ping: cell phone/tech geeks re iPhone [Archive] - Front Office Football Central

dawgfan

12-03-2007, 09:11 PM

So my contract with Sprint is up February 17th, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to dump those bastards. It's also an opportunity to satisfy my technogeek tendencies and get a fancy new multipurpose phone.

Like many, I was highly intrigued by the iPhone when it was announced. I love what Apple is attempting with it - the wi-fi connectivity, running full-featured apps like Safari (enabling real web browsing instead of the hobbled stuff you get on most phones), the text voice mail, the touch-screen experience enabling a relative large display and bringing together a nice blend of PDA and phone in a normal-sized package. The camera is of lesser importance, though having it paired with a device that can send and receive real e-mail seems like a plus over my current setup (I've never been able to get my photos off my Samsung A900), and the iPod functionality is unimportant to me since the capacity is so much smaller than my 30GB iPod.

I was all set to jump on board once my Sprint contract ended, until I read some reviews. What concerns me is that, while much of what Apple has done with the iPhone is very cool, there are some issues. Namely, it appears that the phone functionality wasn't given enough priority - relatively poor phone call quality, too much menu digging for phone features, etc. Since this would still be primarily a phone for me, with the wi-fi web browsing of lesser importance and the iPod functionality of no importance to me, this has me holding off on the current gen iPhones.

I'm intrigued by the LG Voyager VX10000 - it's well-reviewed and seems to do a better job of actual phone functionality than the iPhone. My concern with it though is the lack of the wi-fi feature is a big loss in comparison to the iPhone, and if I'm reading correctly, it's bulkier than the iPhone (thicker mainly).

So, I'm curious if people out there that follow this stuff closely know how soon Apple is planning to release an updated version of the iPhone and what the differences might be, though I suppose it's quite likely Apple is keeping this info secret so as to not detract from current iPhone sales.

Also, I'm curious to hear what iPhone owners and LG Voyage VX10000 owners think of their phones, and if there are any other similar phones out there now or coming down the pike that I should consider.

SirFozzie

12-03-2007, 09:18 PM

usually apple announce their big product upgrades in January at MacWorld.. the next version of the iPhone is supposed to have 3G support, which will make internet much much faster... it's pretty much known that it will be out in 08, when is the big issue.

Klinglerware

12-03-2007, 09:57 PM

Yes, I would wait until the 3G version comes out. Of, course, you should make sure you live/work in area where at&t has built 3g coverage. Perhaps also consider a nokia N95, if an iphone is in your price range and are considering a gsm network.

A useful tool for evaluating cell phones is phonescoop's cell phone finder:
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/finder.php

lordscarlet

12-03-2007, 10:36 PM

I have no issues with my iphone, including the disk space and phone features. I primarily use my ipod for listening to podcasts to and from work, and the occasionaly music now and then. So I have my highest rated songs and all my podcasts on my iphone. If I'm going on a long trip I bring my ipod.

FBPro

12-03-2007, 11:25 PM

Take a look at the Voyager by Verizon, very similar to iPhone w/ some enhancements.

TheOhioStateUniversity

12-03-2007, 11:37 PM

Cnet has pretty thorough editor reviews and many customer reviews for the phones you are interested in.

cartman

12-04-2007, 03:53 AM

I've had my iPhone since launch, and still love it. The 'newness' hasn't worn off, which with me and techie things usually happens within a couple of months.

I do have my phone 'jailbroken', which means I can load 3rd party apps onto it. And that has greatly increased the functionality. For most of the things that might have been buried down in menus, there are ways of redoing the menus to bring them to the surface if they are options you select regularly.

As for call quality, I have never noticed an issue with that. I've never had a dropped call or had bad sound quality during a call. If you are only marginally interested in the web component, then it might not make sense for you to wait until the 3G phone is announced/released. When I'm on the EDGE network, I usually average around 170kb to 180kb/sec. Not blazingly fast, but not that slow either.

TurnerONU22

12-04-2007, 09:01 AM

I've had a chance to play with my father-in-law's Voyager, and my new every two (100 dollar credit toward a new phone) is available to use starting next week, so I plan on picking this up as a Christmas present from my parents.

I haven't played with an iPhone outside of the store, so I can't say too much about it, but I really think it depends what you want out of your phone. I would say that as a phone, the Voyager has excellent call quality, and when combined with the excellent coverage of Verizon, I think that the Voyager gets the nod in that department.

However, I'm not 100% sold on the Voyager touch screen, although it could be that I only had about 5 minutes with it in the store, and about 15 minutes with my father-in-law's, so I might not be used to it. The screen is smaller than the iPhone's, and there were a couple of times where my touches were not registered. Overall, though, it was very nice to just touch the screen to dial the number, or get to the VCast part.

Mobile TV was excellent to use on the Voyager, the quality of ESPN was much better than I expected. This is probably one of the major selling points of the Voyager over the iPhone, as well as the VCast package that you can get for 15 dollars a month, which is Unlimited Web, Text, ect....

The web browser was hard to work at first, but I started to get used to it as well, and the pages loaded much quicker than expected. I wasn't using the optimized browser either, which I heard is the best to use.

Overall, I think it just depends what you want out of your phone. Personally, being a college student (well, a graduate student), the Voyager is geared toward my age range, with the keyboard for texting (btw, having the keyboard was VERY nice at times, definately another selling point over the iPhone), and the VCast music, TV, ect.. I would go see if Verizon will let you have a 30-day run with the Verizon, which I believe they will do. That way, if you like it, you can keep it, and if you don't, you can get the iPhone.

If you have any specific questions, I can ask my father-in-law and respond to you with his answer.

dawgfan

12-04-2007, 02:12 PM

Thanks for the replies so far.

As I mentioned, my #1 priority for a new phone is the phone functionality. What I like about my current phone is how quickly I can access numbers. Most of the people I call, I've called recently or have called me recently. This means that by hitting my "Talk" button, it automatically brings up my list of most recent phone calls, and by scrolling to the person I want to call, just have to hit "Talk" again to place the call. If it's someone I haven't called recently, I hit my "Contacts" button, type the first letter of their name, scroll to them and hit "Talk".

From what I've read about the iPhone, I have some concerns about whether placing calls would in general take more menu navigation and button pressing than I currently need to do.

But if the menu system on the iPhone is customizable, maybe I have the option to modify this process to make placing calls quicker?

I do a moderate amount of texting, but I'm not a power-texter. Obviously the Voyager with it's keyboard, and to a lesser extent the iPhone with it's touchscreen QWERTY would speed up my texting. My concern with the iPhone is the size of the touchscreen QWERTY - I don't have huge hands, but I'm a guy and my fingers aren't tiny - how often do people have difficulty hitting the right keys on the iPhone? What about the buttons on the Voyager keyboard? Am I going to feel like I want a stylus for typing?

The web component will be a big bonus for me with either phone over what I currently have. I don't plan on doing much web stuff outside of some web-browsing and maybe checking e-mail, but the wi-fi functionality of the iPhone is a big selling point for me. I love the idea that in an airport (I travel for work every couple of months or so) I can check e-mail or web browse without having to pay a fee for airport wireless 'net access.

So the 3G coming in the next iteration of the iPhone (and currently in the Voyager if I remember correctly) - that translates into faster download and upload times for my web connection?

Klinglerware

12-04-2007, 02:32 PM

the wi-fi functionality of the iPhone is a big selling point for me. I love the idea that in an airport (I travel for work every couple of months or so) I can check e-mail or web browse without having to pay a fee for airport wireless 'net access.

To use your phone's wi-fi (if you have it), unless you are at a free hot-spot or your carrier operates/has a roaming agreement with that hotspot, you still have to pay for it. Those independent hotspots are not included as part of your plan.

Klinglerware

12-04-2007, 02:36 PM

So the 3G coming in the next iteration of the iPhone (and currently in the Voyager if I remember correctly) - that translates into faster download and upload times for my web connection?

Yes, but only if your carrier has built up 3G coverage in the area you are using it. If you are in an urban area, it's probably not a problem. But if you are out in the boonies, 3G might not be coming for awhile, so it might not make sense to pay for something you can't use. Most of the major carriers have coverage maps on their websites, so you can check beforehand...

cartman

12-04-2007, 03:12 PM

The keyboard on the iPhone does take some getting used to. The biggest thing is learning to trust the auto-correction it does. You can fat finger a word, and it does a great job of figuring out what you were trying to type. I've gotten as fast on the iPhone as I was on a BlackBerry.

Your description of how you currently place calls sounds just about how I place them on my iPhone. I go first to the recent calls, and hit the person's name if they are on the list, other wise I open up Contacts and scroll down to their name. I think when some people describe multiple levels to place a call, they are leaving out that they are already in another app when they decide to place a call. But from the Root menu, it is at most three steps to place a call, but more often than not, two (Press phone, then select the name).

And Klinglerware is right about the WiFi hotspot stuff. Even AT&T ones aren't free for the iPhone, since the WiFi group is separate from the Cellular group.

dawgfan

12-04-2007, 03:58 PM

Gotcha. I guess I wasn't thinking through the wi-fi connectivity/service issue. What about web browsing via the cell phone connection - is that where the upcoming 3G support would improve things, i.e. can I get full web browsing at a place like an airport and bypass the wi-fi connection (and necessity of paying extra to connect via wi-fi)? I live in Seattle and most of my traveling is to cities, so I would presume 3G support is in place for most of the places I'll be.

Regarding the menu system and navigating to phone calls - is there a quick way to return to the root menu to get to placing calls? What about the power button - is there a dedicated, recessed power button on the iPhone, unlike the iPod? My primary complaint with the iPod is inadvertently turning it on when it's in a coat pocket.

What about other apps on the iPhone - what kinds of things beyond Safari are there?

cartman

12-04-2007, 04:28 PM

In regards to 3G, I do believe that most major cities and airports are covered. Here is a link to the AT&T Coverage Map:
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/

If the upcoming 3G iPhone behaves like other 3G devices, even if a 3G signal isn't available, it will fall back to using the EDGE network.

The big button on the lower front of the iPhone always takes you back to the root menu, no matter where you are in any app. The power button is a combination of that button on the front and a smaller button on the top. You hold both of them down for several seconds to turn the phone on or off.

As for other apps, the vanilla iPhone install is pretty sparse. There is the YouTube viewer and WiFi iTunes, plus a calculator, stock and weather widgets, and a link to Google Maps. I've got mine with the iPhone Dev Group's hack, so I can install 3rd party apps. There are over 50 apps out there on their sources group. If you are familiar with Linux, using yum or apt-get to install stuff, this works the same way. I have ssh client software, some games, and the customizer apps to set up my iPhone they way I want it to look and feel. Here is a link to get an idea of what software is out there available for install. hxxp://iphone.nullriver.com/beta/ Full Apple support for 3rd party apps is coming at the beginning of next year.

dawgfan

12-04-2007, 04:39 PM

Cool, good info. I would guess my primary app usage for an iPhone besides Safari for web-browsing would be some kind of calender/planner software, ideally something that could interface with Outlook. I suppose with a large screen like the iPhone or Voyager I might start becoming more interested in video streaming (and uploading videos), but it's not currently a high-priority for me.

cartman

12-04-2007, 04:42 PM

Yeah, I didn't mention that piece, but it does natively sync up contacts and calendars with Outlook.

dawgfan

12-04-2007, 05:06 PM

Awesome. I think I'm sold on an iPhone, though I'll wait until after the upcoming Macworld Expo in January to see what news there may be of the next iteration of iPhones.

samifan24

12-04-2007, 06:02 PM

Awesome. I think I'm sold on an iPhone, though I'll wait until after the upcoming Macworld Expo in January to see what news there may be of the next iteration of iPhones.

Yeah, same here. Like someone said earlier in this thread, it's not a matter of if we see the 3G iPhone in '08, but when. My own Verizon contract ends in late March and I'm debating if I should get a current iPhone then or wait until the 3G iPhone is released, assuming that the rumors of September '08 or later are true.

Terps

12-04-2007, 07:37 PM

What about a BlackBerry? I love my Curve 8300.

Daimyo

12-04-2007, 07:38 PM

Unless you just want to get away from Sprint, you might want to check out the Mogul. Other than visual voicemail and iTunes syncing it does everything the iPhone can do and more.

Klinglerware

12-04-2007, 07:54 PM

Other than visual voicemail and iTunes syncing it does everything the iPhone can do and more.

A lot of phones can make that claim. The high end Nokias pack more power than the iPhone. HTC and E-Ten Glofiish, among others, also make high-spec products.

The iPhone's key competitive advantage is the UI. A lot of people hate the flaky Microsoft UI that is installed on many smartphones. I think a lot of business consumers will eye the iPhone, once the specs are improved in the next iteration.

Sure, a lot of it is marketing buzz, but at the end of the day the iPhone is still cool looking, nicely designed, and apparently very easy to use. That's a powerful draw.

DaddyTorgo

12-04-2007, 07:59 PM

Unless you just want to get away from Sprint, you might want to check out the Mogul. Other than visual voicemail and iTunes syncing it does everything the iPhone can do and more.

*cough* I loves me my mogul

dawgfan

12-04-2007, 08:04 PM

The iPhone's key competitive advantage is the UI. A lot of people hate the flaky Microsoft UI that is installed on many smartphones.

Sure, a lot of it is marketing buzz, but at the end of the day the iPhone is still cool looking, nicely designed, and apparently very easy to use. That's a powerful draw.
Yeah, it's not just about what the device can do, it's also about how easy is it to do those things. Not only that, but which ones offer the best platform and market for add-on apps - I wonder if the iPhone will be similar to the iPod in that it begins to dominate their market (touch-screen phones with sophisticated OS) and as a result presents a lot more 3rd party options to add value to the device.

I'll do some test-driving of the iPhone and the competing touch-screen phones and see how I like the UI of each of them and how they compare in terms of features.

I will say I'm pretty much done with Sprint at this point and am likely to switch to another carrier.

Klinglerware

12-04-2007, 08:23 PM

Yeah, it's not just about what the device can do, it's also about how easy is it to do those things. Not only that, but which ones offer the best platform and market for add-on apps - I wonder if the iPhone will be similar to the iPod in that it begins to dominate their market (touch-screen phones with sophisticated OS) and as a result presents a lot more 3rd party options to add value to the device.

I'll do some test-driving of the iPhone and the competing touch-screen phones and see how I like the UI of each of them and how they compare in terms of features.

I will say I'm pretty much done with Sprint at this point and am likely to switch to another carrier.

I would say that the Windows Mobile platform has by far the largest collection of 3rd party apps. The sheer number of business users willing to pay for apps makes it viable for developers to create for that platform.

Apple made the mistake of locking down their phone. As Cartman mentioned, he had to hack his phone to be able to install those 3rd party applications. Apple originally took a very hostile position on 3rd party development and end-user choice. There was even a rumor that the bricking of all of those unlocked phones via Apple's firmware update was intentional (seems like an exaggeration due to sour grapes by iPhone haters, but perhaps there was some kernel of truth).

But, the customers have spoken, and now Apple is encouraging legal 3rd party development now. They'll probably recover, but it seems that Apple was pretty close to losing a big opportunity to serve business consumers.

Daimyo

12-04-2007, 08:54 PM

A lot of phones can make that claim. The high end Nokias pack more power than the iPhone. HTC and E-Ten Glofiish, among others, also make high-spec products.

The iPhone's key competitive advantage is the UI. A lot of people hate the flaky Microsoft UI that is installed on many smartphones. I think a lot of business consumers will eye the iPhone, once the specs are improved in the next iteration.

Sure, a lot of it is marketing buzz, but at the end of the day the iPhone is still cool looking, nicely designed, and apparently very easy to use. That's a powerful draw.

I think the iPhone is slick, but the four things will keep me from buying it:

no keyboard
can't install third-party apps without a hack
not enough internal storage to take advantage of iTunes integration
no choice of carriers

I'm also not a big fan of the soft button-centric interface on the main screen of the iPhone... I much prefer the way Windows Moble puts information on the main screen (enhanced with third party apps!) and has a pull down menu for the apps. I guess if you want third party software already exists to duplicate the iPhone interface on a WM phone... I assume the difficulty of doing so is on par with unlocking an iPhone for third party apps and neither is really in play for Joe User. I've never had any desire to look into as I prefer the WM interface.

The lack of a SIM card is also annoying... that's the one thing I don't like about the Sprint phone I now have from work compared to the T-Mobile phones I carried for years. But that's more of a geek thing that the average user wouldn't even notice I guess.

Klinglerware

12-10-2007, 09:54 AM

Here's a iPhone vs Voyager comparison. The set up is a little silly, but comparison articles of any sort may help your decision-making...

http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-11399_7-332-101.html

cartman

12-10-2007, 10:03 AM

I think the iPhone is slick, but the four things will keep me from buying it:

The lack of a SIM card is also annoying...

There is definitely a SIM card in the iPhone, but as you mentioned, it is currently locked to only accept AT&T without a hack. In the US, the only other option is T-Mobile, but over in Europe, everyone uses SIM cards. When I was traveling extensively, I had several SIM cards that I would swap out to whichever country I was visiting at the time.

AZSpeechCoach

12-10-2007, 11:43 PM

Daimyo

12-10-2007, 11:56 PM

There is definitely a SIM card in the iPhone, but as you mentioned, it is currently locked to only accept AT&T without a hack. In the US, the only other option is T-Mobile, but over in Europe, everyone uses SIM cards. When I was traveling extensively, I had several SIM cards that I would swap out to whichever country I was visiting at the time.
I didn't realize that it had an actual SIM card... I got the impression from others at launch that they had some sort of embedded SIM card so that you couldn't swap it out for other carriers and you had to do some propriety activation process with it unlike other GSM phones. If its just a regular SIM card that can be swapped (assuming you unlock the phone, of course) then I take back that particular complaint.

Klinglerware

12-11-2007, 07:25 AM

Any news on what is coming out on T-Mobile? I can upgrade in February and am looking for a smartphone I can hold in my pocket. Will the upgraded Pearl be out by then? Is the Shadow any good? Is there something else coming out between now and then? Will my brother-in-law be correct and the iPhone get ported to T-Mobile (not likely)?

Not too much news coming out of T-mobile, though the 3G launch is now rumored to be some time next year. If 3G is a consideration, and there is news that a launch is imminent, I would think about going without a contract for a couple of months until 3G is up (and you live in an area with coverage).

I am assuming you are talking about the Pearl 8120? Not sure if it will be out by February, but it sounds like it fits your requirements for pocketability--and it also is supposed to be built with wifi, so it might be worth waiting for.

From what I've read, the Shadow is getting mixed reviews. But the makers and T-mobile have conceived this as a line, so there will eventually be a variety of phones to chose from.

Since you are on T-mo, you are not limited to the handsets they offer. I would consider buying an unlocked phone, since they are often much nicer than the sets that T-mobile offers with their contracts. The HTC s710, Nokia 6120 Classic (you won't be able to use the 3G capability on it), and the Nokia E51 (don't think it's out yet) are smartphones that are on the smaller side that you might be interested in...

ISiddiqui

12-11-2007, 07:35 AM

Here's a iPhone vs Voyager comparison. The set up is a little silly, but comparison articles of any sort may help your decision-making...

http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-11399_7-332-101.html

I was surprised when I originally read it. CNet tends to love most things Apple, so when the Voyager won the faceoff, it was a bit unexpected.

AZSpeechCoach

12-11-2007, 10:39 PM

Thanks Klinglerware!

Arles

12-11-2007, 11:05 PM

I'm with Sprint and probably going to pick up this one in a week or two:

http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/htc-touch-sprint/4505-6452_7-32671230.html?tag=pdtl-list

It's basically made by the people that designed the touch screen before the iphone. Plus, there's a ton of third party support (including some really slick web browsers and a nice full-screen qwerty-style keyboard app). It's much more open to 3rd party stuff than the iPhone and you need no special service over what I have now (Sprint with EV-DO).

I have the PPC-6700 now and never use the wireless. I find that if I am in a safe, free wireless area, I will probably use a PC over my phone. Plus, EV-DO isn't much slower than WI-FI for most browsing. I'm also considering the Mogul, but I like the size and call quality on this one (a buddy at work has it).

oliegirl

12-12-2007, 06:29 AM

Does this work in reverse as well? I'm on Cingular but have a T-Mobile Blackberry Pearl that I love and really want to use again b/c I'm not thrilled with my current phone...can I just put my Cingular SIM in the Pearl or is there some crazy complicated process to getting that to work?

TheOhioStateUniversity

12-12-2007, 07:02 AM

hxxp://www.askstudent.com/hacking/how-to-unlock-the-blackberry-pearl-and-enter-blackberry-unlock-codes/

DaddyTorgo

12-12-2007, 08:31 AM

Arles

12-12-2007, 09:53 AM

i <3 my mogul. although i will admit that it's not the most stable thing in the world.
Again, since I can count the number of times I've used Wi-Fi on one hand and don't have a big issue with the 3rd party keyboard for the UTC Touch, I can't really think of an advantage that the mogul has over the touch to make me go that route. Given all the issues with stability with my 6700 (esp on bluetooth) and the reports that the issues are still there with the mogul, I'd rather avoid the frustration and go the Touch route. Plus, the Touch has double the RAM.

Daimyo

12-12-2007, 09:56 AM

The Mogul is great... the Sprint software/image is horrible. Even the unofficial WM6 I ran on my MDA was more stable than the crap Sprint puts out. Lets hope it gets better with the upcoming release...

DaddyTorgo

12-12-2007, 09:58 AM

Again, since I can count the number of times I've used Wi-Fi on one hand and don't have a big issue with the 3rd party keyboard for the UTC Touch, I can't really think of an advantage that the mogul has over the touch to make me go that route. Given all the issues with stability with my 6700 (esp on bluetooth) and the reports that the issues are still there with the mogul, I'd rather avoid the frustration and go the Touch route. Plus, the Touch has double the RAM.

for me the advantage is clearly in the hardware keyboard. i must confess i don't use wifi that often (although i did on my 6700 when i was in London...roamed the streets and snagged open wifi signals to post on FOFC if you all recall), but i don't feel that I paid a HUGE premium over it. Aaah, so you have a 6700. The stability issues on the Mogul are about the same, maybe a little bit more stable. Bluetooth is pretty cocked-up, but that's a Windows Mobile issue, not specific to the Mogul AFAIK

Klinglerware

12-17-2007, 08:53 AM

Any news on what is coming out on T-Mobile? I can upgrade in February and am looking for a smartphone I can hold in my pocket. Will the upgraded Pearl be out by then?

FYI, it looks like the T-mo BB Pearl w/ wi-fi is coming out in mid-February

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/12/16/the-lowdown-on-t-mobiles-blackberry-pearl-8120/

oliegirl

12-17-2007, 09:58 AM

I love my BB Pearl...I was able to get it unlocked and onto AT&T, I was using my old Treo, but never got the feel of it to where I was comfortable using it...the Pearl is just more user friendly and the keyboard is great. I'd definitely upgrade to the newer Pearl when I'm eligible...

AZSpeechCoach

12-18-2007, 11:36 PM

I've pretty much decided on the Pearl 2. Unless the Shadow gets a significant upgrade on battery life. I played on both of them at a T-Mobile store last weekend, and could go either way. The fact that I won't need to charge it every 12 hours makes me lean toward the Pearl.

Of course, that ticks off Mrs. SpeechCoach, because we probably won't get our phones in time for our President's weekend travel to Harvard with our speech team.

stevew

12-19-2007, 12:25 AM

I'll get a cell phone when Mobile FOF or OOTP launch.

Klinglerware

12-19-2007, 06:41 AM

Of course, that ticks off Mrs. SpeechCoach, because we probably won't get our phones in time for our President's weekend travel to Harvard with our speech team.

Sounds like the plot to some movie...

Arles

12-19-2007, 08:05 PM

AZSpeechCoach

12-19-2007, 09:12 PM

Sounds like the plot to some movie...

One team....

The tournament of a lifetime....

Old Cell Phones....

Central High School starring in:

HARVARD 2008!

dawgfan

01-15-2008, 02:39 PM

Soooo, nothing from Macworld so far about 3G support for the iPhone. I'm losing my drive to get one - the "cool" factor is wearing off, and the cost and the things it doesn't have are beginning to turn me off.

I think I'm going to hold off for a while on a touch-screen phone. A co-worker just picked up a BlackJack 2 and I think it will do the trick for me for now - I'm thinking that will tide me over for a couple years while the touchscreen phones continue to evolve (and hopefully get more reasonably priced).

BigPapi

01-15-2008, 04:39 PM

You might look at the ATT Tilt.. I love mine. It has WiFi, WM6, full QWERTY slide out keyboard- and almost endless customizability as an HTC device.

It's one noted achilles heel is it's lack of 3d video driver support for the powerful Qualcomm chipset it boasts. Video playback ability is supposedly subpar- But I have no problems watching movies on my Micro sdhc card (which this phone supports up to 32 gb- when available) using TCPMP.

Slap the Opera-mimi web browser on this puppy- and intetnet surfing is positively "Iphone-ish".

My only real complaint is that the video driver issue does cause some problems under even moderate light conditions using the camera....Very laggy...Very poorly implented- and as it stands now- if a camera phone is a must have- stay away from this phone, becasue almost all others do it better....I very rarely use mine- so it's not an issuse- but this baby is the Swiss Army Knife of PDA phones.

dawgfan

01-15-2008, 09:25 PM

JeeberD

01-27-2008, 10:51 AM

Just got my HTC Touch 6900 from Sprint and I love it so far. There are a ton of nice third party apps and it's much lighter than the Mogul. Call quality is good, bluetooth has worked well and the battery life has been very good. We'll see how it goes as time moves on, but so far so good on this purchase.

Is everything still working well, Arlie? My sister works as a programmer for Sprint so I get some wicked discounts on phones, but another round of layoffs is coming in a couple of months so I want to get something that will be up to date for awhile if she does indeed get the axe. And I also played with my brother-in-law's iPhone over Christmas and loved it, so a touch screen phone has got me all excited...

Arles

01-27-2008, 02:38 PM

Yeah, I like it a lot. I added the Opera Mini browser and the S2U2 locking utility (locks it and makes it look like the IPhone slide lock). I also got the spb full screen keyboard which helps a ton. Battery life is good, call quality is good and the bluetooth works much better than on my old PPC-6700. Unless you really need a sliding out keyboard, I see no reason to go mogul over this. The touch OS is really sharp and this phone is much lighter/smaller to deal with (and a better battery life).