PocketPC Smartphone?

mr_ding · 01-25-05, 01:41 PM

Hi,

Currently I have SE T637 & Dell Axim X30H. I was thinking of buying a PocketPC Smartphone, so hopefully I will be able to use my existing software that I have (eg. betaplayer, Mapopolis, FlexWallet, BetaPlayer, ...)

Here are some questions that I have:
1) What are some of the RECOMMENDED PPC phone out there?
I heard of ETEN M500 (coming soon), XDA II, Nokia 9500, SE P910i.

2) Should I stick with PocketPC OS? The things that I used most are Mapopolis, FlexWallet, Contacts & Appointments. Will those existing applications work on smartphone?

3) Does the phone take SIM card?

4) What's the roughly price range for PocketPC phone? Please give brand and price.

5) Are they locked to certain provider? Or can they be unlocked like Nokia or SE? I live in Canada.

6) What's the latest version of Smartphone OS, are they easily upgradeable?

cribbagewiz · 01-25-05, 02:02 PM

I am researching the same thing. So far, I am more likely to buy a phone with Windows Mobile, Phone Edition than a smartphone. Call me crazy, but I just don't want to relinquish the touchscreen. I would like to get one of the versions of the HTC Magician or maybe even one of the slightly bigger models. It would be nice if Siemens hadn't decided to flee the cell phone business, because the Siemens SX66 quickly disappeared from all the Cingular sites. That was just about perfect. It was quad band, had WM2003SE, a slide out thumbboard, and just about everything else I might want except a VGA screen.

If anyone has used a tri-band GSM PPC phone in the South on Cingular, let me know. I'm interested to see if only having the 1900MHz band is enough to maintain decent reception.

mr_ding · 01-25-05, 02:05 PM

Since I just started researching (sorry for newbie question)

But what's the difference between Smartphone vs. WindowsMobile Phone Edition?

Is the thing that I'm looking for WM phone edition then instead of smartphone?

Can SX66 takes SIM card?

mr_ding · 01-25-05, 02:07 PM

I like ink: E-TEN M500 (coming soon)

smeg36 · 01-25-05, 07:08 PM

The WM Smartphone OS is more of a phone, with a numeric keypad and a smaller 2.2", non-touch, screen. A WM Phone Edition PPC is a Pocket PC with phone functions built in. It seems you are looking for a WM Phone Edition, not a Smartphone. Smartphones are the Audiovox SMT5600, Motorola MPx200, Motorola MPx200, Orange SPV series, etc. Pocket PC Phones are like the T-Mobile Phone Edition, Eten P300 (and M500), Ipaq 6315 etc.

If you want all your same programs to work, you should go with Pocket PC Phone. Most of the apps. have Smartphone versions as well though. Please, please stick with the WM OS, either Pocket PC or Smartphone.

cribbagewiz · 01-27-05, 12:04 PM

Yes, if you could still get the Siemens SX66 (it's gone from Cingular's site), it is a GSM quad band phone that takes a SIM card and could be used pretty much globally wherever GSM signals are supported.

When it was available, Cingular was selling it for roughly $600 (US) with contract. I believe you can stil get these phones on eBay or sites like Expansys.com for $650-1000 (US) depending on the model. The iMate Jam is the one I am drooling over currently. It's $650 or so, but does not support the 850MHz band used in the US.

dspirko · 02-11-05, 09:21 AM

I cary 2 devices now my moterola v710 and my x30h, a ppc phone combo would be ideal for me but verizion wireless (my phone provider) only offers one ppc phone and it doesn't have wifi, I use wifi all the time and I do not want to pay the rediculious amount for the data service through verizon. The other thing Verizon cripples fetures of the phones through firmware updates so I wouldn't want them to sell me a ppc phone and cripple the fetures I use everyday. TILL VERIZION GETS THIER STUFF TOGETHER I WILL CARY 2 DEVICES. I did however statr using mt v710 phone for all of my music needs (mp3s). so now I have more memory on my ax.

mr_ding · 04-12-05, 12:57 PM

I had SMT5600 for like 1 day, find out it doesn't meet my need.

So, now time to look for deal on (O2 XDA IIs/MDA III/VPA III/PDA2k/SX66) - depending what manufacturers you search it by, basically the same PPC Phone.

mr_ding · 04-12-05, 12:59 PM

Any idea how long the battery last typically? Since it acts as a phone too, as well as PDA.

Does it last more than a few hours if left on consistently? I don't want to re-charge my phone every 6-8 hrs, if that's the case.

bandd · 10-14-05, 04:08 PM

I live in Germnay (Air Force) and bought a Siemens sx66 off Ebay for about $450. I had a cell phone from T-Mobile and just put that sim in the sx66 and it worked like a champ. You can get one new for that price or less on Ebay. If you do, go to the sx66 standardization site and flash the rom to the current version. It helps bluetooth performance. This pocket pc phone is on well made device.

jadams951 · 10-14-05, 05:33 PM

I love my audiovox smt 5600

a_nik_02 · 10-14-05, 10:43 PM

What i would suggest is check out www.howardforums.com. Its a cell phone cite, that has all the information you will ever need on PPC phones. Also, you will have to know that for most PPC phones, they are made for GSM providers. So for Canadians thats Rogers and Fido.

dtlee · 10-22-05, 09:14 AM

I recently bought a Voq Smartphone off of www.woot.com because it was a cheap ($159) replacement for my dying Moto v505 regardless of the "Smart" features. So far, I really do like it and the fact that I can run some Windows Mobile apps on it is nice. I find myself using it instead of my x50v for some things (audiobooks and alarm functions in particular) and I no longer carry my Axim to work.

However, for listening to music or watching videos or anything requiring WIFI the Axim is still WAY superior. I just have to say that the Smartphone is a much better platform that I expected. I was expecting a cheap GSM phone replacement but was pleasantly surprised.

hkfeet · 10-23-05, 12:29 AM

Im getting a k-jam phone/pda, buying it off a vendor at hofo.

tange1 · 10-28-05, 12:52 PM

I've got the samsung i730, its CDMA WM2003SE upgradeable to 2005 sometime early next year. Its nice. If you wnat to discuss it let me know.

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