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I received some more detailed information about T-Mobile's next coming Pocket PC Phone Edition (called MDA III) which is indeed a HTC device called "Blue Angel" (as you know, OEMs always give their devices internal project names. The first xda/MDA was called "Wallaby", the Xda II/MDA II was called "Himalaya" and the expected and confirmed MDA III is called "Blue Angel" now).
However, the information I've received are slightly different than the stuff announced before:
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC Phone Edition
CPU: - Intel XScale, 400 MHz
Memory: 64 MB Flash ROM, 128 MB SDRAM
Screen: 3.5", 240 x 320 pixels Transflective TFT-LCD
Connectivity: GSM/GPRS, Bluetooth, 802.11b, IrDA and USB
Camera: Color CMOS VGA camera
Integrated QWERTY keyboard
Size: 125 x 71.6 x 18.7 mm = 4.92 x 2.82 x 0.73 in
Expansion: MMC/SDIO
I hope it will not be the truth. If MDA III / XDA III is coming with such config, I have no reason to upgrade my XDA2.
Here is what I expected for XDA III / MDA III :
1. VGA Resolution screen - Almost all high-end PPC will come with a 640 X480 screen, there is no way come with a 320x240 screen with XDA3 if they still want to sell it at US$999 sky high price.
2. Faster Processor - I think the battery life for XDA2 is reasonable, and the new generation processor should consume the same level battery as the PXA263.
I DON'T NEED A KEYBOARD. I use pda for 7 year since , I KNOW HOW TO USE A STYLUS TO INPUT WHATEVER I NEED.
Moreover, WIFI is not a MUST HAVE feature for a Pdaphone. Leave it for the SDIO interface. Give me a Dual SD Slot if you have extra space for the WIFI module.
If this machine is really the XDA3/MDA3, I believe it will like XDA1 / MDA1, and it will not success, because the config will be out-dated when it release.
Heh
Xda 2.5 - FaceLift Model?
Hopefully they'll lose the keypad for the true Xda III.
No VGA?
No PXA270?
No 530/624MHz CPU?
No WM2003SE?
No 1800/3800mAh batt?
No Widcomm BT stack?
No High-Speed SDRAM?
Sad.
These photos are appearing on forums all over the place now I too hope it isn't the real XDA III as there is nothing there to justify an upgrade in my eyes.
Ed
I shure hope this is a sick joke, i´d hate this to be the XDA III. It´s just such a dissapointment. I love the XDA II, and there is absolutely no reason to upgrade to this one. Besides, who want´s to buy another kind of memory. I already have 3 SD cards at 256Mb. Should i just toss those away!?
No, i shure hope this is not the acutall XDA III, but just a way of beeing a greedy company.
skenliv said:
Besides, who want´s to buy another kind of memory. I already have 3 SD cards at 256Mb. Should i just toss those away!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of different memory?!
It's said to have SDIO slots, perhaps two of them.
You can use your SD cards as much as you want...
Integrating a thumb board into the XDA3 is a real waste of space and weight, i prefer to use the stylus on the virtual keyboard in preference to a thumb board, and if i want to use a keyboard with it i want a separate one connected by bluetooth that i can touch type on,
Dual SD slots is a must for my next device too, or at least a CF and an SD slot, but CF takes up too much space nowdays
wonder if it's that much less expensive for tmobile to push mda3's then mda2 because it dont seem all that different
so odd that there would be a market spc for the mda3 compared to mda2
XDA III
It looks as though the keyboard is detachable.
Wireless is a big deal, as SD 802.11 cards are expensive and wireless is everywhere
The keyboard does not look detachable to me, I think it looks like it is integrated..
Like one of the smaller nokia phones I think it looks like the unit is made up of two pieces the front unit and a back unit. The front unit would slide up wards against the back unit, revealing the keyboard section. which is on the bottom part of the back unit...
We need to remember, that they are probably targeting a slightly differant market with this unit; The people who are more for phones than for PDA's, the phone type of people would probably go for the keyboard cos it will be easier for them to text and SMS. MEanwhile the PDA' type people can keep using their stylus in the method they are used to.
THere are proabably lots of people who looked at the XDAII unit but didn't buy because of the lack of a keyboard....
kinda like this siemens mobil
http://www.smartpress.gr/weekly/adv/siemens.gif
with the keyboard that is
hi
more interresting to me is how to use this keyboard....
It might just be my opinion, but this seems all awful small to me, remember the whole keyboard is maybe 6cm wide.
How to you hold your XDA3 in order to typ... do you have to lay it down on the table, do you use two thumbs, or one hand typs the other holds, or... I don't know
Many questions..., someone has a answer ?
Alex
guess you could use the stylus ?
Hi,
If you want more pictures, go there.
These are CDMA CU928 pictures.
Didn't found on the web where CDU928 could be used as XDA III in 900/1800 Networks... Even on T-Mobile's website.
By the way, I personaly find it is a good idea to integrate a keyboard in next Xda III if size and weight do not increase, like suggest pictures.
Serge
Serge,
they write something about Qualcomm's MSM5500 chipset as modem, this modem is CDMA2000 which is AFAIK not compatiple to UMTS (someone might know better)
But for sure it is not dual mode, so you won't most likely don't see it in europe as here UMTS only phone aren't sold by big providers.
Alex.
I've used the PalmOne Treo 600 for almost a year and really appreciated the keypad, regardless of its tiny size. Hence, including a keypad per se isn't a bad idea at all. That said, however, the core goal, at least in my opinion, should be to increase memory/functionality AND decrease size/weight. So despite the Wi-Fi capability and keypdad, the XDA III is no alternative for me.
True enough, the addition of the keypad and the Wifi doesn"t justify the upgrade to this XDA 3 ... for new buyer it might be a good investment though
I asked the distributer in sweden (www.qtek.se) about this device as an upcoming qtek 3030. They said it won´t be sold here, and that there will be a new device with VGA screen and wifi!!
it seems a little unfair that after they just released the xda2 out comes xda3 these phones are costly and i think a bit of consideration for there present customers wouldnt go amiss.
regards kevin
it seems a little unfair that after they just released the xda2 out comes xda3 these phones are costly and i think a bit of consideration for there present customers wouldnt go amiss.
regards kevin
FYI - Anyone considering upgrading to Hermes
I have been using a universal for the last 18months and have now sold it and upgraded to the HTC Hermes.
The universal served me very well and the only thing I miss is the larger screen and VGA resolution and standard 3.5mm jack - however - I don't miss the bulk.
The hermes is everything the universal is minus the VGA.
My default Rom on the universal was Helmi's v1.3 which was AKU 3.5 and was a very very stable/solid rom.
I later installed PDAVIET 2.04 pro (Crossbow/WM6) which was a little temperamental but solid never the less.
I have installed XDA Live 0.20 which is a Crossbow rom on the hermes and it is very fast, I mean very very fast in comparison to the the universal.
In actual fact the hermes feels like an overclocked blue angel. (Normal operation, responsiveness, games etc)
Before I had the universal I had a blue angel that I used to regularly overclock to 530mhz (XCPUSCHALAR) and I can tell you that the herms feels very close to this.
I actually wonder what the hermes is capable of if overclocked slightly - As I don't have any figures (Pocket Hackmaster performance Index, SPB benchmark, etc) I can only speculate - but I'm looking forward to investigating this further.
Incidently the hermes has the Imageon gpu that was present in the blue angel so it runs films in TCPMP with hardware acceleration something the universal lacks.
Now I'm not sure whether the Universal had slow ram, or it being a VGA device slowed it down or what but I do know that the hermes is orders of magnitude more responsive in every day operation than the universal was...
Wireless connects at 54mbs on the hermes instead of the 11mbs maximum thoroughput the universal supports even with the 802.11g hack.
And the Hermes also supports HSDPA (1.8mbs theoretical - if your network provider supports it). Admittedly this was a deal breaker for me as umts is cool but connecting at 1.8mbs to the internet whilst on the road is edging very close to nirvana LOL!
Now while I will miss browsing servers at 640x480 using ts client in WM6 (WM5 tsc was atrocious BTW - LOL!) I feel the hermes features and performance more than make up for it. Plus I recently purchased a Sony u50 (1st generation umpc circa 2004) which has a 800x600 5 inch screen and the u50 allows me to TS into server using the hermes as a modem (Bluetooth or serial comms)
Last but not least I need to mention the hermes 2MP camera - OMDs - LOL.
It is head and shoulders above any HTC Camera I've ever experienced and I have seen them all...
SPV to wallaby to alpine to blueangel to universal I've had them all and this camera is the 1st USEABLE camera in terms of how responsive the camera app is, the picture quality and the overall experience!
Granted it's no replacement for my Canon SLR BUT (BIG BUT) it's definitely useable and supports typical camera functions such as self timer, darkness controls etc.
All other HTC devices had a fairly decent camera app but a piss poor camera sensor that only operated remotely correctly with good light. The pics I get with the hermes are of comparable quality to recent nokia and sony phones.
Hope this information is of use to anyone considering moving from the Universal to a hermes.
haha funny enough I was looking at the hermes last night.
My contract has run out, im in the UK and o2 are no longer doing free gprs so I need to jump ship as its damn expensive! Three are offering unlimited (1gig) a month for £5 so that's my main option plus they have a HSDPA network. But the downside is they don't offer the hermes so i'd have to get it seperatly I want a hermes
Thanks for the review, I want a hermes more now
Thanks
Stu
actually, just a thought... with WM6 PIE has the option to view in VGA mode, this makes website VERY easy to view as if they were on a desktop pretty much which makes browsing actually possible on these devices. Is that function still available on the hermes ?
thanks
Stu
IE VGA
Hi Stu,
No that feature is not available in WM6 IE for the hermes as it is a qvga device (320x240)
Just checked the menu options in IE and noticed that option was missing whereas it was there in WM6 IE on the universal.
Cheers
q
stualpha said:
haha funny enough I was looking at the hermes last night.
My contract has run out, im in the UK and o2 are no longer doing free gprs so I need to jump ship as its damn expensive! Three are offering unlimited (1gig) a month for £5 so that's my main option plus they have a HSDPA network. But the downside is they don't offer the hermes so i'd have to get it seperatly I want a hermes
Thanks for the review, I want a hermes more now
Thanks
Stu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O2 are just about to bring out a new XDA which is similar looking to the Hermes but appears to have a faster processor. It is apparently out on 26 March.
ooo in that case I may hang around to see what it's like.
But saying that the data is a huge issue data costs on o2 are huge plus i'm a student so we can whine more lol
thanks guys
Stu
also :: do you know which device it is ? I presume specs are already out possibly ? or pics ?
thanks
stualpha said:
ooo in that case I may hang around to see what it's like.
But saying that the data is a huge issue data costs on o2 are huge plus i'm a student so we can whine more lol
thanks guys
Stu
also :: do you know which device it is ? I presume specs are already out possibly ? or pics ?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an Asustek apparently. Just Google O2 Zinc and you'll find it.
http://www.msmobilenews.com/content/view/1730/1/
think i'll hold out for this puppy!! looks sweet, shame about the vga though
stualpha said:
http://www.msmobilenews.com/content/view/1730/1/
think i'll hold out for this puppy!! looks sweet, shame about the vga though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or you might like to hold out for the I-mate Ultimate 7150 - more ROM, more RAM, faster processor, VGA .....
not made my mind up about the design of the new ultimate series, dont know what it is, they look at a little funny :? will have to see it in flesh.
This is what I hate about these things, its always add a little bit of extra time on and wait for the next device
The very mention of microSD in these devices is enough for me to overlook them and appreciate my Universal even more - despite the superior performance of the new devices over the Universal. Since the Universal is VGA, has a stable performance, and uses SD Cards - I am pleased with it.
Only when SDHC readers start becoming more mainstream in PDA Phones will I start considering a successor to the Universal.
Will the new Advantage come out soon ? My friend thinks that they will release a revision early next year, but I honestly think we have about a half a year left till we see anything.
SupraSkylineSTI said:
Will the new Advantage come out soon ? My friend thinks that they will release a revision early next year, but I honestly think we have about a half a year left till we see anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the universal is anything to go by it could be a few years and waiting !
The real name for the advantage is the X7500 a few months after it was released an even newer version called the X7501 came out for the US market, and this might be what your friend is thinking of ! however newer is not always better, the X7501 is identical in every way except it has LOST 1 of the 2 cameras from the X7500, gained an FM radio (which might be coming to the X7500 anyway as some reckon the hardware exists but has been disabled) and lastly is shiped with windows mobile 6 instead of 5 which is a moot point as you can now just download Win 6 and upgrade your X7500 anyway.
My speculation rests on any successor primarily being an upgrade having WM6.1 and a SSD hard drive of greater capacity.
I would pray for better video performance as well.
Keith
My wish lists are:
- No hardware keyboard. Althernatively, have one that slides out, like the ones in Toshiba Protege G920 or Nokia N810.
- No magnet please.
- Uses SSD and at least 32GB
- Use SDHC rather than miniSDHC. SDHC seems to be always ahead in terms of moving into higher capacity.
- WM7
- Camera that takes acceptable pictures indoor. The present one does not work unless you're outdoor.
- 5 MP main camera and a VGA front camera.
- Less weight.
- Maintains 5" screen but reduce the size of the metal frame around the screen, so overall size is reduced.
- Embedded ear piece, so that use of BT headset becomes entirely optional.
- Vibration for phone
- More rounded and thinner profile.
- Infra, so that I can make it my remote control
- FM radio tuner for TMC and musics.
- Built-in TV tuner
- 800x480 resolution - Not too sure about this one, due to concern over software compatibilty issues. Otherwise, the shape would resember a handphone better.
- Faster internet browser, like the one in Nokia N810
- 802.11n for faster connection
- USB 2.0
- Latest bluetooth.
- GPS Assist, ,so that I can get signal inside buildings and tunnels.
Come on HTC, you should be able to make this.
eaglesteve said:
My wish lists are:
- No hardware keyboard. Althernatively, have one that slides out, like the ones in Toshiba Protege G920 or Nokia N810. That would be pretty cool, the keyboard on the Toshiba G920 is really nice, but I can see this adding thickness to the device
- No magnet please. I agree
- Uses SSD and at least 32GB Can you say 'Uber Expensive?
- Use SDHC rather than miniSDHC. SDHC seems to be always ahead in terms of moving into higher capacity. Deffo. I really can't see how HTC is saving that much space by using miniSDHC
- WM7 Yay!!!
- Camera that takes acceptable pictures indoor. The present one does not work unless you're outdoor. Agree 100% .. for something that's being marketed as an 'All in one device' the camer really sucks
- 5 MP main camera and a VGA front camera.
- Less weight. If possible, but considering the extra features everyone wants etc??
- Maintains 5" screen but reduce the size of the metal frame around the screen, so overall size is reduced.
- Embedded ear piece, so that use of BT headset becomes entirely optional.
- Vibration for phone You have no idea how much I miss a vibrating alert on my phone now lol
- More rounded and thinner profile. The shape of the Athen wors really well, provided you use the stock keyboard, otherwise it feels really weird to hold, so yeah, I'd agree
- Infra, so that I can make it my remote controlThis should have been in our current devices, sure, it may be old tech, but there are still so many uses for it
- FM radio tuner for TMC and musics.Aye
- Built-in TV tuner AYE!!!
- 800x480 resolution - Not too sure about this one, due to concern over software compatibilty issues. Otherwise, the shape would resember a handphone better. Provided there weren't any issues, then yes, however I'm quite happy with VGA
- Faster internet browser, like the one in Nokia N810 Yup, although I think we'll have to rely on 3rd party for this
- 802.11n for faster connection Yup
- USB 2.0 Yup, with support for a wider range of external HDDs
- Latest bluetooth. Not a big user of BT, so I cant comment
- GPS Assist, ,so that I can get signal inside buildings and tunnels. I think GPS signal on this device sucks all over, anything to improve it would be great
Come on HTC, you should be able to make this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just my opinion
total agreement from me with regards to the slide out keyboard. i have seen a device for the pc that projects the display of a keyboard onto what ever you place the device onto, sort of like a laser projection, that would be sweet but your battery would die after one text message or email!!
The size has always been an issue for me, but we knew that it was a monster/powerhouse/umpc/ugly brick shaped phone when we purchased the athena/ameo!!!
as for the camera, dudes, if you have money to throw around at the advanced phones...... buy a digi cam. C'mon, its a phone! Having said all this, im gonna confuse you all by saying, i want the new htc sprint with vista/touchflo. hehehe
I mentioned this in some other thread, but, here it goes again
http://www.pocketables.net/2008/01/htc-advantage-r.html
The ATHENA wish list
Dear HTC,
1) Give us the capability to use our ATHENA WITHOUT speakerphone always ON, we want to put it close to the ear, you know BT is a technology always in BETA testing!
2) Turn the RADIO feature ON (we know it has the hardware capability)
3) FIX the REALVGA issues, give us the power to run programs at different DPI resolution, we know, REALVGA comes from you!
You, dear HTC, have lost the first place in Windows Mobile standard market, improve or die is the lesson, we love your devices, but... 9150 is coming
Just want to see if the design engineers at HTC read these forums...
The universal is pretty much perfect for what I use it for.
- video
- music
- ebook
- Internet (including streaming youtube over UMTS, nice!)
- a bit of gaming (scummvm is great with it's bigger screen)
I don't use it as a day to day phone as it's too big to carry in most occasions. I prefer to carry a small phone and use it as a phone!
My feature wish list for the Universal successor is:
-The look of the Omni rendered picture (perhaps thinner)
-Don't make it too much big than Universal please!!!
-3.5 to 4.0 (absolute max!) inch screen (I think 3.7 is ideal)
-VGA to WVGA resolution (VGA is good enough, iphone only has half-VGA!)
-HSDPA (should be easy)
-Full size SD slot (I don't understand why they keep using micro SD, you don't save much space on a 4.0 inch PDA!)
-3.5mm stereo audio (no 2.5mm, no USB!)
-Built-in GPS
-wifi and bluetooth (should be standard anyway)
-Physical Keyboard (obviously)
-Half decent cameras will do
-USB host
- Video out (maybe, not a big deal)
- Make sure it doesn't need a different cover for extended battery please! (should see how Toshiba e800 does it)
So basically, just a bit better than Universal, not exactly hard, is it?
With that, why would I (and people who like to use their pda to the fullest potential) want an iphone, even if it has 3G radio next year???
Just imagine with a couple of SDHC cards, you have the ultimate mobile and entertainment device!
I do hope HTC read these forums from time to time...
Although I doubt it will happen, I'm still looking forward to the Universal successor.
Now, What I thing should be changed? Lots of things:
Built in GPS: prefferably SiRF Star III
256MB storage/128MB of RAM: /me drools
WiFi b/g support, bluetooth 2.0 support
2/3MP camera
MMC/SD slot: with decent transfer speeds
WM6 or 7: fully integrating the Uni's features, videocalling for example
However, there are some things that I'd like to keep from my precious Uni. Those are:
Looks: I believe the Uni's shape, colour (black) and size are perfect
Screen: Present screen size and VGA are fine imho
(in a few words I'm looking for a VGA version of Kaiser inside the Universal mold )
just my 2c
akpidis said:
Although I doubt it will happen, I'm still looking forward to the Universal successor.
Now, What I thing should be changed? Lots of things:
Built in GPS: prefferably SiRF Star III
256MB storage/128MB of RAM: /me drools
WiFi b/g support, bluetooth 2.0 support
2/3MP camera
MMC/SD slot: with decent transfer speeds
WM6 or 7: fully integrating the Uni's features, videocalling for example
However, there are some things that I'd like to keep from my precious Uni. Those are:
Looks: I believe the Uni's shape, colour (black) and size are perfect
Screen: Present screen size and VGA are fine imho
(in a few words I'm looking for a VGA version of Kaiser inside the Universal mold )
just my 2c
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OH, and yah, quad band GSM or at least a version that works in North America's region! I use the 1900 PCS band here in Canada, but I lose coverage where 850 has better signal than 1900
I love the Uni the way it is otherwise, but more RAM would definitely be a plus. And I vouch for the SD rather than Micro SD. It gets to a point where small is too small. I have no problem with the size of the Uni itself except that it's hard to find a suitable belt holster for it.
Oh, a more power friendly too would be nice. That or make the standard battery last longer.
My Universal has only SD slot.. are there some models with MicroSD?
My Wish list
- I also want the new Windows Mobile to be able to edit numbers in the call history before dialling
- 256MB RAm with 1GB storage
- support for 8GB SD Cards SIO
- inbuilt FM Radio
- 3MP Camera (at least)
- more buttons in front (where the screen is) maybe 4
- longer battery life
I do get relative good battery life out of my Universal in comparison to other gadgets like ipods, MP3 and MP4 players. No complaint at all.
With standard battery:
Music: 14-16 hours (with screen off)
Video: 4-5 hours
Reading ebooks: 9-10 hours
I have a second standard battery and that's quite enough for a long train of flight journey.
I hope HTC doesn't cripple the "Universal successor" with just a micro SD slot. I need full size SD slot! I can imagine 16GB SD will be at a "reasonable" price in a year's time. I can then a whole series of Heroes, 24, Lost, etc. with me. ;-)
Tbaba said:
My Universal has only SD slot.. are there some models with MicroSD?
- 256MB RAm with 1GB storage
- support for 8GB SD Cards SIO
- inbuilt FM Radio
- 3MP Camera (at least)
- more buttons in front (where the screen is) maybe 4
- longer battery life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Erm, what do you mean the Universal has "only" SD slot?! A full sized SD slot like the Uni has now is far better than those tiny MicroSD on other phones!
- We don't need 256MB RAM, 128MB should be plenty. Because any increase in RAM size uses more battery power, and you are very unlikely to notice the difference between 128MB and 256MB on any Windows Mobile device.
- The Uni already supports 8GB SDIO cards! In fact it also supports 16GB SDIO cards, you can get these right now from eBay!
- An FM radio would just be a waste of space IMO, using valuable battery life and circuitry which could be used for much better things. You can have FM radio on your Uni already over the internet with UMTS!
- I agree about camera. We need 3MP+, with a very powerful flash led, something like the Luxeon Rebel. It should also be able to capture smooth video in at least 640x480 at 25fps+ with decent quality sound.
- Why more buttons? Already the Uni has more buttons than most other phones! I think it has enough now
- With ALL mobile phones, you can only get really longer battery life by getting an extended battery. You can get these for the Uni now, they are very cheap, but of course they are much larger. It is always a trade-off between battery size and battery life - you cannot have both!
- And Uni needs built in GPS (SurfStar chipset), and HSDPA (much less important, 3G is already mostly fast enough). Then it is a perfect device
i doubt they read what is written in forums
i think Athena is the product they wanted to tak
over for universal
the reason why i doubt they read it and even if they did
then this is an enthusiast forum and PM's who deside what products
are developed not engineers have to think about how big a market
there is and enthusiast market is not that big
sl9 said:
Erm, what do you mean the Universal has "only" SD slot?! A full sized SD slot like the Uni has now is far better than those tiny MicroSD on other phones!
- We don't need 256MB RAM, 128MB should be plenty. Because any increase in RAM size uses more battery power, and you are very unlikely to notice the difference between 128MB and 256MB on any Windows Mobile device.
- The Uni already supports 8GB SDIO cards! In fact it also supports 16GB SDIO cards, you can get these right now from eBay!
- An FM radio would just be a waste of space IMO, using valuable battery life and circuitry which could be used for much better things. You can have FM radio on your Uni already over the internet with UMTS!
- I agree about camera. We need 3MP+, with a very powerful flash led, something like the Luxeon Rebel. It should also be able to capture smooth video in at least 640x480 at 25fps+ with decent quality sound.
- Why more buttons? Already the Uni has more buttons than most other phones! I think it has enough now
- With ALL mobile phones, you can only get really longer battery life by getting an extended battery. You can get these for the Uni now, they are very cheap, but of course they are much larger. It is always a trade-off between battery size and battery life - you cannot have both!
- And Uni needs built in GPS (SurfStar chipset), and HSDPA (much less important, 3G is already mostly fast enough). Then it is a perfect device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was refering to the other post where da guy said his universal had microSD
So the 16gb supported cards dont have to be partitioned to 4GB parts? The new Universal shouldnt support the cards as 1 partition.
About the FM radio, I beg to differ. In MANY places where there's no UMTS or its very expensive, havng an inbuild radio would be good. And I know a whole bunch of other devices with radios that dont affect battery life that much.
They should also include better Power amangement in the universal to improve life amidst all these addtitions
I personally would prefer more buttons so manipulating the device without opening the keyboard could be possible... playing games... accessing menues... running programs etc. Basically you should be able to leave you Universal in portrait mode forever...
I definitely agree wit the inbuilt GPS
Ciao!
if one really want a fm radio you can buy headsets to use for the pda
which also have fm radio build in
Some companies build personal video/media players. Some other companies build mobile Internet surfing devices. The Universal can do both very well with decent battery life. It's also a PDA and a phone!
After 2 years, I still use my Universal heavily. I always feel good about just having to carry one device for all the entertainment I need. When I am bored with what I've got on my SD cards, I can watch the full youtube (not just the subset catered specifically for mobiles) over 3G! Also, you can't beat the keyboard for online chat and text messaging.
Is there not a market for something like the HTC Omni? A pocketable mobile Internet device with rich multimedia functions.
Is there really a market for the 5 inch Athena. Who are the target consumers?
"Who are the target consumers?"
Andre the Giant
skng said:
Is there not a market for something like the HTC Omni? A pocketable mobile Internet device with rich multimedia functions.
Is there really a market for the 5 inch Athena. Who are the target consumers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Prolly the same as with Nokia's Internet Tablets.
(BTW, the Athena sales are pretty lowish - MUCH lower than any current HTC models. No wonder, I'd say - they contain, in addition to a very bad thumbboard, already outdated hardware. For example, the old, ppower-hungry and not multimedia-friendly PXA-270 instead of the PXA-3XX)
Menneisyys said:
Prolly the same as with Nokia's Internet Tablets.
(BTW, the Athena sales are pretty lowish - MUCH lower than any current HTC models. No wonder, I'd say - they contain, in addition to a very bad thumbboard, already outdated hardware. For example, the old, ppower-hungry and not multimedia-friendly PXA-270 instead of the PXA-3XX)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you're right. They should have equipped the athena with much reliable flash drive of 8GB too for that price. Also, HTC, please do away with those magnets(if plan for Athena II)! They formatted my friend Laptop's HDD too(the way it did for Midget_1990)
freaking magents. Just due to the magnets, microphone and HDD, I did not get the athena, otherwise, its such a nice device. They could have lowered the screen size to 4.0' and put-in a microphone too. May be then, most of the universal owners would have jumped to it
Rudegar said:
"Who are the target consumers?"
Andre the Giant
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nah.. its Great Khali now. Andre is dead guy now
Hi,
I am considering to get me an Athena and I need some help and advice.
I already own:
1x Blue Angel
2x Universal
1x HP iPaq 514 Voice Messenger
1x VDA GPS (aka Toshiba G710)
I also have an Asus eeePC 701.
My SIM has an internet contract included (100 MB download/month) and I have an USB Internet adapter which I can use i.e. with my eeePC.
Having said this, you probably understand I am a nerd and I like to "collect" phones and gadgets. The reason is simple: I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't waste money on anything, so at least, I think, I can get me some nice phones from time to time. All were bargains, most I got from eBay. The reason I like smartphones is that i carry them around all the time, so I can really have a benefit of owning them. A PS3, for example, may be a nice piece of hardware, but I would not have much time at home to really make use of it.
What do I want to know?
Basically, if you guy's can use the Athena as a phone. Do you REALLY use it as your sole mobile phone, or is it too big and clumsy (specially having to use BT headphone) to make calls?
The Universal is big, but it does fit nice into my back pocket of the jeans - how do you carry the Athena around?
What are the real advantages of an Athena, compared to a Universal? The screen resolution is the same (I guess having a bigger screen, will make the RealVGA usefull - on the Universal things get far too small), the CPU speed can be the same, by overclocking the Universal (actually not overclocking, but letting it run at full speed), the GPS is nice, but can be overcome with an external one (like the one I have).
I know these are lame questions, but 250-300 Euro is still a lot of cash and I want to make sure i don't regret it.
My major concern is that the device is not usable as a phone. I hate carrying two devices with me and that is exactly the problem I have with the eeePC: it's screen is too small to replace a proper laptop and to replace the MDA Pro, I would have to carry two devices with me. That's too much.
So any feedback is appreciated, as I am wondering what would be more USEABLE on a daily basis: an eeePC 1000 (10" screen, 1.6Ghz, 160 GB HDD, battery up to 6 hours...) for around 380 Euro, or an Athena second hand at eBay for around 300 Euro.
The eeePC 1000 has the advantage of replacing a laptop, but the disadvantage of not replacing a phone.
I know, long post, but please shed some light into this.
Thanks,
vma
x7510 a great device
vma said:
What do I want to know?
Basically, if you guy's can use the Athena as a phone. Do you REALLY use it as your sole mobile phone, or is it too big and clumsy (specially having to use BT headphone) to make calls?
The Universal is big, but it does fit nice into my back pocket of the jeans - how do you carry the Athena around?
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Click to collapse
I was a proud owner of a Blueangel for 4 years and loved it. I started to get tired of it a couple years ago and then I found xda-developers and discovered how to upgrade and turn my old WM2003SE device into a top notch WM6.1 device. Needless to say with all the smaller screen, slower CPU devices on the market I stayed with my trusty BA. That is until I found the x7510. My BA lives in a drawer in the bedroom now, I keep it charged so I have it if I need it, and I use my Athena exclusively for all my phone/PDA needs. I carry it in the back pocket of my blue jeans and it fits fine.
My major concern is that the device is not usable as a phone. I hate carrying two devices with me and that is exactly the problem I have with the eeePC: it's screen is too small to replace a proper laptop and to replace the MDA Pro, I would have to carry two devices with me. That's too much.
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I have not regretted my upgrade from the BA to the Athena for a second. The only reason I have not sold my BA yet is becuase I have had the Athena for less than 1 month and am keeping it as a backup. I plan to go this weekend to the local market and have a custom belt carry case made for it. I am in Kuwait and it will not cost me much at all for this. The only reason I am doing this is for the added convenience not becuase it is required.
7501 is my everyday device
If yoi look at my sig. I also own quite a few devices. Since acquiring my 7501 6 months ago, I have not used any other of my devices. I used a BT headset with all of my oyher devices anyway. The 7501 is by far the best device I have ever owned.
You can turn the volume all the way down and hold it like a regular phone, with the mic hole by your mouth. Its not perfect and not private in a quiet room, but its useable. I also hate carrying a BT headset all the time for private conversations, but my Jabra BT8010 also gives me caller ID and vibrate, "fixing" several of the major problems with the Athena all at one time. Also gives me a decent stereo headset for MP3 and radio streaming.
I've had mine a year now and will never be able to go back to a smaller phone. The screen is just so much more useable than most other pdas or phones.
Thank you for your replies.
I think I will keep it on hold, though.
I have been researching the Ameo and basically understand that the 7500 and 7501 are basically similar and feature a real Hitachi Microdrive HDD.
The 7510 has a different keyboard and a 16GB SDD Flashdisk and requires a different ROM. I believe it cannot be SIM-Unlocked either.
There seems to be a problem with the Microdrive failing and having read-errors. This is a turn-off for me, when buying from ebay, as this fault is not easy to detect and proove, but surely may be a reason to get rid of such a device at ebay... Yeah, call me a suspicious guy...
The 7510, on the other hand, lacks the joystick and I definitly require that for my ebook reading, which I love. Paginating by touching the screen all the time is not very appealing.
Then there are those who say: go for the 7501, forget about the HDD and just get a 16GB SDHC. The point is: I can get that for my Universal!
So now I am wondering what REAL benefits I would have from an Ameo and I guess I will wait for either a superb bargain at ebay, a new one on sale at a local store (doubt that, however) or until the prices drop further at ebay (below 200 Euro).
Thangs again.
Cheers,
vma
Hi,
I have purchased an Athena these days and here is what I have to say to all those considering the move from the Universal to the Athena.
1) The Universal reached the 100 Euro mark at eBay, while the Athena (7500 version) is being sold at 200 Euro. These are the prices at ebay.de for the MDA Pro / T-Mobile Ameo versions.
2) First impression: the Athena is big. And when I say big, I mean it! I already had played with one in a store, but actually owning one is different, because only then you notice it won't fit in any of your pockets! After using it for 2 days, I picked up my Universal and found myself smiling at the "small" size of it!
3) Second impression: damn! It is a huge device... I will have to carry it in my hand if I want to take it with me. I mean, other people carry a book or a filofax. I now carry this super phone...
4) Funtionality: there is everything you can think of. You get highspeed mobile internet, WLAN, Bluetooth, all possible GSM standards, motion sensor, huge ROM/RAM memory, 8GB microdrive, GPS, ... The Universal not only lacks onboard GPS, it is struggeling with having only 64MB RAM. That is a limitation for the upcoming WM 6.5 firmware releases being cooked. And even with WM 6.1 some limitations exist. Soldering extra 64MB on my Universal is too expensive in my opinion.
5) Screen: the screen is fantastic! Compared to the Universal, though it has the same resolution, it is big enough for the eyes to take advantage of small fonts. After using the Athena, I now look at the Universal screen and I have to admit it is a little bit too small for such a resolution.
6) Keyboard: despide several online reviews stating the opposite, I do like the touch and feel of the keyboard. i would have prefered separate numeric keys, though. Also, I like the Universal's keyboard design better. Having a separate magnetic keyboard is less functional, I think.
7) Pros of the Athena:
- big screen
- speed: fast device
- speed: internet is very fast, pages load much quicker than on the Universal
- GPS: nice to have everything in one device
- memory: yeah! 128 MB RAM plus 8GB storage, plus Mini-SD slot... That rocks! And you can always use a Micro-2-Mini SD card adapter to use the cheaper and more available MicroSD cards
- overall exquisit looking noble device: if you are a hacker, you will survive a lonely day in a hotel room with this beast!
8) Cons of the Athena:
- too big to fit any pocket, specially back trouser pocket...
- keyboard is a bit odd
*** CONCLUSION ***
So, is it worth the change from the Universal?
No.
You should not want to CHANGE from the Universal to the Athena.
You SHOULD have an Athena as a second device, which you use on special days:
- boring days in the office/mother in law/waiting rooms
- meetings (this 200 Euro second hand device will kill all the attention normally spent over iPhones and similar phones at over 600 Euro)
- trips (planes, train and hotels)
Plus, it is simply a gorgeous device, which does appeal to any hacker!
Hope this helped anyone considering which phone to get...
Best way to carry the Athena: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=344605
Just buy it and try it out , it will not cost you an arm and a leg !! If you find it not suitable for whatever reasons , just sell quick it away at 30% loss , you probably bought many devices already , one more wont make you suffer that much i am sure , but many of advantage owners from day one it launched till now really do love it , some to the extremes too , so are you one of us ? , only you can answer this yourself , cheers , take care and enjoy - ok ?