Tag Archives: Windows Mobile

High-end Devices: Are they really functionally better?

Posted on by
Reply

iPhone Party by nobihaya Since I “upgraded” from my HTC Wizard device to a Nokia feature phone (XpressMusic 5310 on T-Mobile) a question has been bubbling in my mind. Do high-end devices like iPhone, BlackBerry, S60, Palm, and Windows Mobile really bring more functionality and solve the issues we believe they will?

So far my experience is mixed, but positive overall. Some things are super-easy, some more difficult. The niftiest thing for me with this device is something I’ve always downplayed about my previous smartphones: aesthetics. It’s been literally years since I had a phone that could be considered “sexy”, so that’s one of the fun things.

Many functions are quite easy and really well implemented. Of course, my new one is a music-oriented phone, so that’s one feature that’s well done. Sure it can’t store 80GB of tunes, but the 4GB miniSD holds more albums synced off Rhapsody than I can listen to in a week – more music than I had normally listed to in the past. The FM radio is also a nice feature that’s well implemented.

Things that aren’t as easy as a smartphone: email & web. Obvious really, but I’m surprised at how much I really can do on it. Aside from the T-9 text recognition, email really is darn hard to do – especially on devices where the carrier (T-Mobile in this case) has screwed around with the capabilities. I can’t even add my Google-hosted domain’s email account because of what they’ve done. The way this particular device handles email (and I’m sure most feature phones are similar) is to have them all sent as SMS messages that can be charged for.

This sucks because I’m paying for their “all you can eat” Internet package, an additional $30 a month – why can’t I configure simple POP email? Stupid when you consider that the standard Nokia 5310 software stack provides easy configuration for POP. Guess which firmware I’ve loaded – it’s not T-Mobile’s any longer.

Still, I can get email on the phone – even could with the T-Mobile firmware, I just used the browser. Yes, the browser is limited at best, but there’s this great Java based browser called Opera – yeah I thought you knew about that. ‘Nuff said.

So, I’m sitting here with a phone that cost me $50, I can install software to do specific things, I get email (pulled, not pushed – but that’s OK by me), IM, tunes, ‘net browsing, text & picture messaging, 2MP camera, video recording, miniSD slot, EDGE (ok, wish it were 3G), QVGA screen on a 3.5” device (great picture), more than twice the battery life than my old HTC Wizard, and extremely pocketable. I can’t find anything wrong.

I’ll readily admit that it lacks a certain coolness of many of the higher-end devices like WinMo, Blackberry, S60 and so on. The iPhone is in a class by itself on the cool meter so I won’t even go there.

I’m content though, until there really is a viable, useable, cool, fun 3G touch-based smartphone on T-Mobile. I know I’ll have to keep waiting, but at least I didn’t drop $700 on the HTC Touch Diamond, just to have a cool phone. Now I can spend the remaining $650 on something like an Acer Aspire One netbook, and a Flip Mineo. Maybe I should think of dropping my T-Mobile Internet package and picking up a Verizon EVDO data package… I’ll have to think about that.

Photo credit: nobihaya

Where is T-Mobile’s value?

Posted on by
1

I’m a gadget freak and I have no problem admitting that. But I have another problem… I’m a T-Mobile subscriber. Yep, you know what that means. No cool phones, no 3G (yeah it’s on its way – whatever), and a lot of iPhone lust.

While waiting it out for THE NEXT BIG THING in tmo WinMo goodness, I broke down and picked up a little Nokia 5310 MusicXpress for $50. While I’m fairly pleased with the call quality, the size & form factor of the phone, though I can’t install any frickin’ apps. I shouldn’t be surprised after all. It’s T-Mobile.

Never mind that I have the full Internet plan. It’s not like I’m trying to rip off free IM on the $5 ‘net plan. I pay for Internet & Hotspot access. And I use it. My previous phone, an MDA that still works, allowed me to install that IM app to access Google Talk. It allowed me to install a different browser like Opera, it allowed me to install Weather software, RSS readers, digital "wallets", mapping & gps, handwriting recognition, voice recognition, music players, movie players, and so much more that I can’t describe it all.

I don’t expect to do much on this phone other than talk and play music. But it would be nice to at least get email delivered to it – whether I can respond or not doesn’t matter. Because if I get an email from a client – I’ll simply call them back as it’s usually important. What tweaks me is that the inbuilt email app, I’ll use that term loosely, simply does not allow me to add any POP or IMAP account. If it’s not GMail, Yahoo, HotMail, or whatever other webmail service, you’re out of luck. Perversely, my email account is hosted by Google for Domains, but the setup "wizard" only accepts GMail accounts. Stupid. Even paying the $0.15 (US) per email wouldn’t bother me so much if I could at least have it work.

So while I’m waiting (again) for a decent (?) phone & 3G service, I have to forgo email.  What happened to the days when T-Mobile was out front? When they rolled out GPRS nationwide before anyone else? When they actually had interesting phones, instead of 18mos. old models?

Kinda loosing the faith here. I only stick around because I have so many family and friends on T-Mo: parents, in-laws, sister & BIL, family & about 10 friends. I’m seriously wondering if I should return the darn phone (I have 3 days left in the 2 week trial) and go to AT&T. I could at least look at the Tilt or wait for the iPhone or… or… or…

Ok, I think that’s enough <rant> for this post. Anyone else have something good to say about tmo at the moment? I need a little propping up here. :)

MWg Atom Life – Inexpensive Powerhouse

Posted on by
3

MWg Atom Life I’ve just recently been picking up news of a recently released Windows Mobile device running WM6, with a 624MHz processor and 1GB of ROM.  For a decent price: $400(US)!  Check out the review at Cellubration of the MWg Atom Life Windows Mobile 6 Phone.

Here are a rundown of the specs.

  • Windows Mobile 6
  • TriBand GSM/EDGE
  • DualBand UMTS/HSDPA
  • 64MB RAM
  • 1GB ROM
  • 624MHz Intel XScale
  • FM Radio
  • WiFi b/g
  • Bluetooth 1.2 (with A2DP)
  • 2.7″ QVGA
  • 2MP Camera on rear
  • Second, forward facing VGA camera
  • MiniSD Slot – supports miniSDHC cards

Granted, there are a few things missing – the 850MHz band for US AT&T, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR would be nice, 128MB RAM would also be appreciated, and at least for me, 1700MHz support for the upcoming T-Mobile USA 3G launch sometime in the next decade.

Even so, the $400 price tag, 1GB of ROM storage, FM radio and the minimal software load (Mostly just WM6 Pro), clean lines, and light weight is kinda killer.  Of course, I’ve been spending the last two years with an HTC Wizard, so I’m looking at the fast processor and drooling.

Anyway, check out the detailed review over at Cellubration.

Via: Cellubration – MWg Atom Life

Microsoft working on TouchFlo compatibility

Posted on by
Reply

Thanks to UnwiredView, we have some more information on how Microsoft is working with their Windows Mobile partners.  One such topic is HTC’s wonder TouchFlo software that runs on it’s “Touch” line of mobile phones, and masks parts of the Windows Mobile interface with a glossy, natural touch interface similar to that on the iPhone.

Below, UnwiredView got to talk with Todd Warren, the Microsoft corporate Vice President of Mobile Communications at the Mobile World Congress 2008 last month.  Here is the portion of the interview that talks specifically about some product plans and partner interaction – and industry observation!

Via: UnwiredView – Windows Mobile for Consumers. Part 2