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Buying a new phone

Hi everyone, I am in the market for a new Pocket PC style phone with a QWERTY style keybaord on it. Through my research I have found out that all QWERTY style Pocket PC's are also phones.
So after looking around at a number of models out there the i-Mate JASJAR phone really caught my eye. However, also while looking around I found this site and figured I would ask an active community what my best choice would be. I will buy from anywhere in the world if it will be cheaper in the end.
I have a plan with Fido currently and a sim card in my LG phone working at the moment.
The things I need in a Pocket PC Phone:
Hardware
- Fido Canada Compatability (GSM ~1900) for phone
- WiFi (802.11b) for data
- Bluetooth support
- SD Card Slot for my 1gb card
- USB port to connect to computer
- Decent processor and RAM.
Software
- Windows 2005 (or whatever the latest is)
- General Word / Excel Applications
- MSN Messenger
I'm not used to looking up information about phones and cross compatibility, and being in canada all I am used to is being screwed up the rear with cell phone costs and locked phones. So thats why I am coming here for help.
Any help would be greatly appriciated.
Thank you all in advance.
Antonio the Knight of Ni.

Hello,
If all you you need are those listed, basically you can pick any PPC that is offered today by the cell phone providers today in North America, as it will be cheaper than buying an unlocked one. Mostly the providers today offered one of the Wizard varians, like in the USA, most of the providers (Cingular, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint), all of them carry of the Wizard varians, with price around US$350 for 2 years contract. Full price without contract here is around US$500.
I'm an owner of i-mate Jasjar (Universal). Compared to a Wizard, Jasjar/Universal is much more expensive here in North America, because no provider carry it, thus we have to buy full price.
Compared to Wizard, however, Universal has the following:
1. Processor is twice/more faster technically.
2. Screen is VGA, compared to Wizard (QVGA).
3. Heavier, bulkier, etc.
4. Universal is wow when used as a mini laptop, but Wizard is wow when used a mini PPC and phone.
I can tell you, I'm always impressed with my Uni when I read PDF doc, emails, remote connecting to my PC, watching videos.
All of your requirement can be easily fulfilled by a WIzard instead of a Universal.

Well, I am willing to spend up to $800 so I dont have to be in a contract, and my goal is to get it to work on my Canadian provider Fido. So, the phone is going to have to be unlocked in order for me to beable to use it on my provider as they dont sell any pocket pc phones, only their parent company rogers does but I am on a grandfathered contract with fido that gives me unlimited calling, so i would like to maintain that.
So, as far as unlocked phones go, your saying that the Jaspar is probly the best call? Excuse the pun.

In the market
I am in the market for a ppc phone as well and I have come down to a decision between the Universal and the Wizard, but I would like some user feedback about both models. I noticed the Wizard has a 200mhz TI cpu and the Universal has a 520mhz intel cpu. What is the actual performance difference between the two? Does the wizard use its clock cycles more efficiently closing some of the gap or is the universal really 2.6 times faster? What about the resolution difference? I think this might be a big selling factor for me. Does it make a big difference? I know on a computer I can't stand to use anything less than 1600x1200. The bottom line is it looks like it is going to cost me twice as much for the universal as the wizard is the extra money worth it? I am looking at using T-Mobile here in the states. They only offer the MDA(Wizard) and not the MDA Pro(Universal) but I think either way I will probably pick one up off of ebay and try and save some money. Thanks in advance for your help.

Last year, around Oct-Nov, I was in the same place you were today. I had the plan that I did not want to lose. I did not want to sign any new contract.
I want unlocked Pocket PC so that I can use it when I travel to Asia and any where. And I decided I would not mind to pay the full price. My budget was... however, I pushed it all the way to over $1000 in order to buy the best.
I considered that single invesment to fullfill at least many years to come needs, therefore, go with the most advance one, rather than buy a cheaper one, but half way.
That's the whole reason I was finally decided to get a Universal. But if you ask me to share my opinion with you today, after using Universal more than 6 months, I think it was not the best decision I made with the purchase. Do not get me wrong, I learned and experienced many new things since I had my Uni, and its extremely well built and nice device, nothing like it really. The screen especially, may be the best you will ever see in any Pocket PC. But for daily use, for phone, for carry around, for many occasions, I do not use it, simply its not pratical. I usually swiched back to my old one. Then I would blame myself, why did you buy it if you do not want to use it? Sad
Most of the time now I leave my Uni at home to be used with my home wifi. I have seen many ppl are happier with their decision to get a smaller scale one like Wizard or Prophet. Prophet is about the same size with the Wizard, except its thinner as it has no keyboard but better button layout. They do not mind even though the screen is a quarter than the Universal and the processor speed is half of the Universal as well. And indeed, for daily practical use (phone, email, notes) it does serve the purpose. Absolutely, when you want to browse the web, then smaller screen is not as good as VGA like Universal Smile When it comes to size and easy carry, smaller size is better.
Hope I'm not making your more confused. But if I can re-decide I would pick a Prophet instead. Since I have decided with a Uni, I'm happy to live with it as I do not want/cannot afford a new one right now.
KJam and Jamin (Wizard and Prophet) are identical in term of hardware spec (procesor, memory, etc) but has different apperance.
KJam/Wizard is thicker because it has a keyboard, Jamin/Prophet does not have one, but Jamin/Prophet has a better button layout that will allow single handed use of the device.
The last thing which is very important to know as well, KJam/Wizard use Mini SD, Jamin/Prophet use SD (Full size). Many ppl (like myself) will not buy something that use mini SD as I have invested quite a lot in big size SD card and would like to continue using the same card.

keep in mind that canada and a lot of the US uses 1900 and 850 freq for cellular
that being said, the wizard will work in more places than the universal because there are places that are 850 only and the universal doesn't have it
but if you want more pda features, then you'll have to give up some possible reception

Here, check out this link:
http://www.htcamerica.net/products/default.htm
Here you can find all the Wizard variants that are being offered in the US market, by each cell phone provider. Canadian providers are also listed here.

I signed up for service with T-Mobile a week ago and just got a crappy $10 Samsung R225m for the time being. I decided I will get The Universal and if I know I am going somewhere out in the boonies where I will need 850mhz analog I will grab the samsung. Is cloning your sim legal? Like let us say I want to have multiple cards in case something happens or if i want a data telemtry device in my car which would be used rather infrequently to share everything.

Wait a minute.... I was just looking and the Universal doesn't have EDGE does it? Does anyone in the states know how widespread T-Mobile's EDGE coverage is? How much of a difference does it make in speed?

Fed up with HTC and I-mate ultimates delayed, need a replacement!

Hi Guys
I have a HTC TyTN which I am using beyond its capabilities. I have upgraded it to WM6 and use a lot of the extra functionality that it contains however, I find it too slow and the screen is to low res. I am also seriously ****ed off with HTC build quality and it now has a fourth hardware issue that I cannot be bothered to return it for. - NO It has not been dropped, in fact its been treated better than an eggshell!
I was originaly looking at replacing it with an I-Mate Ultimate 5150 but I have now heard that they are not being released until November. I can't wait this long. I need a phone that can do all of the following but is NOT made by HTC
runs WM6
has HSDPA/3G
has Bluetooth/Not bothered about WiFi
is faster than this rubbish Samsung 2442A processor at 400mhz
ideally has more than 128meg ram - optional
has an optional extended battery
supports push Exchange email
Last but by no means least, MUST have a 640*480 screen
has a slide out/slide down keyboard
must NOT be made by HTC - no matter how well re-badged it is!
The monstrosity that is the JasJar is simply too big and doesn't support HSDPA anyway. Budget is not too much of a problem but I don't want to go bigger in size than the Ultimate 5150. I will be buying off-contract.
Apart from the I-Mate Ultimates, I can't find any phones to meet this criteria, anyone else know of any? I'm desperate!
Thanks loads in advance for saving my life! :thumbsup:

wow you're not asking for much...and limiting yourself to the small (albeit increasing) percentage of the market that is non-HTC isnt helping you. But then again HTC is a product cycle behind everyone else with VGA so no foul...
In any case your pretty well limited to:
Toshiba G900. Everything you want bar the Processor. Has a possibly low Samsung Processor onboard.
beyond that any other devices coming close to that criteria are comprimises
ie GLofish X800, Gigabyte T300 (Like the G900 due for Release soon). VGA screens aren't that all come on at the moment, but are gradually improving, this is certainly the year for them.

Hi
Thanks for that! Looking like the device for me
And yes, im a firm believer of never buying another product from a manufacturer when something I have bought from them has failed repeatedly. From what I understand, i'm not the only one that has a HTC device thats failed over and over again - google tells me this!
Anyway, i've alreadly found this for sale for 379 and that was with my first google!
Thanks again!!

Hi,
I am pretty much on the same boat, although I am reasonably happy with my TyTN... I just want more!
I have been looking at:
- Toshiba G900 - 800x480 screen, only slightly larger than the TyTN
- E-TEN Glofish X500+ - only just saw this in a magazine yesterday, it is supposed to be a 640x480 version of the X500, and it will be sold by Expansys... although its not on their website yet!

Monty: I know how you feel about HTC, which is why I went from BA -> Flame.
My requirements were slightly different. In descreasing order of importance:
At least 3.5" screen. 2.8 - 3.2" screens are too small, both for my eyes and my hands (with stylus).
VGA.
Lightweight and fits in pocket. (Rules out Universal and Athena.)
Portrait-normal form factor. I gotta be able to hold it in one hand and tap the stylus in the other, comfortably.
2.5G. 3G is still new here, and I can live with 2.5G speeds because of what I use it for (ssh).
Bluetooth. No need for GPS or KB if you have BT.
Prefer no keyboard or a hidden slide-out keyboard -- I'll use a soft, USB or BT keyboard instead of a keyboard with keys too tiny for my fingers, which ends up simply increasing the thickness of the device most of the time.
No HTC device satisfies these requirements. Only the XDA Flame does.
The HTC Panda is a throwback since it doesn't have VGA. Otherwise it might be an acceptable alternative when it comes out.
The iMate Ultimate 7150 would be my second choice when it comes out, despite its keyboard (looks hidable and does not increase thickness of device too much).
Until something better comes out, I'll stick with the Flame.

Monty Burns said:
I was originaly looking at replacing it with an I-Mate Ultimate 5150 but I have now heard that they are not being released until November. I can't wait this long. I need a phone that can do all of the following but is NOT made by HTC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heard? who did u hear it from??
"The highly acclaimed Ultimate range from i-mate will be on offer to customers throughout the region from Sept 2007"
http://msmobiles.com/news.php/6461.html

Toshiba G900 has 128M RAM, 128M ROM and a Marvell PXA270 520 Mhz cpu.
It has been released in the UK. The manual is available online - at the Toshiba.co.uk mobile communications site.
Not only is this faster than the SAMSUNG on the TyTN, but is also current Xscale / ARM - the Samsung was two generations out of date ... and generally regarded as end of line long before the TyTN came out.

Imate???? Their customer support SUCKS!!! I've had JasJam for 7months now and have had enough. No phone support. Representatives have NO IDEA what they are chatting about - absolutely no knowledge and noone responds to emails!!!!

Personally I am impressed by the imate ultimate series whenever it is released but I am troubled by their customer support.
For almost 3 months now the clubimate site (Jasjam) page mentions that a newer version of the operating system will soon be released. When I finally got on line with them yesterday the person mentioned that it has already been released. Before I could ask him where it is posted the on line chat disconnected not to be connected again. But I am sure that clown had no idea of what he was talking about.
Regards

the ultimates series have yet to prove themselfs not to be vaporware though

Rudegar said:
the ultimates series have yet to prove themselfs not to be vaporware though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think that it ll be a vaporware esp when considering the fact that the imate's future depends on them

Considering an X7510 and looking for input...

So my HTC Wizard is getting a little old. And it's poor old CPU isn't standing up to Windows Mobile 6 ROM's very well. And it doesn't support anyhting past EDGE. And I'm thinking it's time for an upgrade. And my sweet BT SouthWing headset sucks on my HTC as soon as I do more than one thing. At the same time, my camera is busted. My girlfriend has a 6 megapixel camera we use for anything important, but I want a decent camera that's always on me.
I think I see a chance to combine some electronics. I'm looking for a beasty WM 6 based PDA. The current PDA I'm most interested in is the HTC Advantage X7510.
http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=474
GSM w / solid band support
3.1 MP camera w / flash
BT 2.0
624 Mhz CPU AND ATI gfx chip (<3 cell phone emulators)
16 gig internal flash for my tunes
detachable keyboard
FULL QWERTY KEYBOARD = WIN
Surprisingly sexy for a powerful PDA with a keyboard
This looks like the best one I've found overall. I've heard that HTC has been pretty lousy on implementing the ATI GFX chips, but as far as I can tell that's only on the TyTn II's. It's a little more than I want to spend on a phone, but if it gets the camera in there too then it's sold.
I'm pretty much sold on this guy, only holdup is the cost. I really haven't seen anything that can compete with it, although I found a lot of new companies today poking about. Anybody know of any brands I should look at, or have anything negative to say about this guy?

fatheadpi said:
So my HTC Wizard is getting a little old. And it's poor old CPU isn't standing up to Windows Mobile 6 ROM's very well. And it doesn't support anyhting past EDGE. And I'm thinking it's time for an upgrade. And my sweet BT SouthWing headset sucks on my HTC as soon as I do more than one thing. At the same time, my camera is busted. My girlfriend has a 6 megapixel camera we use for anything important, but I want a decent camera that's always on me.
I think I see a chance to combine some electronics. I'm looking for a beasty WM 6 based PDA. The current PDA I'm most interested in is the HTC Advantage X7510.
http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=474
GSM w / solid band support
3.1 MP camera w / flash
BT 2.0
624 Mhz CPU AND ATI gfx chip (<3 cell phone emulators)
16 gig internal flash for my tunes
detachable keyboard
FULL QWERTY KEYBOARD = WIN
Surprisingly sexy for a powerful PDA with a keyboard
This looks like the best one I've found overall. I've heard that HTC has been pretty lousy on implementing the ATI GFX chips, but as far as I can tell that's only on the TyTn II's. It's a little more than I want to spend on a phone, but if it gets the camera in there too then it's sold.
I'm pretty much sold on this guy, only holdup is the cost. I really haven't seen anything that can compete with it, although I found a lot of new companies today poking about. Anybody know of any brands I should look at, or have anything negative to say about this guy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well if you really want the x7510 then you should buy an x7500 and put ap4 on there. than its like having the best of both worlds plus you get all the buttons that you dont get with the 7510

7510 is a good choice only if you intend to use it notebook style. If you use it tablet style, then 7500 or 7501 are better. 7510 does not have the a few of the hardware buttons that the older models have, and this is extremely limiting for table style users. Many users find it more convenient, more portable, and easier when using it table style.
BTW, 7500 and 7501 are lighter and cheaper too. The only drawback is the microdrive instead of SSD, but not a serious drawback. Capacity itself is not an issue for most of us, I believe. I only use about 1 GB out of the 8GB with all my programs installed there. All my large consuming files are on microSDHC, which can be swapped in and out at will so there is no practical limit on the effective capacity. Microdrive is a lot faster than microSDHC, although it consumes more power.

The answer is also in the new product cathegories from HTC marketing department ( www.htc.com ) :
They have :
TOUCH phones (From TOUCH to DIAMOND)
PDA phones (From P3300 to TyTN II)
Smartphones (From S310 to S730)
Mobile Computers (Advantage>Shift)
The strategy seems clear: WHAT DO YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ? :
Trendy and WOW effect PDA PHONE? (Play device with phone?) TOUCH product Line
A Powerfull Companion in your PHONE? (Biz device with phone?) PDA Phones Product Line
Lightweight but powerfull PHONE? (Phone for yor Digital Lifestyle?) Smartphones product line
Mobile computing (Mobile PC always on with SOME phone capabilities?) Mobile Computers product line
I agree with you we would like to have them ALL in a single device but....
I have PDA, SMartphone and Mobile computer, and I fully agree with this scenario. A clear idea (or a good help) and you will be really happy of the chosen device. Chose the wrong category for your purpose and you will sell it in few weeks (losing money )
HTC is out from a dark age now, time to buy stock quotes IMHO!

I'd go for an X7500 unless you can get a 7510 susidised. I use about 6Gb of my Microdrive and about 3Gb on my card but you can always expand with bigger cards.
Good luck!
[Edit]Just seen http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=391485 - might be of interest?[/Edit]

Interesting comments, really appreciate the feedback. So, a few things.
1. I haven't really found a good comparison or general video yet of any of the advantage models. I'll keep the keyboard difference in mind. As for the keyboard usage, how is it for texting? I've been pretty happy with the keyboard on my Wizard, but I'm open to something new. I just refuse to go back to not having a QWERTY keyboard. I'd buy the Diamond, but HTC doesn't get how awesome QWERTY texting is appearantly.
2. Looking at the Advantage, I don't see any buttons on it that would be especially good for gaming, especially anything like the pad on a Wizard / TyTn II. Am I missing something, or can I expect to have my PocketNesterness hampered by an Advantage?
3. Thanks for the info on the 7500/1 vs 7510. Looking at the specs page, I noticed the 7500 lists two cameras while the 7501 only has one. Is this the case? I'd just be giving up the VGA camera for voice calls, which I've never used anyways, but I guess it could be nice if I get to an area with better than EDGE service. Also, is the X7510's camera much / any better?
4. I've done a good bit of flashing / light bit of cooking with my Wizard. About how much harder is an advantage to reflash?
5. 8 gigs would be a considerable upgrade for me, I've been getting by on a 4 gig MiniSD that my Wizard only picks up about 3.7 gig of. Assuming I used a gig internally for pics, GPS, etc, I'd still have twice the capacity on HD alone vs my card.
Glad to get some input, got ignored at HowardForums.

Hmm... actually, saw some better pics of the Advantage. There is clearly no "D-Pad" like the PDA-style phones get. LAME.
Back to the drawing board. Kaiser's in the lead, AT&T owes me a discount phone since I bought my own hardware to the table. Too bad it doesn't have a flash.
http://www.imate.com/support/specs/SpecSheet_9502.pdf
Ooooooh... Do Want!

fatheadpi said:
Interesting comments, really appreciate the feedback. So, a few things.
1. ... how is it for texting? ...
2. ... can I expect to have my PocketNesterness hampered by an Advantage?
3. ... the 7500 lists two cameras while the 7501 only has one. Is this the case? Also, is the X7510's camera much / any better?...
4. ...About how much harder is an advantage to reflash?...
5. ...8 gigs ...
....got ignored at HowardForums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We play soccer here, 2-1 is the score, and the winners are ...HERMES-KAISER!
1) ATHENA's kb haven't any backlight, hard to use without a stable surface. Big screen means BIG on screen Kb too, but for texting ATHENA Kb isn't really good in standing situation, in the car, on the bus.... WORST comparing it with the HERMES or KAISER
2) Many games aren't usable in a VGA device. I don't know about emulators but less buttons mean less control! WORST comparing it with the HERMES or KAISER
3) Yes, it is. No, don't.
4) Just the same complexity and risks as Kaiser or Hermes
5) Yes, but are built IN. I prefer to have DATA on SD, to manage with the PC utilities, to share data with friends... but, yes BETTER than HERMES or KAISER
HOFO?
Believe me: for a "texter" and "gamer" ATHENA is a nightmare!

Yeah, that's what I'm seeing so far. I might settle on a Kaiser, looks like those are pretty well hacked, and I can get one for like $100 refurb'd through AT&T. I'm gonna see if I can scrounge up a deal on that I-Mate tho, no flash on the camera has repeatedly pissed me off with my Wizard.
On a different note, how is WM6 on a 400 Mhz processor? I'm using a Wizard OC'd to 216Mhz on a custom WM6 rom, and alot of stuff is SLOOOOW. Granted, even a Kaiser would more than double my phone power, but just curious.

Hey guys, I think it's getting obvious the Athena isn't for me. I'm gonna head over to the Kaiser forum and see what I can see. Thanks for the help.

reccomendation for "feminine" windows mobile phone for texting....

Hey, ive been a long time user of windows mobile phones, and currently i'm using an HTC advantage and I would never go back to anything smaller than my nice large vga screen . My GF is in town and i'm letting her use my older TRI-BAND touch dual. Shes lovin it....the only problem is shes heading back to alaska in a week or so, and unfortunatly the tri band makes the phone not work in the part of alaska where shes at. When i was up a few months ago my advantage had good signal (roaming of course, but with tmobile that dont matter). So i'm lookin to get her a quad band phone..touch screen, windows mobile and a full keyboard because she doesent like the soft keyboard too much. I thought about the new quad band touch duals they just released in the US, however I dont really want to spend 500 on another phone. Looking for any reccomendations as to what phone would be good for my girl. Thanks for any help!

How 'bout a Wizard?
touchlasvegas said:
Hey, ive been a long time user of windows mobile phones, and currently i'm using an HTC advantage and I would never go back to anything smaller than my nice large vga screen . My GF is in town and i'm letting her use my older TRI-BAND touch dual. Shes lovin it....the only problem is shes heading back to alaska in a week or so, and unfortunatly the tri band makes the phone not work in the part of alaska where shes at. When i was up a few months ago my advantage had good signal (roaming of course, but with tmobile that dont matter). So i'm lookin to get her a quad band phone..touch screen, windows mobile and a full keyboard because she doesent like the soft keyboard too much. I thought about the new quad band touch duals they just released in the US, however I dont really want to spend 500 on another phone. Looking for any reccomendations as to what phone would be good for my girl. Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can still find Wizards in good condition or refurbished, for about $150, or even a few left new for $200 or less, like this one.
The built-in stereo speakers, though small, have decent sound, which is a plus - much better sound than a Kaiser, for instance!

Thanks, i was actually thinking about a wizard as they are kinda tried and tested...very good rep for a phone. Only thing that I was curious about is the size and thickness of it..say compared to the touch dual..I dont want her to have to walk around with a brick...

How do the Herald, or the Hermes compare to the Wizard? alot of people seem to have started with a wizard..and then moved on...some to a wing(herald). Her fav color is blue...and the herald appears to be mostly blue which is kinda cool too.

can anyone who has had, or seen the herald, or the hermes give me a brief pro/con compared to the wizard? there all pretty much the same style, but im not sure which would be better. Thanks again for everyones help!

I had Wizard and Hermes.
Quick and dirty face to face hardware:
Size: the same.
Materials, assembly, "feel": Wizard is much better.
Hardware known problems: Hermes a LOT, screen aligment and connector, Wizard few.
Data connection: FAST using HERMES, SLOWER in wizard,
Camera: 1.2 wizard, 2.0 Mp and macro switch Hermes .
Battery life: much longer in WIZARD
SW... choose the rom you want!

thanks for the comparison sergiopi! Now the "herald" is the same as the "wing" correct? I found some side by side shots of the wing next to a wizard..and the wizard looks fat, and I'm thinking that the thinner wing would fit in my girls hands better.

how about the s710/s730 htc (vodafone v1415/orange spv e650 in the uk) its a smartphone but has qwerty keyboard aswell. dont know if thats any use

well i was lookin at the "wings" mainly because it has a faster cpu, but i hate to take her away from the touchscreen. She wants a hard keyboard, but shes getting really used to the touchscreen interface. I'm leaning twords the HTC Herald...aka wing. Looks like they can be had for around 250 on ebay. Any major negatives about the wing?

They suffer from most the same problems as most ppcs. The processor is inadequate as always, and the camera isn't particularly good, but the same could be said of alot of ppcs.
One thing is, the screen is still inlaid, so blah. The coating feels really nice, but is easily scratched

Wings trumps Wizard
touchlasvegas said:
well i was lookin at the "wings" mainly because it has a faster cpu, but i hate to take her away from the touchscreen. She wants a hard keyboard, but shes getting really used to the touchscreen interface. I'm leaning twords the HTC Herald...aka wing. Looks like they can be had for around 250 on ebay. Any major negatives about the wing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're on the right track - the Herald would be a good choice - it is thinner than the Wizard, and "cuter" in blue, and it has a better camera - otherwise most of the specs are same as Wizard. It also has the hardware keyboard numbers laid out like a regular cellphone, which is a plus (the Hermes also has this, plus faster processor). The only thing I don't know is if it has stereo speakers (but for serious music listening, she'll want to use a headset of some sort anyway), and infrared (seems to be a dying feature, but it was useful on my Wizard I thought)
So if you can spring for the increased cost of the Herald over the Wizard, I think it's a great choice!

Thanks Cush, i ended up getting a new unlocked herald off ebay for 269.00. The processor wont be much of an issue to her because she wont really be playing games...or for that matter probably will never even hotsync it to a computer. ( that will be my job as i set it up for her ). Mainly music and texting. Thanks for all the tips!

Best phone for $50-$100

A while back I bought a Samsung SCH-I760 off Ebay for $100. I chose it because, at the time, it was the best phone that could be activated on Verizon without a data plan. However, by the time I got around to activating it, Verizon changed the rule from all phones after October '08 to all smartphones period. Now I am stuck with a Wi-fi PDA instead of a phone as I can't justify paying for a data plan. I have become unsatisfied with my I760 because of its lack of GPS, low ram, and most of all, its lack of a rom cooking scene. I am now looking for a phone for $50-$100 with the following features in decreasing importance:
1. Wifi (necessary as I won't be activating the phone)
2. An active rom cooking scene
3. Hardware keyboard
4. GPS
5. VGA or WVGA screen
6. 128+ MB ram
7. Faster processor than 400 mhz
8. Bigger screen than 2.5 in
9. Multitouch lol can't think of much else
The phone doesn't need to be unlocked, as I wn't be activating it. However a GSM phone would be nice, as I might be able to eventually use a normal phone plan's sim card in it, but far from a dealbreaker. Probably my dream phone(in this pricerange at least) would be a Touch Pro/Fuze but I've seen those are more expensive than $100 here. I couldn't post this in the marketplace forum because of my low post count. I'll probably start doing stuff here now to get it up. I only signed up for downloads originally.

you must be kidding searching for HTC <100$ with these features, LOL.
more - say thx to HTC for killing other companies, ideas and devices that will never be.

Welcome to forums
have a look on marketplace, perhaps you can find something around your budget
Good luck,

Umm.......
You could prob get a used diamond / raphael quite cheap from forum marketplace, but for 50 - 100 $, i am unsure
soz
Badwolve1

I think diamond or fuze will be your best bet...but need to increase your budget slightly I guess

Get a used HTC Hermes Tytn (but not GPS on it). The more features the more the price

Thanks guys; that's pretty much what I was thinking. I'll just have to keep checking the marketplace for a deal on a fuze/touch pro. I saw that Tytn. It did look pretty interesting for the price. I really want to put WM 6.5 on it and to a lesser extent, android though. I saw the tytn II has some pretty active hacking; it has ports of both oses. What about that? A quick search of the forums didn't show many sales. How does that match up to the Fuze? From what I see it looks to be just generally less powerful. However, I've been reading about the performance problems on the touch pro. Is it really as bad as the sticky thread makes it sound? Have there been any advances in drivers for the gpu? Lastly, since I won't be activating this phone, does it require a data connection to start? I heard Android won't boot if it isn't connected; is that true for WM?
And Pupakota, if you didn't figure it out from the others, my list was in decreasing order of importance, aka not all the features. I don't think a single WM phone exists with all those features; HD2 is the only one with multitouch AFAIK.
Oh yeah, I would love to put a Leo rom on it.