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Hey,
just upgraded my MDA Vario to the MDA Vario II (my third HTC phone in less than 18 months, these things are addictive) and wanted to share my thoughts for people who might be thnking of doing the same. To a lot of people there doesn't seem much more to shout about between the two but I believe the upgrade is well worth it.
Form Factor, Appearance and Build Quality:
- The Vario II (from here on referred to as as VII) is slightly longer but also marginally thinner than the VI, the difference is only small but to me the reduction in thickness is certainly welcome. The shape of the VII is very similar to the Magician, less rounded compared to the VI and flatter.
- In terms of build quality the VII is far superior, it feels much more solid especially when the keyboard is concealed (you cannot tell that there is one, feels like one continuous unit). The buttons all have a nice tactile feel to them and the jog wheel is very solid.
- Appearance is obviously a subjective matter but in my opinion the VII looks far nicer, especially the dark metallic red keyboard. It has a much more professional look to it, rather than the plasticy VI.
==> The VII takes this round hands down, it's thinner, better looking and more solid feeling with great build quality.
Ease of Use:
- The VII has more buttons than the VI which is a welcome addition for me. I used to map the top buttons (Messaging and IE) to the Start Menu and OK, there are now dedicated buttons below the soft keys. I used to find that I accidently would hit the camera button, so far have not pressed any button by accident on my VII.
- The scroll wheel wasn't a feature I was to bothered about until I used it and have got to say that it makes one handed operation even easier, especially considering there is a second OK button below the wheel which cleverly acts as the Start Menu button when on the today screen meaning you can launch programs using just your thumb. It also allows you to scroll through documents easily although for making large jumps it is a pain. I would mention the equivelent on the VI but that would be the volume slider which was the tackiest part of that phone.
- Another small but overdue feature is the new layout of the number on the keyboard, they are now arranged in a standard numerical block. This feature really comes into its own when dialing a phone number as you now no longer need to double click circle to access the numbers, when your in phone mode you just use the keys and it automatically recognizes that it should use the numbers instead of the letters (this works with SmartDialer and without).
- Keyboard shortcuts have considerably improved, you can now launch File Manager, turn on WiFi and use PgUp/PgDn using the keyboard. There is also a new input method, Symbol Pad which has common and unusual characters in a list (this can be launched directly from the keyboard).
- The stylus is almost identical to that of the VI, although it is very stiff in the VII.
==> Again the VII has some great improvements, some minor but they all add up to make a more satisfying experience using the VII.
Communication:
- Data transfer is the big change between the two devices, the VI has GPRS/EDGE compared to the VII which supports HSDPA. With the VI I only had 6Mb allowance per month and so my general usage was kept to a minimum (MSN, vgsmail and occasional web browsing) and for this purpose GPRS was generally acceptable. Not trying to sound cheesy but HSDPA is going to completly change the way I use my phone, browsing is now almost instaneous even with pictures set to download and I no longer have to worry about how much data I use. Some people mention that although download speeds are impressive there is a lag between loading pages, I have not found this to be the case. I was browsing xda-developers on my phone today and I wouldn't say there was a noticable difference between browsing on my phone and my laptop (4Mbits/s Cable). I did a speedtest on http://www.bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/ and it rated at 1.2Mbits/s (I'm in Leeds)
- Speech quality, without doing professional tests is subjective but in my opinion has improved with the VII as has reception.
==> This is where you'll notice the biggest difference, I don't think it's an overstatement to say that the VII will drastically change the way you use your phone.
NB: The phone came with HSDPA enabled in software but I had to phone customer services (150 from your phone then options 2 => 6, they have to get through the tech department but don't think there's a direct number)
Hardware:
- You can definitly tell that there is a more powerful processor in the VII, menus load without lag and programs load faster. There is a known issue at the moment which affects video playback (search on the forums) but this would be my only grumble with speed. Overall it is far more responsive than the VI (I always had the latest ROM and not one of them matches the VII in responsiveness).
- The one issue the VII has with speed is the length of time it takes to come out of sleep, there is a gud second lag which can get irritating if you just whipped your phone out to check for mesages.
- The camera has received a much needed upgrade as has the camera software. There does seem to be a noticable difference in quality but I don't use it much so won't comment on differences although it is clear that the VII has a better camera than the VI. One thing the VII has which at first I thought was its most pointless feature has actually turned out to be great, on the main camera theres a little macro slider (lets you focus on close-up objects) and it really works. It is excellent for taking photos of documents or writing and you can actually read the text easily from the photo. There is also a second camera on the front for video calling but I don't know anyone who has video calling so cant test it.
- Yet another memory format yet another damn card to buy, the good news is I can't feasably see how a memory format can get smaller then MicroSD without running the risk of it absorbing into your skin so hopefully this one will be around to stay for a little while longer than MiniSD. Have not yet bought a MicroSD card so cannot comment on any performance differences.
- I'm hoping that the battery life on my phone is still being misread as I have only charged it once now but if not then it is awful. I left the house this morning at 9 with a fully charged battery, as I'm still in the honeymoon phase with it I used it constantly until 2pm (webbrowsing, live messenger, no calls, 2 texts, imap idle) and the battery was down to 10%!!!! Another known issue at the moment is that the battery level goes down in 10% blocks, apparently a lot of early ROMs for HTC have this issue and it then gets corrected so fingers crossed. Something else to note is that the VII battery capacity is 100mAh higher (1350mWh vs. 1250mAh).
Update on battery life, it has indeed improved but not as much as I had hoped. My VI is still sitting in my draw, turned on waiting for messages and with no exageration its well over a week between charges. My VII on the other hand needs charging every couple of days, but I do use it a lot.
==> Apart from the battery life the VII beats the VI
Software:
- For the stock ROM unlocking the extended ROM is simply a case of running fit4cats registry tweaker, there seems to be far less less applications in extended rom as well (total ~ 3Mb). For the first time I'm not bothered about letting the extended rom as it doesn't install anything instrusive or bloating.
- Live Messenger Beta runs fine, any problems being related to the software bugs rather than the phone (all my contacts appeared to be offline, had to "Switch User" option to fix that). The voiceclips feature works flawlessly and combined with HSDPA makes for a useful method of communicating when you cant type. Live beta is currently not working
- VGSmail works fine as expected
- Resco Explorer 2005 is fine
CONCLUSION:
The Vario I was a great phone but not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, on the whole it worked but had too many annoyances for me. The Vario II I believe corrects almost every single one of these as well as providing new features. I would not consider this to be a necessary upgrade for those who don't use data communication and can live with the Vario's flaws. For the heavier users I could not recommend this phone more, as I mentioned before I have had the Magician, Wizard and now the Hermes. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that for me this is the best out of the three, but it also the first time I have considered a Pocket PC to be a worthy substitute for a dedicated phone. It truly is an amazing piece of hardware and could not imagine anyone who takes the plunge being the slightest bit disappointed.
Pros:
- HSDPA
- More responsive
- Better keyboard, buttons and general buil quality
- True one handed operation may now be a reality
Cons:
- Battery life (under very heavy usage on new battery)
Hope this helps some people when deciding whether to go for it or not, I will keep this post updated if I think of anything and don't hesitate to post any questions.
When your battery went down that quickly, where you in an area that was spotty with its UMTS reception? (sorry I'm not familiar with your area) I know I am almost on the line of UMTS and no UMTS and when I am on either side of the line I am fine, but when I am close to the line my battery drains ridiculously fast.
after some charges the battery do the best... my Tytn now as about 3days of autonomy...
not comparable with the 2 days of my magician!
great recension...
many thx
bubu
With regards to the battery I know that they take a little while to be worn in and the OS usually takes a while to learn the battery as well so I'm not to worried. I think I was in an area of spotty coverage yes, as I was only getting 3G 75% of the time.
I think this is a great summary so bumping it up for other potential buyers to read.
The new keyboard is rarely mentionned as one of the improvements over the wizard but it really is a big step forward in that department.
cheers for the bump, just a few updates:
- the keyboard issue has corrected itself, it seems that when fresh from the box some of the contacts need to be worn in. all the keys are now as responsive as each other.
- battery life has also improved considerably but that could well be down to me using it less.
- the stylus is now feeling a lot smoother going in and out of the device.
- unfortunatly the screen alignment issue has cropped up on my phone. this is by far the biggest problem people have with these phones. this should not hinder potential buyers as operators are recognizing this as a factory hardware flaw and replacing/repairing it free of charge.
people looking to buy this phone should not be put off by the screen alignment issue. most newer models aren't having this problem but if they do it's just a case of getting it replaced (on that note, make sure you buy from a reputable supplier with good customer service).
hope this helps those looking to buy this great phone.
Great comparison! I'll link it on the PPC Magazine blog!
(BTW, as far as "- Data transfer is the big change between the two devices, the VI has GPRS compared to the VII which supports HSDPA." is concerned: the VI supports EDGE with speeds up to 240 kbps under good circumstances. See http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=518&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 for more benchmarks.)
Guys, hears sweet stuff abot the tytn - but how about tytn vs universal - my current pda . . . i am due an upgrade in like 6 months . . what you guys reckon???
cheers
lr
Thanks Menneisyys for the link and also the correction, have edited the post to include VI having EGDE. The reason I didn't mention it is that tmobile uk doesn't support EDGE so I never got to use it.
I bought a 1Gb Sandisk Transflash/MicroSD card, just stuffed it in the slot and rebooted (for some reason wouldn't appear until I reset, I've noted that other people have also experienced this)... But it just works.
Copied over some xvids via my LAN (PC wired to router, PDA on wifi) using Opera as it's more effective at handling large files than PIE... The files just went. I kept an eye on my upload and I was sending the file to the device at around 550-600kb/sec, which I guess is about the max that 802.11g can handle minus overheads, and the file just wrote without any lag, delay or pauses to the SD card, so I'm very happy with its performance
Not run (or installed) TomTom on it yet, so I've not really had a chance to do a long-duration endurance test of the SD card's throughput performance, but I doubt I'll have many problems compared to the issues I had with my Alpine I know there's apps available which can benchmark your storage card, but I reaaaally can't be bothered to get them right now.
I'm having a continued issue with not being able to sync my device with my computer (just doesn't recognise it at all), but I'm thinking that's a problem with my PC as it's a bit... 'touchy'... anyway All in all, a great device. That is, great device provided you get one without a screen alignment issue! I wish there was an adaptor available to convert the mini USB slot to a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for when you want to listen to music though, that's my only wish - I have some WAY better headphones which I'd love to use with my device say when I'm on the bus going into Uni in the morning, now it can stream live TV over the HSDPA... The included headset is a bit of a waste really.
I hope that the video playback issue in TCPMP is to be resolved soon, because I've had to implement my own workaround for that, but it's just one of those things with any new piece of hardware... You get it soon as it comes out, there's bound to be software bugs. As pleased with my Hermes as I was when I got my Alpine, if not moreso - it's a real all-rounder, and, like a previous poster commented, with the Web 'n Walk tariff, it has also really changed the way I use my phone when I'm on the go.
Brilliant comparison, glad I cancelled my contract with O2 now as they don't have the latest Compact XDA, instead signed with Vodaphone on a better tariff and got the phone FREE (VPA Compact III) instead of having to pay the w*nkers at O2 £150 for the older model!!!
Having been an Exec user previously, this little thing is speedy, compact, neat, modern and has a very 'well designed' feel to it - my Exec in comparison just looks old fashioned and clunky, not to mention a bit creeky with old age!!
Just about to purchase a MicroSD for it, they seem to be about £45 for 2Gb, very good value, I do hope that microSD becomes a standard for memory storage, sick of having to upgrade my desktop Card readers!!!!
Cheers, Ash
Hi there. I've had the MDA Pro/o2 Exec for over 8 months and am very happy with it (except of course it's size which can be uncomfortable). I have an upgrade due in about a week and was wanting to know how the resolution compares to the Pro? I got the MDA Vario and ended up keeping the Pro as the resolution was excellent and the sound quality was better. Just wondering how the Vario II compares to the Pro.
ashleyhall said:
Brilliant comparison, glad I cancelled my contract with O2 now as they don't have the latest Compact XDA, instead signed with Vodaphone on a better tariff and got the phone FREE (VPA Compact III) instead of having to pay the w*nkers at O2 £150 for the older model!!!
Having been an Exec user previously, this little thing is speedy, compact, neat, modern and has a very 'well designed' feel to it - my Exec in comparison just looks old fashioned and clunky, not to mention a bit creeky with old age!!
Just about to purchase a MicroSD for it, they seem to be about £45 for 2Gb, very good value, I do hope that microSD becomes a standard for memory storage, sick of having to upgrade my desktop Card readers!!!!
Cheers, Ash
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I'm out of my contract with O2 and am looking at the Vario with T-Mobile (their web n walk looks very good) but they're advertising the vario (as opposed to the vario II) how do I know which they're dishing out?
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatche...phones_ews_overview&menuid=ctl_phones_details
MarkyMark7890 said:
I'm out of my contract with O2 and am looking at the Vario with T-Mobile (their web n walk looks very good) but they're advertising the vario (as opposed to the vario II) how do I know which they're dishing out?
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatche...phones_ews_overview&menuid=ctl_phones_details
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The Vario2 is out of stock currently. When it's back in stock, it will be listed as the Vario 2. Meanwhile as your link shows, they're still selling the original.
Ah haaaa, that'd make sense.
I rang them yesterday and the best they could say was sometime towards the end of next week.
Is it safe?
Hi friends.I want to buy an mda vario 2 on ebay.Is it safe.What do i need to search before buying an mda vario 2?Can it be unlocked to be used in any country in the world?Can someone sell one which has screen alignment problems?
Is it safe?
Hi friends.I want to buy an mda vario 2 on ebay.Is it safe?I mean i won't know if it wil be in good condition n i wil also not know if it suffers from the screen alignment problem..What do i need to search or ask before buying it.Can the mda vario 2 be unlocked to be used all round the world?
eBay is a dangerous place to buy this kind of thing from, apparently there are quite a few scams going on relating to this phone. If you ask a seller about the screen alignment problem it is very unlikely they will tell you the truth as they can just claim afterwards that it developed after they sent it to you. You could obviously ask for the serial number but that is no guarentee that it won't develop the problem (as far as I know there isn't a single serial number that hasn't had some duff units).
You will have to use your own judgement but personally I think buying this phone from a private seller at this point is dangerous. Plus if the price on eBay is ludicrously low, it's almost certainly a duff listing.
Good luck
Thanks for your advice.I searhed for the mda vario 2 on tmobile.co.uk but it seems that it is out of stock.Could you tell me what is the cheapest price plan concernin this phone?Thanks.
T-Mobile UK are having serious stock issues with this phone, I've been waiting a month for my local T-Mobile shop to get some Vario IIs in so that I can get a replacement. Personally I think their flext packages are very competitive when combined with W'n'W. I currently pay about £38 per month and I get unlimited browsing and £180 worth of texts and calls included. Probably a tad too much but it means I get to use my phone without worrying about usage as I know I'll never go over my allowance. Also going for the bigger package meant I got the phone cheaper (I only paid £40 for the handset), plus I can downgrade my package after 6 months.
My advice would be to go to your local T-Mobile shop and haggle with them, there's a fair few deals that they can do for you. Obviously it would help if they had some stock.
Hi All,
Just wondering what the collective thoughts are of our Niki users...
My Kaiser is now on ebay, as I've lost my patience with it. So the search is on for a replacement WM6 device.
I've fallen back to my old original Touch (elf) and am really enjoying using the device again. Not physical input mechanism bugs me, so the Dual seemed like a good upgrade.
But some of the bugs posted on this forum have put me off. I know I could Hard SPL the device when I get it and flash Tom Codon's rom, which would solve some problems, but I want to try to get out of the rom flashing nightmare that owning a Kaiser's become.
Any thoughts appreciated. Are you all still in love with your Touch Duals? Or should I avoid...?
Cheers.
I've got both and the niki is great (it has become my primary device) . The form factor is well thought out and with Tom Codons rom on it's an awesome device.
I miss the kaisers qwerty keyboard for texting sometimes but i think thats just because i'm getting used to t9 again.
I would say get one and try it for the weeks grace you get from most places and make up your own mind.
I bet you don't return it.
... i have my p5520 for almost one month and i love it.
things i am wondering :
1.) slider mechanism - will there be spareparts available in case mechanism gets weak due to heavy use ?
2.) scratched touch surface - on my old trinity there was space enough to put some display protection things on it .. on the nike touch surface is flat to the housing - so any display protection will be higher than the housing of the device.
3.) wifi and gps
at the end of the day i am sure that all software related things will be solved sooner or later ..
my 2 cents
cheers
suppose this might be helpful
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=361548
I came from a hermes to a touch dual and have no complaints at all - have had no faults on software or hardware - just miss the keyboard - takes a while to get used to typing a long email.
I came from a Hermes to a touch dual as well.
As man its fantastic. Really really happy with it so far miss the keyboard but the Xt9 is pretty good and you get used to it pretty quickly would recommend it any day.
Of course some tweaks had to be done first I would recommend the battery tweak on this forum as it really works
I have a mini review on here for my first 72 hrs of use have a read username same as here
http://www.modaco.com/content-page/262284/T-Mobile-to-launch-Touch-Dual-as-Touch-Plus/page/80/
Jeremy
Just moved from hermes to niki too. Dont miss the wifi at all, didnt realise until i changed how little I used it. the processor seems much fatser with the tomtom6 than on the old unit and the form factor is just so much more usable. The only thing I miss is an ok button but its really not that big an issue
I am also looking at giving up my vario2 for one of these and I never use my wifi now I have unlimited data on my tarif - there is not much point - the difference in speed is minimal and I can't be bothered switching about all the time. I leave the wifi off.
I was wondering the same about the keys though. I popped into a shop today to have a feel of the phone in real life and teh keys felt very flimsy - like they wouldnt survie a heavy use and 18 month contract.
mobilecat said:
I am also looking at giving up my vario2 for one of these and I never use my wifi now I have unlimited data on my tarif - there is not much point - the difference in speed is minimal and I can't be bothered switching about all the time. I leave the wifi off.
I was wondering the same about the keys though. I popped into a shop today to have a feel of the phone in real life and teh keys felt very flimsy - like they wouldnt survie a heavy use and 18 month contract.
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I hardly ever use the slide out pad to be honest i use the touch on screen pad which has taken a while to get used to but have mastered it using 1 thumb - but apart from all that a great device makes a big difference not rushing around searching for a usb or a charger like i used to with my hermes and performing numerous soft resets.
ekksman said:
I hardly ever use the slide out pad to be honest i use the touch on screen pad which has taken a while to get used to but have mastered it using 1 thumb - but apart from all that a great device makes a big difference not rushing around searching for a usb or a charger like i used to with my hermes and performing numerous soft resets.
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Click to collapse
I have to agree - this is the most stable windows mobile platform I have ever had (been using windows CE in some version or other for 10 years\)
The key pad is pretty robust and seems much more usable than the rather temperamental pad on my hermes. All round really impressed
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 ?
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.
Would like to have a thread where people gave their thoughts and stuff why they bought a D2 instead of some other device and so on. So let me start of here:
I upgraded from Diamond to Diamond 2 because the screen is bigger, it got memory card, it got 4 much better hardware keys and the D-Pad is gone (I hated it on my Diamond). Also because it got more RAM and memory built in than the Diamond.
my first winmo phone was an O2 Flame. massive bulky thing, though it sported a nice big 640x480 screen.
id briefly used a touch pro through work and i loved manila and also the great aesthetic design of their phones... well most of them. after pouring over the specs of the phones in my budget it came down to 2 devices, the HD and the D2.
in the end i went with the d2 as the main difference was screensize. having previously done the whole GIANT PHONE thing, i turned to the D2 as it packed the same punch in a slightly more compact and classy frame. dont get me wrong, the blackstone looks sharp, but with its all black design its a bit plain for me. nothing compared to a little brushed metal here and there.
i'm mighty impressed with the phone so far, extremely clean and crisp screen, fast fast fast, great video playback etc. and although it sounds funny, it feels like you get your moneys worth because its a solid little brick to hold. none of this flimsy plastic nokia stuff. not only does it feel good but its taken a beating. ive dropped it countless times during my drunken shenanigans and so far its got a slight split in the digitiser between the 'H' in the htc logo in the top left corner and the frame, and a few dints in the metal casing. still works a treat.
another good thing, which should also apply to the blackstone, is that the two devices are similar enough that alot of community built software that will work on one, works on the other with minimal or no tweaking. this gives us access to much more apps/customisation/themes than we could normally expect from a device that has unique hardware/software
I've been using a Dell Axim x50 for years and symbian phones (Noika's).
Just got sick of carrying two units around (and I could get a sim free TD2 from work for 100 quid, I'd be daft not too).
Getting tomorrow morning and I've got the afternoon off to play with it, flash a few cooked roms and load lots and lots of pointless software I'll never use (as usual...)
Love this WM
I have used S710 before and lost that. Also used HTC Touch for few days . Since then I am in love with WM phones.
I opted for TD2:
1) One of the BEST WM phone that I could get in my budget.
2) Bigger screen
3) Better touch
4) Upgrade for WM 6.5 will be FREE (May be WM 7 will work on this )
5) Better H/W (CPU, RAM, Available Free space etc)
6) GPS is inbuilt + has 3G + FM Radio
7) Last but NOT last, it is from HTC
Upgrade from P3400
I had an HTC P3400 Gene for 2 years and the time came for an upgrade.
My criteria were:
It had to be HTC
It had to have GPS, WIFI, 3g, Touchscreen
The Diamond 2 was the right solution at the right time at the right price!
This is my first handheld device
I think this one includes every new technology, including the ones mentioned above this post
I cant wait for the new free 6.5 + manila 2.5 update
... because it told me to.
I went backpacking around Europe for 5 weeks (great fun!), but before I left I wanted a new phone with Wifi & GPS.
I watched some Touch Diamond 2 reviews and I really liked the interface and some of the stuff you can do with WinMobile. I was sold!
- Bored on a 13 hour flight? Watch some TV shows!
- Lost in Spain at 3am? Use TomTom to find the hostel!
- Want to share photos from Croatia? Find a wifi hotspot!
- What does that sign mean? Use Google Translate!
- Lost a printed copy of your booking? Open the PDF backup!
This phone made backpacking too easy
Best winmo phone I've ever used!!
I had the original HTC Touch (ELF) and really liked its form factor but it was kinda slow.
I then bought the Samsung Omnia but was really disappointed with it's performance. Really bad lag on the Omnia.
I then saw the review for the D2 and was really impressed with the performance. Just had to have it. Takes great pictures too.
Beats the Omnia by a mile.
previous previous phone is nokia 7610 which sucks because of it physical keypad.
previous phone is htc touch (elf) which attracted me because it is mainly touch screen and windows mobile has a wide selection of applications.
it served me well although little internal disk space and ram.
upgraded to topaz, because of xda-developer community, which has selfless cooks like NRGZ28(EnergyROM), windows mobile 6.5, good hardware, good battery(can last around 1.5 day), and time to trade in my old phone for a new one.
Before I had the htc P3300 a very good and complete pda, but my actual htc D2 is better than P3300 for all points of view:
- camera
- display (size, sensibility and risolution)
- rom e ram size
- general performances
- 3g connectivity
- form factor
- software included.
Actually I started to love D2 because of its default wallpaper. It's a pic of fire and at the first look it looks like a phoenix. Really beautiful! And then I started to know this phone. Big touch screen, GPS, WIFI, 3g, and more beautiful than Diamond. So I got it.
TD2 or Ominia 2? Ominia 2 actually has got better specs.
Bought TD2 as I used to own a Himalaya which lasted 4 yrs. But I was dead wrong as my TD2 earpeice died within 2 weeks.
Ckth said:
TD2 or Ominia 2? Ominia 2 actually has got better specs.
Bought TD2 as I used to own a Himalaya which lasted 4 yrs. But I was dead wrong as my TD2 earpeice died within 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Omnia may have better specs, but HTC has always been a clear choice for me, I never liked Samsung or any other carrier. And who uses the original headset anyway?
I had 5 or so Palm organisers, but left Palm behind and jumped to Windows Mobile about 3 years ago when Palm were unable to offer a reasonably compact phone/organiser. Never needed a keyboard, but wanted wi-fi, bluetooth and hi-res screen in a compact package. HTC with TouchFlo seems the best ergonomics so went for the TD2 (Topaz).
My first smartphone was the Diamond 1 and it's possibilities and this forums really blew my mind.
TD2 was the natural upgrade, more screen size, ram etc. and overall SMALL SIZE. I still miss a good camera with flash and TVout, those two features would make the phone perfect.
my td2
i had the htc touch, like it, but went onto the sony p1
loved the p1 but it was getting old (i still use it every so often)
but liked the look of it
was going for the pre, but the constant delay, annoyed me so i got this and love it
Because i liked the Elf, Polaris, Diamond, and now the Diamond2
Had qtek 9100 previously and after that I had Hermes for almost 2 and a half years -that got old (and I got it paid) so I searched for a new phone. Looked at Touch HD but it was way too expensive compared to TD2 (altough I would have liked the 3.5mm headphone plug).
the reason i bought a TD2
I was naive
honestly...it's the worst phone i've ever had
Ever since getting one, i always hated the Iphone and would always slag people off if they had one...but you know what...I bow my head in shame and confess that i should've got one.
Iphone waste too much money on tv adverts...they should just make that says
''The Iphone....Atleast it works'' because it does.
My TD2 is absolutely useless...I've had it for about 4-5 months
It just doesn't work most the time. Or it crashes loads. Or just does stupid things that i don't tell it too
The battery is also useless...
If someone says their battery lasts longer than 1 day with normal usage...they are LYING! and lots of other people will agree.
At first, when they said the battery would last 4-5 days, i was teasing all the iphone users because they get max 2 days...but now i keep the fact that my battery is useless a secret. because theirs is better.
I've tried TF3d and SPshell but at the end of the day a pig with make up on is still ugly.
It's really the worst phone i've had (and i've had a lot) and i will never be going back to HTC
now that iphone has hspda...i can't think of a reason why not to get one. At least it works!