3G.
I love HTC, they make perfect phones and the price does not bother me, neither lack of video drivers does. I always admired all the latest technologies they include in their phones (3MP camera, 3G+HSDPA, GPS, etc..).
The only thing I don't like in HTC is ... MICROSOFT WINDOWS. I hate using stylus. It is absolutely not user-friendly.
Now, with HSDPA and GPS in Iphone I am willing to sell my polaris. Just after 5 months of using! I used my magician for 3 years before and thought I will keep my new one for another 3 years. But I give up now. I want to buy a brand new Iphone now. Never used apple products before (even Ipod).
So, my question is - do you guys know any forum similar to this one (technical), but related to Iphone stuff?
Thank you for answers and sorry for leaving you in advance.
I understand and do myself feel that we are being cheated, but i say you should search google with " iphone discussion forum" and that search will lead you rightto one, i have seen a few, i dont have an iphone,(i might get one when the video calling gps one comes out.) but i do browse to see what iphone users azre getting up to with there devices.
g oogle is your best friend.
Mate, don't do it. The new iPhone only has a 2 Meg pixel camera, and you'll be tied into some ghastly price plan for life. Wait for the Raphael, which is personally my Holy Grail of phones. Ah, a real keyboard. soooo yummy
I agree about Windows Mobile, it sucks. And the new HTC Flo nonsense looks rubbish aswell, but you know....
Apple announced NOTHING exciting (appart from MobileMe, where the HELL is windows contact/calendar over-the-air synching without Exchange????). But still they gave ir a huge launch. 3G and GPS - big deal!
or the new Samsung i900 Omnia http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i900_omnia-2422.php seems to be very interesting device. I propebly sell my polaris and buy a Iphone or this Samsung. In some way im to bored with the htc policy with their devices, first i have the Trinity and waited if htc could atleast make a wm6 update on trinity..but now way..then Polaris with this driver issue forexample. Polaris may be my last htc device. The only thing which is very good to have a Htc device is this forum or the hole xda developers www site
I'll wait and see what can Android bring out of my Polaris... I like the design of the polaris, and with Android it'll be better... and more finger friendly...
madinga said:
Wait for the Raphael, which is personally my Holy Grail of phones. Ah, a real keyboard. soooo yummy
...
Apple announced NOTHING exciting (appart from MobileMe, where the HELL is windows contact/calendar over-the-air synching without Exchange????). But still they gave ir a huge launch. 3G and GPS - big deal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I definitely would not say that the Raphael is the Holy Grail of phones. In fact it is far from it. The raphael is just a Kaiser with a flush screen and prettier touch flo. Big deal, nothing new.
Now I am a huge WinMo fan, but I can still say that the iPhone while it may not be a Holy Grail either, it is still the standard to which all high end phones are being held. It is far from perfect yes, but nonetheless it is the current standard. I'd venture to say that the majority of us that aren't switching b/c we are waiting for some little details in the form of functionality that we've enjoyed with our HTC phones. For some that may be 3G and GPS, for other such as myself 3rd party apps (VOIP!!!), and better bluetooth support (A2DP and tethering). For you that is clearly
windows contact/calendar over-the-air synching without Exchange
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apple is getting closer and closer to closing in on its list of inadequacies with the iPhone, HTC on the other hand is not (and yes I realise that may be b/c they are tied down to WinMo 6.1).
I don't see any WinMo phone coming anywhere near where I or I would assume most of us want until Windows Mobile 7 is released. Windows Mobile 6 is just too slow, too small button oriented, too menu driven, and too lacking innovation (seriously, the UI is pretty much the same as its been ever since WinCE days back in 2000 or earlier).
well Raphael got vga over kaiser but then with smaller screens not everybody may notice
the thing that wm got going for it is lots of programs free ones and comercials ones
vs. iphone and android but with time it's not a good sleeping pillow for ms
kinda funny that while the pc world is unhappy with the current ms offering of vista
and want the next thing windows 7
pda owners are unhappy what wm6.1 can offer vs. the compatition so they want the next thing windows mobile 7
wonder if ms will release them at the same time :S :O
i love windows mobile and will not buy iphone. i was just in an att store today and the guy told me besides the phone being slash by half. u have to pay a huge fee to sign up for service. somewhere over $100. he said it would better serve u if u already had an iphone and wait for an upgrade rather than buying the new one.
as for htc. i am done with them. i wish i could find one of the developers and kick there ass. i am moving to another maker as soon as one catches my interest.
Yeah seriously WM6 is a dated wack ass looking piece of work. All this Touch Flo nonsense is just HTC trying to give their devices a fresher look. Otherwise you'd be staring at that boring ass Today screen that doesn't look good in the ads. Even Apple had to use a screenshot of WM in their keynote speech at WWDC '08 as a joke (how background apps run). This is in addition to the ActiveStink comment, which might be warranted, but I digress.
Point is, it does need to be seriously freshened up as an OS which is what WM7 is all about. However that's still a ways away. Plus barely any WM phones out there have gesture sensors or multi-touch screens anyway. Actually I don't know any that have both. 2 things the iPhone has had since last year. I am also curious as to what Android will bring to the Polaris, but I'm fed up with this dated WM6 OS (and lack of drivers).
omaga said:
or the new Samsung i900 Omnia http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i900_omnia-2422.php seems to be very interesting device. I propebly sell my polaris and buy a Iphone or this Samsung. In some way im to bored with the htc policy with their devices, first i have the Trinity and waited if htc could atleast make a wm6 update on trinity..but now way..then Polaris with this driver issue forexample. Polaris may be my last htc device. The only thing which is very good to have a Htc device is this forum or the hole xda developers www site
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, what's the point? Omnia is just another WinMo ****! If you consider WinMo - Polaris is the best thing to buy! IMO.
yallow said:
Hey, what's the point? Omnia is just another WinMo ****! If you consider WinMo - Polaris is the best thing to buy! IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ofcourse omnia is a wm phone. that wasnt my point. The point was how htc treads us comsumers, selling unfinnish products, you buy a expensive phone and things are missing in the phone which will be upgrade in the NEXT model. I like win mobiles no doubt about that and now im thinking Symbian vs Win. Sorry to say but did you read the Omnia spesifications at all? much better that Polaris?
Omnia kick ass with polaris from that point of view
Guys I have both the Orbit 2 and the first gen Iphone and both have there advantages.
However these are being eroded with Iphone 3G, namely GPS and 3G data access.
I have to admit the interface on the iphone is simply incredible, fast and accurate glass screen that does not scratch. it is an absolute joy to use.
is is intuitive at performing ANY function were the Orbit you have to think about what you are doing and then some. The interface on the Orbit is clumsy at best, whilst typing is a joke compared to the iphone, it's keyboard is a joy to use, I can type faster on it than I could achieve on my blackberry.
and to boot the build quality of the iphone is leagues ahead of the HTC product.
The facts are WM6.whatever is slow, cumbersome and needs the update now.
I will still use my Orbit2 as the PC modem function is superb but once the iphone 3G comes is released I would have to say it will get a lot less use.
Honestly. I was an huge fan of Symbian phones. Now the Polaris is my first WM device and I really like it. After a couple of customizations the device is "fingerfriendly" and I can't remember when I was using the stylus the last time.
But this is not the point. I prefer the Polaris all over the IPhone (3G) because...
... I like to change my battery on my own
... I like to send MMS
... I like to have at least an 3 MP camera on board
... I like to decide to customize the software on my own
... I like to decide who my operater of choice is
... and so on
and compare to the first IPhone the new one is build out of plastic, has still the same "features" and the "innovation" is nothing new.
I am waiting for the Raphael to exchange it with my Polaris. It gives me the freedom I used to have and the hardware features I prefer.
I can answer all those must haves apart from change battery as yes, just 'get an unlocked iphone' it gives you all those features.
Even the 2Mp camera on the iphone is comparable to the Orbit 2 3Mp.
However in the end everybody to their own.
Simply put IMO the Polaris is not finger friendly at all, the crappy plastic screen that scratches too easily is very un-responsive unless you use a stylus which defeats the object of having a touch screen phone.
I will admit the Polaris is a feature laden beast that has many strong points, but its operational method and UI cannot even come close to the Iphone, it is like comparing Mac OSX Leopard to Windows 95, the difference is that great.
mikee5402 said:
I can answer all those must haves apart from change battery as yes, just 'get an unlocked iphone' it gives you all those features.
Simply put IMO the Polaris is not finger friendly at all, the crappy plastic screen that scratches too easily is very un-responsive unless you use a stylus which defeats the object of having a touch screen phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can give you a much bigger list of things that you probably can't do even with a jailbroken iphone.
As for a screen that scratches, are you using a protector on there? Shouldn't be getting any scratches. I've heard others that don't use a screen protector and say they aren't getting any scratches either but i'm not willing to take the risk.
i dont really like the iphone's interface.. is.. bored.. maybe with a lot of graphic effects but is just VERY SIMPLE.. many programs for windows mobile can emulate that.. but iphone will never do what windows mobile does..
ORGANIZE..
because is not the same to have a folder for each thing than use a scrollable screen for all..
you should realize once and for all that there are different perfect phones for different people.
i love my polaris.. because it's a small, light device, with GPS and 3G ability.. which i will start using soon.
while other people prefer bigger screens they can buy 3.5inch screens.. i can't stand it.. but the iPhone 3G is good for them.
while i like having a modular operation system.. even tho windows mobile is not perfect, other people love having everything built in, such as in the iPhone. some other people don't mind about GPS.. .. i do.
but there isn't one best phone.. there are a few... depending on the needs of every individual.
What about the Sony Ericsson Experia X1. At first glance, I think it's more powerfull than the Iphone 3G, HTC Diamond (and variants), and the TC. It's WM based, 800x408 resolution, small, light, and works in the US.
yallow said:
I am a WM user for 4 years now. My first device was Magician, second one is Polaris and the next one will be Iphone 3G.
I love HTC, they make perfect phones and the price does not bother me, neither lack of video drivers does. I always admired all the latest technologies they include in their phones (3MP camera, 3G+HSDPA, GPS, etc..).
The only thing I don't like in HTC is ... MICROSOFT WINDOWS. I hate using stylus. It is absolutely not user-friendly.
Now, with HSDPA and GPS in Iphone I am willing to sell my polaris. Just after 5 months of using! I used my magician for 3 years before and thought I will keep my new one for another 3 years. But I give up now. I want to buy a brand new Iphone now. Never used apple products before (even Ipod).
So, my question is - do you guys know any forum similar to this one (technical), but related to Iphone stuff?
Thank you for answers and sorry for leaving you in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget... it'll be made by HTC!
And biig display is worth nill if not supported by applications.
Except if your main goal is to have nice media reproductor combined with phone
Touch Pro looks like killer device ATM...
Bodisson said:
Don't forget... it'll be made by HTC!
And biig display is worth nill if not supported by applications.
Except if your main goal is to have nice media reproductor combined with phone
Touch Pro looks like killer device ATM...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In general, I agree with you that higher resolution need to be supported by the apps. However, I've also go an Imate 6150, and I used to have an ETEN x800, and I can tell you that even though most of the apps didn't make the best use of the real estate, that the text was much more readable, colors were sharper, icons looked better, etc.
If it weren't for the crappy ROM that comes with the Imate, I would be using it now. And unfortunately, the hacker community for Imate devices isn't as developed as it is for HTC devices.
Of course the other downside to VGA (or higher) is higher power consumption.
Dave
I have owned HTC phones, and like them very much. However, I'm sure i am not the only one who is pretty much cheesed off when you can't connect your phone to an external hard drive/usb stick. The only phone i'm aware that can do this is the the toshiba tg01. Having this feature alone is worth it's weight in gold and makes the tg01 the best phone out there, if not the best in my opinion.
I'm stuck with HTC Tytn II and HTC Touch Pro 2 which i like but sometimes I really wish I could access my usb stick for some important files that I might need to access. Purely based on this fact, I am tempted to buy the tg01.
Well done Toshiba, and HTC if your listening, learn from the japaneese.
Frustrated HTC User
Actually the first phone to do it (to my knoweldge) was the Toshiba G900. Quite frankly, this phone was well ahead of its time and was the first phone also to show an 800x480 screen as well as a USB host!
This was a great phone and it is missed by its users... shame it never made any success.
I personaly don't know of any HTC phones that have USB hosts and I don't understand why.
edit: Phone was released in June 2007 - over 3 years ago it was running 800x480!!!
I am on the AT&T network in the USA and I cannot leave it. My old phone was an HTC Fuze (HTC Touch Pro I think is the general term) and I loved it. The only issue I had with it was that it was a bit on the slow side and it lacked a 3.5mm jack, but I didn't really care. I loved it's slide out QWERTY keyboard. I loved Windows Phone. I loved it. Then the touch screen started to go bad (as if it was always being touched by something) and it being an old phone I decided to get a new one. I got an iPhone 4. I hate it. WM 6.5 let me customize my home screen so that I could see all my upcoming calendar appointments right there when I look at the home screen. The iPhone requires you to drag the top of the screen down. This may seem trivial to some, but I'm hugely scatterbrained and it really helps. There were other aspects too like the QWERTY keyboard, the ability to put emulators on it (I played Pokemon Blue on my phone), and things like that. I can't do that on my iPhone currently. Oh yeah! The built-in Stylus was also amazing! I just loved that phone.
Here's what I'm looking for in a phone:
AT&T Carrier (must-have)
Windows 7 (at least WM phone)
Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard (no Blackberry style or that wierd Vertical Slide for tiny buttons)
Stylus/Big enough Screen (if stylus, must be built-in like the Fuze, not peripheral)
Good performance (I'm referring to emulation. I played PSX games on my HTC Fuze, but only RPGs due to slowdown and lack of sound. I would like to be able to play emulators, especially SNES emulators, without slowdown and with sound smoothly)
3.5mm Headphone Jack (not a requirement, just a nice have that my old phone didn't)
What do you recommend? When I saw the HTC 7 Pro, I was in love. Then I found out it's not available for my carrier. Is the LG Quantum really the best phone for me? It technically meets my specifications, but there's something about it that I don't like. What about the LG eXPo? That caught my attention a while ago. Can that be end-user upgraded to WM 7 or 7.5 and meet my requirements?
note: I want to avoid Jailbroken/Unlocked phones if possible. I don't like fiddling with that stuff myself, and I don't want to trust some random ebayer to have done it right. I am definitely capable of learning, but I don't take unnecessary risks.
Doesnt the US version of HTC 7 Pro work on ATT network? 7 Pro and the LG are the only WP devices with landscape keyboard, then there is the Dell Venue Pro with vertical slider.
The only HTC 7 Pro released in the United States is for Sprint and is called the "HTC Arrive." I was not aware it could even be unlocked for usage with AT&T.
Im not sure is it possible to unlock and use at ATT's network, Im in Europe and dont know about US networks. Im sure if you will search you will get the answer. 7 Pro is a great device, I love it. The OS runs so smoothly, that Im sure that the LG with same specs will be a good device also, but I would go for the HTC if anyway possible.
Lotus1 said:
I am on the AT&T network in the USA and I cannot leave it. My old phone was an HTC Fuze (HTC Touch Pro I think is the general term) and I loved it. The only issue I had with it was that it was a bit on the slow side and it lacked a 3.5mm jack, but I didn't really care. I loved it's slide out QWERTY keyboard. I loved Windows Phone. I loved it. Then the touch screen started to go bad (as if it was always being touched by something) and it being an old phone I decided to get a new one. I got an iPhone 4. I hate it. WM 6.5 let me customize my home screen so that I could see all my upcoming calendar appointments right there when I look at the home screen. The iPhone requires you to drag the top of the screen down. This may seem trivial to some, but I'm hugely scatterbrained and it really helps. There were other aspects too like the QWERTY keyboard, the ability to put emulators on it (I played Pokemon Blue on my phone), and things like that. I can't do that on my iPhone currently. Oh yeah! The built-in Stylus was also amazing! I just loved that phone.
Here's what I'm looking for in a phone:
AT&T Carrier (must-have)
Windows 7 (at least WM phone)
Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard (no Blackberry style or that wierd Vertical Slide for tiny buttons)
Stylus/Big enough Screen (if stylus, must be built-in like the Fuze, not peripheral)
Good performance (I'm referring to emulation. I played PSX games on my HTC Fuze, but only RPGs due to slowdown and lack of sound. I would like to be able to play emulators, especially SNES emulators, without slowdown and with sound smoothly)
3.5mm Headphone Jack (not a requirement, just a nice have that my old phone didn't)
What do you recommend? When I saw the HTC 7 Pro, I was in love. Then I found out it's not available for my carrier. Is the LG Quantum really the best phone for me? It technically meets my specifications, but there's something about it that I don't like. What about the LG eXPo? That caught my attention a while ago. Can that be end-user upgraded to WM 7 or 7.5 and meet my requirements?
note: I want to avoid Jailbroken/Unlocked phones if possible. I don't like fiddling with that stuff myself, and I don't want to trust some random ebayer to have done it right. I am definitely capable of learning, but I don't take unnecessary risks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, first off, there's a huge difference between Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone. I'm really surprised you liked WM6.5, because it was always slow and annoying to me. I am even more surprised you had a bad experience with the iPhone. While I am completely devoted to Windows Phone, I still think the iPhone is a solid phone.
About phones, AT&T definitely has the best Windows Phones. While the Quantum is its only keyboard slider, I would reccommend you reconsider your keyboard requirement. ALL Windows Phones are smooth/fast, have the 3.5 jack, and have reasonably big screens. All Windows Phones also have an awesome on-screen keyboard. WM6.5 phones are not capable of upgrading, and I don't even think AT&T sells them anymore.
By the way, I've had the HTC Arrive, and it's a good phone, but the new AT&T devices are thinner, faster(as in processor), and have 4G LTE.
My recommendations?
1. The Nokia Lumia 900 - $99 on contract
I have it currently, it's awesome. 4" screen, 4G LTE, beautiful hardware.
2. HTC Titan II - $199 on contract
I almost picked it over the 900, but its $100 more and doesn't have Nokia's exclusive apps. It does have a bigger screen though, and some say a better camera.
---------- Post added at 01:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 AM ----------
Forgot to mention, a stylus will NOT work with any Windows Phone, as they use capacitive (multi-touch) screens. Also, emulators are partially supported on Windows Phone, I think there are a couple on the marketplace, but it seems like they are always dealing with trademark/copyright issues.
If you really want the 7 Pro, you can order one online from Europe (there are various online stores that will ship overseas). It should work with AT&T's 3G, though I recommend that you double-check the bands it supports just in case, and of course make sure it's SIM-unlocked. You'll have to pay full price, and AT&T doesn't appear to offer any plan discount even if you bring your own device instead of getting a subsidized one (yet another reason I think they're a crap MO, but I assume you have your reasons...)
Do not get the Arrive; it is a CDMA-only phone and is completely incapable of connecting to a GSM network like AT&T uses. The 7 Pro as sold in Europe (and possibly elsewhere) is GSM.
Let me further explain why I loved my Fuze (HTC Touch Pro)
It was slow (ish), but not that slow. I had removed all the bloatware from mine and a few tweaks and it was only noticeably slow when doing certain non-typical tasks. This was a non-issue for me except for 2 problems: I could not play SNES games and I could not play PSX games with zero slowdown.
How I used my phone:
Organizer/PDA with contacts and a calendar. The customizable home screen that displays all upcoming appointments is great, as was the calendar system. I'm scatterbrained and it really helped me. Iphone's lack of customizability in this area sucks.
As a flash drive. I always had a usb to micro usb cable in my backpack and so I kept all my schoolwork on it as well as anything I needed. There's an app for it so my iPhone can have similar functionality, but it's not nearly the same.
As a game device to while away the time. I had PSX JRPGs on it, the original Pokemon games, Zelda, Mario, etc. These were all emulator based games from my childhood. This is strait up impossible on the iPhone without jailbreaking, which I won't do, and also means I basically require the slide-out keyboard as touch-screens work poorly with emulators.
Lastly, I stored music on it, but never really used it as an MP3 player because it lacked the 3.5mm jack.
From what everyone is telling me, and from what I've learned about how Windows Mobile 7 is not a PocketPC based operating system, I'm most likely to leave it for android. I strongly dislike operating systems that don't allow for 3rd party apps without prior approval. That's one reason I hate the iPhone. The others are the lack of a touch screen and the lack of a customizable home screen. The way I currently use my iPhone, except for a few features it's nothing more than a browser enabled phone because it simply can't do what I want it to do without jailbreaking.
I guess the phone to get for me is the Samsung Captivate Glide since Windows Phones don't really have what I'm looking for.