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I currently own a HTC Universal which has caused me nothing but bother. Today was the final straw and it is now going back to O2. I have to decide which replacment phone to go with ....how are you guys finding the XDA mini s? is it any good? or should i go back to a XDA 2i
please advise.
Since no-one else will answer!
I have had the wizard now since november last year and I think it's great.
I have two friends with Universals, one who likes it and wants to keep it and one who swapped it for a wizard as soon as he saw mine.
On the plus side, the phone does everything the uni does except 3G but the battery seems to last a lot longer. I can get a couple of days use between charges if i'm careful.
The screen is really sharp but a trifle small. it doesn't bother me, and if you're able to read the mini web pages at 640 x 480 on the uni then it shouldn't bother you.
The keyboard is also easy to use and as an example, I am writing this on the wizard keyboard (with my big clumsy fingers) and i've only hit the wrong key three times so far.
The only negative thing is the speed. I occasionally find myself waiting for the pda to catch up - but is should stress occasionally because it's really not often enough to bother me.
TomTom 5, Skype and even some fancy 3D games work fine, although they take a little while longer to load up.
I'm sure people will want to argue over what i've said but for what it's worth the Wizard is in my opinion, approaching the perfect mobile device. Just needs a big HDD in it to be complete.
I can also recommend an Eten phone. I can't remember the model but it's basically a wizard without the keyboard and a 400Mhz processor. (it doesn't use mini-USB to charge though, needs an adaptor). See Expansys.
At the moment i have the universal, and uses it primarily for navigation and reading e books. have normal SEk810i for phoning.
i have been waiting for the omni, but date keeps pushing and no official responses has been made whether it comes or not.
And now i have found me a very nice offer that i can afford
Its the HTC Advantage X7500 and not the 7501.
How simple will the upgrade be to wm6 ?
and what other differences is there beside the fmradio (which doesn't matter to me)?
should i go for this or should i wait ?
One last note, the size of the athena doesnt scare me, i like big screen when reading and using navi.
I bought one 7500 couple of months before. The upgrade to WM6 was easy, but... I wouldn't buy it again - the microdrive makes me very big problems (it stops working in unpredictable times - not realiable) and also the GPS chipset inside is not SirfStarIII, be careful, if you need it for detailed measurements... :-(((
the athenais an amazing device look at the thread in the upgrading section called 'athena & WM6 getting rid...' and have you considered the shift it is bigger but a huge screen gps and phone 30GB vista and everything you could everneed (apart from a great battery life if using Vista) it is a bit more money and not released till 21st of december in uk not sure about ret of world also a higher screen resolution
spzero said:
the athenais an amazing device look at the thread in the upgrading section called 'athena & WM6 getting rid...' and have you considered the shift it is bigger but a huge screen gps and phone 30GB vista and everything you could everneed (apart from a great battery life if using Vista) it is a bit more money and not released till 21st of december in uk not sure about ret of world also a higher screen resolution
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why does everyone keep saying the shift does large screen GPS, None of the GPS solutions for Vista are as good as tomtom and the like for PPC and none of the pictures of the shift show it using the full wide screen when in PPC mode, this means that the 4:3 image in a 7" wide screen is barely over the 5" screen of the athena anyway.
Shift would simply be to big for my tastes. need something that can fit in my pocket easily due to my job. and the battery life discourages me also.
so today i went in with both legs and bought a brand spanking new athena.
i had won one on an auction, but after winning i got email from the seller saying sorry but it has broken and he has to cancel auction. ( still thinks he was pissed not getting the doe he was expecting )
so now i have gotten it today. have hardSpl'd it and flashed the pk3 rom. and i have that warm feeling inside again
i have to say that with mobipocket installed it is just perfect for reading, and when it comes to navigation, i have the full tomtom6 and so far no problems with the gps reception. and if the problem should arise i have my tomtom bluetooth antenna to be fired up in case..
so for now i will enjoy my new toy and hope it will last me a good while (wife will go mad if i want a new one for at least the next year ...)
what i have seen so far has been all good, hope it lasts
charon72 said:
Shift would simply be to big for my tastes. need something that can fit in my pocket easily due to my job. and the battery life discourages me also.
so today i went in with both legs and bought a brand spanking new athena.
i had won one on an auction, but after winning i got email from the seller saying sorry but it has broken and he has to cancel auction. ( still thinks he was pissed not getting the doe he was expecting )
so now i have gotten it today. have hardSpl'd it and flashed the pk3 rom. and i have that warm feeling inside again
i have to say that with mobipocket installed it is just perfect for reading, and when it comes to navigation, i have the full tomtom6 and so far no problems with the gps reception. and if the problem should arise i have my tomtom bluetooth antenna to be fired up in case..
so for now i will enjoy my new toy and hope it will last me a good while (wife will go mad if i want a new one for at least the next year ...)
what i have seen so far has been all good, hope it lasts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
welcome to the club
spzero said:
the athenais an amazing device look at the thread in the upgrading section called 'athena & WM6 getting rid...' and have you considered the shift it is bigger but a huge screen gps and phone 30GB vista and everything you could everneed (apart from a great battery life if using Vista) it is a bit more money and not released till 21st of december in uk not sure about ret of world also a higher screen resolution
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMHO, the Shift cannot be compared to a Windows Mobile device.
I carry a Windows notebook computer as well as a Windows Mobile device.
Now, that I have an Advantage, I find myself using the notebook computer far less often. The long boot-up time of the PC, and the easy synch of my data along with nearly-instant "on" of the Advantage, make my Advantage my first choice nearly all of my away-from-office time.
charon72 said:
Shift would simply be to big for my tastes. need something that can fit in my pocket easily due to my job. and the battery life discourages me also.
so today i went in with both legs and bought a brand spanking new athena.
i had won one on an auction, but after winning i got email from the seller saying sorry but it has broken and he has to cancel auction. ( still thinks he was pissed not getting the doe he was expecting )
so now i have gotten it today. have hardSpl'd it and flashed the pk3 rom. and i have that warm feeling inside again
i have to say that with mobipocket installed it is just perfect for reading, and when it comes to navigation, i have the full tomtom6 and so far no problems with the gps reception. and if the problem should arise i have my tomtom bluetooth antenna to be fired up in case..
so for now i will enjoy my new toy and hope it will last me a good while (wife will go mad if i want a new one for at least the next year ...)
what i have seen so far has been all good, hope it lasts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I congratulate you for making this wise decision. SHIFT is TWICE the area of Athena and three times the weight. It also is quite useless on the road because it has completely unacceptable battery life. Even if it has GPS, proper camera, MP3 player on the WM side, and voice call, it's not going to be worthwhile. Even if you don't mind lugging this phone along, you can't really use it worry free because anytime it's going to run out of power. Do you want Vista that badly? That's the real question. Even if you really really need portable VISTA, it is wiser to have ASUS eee PC, with an Athena.
In my mind there are two types of portability. The "body portability" and the "briefcase/backpack portabiliity". In first type of portability allows you to either put the device in your normal size pocket or a normal size belt pouch. The second category allows you to bring it along for holiday and travel, but you would not really need it to be carried on your body. Phone/GPS/MP3/Internet Browser/Camera/Radio should be converged into one device of "body portability". More serious work related and very infrequently used device such as VISTA could accept a "briefcase portabilty" as those applications typically requires much bigger screen and keyboard. These two types of device should not converge.
The real issue with SHIFT is not weather it can have phone, full WM6. It is the weight, size and battery life. Athena is the one to go for.
eaglesteve said:
I congratulate you for making this wise decision. SHIFT is TWICE the area of Athena and three times the weight. It also is quite useless on the road because it has completely unacceptable battery life. Even if it has GPS, proper camera, MP3 player on the WM side, and voice call, it's not going to be worthwhile. Even if you don't mind lugging this phone along, you can't really use it worry free because anytime it's going to run out of power. Do you want Vista that badly? That's the real question. Even if you really really need portable VISTA, it is wiser to have ASUS eee PC, with an Athena.
In my mind there are two types of portability. The "body portability" and the "briefcase/backpack portabiliity". In first type of portability allows you to either put the device in your normal size pocket or a normal size belt pouch. The second category allows you to bring it along for holiday and travel, but you would not really need it to be carried on your body. Phone/GPS/MP3/Internet Browser/Camera/Radio should be converged into one device of "body portability". More serious work related and very infrequently used device such as VISTA could accept a "briefcase portabilty" as those applications typically requires much bigger screen and keyboard. These two types of device should not converge.
The real issue with SHIFT is not weather it can have phone, full WM6. It is the weight, size and battery life. Athena is the one to go for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HERE HERE.
Very well put Eaglesteve.
I have, and will always have issues with the size of the Athena - as a phone I struggle to get along with it, and continually go back to my Hermes. The past few days with the Touch Dual ROM however I have warmed to it and think if you don't mind vociferous phone conversations or connecting bluetooth earphones it's actually a very good bit of kit.
I never use the keyboard as it adds bulk and isn't as nice to use as Fingertouch, I would LOVE a Linux hack but don't see one happening soon and I think web browsing is not as smooth and reliable as it should be, but you can't have everything I suppose.
If you enjoyed your Universal then I have no doubt you will be a happy member of the Athena club, and the Shift?!?! I wouldn't touch it with someone else's bargepole owing to 3 critical - and no doubt predictable - factors:
1 - It's too small to be a laptop replacement; too big to be a cellphone replacement.
2 - Owing to its expense and niche market, development will be VERY restricted.
3 - battery life is grimly short.
As previously stated, buy an EEE if you want a bit extra to go with your Athena - the cost of this AND the Athena is less than a Shift alone, with twice the battery juice.
leoni1980 said:
HERE HERE.
Very well put Eaglesteve.
I have, and will always have issues with the size of the Athena - as a phone I struggle to get along with it, and continually go back to my Hermes. The past few days with the Touch Dual ROM however I have warmed to it and think if you don't mind vociferous phone conversations or connecting bluetooth earphones it's actually a very good bit of kit.
I never use the keyboard as it adds bulk and isn't as nice to use as Fingertouch, I would LOVE a Linux hack but don't see one happening soon and I think web browsing is not as smooth and reliable as it should be, but you can't have everything I suppose.
If you enjoyed your Universal then I have no doubt you will be a happy member of the Athena club, and the Shift?!?! I wouldn't touch it with someone else's bargepole owing to 3 critical - and no doubt predictable - factors:
1 - It's too small to be a laptop replacement; too big to be a cellphone replacement.
2 - Owing to its expense and niche market, development will be VERY restricted.
3 - battery life is grimly short.
As previously stated, buy an EEE if you want a bit extra to go with your Athena - the cost of this AND the Athena is less than a Shift alone, with twice the battery juice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whether or not you find Athena's size to be a problem depends on how to use it. For me, I completely dislike the hardware keyboard. It's no where near as fast and accurate as Tengo software keyboard, so I don't have the burden of carrying it and the leather case.
Next, if you try carrying it with the pockets of your shirt or trousers, you will find it too bulky and heavy. The right way to carry this is to use a proper belt pouch. I have a self made one. I carry my Athena 24/7, even at home. The only time it comes off my body is when I shower and sleep. In my belt pouch I am completely unaware of its presence. I will not be able to do the same with SHIFT.
hardware keyboard is interesting but daft, unresponsive and a burden when it comes to answering calls. the universal's design is better in a sense (and it doesn't wipe hard drives), although once the keyboard is removed the Athena feels a lot nicer.
i have never used Tengo. is it better than fingertouch?
leoni1980 said:
hardware keyboard is interesting but daft, unresponsive and a burden when it comes to answering calls. the universal's design is better in a sense (and it doesn't wipe hard drives), although once the keyboard is removed the Athena feels a lot nicer.
i have never used Tengo. is it better than fingertouch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
much much better
many more options
leoni1980 said:
hardware keyboard is interesting but daft, unresponsive and a burden when it comes to answering calls. the universal's design is better in a sense (and it doesn't wipe hard drives), although once the keyboard is removed the Athena feels a lot nicer.
i have never used Tengo. is it better than fingertouch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
much much much much better. bigger hitting area, more accuracy, takes up less real estate, more comprehensive and complete in functionality than Finger Touch . I've posted a comparision somewhere under the thread called "Finger touch, much better than tengo".
To add to the idea of using an Athena along with an Asus, you don't even have to link them with USB for the Asus to get network access. Get the (beta) wmWifiRouter and your Athena turns into a portable wifi hotspot. Then your Asus, and anyone else travelling with you with a laptop, gets internet on the go.
techntrek said:
To add to the idea of using an Athena along with an Asus, you don't even have to link them with USB for the Asus to get network access. Get the (beta) wmWifiRouter and your Athena turns into a portable wifi hotspot. Then your Asus, and anyone else travelling with you with a laptop, gets internet on the go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey, thats what i do, and it works a treat. for anyone who cant be bothered to search ive attached it. just go to start, settings, connections, wifi, add new. give the new connection whatever name you like and make sure you tick 'ad hoc'. then just run wmwifirouter. simple.
And because of this program there is less of a need to hack the ee to add internal bluetooth like some have lately. I cant think of any reason, actually.
Wow, i am really amazed to how this thread has boomed since last night
My main reason for never even considering the shift is size and battery life.
and every night when i go work i bring my laptop anyway.
The job i do is nightguard for a mentally handicapped man in his thirties. this involves long hours sitting in a chair watching him doing weird stuff and sleeping on the couch. so i need a device to keep me company in the chair
and it has to be something i can flick shut at seconds notice in case he gets a seizure (bad spelling i know) or freaks out. and for theese reasons SHift would be very impractical.
i like the look of shift and would like to have it just for playing around with it, but i also know i would tire of it really fast, so i dont see a reason to waste my money on a shiny new toy i wont use(have plenty of those)
The athena is now 2 days old and bringing it to work now for the third night and so far it has fulfilled all my expectations and even more.
combined with mobipocket it is absolutely fabulous to read on, and i am even considering leaving the laptop at home
So far i am very happy to have made the transition from the universal.
And on a side note...
Now my mom can discard her old Moto A1000 cause i am giving her the universal instead
leoni1980 said:
I would LOVE a Linux hack but don't see one happening soon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is a 'Linux hack' ?
eaglesteve said:
I carry my Athena 24/7, even at home. The only time it comes off my body is when I shower and sleep. In my belt pouch I am completely unaware of its presence. I will not be able to do the same with SHIFT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you wear it when you have sex?
spacecat said:
Do you wear it when you have sex?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought everyone has sex with his Athena. No?
Hi
I am currently using a O2 Mini S / HTC wizard and love it.
For the past few years, I have just upgraded and sold the phone on Ebay... now I have been offered this :
600 mins + 1000 texts (dont care about)... and unlimited internet! for £20 a month.
I have been offered a variety of phones including the Nokia 5800 and LG renoir... or if I spend £100, I can get a x1.
I just have no idea.
I went to a shop to take a look and find it generally ok, but I think the keyboard feels a bit... bad...
My wizard only has a 1.3Mp camera, but I am very happy with it. It does not lie... if I see a picture on the screen, I press the button and it takes fast. Is the camera here better than the wizard?
Anyway, I have an Exchange server, and just love the way it syncs.
The other thing I was thinking of is getting the nokia and selling it, then using the sim card in my wizard, however it is not 3g, and obviously really slow.
All I read here is people upgrading / reflashing their X1, is it really that bad?
I am just in two minds and have no idea what to do. What would you do?... should I wait for HTC touch Pro 2?
Thanks
William
MY PERSONAL OPINION
Hated the X1 at first, was all hyped up and everyone was raving about how good it will be and it just wasnt so
It WAS slow, USED to crash all the time, and the ui was appauling. I mean i nearly got rid of it several times and even through it across the house once cause it crashed during a very important call.
Now its awesome!
The update has made a huge difference, the software, tweaks and addons supplied by the users of this site along with other sites have made the X1 into a really powerful piece of kit.
YOU CANNOT get it out of the box and fall in love it takes some tweaking to customise it to your exact spec and needs.
Trust me its not easy at first but it will get better as you use it more. Plus more updates and tweaks from all users that i am VERY GRATEFULL for will make it even better.
just my opinion
I dont think the x1 keyboard is bad, it takes time to get used to any small keyboard - and/or the keyboard beds in - either way I find the keyboard fine now.
The camera has never been much good on my X1 - loads of lag and blurred pictures in low light, that could be a hardware problem - there are some roms with a new leaked cam from the R3 firmware which SE has not released yet, I dont know if this is better or not - any others comment?
I like everything else about the X1.
I'm another one that hated the phone....but it was my first smartphone.I had used Sony Ericsson phones for years and couldn't wait for it.
Was sooo disappointed until I found XDA....and then learned about flashing, and then....YOU WILL PRIZE MY X1 OUT OF MY COLD DEAD FINGERS!!!
I'm using Jack's ROM which I love (Mainly because TFL3D fitted my personality)
My only complaint is that it can't play Xvid's natively (They require conversion).
I will hang around and get an X2 (Whatever it may be) as long as they keep the same size phone and resolution. (Iphone is too large width wise)
I think X1 is good WM phone, if not the best.
But I realized WM is poor operating system for phone, if not the worst.
I bought X1 2 weeks before Palm Pre announcement. If I could decide now, I would leave my old stupid phone and unconnected PDA .. and I would wait.
THJahar said:
Was sooo disappointed until I found XDA....and then learned about flashing, and then....YOU WILL PRIZE MY X1 OUT OF MY COLD DEAD FINGERS!!!
I'm using Jack's ROM which I love (Mainly because TFL3D fitted my personality)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have heard so many people say this and I am just thinking, I should wait for the HTC touch pro, that would require no hacking to get this working...
The only real positive I can see for having the X1 is the screen, but the HTC pro 2 is also a high res screen... and being newer, it is more likly to have WM 6.5 in the future.... I know there are so many hacks here, but I would prefer to go via the manufacturer.
At the end of the day, a X1 will cost me £460 in 18 months time, where as having a 5800 or renoir will cost £360, or if I choose just to take sim only, probably around £40... I think I will not take a phone and in a years time, I will probably be able to get a HTC touch pro 2 or x1 on ebay for a fraction of the price.
Thanks to the guides here, I opened up my Wizard and was able to fix the vibrator so it really is perfect for me... I would LOVE to have 3g and check my email on the moove, but I have survived years without it... oh well!
I am still in two minds, but anyway...
If I remember correctly, the Wizard has Edge, right? If your operator (or another one) provides it, I think this is a good option in the mid term. It's almost as fast as the first version CDMA, only the latency is much higher.
Regarding the Touch Pro 2, it will be larger than the X1, quite a brick actually. It's actually a Touch HD with the thickness of the X1 - you can get an idea of it when you compare the two devices in a store. The Touch HD has quite a large screen area, but is not as thick as the X1. The X1 has a smaller area though. Combine the two, and you will get the Touch Pro 2. If you think you can put that into your pocket (together with its weight), then it may be the most powerful device that is upcoming. My impression is, that the Touch Pro 2's keyboard will be great and lot's better than the X1s.
The X1 keyboard is bad by the way, but you can learn how to write with it at acceptable speed. My Hermes keyboard was way better though.
Is it just me or everyone had a problem with X1's keyboard? When I push a button I either can't get any character or I get triple... where can I change the repeat rate and/or sensitivity?
Jasand said:
MY PERSONAL OPINION
Hated the X1 at first, was all hyped up and everyone was raving about how good it will be and it just wasnt so
It WAS slow, USED to crash all the time, and the ui was appauling. I mean i nearly got rid of it several times and even through it across the house once cause it crashed during a very important call.
Now its awesome!
The update has made a huge difference, the software, tweaks and addons supplied by the users of this site along with other sites have made the X1 into a really powerful piece of kit.
YOU CANNOT get it out of the box and fall in love it takes some tweaking to customise it to your exact spec and needs.
Trust me its not easy at first but it will get better as you use it more. Plus more updates and tweaks from all users that i am VERY GRATEFULL for will make it even better.
just my opinion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You threw it across the house and it's still working!? Well, so someone has tested that the X1 can survive a big drop.
Fully agree with the first reply: Used to have Symbian business-phones like P1i, all Communicators which came perfect out of the box, I thought after unpacking the X1 and started it first time that X1 is a peace of crap. But never give up too early:
Found this wonderful site and started learning, tweaking and flashing my X1, and after several mistrials I ended up with cHarOns fast&lite rom, adding MS-voice command, Sprite backup, XTract and several nice apps, and it is now running like a charme. No reboots, no dropped calls, and everybody who gets a hand on my phone is really impressed.
I believe WinMob is NOT and will never be best for phones or handhelds, but if you like to fumble and make experiments, you jumped on the right train.
Huhh, experiments with a business phone? Yap, that is what gives you xperiance!
let me see... lousy camera
special keyboard producing triples or spaces or no spaces
slowness
high price
poor support (at least for my area )
N O
leobox1 said:
let me see... lousy camera
special keyboard producing triples or spaces or no spaces
slowness
high price
poor support (at least for my area )
N O
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved it to begin with but hated windows mobile. Flashed the touch it rom and the phone is so much better, wouldn't trade my x1 for anything
You don't even need to tweak your phone to get touch flo 3d, you can install it as a cab and it becomes just another today item.
I love the phone so much. I definitely would have got the touch pro 2 if I could because I used to be used to the universal so a chunky phone was not a problem for me! However, having experienced the X!... its just a beautiful piece of hardware! Aethetics rarely interests geeks but once you get used to how it feels, the way it slides open, etc. I just love it. The keyboard is not great but definitely looks amazing and you can put it in your pocket and forget about it.
Definitely getting the x1 again if I am starting all over again...
There is no other phone on the market now that could think of to replace it with...
With the new roms I love it even more.
Have been using it since Oct, no regrets.
I think owning this phone just proved to me that 1. convergence is a very bad idea -- definitely carry separate devices for everything; and that 2. I'd be much happier with an iPhone.
So no, I'll probably just sell my three-month old X1 for 1/3 of the price I paid, because people are already refusing to pay anymore for a used one.
Did I mention the headphone jack left unsightly scratches on the plugs of every pair of headphones I own?
First I liked it... did loads of research and then went to a shop picked it up and played with it... loved the display...
Now I love it... never leaves my side and its simply indispensible... The keyboard does take some getting used to and I did have to upgrade my sim to a 3g one as they didnt send me one but its awesome...
I use the R2AA 10 ROM (very very good btw)and will upgrade to the R3AA when its here... as yet I have had no urge to flash different ROMs from the guys here... ok I have had the urge but as exams are coming up and I have a couple of dissertations to right I just dont have the time... sigh..
Finally where are you getting this deal? if you pay less up front (ie free phone or £50) is the deal more expensive?
I'd buy one again, though i'd be very tempted to wait for the Touch Pro 2 instead. A few months ago i was wishing i went for the Touch HD instead, but now i've got in to the Office side of things the keyboard is proving invaluable. I planned to buy a netbook, but it's really not needed because i can surf the web and run Word/Excel on the X1
One thing i do regret though is not putting a case on it straight away, it's scratched to bits. I'm actually tempted to "accidentally" drop it down the loo before my insurance runs out...
Thank you everyone here,
I have decided not to get it...
I really do love the look of it, however I went to the shop again, and I just can not stand the keyboard... I have so many small devices, but I just find the feedback so... soft (is that the word?) I like to know I pressed the key, and it just didnt seem to feel right to me.
At the end of the day, I would be on a 18 month contract, and in 18 months time, I will be £460 down on a phone that (By reading from here) may have cracks... not supported by SE, lousy camera, and general annoyances.
So many people talk about flashing their phones... imho, it should be perfect to begin with.
I know winmo has its flaws, but I really love it... the moment I am in wireless range of my network, I get all my emails and sync with exchange... or just link via USB or bluetooth to my laptop.
I love having one calander, contact list, notes and more... I know other phones can do this, but I just dont think it is as flawless or as simple.
Right now, I was offered a retentions deal which after credit, works out at around £45 at the end of 18 months... by then, hopefully I can pick up a older touch pro, or x1 from ebay for a fraction of the price, or a new x3 or whatever is out by then!
I would love any new smartphone, but frankly, I am happy with what I got... why spend a extra £415 (over 18 months).
Thanks everyone,
Wil
wilhil said:
Thank you everyone here,
I have decided not to get it...
I really do love the look of it, however I went to the shop again, and I just can not stand the keyboard... I have so many small devices, but I just find the feedback so... soft (is that the word?) I like to know I pressed the key, and it just didnt seem to feel right to me.
Wil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I felt the same as you did about the keyboard when I first bought the phone (I order it over the net and never have the chance to test the device before buying it). And it took about 2 weeks to get used to. Now this keyboard is completely fine for me to type with
I used to use a iMate JASJAM and like the x1, the keyboard just feels alot easier to type than the x1 when I first bought it.
However after getting used to the X1 keyboard, I can't type on my JASJAM anymore haha............
Absolutely Yes, I would get one. I haven't had a single moment of regret. It's simply the best phone I've ever had.
Although I must say I waited enough to be sure that the software issues (lagging etc) were fixed.
Hello all,
I am looking to buy My streak next month and I would like some personal impressions (pro's and con's) from actual users.
I have read the wiki and the FAQ's (great stuff)
I am currently using the Xperia x1 and I love it but its time to upgrade. (im also selling one as I have 2). I live in NYC and of course I have ATT.
I am all but sold, but some personal experience from the highly respected XDA community would be nice.
thank you.
I have a real love hate relationship with mine. I've had it since June, but will be selling it soon to get the upcoming HTC Deisre HD.
PRO
Super screen, quite repsonsive, really bright. HD youtube looks fantastic on it. Really snappy to use. Internet is a joy to use.
\
the CON is as a phone it sucks. It's just too big. It took a while to make up my mind, but if you use your phone to make calls a lot, it may be a little big. I've even dropped it a couple of times due to it's large size. Support seems weak as well.
I got it a couple weeks ago and love. In my opinion its the best android device for At&t so far. The aria is a mid-lower end and the captivate feels cheap so i settled for the streak
When you first get it you will be amazed at how big it is but after using it for a couple weeks it feels normal and other devices (evo and iphone) feel SO small in your hand. One handed use sometimes is a bit hard when on the home screen but theres ways to go around that.
Browsing is awesome, haven't had to many issues due to the lack flash. Games are amazing on the 5" screen, haven't done too much movie watching but do watch the occasional youtube video.
Don't have anything bad to say about it other than its aspect ratio is set to "long" (think widescreen tv) while most android devices out there are "not long" (regular 4:3) so some apps won't look right but i have been seeing updates in the market for added streak support.
One downside though would be the connector/charger which is a PDMI connection. The cable that comes with the device is a tad too short and a spare cable from dell is $19.99!
Overall i'm happy with it and would recommend it if its your cup of tea. Also its a really big attention grabber. You don't understand how many times girls have came up to me and asked what it was and how i just pulled it out of my pocket. Then there is those that hate that say its too big as they play with their little iPhag phone..
I also came from an x1 and streak has been great for me, I can only think of glowing comments.
The obvious question is the size, but really its not that noticeable over any other phone (actually I would argue its less noticeable than the x1). If you want an approximation of the size, put a casio calculator in your pocket, keeping in mind that the streak is significantly thinner than it.
Plus as fone_fantastic mentioned its a real head turner, and seriously not as ridiculous to use as a phone as it seems, its a great device, highly recommended.
Wow, thanx for the responses, keep em coming, I'm a pretty big guy 6'1 210, I dont think I would mind the size and that is what actually interests me most.
I'm happy to see some of you love it. unbelievably its not being demoed in any of my nearby att stores, so I havent had any hands on time with it. another draw to it is that I havent seen a single person with one (just like my X1), and I'm a waiter, I see tons of people and tons of phones...but no Streak's I like having the stand out device. just a bit worried about dell's first attempt at a phone
like I said keep em coming please.
strboy said:
Wow, thanx for the responses, keep em coming, I'm a pretty big guy 6'1 210, I dont think I would mind the size and that is what actually interests me most.
I'm happy to see some of you love it. unbelievably its not being demoed in any of my nearby att stores, so I havent had any hands on time with it. another draw to it is that I havent seen a single person with one (just like my X1), and I'm a waiter, I see tons of people and tons of phones...but no Streak's I like having the stand out device. just a bit worried about dell's first attempt at a phone
like I said keep em coming please.
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Lol I'm a waiter too, its just as sea of blackberries and iphones. Wish I could just pull out the Streak and show off
Ha! we arent supposed to either, but I will sneak it in and show guests sometimes, (my x1 that is)...I don't get the wow factor I used to but....Streaks a coming.
and Yeah i see tons of Iphones all my co workers have Iphone 4's and BB torch's, I cant wait till I get my streak.
The Streak does everything I could wish and more, if there's one bad thing it's that it is a bit fragile. If you decide to get one make sure you also get a decent protective case.
I don't use mine as a phone (data only contract), but as a MID I think it is great.
The screen size (and quality) is perfect for browsing while remaining truly portable. It is my first Android device and thanks to that is endlessly customisable and has got me tinkering 'under the hood again' which is something I hadn't realised I'd missed.
Build quality wise it isn't bullet proof but given that you take care of it you shouldn't have any problems.
I have a love hate relationship with mine to. I love it totally:
Web browsing: what other smartphone can you visit and read a website with not having to zoom in a scroll left and right to read text on any site?
Ease of use: it's a Android!
Reliability: the HTC HD2 is at this time the closest competition IMO, used to have one but it was so unreliable with it's wifi i soon started to hate the sight of it!
Size: fits in any pocket i have, including trousers.
Don't watch TV, but wait until you veiw youtube on it or start view photo's you'll never wnat a small screen again.
What i hate about it is when others who complain about the size! they new the size before they bought it right, so they obviously worry far to much about what others think of them! that's not the streaks fault it's theirs. If i'm standing at some busy junction and i answer a call, if others start looking then i think they just want one to and they're eyeing it up to see what it is
The galaxy tab will be released next month, but portable it's not! look at the size of the bezel around the screen! that would look strange, holding a netbook up to your ear
I know it's a bit off topic but the Samsung Tab won't be getting voice on the US side.
now back on track
I love the streak, best parts are as said before, screen size, browsing experience (I use dolphin HD, skyfire and regular browser) each one i like for different things, I do browsing mostly on it.
cons. my streak won't charge but it's ok ( I paid half price), besides that, is that it doesn't have froyo which I don't mind at all, the other thing is that there are not many devs for this phone/tablet yet, but nothing to worry. Also the down side is the "PDMI" port, there aren't any third party chargers, cables, docks but I hope they'll come down eventually.
I'm skinny 5'10 and the streak doesn't feel all that big when against my head, no one even notice when I'm on the BIG phone talking to someone, I don't get any weird looks, but when I lay that "flipflop" on the table everyone looks at it and wants to have a go.
I've used the X1 and had several HTC's as you can see on my sig, one thing tho is that you might miss the physical keyboard, but you'll get around it, the screen is so big that the on-screen keyboard are not bad at all, I personally use "multi-touch keyboard" and that does the trick for me.
hope that helps.
Yeah, I think that this device is one of the best things I have ever bought.
the only down side will be in two years time.
Once my contract is up, I don't think I'll be able to go to anything smaller! 5" is the exact maximum size for it to be held comfortably (I definitely wouldn't get a Galaxy tab to use as a phone). But I cannot face going back to a smaller sized screen it ouwld feel like a step back.
And I'm wondering will there be a Streak II ? Or any other phone like it in 2 years time.
I can just envision my self wandering around with a forlorn look on my face muttering "I want 5 inches, I want 5 inches" (and probably get arrested when i walk past a school)
I'm in love with this phone device. The screen is awesome. Very responsive and big enough for me to type fairly accuratly on.
Talking on the phone feels normal. I didn't expect it to, but I've had only minor issues with calling. I have found myself sometimes hunting for the speaker but find that I can hear fine if I just hold the Streak a hair away from head. Basically my fat head was muffling the sound if I had the phone resting against it without having the speaker right over my ear.
I do wish that Dell would answer someone's post about the screen failures. I suspect there was a build quality issue with at least the early Streaks.
I also wish someone would get 2.2 working on a Streak so I can do remote desktop and have full exchange support, oh and Flash.
To add 1 more con, there is no VPN support if you use windows vpn LP2T, but hopefully it'll get sorted on 2.2.
I was starting to panick somewhat after I ordered the Streak & agreed to sell my current HD2 to a friend soon as it arrives, and then came across some negative reviews and discovered many people were having problems on this forum with the firmware issues related to upgrade to Android 2.1 & the limitations of stock Android 1.6. (which version are u positive guys using?).
Now having read this thread, you guys have got me optimistic & excited again!
Can't wait for it arrive next week. Hopefully I will once again feel "...this is the best phone I have ever owned", just like I did when I got my HD2, and the HTC HD before that. I don't think I could bear the disappointment of feeling I have taken a step back in the eternal quest for the ultimate personal communication device which I embarked on about 15 years ago with the Nokia 2110, followed by a variety of iPaq (HTC-made) PDA's, Ipaq phones & various HTC-branded devices.
Thanks guys for sharing your impressions.
THJahar said:
Yeah, I think that this device is one of the best things I have ever bought.
the only down side will be in two years time.
Once my contract is up, I don't think I'll be able to go to anything smaller! 5" is the exact maximum size for it to be held comfortably (I definitely wouldn't get a Galaxy tab to use as a phone). But I cannot face going back to a smaller sized screen it ouwld feel like a step back.
And I'm wondering will there be a Streak II ? Or any other phone like it in 2 years time.
I can just envision my self wandering around with a forlorn look on my face muttering "I want 5 inches, I want 5 inches" (and probably get arrested when i walk past a school)
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LMao...I'll look for you in the papers two years from now
SAman1 said:
I was starting to panick somewhat after I ordered the Streak & agreed to sell my current HD2 to a friend soon as it arrives, and then came across some negative reviews and discovered many people were having problems on this forum with the firmware issues related to upgrade to Android 2.1 & the limitations of stock Android 1.6. (which version are u positive guys using?).
Now having read this thread, you guys have got me optimistic & excited again!
Can't wait for it arrive next week. Hopefully I will once again feel "...this is the best phone I have ever owned", just like I did when I got my HD2, and the HTC HD before that. I don't think I could bear the disappointment of feeling I have taken a step back in the eternal quest for the ultimate personal communication device which I embarked on about 15 years ago with the Nokia 2110, followed by a variety of iPaq (HTC-made) PDA's, Ipaq phones & various HTC-branded devices.
Thanks guys for sharing your impressions.
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My sentiments exactly,
Question regarding the size, with my X1 I rarely ever hold it to my face I always use the Stereo headset that came with it, does the streak have on also (bundled) is it any good?
another ex-X1 user here. Love the streak and can't think of another device I could replace it with currently. In fact it's hard to leave it alone and the battery gets quite a hammering
Yes you get a stereo headset with the streak and it's not bad at all really. I don't use it myself (got some Ultimate Ears 'phones which sound incredible and I only use handsfree over BT in the car) but it should be fine...
I've kept the X1 for when i'm doing "rough stuff", like photographing 4x4 events - can just shove it in a pocket out of the way whereas the Streak would probably get damaged. For everything else though (especially in the car for satnav, music etc) it's one hell of a good device.
I really hope 2.2 makes it over cos that last little piece of the jigsaw - embedded flash in the browser - will make it a stunner. Keep an eye on the thread about USB hosting as well. If that can be actioned there are a lot of possibilities there too. For example I want to be able to download the occasional shot from my camera to check on the Streak's fairly well calibrated screen. I can also resize and send if necessary and POSSIBLY even back up the camera's memory card! (IF it works of course!!)
Everything works better than it did on the X1. BT streaming, web browsing, emulation (PSX for example), graphics, user interface (and i was using a custom WAD desktop on my X1), call quality, you name it
Up until I got the Streak I thought the X1 was the best phone I'd had but this is a whole other level!!
triondave said:
I really hope 2.2 makes it over cos that last little piece of the jigsaw - embedded flash in the browser - will make it a stunner. Keep an eye on the thread about USB hosting as well. If that can be actioned there are a lot of possibilities there too.
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I've been following that thread, with the hope that one could maybe use the USB port with a serial port adaptor to connect to Cisco routers and maybe run an Android equivalent to Windows Hyperterminal app to configure Cisco routers? I guess that's a bit far-fetched since no Android drivers would be available ...but as you mentioned, there are many other possibilities to this USB Host functionality which are likely to work.
Which version of Android are you currently running tho? Is it stock or modified?
Can you get a full 12hrs availability from the battery daily with say, 2 hrs voicecalls, & 2 hrs HSDPA internet plus a few sms's?
Also wondering if you know what the USB connector on the Streak is called? Can't see myself unplugging the cable back & forth between my bedroom, the car & the office every day. Should be easy to make up the USB host cable as well as a few spare charging cables while I'm at it if I can source the connector somewhere.
Hi - running stock O2 2.1 build 8105
I generally have to charge by about 3pm after starting at 7am BUT the screen is pretty much constantly on during that time and as far as I can see from my use the screen hammers the battery more than anything else (it's surprisingly good on wifi at home if the screen gets turned off regularly). At home it'll go all day with occasional use and usually MSN Talk running in the background.
Not entirely sure what you mean by what the USB connector is called. Do you mean the PDMI one that attaches to the phone? Well, I say PDMI but it's not 100% proved yet is it, as far as I can see from what I've read. It does seem almost certain that it is though. If you find a source let us all know!!
triondave said:
Hi - running stock O2 2.1 build 8105
I generally have to charge by about 3pm after starting at 7am BUT the screen is pretty much constantly on during that time and as far as I can see from my use the screen hammers the battery more than anything else (it's surprisingly good on wifi at home if the screen gets turned off regularly). At home it'll go all day with occasional use and usually MSN Talk running in the background.
Not entirely sure what you mean by what the USB connector is called. Do you mean the PDMI one that attaches to the phone? Well, I say PDMI but it's not 100% proved yet is it, as far as I can see from what I've read. It does seem almost certain that it is though. If you find a source let us all know!!
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So you use the Streak like a PC - screen on & in use almost continuously? Based on that it would probably be safe to say it would last me all day with less than 4 hrs screen on time (screen is mostly off during phonecalls I guess due to proximity sensor) & fairly typical/light mobilephone use. That's great to know, thanks.
Indeed, perhaps the name PDMI will help me find it somewhere in Asia, but probably best to have a closeup picture of it. As long as someone makes a connector that fits the slot and we can find out Dell's pinouts, should be ok. When my unit arrives next week I'll at least have the USB cable to check the connector for myself .
Anyways, my apologies to the OP for having gone a bit off topic there.
I'm convinced now I'll be happy with the Streak, despite some minor challenges no doubt. Besides, if it turned out to be perfect, how would we find a worthy upgrade in another year from now....
hi all
I currently have an O2 XDA Exec and I love it to bits, I'm not someone who jumps from phone to phone as soon as they come out, I usually buy something, use it until it falls apart and then look around for a good current replacement.
Now I've had my XDA for a good couple of years now and the battery is starting to fade on me, the keys are starting to wear and I'm conscious that one day it's just not going to work any more
OK I could go through the whole repair/refurbish cycle but technology has moved on apace and I reckon I've had my money's worth out of this one
It probably won't be for a while but can anyone suggest a decent next smartphone
preferably with a large screen and keyboard as I really don't like typing on a touchscreen, but with features like WiFi, bluetooth decent browser capability, business applications, decent camera - the usual bells and whistles
one thing I really would like, would be for it to be less like a phone with a computer added and more like a computer with a phone added, one thing that really irritated me was the inability to make a backup of the entire machine so I can for example make a backup, load up a different OS, try that and then restore my original if I didn't like it
so any suggestions ?
I haven't used it, but the Nokia N900 seems to fit the "more like a computer with a phone added" part best. The hardware is starting to show its age, though. It's not like it was a cutting edge device hardware-wise even when it was released anyway. Windows Phone 7 seems to be a dead end as far as the pocket computer angle goes. You could get an iPhone but they are not hacker friendly, to say the least. Watching the new Android models and picking the one you like best with a keyboard is your best bet if you find the N900 lacking.
But I'd suggest replacing the battery and waiting for a little while if the keyboard doesn't cause too many problems. The new generation of mobiles with dual core processors is right around the corner. If anything, you'll probably be able to get great deals on current gen devices.
I reckon my exec will last for a fair while yet but it is showing signs of age, I'll have a look at the N900, thanks for the suggestion
I've gone from the Universal to the Rhodium (TouchPro2). It's not cutting edge, but has been a great replacement for my old Universal with much the same form-factor - ie, good keyboard and big screen (although it's wide-VGA so slightly different size). One thing I really liked was inbuilt GPS as I always had to carry around my GPS mouse with my Universal.
thanks I'll add the rhodium to the list
I still have active my Universal and there is not any newer device who competes with our great keyboard and pivoting screen, this is so far the best kb ever made!.
Said that I went for Rhodium and used it for like a year, great device, smaller screen (I preferred my super VGA Uni screen) and keyboard but it´s a great device, now I´m on Desire Z and keyboard is a bit smaller than Rhodium but it´s damn faster than it!
Only prob is that is has only Android on it...
another rhodium vote and a desire z. thanks for that
No prob
Please let us know what you finally got.
probably won't be for a while but at least now I've an idea what to look at
Well you have some start guide with comments above!
Another very interesting upcoming device is the Motorola Atrix
http://www.slashgear.com/motorola-atrix-4g-and-laptop-dock-hands-on-demo-video-08125261/.
It seems to be a very good phone + netbook replacement.