Thinking about buying a Pocket PC Phone? Those nifty beasts that look like a Pocket PC, run Windows Mobile and double as a cell phone are becoming increasingly popular and it's wonderful that EVERY major US carrier offering at least one of these devices.
In the US we currently have:
HP iPAQ 6315 from T-Mobile ( Our review )
And the HTC Blue Angel variants:
Audiovox PPC-6601 and PPC-6600 from Sprint and Verizon ( Our review )
Siemens SX66 from Cingular
Are you waiting for something better, newer, cooler? Won't have the bucks until this summer? Then read on: we'll cover each of the upcoming Pocket PC Phones running Windows Mobile 2003 SE here (so far none have Windows Mobile 2005, aka Magneto). Some of them should be available in the US later this year, while others may be available only through importers such as Dyamism, Expansys and iCube.
Samsung i730
Samsung Pocket PC phones have been the darling of Verizon for a few years now, with the long-lived Samsung i700 still holding fast in their lineup. The i730, a CDMA network phone (Verizon and Sprint are the two large CDMA carriers in the US, and CDMA is used extensively in Samsung's home country, Korea). The most recent rumor states this fella might be out this month, let's cross our fingers. . . Verizon is notoriously slow qualifying new phones for the network.
The slider is in, and the i730 is joining the club, being the 2nd Pocket PC with a slide-out keyboard (the many variations of the HTC Blue Angel got there first: XDA III / Siemens SX66 / Audiovox PPC-6601 / iMate PDA2K / Qtek 9090). We played with the Samsung i730 at CES in January and scored some photos which you can see below.
The i730 has support for 1xRTT and EVDO (yeehah! Fast data!).
* Like the other devices in this article, it runs Windows Mobile 2003 SE
* 500MHz XScale processor and a pleasing 128 megs of RAM and 64 megs of ROM.
* QWERTY thumb keyboard that slides out when needed.
* SD slot supporting SDIO
* BlackBerry email support and Windows Media Player 10.
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HP Mobile Messenger
We were fortunate to play with the Mobile Messenger when attending an HP press event early last month. We presented info on that device here .
Most recent guesses put the release date somewhere in the summer of this year in the US. From a design perspective, it competes with the very sucessful palmOne Treo 650 and Blackberry devices, having a compact design, integrated QWERTY thumb keyboard and good messaging capabilities.
* Quad band 850/900/1800/1900MHz world phone with GPRS and EDGE. That's right: EDGE-- for some reason hard to find in Windows Mobile devices.
* The Mobile Messenger (possible model number hw6500) is the first US device we've seen with a square 240 x 240 pixel color display.
* It runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition (not Magneto, aka Windows Mobile 2005)
* has a 520MHz processor
*1.3MP camera with lens on the rear (indoor photos were very grainy but given the excellent job HP did with the rx3715 camera we're sure the final product will be much improved).
*embedded thumb keyboard (permanant unlike the iPAQ 6315).
* Form factor very much like a BlackBerry but more attractive. It's the same size as the iPAQ 6315 when the 6315 is not wearing its snap on keyboard. It's quite smaller than the 6315 with keyboard attached.
*It has three radios: GSM phone, Bluetooth, and GPS. That's right: it will have an integrated GPS. It does NOT have WiFi, though you can use an SD WiFi card. There's no unsightly external antenna, but HP claims it has excellent GPS reception even though it lacks and antenna. The device will be bundled with TomTom GPS software.
* The Mobile Messenger has an SD slot supporting SDIO and a mini SD slot-- isn't that interesting.
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MDA IV
Perhaps one of the most innovative devices of the year, the MDA IV sports a clamshell design reminiscent of a notebook PC, has a VGA display, two cameras and supports 3G for super-fast data transfer. Like many other solid Pocket PCs and Pocket PC phones, the MDA IV was designed by HTC and goes under the code name "Universal". It will be available in a few months from T-Mobile Germany, and will likely be sold by the European carriers Orange and Vodaphone as well. Will it ever be offered by a US carrier? No word on that, but we have our doubts. Carriers have been avoiding the high end Pocket PC phones until recently and the MDA IV is a triband GSM phone (900,1800, 1900MHz) which means Cingular and AT&T Wireless won't offer it unless a version with the 850MHz band is developed (Cingular and AT&T rely heavily on the 850MHz band in the US). So that leaves us with T-Mobile in the US, who could surely use a hot new device in their lineup. Let's hope!
* Triband GSM phone: 900/1800/1900MHz bands. GPRS and 3G (UMTS) for data.
* 520MHz Intel XScale processor, 128 megs RAM.
* VGA display which can be used in landscape mode.
* Integrated Bluetooth and WiFi.
* Relatively roomy thumb keyboard in a clamshell configuration (think Sharp Zaurus C3000 running Windows Mobile with a mobile phone radio).
* Two cameras: a 1.3MP camera for still shots (facing outward) and a VGA camera with lens near the screen for use when videoconferencing.
ASUS makes a darned fine Pocket PC. We're fond of their A730W VGA Pocket PC, and it's made for one of our most popular reviews. ASUS has been making phones for the Asian market for quite some time, and now they're ready to tackle the US. We spent some quality time with a pre-production P505 at ASUS' US headquarters and liked what we saw.
The ASUS P505 is a compact device, and will be one of the smaller Pocket PC phones on the market when released sometime this year. To make the unit small, ASUS didn't go with the standard 3.5" display, but rather a 2.8" one. Despite the small size, it's razor sharp and easy to read. It's no slouch on power, running a 416MHz Intel XScale processor with 64 megs of RAM and an SD slot for expansion. Throw in a 1.3 megapixel camera that takes nice still shots (better than the ASUS A730) and can shoot videos too.
As you can see from our photos, the phone has an integrated hardware dial pad which flips down to reveal the display. It also has a jog wheel of sorts on the upper left corner. The device has a user replaceable Lithium Ion battery that's 1800 mAh. And of course, it has Bluetooth for those of you who can't live without wireless headsets.
The P505 is a GSM phone, and we believe a version will support the 850MHz band used by Cingular and AT&T Wireless in the US. The phone indeed will be sold in the US, but price hasn't been set yet. We're guessing $600 or $650 US. It will not be offered by carriers in the US, but will instead be sold unlocked by retailers for use with any GSM provider. ETA? We're guessing early Summer 2005.
* Windows Mobile 2003SE OS
* Intel XScale 520MHx processor, 64 megs RAM
* 1.3MP camera
* SD slot supporting SDIO
* Bluetooth
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Benq P50
If the vapor ever settles and the Benq materializes from the ether, we'll be thrilled. Perhaps not as comically rumored and delayed as the Motorola MPx which appeared at so many trade shows and press events in the past 1.5 years without showing up on the store shelves (OK, it is finally out in Asia), the Benq has still been a long time waiting. We saw it most recently at CES in January and when we spoke with the folks there, its release seemed imminent, though their suggested list price was a shocker at $800 US without contract. They estimated $500 with contract, but we're not sure if any US carrier will offer it, and they were still working on getting it qualified with US carriers when we spoke with them in January.
The P50 is the Windows Mobile answer to the Treo 650. It's relatively compact and has an integrated thumb keyboard. It has Benq's signature style: minimalistic and slick.
* GSM quad band world phone will work anywhere in the US (850/900/1800/1900MHz). GPRS class 10 for data.
* Windows Mobile 2003SE OS
* Intel XScale 416MHz processor
* 2.8" QVGA 65,000 color display
* 1.3MP camera with large lens on the rear
* Bluetooth, WiFi
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Amoi G6301
Not a household name in the US, Amoi is headquartered in China with an office in California. We saw their fascinating and diminutive clamshell Pocket PC phone at CES in January. They told us they were hoping to have units ready this Spring (maybe not for sale, but for review). Their schedule may be sliding a bit, as we haven't heard back from them. The unit is definitely slick looking with a very compact clamshell design, gloss back casing, stereo speakers flanking the landscape orientation QVGA display. The device is all about style and portability, not horsepower. Not everyone wants a GTO, some prefer the Mini .
* 300MHz Intel XScale processor with secondary processor to handle voice (phone).
* Triband GSM 900/1800/1900MHz with plans to offer a model that has the 850MHz band used by Cingular and AT&T Wireless in the US. EDGE and GPRS for data.
Just don't ask us when the Motorola MPx will come out in the US
And we're hoping to have a review of the E-TEN m500, which looks like a very nice PPC Phone that will likely be offered by importers rather than US carriers. It is head and shoulders above the E-TEN P300b we reviewed last summer ( http://www.mobiletechreview.com/Eten_P300B.htm ).
Yes, we saw the i645 at CES too, and I'd expect it to be out on Verizon by the summer. Like the i600 it's a flip but the cosmetics have definitely changed (you decide if for the worse or better).
On the feature front, the phone has it all: Windows Mobile 2003 SE for Smartphone, 1MP camera with flash, MPEG4 movie camcorder, 32 megs of RAM and 64 megs of ROM. Both the inner and outer displays on this MS Smartphone offer 65K colors and the phone runs Windows Media Player 10. This is a CDMA network phone with support for 1xRTT and EV-DO. Nice! And it's time to put the i600 to rest, so I hope we see this out on Verizon soon, and maybe an announcement at CTIA later this month.
The iMate JAM is already out elsewhere in the world. An 850 MHz band version is available through importers in the US. We will have a review of this device in a couple of weeks.
Damn Im glad I found this site! You all are on top of things. Lisa, my next phone will be a pocket PC which I will be purchasing in June or July whenever my contract runs out. What is your recommedation on which model to pick? I like the size of that treo 650, but it may not be available for my carrier (T-mobile). What's the deal with the Samsung with the slide out keyboard. Now thats what I'm talkin about. Attaching an extra keyboard piece is whack! Also, can you break down what it means unlock a phone and what do you have to do to purchase one?
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LisaG
Head Honcho
Reged: 07/11/02
Posts: 6664
Loc: Texas
No word on whether T-Mobile will offer the Treo 650. It is hard to believe they'd want to be the only major US carrier to not offer it.
You can get the unlocked GSM version of the Treo 650 which works well on T-Mobile (we've tested it and other readers use it on T-Mobile).
Cingular offers the Siemens SX66 which is the same as the XDA III / PDA2K overseas and runs on GSM networks. It's pretty much the same as the Audiovox PPC-6601 we reviewed here: http://www.mobiletechreview.com/audiovox_PPC6601.htm but adds WiFi. It has a slide out keyboard and is very powerful. Currently Cingular sells it unlocked and it's worth a look.
We'll see how soon Verizon announces the Samsung. They're not very fast at qualifying phones, but may announce something this month at CTIA or CEBIT.
Locked/unlocked phone applies to GSM phones, not the CDMA phones used by Verizon and Sprint. If a GSM phone is locked, it can only use the wireless network of the carrier who locked (sold) it. If you put a different carrier's SIM in the phone, it will complain and tell you that you can't make calls. So a T-Mobile phone sold by T-Mobile or thier dealers will only work for voice and data on T-Mobile. Phones can be unlocked with codes provided by the carrier or other folks who sell unlocking services (usually in the neighborhood of $25). One noteable exception: Cingular quad band phones are usually (but not always) sold unlocked.
Some retailers and importers sell unlocked phones. These generally cost more since they aren't subsidized by the carrier, but can be used with any GSM provider, no contract required. Just pop in your SIM and you're ready to make calls. That's how the unlocked Treo 650 GSM phone works which palmOne sells on their web site. The Treo 650 is certainly a great device-- I use it daily!
Thanks Lisa thats some good stuff. See u r already selling me on the Treo 650 with that last plug u put in. I am in the southern part of VA and we don't have cingular down here. We have the poor man's version called SunCom. I vowed to never deal with Sprint again because there customer service is so poor. So for now the only choices I have are Verizon or T-Mobile. Those other PC phones that u showed me r nice but they r huge. I don't want to go too much bigger than the size of the Treo. Please keep me posted on any new developments with the 650 and Tmobile or any phones that are comparable to it. Thanks
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