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So, I got my Fuze about 5 in the evening, and after a few hours of playing with it I have some thoughts.
First off, the design and UI are slick as can be. It takes decent pictures (provided you have enough light, as a Cell Phone camera it's still a pathetic shell of what a real camera is, but what can you expect?) and on most operations it's fairly fast.
I dislike the glossy back rather intensely. 3 seconds after it came out of the box it was its own Fingerprint Convention. When will we ever get MATTE black?
I like the functionality of the GPS, but I think the $10 a month fee for it is ridiculous. For the price of this thing there shouldn't be a nickel of charge for it, as not one of my standalone GPS's has any fee at all. I am tempted to not keep the phone off this one fact. Is it possible to get around that with an alternative software package?
I for some reason feel like it should be a bit faster, given that I'm coming off a Wizard with a WM6 ROM, this doesn't feel *that* much faster even though it's nearly triple the CPU speed and what, like 8 times the memory?
I couldn't find a proper screen protector, but that's OK, Wal Mart had a decent pack of customizable ones for like $6, and with a little trimming they fit perfectly.
I like the click wheel roundy-round thing. Hate the lack of a proper headphone port sans the dongle, though to be fair the dongle is pretty cool.
Oh, here's a nugget: not many of the programs auto rotate when you tilt the thing, which makes the tilt bit seem...kinda moot. Is there a way to tweak it?
Once the ROMs start flowing I am sure this will be a far better device. I do like it so far, though I think I've been spoiled by XDA ROM's on my Wizard, because MAN stock software sucks compared to what some of the gods around here pull off
Jason
jasongw said:
So, I got my Fuze about 5 in the evening, and after a few hours of playing with it I have some thoughts.
First off, the design and UI are slick as can be. It takes decent pictures (provided you have enough light, as a Cell Phone camera it's still a pathetic shell of what a real camera is, but what can you expect?) and on most operations it's fairly fast.
I dislike the glossy back rather intensely. 3 seconds after it came out of the box it was its own Fingerprint Convention. When will we ever get MATTE black?
I like the functionality of the GPS, but I think the $10 a month fee for it is ridiculous. For the price of this thing there shouldn't be a nickel of charge for it, as not one of my standalone GPS's has any fee at all. I am tempted to not keep the phone off this one fact. Is it possible to get around that with an alternative software package?
I for some reason feel like it should be a bit faster, given that I'm coming off a Wizard with a WM6 ROM, this doesn't feel *that* much faster even though it's nearly triple the CPU speed and what, like 8 times the memory?
I couldn't find a proper screen protector, but that's OK, Wal Mart had a decent pack of customizable ones for like $6, and with a little trimming they fit perfectly.
I like the click wheel roundy-round thing. Hate the lack of a proper headphone port sans the dongle, though to be fair the dongle is pretty cool.
Oh, here's a nugget: not many of the programs auto rotate when you tilt the thing, which makes the tilt bit seem...kinda moot. Is there a way to tweak it?
Once the ROMs start flowing I am sure this will be a far better device. I do like it so far, though I think I've been spoiled by XDA ROM's on my Wizard, because MAN stock software sucks compared to what some of the gods around here pull off
Jason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for gps download google maps or live search they are free
use gyrator 2 that will turn the screen in every program
and as for speed just use a cooked rom to get rid of bloatware
You can buy TomTom or Garmin software also and with the there is no fee other than the purchase cost.
for roms there are already loads for the fuze. check out the romz forum.
as for screen protectors you get one with the phone. it is in by the cd's in the box.
stevierg said:
You can buy TomTom or Garmin software also and with the there is no fee other than the purchase cost.
for roms there are already loads for the fuze. check out the romz forum.
as for screen protectors you get one with the phone. it is in by the cd's in the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys. Yeah I found the damn screen protector after buying the others, LOL. That's OK, I think the one I bought and had to trim up is a little nicer anyway so it's all good news.
stevierg said:
You can buy TomTom or Garmin software also and with the there is no fee other than the purchase cost.
for roms there are already loads for the fuze. check out the romz forum.
as for screen protectors you get one with the phone. it is in by the cd's in the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for mentioning the screen protector
it doesnt say on the box so i didnt bother looking
its actually pretty nice too
I just got mine today. As others mentioned, the GPS is not "locked". You can install other programs. I prefer TomTom, but others go absolutely crazy over IGO or whatever it is...
My thoughts:
Pros
1) For some reason, VPN actually works now. For some reason, I could never get it to work with my Tilt... no matter what ROM I used. I can actually RDP into my work servers now.
2) Amazing screen resolution. RDP is actually usable now!
3) Magnetic stylus holder. When you're using the phone a lot, and don't want to hassle w/putting away the stylus every time, it's quicker just to "stick" it to the side. Also wakes the device up when you remove it. Snazzy.
4) Accelerometer. Though it doesn't seem near as responsive as the one on my fiancee's iPhone, it is still good to have it there. Hopefully its functionality improves with software...
Cons
1) Definitely slow. My Tilt with M2D on it is much faster, though it lacks the hardware specs this has. Can't wait to start flashing....
2) The multi-faceted back is ridiculous. You can't even hit the stylus on the "ok" button without the darn thing rattling back and forth.
3) D-pad buttons suck. One of the first things I tried doing was to go into the Start > Settings > Connections area. It took me FIVE attempts to get there. I'm not sure if something is wrong with the "right" area of my d-pad, but it kept registering a click in the middle and bringing me back to the home screen. It's going to be nice to use the wheel around it once that functionality starts getting built into ROMs
4) No physical camera or "Start" buttons. I can't believe how much I depended on those two with the Tilt.
AT&T Gripes:
- Bloatware
- No more "H" icon. I realize most of the zombies outside of this site don't know what "H" is, but I miss being able to tell if I'm in an HSDPA area or not.
- Bloatware
- No TV out cable included
- No clip/holster, bag, sleeve, nothing...
Flapjack said:
I just got mine today. As others mentioned, the GPS is not "locked". You can install other programs. I prefer TomTom, but others go absolutely crazy over IGO or whatever it is...
My thoughts:
Pros
1) For some reason, VPN actually works now. For some reason, I could never get it to work with my Tilt... no matter what ROM I used. I can actually RDP into my work servers now.
2) Amazing screen resolution. RDP is actually usable now!
3) Magnetic stylus holder. When you're using the phone a lot, and don't want to hassle w/putting away the stylus every time, it's quicker just to "stick" it to the side. Also wakes the device up when you remove it. Snazzy.
4) Accelerometer. Though it doesn't seem near as responsive as the one on my fiancee's iPhone, it is still good to have it there. Hopefully its functionality improves with software...
Cons
1) Definitely slow. My Tilt with M2D on it is much faster, though it lacks the hardware specs this has. Can't wait to start flashing....
2) The multi-faceted back is ridiculous. You can't even hit the stylus on the "ok" button without the darn thing rattling back and forth.
3) D-pad buttons suck. One of the first things I tried doing was to go into the Start > Settings > Connections area. It took me FIVE attempts to get there. I'm not sure if something is wrong with the "right" area of my d-pad, but it kept registering a click in the middle and bringing me back to the home screen. It's going to be nice to use the wheel around it once that functionality starts getting built into ROMs
4) No physical camera or "Start" buttons. I can't believe how much I depended on those two with the Tilt.
AT&T Gripes:
- Bloatware
- No more "H" icon. I realize most of the zombies outside of this site don't know what "H" is, but I miss being able to tell if I'm in an HSDPA area or not.
- Bloatware
- No TV out cable included
- No clip/holster, bag, sleeve, nothing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're actually supposed to press OUTSIDE of the ring for the "D" pad. Seems to work pretty well when you do.
yeah you want to press outside
but left and right arent very good either way
just flash a rom for speed mine works find with romeos and tf3d is much nicer then t2 so its gota take up more power
definetly agree lack of buttons is no good though
I pretty much agree with everything already said. THe glossy is nice when you're showing it off, but totally not practical - one more way the iPhone has eff'd it for everybody.
When I played with it the store (fresh out of the box, not a display model), I almost didn't buy it because it seemed so slow. The guy behind the counter claimed it was the dummy sim card so we put the sim from my 8525 in it and it snapped up a bit. Then we put a fresh sim card in it and seemed even quicker. Not lightning fast, but not sluggish in any way. I also realized that I had to used it differently. On my 8525 I always used my fingernail on the screen. With the Fuze, my fingernail does nothing. Even the stylus is bit of a waste. I guess I need to adjust the biosensing business...
I also heartily agree that ATT cheaped out on the accessories. A $5 protective sleeve would not have broken the bank. The headset adapter is a joke. I've got slimmer ones off ebay for $1.00 that work great. Bloatware and trial software sucks.
All-in-all, though I'm happy with it and considering the alternatives (although the BB Bold did come with a nice leather case!) I made a great choice. Though, I might have waited for the Xperia if my 8525 wasn't on it last legs...
I forgot another major gripe, and that is that the slider is reversed from the Tilt, which consequently moves the d-pad on the other side of the screen. I was quite used to the layout on the Tilt. This seems to screw me up more than the totally changed keyboard layout, which is unnecessarily "busy", IMHO...
Luckily, this will just take some getting used to. I'm also using the directional arrows on the keyboard more.
hopper13 said:
I think you're actually supposed to press OUTSIDE of the ring for the "D" pad. Seems to work pretty well when you do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I realize that. I'm starting to think this is a glitch. It only seems to happen in this particular situation. Try this:
- Open the Start menu
- Press the d-Pad "up" three times to get to "Settings"
- Press the d-pad "up" once to select the bottom tabs
- Press the d-pad "right" twice to get to "Connections"
It takes me several attempts to get to "Connections" w/o popping myself back to the Home screen. I'm very clearly not hitting the center button.
lbhocky19 said:
yeah you want to press outside
but left and right arent very good either way
just flash a rom for speed mine works find with romeos and tf3d is much nicer then t2 so its gota take up more power
definetly agree lack of buttons is no good though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right. I'm having the same problems with the left button as well. Up and down work fine for me, though....
Flapjack said:
I realize that. I'm starting to think this is a glitch. It only seems to happen in this particular situation. Try this:
- Open the Start menu
- Press the d-Pad "up" three times to get to "Settings"
- Press the d-pad "up" once to select the bottom tabs
- Press the d-pad "right" twice to get to "Connections"
It takes me several attempts to get to "Connections" w/o popping myself back to the Home screen. I'm very clearly not hitting the center button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you have a defective unit? I went through those steps without any problem at all. I did it a few times just to make sure.
Also, you don't have an H icon? I get an HSDPA most of the time (including now) and I always see the H icon.
I don't want to be a hater, I've been waiting for the Fuze for months, but if my 8525 had just a little more RAM, I'd stay with that. I'm starting to realize what a great phone that was. You can just feel the difference in quality between the 8525 and the Fuze. You really notice it when you slide open the keyboard, the 8525 'snaps' into place, and the Fuze feels like it's going to slide right off it's tracks! Not only that, you can feel a little slop when it's open.
I miss the extra buttons too, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Do we really need 5 rows in the keyboard? I don't remember anybody complaining about the 4 rows anywhere. I'd rather have the 4 rows with larger buttons. I have very fat fingers!
The following could be my particular phone...I'm getting a replacement tomorrow to test:
My reception is much worse. Can barely get 3G in an area where my 8525 had no problem at all.
When my phone rings or requests data, it's creates interference with all my surrounding electronics and even it's own speaker. I get a humming sound when I turn the phone on speaker. 8525 never did that. I thought only nextel/sprint phones did that!
8525 sounds much better (and louder) when I played music through it's speaker.
Obviously, the phone has many good features, and hopefully, some of the issues I'm having is just a 'bad' phone. But, the camera is amazing and touch flo runs smooth and fast. And I don't have to reset the phone every 2 hours like I did the 8525
Flapjack said:
4) Accelerometer. Though it doesn't seem near as responsive as the one on my fiancee's iPhone, it is still good to have it there. Hopefully its functionality improves with software...
- No more "H" icon. I realize most of the zombies outside of this site don't know what "H" is, but I miss being able to tell if I'm in an HSDPA area or not.
- Bloatware
- No TV out cable included
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Accelerometer: You can download the Advanced Configuration Tool (requires Microsoft .Net CF 3.5 - .msi available via Msft, cab available via PPCGeeks here. In that, you can actually change the poll time. I've had ACT installed for a while, but just found this option last night. Reduced poll time to 25 ms and it's faster than my friend's ipod touch! Also, you can download programs such as Gyrator 2 or Gsen or changeScreen (i'm trying this now, seems to work! thread for changeScreen. These programs let you rotate in all programs or customized programs.
As for the H, you can use Advanced configuration tool too to change this (under data connection, enable EDGE and HSDPA icons).
And for the TV out cable, if you bought a fuze, it came with a big box of outputs, etc you plug into the usb of your TP. You can use a 3.5 mm to RCA converter cable. check this thread.
enjoy!
I've really been considering to buy the Fuze, but I'm getting mixed reviews. For all the Fuze owners, please answer the poll so that us potential buyers will know what to do.
Thanks!
anyone else wanna vote?
theomni said:
anyone else wanna vote?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm stuck in between the Fuze and the Touch Pro now... I really don't know which one is better? They are the same price nowadays.
I recommend it. I had the Tilt before and I love the Touch, its probably the best WM phone I've had (I've used the Sprint 700wx, Sprint Q, Sprint Touch, AT&T Tilt and now the AT&T Fuze).
I'm sure the few issues that exist with the Fuze will be fixed within a month or two because of the wonderful people we have here making custom ROMs, porting radios, etc.
I am very happy with my Fuze. It's not perfect and definitely needs some tweaks, but I think it is the best Windows Mobile phone ever put out. The screen is fantastic and makes it worth it by itself.
Pros:
VGA screen
Excellent multimedia
Youtube works both in it's own app and the mobile website
Slingbox looks fantastic
Expanded keyboard
Sleek design
Touch Flo 3D really works good
Finally, good bluetooth reception
Cons:
So-so d-pad
More remappable buttons needed
No headphone out jack
I do miss the tilting screen of the Tilt
No forward facing camera (why AT&T?)
Overall, I love the phone. I don't even need to use my laptop much anymore. Plus, it should only get better. I can't wait to see the Fennec web browser released for WinMo.
The Fuze can run on AT&T's 3G bands, which is the biggest difference. Physically, the Fuze has a PTT button (remappable using a trick in this forum) and the Pro has a front-faceing camera, but they are otherwise the same. You can install whatever Touch Pro ROM you want on the Fuze once you flash Hard SPL on it, so the software difference should not be an issue. If you're on AT&T and in a 3G area, it's a no-brainer decision between the two.
Tempest790 said:
No forward facing camera (why AT&T?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
US carriers don't support that functionality so it's cheaper for HTC to leave it out all together.
I've swithed from iPhone after droolling over Fuze release date for 2 months. First couple of days had slight regret (my first WM phone), but once I got the hang of it I fell in love with it. My girl tried it out and dropped her iPhone for Fuze aswell. IMHO, Fuze is on a much higher level and you just can't customize the iPhone the way you can Fuze, no matter what Apple commercials say. Oh and by the way, I realized how crappy Apple products are, but that's another story.
I said no because its not for everyone. I read a lot of people wanting something other than the iphone because of the data plan, this is not an iphone. Then they go and complaint that they cant do this, that its slow, that this, that that. I confess, I am/was one of those whining byotches. I know its not an iphone, I'm just afraid to customizing with roms and then f-it up and be stuck with a nice $300 paper weight. So maybe after my month is up, I'll have the balls to customize it.
Do you have to buy a data plan with the Fuze like you have to with the iPhone, for AT&T?
Only if you want the rebate.
If you want the best browser/entertainment device thats easy to use get an iphone. If you need a business phone outside of entertainment, get the fuze. Both are aimed at different type of consumer.
I know this is exactly what everyone hates to hear, and they just want a plain yes or no, but it really does depend on the person.
If your the kind of person thats really into the stuff they buy, and wants a device that has tons of opportunities and possibilities, then you will probably like the fuze. The beautiful thing about winmo devices is how much you can mess around with them. You can download tons of apps, customize, flash new ROMs, experiment, all kinds of stuff.
If you want something that is ALWAYS going to be friendly and never ever give you any quirks or problems and you just want something that is very cut and dry, the fuze may not be for you.
I would line up your priorities and see what is most important to you and more importantly, what would make you want to throw your phone out the window, cause those are the things that are ultimately going to make you happy when your using your device.
Fuze thoughts:
I have had this phone for 3 days now. My prior phone was an 8125. I unlocked and customized that phone after 30 days. I will most likely do the same thing with this one. Gotta read read read.
Initial review: Absolutely the awesomest phone I have had to date, only the 3rd PDA, though.
I miss the programmable buttons. I haven't figured everything out, but I am getting the hang of it. It has advanced customization, though I haven't even touched the surface. The keyboard is a little different from my 8125, and as I have used it extensively for 2 years, I am accustomed to the numbers being along the top row. I think the 'Full 5 Row QWERTY keyboard on the phone should more closely resemble a normal keyboard, however, I am certain I will get used to it with a little practice.
I have one problem that AT&T doesn't know how to fix: the error message "Smart Chip Not Provisioned MM #2" comes up and shuts off phone signal. I initially thought it was the smart chip. I placed it in my 8125, and no problems. Then I exchanged the phone. Still no fix. It isn't a hard error I can readily duplicate, it just happens intermittently, but only in a specific location, so now I suspect the towers serving the area in which it happens. I suppose it could be the sim card in conjunction with the 3G network which the 8125 doesn't support, but further troubleshooting will eventually solve this one.
Addtionally I was hoping that AT&T wouldn't cripple the forward facing camera, but it isn't there, and I'm not willing to pay $550 more for a Touch Pro off Ebay just for that. As there isn't a lot of network support for live video conferencing, it really isn't that much of a problem for me anyway.
Reception seems to be about the same as my 8125, but again, further testing will support or disprove my initial experience. I am currently having trouble with the GPS function, but it is probably just a configuration/setup issue that I have not played with enough. The phone will tether without the laptop connect package, but you have to make a small edit in the registry. This is a relatively painless process.
This is not meant to criticize the Fuze. These are the only real problems (and minor to me) that I have encountered, and would give this phone a HIGH recommendation.
MrRuss
K. I had it for about 7 days now.
I was one of those people who couldn't wait to get the Touch Pro. I just couldn't bring myself to order it. I use T-Mobile. I desided to try ATT again. Last year I got drops. This time around with the Fuze, I get average. Some places I drop to Edge. And some places I go tend to be 1-2 bars.
I ran some speed tests and it hits 600+KB/sec. One Edge its about 100+KB/sec. But I swear I don't see much difference on loading websites between the two..
I love the hires screen! I missed it so much since I used Windows PDA with the hi-res screens for years. Only drawback is the phones screen is much smaller than the PDAs I used that had 3-4inch screens. And yes, some things come out too small because it's not optimised for VGA. I would still ALWAYS recomend VGA versus a low res screen.
I didn't flash the rom/radio. The unit seems to work just fine for the most part. I see sometimes for no reason, if I open folder, it doesn't "pop" open. But its liveable.
GPS. Same issue as most people. I get GPS lag. When trying it with igo or TomTom, I seem to be about 3cars to a 1/2 block back of where I really am. The Tilt didn't have this issue.
It comes with Microsoft voice. Too bad its not 100% working when you get it. But I got a hack to work so it'll say the incoming caller. This program makes the WM OS better than the IPhone and G1 if you ask me. I love being able to leave the phone in my pocket, hit my BT headset and ask my phone what's my battery life, what's my signal strength, what's my appointments, whats the date or time. Nice feature. And how many phones you know that you can say "Dial 123-4567" and it'll get it right more times then wrong? Or say, "Call sam smith" and it'll ask you if you want to call his Mobile, Home, or Work? Then dial it when you say "home".
The unit back cover squeaks. Can't be perfect. The size is right. I'm the type that always wants a larger battery. Even at the cost of making the unit a bit larger. Battery life seems ok. I can't judge it yet as I keep playing with the unit so I know the battery is draining faster.
I can't stand the PPT button, but then the Tilt had it too. I don't think XDA site found a simple fix to use the button for something else. To bad, I have my Tilt PPT setup to opening my Calc and long hold for Voice Command.
I don't have any issues with the touch button or pushing up/down/left or right. I miss the thumbwheel my Tilt has.
Auto screen rotation is neat, but since so much stuff doesn't use it, it's more gimmick than something useful.
Opera is neat. Works well.
I miss my indicator lights for BT or if my phone was on. Some didn't like those lights as it was bright on the Tilt.
I'll update this more as more things cross my mind.
For the price, I think its worth it. Am I gonna keep it? I have it unlocked, but T-Mobile is BAD on this phone compaired to my Tilt. At work, I get 1 to drop connections if I use T-Mobile on the Fuze. So I'm not sure if I'll keep it.
Pricing is a big part on if I keep the phone. T-Mobile is $59.99+$19.99 data. And ATT is $59.99+$30 for data. Because I'm still in an area where I hit Edge, I'm not sure if being stuck on a 2-year contract is worth the phone...
I wonder if I want to spend $$ on the X1. Aww no voice command on that one.
Nice mini review. So do you like the Fuze better than the Tilt? I have the Tilt rite now and thinking about making the change....
FYI, a hack has been found and the PTT button can be set to whatever you want (press as well as press and hold).
-Mc
Video to remap your PTT
For PTT, Fuzemobility put up a video (http://www.fuzemobility.com/?p=598) and gives credit to the two xda threads that have the information (Black93300ZX and Proto732)
My battery also doesn't last more than a day if I do a good amount of surfing or GPS. I'd like to test how long my battery lasts on standby without touching the phone, but I haven't been able to keep my hands off of the phone these last few days.
I'm loving Microsoft Voice Commander as well. That was a nice little hidden feature that I didn't expect. I find myself launching apps all the time without looking at the phone (e.g. When I'm at a stoplight in my car, I don't need to look at my phone to "Open QuickGPS", "Open Google Maps").
Although I'm sure a lot of the board regulars are already jaded with it, haha
starstreak said:
Auto screen rotation is neat, but since so much stuff doesn't use it, it's more gimmick than something useful.
Opera is neat. Works well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, I am very jealous
I can't afford my new Fuze until next month.
But, I have been doing ALOT of reading up on it, so I will be well prepared when I am able to get it.
As far as the screen rotation, a program called Gyrator will enable the accelerometer to work in many/all programs (except I think it won't work in Manilla).
Anyway, hope this helps.
PS: My birthday is Friday, so if you hate your Fuze too much, you can send it my way
cincy1020 said:
First of all, I am very jealous
I can't afford my new Fuze until next month.
But, I have been doing ALOT of reading up on it, so I will be well prepared when I am able to get it.
As far as the screen rotation, a program called Gyrator will enable the accelerometer to work in many/all programs (except I think it won't work in Manilla).
Anyway, hope this helps.
PS: My birthday is Friday, so if you hate your Fuze too much, you can send it my way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gyrator needs lots of messing with. Yes it does rotate Manilla, you need to disable that lol. It took me a while to mess with Gyrator's sensitivity to get it just right. Btw, my bday is tomorrow <3
hipertec- I think it would be a good upgrade if you're not paying 400+ for it.
And for the rest, thanks for the PTT info, I'll check it out once I figure out why my BT headset quit hearing incoming calls when I answer via the headset.
starstreak said:
K. I had it for about 7 days now.
I was one of those people who couldn't wait to get the Touch Pro. I just couldn't bring myself to order it. I use T-Mobile. I desided to try ATT again. Last year I got drops. This time around with the Fuze, I get average. Some places I drop to Edge. And some places I go tend to be 1-2 bars.
I ran some speed tests and it hits 600+KB/sec. One Edge its about 100+KB/sec. But I swear I don't see much difference on loading websites between the two..
I love the hires screen! I missed it so much since I used Windows PDA with the hi-res screens for years. Only drawback is the phones screen is much smaller than the PDAs I used that had 3-4inch screens. And yes, some things come out too small because it's not optimised for VGA. I would still ALWAYS recomend VGA versus a low res screen.
I didn't flash the rom/radio. The unit seems to work just fine for the most part. I see sometimes for no reason, if I open folder, it doesn't "pop" open. But its liveable.
GPS. Same issue as most people. I get GPS lag. When trying it with igo or TomTom, I seem to be about 3cars to a 1/2 block back of where I really am. The Tilt didn't have this issue.
It comes with Microsoft voice. Too bad its not 100% working when you get it. But I got a hack to work so it'll say the incoming caller. This program makes the WM OS better than the IPhone and G1 if you ask me. I love being able to leave the phone in my pocket, hit my BT headset and ask my phone what's my battery life, what's my signal strength, what's my appointments, whats the date or time. Nice feature. And how many phones you know that you can say "Dial 123-4567" and it'll get it right more times then wrong? Or say, "Call sam smith" and it'll ask you if you want to call his Mobile, Home, or Work? Then dial it when you say "home".
The unit back cover squeaks. Can't be perfect. The size is right. I'm the type that always wants a larger battery. Even at the cost of making the unit a bit larger. Battery life seems ok. I can't judge it yet as I keep playing with the unit so I know the battery is draining faster.
I can't stand the PPT button, but then the Tilt had it too. I don't think XDA site found a simple fix to use the button for something else. To bad, I have my Tilt PPT setup to opening my Calc and long hold for Voice Command.
I don't have any issues with the touch button or pushing up/down/left or right. I miss the thumbwheel my Tilt has.
Auto screen rotation is neat, but since so much stuff doesn't use it, it's more gimmick than something useful.
Opera is neat. Works well.
I miss my indicator lights for BT or if my phone was on. Some didn't like those lights as it was bright on the Tilt.
I'll update this more as more things cross my mind.
For the price, I think its worth it. Am I gonna keep it? I have it unlocked, but T-Mobile is BAD on this phone compaired to my Tilt. At work, I get 1 to drop connections if I use T-Mobile on the Fuze. So I'm not sure if I'll keep it.
Pricing is a big part on if I keep the phone. T-Mobile is $59.99+$19.99 data. And ATT is $59.99+$30 for data. Because I'm still in an area where I hit Edge, I'm not sure if being stuck on a 2-year contract is worth the phone...
I wonder if I want to spend $$ on the X1. Aww no voice command on that one.
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Click to collapse
go to www.fuzemobility.com and they have redirect the PTT button articale on there.
I have been pretty satisfied with my Hermes (had it just about 2 years now!)
I am wondering for those that also came from that device or from a Kaiser, how do you like the Touch Pro in comparison? I'm eligible for an upgrade but don't know if this is the phone to get or not....i thought it was, but have been reading some less than great threads so i just wanted some comments from people who went through a comparable situation. Thanks!
it was the best move i ever made, only thing is the bat life could be better.
After the tweaks, pretty happy.
Only issue(s) I have remaining are:
Voice Command/Bluetooth...If incoming announcements are on, the phone
sort of rings once, sort of announces, but when you answer, the other party
can hear you, but you cannot hear them, you have to switch the call to the
phone, power off the headset, and power it back on.
GPS slow. GPS is a little quirky at times. Once in a while it fails to lock, but
if you run the HTC test tool for the GPS, it fires right up.
Battery isn't an issue for me, I'm one of those if it is below 2 bars, it goes
on the charger, and, sometimes I use a remote control program because I have
a friend that would rather text than talk on the phone, so it is easier than using the keyboard or stylus to send SMS.
Touchflo3D could use a little tweaking, which has been done, and looks like it is getting better and better.
I don't "play games/videos/MP3s" on my phone, so I can't help you on that
part, but the screen is improved, keyboard is improved, camera is MUCH
faster.
About the only thing I miss is the tilt for the screen.
I would say the main thing to keep in mind is the TouchPro isn't really an upgrade to the Hermes or Kaiser. Its a whole new style of phone that takes some getting used to. The main similarity is of course the keyboard. The biggest change is the lack of hardware buttons. Gone are the softkeys, you now have to touch the screen. Gone is the messaging & IE buttons. The worst part is the messaging button, you now cannot just keep clicking this button to scroll through all your email/sms/mms accounts. There is no longer a dedicated start menu button, you have to touch the screen to launch the start menu. Its been replaced with a "home" button, which to me is useless. As on the old phones I could hit start 2x and go home. Gone is the scroll wheel on the side. Its been replaced with 2 volume buttons, which I never use because I keep my phone on maximum volume. There is no dedicated camera button. There is no dedicated Comm Manager button.
So personally I hate to see the iPhone trend influencing HTC phone designs. I like buttons and need buttons. This phone takes some getting used to. It is a good phone still, but could be so much better with more buttons.
copex said:
it was the best move i ever made, only thing is the bat life could be better.
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Click to collapse
I agree. I think the VGA screen brings a real revolution to mobile devices. It's just superior in so many ways to the old displays that I definitely never ever want a device without VGA again.
The biggest minus for me is the faulty GPS implementation. But I still hope that it's not a hardware issue and that it can an will be fixed by some xda-dev sooner or later.
TriAxisFL said:
So personally I hate to see the iPhone trend influencing HTC phone designs. I like buttons and need buttons. This phone takes some getting used to. It is a good phone still, but could be so much better with more buttons.
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Click to collapse
That's true! The home button is extremely useless and I also miss the extra buttons very much. In the first days/weeks it felt like a step backwards to me because where in the past I just had to push an hardware button I now had to push a software butten in best case or even had to navigate somewhere before I could push some softbutton.
But I got used to it and managed to reconfigure the device so that all important functions are now just one (soft)-click away.
i love the device, but i miss the tilt screen... :
and i wish there were more buttons to assign to my own preferences (yes i know there are tools, but it's not as good as with the 'real' buttons...)
i love that the flat screen - you can touch things in the edges very easy now
all in all - i don't regret the upgrade
DeepThought said:
I agree. I think the VGA screen brings a real revolution to mobile devices. It's just superior in so many ways to the old displays that I definitely never ever want a device without VGA again.
The biggest minus for me is the faulty GPS implementation. But I still hope that it's not a hardware issue and that it can an will be fixed by some xda-dev sooner or later.
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Click to collapse
Da_G is working on such a fix right now. He's using ported GPS drivers from the Blackstone, and it appears to make quite a difference.
NotATreoFan said:
Da_G is working on such a fix right now. He's using ported GPS drivers from the Blackstone, and it appears to make quite a difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great news, thanks for letting me know!
Is there already some thread about his attempts? Or is it currently in the "private beta testing" stage?
I upgraded from the Tilt.
Day1 = I wanted my Tilt back
Missed Tilt Scree
GPS SLOW
Really missed all the bottuns
After a couple of weeks (and of course a cooked ROM) I have to admit I am really happy I upgraded. As others stated the screen resolution is great. Performance seems to be better as well. I still have some gripes ( fingerprint magnet, small keyboard) but I think overall the improvements outweigh the issues. My advise would be to go for it but also make sure you give it time before you judge. If I had to make a return decision in 24 hours I most likely would have returned it for the Tilt. A week or two later and you would have to pry my Fuze out of my cold dead hands!
I want the raphael hardware in a kaiser body.
I think that pretty much sums up my feelings
DeepThought: currently testing out the ported blackstone drivers in my ROM. I'd make cabs but unfortunately windows mobile is paranoid so wont load them They have to be cooked into a ROM for the moment. I'm in the process of uploading the OEM/SYS/ROM from my latest build so chefs can see the changes I made and yoink it if it works.. 40 minutes left on that upload!
I consider it the best phone I've owned if you require a keyboard.
It feels better in the hand than the Kaiser did. I love the flush screen so you can touch edges easily (I missed that after having the Vogue on Sprint). The VGA screen is great.
I don't really miss the hardware buttons. I used a Vogue and it had less buttons than the TP has. On the Kaiser, I didn't really use them anyway. I just use the programs tab in TF3D. I replaced the shortcuts or the PTT button (on the ATT Fuze), so now a short press launches the Comm Manager (to turn on WiFi) and a long press launches the camera.
I haven't really had any GPS issues. It doesn't get a fix indoors usually, where my Kaiser did. It takes a little longer to get a fix outside, and depending on the app I'm using I might have to use the HTC GPS Tool first. I don't have much lag.
I don't really need a hardware keyboard...its nice to have, but I don't do much typing on it and I find myself using the soft keyboard more rather than pulling out the other one. Since the Touch HD (Blackstone) looks thinner, if ATT ever got that phone, I think that might be the ultimate for me since I would rather have a thin device rather than a hardware keyboard.
Not that these things haven't been brought up already but this is my opinion. First off I am happy to have upgraded to the Raphael from the Kaiser. Things that lived up to or exceeded my expectations are the screen, capacitive touch lower region, and TF3D to name a few. The things that need to be worked out are battery life and gps. To a great extent, Lumos and Touchlock Pro have extended my battery life tremendously, but it is still not on par with my Tilt. My major gripe is GPS. I drove around for over an hour with the phone on my lap in clear skies and never locked onto satellites. That is horrible. I am very eager to see what Da_G is cooking up on this front. MY MAJOR GRIPE is fit and finish related. The battery cover for my Fuze is loose and I do not care for the shiny multi-angled design. I am going to buy the regular Touch Pro cover as soon as someone puts up a picture that matches the description. I had the Tilt for over a year and it had excellent design and build. I think they should have carried that over to the Fuze.
DeepThought said:
Great news, thanks for letting me know!
Is there already some thread about his attempts? Or is it currently in the "private beta testing" stage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thread is actually about fixing MSVC, but he mentions the GPS drivers also.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=445204
I also posted a cab in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=426433&page=17
But it doesnt work due to the same driver signing issues with the MSVC fix..
Loving my Fuze, I upgraded from the Tilt. Only concern is the repeatedly mentioned GPS issue which I'm glad to hear that Da_G is working on.
Seems like most everyone is happier with the TP, even if there are still a few things to be desired...i know i too will miss some of the buttons, but that screen does sound delicious
I would bet that all the kinks will get knocked out entirely by early next year and it'll be running like a whole new phone
AT&T Tilt -> HTC Fuze
Best switch ever!! I love everything about the fuze except that its' enter button is too big and it's del button is a bit small =/ I got used to it though.
After proudly using most of the AT&T/Cingular/AT&T HTC devices (Wallaby->Blue Angel->Wizard->Hermes->Kaiser->Raphael), this has been the most exciting upgrade.
The VGA screen is an amazing change. I miss some of the hardware buttons, but the flat touch screen is helping the TouchFlo interface wean me off of the buttons. I also do not miss the tilting screen as much as I thought I would. I do miss not having the scroll wheel on the side, but I am getting used to touch ring.
Performance on the stock ROM was disappointing. I was planning on running the stock ROM for a while before loading a cooked ROM, but after one day, I could not take it anymore. I am now running NATF's 2.2 ROM, and I could not be happier.
So far, I have inspired three upgrades from the Tilt to the Fuze among co-workers.
from a beetle to a Porshe
Raphael is way better than hermes. dome many changes to registry, antena, touchflo 3d, and performance ugrades, to have it running great.
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a new FUZE. Before I do, I was hoping some current owners could answer a few questions for me. I'm not a newbie to smart phones or WinMo, so I do understand some of the limitations of the device. My last phone wasn't a smart phone and I sorely miss not having it.
I was at the local AT&T shop to play with the FUZE in person, and honestly I wasn't at all impressed with the speed or the interface.
The sensitivity of touch was pretty bad, and I really had to push on the screen for it to register my finger. I've read on these boards that the sensitivity can be changed, so my question is, Can it be changed enough to be usable? It was pretty bad in the showroom.
The lag of the device was totally unacceptable to me. I would often not know if a key-press or screen gesture actually worked, and found myself hitting the key multiple times, only to realize it had registered the first time, but was taking forever to respond. I've read here that flashing the ROM and other tweaks improve the lag time, but does it improve it enough? Is there any lag time after using a cooked ROM? I understand that things may lag on occasion, but if there is a lag for most functions, I don't think I could put up with it too long.
Web browsing was a test of patience to say the least. It took a very long time for any page to load, and when it did load, it seemed to render in chunks very slowly. I was often confused if the page was even fully loaded after a minute or two. Is this experience to be expected, or can it be it be fixed?
I may just be confused about the contacts section. Do you have to scroll through each individual contact to get to the one you want? I have a couple hundred contacts in my phone now, and if I need to get to someone who starts with "N", that would take quite a while. I'm sure there is a better way, and I would just need to find out how to do it, but I wanted to ask first, as this could be a huge deal breaker for me.
It took me a while to find the call history on the phone. It seems like it's buried pretty deep. Is there anyway to modify the Touchflo3d icons to point to items I frequently use? I mean really I don't need the AT&T icon there at all, since I'll never use any of those features. I'd much rather have my call history available from the menu. Is this even possible?
I've read a lot of comments about the D-pad. I'm a gamer when on the road, so I need to make sure this phone will be able to handle my gaming needs. I didn't have the opportunity to try any games on it. Is the D-pad really an issue, and if it is, has there been a workaround?
I love the idea of having a touch screen. I need a phone that offers easy to use messaging and email features. I want simple access to my contacts, and easy to use phone functions. I also want a good web browsing experience, access to my MP3 files, and video files, as well as a decent gaming platform. Oh and I do like to tweak my toys. Is this the phone for me, or should I be looking at something different?
I appreciate anyone taking the time to answer any of these questions.
i have a fuze and love it alot. the sensitivity on the touch screen was bad until you change the registry key that controls it and of course a good screen calibration. its set for such a heavy touch. i changed it to ultrasensitive and its like using an iphone now. there are alot of registry keys to increase the performance. its real easy with diamond tf3d config app. best choice is to flash to a new rom though. the oem rom is junked up with so much crap. diamond tf3d conifig will help you change touch flo 3d to your liking. as far as a gaming device the dpad is a difficult thing to use tbh. and with the graphics drivers still not working right its not a good gaming device. in every other context, it is a good phone. it just takes some work to get it there.
Thanks for the input TJOC.
How is the FUZE as a phone? I mean, how easy is it to access your contacts, voice mail, or just make a call?
Best phone I have had. Most of what you point out in your message can be adjusted automatically or via a tweak or registry change. You would like this flexibility on something you own.
its not bad. the call history, calendar, voicemail (only if you have some messages) and contacts are right on the home tab. you can actually change the softkeys on the home tab to do other actions for you too. theres also one tab to the right called people which is a neat flippy interface if you assign pictures. when i go to my people tab it actually crashes touch flo 3d. i have to figure out what i did to make it do that.
i do have to say that for an htc phone it is the best for being a phone. ive used quite a few htc phones and they always have issues like bad signal, and most notably the volume and call quality have been pretty awful. but on the fuze its loud and clear.
that said its still not a phone for everyone. if you use speakerphone alot, then this may not be the phone for you. and alot of people cant handle windows mobile (i always say wm is not for beginners hehe). i would say try out the phone. att will let you take it back if you dont like it. and i wont call you crazy if you say you dont.
The Jack of Clubs said:
that said its still not a phone for everyone. if you use speakerphone alot, then this may not be the phone for you. and alot of people cant handle windows mobile (i always say wm is not for beginners hehe). i would say try out the phone. att will let you take it back if you dont like it. and i wont call you crazy if you say you dont.
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Click to collapse
Speaker phone not too much an issue for me. I'm familiar with WinMo, so that won't be a problem either, heck I still use my Dell Axim
I think I'm going to take your advice, and just grab one. If I'm not happy I'll exchange it for a Bold or something.
I didnt like the Fuze stock as well but after tweaking it i love it, i would hard reset and then reset it right before it install all the att stuff back, when you get the phone and reinstall touchflo from the software column for raphael. that alone would make your device alot faster and then you can tweak it some mroe to make it even faster...since its your first Winmo phone read up on flashing and other themes or today screen...you can use other UI instead of TF3D just find one that you like. Cheers report back when you get the Fuze.
mfarlo,
I just got my Fuze a few days ago, and am loving it. I had a Cingular 8525 that I modified with new ROMs from this site. I'm looking forward to upgrading my Fuze after I see how it does out of the box.
I got a great deal going through myself when purchasing it. If you're interested in checking out what I can do for you, please let me know.
Joe
i too was unhappy with the fuze when i tested it out in the store, but after reflashing RRE 4.4.5 custom rom this phone is amazing, the signal strength is awesome, call quality is crystal clear for me, and the phone is lightning quick. if you buy a fuze play with it for a few days while you are reading up on flashing a new rom as it is a must with this phone, its like night and day. the phone has been out for a while now and the roms on this site keep getting better and better, you will not be dissapointed if you buy it.
From my experience with 4 Fuze's...Touchscreen sensitivity to a finger is adequate, although the stylus takes considerable pressure, especially at the edges of the screen. 2 of the Fuze's were slightly more sensitive, and two were slightly less, but none have the sensitivity of the older devices with recessed screens.
Sensitivity aside, you have to rely on the responsiveness of everything else, and that sucks for the most part. Performance "tweaks" and screen sensitivity "tweaks", either done manually with a registry editor, or with a program like AdvancedConfig do absolutely nothing. I've spent many hours comparing back and forth and didn't notice a single discernable difference. The device is sluggish no matter what you do to it (aside from flashing ROM's which i'm not doing). Try operating the phone with a song playing in the TouchFlo music player and it will be an exercise of patience. Disabling TouchFlo does speed things up, but that's a poor fix if part of the reason you purchased a Fuze was for TouchFlo (which I did). I'm perplexed by the folks who claim such a speedy device.
The Dpad is absolute garbage. Up/down work fine, left/right works about 80% of the time if you press in a very specific spot to the outside of the touch sensitive ring by a few millimeters. Funny, it takes extreme accuracy to scroll right or left, but 50% of the time when I try to hang up a call by pressing in the extreme lower right corner, it jumps out to the main menu and starts scrolling right with the call still in progress. I've had quite a few "I want to throw the phone as hard as possible" moments with that issue. The quality of the Dpad has varied from device to device, but none of them were anywhere near good. I can't imagine using it for gaming.
Opera loads webpages pretty quick for me. Unfortunately anything that requires touchscreen input like zooming or selecting links doesn't work so well. Generally I double tap 2-3 times before it zooms in or out. I'm not sure if it's a system issue, or a touchscreen problem. Zooming with the touch ring works well, but unfortunately, for me, the page won't reformat and the text won't wrap using the ring. Trying to zoom with the ring to make a link bigger so that it's clickable, results in the page moving and intermittent reloading of the page, then the link moves out of view. The problem is more common on certain pages and less on others.
Reception has been good, but the earpiece speaker issue looks like one that isn't going to get fixed. Even after loading a few alternate audiopara files, the speaker isn't loud enough, and when you do get lucky and call someone who's voice comes in at a higher volume, the speaker distorts. Pressing the sharp edge of the top rim of the phone against your ear, which I find myself doing often, results in soreness after. Fun!
Long term durability seems questionable, and the battery covers on all 4 phones that i've had suffered creakyness along the edges where the cover doesn't sit against the frame of the phone tightly. One even slid side to side everytime the device was handled.
I'm keeping the one I have now, it seems to be the best out of the 4, but still suffers from all of the issues listed above. Of course the keyboard was installed totally crooked, but it's par for the course with HTC. I'll never understand people who say HTC = great build/materials quality. I find it hard to believe i'm the only one who's struck out so many times. Not only with the Fuze, but with a Tilt and an 8525 before it. It's unfortunate that HTC seems to have cornered the market on this particular form factor for Windows Mobile. I would go with Xperia, but now that the metal cases are cracking left and right, I suppose I should pass. Way to go HTC.
One upside, the VGA screen is really nice, big improvement over QVGA.
Good luck.
check out my post at:
http://www.mobilitysite.com/boards/htc-touch-pro-t-fuze/234449-random-thoughts-about-fuze.html
and
http://www.mobilitysite.com/boards/htc-touch-pro-t-fuze/234303-necessary-software-fuze.html
the fuze/touch pro is a love or hate phone. as far as a windows mobile phone i would say this is the best there is. htc will not be out done when it comes to windows mobile phones. and no windows mobile devices have capacitive screens so its not the most brilliant for touch screen but its not bad tbh. good luck with your purchase and hopefully it will be as pleasant of an experience for you as it is for me.
somethings to remember, find a newer build of opera. i had downloaded build 15202 from this site. pages will load faster and theres some tweaks you can do to get 0 mobile websites. theres also a registry entry that will give you a zoom slider which is a nice touch for web pages than relying on the scroll wheel. and if you dont have good volume in a phone call, make a call to the phone and up the volume with the rocker during the call. it sounds weird but you can only adjust the call volume while making a call.
Get The Fuze!!!
After being almost scared away from the Fuze when I handled it in an AT&T store, I quickly went home and checked on XDA to see what could be done about the TERRIBLE performance. I found TONS of options for tweaks, fixes, and ROMs. After a LOT of reading and deliberating, I decided that the RRE HTC Fuze ROMs were for me. I'm currently running RRE v4.4.5SE which is AMAZING!!! My Fuze feels like it runs 1000% faster! It's great!
Get the Fuze; if you don't already know how, read about flashing; flash the RRE Fuze ROM (linked in my signature below), and ENJOY! You WON'T regret it!!!
Best of luck,
NR
I have the Fuze and one of the bad things about it is the battery life, If you are really going to be on the phone alot I'd suggest buying an extra battery lik i did.
Thanks for all the comments, I am now a proud owner of an AT&T FUZE.
First thing I did was remove all the bloatware as described in tyguy's excellent post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=459335
It looks like I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time tweaking this beast until I get it just the way I want it, but that's the draw for me. I could have grabbed an iPhone and had everything I needed, but where's the fun in that? When I'm done with my tweaks, I'll have a phone custom tailored to suite my needs.
thats what i was thinking. the iphone doesnt need customization partially because you cant customize it to make it your own. the fuze may need alot of work when you take it out of the box but once you got it how you like it, its more made for you then an iphone. thats a downside for some people but ive been having loads of fun tinkering. my brother and my dad bough iphones and i poke at them doing things they cant, divx, tethering, garmin, taking pictures with flash, sending mms. i know theyre jealous because they bought the wrong phone.
Moved to the FUZE from the Tilt and after missing my D-Pad for awhile until I figured out the Fuze's pad, I now miss nothing.
I've had a lot of excellent PDA/Phones over the years, and have been a WinMo guy since PocketPC2000, and the Fuze is just yet another small step closer to the perfect combination device. I just STILL want a bigger screen.
As far as battery life goes, I use it just as hard as my Tilt, and get a bit more life out of the battery. I'm not sure what the huge complaint is, a dead battery at the end of the night is a good day. A phone that goes DAYS on a charge I haven't had since my Motorola V60
i miss the "dpad" from my ppc6700 (htc apache). it had a joystickish thing which worked well. but if im going to say i miss any one thing from that phone it would have to be the keyboard. you will never find a better keyboard on any other phone ever. and thats a challenge.