Battle of the PDA Phones - General Topics

okay guys, been reading up for the past few weeks on the lastest PDA phones. i need to get a new phone, preferably windows mobile, and preferably wm6. here are my requirements:
1. 400mhz cpu or faster
2. 2 mp camera or higher
3. GPS - MUST have
4. tri-band GSM, wifi, video capture
5. small phone
okay those are absolutes. my preferences:
6. keyboard or numeric keypad
7. large screen
8. windows mobile 6
9. long battery life
10. 262k screen, 2nd camera for conferencing
more or less, the N95 kind of meets most of the requirements--except that the cpu is kinda slow and its not windows mobile. though the good thing about it is that its got video-out, where i can put a presentation on the phone and plug the cable onto the projector.
now, im trying to debate between:
a) the g-smart i300 (no keypad)
b) m700 (65k colors, side keypad)
c) P3600 (65k colors, no keyboard)
d) asus p535 (65k colors, no keypad)
e) X800 (65k colors, no keyboard)
f) asus p526 (65k colors, 200mhz cpu)
g) JAQ4 (65k colors, 200mhz cpu)
h) XDA orbit (65k colors, 200mhz cpu, no keypad)
i) hp 6915 (1.3mp, 65k colors, BIG phone, no upgrade to WM6)
as it stands, the N95 kind of trumps everyone with a 5mp camera, 30fps video capture, keypad, 256k colors, video-out, and relatively small form-factor.
the wife has the nokia, so i dont want another nokia and im partial to windows mobile (has to sync with outlook, nokia has issues). ive also used the N95 and it can be slow at times and can hang. otherwise, its a dream phone except that it doesnt run windows mobile.
the comparisons above make it look like the ETEN is going to win. ive owned an M500 before, and didnt like the overall experience (though the phone was kinda okay) due the the bugs, signal reception, and cheap chassis. so im kinda wary about taking an M700, though it looks like the only real and closest option to my requirements. other than the M700, i would have gone for the HP except that they announced there will be no wm6 upgrade (the M700 has the upgrade).
what do you guys think? any other options or other ideas i may have missed? any reviews of the abovementioned phones to dissuade or persuade me?
btw, the E90 is kinda too big for me, though i like it. its also not wm.
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia-phones-1.php

Nice first post ....
Ok sarcasm mode off.
I am sure you will get lots of recommendations on which phone to go for, but in my experience the only person who can decide this is you. You have a very demanding list of requirements and sound as if you just needed to write down your thoughts to help you decide.
Personally I have an MDA Vario II (Hermes) with a TOMTOM bluetooth GPS unit and this works well for me.

If you need the *best* built-in GPS, the P3600 isn't the way to go either. Also, it's pretty useless for A2DP, should you ever need it.

So maybe the upcoming Kaiser for AD2P since its native WM6? Same gps module as the P3600 though (not that it's that the gps is that bad, just not the BEST ie. SIRF III). It is supposed to be available in late June, or July.

there is only one good phone on the market today, but impossible to buy.. The benq p51 ..good cpu, enough ram/rom, gps, wifi, bt, big enough screen (320*240)..but most important a full qwerty keyboard and hotpluggable sdcard. 1.3 megapixel camera is enough cause 2.0 megapixel doesn't make that big a differents. And no i don't want a 240*240 screen. It's bollocks when you have to see a streaming movie.
umts and other high speed connections is not done cause not payable in europe. Waaaay to expensive. Just for a few business users.
-my first pda was dell axim x5 ..still a great pda..use it for streaming movies and occasionally surfing in my bed. still in great shape.
-now i have a htc p3300 ..very small..bad cpu for streaming, bad camera, screen is to small for confort.the only advantage is build in gps.
- now i want the benq p51 and i don't have any problem with it if it's the last one on earth it has everything i need.
all the others pda phone from htc and other brands are missing something from my wishlist
the benq p51 is one of it's kind but like i said..impossible to find and buy
greetz

Why it is not payable in Europe for umts?
At least T-Mobile NL, we pay fixed monthly for HSDPA access:
https://www.t-mobile.nl/persoonlijk...internet_email/wat_heb_je_nodig/tarieven.aspx
9.95 euro for 64 Kbps
19.95 euro for 192 Kbps
...
Unlimited access !
And without subscription is 0.24 euro per 100 KB ... or 2.4 euro per MB which is quite cheap.
kasperke said:
there is only one good phone on the market today, but impossible to buy.. The benq p51 ..good cpu, enough ram/rom, gps, wifi, bt, big enough screen (320*240)..but most important a full qwerty keyboard and hotpluggable sdcard. 1.3 megapixel camera is enough cause 2.0 megapixel doesn't make that big a differents. And no i don't want a 240*240 screen. It's bollocks when you have to see a streaming movie.
umts and other high speed connections is not done cause not payable in europe. Waaaay to expensive. Just for a few business users.
-my first pda was dell axim x5 ..still a great pda..use it for streaming movies and occasionally surfing in my bed. still in great shape.
-now i have a htc p3300 ..very small..bad cpu for streaming, bad camera, screen is to small for confort.the only advantage is build in gps.
- now i want the benq p51 and i don't have any problem with it if it's the last one on earth it has everything i need.
all the others pda phone from htc and other brands are missing something from my wishlist
the benq p51 is one of it's kind but like i said..impossible to find and buy
greetz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
I'll probably narrow it down to:
a) the g-smart i300 (no keypad)
b) m700 (65k colors, side keypad)
so which one do you think would be a better trade-off? higher screen color or side-keypad?
I need the keypad so when im driving i can punch numbers; a touchscreen works like hell when you do that. I need the color screen for playing videos and camera work. I guess the more important one is the keypad. Any bad reviews for the M700 from our current users? how about the gigabyte?

Forget those 2 ... and take a look into HTC Kaiser ..

htc trinity?

"high speed connections is not done cause not payable in europe. Waaaay to expensive. Just for a few business users."
not here
and i believe prices varies alot! in europe
here it's 1euro pr MB if you dont go flatrate

gogol said:
Forget those 2 ... and take a look into HTC Kaiser ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3MP camera, 2nd camera, I like it. slide-out keyboard, not too fond of that but I'll work. nice ROM but CPU not that great. That puts it a little above the M700. how is the NMEA 0183 GPS compared to the SiRF Star III of the M700?
bbobeckyj said:
htc trinity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, as laid out the P3600 has 65k screen and no keyboard. id like one with keyboard/keypad.

Kaiser
is nice
though i think it's a bit ugly
and thick
and seem to be in the universal replacement
as in being closer to Advantage then a real pda phone
but apart from those issues it's everything i want in a phone

im not really one that cares for looks as long as all the functionality is there. the kaiser lacks screen resolution, otherwise its pretty good.
im now thinking about the HTC Nike, comparing whether its better to have a keypad than keyboard. i absolutely NEED the keypad, as in punching numbers while driving; but id also like a keyboard for when im doing wifi outdoors.
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=736

yeah nike is sweet but i just know that one day what ever stop the slider thing from going all the way and sending the top part flying and hitting a busdriver in the eye so he run his bus into a full school of handicap'd kids will brake

Its funny I have the same dilema I was thinking of the two I like the i300 because its smaller but no keypad but the m700 is bigger and slower. So I am pushing more to the i300 which one did you pic? Also I like that the i300 has internal message and windows 6 update. But the m700 has a bigger screen and I can watch more movies....

Related

Xda Excalibur vs Hermes comparison

Just let you know my comparison of the two units after 5 days with the Xda Cosmo after having the Trion for the last 4 months. My Girlfriend brought me the Excalibur as a pre Christmas gift 8)
After 4 months my Trion main speaker stopped working and I have currently sent it back to get it replaced. All in all I was quite happy with the Trion except for a few quirks.
1. Media Player was buggy with the storage card
2. Never got WM5orage working properly (either had to stopo all my programs running on the storage card which included removing items from the Today screen).
3. Screen alignment problem.
I got the Hermes originally as it looked like a device which I didn't have to use the stylus much to access most of the functionality and in 90% of cases I got by with just using the jog wheel and a couple of presses with my thumb (I had the very first xda device and was turned off by the need to use the stylus to do simple things such as dialing and looking up contacts )
I had noticed due to the operating system PPC vs smartphone the PPC needed much more processing power and hence battery life was preety much limited due to the power from the CPU 400mhz vs 200mhz ( maybe of the extra functionality needed for the touchscreen ).
Differences in the devices
1. Xda Excalibur is more responsive even with the slower CPU. Contacts work instantly on typing on the keyboard. On the hermes there is always a delay in searching for contacts.
2. Excalibur supports multiple languages in its rom and therefore there no need to reflash the rom with the rom with your appropriate language.
3. A2DP works flawlessly on Excalibur being aku 3.2. No need to install cab files to get it working and no sound quality issues and no need to get somone to write a bt stack driver to get around the microsoft one.
4. Programs in general for smartphone seem to be running better than on Pocket PC. Tomtom 6 Navigator doesn't run on the Cosmo but Tomtom 5 work just fine and performance actually seems better on the smartphone even with the lower CPU. Same is notice with other PPC vs Smartphone progams I have eg Skype and Fizz Traveller
5. Cosmo has 128 MB flash ram which is really useful as I was always trying to install everything on the SD card with the Trion to get as much memory possible for standard stuff such as emails, ringtones etc. Yes I know you can tweak the Hermes to get ringtones from the SD card but it just a hassle changing the registry settings.
6. For some reason Windows Live Beta works on the Cosmo. It stopped working on the Hermes about a month ago and never worked since. The smartphone version looks really nice as well and functions much better as I have noticed with all smartphone vs ppc programs.
7. WLAN works much better on the Cosmo compared to the Hermes eg handling of connection settings when WLAN is turned on. On the Hermes I always had to go through the process of changing my connection settings every time I switched by WLAN on an off.
8. Battery life on cosmo is much better. 3.5-4 days use compared to 1.5-2 days use on Trion. Probably because of CPU (I also changed the Hermes to GPRS only to try and save battery life due to UMTS draining the battery)
9. Not to sing all praises for the Excalibur. The only drawback I have found so far for my purposes is the Microsoft Office editing functionality is not possible on the smartphone.
10. 2MP camera vs 1.3 MP camera but I really cannot see much advantage in the quality as the 2MP wasnt that great to start with. Yes the Hermes has a led light but I doesn't really help with indoor photos. The 1.3 MP camera seems to be better quality than other 1.3 MP cameras before and for emails, web photos and MMS quality seems fine for my purposes as I wont ever print out photos from a camera handy.
11. Lack to UMTS/HSDPA on Excalibur. Loose the speed but you'll gain heaps on battery life.
12. Microsoft Media Player works with the SD card. No disappearing songs 8)
13. Price. The excalibur is less than 1/6 the price of the Trion on contract. My Girlfriend brought the Cosmo on contact for 60 Euro. I got the Trion for 320 Euro on the same contact.
14. and I think this is the killer. The excalibur have looks to die for. The Hermes is thick and although many people would say it is solidly built after using the Excalibur it makes the Hermes look like a oversized flimsy machine. The Excalibur is thin and compact with a large screen. Fits in your shirt pocket or even slide it into your jeans!!! HTC have outdone themselves with the build quality I haven't seen any phone build as solid including the razr. I fells like the device is made out of titanium or magnesium with a soft feel rubber all along the back of the device and for the keys as well, ( I cat't stop touching the device it feels sooo.. good ). My Girlfriend who is really fashion concious absolutely loves the look of the device. Photos on the net do not do it justice you have to see it in real to appreciate it's looks for me one look and it was love at first sight. (I first got a look at it from a female collegue who got the phone)
It took me a day to get used to the smaller keyboard and maybe bigger thumbs might have some problems but with rubber keys feel beautiful and make each key feel distinct during typing. The excalibur really is a one hand device even with the d pad and keys only. The touch slider is just a added bonus with flexibility.
After writing this I have noticed that this is more of a sales pitch for the excalibur than a comparison of the two devices but I have found my perfect device which does everything I need without any problems ( performance, bugs and quirks ). If you dont need the UMTS speed I must say Excalibur is the way to go. If you really need UMTS and 2MP camera then wait for the Calivier ( the UMTS /2 MP / 300Mhz version of the excalibur, rumoured to release in Spring next year ).
For me the excalibur seems to have a quite launch compared to the expectations of the Hermes maybe because on paper the Hermes looks better in terms of specifications but for usability it's excalibur all the way.
Now what to do with my Trion when it gets back?

VGA Screen?

This is probably a really stupid question - but would it be easily possible to "upgrade" the tilt's screen to VGA? Like with the screen from this phone http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/08/e-tens-glofiish-m800-a-better-x800-with-qwerty/
??
The screens look almost the same size if not the same size.... would the screen "plug" be the same.. (is it "standard" for windows mobile phones like VGA is?) and would the OS pickup the new screen?
Sexy thought - having a screen like that on this Tilt.
I'm sure if the measurements are right and you have tons of know-how, it's possible. My best advice would be to hit a mobile site which is tech-y related and hit up some of their guys to try it out.
If you find the answer, let me know. Replacement screens for most PDA's are fairly cheap on eBay.
J
Here's a couple of reasons why putting a VGA screen in the Tilt is a bad idea:
1) VGA screens consume more power on average than QVGA -- it's likely the reason why we don't see many VGA screen phones today -- and the ones that do exist aren't quad band.
2) The processor has to push 4x the number of pixels in VGA which means it needs a fairly beefy processor and a takes corresponding hit on battery life.
(this may also tie into reason 1)
3) VGA support in Windows Media has historically been half-assed, to the point where some view it as a failed experiment.
As a previous Toshiba e800 owner, I can tell you firsthand that VGA caused more problems than it solved. Microsoft decided that smoother fonts and icons were a priority over screen real estate, so while everything looked prettier it didn't really do anything for productivity. There were a few exceptions, like being able to view Exel sheets in VGA but not with Pocket Exel (only Clearvue apps allowed you to display, but not edit, in true VGA -- which was completely goofy). Then along came a couple of brilliant guys who found a way to unlock true VGA mode for everything which was great but caused a number of incompatabilies with older software that was designed when all PocketPC screens were QVGA. Switching between faux-VGA and true-VGA required a soft reset which for some reason took *minutes* in WM2003SE. Playing games was a pain. Trust me.
VGA devices that came after that point were only marginally better. The Loox 720 used a faster processor but it had no graphics accelerator, which really dragged down the performance. The Axim X50V and X51V had graphics acceleration but with a unique Intel chip that had very little support and documentation. HP's offering was decent but had a nonstandard touch d-pad. The HTC Universal tried to strike a balance between power consumption and I'm not sure if it really succeeded in that respect. There was an Asus VGA model that didn't seem to go anywhere, and a very tasty looking Acer model (n311) that either never saw the light of day or was only released in a country whose name I cannot pronounce nor spell.
So if you do decide to go the VGA route in the Tilt:
The Tilt/Kaiser roms likely do not have native VGA support, meaning that you will need to tweak or rewrite the display drivers. I don't think it would be difficult to get the Tilt to display in 'pixel doubled' mode but the results will likely look less than stellar. Support for the ATI acceleration in the Kaiser is either broken or nonexistant at the moment, and no documentation is available. That is a huge blow to getting anything VGA displaying at a decent speed.
One last reality check: Most of the previous VGA devices used screens that were between 3.5 and 4 inches. The Kaiser screen is 2.8 inches. You might see a modest improvement in picture, but it's likely your eyes can't resolve the majority of the extra pixels. (keep in mind that the average user views a PDA screen from about 2 feet away).
in short, if you REALLY must have VGA, go buy a Glofish (and say bye to HSDPA and quadband)
I retract my previous statements. On second thought, it would really suck to have a Tilt with a screen with the quality of, say, a PSP's screen. I couldn't imagine being forced to watch a video file on such a device.
J
What about the eten glofish m800.... which has come out recently.... with triband UMTS/Quad Band GSm and one of the best GPS chipsets available?

HTC P6500 Sedna - (Very)Short Review

1. this thing is HUGE and when I mean HUGE, I mean REALLY HUGE.
Just forget anything you ever new about a Pocket PC, the P6500 Sedna beats it all
in size, with the exception of the HTC X7xxx/Advantage series. Kind of a Pocket PC on steroids. I have small hands and I hardly(actually I can't at all) use this thing with one hand only, simply because my thumb isn't long enough.
2. the P6500 Sedna build quality is impeccable, this thing is really made of nice materials. The casing is black(not brownish as some pictures may indicate), it is a dull black, "stealth" like, not glittery at all and it feels well in your hand, kind of semi-soft material. This makes sure that this thing doesn't slide out of your hand accidentally.
3. the HUGE display which by the way only HTC and maybe god know why it is QVGA low resolution, is a bit dull and colors look washed out. Not really the display you want to use for video playback or viewing pictures. On the other hand, the display can be used outdoors, even in bright sunlight. Not as good as the display on my Blackberry Curve regarding direct sunlight but still very good. Also worth mentioning: you can easily use this display with your fingers only, simply because it is HUGE and because, surprise surprise, your fingerprints don't seem to stick to it. I used the P6500 for a couple of minutes with my fingers only and I wasn't able to see one single fingerprint on the display, very impressive.
4. can't say much about video playback capability, I didn't try it yet(my bad). The device feels responsive and fast though, not as fast as a homecooked WM 6 edition but still not bad at all.
5. the speaker is pretty loud, very nice. Ringtones and the speakerphone deliver a very good loudness, I like that. Not so nice: the speaker on the P6500 sounds a bit metal can like, not as pleasant as on other high quality phones.
6. reception is very good, I get a HSDPA connection most of the time and it is at par with the Nokia E90 I'd say. Very impressive seems to be the GPS reception quality, I got a FIRST fix(using Tom Tom 6) in about 15(!) seconds and even more impressive: I got this first fix under a covered(!) and closed roof windows...8(!) satellites. I was still able to receive the signal of 4(!) satellites around one meter away from the windows. WOW!
7. it is a pitty that HTC didn't supply some sort of belt holster for the P6500. The little cheap looking pouch supplied with the unit is pretty much useless. It will be difficult to find a fitting holster for this "little" giant.
8. the HTC P6500 comes pretty much naked, no navigation software installed, nothing special either. Just the fingerprint scanner software is supplied, nothing more.
9. the fingerprint scanner works flawlessly and it is very fast, it is fun to use, definetely.
I don't know how safe this baby is but it works so far very well.
10. the built-in 3MP camera delivers decent pictures but it annoys the user with a countdown from 3 to 1, seriously, no kidding. It is almost impossible to take fast moving pictures at the highest quality setting...well, maybe you could take a picture of a snail moving. HTC definetely needs to take some lessons in the camera department because so far, most of their cameras on their devices STINK.
11. the built-in 1GB NAND memory is a nice feature but with two SD(IO) slots, I wonder if this really was necessary. I don't understand why HTC didn't offer 256 MB RAM and 1GB Flash instead but anyway...1GB NAND is not bad at all, it is fast and you can't loose it.
What HTC could improve:
1. VGA instead of QVGA resolution
2. less "dull" and more colorful display
3. built-in phone speaker should sound more natural
4. camera without the annoying countdown
5. reduction of length by aprox. 1 cm, reduction of width by aprox. 0.5 cm and reduction of depth by aprox. 0.5 cm. This would improve the handling of the P6500 with one hand only
6. touch flow or similar would be actually perfect for the P6500, don't have a clue why it isn't even optional
Seriously, I got almost a shock when I saw the P6500 for the first time. It is SOOOOO HUGE. Still: the size has some sort of coolness factor, can't describe it with words.
Some retailers in Germany advertise the HTC P6500 as the perfect tool for the police, security forces, emergency services, etc. I'm not sure if this has to do with the built-in fingerprint scanner or if the unit is more rigid than other HTC units(no info here) but I still wonder what this giant could do more or better than other WM6 units. Yes, the P6500 has two SD(IO) slots, they come very handy and you may be able to install various tools like scanners, laser taggers or whatever. HTC eventually needs to launch a completely new accessory line for the P6500.
Is it worth buying it? Well...I don't know. Most dealers over here in Germany are asking around 750-799 EUR(incl. VAT) for the P6500, the dealer I played with it at asked 699 EUR for it, not bad compared to the others but still a lot of money. I own the Samsung i780 which is a VERY FAST Pocket PC with a gorgeous display and a great video playback capability, GPS, etc. etc. etc. I paid 450 EUR for this little thing, I just don't see the advantage of the additional 249 EUR for the P6500, especially since there don't seem to be homecooked ROMs available yet.
One things seems to be sure though: you won't see the P6500 Sedna in many hands, making it a pretty exotic Pocket PC in my opinion.
As soon as I have some testing results regarding video playback, etc., I'll post them here.
Sorry, no ROM dump since this isn't my property.
The unit I tested has ROM version 1.10.407.3 dated 01/23/08.
Radio ROM was 1.58.21.23.
The CPU is a Qualcomm 7200 at 400 MHz speed.
Little update regarding video playback: I played a 800MB sized video(Divx) file from a 4GB SDHC memory card using the TCPMP player. No stuttering at all, definetely MUCH better than HTC TyTN II video playback(heavy stuttering of video file).
So it seems to be true...the P6500 does have the necessary extra video drivers for the chipset.
Hi,
THX for the short review, could you please post (if possible) the OS mobile version, may be you can get post the video drivers too...!!
not the drivers, if you could dump the rom itself that would be great, if you go to htcclassaction.org, they are asking for rom dumps form the sedna, so maybe you can help them
Rory
rorydaredkign said:
not the drivers, if you could dump the rom itself that would be great, if you go to htcclassaction.org, they are asking for rom dumps form the sedna, so maybe you can help them
Rory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'dont think he'll do kind of extraction like that without the respective Hard SPL programm..!!!
qtek_metanol said:
Hi,
THX for the short review, could you please post (if possible) the OS mobile version, may be you can get post the video drivers too...!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but I already answered this:
1. this isn't my property, so I can't extract the ROM
2. I already provided the ROM/Radio version but
if you need to know details, here there are:
Windows Mobile 6 Professional 5.2.1622 (Build 18128.0.4.4)
Right now, I consider the P6500 to be some sort of special usage Pocket PC with no real value for the regular WM user and/or HTC gadget lover.
Yes, it looks weird and huge and the fingerprint scanner works great but this can't be all. The outdoor display is worth mentioning too but on the other hand, it seems to be "dull" and the colors look washed-out, not really a display for video playback and/or picture viewing. I hate to say this but stay away from this thing, it won't make you happy.
isnt there already a rom dump in the kaiser thread..
edit: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=381254

Diamond or Omnia?

Hi all,
I was hoping to upgrade to Diamond when its out in the UK. But now the Samsung Omnia is out, I am a bit confused as to which one to go for. I invite everyone to give your opinion on it. I am sure there are many like me out there.
MY initial views are;
Diamond is a cool phone and the HTC have years of experience with WM phones. But it does have its own flows like HTC doesnt seem to know how to make proper camera and issues with video drivers. And their headphones are good for nothing. I really think these areas will be better with Omnia, at least the 5MP camera and the headphone quality.
On the other side, Omnia is slightly bigger and and heavier than the Diamond. And the display is Qvga? (I am not an expert on this). Both have GPS and Accelerometer and stuff.
So guys give us your opinion on this.
Cheers
Jugulator
I'm desperatly trying to source my Omnia from Asia as its not out here in the UK yet. I currently have a G900 and whilst the screen is spanking, its camera is rubbish and it doesn't have GPS, which i REALLY want.
As for HTC, having had 3 HTC devices and having had to return said devices 6 times in total for hardware repairs I will never, ever, ever buy a HTC device again. Oh and just to add, the guy that sits oposite me in the office has an orange branded TyTN, i mentioned the build quality to him about 6 months ago and he laughed at me and said his worked perfectly. Guess what, he finaly threw the thing in the bin today as the last of the front hardware keys gave up on him.
So, don't care if HTC make the greatest phone on the planet, i ain't buying it.
I like the specs of the Omni, but the UI does not appear up to par on the whole compared to that of the Diamond/Rafael.
http://samsungomnia.com/omnia-videos/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoaXA9un7YE
Thanks for the video. Interesting GUI. I definately like the design of the Omnia. The GUI looks a little bit slugglish and unresponsive at times. But with a large screen (although low pixel dimension), 5MP camera & 16GB max storage--it's hard to say no. The widescreen QVGA is disturbing for a feature rich phone like this. The iPhone hides the pixel dimensions nicely so I'm hoping this one will too.
I'm passing on the Diamond (because of the 4GB max storage) and hoping for the Touch Pro. If you can port TouchFlo 3D on the Omnia and have it be as fluid as the iPhone UI, I would seriously buy it.
VGA and QVGA
Could someone shred some light on the difference between VGA and QVGA? If this is significantly different, I would favour Diamond than Omnia, plus smaller size and weight. But at the same time I would like to try something other than HTC..lol.
Get the Rapheal it will be better than both the Omnia and Diamond.
This Omni phones got my eye, will add it to the review list on the Formal '08 smart phone comparison. Check my signature.
Hmmm touch choice, X1, Pro, or Omnia. Depends on the Camera I get really, no camer -> probably omnia, Good camera-> one of the others. 5MP is sick, and considering HTC Cameras are ****, it makes the 5 even better.
Rory
Go for the Omnia. If you look at the videos from youtube, the omnia opens apps REALLY FAST. It may not be as responsive as we should want, probably due to the screen, but the processor speed makes up for it. Not to mention the 16 GB storage and micro SD slot. It has XVID and DIVX support out of the box, so you know it will definitely perform well with videos. The 5 MP camera also s a huge plus. The only drawbacks I could think off is how good will the battery last in a day of use, and the wide QVGA screen which might not be compatible with most or all available apps yet.
I had a dilemma choosing between the Advantage X7510 and the Omnia, but in the end, I opted for the BIG SCREEN and good battery life of the X7510.
But with the choices you have given, go for the Omnia.
jugulator said:
Could someone shred some light on the difference between VGA and QVGA? If this is significantly different, I would favour Diamond than Omnia, plus smaller size and weight. But at the same time I would like to try something other than HTC..lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VGA is 640 by 480 screen resolution while QVGA is 320 by 240 resolution. Basically VGA screen have 4 times as much clarity and quality as QVGA screens, in theory atleast.
I too am thinking of the SGH-i907. I will be moving and need to switch to GSM and sense the i907 is going to AT&T that will work just fine for me. But I will have to use it in Verizon/AllHell network until I move. So I hope it will work ok. I think with the 8 or 16GB internal memory and the availability to use the external micro SD slot is nice. I guess to top it off they should have used a VGA screen but WGVA isn't too bad is it? What is the mp of the secondary camera? I am also wondering if Android can be ported to the i907?
Release Date: June, 2008
56.9x112x12.5mm, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional , 32bit Marvell PXA320, 128MiB RAM, 16000MiB ROM, 3.2" 400x240 color transflective TFT display, video out, Proprietary audio jack, GSM850/GSM900/GSM1800/GSM1900/UMTS2100, CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, microSD/microSDHC/TransFlash/SDIO, Proprietary port, Bluetooth, WLAN, GPS, A-GPS, FM radio, accelerometer, 5MP camera, AF, flash, secondary camera, 1440mAh removable battery.
Anyone know what version of Opera 9.5 the i900 is running?
I'm thinking between HTC Touch Pro and Omnia. If possible want to get both of them to compare. But still worry about omnia regarding below issues:
1. no support on forum such as tweaking, customize and cook rom.
2. where to download the rom update? Samsung will give new rom update to improve their performance or not?
3. inside the package seem not include the stylus and pouch. at samsung webpage indicate that is an optional.
4. how good is Marvell PXA300 series processor? Stable or not? Fast enough or not to handle such a bulky 3d software.
Samsung Omnia (i-900)
I just got the Omnia here in Singapore and so far, its great! You can turn off most of the "fancy" (but not so useful features to me) iPhone like features and you get a great WM6.1 device with 16GB storage (+ I can add another 8GB micro SD). The battery life is good and I can swap batteries if I need to. The camera is 5MP, with flash and the video is good.
For those of you interested, here's a good review of the Omnia:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=2606&cid=24&pg=1
Cheers!
kiawey said:
3. inside the package seem not include the stylus and pouch. at samsung webpage indicate that is an optional.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just went to a samsung roadshow in singapore yesterday
and i tried out the i900 there.
The lady told me the stylus is included in the package.
however it is nt like normal PDA phones where the stylus can be kept
'in' the phone itself. i900's stylus is hung outside like an accessory.
5 megapixel camera but doesn't seem to take photos like a 5 megapixel camera should. nokia's n95's camera seems better.
anyway, placed an order as the stock ran out by the time i got there.
How much you got it in Sing Dollar?
kiawey said:
How much you got it in Sing Dollar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it will be $498 with a 2 year line contract with Starhub in Singapore.
luckily i have a $200 voucher and a phone to trade-in..
davechew said:
I just got the Omnia here in Singapore and so far, its great! You can turn off most of the "fancy" (but not so useful features to me) iPhone like features and you get a great WM6.1 device with 16GB storage (+ I can add another 8GB micro SD). The battery life is good and I can swap batteries if I need to. The camera is 5MP, with flash and the video is good.
For those of you interested, here's a good review of the Omnia:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=2606&cid=24&pg=1
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting the review! I really like it. The only deal breaker now is the $1000+ (US dollars?) price tag. With the falling value of the US Dollar, that's a hefty price to pay for a phone (those included features are great). 2 year contract for $500? I hope. But there's still the Touch Pro.
Hea-to-head Review
Here's a direct review of both phones plus side-by-side photos:
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_diamond_vs_samsung_i900_omnia-review-262.php
mphayvanh said:
Here's a direct review of both phones plus side-by-side photos:
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_diamond_vs_samsung_i900_omnia-review-262.php
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent review. Seems unbiased and balanced, although, until someone has both handsets you can never be sure.
davechew said:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=2606&cid=24&pg=1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Connectivity: GPS with Navigation
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support
USB 2.0
Wi-Fi
Features:
...
MS Office Document Viewer, Advanced PIM Apps,
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont think anyone in there right mind would call google maps "Navigation"? Also, MS Office VIEWER!? Reviews inaccurate from page one, not going to bother reading the rest.
After using my G900 (800 x 480) mobile for a year now, I can't say that High res screens float my boat. They are a massive drain on the battery and factoring in the physical size of the screen, really not that usefull in my opinion. Its seems to me like having a 1080p 32" tv, good in principle but unless its 46", you really don't see the full benefit.
I think i'm still looking at an I900 .... now if only they were in the shops in the UK!!!!!
p.s. Anyone from Singapore wana stick one on Ebay?

Touch Pro vs. Samsung Omnia?

Sorry if this is completly out of place here but I just have to ask!
I am getting tired of all the problems with HTC devices, and I am considering buying another device just to be able to do what I want!
Let´s face it, I have had many different HTC devices, and there is always a problem somewhere! Either it´s the video driver or gps lag or whatever...
Now, I am not ready to give up on my TP just yet, and that is mainly becouse of this great forum. So I am keeping my TP to see if things get better in the future!
But I still want to be able to use my GPS software properly, and would also like to be able to watch movies without having to bring another set of devices with me where ever I go!
I was looking at the new Touch HD, but it seems that it has video issues as well!
So now I was thinking about the Samsung Omnia!
All the reviews I read so far seems promising, the device is very fast and is even DivX certified!
My question is, have you used or do you own a Samsung Omnia?
If yes, then what is your opinion about it? Is it really as good as I think it is or is it just another HTC like device with many buggs?
Will I be able to watch my videos smoothly or not?
Will I be able to use the gps without lag?
How does it compare to TP when it comes to other programs and games?
How is the screen compared to TP, does it feal much bigger or not?
Or maybe you can suggest another device that meets my demands, I am open for sugestion!
I know these are alot of questions, but I hope that some of you can help me out here! I am really frustrated that I have to bring several different devices with me to be able to do everything that my expencive TP was supposed to be able to do!
Thanks to all of you in advance!
my 2 cents...
list out ur priorities in what you want and then choose from there...
ie
video = get iphone
GSP = get nokia
.
.
.
for what u have stated, i'd personally get the HD over the Omina as its more sexy but its a bit bigger which is a turn off. If ur choices are limited to HD or Omina then I'd choose HD as I would think the battery would be better and lets face it... all phone are crap if the battery sucks...
venom037 said:
my 2 cents...
list out ur priorities in what you want and then choose from there...
ie
video = get iphone
GSP = get nokia
.
.
.
for what u have stated, i'd personally get the HD over the Omina as its more sexy but its a bit bigger which is a turn off. If ur choices are limited to HD or Omina then I'd choose HD as I would think the battery would be better and lets face it... all phone are crap if the battery sucks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact the HD is bigger then Omnia is no issue for me, and I also think that HD is the better looking device!
However I read in the HD forum that HD still has problems with video playback, now if that is true it´s a complete turn off for me!
A negative, Omnia won't have world 3G (850/1900 + 2100).
NuShrike said:
A negative, Omnia won't have world 3G (850/1900 + 2100).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Sweden, does that apply even here or just for US?
branko.savic said:
The fact the HD is bigger then Omnia is no issue for me, and I also think that HD is the better looking device!
However I read in the HD forum that HD still has problems with video playback, now if that is true it´s a complete turn off for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the default playback is not important to me as I only use CorePlayer... unless i'm mistaken and ur talking abt the phone hardware itself.... that i'm not technical enough to comment on.
venom037 said:
the default playback is not important to me as I only use CorePlayer... unless i'm mistaken and ur talking abt the phone hardware itself.... that i'm not technical enough to comment on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is problem with hardware becouse they say that there is no smooth playback even with CP without converting!
Maybe another device is better then Omnia?
If Omnia is not as good, maybe you all can suggest me another device that will fit my needs?
Thanks!
I am responsible for the mobile devices in our company. I have a T-Mobile Vario IV (HTC Touch Pro) and a T-Mobile Vario III (HTC Kaiser) for my own use. I have ordered and configured 2 Samsung Omnia, 3 Vario IV, 3 Compact IV (HTC Diamond) and the best after all is the Vario IV.
The Omnia software feels not very well. The TF3D ist much more comfortable als feels really smooth.
If you can live without the g-sensor, get the Xperia X1 and put HD manilla on it.
Kraize said:
If you can live without the g-sensor, get the Xperia X1 and put HD manilla on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tought the X1 had a much smaller screen, and less RAM?
Bigger, higher res screen than touch pro, better battery too. And 3.5mm headphones. If only it had been available in Australia a month ago (still isn't). That said, I like my touch pro. The GPS isn't so bad it's not useful and it's a big improvement on my old Hermes...
I was trying to decide between the Omnia and the Pro myself. I ended up keeping my Touch Pro - largely because of the cost difference between identical plans with Sprint and Verizon.
Video will definitely run smoothly on the Omnia because it has a faster processor, and is not running a VGA screen. The screen is much lower resolution and nonstandard though it's bigger. That said, quality TV Out will be limited to files it's native player can output. Otherwise, you're only getting the resolution of the screen, 400 x 240 I think.
On the Touch Pro, I've gotten good performance with the files I normally play using either Coreplayer or Divx Player. I've heard bad reviews about unconverted files using TV Out - but am waiting for a cable to try myself.
When you're comparing screens - the Touch Pro is higher resolution but the Omnia is bigger. I can see positives and negatives to both in viewing webpages or images. But for video play and output the Omnia should be faster.
By the way, I should add that though the Touch HD has a bigger, 800 x 480 screen - video play should be slower/choppier than the Touch pro because it has the same processor. The same processor would have to move even more pixels, which is already causing slow performance with the Raphael's VGA screen.
The only possibility for better performance with a VGA (or higher) screen, is a faster processor or better integrated video drivers.
If I were you, I wouldn't sink a lot of money into a samsung phone. IMO they are generally not very good. That being said, the Omnia is obviously not a standard samsung.
pros
-it has innovative interface
-bigger screen
-good with media
cons
-lower res screen (is it wqvga? i think it is)
-NO STYLUS SLOT (huge turnoff)
no qwerty (we are comparing to touch pro here)
this being said, I feel that there is little the omnia can do that the pro can't. with coreplayer, video playback is flawless for me, even when i am viewing a 700mb divx encoded movie
I purchased omnia!
Okey, so I decided to buy the Omnia even if most of you voted against it!
Boy am I glad I did that!
I have spent almost this whole day testing the device, the first thing I tested was to copy a 1.2 gb Xvid movie to it, it played out of the box with it´s built in touch player so I did not even have to install CorePlayer! And do I even have to mention that it did not lag/stutter even once watching the whole movie, with alot of action scenes!
Then I installed TomTom 7 and BeeLine GPS and went out for a walk!
Testing BeelineGPS while walking was a whole different experience then with my Touch Pro, the compas view rotated and adjusted it´s position with every step I took! (With Touch Pro it only updated every 10 to 20 meters!) What a difference!
TomTom performed just as well, it followed my car exactly even in high speed!
And it is alot snappier then my Touch Pro even tho it has less ram! Rotating screen is an instant and overall performance is way better then the TP!
Bare in mind that I have installed custom speedy rom in my TP, and the Omnia is all original! Now imagine what this device can do with a custom rom!
I dont know about you, but I can just say that I dont believe I made a misstake with this device, but I have to keep testing it a bit more, just had it one day so far!
venom037 said:
my 2 cents...
list out ur priorities in what you want and then choose from there...
ie
video = get iphone
GSP = get nokia
.
.
.
for what u have stated, i'd personally get the HD over the Omina as its more sexy but its a bit bigger which is a turn off. If ur choices are limited to HD or Omina then I'd choose HD as I would think the battery would be better and lets face it... all phone are crap if the battery sucks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, I bought the omnia yesterday, and today after two days of pretty heavy use, I still have 40% battery left!
So the batter is in fact better then in my tp which did not even last for one full day!
What network has the Omnia? I want one! This fuze has done nothing but frustrate me! What carrier are you with?
Duder29 said:
What network has the Omnia? I want one! This fuze has done nothing but frustrate me! What carrier are you with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Sweden so I am not familiar with the networks in us, but this is what I see in my Omnia settings: Automatic, GSM 900/1800, GSM 850/1900 and WCDMA!
I should point out that this is a 3G device and it works great here in sweden, it also has HSDPA (Hight speed internet!)
Hope this helps!
I love my Omnia, but especially with this ROM: http://www.modaco.com/content/i900-...illa2d-with-flashlite-3-1-and-uc-dthj9-m2d03/
But I can get a great deal on a Fuze through work and I'm tempted to pick one up as well... this last month or so that I've had the Omnia is the first time since the Blue Angel came out that I haven't had an HTC device

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