G1 a good upgrade from HTC Kaiser????? - G1 General

So that time has come where my MDA vario III, is a bit worse for wear and it's time for something new.
Is the G1 up to the standard (and then some) of the Kaiser spec.
My main uses are heavy normal phone and sms use, tomtom, a bit of wifi, and other usual pda stuff like calculator, calandar, games etc. After a ROM flash (to Sleuths) it was great and not buggy or sluggish.
The kaiser let me down on call quality, bluetooth quality (with jawbone II still no good) and the speaker & camera were a joke.
Can the G1 fill the gap that is going to be left when I put the Kaiser to rest?

well, so far the G1 is a nice phone...good call quality...bad battery...wifi works well...as does SMS and such.
there is currently no tomtom for g1 but that will probably change next month. calculator calendar and games are better than on windows mobile and the touchscreen kick's the kaiser's @$$.
i'm not sure about bluetooth quality...i'd assume it's good although there is currently no support for bluetooth file transfers.
i think speaker and camera are pretty good.

I think It's a good upgrade. I upgraded from Kaiser myself.
The screen is better both resolution- and touchwise. Android really blew me away. As I use many Google services daily It's really important for me. I find the GPS accuracy better. There is now a tilt sensor just like a currently released phone should have. Mounting the microsdcard via UMS on Ubuntu still allows you to use the phone (probably the same with Windows). The trackball is really nice.
On the bad side; battery drains quickly, there is no videocalling camera (mainly thinking about the new Googletalk webcam feature), no neckstrap attachment hole available (I've solved it in my own way) and no possibility to use the phone as a modem like my Kaiser (afaik).
Currently I'm wondering why I'm not prompted about an OTA upgrade and all custom ROM links on the WIKI are dead.
edit:
Using CFW now and i figured out how to use it as a modem.

I had a kaiser, and I loved it. I since bought a Raphael, but work have just bought me a G1 to play with and I'm in love.
So right now, I've got a Raphael and a G1, and the G1 is so much better it's embarrasing. Just waiting for the battery life and range of apps to catch up.
Hey, it's all about the track ball. I also have an iPhone 3g to play with, and I find it inferior to the G1 but superior to the Raphael (and Kaiser). Hardware kb and track ball kick iPhone into touch for my money.
The browsing experience on the G1 is superb, the best of the lot for me.
However, until all the software I use on the Raphael or equivalent is released for Android, I'm not yet ready to ditch WM and the Raphael.
Luckily for me, I have all three toys to play with, but the G1 is my absolute favourite by far.

I have had the Kaiser, am currently using the Raphael and also have a G1. Personally the G1's battery life is the biggest drawback for me and that it does not support WPA Enterprise which my school uses everywhere and I have no cell reception on campus so the phone is basically useless to me when I am at school. If these problems were solved, I would definitely choose the G1 over the others.

Thanks for the responses people - much appreciated.
It seems like the G1 will be the way to go. I was considering the raphael before the G1 came out but it seems like it's really not enough of a step up from the Kaiser.
I will never go iphone - overpriced, underspecced, and I'm not paying over a $1000 a year for the most basic (cheapest too!) package AT&T have. They do look nice and the screen was a ground breaker but everyone I know that has one has to literally charge it everyday and the limitations are too many.
I know that's probably going to be the hadrdest thing to deal with switching to the G1 - I got about 4 days to a single full charge with my Kaiser.
Thanks again!!!!

I also had a kaiser and the g1 is superior by far.... windows mobile is still buggy no matter cooked rom is installed in the phone.... the phone that can give the g1 a run for its money is the blackberry storm and nokia e71 and n97....

I'm in the same boat.... could upgrade to the g1 next week and most likely get a reduction in rental too (customer of almost 3 years) but am stuck between this and the touch hd..... keep getting swayed both ways!!
Have to agree with Miguel though and I think he's swayed me to the g1... windows mobile is extremely buggy and slow so maybe I should jump ship now and consider coming back for Windows Mobile 7.........

i just upgrade my at&t tilt with a g1. After a couple of days i think was a good choice
the screen is amazing , the touch is another generation from the tilt .
i was missing htc connection manager but i replied it with aSetting.
the gps from the satellites not from the network is faster to fix the position than the tilt
the keyboard still good for me but the slide system on the top look kind of weak.
the only big problem is the battery , the tilt wasn't good ether but the g1 is worst.
i go to sleep with 50% and i weak-up with 20% left , maybe there is a way to close all the programs in the background ?
another is the tilting of the screen i have to say that i miss it.
and another issue is the network i don't know why the g1 lose more often the edge or 3g connection
Christian

The hardware is solid, the OS is generally better, but the software support isn't there yet. It does sport arguably the best web browser in the smartphone market right now (probably tied with iPhone), and the app support will probably pick up dramatically in January when the paid apps system goes live (of course, then you'll have to pay for stuff).
Very fun phone, but not really a productivity workhorse. I never used my WinMo phones for productivity anyway, so I don't really miss it, but the lack of decent games is kind of a bummer.

Related

Where to after Hermes

My contract runs out next month. I was confident I would go straight onto a Kaiser, but I have just seen the touch cruise !!! decisions decisons
Which way are the ROM cookers going to jump? I have to say the hard work of those guys really brought the best out of my hermes.
there are rom cookers for most of the devices
i would guess the cookers who pref keyboard will go kaiser
and others will go tc
Haha... I think I'd have to get another Hermes if mine ever died.
I don't like the shoddy video performance on the Kaiser, it's also not quite clear to me if the Kaiser can be folded out flat, which is far more useful if you aren't at a desk than the 'pop-up' motion. Also, I use a bluetooth Sirf Star 3, which is infinitely better than the crappy built-in GPS on the Kaiser.
The Kaiser (and my hermes) just seems to be beginning to feel just a little too bulky !
I'm sticking with the Hermes for awhile ...
I'm sticking with my Hermes for awhile too!
1. I already have a Garmin GPS 10 (Bluetooth), so I really don't need the GPS of a Kaiser. I run Garmin Mobile XT (& BeelineGPS) from my SD card, so space isn't an issue either. And this is all more than accurate enough for my Geocaching adventures!
2. I have a 2 gig microSD (soon to be upgraded to 4 or 6 GB), so I really don't need the extra memory of the Kaiser (especially with these memory freeing ROMs - thanks to our ROM Chefs!) Even with my GPS maps, I still have plenty of room on my microSD.
3. I just recently went from carrying a Motorola RAZR, Dell Axim X50v and Bluetooth Keyboard ... to carrying only the AT&T 8525 (a.k.a. Hermes 100). So, I'm still enjoying carrying only 1 device.
4. True it's sort of large, but not as much space as 2 devices. Besides, it's not that bad when I use the leather belt holster or place it in the hidden pocket of my Docker's Mobile pants (part of Docker's premium line - so I can wear them at work). It's small enough that it doesn't bulge out on my leg, so it truly remains hidden!
5. Also, as far as size goes, if the keyboard/thumbboard was any smaller, I think it would loose it usefulness.
6. With all of our cooked ROMs, we're getting all sorts of software-based advantages of newer models. Why pay more $$$ for the same stuff?
Maybe I should be a salesman for HTC?
sbetts000 said:
My contract runs out next month. I was confident I would go straight onto a Kaiser, but I have just seen the touch cruise !!! decisions decisons
Which way are the ROM cookers going to jump? I have to say the hard work of those guys really brought the best out of my hermes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you used your Hermes for video playback and want to continue doing so with your new device then you'd better steer clear of any of HTC's devices using the Qualcomm 7200 and 7500 chipsets!
Why ditch your phone just cause your contract is running out? Pay month to month and keep your Hermes!
I'm in same situation as you. However I'm going to hold out for the sony ericsson x1.
I went into o2 on thursday to see if i wanted to get out a contract for a kaiser.
saw the phone picked it up and the screen was abit loose.. wobbling when flat on the keypad. I had also read about the issues with drivers / choppy graphics and that was the decider.. i walked straight back out and got a hermes, and imo it feels alot better and more secure than the kaiser. so i would wait until they revise the design of the kaiser or something.
I'd have to agree that the few advantages of the Kaiser are not enough for me to trade in my Hermes. The video issues alone are incredibly crippling...I watch alot of video on my Hermes and to have to fight with video drivers on a $600+ device is unforgivable.
The Kaiser does have a 3.0MP camera, but the default camera drivers on HTC phones has always been ****. Cool Camera's software give much more control and was the software that took the photos from my Hermes from looking so-so to being very nice. I could only guess that the Kaiser's camera could only look even better running Cool Camera software on it.
The GPS issue isn't much of an issue for me. I don't use GPS too often, but it would be nice to have it built in rather than to have to get out the Bluetooth unit.
The tilting keyboard I've yet to be able to see as very useful. I don't put my phone on a table and peck away at my keyboard...I hold it and type with my thumbs. However, I could see it as being slick for watching videos.
But even with all that, I don't want to drop all that money for a phone that does the same thing mine does, just slightly better. A tilting keyboard, slightly better camera, and built in GPS simply aren't enough to warrant the cash required for a Tilt.
Even though it is being somewhat of a traitor around here, it was the Kaiser's lack of large enough advancements that caused to pick up an unlocked iPhone rather than a Kaiser. I figured I would have the Hermes with all of its Windows Mobile bad ass-ness, and the iPhone for music and video.
...and then Slide 2 Play with coverflow comes out two weeks later. Go figure. There went my reason for the iPhone. ; )

Buying Mogul - Any Known Issues

Hello Guys.
I got a Hermes previously an 8525, and wow it had a lot of issues, like the keyboard not working and the white screen and things like that.
I was wondering if the mogul had some or a lot or did it improve a lot?
Thanks guys.
I have a mogul and i cant in good conscience sugar coat it. Mogul is a POS in my opinion. it runs WM6 far to slow with only 64mb of RAM for programs. find yourself something else. i wish i could recommend it, but no..
The Mogul is just as bad; too many bugs, too slow, not enough RAM, no video drivers. I owned one for less than 6 months and sold it.
Now I have an equally buggy Treo 800w, but at least it's fast, has video drivers, and has plenty of RAM.
Hey man,
Mogul has problems too like the government,economy......and all. However several of us, Mogul users, got it to work to our satisafaction. I for one have 3 email accounts working flawlessly with push,GPS, Spb software,Resco,Radios,tv's, Skype
,occasional router and the list is way too long. I do not have to have half a dozen programs running at once, maybe some music while surfing the net, email/gps/phone call or something like that
Mogul is serving me well. Now that I am able to get a free HTC Pro, I will try it out.
Wow. All this hate against the mogul. It is a solid phone once you find a good ROM and software combination. But, if you are buying new right now, I do agree that you should get something else. The mogul is the previous generation, so I would try the current gen. phones like the diamond or raphael, that is if it is within your budget.
Or you can hope that HTC changes their mind about the touch HD.
Also a pervious 8525 user here. Same memory management hassles and hokey keyboard on mogul. Like the others say, not many phones were more fun to tinker with at the time it came out but now that the Touch Pro (Raphael) is out I also can't recommend a new mogul.
Make sure keyboard works properly.
Oh ok, seems good, but a Diamond and Touch Pro are very expensive aren't they?
I wanted to get Omnia, but wow, too expensive too.
Not a plan user btw.
I think as soon as Rapahel drops price, I'll get it, love its color, but a bit too pricey.
DarkWolfx said:
Oh ok, seems good, but a Diamond and Touch Pro are very expensive aren't they?
I wanted to get Omnia, but wow, too expensive too.
Not a plan user btw.
I think as soon as Rapahel drops price, I'll get it, love its color, but a bit too pricey.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea wait... anything with 64mb RAM = trash
Trash? A little too far with that....
Let me just remind you users of the titan that have had it a year and a half or more like I have, we are a little sore with it at this point. The mogul with DCD's new roms is very solid. We developement junkies are just pissed because we don't have an accelererometer and can't do anything with manila 3d. The fact of the matter is it is a great device, just a little out dated but with the pricing now its worth it I think. Built in wifi, full touch capabilities, customize it to whatever you want, mobile office, built in gps receiver, come on guys. Don't you remember how ecstatic you were when you first brought this bad boy home. If you have not had one yet now is the time to get one when there are stable roms for it, there existed no such thing when I purchased it. And just remember the majority of smart devices can't touch the mogul. I will say though I am one to buy the badest mofo out there now in an attempt to stay ahead as far as possible. Lastely, I signed up for new plan and paid $200 for my girl's titan a year ago and just sold it for the same so how can I be mad at that (she wanted a touch, go figure, said it was cuter). Just buy the titan to get you through another year then waste your benji's next year. I know devices such as touch pro and diamond are much more advanced that the titan but my budies diamond performs like ****, beautiful, but slow as ****. I am waiting for htc to change its mind on the touch hd. Now theres a device.
Yeah, I think I'll just grab it and get the advantage of 3G, until a good device comes down in price.
As these new devices, I don't think either they're definitely worth to get like at this moment.
Like Sweeney Russ says, touch pro hd, there's a device.
ya I'm a little bitter about the memory and apps closing left and right.. other than that it's a lovely device... I guess it would be fine if you stick with older apps and don't get too involved with current developments like m2d. Honestly, if this thing had an extra 64mb (the tilt) I would be very content with it.
dark - you're buying it new? new contract or an upgrade?
I very much enjoy my XV 6800. Yes, if you are a tinkerer who has to plop in every possible app being developed and push the limits of new capability, then by definition any phone that is a year or more older will not be to your liking.
But if you want a phone that can be quite stable if you stabilize your apps and stop tinkering every week, and one that can essentially be a mini-laptop away from home, I know of nothing better than the Titan.
The hard keyboard is awesome, and the touch screen works great.
I guess the best way to describe the Titan is that it does everything decently. It doesn't shine as the best in any one area, but you can do anything with it.
Does it have the best video graphics? No. But I watch ripped movies and youtube videos just fine thank you.
It plays plenty of games. I can do actual work on it using the hard keyboard and Office Mobile.
And if you unlock the GPS, it even gets that much better.
Devin
anythingbutmine said:
The Mogul is just as bad; too many bugs, too slow, not enough RAM, no video drivers. I owned one for less than 6 months and sold it.
Now I have an equally buggy Treo 800w, but at least it's fast, has video drivers, and has plenty of RAM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the mogul too, now the 800w. I can honestly say I don't miss ANYTHING about the mogul other than the battery life. I lived with so much crap for so long.
-The keyboard is bad, and gets worse with time
-BT is TERRIBLE, range and volume wise, buggy too
-Hated the slider form factor, the slow screen re-draw made me want to throw the phone
-Memory, MS should not allow WM phones to be sold with 6.1 and 64 megs. There were so many times I wanted to use the camera but had to reboot to get enough memory.
I could go on, but I won't. The 800w isn't perfect either, but is sooo much better.
Things Have Changed
First of all your using a treo as your defense. Second of all, what the hell are you talking about, you like the treo keyboard over the mogul keyboard? You must have tiny little fingers. I am running radio 3.37.20 and my bluetooth range is phenominal. I can be outside of the car and stay on it while my phone remains. And the audiopara cab actually makes the speaker so loud that it is embarrassing on the phone and my girlfriends little pink moto bt earpiece's speaker blew because the volume was too loud. And why so concerned with the memory? We all know the mogul should have had more, but the fact remains it runs everything I want it to and several apps at the same time. I don't know what you were running but the camera works outstandingly well and screen rotate function works instantly. IGO 8 and touchflo are the biggest memory hogs I have and they run seemlesly. The only explanation would be that you must have been running a stock rom. DCD 3.2.6 is as close to perfect as it gets. No freezing, no lagging, virtually no memory drain. Why are you in the titan forum anyway?
They dont even sell the mogul here anymore its all about the touch pro, which cost almost the same as the mogul did, around 550...get a diamond or a touch pro.
Also not true.....
I got a brand new mogul on ebay for $225, never opened.

Do you regret the X1?

I've been wanting and waiting to buy the xperia since it was released. I'm finally just about to buy it (had one ordered but the order fell through on their end, and so now have time to reconsider). I'm a programmer and very technically-minded, so I am not anticipating having any technical problems with optimizing/dealing with the phone. I'm looking for something powerful (and beautiful) that I can customize and use fully for a while.
However, I see many posts here about people regretting purchasing the xperia, mostly because of sluggish performance (and case cracks). When I go to the local Sony store to play with the display phone they have, I can definitely see that I would be very unhappy with a stock set, it's too unresponsive for me, plus the finger-friendly issues with win6.1. I know all about the different speed tweaks and touchscreen response tweaks available here for the xperia, but it's hard to get a feeling for just how well they work and how much a difference they really make.
But since I'm a regular xda reader, etc, I have hopes that some of the nice roms posted here will improve the system responsiveness, I'm especially looking at gtrab's set, mobilevu's v-lite and wild child's concept rom.
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
I've been waiting for a long time for a real killer phone and while the xperia looks like it for me, I don't want to be disappointed even with custom roms... the hero looks like an option to me if the xperia isn't going to live up to my hopes.
thanks!
Absolutely I regret it. At the time I had just drowned a k850i, and bought another k850i to replace it. Then I saw a decent deal on an X1a, and I went for it. For the money, this phone just isn't worth it. I was happier with my SE dumb phones. I'm waiting for the Idou or whatever they're calling it now. This is after spending months waiting for the c905a...
best phone if you know how to use wm or if you are not too stupid to figure out how
some people are really dumb and should just get an Iphone though
DatDereX1 said:
best phone if you know how to use wm or if you are not to stupid to figure out how
some people are really dumb and should just get an Iphone though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely.
I never had a single doubt about it.
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
Yes, I regret getting the Xperia X1.
I've had an XDA of one sort or another for the last 4-5 years so I'm used to WinMo and it isn't the OS that's the problem. My perception is that it is too fragile for day-to-day use. My sig says changed twice due to cracks in the casing... make that three times as of today!
It is only the fantastic ROMs from the talented chefs here at XDAdev that make it bearable. Most of the ROMs have Rhodium enhancements, and since I really like those enhancements, I'll be looking at a Rhodium next time around.
Nope because I get every dollar (even with the discount) out of my purchase. I use ALL of the features on a daily basis lol.
I do not regret buying an X1. But, buyer beware, it is not perfect out of the box.
My fun was getting it perfect for my preferences. I enjoy having the option to dig in and customize my device with various software or settings tweaks.
It is a well made device and the R3 rom which was finally released for NAM yesterday has improved my reception as well as speed and smoothness running different programs.
I have also flashed it multiple times with custom roms from the chefs here at XDA.
While the price for it was, and still is, ridiculous, I am happy with the phone overall.
I would love to see a winmo 6.5 upgrade for it in the future but realistically, I don't expect it.
I have had mine for around four months, have no cracks in the case and protect my screen with a Martin Fields protector. I use a ICE-45 OEM case.
I would recommend this phone as long as you have disposable income.
It doesn't matter what you buy, in six to twelve months something better will be available. That can be said for all high tech devices.
i do regret it, i've been using sony ericsson for 3 years and lots phones: k800> k608> M600> W880> K850 > W960 >xperia1
somehow Xperia1 is not perfect to me
- camera isnot better even than k800/k850/w960
- music player is definitely worsen/ not friendly than k850/w960- this 2 phones were amazing at its onw strengths- camera/music
- xperia speed is somehow slow/ often hang
that all i want SE to improve and put effort on X2/3 which should have combination of k850 camera/ w960 music and speed. if they do it, their phone would be perfect all aspects
If you are not too concern about the lack of response, I would say its one of the better WM phone..
If you are not too concern about phone hanging once in a while, I would say its one of the better WM phone
If you are not too concern about the music quality, I would say its still one of the better WM phone
If you are not too concern about Window Mobile OS, I would say go get the X1
Do your research on the X1 and compare features before you decide..
For me, yes, I regret it and it has such a low resell value that I am stuck with it for a while now
xperiance said:
I've been wanting and waiting to buy the xperia since it was released. I'm finally just about to buy it (had one ordered but the order fell through on their end, and so now have time to reconsider). I'm a programmer and very technically-minded, so I am not anticipating having any technical problems with optimizing/dealing with the phone. I'm looking for something powerful (and beautiful) that I can customize and use fully for a while.
However, I see many posts here about people regretting purchasing the xperia, mostly because of sluggish performance (and case cracks). When I go to the local Sony store to play with the display phone they have, I can definitely see that I would be very unhappy with a stock set, it's too unresponsive for me, plus the finger-friendly issues with win6.1. I know all about the different speed tweaks and touchscreen response tweaks available here for the xperia, but it's hard to get a feeling for just how well they work and how much a difference they really make.
But since I'm a regular xda reader, etc, I have hopes that some of the nice roms posted here will improve the system responsiveness, I'm especially looking at gtrab's set, mobilevu's v-lite and wild child's concept rom.
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
I've been waiting for a long time for a real killer phone and while the xperia looks like it for me, I don't want to be disappointed even with custom roms... the hero looks like an option to me if the xperia isn't going to live up to my hopes.
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I regret getting the Xperia...
The Primary Reasons (In Priorities Order) That I Got Xperia:
1) Optical Mouse - All of the reviewers on the internet kept referring the D-pad as an Optical Mouse. I didn't want an Optical Joystick, I wanted a Mouse. Furthermore the effing reviewers rarely mentioned that the D-pad was horrible.
2) The keyboard - Everyone raved that the keyboard was amazing, so I thought that I'd enjoyed it. But I think even the HTC Touch Pro 1 has a better keyboard. Why? We all know the front D-pad on TP1 and X1 sucks so much. But atleast Touch Pro 1 is designed for text functionality and has a keyboard D-pad which Xperia lacks. I was at first content with the lack of keyboard arrows because I expected the optical mouse and D-pad to work flawlessly. The Xperia does not have good indicators for Capitalization or blue FN keys. You have to look at the screen and it is hard to tell compared to looking and typing simultaneously on the keyboard. I always capitalize or insert symbols/numbers unexpectedly. The number keys are hid behind the text and I have never used a keyboard on a phone before so I thought it was a smart move with the Xperia. But it's just totally not effective.
Furthermore I rarely use the front D-pad in portrait mode because that is when my stylus is out, and I learned that it is most useful to use it when you are in keyboard mode, except the optical mouse is hard to use and I want keyboard-like arrow buttons.
3) I never had a depressed screen before - I learned that I would rather have scratches on my phone than have a depressed screen. I remember on a few forums that I praised the X1 for having the "usefulness" of a depressed screen, and now I apologize and join the other side of the argument.
4) I thought the screen was big. I was wrong, I've never had any phone with 3 inch screens before and I thought that 3 inch was big. This is why I do not install Touch Flo roms on this phone because Touch Flo owns on a 3.5+ inch screen, but is pointless in a <3.0 inch screen
5) I expected the front face keys to be easy to press and enjoyable. Boy was I wrong.
6) I thought the chrome was metal chrome as well. I was wrong again. It is chipping off already and the D-pad is also chipping off is glossy paint. But I have to admit it that peeling that paint off makes the D-pad looks much more high quality at the cost of losing the shininess.
7) I thought that the silver battery cover was scratch less and easy to remove from the back. It took me 3 months to perfect the art of battery cover removal.
8) The CPU is slow, but I think there is something wrong with my Xperia. I have a Samsung SCH-I760 in which Pocket Player and Core Player is twice as fast as the Xperia X1 with optimized settings.
The only thing that is preventing my from selling my Xperia is the fact that I love the gorgeous R3A Media Panel and its interface and the 3.5 mm headphone jack and the Flash LED.
xperiance said:
My question is: even if you continue to stick with the phone, do you actually regret getting the xperia?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What none of the replies are saying is that it depends quite a lot on where you live and mostly work.
Why ? Because the X1 has a truly terrible GMS signal reception in marginal areas, irrespective of which radio ROM you have installed. I've tested this side by side with an HTC P3650 and an Acer DX900, using the same SIM in each device, directly after one another. The X1 works fine in the cities, hopeless in marginal areas.
Also the 3G UMTS (internet) capability is limited to 1900/2100Mhz in the X1. If you need UMTS 850Mhz in regional areas, try for an X1a.
The original battery is underpowered and heats dangerously with continued use of GPS or wifi while on charge.
Hmmm this is a hard one to tackle.... for me I always regret some part of the phone... maybe frustrated is the work I should use instead of regret. my phone progression has been
550 motorola flip --> Motorola TAC Elite --> Motorola QWERTY messaging phone (forgot the model) --> SE P800 --> BB 7250 & SE W900 --> BB 8830 & Nokia N95 --> BB 8830 & Nokia N85 -- BB 8830 & SE X1
the X1 marked a major change in the way I used my personal phone, primarily for e-mail and messaging, so my criteria have changed a bit. Although the N95/N85 were smart phones, i still primarily used them as phones, and not integrated messaging devices. The Blackberry was always for work, and has always primarily been a messaging device so I have drawn the baseline experience from that.
To answer your question in short: No. No serious regrets.
To answer you question in detail: Yes, I have regrets but the issues can be mitigated/X1 seemed to be the best blend of trade-offs:
1) Lack of free integrated international maps. Global data roaming costs and arm and a leg. Pay as you go in some countries don't include data, so Google Maps downloading data is a bit of a concern when i'm using the GPS abroad. This was a factor when I was deciding between the X1 or N97. I spend 9 of 12 months in home territory so i can probably manage without free international maps. (Garmin, Wayfinder don't have maps for Japan or other Asian countries that I spend time in, and you have to pay for maps unlike the free Nokia Maps app)
2) Windows Mobile quirkiness. WM 6.1 is slow. Weird things happen like accounts go missing, spontaneous reboots, lock ups, crashes, when you install different things. It's not as customizable (stock), I haven't found a voice dialler/voice synth, and the menu system is not intuitive. The messaging system is more robust however, and there is great aftermarket customization (ROMS and MODS from here), etc. I think some of these shortcommings can easily be rectified by the community, but they're still annoying. COmmunity and aftermarket support maturity ended up being a huge factor for me.
3) Form factor. It is slightly thicker than my N85, but thinner than my N95, just as wide, and only 1 cm or so taller. It is comfortable in my hand and is pocketable. The N97 is not much bigger, but the BB Bold is a lot fatter. Seemed like a good compromise.
4) Battery Life. Horrid. I could get 3-4 days normal use with my N85. I use 30% of the battery on a low usage day, and 50-60% on a moderate usage day. Mind you I use the data a lot more, which does suck up more battery, but I should get more than a day's charge out of it IMO. I'm going to chalk this up to my use of data, and hope that there is a future radio/rom upgrade that is easier on battery usage.
5) Functionality as a messaging device. I IM, e-mail, and SMS much more than I call. probably 8-to-1. I do find myself resorting back to my BB8830 for heavy IM usage sessions, possibly because I am more familiar with it, but realistically because I'm much more used to the keyboard. Heavily considered the BB Bold for this reason alone. Maybe things will change after a month or two getting used to the X1. The N97 which I also considered had serious issues as being a robust messaging device. It seemed adequate, and may have improved with further firmware releases/development, but S60 5th Edition seemed limited in more ways somehow.
6) Recessed screen. Pain in the ass. Not a deal breaker tho since I have thin fingers and am pretty dexterous. I can understand why this would be a larger issue for other people however. Definitely a poor design choice.
7) Volume. This is a quiet device. I'll have to amplify and re-jig all my custom call tones, and what not. Annoying, but manageable.
8) Poor camera. I'm used to a really good quality 5 MP Carl Zeiss lense that was on the N85. I didn't use it much but it was a nice thing to have as a backup. I feel a bit stifled by the camera on the X1, but since I'm not really using it that much, it becomes a lower weighted criteria.
So as you can see, for me, it was not a simple choice between a BB Bold, SE X1, Nokia N97, or waiting for the new Samsung B7610, HTC Touch 2, SE X2, or some other next gen device. Lots of factors, and yes I do have regrets around a lot of them, but you do the best you can and just move on.
I've found with some tweaking the X1 usable/tolerable, and meeting 80% of my needs. Nothing will ever be perfect, and if I follow the 80/20 rule, meeting 80% of my requirements for a decent price is usually as good a deal as I can ask for.
On reflection, yes... I regret it.
I resent the implication by DatDereX1 that somehow the phone's shortcomings are down to my stupidity. If it was a simple case of software, then all of the problems would instantly be resolved by a flash of the ROM - but that isn't the case. WinMo aside, the hardware is far from perfect:
* abysmal battery life
* poor responsiveness to touch
* recessed screen
* case suceptible to cracks
* poor external speaker
* reception is poor (compared to other devices in the same location on the same network)
When you throw in the stock software, you can add to that sluggish performance and poor usability. Out-of-the-box it is quite simply a device that is well below par.
With custom ROMs the situation becomes bareable but you still can't get away from the basic hardware issues... and even with the ROMs, performance is still far from lightening quick.
Even those devoted to WinMo would surely have to conceed it is not the best implementation of the OS on a device.
i bought it after selling iphone 3g...was tired of iphone's on-screen keyboard....and the phone was jus too wide...holding it made my palms ache.
other than that..the features werent elaborate
so i bought X1...X1 is everything i wanted in a phone..but it could do with many improvements.
some problems i have with x1:
1. Panels crash sometimes..very rarely..but when they do..i have to soft reset.
2. Camera is slow.
3. panels development not as fast as expected.
4. scrolling on windows mobile sux.
5. touch response....dont know if its windows mobile or hardwares fault...but it can be improved...iphone has a very good touch response.
i bought it after selling iphone 3g...was tired of iphone's on-screen keyboard....and the phone was jus too wide...holding it made my palms ache.
other than that..the features werent elaborate
so i bought X1...X1 is everything i wanted in a phone..but it could do with many improvements.
some problems i have with x1:
1. Panels crash sometimes..very rarely..but when they do..i have to soft reset.
2. Camera is slow.
3. panels development not as fast as expected.
4. scrolling on windows mobile sux.
5. touch response....dont know if its windows mobile or hardwares fault...but it can be improved...iphone has a very good touch response.
I only regret I have no Xperia. I bought one for my wife and she uses it greatly. I have no money currently to spend on another one. I'm stuck for 5+ years with my old trusted Nokia 6230 (not even 6230i) phone if you remember the one.
I know definitely my next phone will be some PPC with WinMo. Maybe X2...
i do regret buying the x1, because now i want something more powerful with more features, eye candy and sexier...but u know what? i am still yet to find the device.
i really want to replace my x1 but i cant see anything to replace it with, will never buy the iphone unless it comes with fm radio, camera light or flash, mp3 for ringtones and multitasking abilities...so im kinda stuck with my x1, lets hope the x2 is much sexier, or else i would be buying a future htc android device with sense ui
i have two problems with the x1 so far
1. the battery loses its paint when touched often
2. the battery life is worse than my p1i ...thing is that i did more on my p1i than i do on my x1
Not at all, I love it.
All phones have their faults, hell, I sold my E90 Communicator to get one of these.
I loved that phone too, but Nokia's support of it was abysmal (it took them over a year to release a firmware fix for the Bluetooth issue that they broke with a firmware release...) and it got to the point where it was becoming a pain to use.
With all technology, there will be problems, they are coded by humans don't forget
I'd rather have 'quirks' or little niggles that can be sorted with small apps or tweaks than to have a featureless brick any day of the week.
Plus, it gives me a chance to satisfy my *need* to play with the newest toys!
I love my Xperia.
I am sick of these threads.
I don't know why so many of you say that you regret buying it (even though one of you that said they regret it also said it was the best phone available).
If you are unsure about a product read more about it. If you regret buying an Xperia (especially since you are at XDA-dev) it's your own damn fault.
Hannigan174 said:
I love my Xperia.
I am sick of these threads.
I don't know why so many of you say that you regret buying it (even though one of you that said they regret it also said it was the best phone available).
If you are unsure about a product read more about it. If you regret buying an Xperia (especially since you are at XDA-dev) it's your own damn fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats so true.
It is just such a tiny little effort needed to put into the x1 to make it the most powerful phone of all.
Again I must stick to my phrase:
Regretting == Not being able to handle the X1

Anyone move from TP2 to N1?

Hi,
As the title says, just looking for some feedback from those who had a tp2 and moved to N1 - is there any major disadvantages of the N1 over the tp2 (omitting obvious keyboard)
I hear the speaker on the N1 is bad and the speaker on the TP2 is awesome, can anyone verify this?
I went from tp2 to n1. The keyboard and speaker are all I miss. The n1 is the much better phone and toy : )
I moved from TP2 to N1! I had a g1 before the tp2, and now getting back to android, I wonder why i ever left!
The speaker is the only thing i "miss" i didnt really you use it often though...
The N1 is soooo much better than the tp2
Former (mostly happy until the touch screen died) TP2 user here. I love the Nexus One. I miss the hardware keyboard, obviously, but swype makes up for it.
The unit is incredibly responsive, and now that we have sense ported on the N1 the Exchange integration is excellent.
Now I don't miss the TP2 at all. Especially since I love tinkering with the OS and Android is better than WM for that.
shure2 said:
Hi,
As the title says, just looking for some feedback from those who had a tp2 and moved to N1 - is there any major disadvantages of the N1 over the tp2 (omitting obvious keyboard)
I hear the speaker on the N1 is bad and the speaker on the TP2 is awesome, can anyone verify this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speaker on the TP2 was the best of any phone I've heard or used. As a result the speaker on the N1 was a let down.
However, the phone itself is outstanding. The build quality is quite good and the SW keyboard isn't as hard to adjust to as I had expected (especially in landscape mode).
The only thing you haven't touched on that I would mention is that the TP2 (CDMA at least) had *outstanding* battery life. The N1 is no slouch when it comes to battery life in the smart phone arena, but I did see better battery life with the TP2.
speaker was good
keyboard was really good
i want the htc clock but dont know the settings for the weather widget.
typ_ex said:
speaker was good
keyboard was really good
i want the htc clock but dont know the settings for the weather widget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
weather skin downloader > h7c.zip
then install from SD card
clock skin downloader > h7c-clock.zip
then install from SD card.
Maybe you only have to do one or the other, but i did both to be safe and it worked.
jz9833 said:
I went from tp2 to n1. The keyboard and speaker are all I miss. The n1 is the much better phone and toy : )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 same here. This was also my 1st android device, came from many years of WM devices. I don't regret a thing. All pro's, zero cons.
jz9833 said:
weather skin downloader > h7c.zip
then install from SD card
clock skin downloader > h7c-clock.zip
then install from SD card.
Maybe you only have to do one or the other, but i did both to be safe and it worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
those can be found here
edit: but, apparently it isn't as simple as 'move to sd card and install'. gotta pick up 'weather widget donate' from the market to use this
i did t hat, but the clock looks really scrunched in. also the black background doesn't cover the whole clock + weather.
i went from a TP2 as well. the speaker was nice and i do miss that and the keyboard sometimes but other then that im happy with my switch. windows mobile was so boring and dull to me and going to android has been good so far with no intention to going back to the TP2 and WM for that matter. N1 is a really nice phone
well i just sold my TP2 and my N1 should be here in the morning but I can tell you one thing... I love android, and as a previous G1 owner, I missed being able to mess with the OS. WinMo was too intricate and seemed "junky" whereas android is just PNG and XML really...
Another Happy TP2 -> N1 customer here. Few points:
Speed - the N1 is VERY quick compared to the TP2 (stock TP2, running WM6.5/Sense 2.1). No lag, everything works instantly on the N1. Phone doesn't slow down after a few days uptime, there's no lag in SMS or MMS.
Keyboard - The major concern moving from TP2 was the lack of hardware keyboard. That was one of the major factors in my decision not to get the HD2. Hardware keyboard IS better for typing longer pieces of text (i.e a decent length email for example) but for the standard phone texts/mms/short mails/web browsing/IM the N1's keyboard is fine. Enabling haptic feedback and using in landscape mode makes it a doddle to use, rarely now have to go back and correct words etc. Yet to try non stock keyboards, these should aid the transition even more.
Look and Feel - The N1 is MUCH more attractive that the TP2, however I sometimes find the N1 a touch on the small side - that being said it's probably more due to being used to the larger TP2, the N1 is certainly easier to used 1 handed than the TP2 tho do sometimes feel like I'm going to drop it!
While HTC's sense was full of eye candy, with a couple of widgets and some time Android can look just as good (and that's before you consider the custom ROM's with sense etc available)
Android vs WiMo - Night and day here (and this is probably the biggest "love" for me at the moment). Everything is at your fingertips. It's so easy to take a pic and whack it on facebook, send it via MMS or email. Check google maps or browse the net. It's all there, and really quickly available. The app store is pretty acomplished too, easy access to a load of apps - something which (last time I checked) the MS stored was lacking in.
Moving from a non smartphone to the TP2 was a pretty big jump. Good net access on the move, easy access to email and other information. The jump from the TP2 to N1 was probably equally as big. All the previous information is available (only MUCH faster) + a whole load of new information, apps and ways to keep in contact with people.
Hope this helps
I also moved from a touch pro 2 to a nexus one (with an iphone 3gs in the middle meh not even worth mentioning lol) and yeah I have to agree with everyone else. The touch pro 2 is a great phone but nowhere near as awesome as the nexus one but I'll probably end up swapping my nexus for the touch pro 3 or whatever they decide to call it.
*sigh* dont you just hate it when something so cool and new becomes redundant and old like 6months later..
Bought Them Both at the Same Time
I actually bought both the phones at the same time, after my HD died (I killed it when I opened it up).
The TP2 like everyone says is a great phone. Though the GSM T-Mobile US version (that I had) had pathetic battery life (Compared to my Blackstone). But the TP2 can not hold a candle to the N1.
The only thing I miss from the TP2 is the EXCELLENT speaker, and the keyboard.
The N1 is sleeker, it's RIDICULOUSLY FAST! the display is superb. I can do about 10 things in the time it takes me to do one thing on the TP2. Combine that with Xralogic Remote Desktop Client, and Documents to Go Pro, and you have a WM replacement.
Trust me, I'm no Windows Mobile Hater, I'm actually an advocate of WM and I have been for the last 7 years, but the the N1 is just a superb phone. I've had the G1 and the Moto ClIQ, but I went back to WM but the N1 is awesome.
I am looking forward to owning a US T-Mobile branded HD2 though.
I hope you find this useful .
wow... seems to be that the general consensus here is loving the jump they made from the TP2 to the N1... honestly, if there had been a stable fully working haret build for XDAndroid on the TP2 i maybe would have been a little more hesitant. I loved the keyboard, and i loved the solid feel of the TP2. But i strapped on a hardcase with silicon lining on in and out and this phone feels great now. I have yet to root, and this is the longest I have held out on rooting/flashing a device. I am pretty sure that once someone figures out how to relock the bootloader (if at all possible) I would go ahead and root. But I also wanna use this phone stock for a few weeks just to test the waters and make sure no glitches/disfunctions happen. (dust under screen, nonresponsive touchscreen, just little things that i wouldnt be able to get fixed once the warranty is void)

Are you happy with your HD2?

I am trying hard, coming from android but its very difficult the apps are so lacking. I do miss my google sky maps, and my real working gps. For some reasons gps on the HD2 is garbage, I dont even know if it works.
Open market is a big help on the HD2, and following a lot of tweaks, its manageable , I dont want to risk flashing it.
Any app recommends?
flash the device
resco explorer is good
zenonia is a great game for windows as is ivy the kiwi
what else? chainfire graphic acceleration
gtx5 theme
I don't do gps really at all...never have so that's an app I don't use...
tcpmp/coreplayer will help
Dutty's Task Manageris a must have.
I would post the link but I'm not allowed to since I'm a new member. You can find it in the Apps repository thread.
HD2
Hi,
I too came back to Winmo from android, and to be quite honest I miss nothing.
Yes I dont have the cool Bic concert lighter app, or the flashing cop car light app, but the phone does what its supposed to do. Its a productivity thing.
Keeps track of my work Exchange account, my other 3 email accounts. Edits Office documents on the fly, oh and has the best screen ever placed on a phone.
And the GPS works great on this phone. No you cant get the free turn by turn Google app, but for 29 bucks (its a steal) you can get Co-Pilot, which works well and doesnt require an internet connection to guide you. Try out the Co-Pilot, it works really well for me, and it now has TTS for street announcement and free live local search!
fhaines
Your GPS works fine, open google maps, hit menu, press "Use GPS", then press the small blue box which contains a small light blue dot on the bottom right side of the screen. Be sure to give the phone enough time to connect to the satellites displayed on the top right side of your screen.
I've never had a better GPS on any phone.
I like my HD2 after using it over 2 weeks.
However, I wish the standard keyboard was better. I HATE hitting the 'xt9/abc' toggle when I want to hit a or z. I also HATE accidentally hitting the show/hide icon for the keyboard and hiding the keyboard while I'm typing. I converted over to Swype due to this.
I also wish the HTC Messaging app didn't lag. I makes the phone feel slow when I'm trying use this app.
I'm coming from android too and to be honest I was thinking on cooking my Own Rom cause all of the ROMs available are not to my liking either to sloooow or crappy icons or maybe missing some tweaks and home tabs BUT! I rather Go back to my android (Had it since day 1)
I given up hope on HD2 sad I know I expected to be WWAAAAYYYY much more of a better phone.
I got the phone 2 weeks ago But I find myself using my G1 more.
so I'll prob sell it on Craigslist and get a N1 (which was my actual fir option)
You will probably endup doing the same
I like my HD2 Hardware not the operating system
Bitter sweat to say the least. I really like this phone, it has some crazy advance features over today phones but the software (WindowMobile / Sense UI) has really let me down. I did my research (as I do with all phones) so I was really excited to try something new (I have an iPhone) but it's been more headaches than joy.
The only reason why Im holding on to it is in hopes WP7 or Android ROM comes soon, as of right now, I've swapped my sim back into my iPhone.
Well, I took the plunge and did what i feared the most. I added a ROM and I'm loving this phone. No more lag, freezes, bugs, or having to have 10 cabs installed.
digitallysick said:
I am trying hard, coming from android but its very difficult the apps are so lacking. I do miss my google sky maps, and my real working gps. For some reasons gps on the HD2 is garbage, I dont even know if it works.
Open market is a big help on the HD2, and following a lot of tweaks, its manageable , I dont want to risk flashing it.
Any app recommends?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
best device i've owned (and i've had about 8). just get the tweaks so customize it and add a few key apps (for me: resco explorer, resco photo viewer, iGo8 -GPS - work great for me, & core player). my device runs almost flawlessly.
without a doubt this is the best windows mobile device I have run to date everything is flawless!\
trust me when I say this
MESS WITH A CUSTOM ROM
you will love your device. its as easy and fast as a jailbreak
digitallysick said:
I am trying hard, coming from android but its very difficult the apps are so lacking. I do miss my google sky maps, and my real working gps. For some reasons gps on the HD2 is garbage, I dont even know if it works.
Open market is a big help on the HD2, and following a lot of tweaks, its manageable , I dont want to risk flashing it.
Any app recommends?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If apps are you're looking for, it'd be best to go back to Android. Apps are not the strongest draw of the HD2. App development for windows mobile is essentially dead, as developers are now focusing on WP7.
On the note of GPS, it works great for me. I use it every morning on the way to work (helps me navigate around traffice jams).
So far love the build quality as its super solid with no slop like my former TILT and Fuze. The only issue I have is with the camera design which stick out too far and is unprotected from fingerprints and scuffs. The case they provide really doesn't shield it. WISH they would have kept the same design as the Euro/Asia specd HD2 so that accessories could be interchangable. They have some really good cases for the HD2 but not the TMobile versions. Getting screen protectors that truly fit and not leave gaps seems to be a problem as well. LOVE the screen and true capacitive touch.
Software so far - only owned it a week at most and its not been used all that much is pretty fast and the screen is amazing. Wished the bluetooth caller id announce worked and had the ability to record conversations which does not work. Status and other things work fine - so maybe they'll be some fix in the future.
BIG issue is with the 3g network reception. Goes from EDGE to 3g at will. Seems to lock on 3g when return from standby or power up for a few minutes then it will jump to E. Been doing this since I got it - don't think its a design/hardware issue just requires an update in the radio. Will not return it as in more populated areas it locks on 3g and stays locked. Will see. Had AT&T before so not too familiar with TMOBILE in my area. Download speeds are only in the 800 range. ATT in great area would get around 1200.
Voice quality so far is on par or better than AT&T but the volume could be a little higher even with it set full high.
For the price I paid with a new two year contract of (99 - discount code) 75 through a 3rd party and I get the AAA activation waived and 14% off my bill I definately can't complain. Ordered the phone last Monday - received it Wenesday.
Loving my HD2 with the energy tom
stim141 said:
So far love the build quality as its super solid with no slop like my former TILT and Fuze. The only issue I have is with the camera design which stick out too far and is unprotected from fingerprints and scuffs. The case they provide really doesn't shield it. WISH they would have kept the same design as the Euro/Asia specd HD2 so that accessories could be interchangable. They have some really good cases for the HD2 but not the TMobile versions. Getting screen protectors that truly fit and not leave gaps seems to be a problem as well. LOVE the screen and true capacitive touch.
Software so far - only owned it a week at most and its not been used all that much is pretty fast and the screen is amazing. Wished the bluetooth caller id announce worked and had the ability to record conversations which does not work. Status and other things work fine - so maybe they'll be some fix in the future.
BIG issue is with the 3g network reception. Goes from EDGE to 3g at will. Seems to lock on 3g when return from standby or power up for a few minutes then it will jump to E. Been doing this since I got it - don't think its a design/hardware issue just requires an update in the radio. Will not return it as in more populated areas it locks on 3g and stays locked. Will see. Had AT&T before so not too familiar with TMOBILE in my area. Download speeds are only in the 800 range. ATT in great area would get around 1200.
Voice quality so far is on par or better than AT&T but the volume could be a little higher even with it set full high.
For the price I paid with a new two year contract of (99 - discount code) 75 through a 3rd party and I get the AAA activation waived and 14% off my bill I definately can't complain. Ordered the phone last Monday - received it Wenesday.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're looking for a really nice case that protects the camera, check out the leather cases at noreve.com. The leather flip case is very nice and you get to choose from different leather types and colors. It's made for the euro version, but it fits my tmous hd2 fine. Protects real well, too. Dropped my hd2 on my driveway the other day... couple small scuffs on the case, but phone is fine.
I too came from android g1, I didnt realize how much i loved android when I first got the HD2, After I figured out how to operate it, took about 48 hours, figured out how to sync it with WMDC got all my contacts and email. IT FREAKIN ROCKS. I am so impressed with syncing up with outlook on my computer and to my hd2. I have pretty much found all the same type of comparable apps as android. but so i love it!
I have also flashed it with a new rom as as long as you follow the instructions step by step, and use tested radios and roms. watch youtube videos so you know what goes on with your phone during the process so you dont get freaked out.
Are You Happy-Discount?
stim141 spoke about a discount code...paying only $99.00, as well as other "deals." Where did you get that code and how do you apply it?
I'm, in LA been living on the Edge with my Advantage 7501 onTMobile. Would rather have 3G than Edge, and a slimmer device.
And what ever happened to the 4.8 inch HTC Thoth (Athena2)?
bagua
I love my HTC HD2 running energy ro and battery lasts way longer than it did with stock rom
ecyoral said:
I love my HTC HD2 running energy ro and battery lasts way longer than it did with stock rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm people I have heard people say that ROM eats batteries. Nice to see yours is lasting longer. This is my top rom to use when I get the energy to root my phone, kinda scared as of now.
BUT YES..... I love my phone even through the freezes, bad reception, and constant 3g loss of signal.

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