Database Info

GPS, WiFI, BT and Camera All in One Phone

:!: Sorry for the shameless attempt to get you here with a dreamy subject but it's relevant to the topic - honestly. :!:
I'm after a PDAPhone with built in everything. But looks so far like I'm going to have to compromise and get an external GPS receiver, however was just hoping someone might have a little gem that I couldn't find anywhere else in the forums.
I have owned and loved the O2 XDA range ever since my first XDA years ago and have since lugged around an XDAII. I damaged my II recently and have a nice cheque for £550 burning a hole in my pocket courtesy of the insurance company. This means that for the first time ever I don't need to go to a subsidised model. My initial thought was that I'd stump up a few extra quid and get a JamJar :lol: from expansys but now I'm a bit more mature I decided to check out the options first.
So far I've found (Ignoring Naming Variations):
Prices quoted are from expansys - they could be cheaper elsewhere. Pls let me know if you find any (UK Only though)
:arrow: iPAQ hw6515 - Looks a bit crap, small screen and no wi-fi listed but DOES have GPS & 1.3Mp Cam - Anyone know of any Square Aware issues with programs?
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=120563
:idea: £439.95
:arrow: i-mate JAM - Small and sexy but no Wi-Fi and no GPS but would stop people asking if I've got a brick taped to my head. + 1.3Mp, COuld afford external GPS with this one.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=I-MATE_JAM
:idea: £359.95
:arrow:Qtek 9090- Has everything But GPS but would leave enough money for a BT GPS - No camera spec but I think it's 0.3Mp like the XDAIIs - Could be upgraded to WM5, My Mate has one and the Thumb Keyboard is easy to use whilst walking - If I use my head not my geekometer this is my favourite.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=QTEK_9090
:idea: £414.95
:arrow: i-mate JASJAR - Dogs balls but still no GPS and not much more than the 9090 + v Expensive & Getting Bigger - 1.3Mp Cam I think. (I have no 3G service anywhere near me so that's not a bonus) I really like the 3.5mm Jack - Overall a severe number of geek points! NO CRADLE Still needs GPS Seperate, not sure how useable while walking the keyboard will be. I really want one.
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=119353
:idea: £669.95
:arrow: i-mate K-JAM - WiFi, BT etc, Smaller and lighter than Universal, WM5, 1.3Mp. I like the keyboard. Maybe my new best choice. JUST leaves enough money to think about an external GPS. Thanks JamiJam
:idea: http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=125518
:idea: £504.95
My criteria to consider are as follows, argue with them and persuade me otherwise with reasons if you so wish:
Phone + PDA Essential (Tri Band+)
Camera - Prefer 1+Mp
BT - Must Have
Wi-Fi - Optional but Preferred a lot
3G - Not required
Keyboard - Like to Have (It's awkward using handwriting when travelling)
GPS - Very Nice to Have I Drive a lot and would like to use TT in the future.
OS - Not Bothered, these can be changed
I have 1 Month to decide before I burst and spray money all over the place so I'd really appreciate any comments you might have.
Don't go off on any obscure tangents though please, post them in a new topic and link to it if you wish.

Wizard...
(aka K-Jam, aka Qtek 9100)

Not sure when it will be out but Orange are going to release the Wizard and call it the SPV M600. If you can wait then you'll have it subsidised. :wink:

hmmmmm
Ok, so far the Wizard is my favourite now. I'd completely forgotten about that. What's the keyboard like though? I'm not too fussed about the size (the one on the XDA III is smaller and still useable)? It's more the key action I'm bothered about.
Does it have those rubbish 'rubbery' 'spectrum' style keys? It looks like it does.
I'm still yearning for a Universal cos none of my mates will have one but my head is still saying I don't need it and one of the others will do everything I want.

AFAIK HTC has some kind of arrangement with compaq - HTC will not make a phone with GPS as it competes with a model HTC makes for compaq that does have GPS or something like that (the hw6515 maybe ?)
I have a Blue Angel (O2 XDA IIs) and it does all of this.
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=I-MATE_III
WM5 now available and working fine on it.
It has a keyboard too, it's those blister things (more like a ZX81 than a spectrum) but it is useable, although the keyboard layout is a bit ****e.
What with the newer models coming out you should be able to pick one up cheapish.
I run mine with a Globalsat Bt-338 Bluetooth GPS and Tomtom 5

oh, and FYI, this PDA holder from halfords holds the BA perfectly and can be mounted to your dash. It obscures no ports.
(The pic is upside down BTW)
http://www.halfords.com/opd_product_details.asp?id=16600&type=0&cat=397

The keyboard on the wizard is excellent, in my humble opinion!
It also snaps in and out in a way that makes you feel it won't break down easily.
Finally, it automatically turns the phone's display into landscape mode, which is very handy.

Wizard or BA
I have to say I'm still impressed with the Wizard. Just made a scale model out of card (how sad is that) and it's tiny!
I like the BA but if the keyboard doesn't let the Wizard down I think it'll be my PDA of choice. The one thing I really didn't like about the Jam was its lack of Wi-Fi and that's solved in the K-Jam.
I assume the screen's readable, I like to think that I'll have good eyesight for a couple of years yet so I don't think the size will be an issue.

iPaq HW6515
I have tried without success to get details of the built-in GPS. The one authoritative source to whom I spoke was scathing about its performance. So whatever you do choose, I do not recommend the iPaq.
On a separate note I saw my first Jasjar close up today. It is lighter than you might think, but heavier than is reasonable for prolonged use as a phone. A bluetooth earpiece was being used that included a display for caller ID. As a data device it is pretty impressive.
I too run a GlobalSat BT-338 GPS, in my case with Mapopolis.

if you are going GPS, make sure it is SIRFstar III chipset (the current latest-and-greatest), especially if you live in a city as they are really good at "urban canyon" reception.
I have seen new BT-338s on ebay for £65 "buy it now" recently

plus another thing to think about...
a seperate BT GPS unit has various advantages:
1) Battery
It won't drain your PPC battery when operating, except the charge needed to communicate via BT.
2) Upgrading
If a new improved GPS unit comes out and you have an onboard GPS unit, you are carrying useless baggage and can't sell the old one.
Also bear in mind there will likely be new features added to GPS units.
one example: digital compass. At the moment, if you stand still and rotate, a GPS unit has no clue which way you are facing until you move. A GPS does already transmit heading AFAIK - it works out which way you are facing by assiming you are looking in the direction of travel. Integration of a digital compass therefore would probably require no changes to the protocol. This does exist ( see http://www.xemics.com/internet/solutions/compass.jsp?productID=108 )
3) Switching.
BT GPS units work on laptopss too you know
4) Safety. I use my GPS for a sport called mountain boarding. Same kinda deal as downhill mountain biking, I trace a route I have done using GPS software. I ride with my XDA in a reinforced case with foam in, but find the GPS reception suffers, so I keep the BT GPS unit in my bag and the XDA in the case.
Seeing as the XDA is MUCH more valuable than the GPS this makes sense.
5) Reception versus viewing position.
Sometimes the position with best reception is not the same as the position you can see the screen of your PPC best.

????
Good point.
Ok, more questions on the K-Jam
Camera: Says 1.3/2 Is this 1.3 with software to 'frig' it to 2?
Keyboard: Is the expansys keyboard silver ( http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=125518 ) or black ( http://www.expansys.com/zoompic.asp?type=item&code=125518 )
Silver ones look plastic whereas black ones look rubbery. Which have you got JamiJam? Is it from Expansys?
Processor: 200Mhz? Is that right? Seems quite a drop. Do you have any problems with media playback? I remember my XDA I used to have a problem playing big avi files.
Ta Very Much

Camera is 1.3MP, and it is ****.
Yes, it's better than the Magician, but it's still pretty bad. I wouldn't buy the Wizard hoping to use the camera for anything useful. In my opinion this is the #1 point on which HTC is lacking. They've worked on everything else, now they need to start putting decent cameras in these devices.
I have the silver keyboard and I bought my Wizard in a store. I believe that if you order from expansys you'll get a silver one.
Processor is 200MHz (different CPU architecture) but it seems to be on par with the Magician in practice, maybe 10% slower. So yes, you should be able to watch full screen movies, once you find a bit-rate/resolution/format that works for you. Not sure which XDA you had, but I would expect similar ballpark performance.
Hope this helps.

Ta
The 'performance lacking' XDA was the original XDA I and I'll take your word for it that performance is ok. I don't use it for anything too hot and my XDA II never had a problem with films.
To be honest, every camera phone I've had from the XDA Range was ****ty quality (Very grainy) but I spend a fair bit of time on site collecting info on wagons and stuff for my job and it's always handy to be able to snap a quick video or pic of something. The only reason I want a higher res is so that when some tit with a Sony Ericson goes on about his 2Mp camera I don't loose too many 'top trumps' points. I never print the pics and my main contract doesn't support GPRS so I don't often send MMS. You'd be surprised how easily you can still get by with just plain old WAP.
Good news on the silver buttons. I prefer them. Has anyone bought one from Expansys who can verify?

Sweetness & Joy
Just thought I'd post my decision for those of you who like seing things through to a conclusion.
After much ponderation and constructing various cardboard models I have decided on the HTC Wizard, purchased from expansys (i-Mate K-Jam). There's a delay on delivery at the moment (3 Days!!!! I can't wait) but once it arrives I'll post back with my oppinions.
I've also heard that my mate is buying the JasJar so I'll be able to make a comparison and post it back.
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:!: Come on Friday! :!:
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D'oh! Just a note not say the expansys delivery has been put back but they've dropped the price too.
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:!: Come on Some-Day! :!:
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Just been looking at some larger photos of the buttons
http://forum.xda-developers.com/files/keyboard-flash.jpg
I take back my spectrum comments, they look pretty good.

Hurrah!
Ok! I've got my Wizard at last. I ended up buying the Qtek 9100 rather than the K-Jam. Looks like I'll miss out on Club i-Mate. :-(
Thought I'd post my views on the phone here just to give closure to anyone reading this thread.
The screen is very sharp. Everything obviously is smaller because the pixels are closer together but the overall effect is a very good screen. The guy in our office with really bad eyesight liked it and he's normally a miserable git when it comes to gadgets.
I take back my comments about the keyboard, it looks fantastic, the action is really great and you can use it to type replies to text messages on the move, which is something I've always struggled with before using the Transcriber. People are also really impressed when the screen rotates thru' to landscape.
I've used it for playing some music and although the speakers built in are tinny as you'd expect, the headphones are really good. I don't know if they'd be the same for the i-Mate but they fit comfortably in my ears and have a very good sound compared to the old XDA & XDA II headphones (Not that that would be hard)!
I miss having a cradle. It was nice to be able to display your phone on your desk while it was charging. Just using a USB cable makes it all feel a bit less sexy as an experience but then you can't have everything I suppose.
The coolest thing I found was the Stylus. It's about 50mm long when it first comes out of the phone. Then you give it a little pull and it extends to... hold on let me get a ruler... 85mm. It's not as comfy to use as the XDA/XDA II styli but since i haven't used it for writing much it doesn't matter. The keyboard is so easy to pull out and use that I've only really used the stylus to point at stuff so that my fingers don't get the screen dirty. The softkeys in WM 2005 also mean that you rarely need to touch the screen.
It's a bit chunkier than I expected but still not big. It's only marginally bigger than my girlfriends Nokia 6230 and compared to an older XDA model it feels like it's tiny!
Voice recognition button on the side works really well so far. I've got about 10 contacts programmed in and it seems to be picking them up ok, even in the car.
Overall, i'm yet to find much of a fault with it. I'll try to get some piccies of bits posted sometime next week.
Feel free to ask any questions.

JASJAR II
When the damn thing releases.....of course
I really wouldnt auction my spare kidney and buy it, and then suffer with a RAM deficit! My xda 2 currently running on wm5, has 128megs ram and 32megs rom....compared to 43megs ram & rom of jasjar........one word.......RIDICULOUS!
i cant believe seeing a 7MB RAM free on a device, and i dont ever want to see it! HTC/ IMATE/ Whoever claim they put in less RAM for extended battery life....bucket of crap! I really dont care for those couple extra hours that i'd probably get, and i dont mind carrying a spare battery or a charger wherever i go....
Its a handicap which is BIG! Besides this, the Jasjar is divinely irresistable, and i cant stop oggling at it :shock:
So, i guess i'll wait for a JJ II to come out with same form factor, and somemore ram which would make the device practical....
HTC do you hear me??????
San

weeel
:shock:
RAM isn't everything. I have been using the device for a day now (Non-stop), often running WMP10, Outlook, PIE etc also playing Tomb Raider. I haven't noticed any diference between this and my XDA II which had I think 64Mb and a 400 odd MHz processor. The odd app is a trifle slow to load up but nothing more major than that.
If the battery life sacrifice is true, then it's not for this little puppy. All this usage (with wi-fi on but not actually using a wi-fi network) and the battery didn't drop below 60% yesterday (Using lightly whilst at work and heavily in the evening. I even synced using bluetooth).
Memory has crept down to 1Mb program mem free at times but I assume windows is just doing its thing because this comes back up after a while and I don't notice any drop in performance.

Re: Hurrah!
eayuwna said:
I miss having a cradle. It was nice to be able to display your phone on your desk while it was charging. Just using a USB cable makes it all feel a bit less sexy as an experience but then you can't have everything I suppose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This site: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/5735.htm claims that this desktop charger/cradle is compatible with the K-Jam so if that's true then it should be OK for your QTek. 8)

Gigabyte g-Smart i128 - GREAT PHONE! Anyone else with it?

-------------- EDIT ----------------
READ WARNING AT FOOT OF MSG
------------------------------------
Hi,
Does anyone else have this phone? I took the gamble after reading a lot of reviews about the g-Smart range, mostly negative, and upgraded to this from the MDA Pro/HTC Uni.
I have had only two glitches with it todate, and neither serious, was wondering if anyone else had this handset and what their views are.
If anyone has got the handset, and from the London/Essex/Kent areas of the UK if they can post the settings that they have for the TV tuners, it would be GREATLY appricated.
Also does anyone know of any themes or add-ons designed for this device?
All in all, I'm glad I ordered the 128Mb version from Thai instead of getting the 64Mb version available to the UK, if anyone is thinking about this phone, I truely recommend it!
---------------------------------------------------------------
WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING
PLEASE ENSURE THAT IF YOU ALTER THE ROM IMAGE OF YOUR GIGABYTE HANDSET THAT YOU USE THE CORRECT VERSION FOR YOUR DEVICE. IE. UPDATING THE G-SMART I (64M VERSION) WITH A ROM IMAGE FOR THE G-SMART I128 *WILL* BRICK YOUR PHONE.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING

I am also looking for the same..can u post more info as how is the speed, Visibility and especially the TV TUner..and if possible post some screen shorts..

yes more info and pics plz,wot are the pros and cons?

jaceuk said:
yes more info and pics plz,wot are the pros and cons?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Screen shots I can work on, but not able to get them at the mo as Mrs has the camera, but as soon as she's back, no problem...
These are compatible with PAL and NTSC, but not the french system SECAM (or something like that). The picture quality varies from area to area, I've had not that good picture at home in Kent area, but in London it's blinding, then visited someone else in Kent and great aswell.... if you can get a portable TV working, you'll get this working! You don't have to use the aerial thing if you're not keen, the headphones have an aerial built into them aswell...
If you are interested please DONT bid on any of the ones on eBay for ~100, they are ALL cons, if you look at the feedback, they are all from (0) feedbackers, no-longer members, and is a scam to get your dosh.
The only seller I've found that I would recommend is the one that I got it from in Thailand called Gadget-Gear, if you do a search for that name you will see he has stock of the 64Mb and 128Mb version.
The 128Mb version is the one to go for, it is expensive about US$830 including postage, but when you think of the prices of new HTC devices... not that much...
The 64Mb is available to purchase from www.expansys.co.uk, but I wouldn't get this version, as there's a lot less RAM and the glitches aren't fixed.
With the 128Mb version you get the aerial, a spare battery, desktop battery charger, and case all bundled with it, these are bits that are optional extras with the 64Mb one.
There are several great features that this phone has that my HTC uni doesn't, following are the pro's/con's compared to that, but all in all I think it's a GREAT phone.
PRO - Answer phone facility - which allows screening, you can hear the messages live as they are leaving it. Messages are stored on the phone, saving network costs.
PRO - Size & Weight - small handheld, and light.
PRO - Mapping of the hardware buttons - with the Uni you could map the Record button to do something different if you held it... with the G-Smart you can do this with all eight main buttons.
PRO - You get the super high capacity battery as well as the standard one, so you can choose slim phone, or long lasting power.
PRO - Phone recording - when set up, press the camera button during the call, and the call will be recorded and saved to the phone. Handy to prove what was said - (but remember to notify the person first,,, may be illegal otherwise... blah blah)
PRO - Background effects - out on the beer with mates? Told the Mrs that your at work... activate the overdub and she'll here the sounds of the office, the street, the station, airport etc in the background of the call...
PRO - 2.1 megapixel camera.
PRO - Pocket Ghost is preinstalled and great to backup/restore!
CON - no hardware keyboard,, but get TenGo Thumb... and who cares?!
CON - Mini-SD and none provided, but you can pick up a 1Gb one like I did from eBay for under a tenner including postage... great stuff.
All in all as I say, I've had one real problem, but it was my own fault, put a tweak that wasn't compatible on the phone, and crashed it, but hard reset and hey presto!
I've heard the customer service isn't that good from GB but I've not needed to use it, I tend to rely on forums like these to speak to real experts anyway... but the problem I had I got in touch with Gadget-Gear as first thought it was down to the phone and he was incredibly helpful.
As far as the phone, the build quality, the case and extras supplied...Gigabyte, you've done a great job.

Here are some pictures of my pride and joy...
I've put it next to a Sony Ericsson Z520i, so you can judge size etc, don't have any other phone at the mo.

hdubli said:
I am also looking for the same..can u post more info as how is the speed, Visibility and especially the TV TUner..and if possible post some screen shorts..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speed. fantastic, no issues with it at all, runs a lot smoother than my Uni ever did, got LOT more free space!, lot more memory for applications to run.
Visibility, the screen is a lot more sharper than my uni, and my mates O2 Mini, can't think of the HTC model of that one...
TV, as I've said, it's as good as the signal you have available, I've had crystal clear pictures in UK with PAL-i though. :-D

This is where I got mine from...
Great seller...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-GIGABYTE-...ryZ64355QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There's a favorable review of this phone on a Thai website http://www.mrpalm.com/getcontent3.php?tid=389 My wife, who happens to be Thai, translated it for me & it echoes most of what jmdrizen says.
I'm looking to buy either the O2 Atom Exec or Gigabyte g-smart i128 mainly because I want a smaller pda phone. Not too fussed about a hardware keyboard as I'd rarely use it. Also camera quality isn't important for me either.
I want the phone to be fast because I use it primarily for GPS, Skype, watching the odd video & a bit of internet surfing.
jmdrizen I have a few question if poss
1/ Mr Palm says that the screen is a bit 'yellow' is it really bad?
2/ He also says that the speaker is very loud & clear, best of all the pda phones he's tried so far. I notice that speaker is on the back of the phone so when its on a table with the screen naturally facing up is the sound muffled & low or is it still loud enough to be heard acroos the room?
3/ Have you tried it with GPS or Skype - how does it handle these programs.
4/ How long did it take to arrive & did you get stung by customs. My wife is going to Thailand @ Xmas time but I can't wait that long..
Thanks

zen123 said:
jmdrizen I have a few question if poss
1/ Mr Palm says that the screen is a bit 'yellow' is it really bad?
2/ He also says that the speaker is very loud & clear, best of all the pda phones he's tried so far. I notice that speaker is on the back of the phone so when its on a table with the screen naturally facing up is the sound muffled & low or is it still loud enough to be heard acroos the room?
3/ Have you tried it with GPS or Skype - how does it handle these programs.
4/ How long did it take to arrive & did you get stung by customs. My wife is going to Thailand @ Xmas time but I can't wait that long..
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To answer those:
1) Not noticed this, if anything I think the screen is sharper and clearer, I've compared it to the HTC Uni, O2 Mini, and Sony Ericsson W800i, and myself and my colleagues rate the Gigabyte g-Smart i128 as the better screen. Once every now and again - and extremly rarely - the screen shows a few dots like you get when your TV signal loses for a second, but that's it, and it is VERY rare.
2) The speaker is great, it is louder than that of the HTC Uni, but then that doesn't take much! You're right that it's on the back, but the camera lens sticks out about 1-2mm which means the speaker won't be flat on the table if you lay it flat, I've not noticed any problems with the audio, loud, crisp and clear. Great for when I'm in the car and got the TomTom going...
3) I use TomTom Navigator 5.21, which runs like a dream, fast, and pairs with the TomTom Bluetooth without any errors or problems, first time and everytime.
I've not used Skype much, don't know anyone with a Skype contact, but this comes preloaded with SkypePLUS which has extra settings and features to the normal Skype.
4) I had a slight snag with the delivery, Gadget-Gear stated it would take 7-14 days from Thailand to UK, which is acceptable, he posted it with Thailand Post, and gave a tracking number, about 5 days into it I got impatient, and emailed him discovering that for some reason it was posted back, but Gadget-Gear was already on the case, and posted it FedEx Express to me, all in all it was in my hand 7 days after I paid for it. Fantastic - I have nothing but praise for Gadget-Gear, the manual is in Thai, but you can download a copy of this, which I can't post at the moment, but will try again later... but the phone is English OS ROM, and he chucked in a UK adapter aswell.
I ended up purchasing a UK plug and Car adaptor, which are available from expansys.
Hope this helps!!
Oh and more importantly, I forgot... call quality - FANTASTIC! Clear and loud.
ALSO, another great thing about this phone is the Bluetooth Headset software, once the headset is paired, it will use that as the speaker if you like, so you can have TomTom or whatever audio you have going threw your headset. It has Voice Commander, not the cut down Voice Dialer, so is a lot better for voice commands.

zen123 said:
There's a favorable review of this phone on a Thai website http://www.mrpalm.com/getcontent3.php?tid=389 My wife, who happens to be Thai, translated it for me & it echoes most of what jmdrizen says.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, Zen, the phone they're reviewing in that site is the g-Smart i, I've got the g-Smart i128. It's even better than the site says, as it's got a few glitches sorted out, and the RAM helps,
Memory Details of mine are:
Storage: Total 117.29Mb, In Use 62.67Mb, Free 54.62Mb
Program: Total 50.32Mb, In Use 37.81Mb, Free 12.51Mb,
Don't let the only 12.5 free program memory fool you though, it runs a lot faster than my Uni did with double that! And this doesn't have the 520 processor either!

Thanks for the reply.
As I said I'm also looking at the O2 Atom Exec, heard good things about that as well. I was an early adopter & bought the original O2 Atom but that was a piece of [email protected] so I'm a bit skeptical about the new version.
The only thing I'm not too keen on re the i128 is the covers for the power outlet & non standard headphone socket.
I'm using the company Mio A701 at the moment & seriously miss the built in wifi of my lost HTC Wizard, although the built in GPS is great. There's too many deficiencies with the phone part of the Mio to make it a keeper.
I read there's a Gigabyte i300 on the way which has gps & wifi so I might even wait for that.
Anyways thanks for the reply & enjoy your new toy.

Very useful information...I just want to know the display font visibility as compared to say Magician or Prohet or Atom...do we need to stress too much our eyes...

zen123 said:
The only thing I'm not too keen on re the i128 is the covers for the power outlet & non standard headphone socket.
I read there's a Gigabyte i300 on the way which has gps & wifi so I might even wait for that.quote]
The non-standard headphone sockets not really an issue, as the i128 also comes with a converter to take your 2.5 connections
Where's the review on the i300?
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

hdubli said:
Very useful information...I just want to know the display font visibility as compared to say Magician or Prohet or Atom...do we need to stress too much our eyes...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've not got one of those three devices to compare, but it the screen is sharper than the Uni, you can have cleartype, but I prefer it without.

jmdrizen said:
The non-standard headphone sockets not really an issue, as the i128 also comes with a converter to take your 2.5 connections
Where's the review on the i300?
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that's cool. You are slowly twisting my arm.
The i300 isn't released yet.
Some more questions
1/ does the i128 have stereo over bluetooth
2/ can it be set up so that when the device goes to standby the screen is locked & can be woken by any of the buttons. When woken the screen remains locked. My Mio can do this but not the Wizard .
3/ I have TTN5 aswell what's the signal acquisition times? Is there any lag? What cradle do you use? I have a Brodit pro clip but they don't make a cradle for it yet.
I was thinking how cool it would be have the tv function on when stuck in a traffic jam it'd make time pass quicker.

zen123 said:
Some more questions
1/ does the i128 have stereo over bluetooth
2/ can it be set up so that when the device goes to standby the screen is locked & can be woken by any of the buttons. When woken the screen remains locked. My Mio can do this but not the Wizard .
3/ I have TTN5 aswell what's the signal acquisition times? Is there any lag? What cradle do you use? I have a Brodit pro clip but they don't make a cradle for it yet.
I was thinking how cool it would be have the tv function on when stuck in a traffic jam it'd make time pass quicker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1/ I'm not too sure about this, I've read that it does from a review, but haven't got a stereo bluetooth handset to test it. Does have the latest ROM features that everyone was after with the Uni, so *think* it does.
2/ I have mine set up to go into standby with PsShutXP, by launching it by pressing and holding the Call History button, you can have it so any button wakes, but I have it so only the power button does to avoid unwanted re-activation. It is also set up to lock on resume from standby, and initial activation, so yes.
3/ It connects to my genuine TomTom MkII bluetooth in seconds, as soon as the device has a signal, my phone's received it, no noticable lag.
The only thing I'm after for it is a propper car holder, and case, the case that comes with it is a great pouch, but I want something that I can access all the ports, and use without having to take it out. If you or anyone knows of anything... that'll be great!

Gigabyte g-Smart i300
Found the details about the i300, it does look a great phone, but doesn't have the TV, only the FM Radio.
Think I'd rather have the TV feature than the GPS, as TomTom MkII is fine for me!

jmdrizen
Hi how you getting on with the g-smart?
I just got a Orange SPV M3100. Great phone but wayy too buggy. I just sent it back to Orange & canceled the contract (14 day return). I'm still very interested in the G-smart.
My main concern is reliability. I don't want something thats unstable.

B prepared for 192 MB ROM Version..it will b there in a month's time...

Anyone know UK TV Frequencies???
hdubli said:
B prepared for 192 MB ROM Version..it will b there in a month's time...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 192Mb version doesn't have the same features though I don't think.
And I'm more than happy with the phone, there were two small glitches, but think it was due to imcompatibility with third party software, as I've removed it, and they havent occured since.
The only thing that I'm after, I don't know if any one in the UK can help is the TV frequencies for the main five channels? The scan scans from 1-453, but this takes a while, you can scan small regions for the five channels, can anyone point me in the direction of where to find a narrower range for BBC1/2, ITV, C4 and C5?

I-Mate Ultimate 9502. Kaiser Killer?

I imagine in a similar way to many people in these forums I had hit a brick wall on PDA functionality. I was was waiting for Kaiser to be THE all in one and just as I was about to buy one I discovered the shortcomings. So, having sold my TyTn and bluetooth, solar GPS receiver I brought an Athena. Wonderful piece of kit but in the end it had to go as it was just too bulky.
Having heard that the 9502 was imminent I brought an HP 9515 to see me through to it's realease.
Two weeks ago I placed a pre-order for the 9502 with Powerupmobile as stock was due on the 24th and to my surprise (and slightly disturbing swelling in my manhood) it arrived last Friday (18th April) so I have had a weekend to play.
Out of the box the overriding feeling was 'heavy'. TyTn was ABS plastic but this is (and I stand corrected) magnesium alloy encased. Personally I find that comforting...remember when B&O put lead weights in their remotes to make the quality more tactile?
Runinng WM6 which we are all familiar with there are no real surprises except to say that the 640x480 screen IS beautiful!
Down the left hand side you have JOG Wheel and 'OK' button (very blackberry and very friendly) as well as a shortcut button to the wireless comms. The charging/hardwire comms facility (mini USB) is also present this side rather than on the southern aspect.
Down The right hand side is a '+' and '-' rocker switch for volume etc, voice memo and camera activation buttons as well as a 2.5mm stereo jack.
The stainless steel telescopic pointer is housed to the top right whilst the power button is on the top, horizontal face of the unit.
The face of the unit has buttons for MESSAGING, INTERNET, START, OK, RECEIVER UP AND DOWN and a FOUR WAY THUMB PAD + SELECTOR BUTTON. To access the MicroSD HC slot you have to remove the rear battery case, but not the battery itself.
Right
Left Back
Top
Bottom
Screen up
Battery exposed
On arrival I loaded all my usual software and all has worked fine with one exception...it seems that after using TomTom6, quitting the application and letting the unit timeout, it will not reactivate on the standard power depress. I have had to soft reset. I will make I-Mate aware of this.
-------I have subsequently discovered that this is a one off and the unit is being swapped out- 22-04-08-----------
All comms functions are manually startable so you have to remember to enable the GPS radio prior to starting your satnav software.
In much the way as TyTn an Kaiser the screen can be pushed to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard (though the numerics are still FN dependant) and the keyboard is backlit depending on the ambient lighting conditions.
The screen behaves more like a Samsung phone inasmuch as it 'flicks' up and down.
The reason I didn't buy Kaiser was because of the video playback problems dirctly attributable to the drivers for the Qualcomm hardware. What is ironic with the 9502 is that it is Qualcomm based but at 320x240 video plays back just fine. Using TCPMP to watch Star Wars Episode III with TCPMP in 'Raw Frame buffer mode' the movie was totally watchable. I will test 640x480 when I get time.
The GPS is easy to set up (on COM9 at either 5,400 or 115,000 baud) with more channels (and therefore more accuracy) than any other PDA I have used with an inbuilt receiver. The cold start time is between 15 secs and one minute depending on the normal constraints. There is no 'Quick GPS' facility.
I haven't been able to test HSDPA yet but all the radio's seem to give good reception so there's no reason to assume that throughput will be anything other than expected.
So, Kaiser Killer? For me, yes without doubt but don't forget this luurvely piece of kit hast only just been released. It WILL get better.
Now, who makes it?
PS if anyone wants me to test it anyway or wants more info, let me know.

Amazing!
Wow! This is one nice phone. I've been disappointed in my touch dual for some time now (eventhough Its not been too long since I bought it!) and been looking for a replacement but none of the phones I've seen look as 'sleek'.
I may just look into this one more.
I see that this one also has the same qualcomm chipset. What is the video playback like?
Does it have bad lag like all the other htc qualcomm pdas (like the touch dual)?
Does it slow down when you keep the screen pressed?
One more thing....I cant see it from any pictures, but is the screen beveled or is it flush with the sides?

Awesome. I've been wanting one of those since they were announced. After this little review you posted, I might think about actually getting one. Thanks

That be a bezelled screen me lad.

Duplicate post.

Duplicate post

Using TCPMP to watch video there were initially problems with a huge amount of frame ripping. This was quickly resolved by switching to from DiractDraw to GDI codec and upping the buffer to 4mb. This was at 320x240. Will try reformatting to 640x480 asap but I don't hold out a lot of hope that watchability will be as good.
Don't know what you mean by 'keep the screen pressed'.
It is indeed a bevelled screen surround.

Why does every new device got to be the "Kaiser" killer?
Also, what is with the internet and email buttons being by the ear speaker at the top? Everytime I answer a call I'm going to open an email.

By way of an update to the issue with TomTom6, it turns out that my unit is faulty. At random it won't come out of standby. Completely unpredicatable and unrelated to TomTom, it transpires. PowerupMobile.com have organised a direct swapout so hopefully it's just a bit of bad luck. Bodes well for Powerup Mobile though. I was concerned that as they were nearly £100 cheaper than expansys the service might not be as good. Great response from their tech guy/guys too.

If you put your phone yo your head with that kind of sustained pressure your in for serious ear problems.
Kaiser killer cause it's less money, a better product out of the box (4 x the screen resolution) and it all works as it's supposed to (with the exception of mine which is, of course, a one off problem). HTC have long been repackaging the same hardware and charging more and more for it with little increase in functionality. I was a hardened HTC fan as my PDA record shows, but to tout a unit as the most powerful of it's type, hike the price and then turn out a unit which is effectively a TyTn with a GPS and a video problem isn't too customer focused...stockholder focused perhaps; to then refuse to sort a DRIVER problem....firmware no less...tends to put one off. In my humble opinion, if a 'Kaiser Killer' comes along and forces HTC to turn out better products at a more competetive price, I'll be back with them.
Oh yeah, and it's a catchy title.

i´m also interested in this phone.
could you please upload some pics taken with the camera. best would be in dark light and with text.
thanks

Eurosportler said:
i´m also interested in this phone.
could you please upload some pics taken with the camera. best would be in dark light and with text.
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do. Give me 24 hrs though. By 'with text' I assume you mean a text imprint overlaid direct?

yes, that is what i meant with "text"
thank you for the fast response.

Could you please tell us how responsive is this device compared to the kaiser lets say. I mean do you have any problems of it being slow? I am asking because VGA screen resolution is sometimes a burden for processors and there are some examples of "slow" VGA devices.
Do you have memory leaking problems? I have heard a lot about the considerably low 30mb free RAM after a reboot, but if it remains there after starting and closing programs, I don't believe it is an issue.
Finally, could try to make some benchmarks and post the result. Try to use SPB or sktools so that there are comparable results.
Sorry for the long request message, but I seriously thinking of buying this device, and it is good to know some things before I finally decide.
Thanks!

I hate to burst your bubble, guys but since the technical specs(incl. CPU) are pretty much the same as on the Kaiser(HTC TyTN II), don't you think that i-mate just put Kaiser technology into a different(yes, nicer) outfit?! Just my 2 cents worth...

@P996: yes but you are missing the VGA spec which is something "different" to what we have seen up until now. Moreover, if imate has actually managed to use the processor efficiently so to cope with the VGA resolution demands, that we are talking about something completely new, considering the size and offers (GPS, wi/fi, VGA, keyboard). I don't think there is something similar in the market now and all its offers are called new technology.
@edenc: sorry but I have on more question . I have also read some comments about battery life. Do you think it is ok, or it might be an issue? How does it compare again to the kaiser lets say?

Diamond killer???
lol
just read the thread.. sorry

Oh its completely a Kaiser Killer. Everything about it is better. All my mates who have a Kaiser want my 9502, but the video drivers are still shockingly bad (sorry to sound like a broken record). I never even considered a Kaiser - it seemed like a downgrade from the Hermes in terms of the features that I regularly use.
The 9502 can play perfect qvga video, but it looks rubbish on the VGA screen. Other than that (and no SDHC support) this is, in my opinion much better than anything that is currently on the market, and will be until the X1 comes out.

ya. cant wait for X1 with 3" 800x480 WVGA!
compare to that fake diamond at 2.8" VGA 640x480! haha

you may also want to repost your article to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=351788

I was dreaming for a Touch Pro...then I found i780

Yeap this is an appreciation thread for the venerable Samsung SGH-i780.
My only lament is that I didn't buy myself one earlier. I have used a few HTC devices before and this is the first time I can declare 100% satisfaction in my PDA purchase.
For the price VS feature, the i780 is A STEAL! it's almost unbelievable.
What I liked about i780:
- FAST! no joke (after upgrading the Rom to DXHE1)
- Stable - you can push it to the max and still it runs
- FAST HSDPA (I am on 3G/HSDPA day in day out for Exchange Push Mail & Internet Sharing)
- Oh yes that slim profile
- 2 Batteries! when was it the last time you purchase a phone and get two batteries
- Satisfactory battery consumption (even with Bluetooth & 3G always on the drain rate is quite conservative)
I will nitpick a bit, Dopod 838 Pro (Hermes) was the longest running PDA Phone I used. At that time it gave all the features I want and I gave it away for a Tytn II (Kaiser). Sad to say Kaiser was a dissapointment no matter how I cook the rom. Then I moved briefly to O2 XDA Flame, God I love the huge VGA display.....but then it was dissapointing O2/MWG decided to disown "older" models and refrain from giving any further support. So no WM6.0 and no update on the Nvidia Graphics driver. On top of that there's that dismal performance when running in normal mode (if you switch to performance mode it kicks but the battery drain is way overkill). Then I moved ahead and got myself a veteran - the almighty HTC Universal (Dopod 900). It's quite apparent that to this very day, HTC Universal still reign supreme as the fastest HTC device (specially with properly cooked roms). But alas the bulky size and lack of HSDPA prompted me to move yet again.
Enter the i780, it was a love/hate affair at first.....I hate the smallish keypad, but in just two weeks my fingers has grown onto them, I hate the square QVGA 320X320 but eventually found a way to adapt....the rest is history. Total satisfaction is what I can say about this device now. Perfectly functional features and usable too. The GPS worked like a charm, the Video Call does what's it supposed to do...etc...
So, I may still want to waste my $ on the Touch Pro when it comes out, but I am not so sure right now - hearing stories that the younger sibling Diamond is having hard time coping up with the demands (vs expectation)
sorry to waste your time. Normally I will be quite reserved not to say anything unless warranted....but I just have to scream out how much I LOVE i780!!!

so, do you like the i780? it isnt clear

i'm with you!
i also moved from Kaiser to I780. kaiser is really dispointting me,slow,big,heavy,and the damn drift screen!!
the speed of i780 is just satisfiable, screen is wird but ok. the most good thing is the touch experience, very precisely. when i was useing Kaiser i even think that there is problem with my eyes because of the frequently wrong reactions...
oh, the finger mouse is a highlight too.

320x320 .... thats a no go!

i couldn't possibly that 320x320 is a no go, since vga sometimes overkill for small formfactor. yet i would really want to know whether apps having issues with this resolutions or not? how is your experience with the apps, EFN? any compatibility issues with the 'unstandard' screen size?

I agree with you on the price /bang for your buck. This thing is unbelievably cutthroat in its pricing for what you get. I spent 18,000php on it, HTC phones usually go for about 40,000php. The phone actually retails for like 20,000-24,000php but I got mine "second hand" from a guy who used it for a week so I got a little discount and basically got it dirt cheap, on top of an already dirt cheap phone.
I mean come on it has 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, WiFi b/g, a QWERTY, a 320x320 Touchscreen, not one but two batteries, the Marvell processor, this thing is freaking loaded.
I mean the HTC Touch (the original one) is still going for about 29,000php and it has a piddly OMAP processor, no 3G, etc. The Diamond is like 40k in php. This is half the price, with a very comparable feature set.
Let's not even get into how slim and light it is! It's kind of wide and tall but despite that it is very pocketable. It's about the same size as the iPhone, except thinner and a lot lighter to boot.
I do have a few issues with it but for what I paid how can I *not* be happy? The problems are pretty minor niggles:
- Samsung proprietary USB ports * ugh I hate 'em
- aesthetics -- many people like the business look and the phone is very handsome but the designs HTC has been churning out for the past year are a lot more attractive IMO.
- Touchscreen needs a lot of pressure and is not very precise or responsive. Could be a lot better.
- telescopic stylus sucks
- QWERTY keyboard is not as good as other QWERTYs in this class like the godly Moto Q keyboards or even its predecessor the Samsung Blackjack, which I found to have a better keyboard.
- 320x320 screen is such an odd choice and causes me some problems like with spb Mobile Shell
- finger mouse is a rather stupid feature I mean you have a touchscreen! You do not need a mouse! Give me a normal 5-way d-pad please
- Bluetooth Headset issue that I always get with Samsung WiMo phones, doesn't reconnect properly after I turn the headset off
Out of those, the only real problem is the BT headset problem. Everything else is a minor niggle and more just a preference nitpick or can be worked around.
Other than that though what's not to like? It is a great device.
Is the HTC Universal really the fastest HTC device? I thought the old Magician was a lot faster. My love affair with PocketPCs looked like this:
iPaq 6365 -> O2 Mini (Magician) -> O2 Atom Exec -> Samsung Blackjack -> Jasjar (Universal) -> i780
I used the Atom Exec for the longest time it was a great phone but for various reasons I "upgraded" to a Blackjack but it was not an all happy affair. Now I have the i780 and it is the fastest PPC I have had, faster than even the Atom Exec and way faster than all the other "clunky" PPCs I've used.

schizo said:
i couldn't possibly that 320x320 is a no go, since vga sometimes overkill for small formfactor. yet i would really want to know whether apps having issues with this resolutions or not? how is your experience with the apps, EFN? any compatibility issues with the 'unstandard' screen size?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not EFN but there are lots of compatibility issues with the non-standard screen size. Most games will have issues, like my favorite Worms World Party. Not that you could play Worms properly without a decent d-pad anyway. spb Mobile Shell also does not work properly. Basically apps that require a certain kind of layout have issues.
Everything else that does not need to conform to a specific screen layout will work to the resolution and work fine, and that includes most productivity apps so this is not so big an issue that you should worry about it.

Mochan said:
I'm not EFN but there are lots of compatibility issues with the non-standard screen size. Most games will have issues, like my favorite Worms World Party. Not that you could play Worms properly without a decent d-pad anyway. spb Mobile Shell also does not work properly. Basically apps that require a certain kind of layout have issues.
Everything else that does not need to conform to a specific screen layout will work to the resolution and work fine, and that includes most productivity apps so this is not so big an issue that you should worry about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the 240x240 "emulation" that seems to mess things up. I have SPB Shell working perfectly at native res in RealVGA. Then again, it's a (superbe) productivity device, so I don't expect to play video games on it.

You know, I still haven't managed to get spb shell to run properly on it. I always get an "out of memory" error whenever I try to go to the Now screen. I even tried it on RealVGA but I couldn't seem to get it to work, but no biggie. Mobile Shell is more an aesthetic layer than an actual productivity boost and actually I find the Today screen with selected plugins is more effecient all things considered.
But anyway yeah I don't play games on it either (I mean that is what a PSP is for!) and the phone does what I need it to do, and aside from my bluetooth problem I am very happy with it.

Weird how everyone seems to be struggling to get software to work on I780. I have had minor problems, mostly blue tooth which i eventualy got working.
I use SPB mobile shell, Samsung today plugin, opera, google maps, garmin, a bunch of astraware games, adobe reader, flashplayer, pocket rar, skype, WKTaskL, monocube safemode 2, threaded sms, etc ...
And they all run perfectly, i dont even use Realvga...
I am very happy with this phone so far, it is very fast, has plenty of ram, even the 2mp camera takes descent shots. Hsdpa is brilliant and GPS is awsome, connects within seconds. I would recommend this phone to anyone.
Everyday more and more software are supporting 320x320 devices, even the spb team is soon going to fully support the I780, i read it on their website. I also read somewhere that more and more phones will be coming out with 320x320 display so i dont see why people are so against it. jealousy i guess, cant think of another reason.

EFN said:
Then I moved briefly to O2 XDA Flame, God I love the huge VGA display.....but then it was dissapointing O2/MWG decided to disown "older" models and refrain from giving any further support. So no WM6.0 and no update on the Nvidia Graphics driver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't you run into the same problem you have with the Flame? As in no OS upgrade or features unlock (p3600 GPS, qual-band Diamond). I've also tried other brands but once the manufacture announce the end of life of a product (usually within a year). You can't get any more support from them. Once I realize the short coming, I stop buying any brand except HTC. Now I know I can count on XDA Developers for OS upgrade. It's like an extented warranty for your product. Unless other brands have a forum similar to xda with super cookers, there is no way for me to go with any other brands again.

atleast its cheaper than the touch pro!

Mochan said:
I agree with you on the price /bang for your buck. This thing is unbelievably cutthroat in its pricing for what you get. I spent 18,000php on it, HTC phones usually go for about 40,000php. The phone actually retails for like 20,000-24,000php but I got mine "second hand" from a guy who used it for a week so I got a little discount and basically got it dirt cheap, on top of an already dirt cheap phone.
I mean come on it has 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, WiFi b/g, a QWERTY, a 320x320 Touchscreen, not one but two batteries, the Marvell processor, this thing is freaking loaded.
I mean the HTC Touch (the original one) is still going for about 29,000php and it has a piddly OMAP processor, no 3G, etc. The Diamond is like 40k in php. This is half the price, with a very comparable feature set.
Let's not even get into how slim and light it is! It's kind of wide and tall but despite that it is very pocketable. It's about the same size as the iPhone, except thinner and a lot lighter to boot.
I do have a few issues with it but for what I paid how can I *not* be happy? The problems are pretty minor niggles:
- Samsung proprietary USB ports * ugh I hate 'em
- aesthetics -- many people like the business look and the phone is very handsome but the designs HTC has been churning out for the past year are a lot more attractive IMO.
- Touchscreen needs a lot of pressure and is not very precise or responsive. Could be a lot better.
- telescopic stylus sucks
- QWERTY keyboard is not as good as other QWERTYs in this class like the godly Moto Q keyboards or even its predecessor the Samsung Blackjack, which I found to have a better keyboard.
- 320x320 screen is such an odd choice and causes me some problems like with spb Mobile Shell
- finger mouse is a rather stupid feature I mean you have a touchscreen! You do not need a mouse! Give me a normal 5-way d-pad please
- Bluetooth Headset issue that I always get with Samsung WiMo phones, doesn't reconnect properly after I turn the headset off
Out of those, the only real problem is the BT headset problem. Everything else is a minor niggle and more just a preference nitpick or can be worked around.
Other than that though what's not to like? It is a great device.
Is the HTC Universal really the fastest HTC device? I thought the old Magician was a lot faster. My love affair with PocketPCs looked like this:
iPaq 6365 -> O2 Mini (Magician) -> O2 Atom Exec -> Samsung Blackjack -> Jasjar (Universal) -> i780
I used the Atom Exec for the longest time it was a great phone but for various reasons I "upgraded" to a Blackjack but it was not an all happy affair. Now I have the i780 and it is the fastest PPC I have had, faster than even the Atom Exec and way faster than all the other "clunky" PPCs I've used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you care to explain to me what are PHP hours?

Best compromise phone to date
Here are my insights to the i780 after using it for a month..
First ,this is the most tolerable phone have ever used..Even its flaws are very ok to me..
I use it for business,internet browsing, news reading, gps navigation.
I use it with vodafone Egypt 3G network.
The stock rom E2 i one of the most stable WM roms i have ever used...
My other 2 phones are a nokia e61 and a JasJar (universal)
1. 320x320 is an inconvenience at only 5% of the time..(real vga fixes all issues with application ,but games are no no..specially games that run in full screen...forget it if you plan on gaming..screen is small for games any ways.)
2. the optical touch mouse is a great feature..one handed operation is very easy.
3.Camera is OK..but not as a good as any nokia N series.
4.It rarely crashes, you can run 10 applications on it with no effect on the beast..
5.Battery life is great..i use the phone for a lot of calls...2 hours daily on average + full push email ..the battery would run the whole business day but not a full 24 hours...week ends it run for 30 hours ..
6. Voice quality in phones is terrific.
7. does not support simultaneous voice and data..so when calls are on ,data connections are off..my old e61 support this.
8. I confirm the touch screen needs some pressure above average compared to other pdas..
9. It is a very fast phone...way faster than my JasJar.
10. SPB mobile shell works without any problem for me ..perhaps the rom i have is compatible with it..
11. Key board is a bit small and awkward to use but this is the compromise for the very small form factor..
12. non standard usb charger port sucks..but the compromise is that you have 2 batteries. if you want standard go for a nokia..every place you go to you can find a compatible charger with someone around..
13. When using it to supply internet connectivity to m laptop via connection sharing ,the signal lock was weak compared to the nokia e61 ,but was very good compared to the jasjar.. signal was not lost but was lower than the nokia. Although in voice call it is superior to the nokia..
14. data connection on it is 90% stable, i get sometimes disconnected from my exchange push email server/
Generally i was not gonna buy a new WM phone but this one restored my faith in the platform..
The platform is very powerful but not as stable as the symbian (IMHO), but this one proved to me that this is microsoft's mistake leaving ROMs to be released as pleased by OEM with no proper supervision while symbain is not as open a WM hence controlled..Samsung is one exception in releasing good ROMs(so are ETEN to by the way)
This is first PPC phone with stock Rom i ever used that is 100% working and stable..
Extremely recommended if you like the form factor

320x320 not dat bad iv always wanted a device thats got equal wxh 2.5" i780 vs HP iPAQ 910c what wins

It'd be great if someone with an i780 would post some screenshots of some different applications and games in landscape and portrait so that those of us skeptical about the 320 x 320 screen can see how apps created for a 4:3 or 3:4 aspect ratio translate to the square screen!
Thanks in advance!

Icefeldt said:
320x320 .... thats a no go!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
open your mind! that's all I have to say

ksameh said:
Generally i was not gonna buy a new WM phone but this one restored my faith in the platform..
The platform is very powerful but not as stable as the symbian (IMHO), but this one proved to me that this is microsoft's mistake leaving ROMs to be released as pleased by OEM with no proper supervision while symbain is not as open a WM hence controlled..Samsung is one exception in releasing good ROMs(so are ETEN to by the way)
This is first PPC phone with stock Rom i ever used that is 100% working and stable..
Extremely recommended if you like the form factor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
overall, I agree with what you have said, especially your parting comments.
MS biggest mistake is to leave to OEM to finalise the image, and it doesn't help when all OEM just take the image as it is and released to the market.
Motorola, Samsung are the only two I have seen where they did more to the ROM, then just pack them into the box with the hardware and sell it off as a WM phones.

since this is an appreciation thread for i780, I would share my own writeup of the phone, which in my opinon, is one of the better, if not best, WM phones I have come acrossed so far.
Take note that I don't really have good impression of Samsung products, as my wife's previous two Samsung phones (non WM phones) always ended up with some reception problem.
PS: If you know the Chinese name for Samsung, literally it means "3 Star", and i780, definitely worth more than "3 Star"
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Samsung launched its flagship qwerty product, Samsung SGH-i78,0 a couple of months ago and it has been the talking point in the “geek” town. Having tried its previous qwerty models, I had my reservation. The impressive technical specification and corresponding internet reviews, however led me to take a huge step. I finally sold my trusty Motorola Q9h and got myself a Samsung i780. So is this ultra slim Microsoft Windows Mobile-based smart phone liveing up to its reputation? After using it for a few days, here’s my take;
http://www.zenyee.com/2008/06/23/a-three-stargadget-that-is-rated-higher-than-three-star/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

i780 is awesome- if get to know it
Yes - this phone can be your dream phone
use realvga to increase the resolution
use ae buttonplus to custom map your keys
and upgrade to the wm6.1 build from samsung

Fuze (Raphael) compared to Tilt (Kaiser)

This question is for those that have owned and used both or those very familiar with both:
How does the Fuze compare to the Tilt?
I found the obvious, like the accel sensor, light sensor, trackball, and VGA resolution.
I found reviews that indicated the Fuze to be as thick as the Tilt, just squared off a bit in overall form. (The Tilt is fairly thick, as modern phones go.)
I've picked up a couple used Tilts to play with, one from a forum member.
I'm thinking, though, I'd like the accel sensor for added capability and the VGA screen.
There is a used Fuze available locally that I'm tempted to snag, but I don't know how much I would gain.
For my use, it is an absolute MUST that the phone be capable of operating on 2100MHz. (for use in Japan)
I'm NOT interested in an iphone, especially for price reasons.
The Tilt replaced carrying a phone, GPS, and PDA.
Thanks.

I've owned both.. and first up, the Fuze does not ahve a track ball... not sure where you heard that..
Over all, I am happy withthe Fuze.. it replaced my tilt that I has for 2+ years... the tilt is a great great phone, as you know..
The fuze is noticibley faster (Exspecially running the Energy rom).. the screen really is a lot crisper for images... It has GPS just like the Tilt (I use TomTom on both)... There area few less hard buttons on the face of the fuze..... And my old nintendo emulators no longer work with it ;(... over all though, it looks more modern and is a good fit in my hand.... the light sensor and g sensor are very cool.. one neat feature is if I am on the phone, the scren automatically turns off when ti is upto my ear... and comes on when I take it away... also, if you ae i na call, and place the phone face down o na non-clear glass table, it automatically turns on the speaker phone... Also, it auto-adnusts the backlight depending on how bright it is in the room you are in.. which is nice...
I hope this is helpful... Although I do miss my cool tilting screen....

Thanks for the reply.
Sorry about the term "trackball." I meant "trackpad," as opposed to the larger, squarer control on the Tilt.
(at least it looks like a trackpad in the pictures)
I don't text much, if at all, so the sliding keyboard and tilting screen feature haven't been standout features for me. I happened upon the first Tilt when I needed a cheap, used phone that would work in the US (AT&T + T-Mobile) and in Japan. (UMTS2100) When I started playing with it, I was very pleasantly surprised at how much better and smaller it was as a PDA. (replaced Dell Axim)
As a GPS, it replaced a PND that was hacked to allow OS access for OziExplorer installation. (made my own maps for Japan, offroading, hunting, hiking, etc.) It certainly isn't a big enough screen for regular, in-car GPS use, though.
I bought the 2nd Tilt when I found out the 1st (ebay) Tilt had a defective USB port. (of course the USB audio problem was NOT disclosed in the auction details and I had already left positive feedback - grrrrrr ) I couldn't get both audio channels through the USB port and decided that the significant battery drain of using a BT headset wasn't desirable. (and an extended battery would only add to the already portly thickness)
For my last trip to Japan, the Tilt performed the following functions, in approximate descending order of use:
GPS (I did a lot of wandering around on my own)
Translation dictionary
MP3 player
cellphone
camera (as a camera, the Tilt flat-out sucked, so I also carried my pocketable Fuji )

Well, the Fuze camera (or atleast this software) seem to take better pictures than the Tilt did.... Also, I thought my tilts screen was big enough for in car navigation.. but to each their own I guess... I am sure you will like your Fuze....