Database Users

7501 Listed on Amazon - Available August 1, 2007

I'm not sure when this showed up on Amazon, but it's been in the last couple of days. I've heard that Amazon was going to be the first distributor of the 7501 in the U.S. and it looks like it will be available August 1st. Here's the link to the listing ... http://www.amazon.com/HTC-Advantage...8543?ie=UTF8&s=wireless&qid=1178972918&sr=8-1
We can't order it yet, but can you can sign up for an email when it becomes available.

Thats good news for you guys in the US. Should hopefully mean more accessories will start to be released as it appears people are slow on the uptake with tmanufacturing acessories for the Advantage as there isnt too much to choose from.
Also hopefully will mean Windows Mobile 6 for the rest of us Ameo / Advantage owners who are on Windows Mobile 5! I dont mind waiting till August!

x7501
Actually after reading the link you posted.That is the X7500 and Amazon will not be the only organisation selling this device.David of Mad Monkey boy gadgets will have the device on hand when it is released.

I believe this is the 7501 since it has WM6
It looks like the pictures are of the 7500, since it has the webcamera on the front. Although, in the text it clearly states it's "Powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6", which is the key differentiator for the 7501 vs. 7500. I think Amazon just used standard "stock photos" for the ad, just to get it up. If I can get a 7500 with WM6 then I'm all for it, but I don't believe that's offered anywhere yet. What's everyone else think?
Also, thanks for mentioning Mad Monkey Boy Gadgets. Does anyone else have any recommendations of where the X7501 will be available? I don't have any particular allegiance to Amazon, so I would welcome some price competition.

olliesshop said:
It looks like the pictures are of the 7500, since it has the webcamera on the front. Although, in the text it clearly states it's "Powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6", which is the key differentiator for the 7501 vs. 7500. I think Amazon just used standard "stock photos" for the ad, just to get it up. If I can get a 7500 with WM6 then I'm all for it, but I don't believe that's offered anywhere yet. What's everyone else think?
Also, thanks for mentioning Mad Monkey Boy Gadgets. Does anyone else have any recommendations of where the X7501 will be available? I don't have any particular allegiance to Amazon, so I would welcome some price competition.
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Click to collapse
actually, i see no points of getting the HTX X7501 if you can get X7500. There will be official WM6 update for X7500, it has been confirm and announce already.
So which one will you get? x7500 with front camera and WM6 and you don't need to wait, or x7501 with no front camera with WM6 but you have to wait?
I am still trying to figure out what is there even a X7501, my internal contact in HTC can not answer it, and the best guess is x7501 is target for US market only, but hey, x7500 is also being sold in US now.

Good point
The only reasons I was waiting was to get a fresh WM6 build and to make sure it works with AT&T 3G 1900Hz. I was without my Universal for about 3 months after a disasterous official i-mate ROM upgrade. I ended up having to get a new "mother board" for it in the end and it seemed like an eternity. Evidently the board was faulty and it got locked on the splash screen.
Although, if you think the X7500 is better (with the front camera), the WM6 upgrade will go smoothly and it works on the U.S. 3G 1900Hz AT&T 3G network, I may go ahead and get the 7500. I sure don't want to wait if I don't have to.
Thank you very much for your insight.

olliesshop said:
The only reasons I was waiting was to get a fresh WM6 build and to make sure it works with AT&T 3G 1900Hz. I was without my Universal for about 3 months after a disasterous official i-mate ROM upgrade. I ended up having to get a new "mother board" for it in the end and it seemed like an eternity. Evidently the board was faulty and it got locked on the splash screen.
Although, if you think the X7500 is better (with the front camera), the WM6 upgrade will go smoothly and it works on the U.S. 3G 1900Hz AT&T 3G network, I may go ahead and get the 7500. I sure don't want to wait if I don't have to.
Thank you very much for your insight.
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Click to collapse
i am 95% sure it will work in US (some people are already using x7500 in US, you can ask them). And yes WM6 update will run smoothly on x7500 too. So yes, i think x7500 is better. You see, the point is US is not suppose to have x7500 for sell, but some people import it therefore it's now available for buy too. Therefore it's no point waiting x7501.
Bare in mind the reason why x7501 take off front camera is the network in US doesn't allow video call, but hey, you can still use it for taking picture of yourself

Yes, it does work on the Cingular 3g network. As a matter of fact, it works great. No issues at all on the cingular 3g network.

Doesn't allow video telephony... unfortunatly true. The network is provisioned, sites are being added regularly and SUDs work fine. If you can manage to have someone add the SOCs for you or in some cases write the proper class on your SIM, you can use it. Why oh why marketing chooses not to turn on the switch. Market is ready to pay to use the service, and network deployed should suffice to the extra load. Most sites have enough bandwith to sustain data connection over 3G and video telephony. *sigh* why are northamerican GSM service providers so behind in the offering? Devices, services... I'm moving back to hong kong! Hutchison isn't bad at all in comparison now.
wu5262 said:
i am 95% sure it will work in US (some people are already using x7500 in US, you can ask them). And yes WM6 update will run smoothly on x7500 too. So yes, i think x7500 is better. You see, the point is US is not suppose to have x7500 for sell, but some people import it therefore it's now available for buy too. Therefore it's no point waiting x7501.
Bare in mind the reason why x7501 take off front camera is the network in US doesn't allow video call, but hey, you can still use it for taking picture of yourself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks for the news !!!
That's great news that it definitely works on the Cingular/AT&T 3G network. I've had horrible reception on my Universal ever since they transitioned to 3G in January. I think Cingular re-prioritized their towers to 3G and left the 2G/GSM network with less bandwidth ... and I can't use the 3G since the Universal 3G is the 2100Hz European version.
Does anyone have a source you would recommend for the HTC version (in Black) for the US? I bought my XDAII and Universal from overseas and I would sure like to buy from the U.S. this time, if possible.
Finally, as anyone heard firm timing on an official HTC WM6 upgrade? Sorry for being a little paranoid, but ever since I turned my Universal into a brick last year I've gotten a little squeamish on doing ROM upgrades.
Thank you all again for the help. I'm hoping others in the U.S. are in my position are reading this and will also benefit from this thread.

olliesshop said:
That's great news that it definitely works on the Cingular/AT&T 3G network. I've had horrible reception on my Universal ever since they transitioned to 3G in January. I think Cingular re-prioritized their towers to 3G and left the 2G/GSM network with less bandwidth ... and I can't use the 3G since the Universal 3G is the 2100Hz European version.
Does anyone have a source you would recommend for the HTC version (in Black) for the US? I bought my XDAII and Universal from overseas and I would sure like to buy from the U.S. this time, if possible.
Finally, as anyone heard firm timing on an official HTC WM6 upgrade? Sorry for being a little paranoid, but ever since I turned my Universal into a brick last year I've gotten a little squeamish on doing ROM upgrades.
Thank you all again for the help. I'm hoping others in the U.S. are in my position are reading this and will also benefit from this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wm6 update will be available in about 2 months

I bought mine from
http://www.dweiniger.com/

which one? 7501?

lennyfl said:
http://www.dweiniger.com/
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Click to collapse
Worst... webdesign... ever...
Nara-e-Mastana said:
Which one? 7501?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't be, it's not out yet. Or am I lost?

This is incredible !!!
As an update, I ended up buying an X7501 (opps ... meant X7500) through eBay (http://www.phonesource-usa.com/cell-phone-555-cheap/HTC-Advantage-X7500---Plus-FREE-2GB-miniSD.php).
I just got it a couple of hours ago and all I can say is this completely blows my Universal out of the water !!! I've just done the basic setups for now, but everything went so smoothly. The screen is wonderful and I actually like the keyboard better in some ways. I could go on an on, but that's for another thread/post. I just wanted to thank you all for the guidance ... great advice !!!

olliesshop said:
As an update, I ended up buying an X7501 through eBay (http://www.phonesource-usa.com/cell-phone-555-cheap/HTC-Advantage-X7500---Plus-FREE-2GB-miniSD.php).
I just got it a couple of hours ago and all I can say is this completely blows my Universal out of the water !!! I've just done the basic setups for now, but everything went so smoothly. The screen is wonderful and I actually like the keyboard better in some ways. I could go on an on, but that's for another thread/post. I just wanted to thank you all for the guidance ... great advice !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you mean a X7500, the x7501 comes with Windows Mobile 6 and is not released yet...But yea, I love my x7500 too!

hi guys/gals,
just to verify olliesshop, is it the 7500-wm-5 or 7501-wm-6 that you received ?
i,m just down i-94 in ann arbor and had my jasjar up until a few months ago, but it seemed slow and had to be reset regularly, and reception for the phone and data was quite slow, not to mention the poor camera.
ahhhhhhhhh but now that i have the trion, i really do miss that vga screen!
anyway please let us know which version you have,and does it have the front video camera ?, price you paid and how quickly did you receive it ?
thanks,
djsell

First, yes it was the X7500, sorry for the typo.
Second, it came with WM5 and I expect to upgrade to WM6 in a couple months, along with all the other X7500 owners. Also, it does have the front video camera. I bought it through good old eBay. Here's the link to the item ... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=220111572595. My research showed only a few X7500 retailers, so I went to eBay to check out the one's sold there. This one seemed like the best deal and they where based in the U.S. (Las Vegas). I called them up and they seemed nice so I went with them ... http://www.phonesource-usa.com/cell-phone-555-cheap/HTC-Advantage-X7500---Plus-FREE-2GB-miniSD.php. So far, it's still an incredible machine compared to my Jasjar.
The only 2 minor problems I have so far:
1. The clear part of the keyboard is getting scratched from the "sharp metal" edge of the screen. It's slightly poud of the black case so it scrapes the clear part as it slides over it. So my plan is to wait until there's no interference (after it's worn all the way down) and polish the clear plastic.
2. There's no place to put the keyboard when you just want to use the main part of the device. So I end up putting in my pocket. I assumed it would magnetically attach to the back of the device, but it doesn't seem to.
Overall summary ... I was waiting for the Omni, but it seems like it's turning out to be vaporware or at least not available until late this year. This was clearly the right decision. The Cingular/AT&T 3G works flawlessly in Grosse Pointe, where my Jasjar could barely get a signal anyware after they introduced 3G. The large screen is awesome compared to the Jasjar. I could go on and on, but I will be having tonnes of fun with with for a while.

i got mine about 2 weeks ago. have a problem when i make calls it drops the call before it rings sometimes i have to send 3 times in a row before the call goes through. also i can receive text messages but i can't send them. not sure if its the x7500 or the sim card on both problems.
other than these issues this thing is great im in grosse ile mi. and my reception is good
had verizon and recetion here was bad
waiting for the rom ugrade
if anyone has any ideas for thes problems please post
thank you

getwet said:
i got mine about 2 weeks ago. have a problem when i make calls it drops the call before it rings sometimes i have to send 3 times in a row before the call goes through. also i can receive text messages but i can't send them. not sure if its the x7500 or the sim card on both problems.
other than these issues this thing is great im in grosse ile mi. and my reception is good
had verizon and recetion here was bad
waiting for the rom ugrade
if anyone has any ideas for thes problems please post
thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For your SMS problem; Did you set your SMS centre number in your phone settings?
If you just installed the SIM card after getting the unit then your SMS and Voicemail numbers need to be entered in the phone settings.

Got the green light to get a hermes!

So, after discussing the options to repair my old blue angel (cracked digitizer ), the accountant (AKA The Wife(tm)) gave me the green light to get a hermes.
My question: Which one to get? I know of the first generation having the touchscreen problems and loose keyboards, but I can't seem to find anything that identifies the models that have these problems.
I see on ebay and various places the occasional Softbank. I am aware of the "dangers" of getting a softbank that is not unlockable/flashable, but with a price usually considerably lower than the other versions of the phone (HTC, Vodaphone, etc), they are tempting, but if they are already unlocked, I question the ability of the unit to accept different ROM's.
Anyone have any advice on what to look for/versions to avoid? Thanks!

Why don't you get the HTC TyTN II aka HTC Kaiser?

I would wait until the Kaiser is out and get that. It will be the latest and no need to upgrade for a while.

If you're sure you want to go with a Hermes (nothing wrong with that) instead of waiting on the Kaiser, take a look at this wiki page for problems with different models. At this point I don't think there are really any major problems on the newest models.
Also, when I shopped around for mine the 8525 was generally the cheapest available here in the states. If you go with an 8525, maybe look for an AT&T branded phone, as that should be one of the newest production models (won't get stuck with an old one with alignment issues).

Well, as much as I would love to get a Kaiser, the cost is high enough that it is not really an option. I'm seeing the Hermes going for around $400 to $500 used, with pre-orders for the Kaiser for almost $800. I may try to go that route still.
I've looked at the wiki, however, as is the case, sometimes people don't have the time to update it, so I thought I'd check with those who are currently using them now.
And the 8525... I've avoid that one. Something about AT&T/Cingular removing features from the phone and the fact that I'm seeing a more of those for sale over any other model kind of worries me.
I really like the look of the softbank, I'm just worried that if I get one unlocked, that it was done in a way that would prevent me from flashing a custom ROM on it.

Well, I recently bought a Softbank X01 for myself. The stock I got seems to have been made in July and so far it's performing nicely. The ebay seller said it was unlocked for use on the networks in my area (Rogers Canada) and sure enough it is. It also came flashed with a Dopod ROM of WM6 which was a bonus for me, as I 've never flashed ROMs onto things before.
The only problem was the keyboard layout didn't match what the software thought it was -- that is to say, I just had to tweak which keyboard version I had installed and then all symbols on hardware keyboard were in correct position.
If it helps, here's the seller I got it from. I did the local pickup, but they apparently have shipping too.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-SoftBank-X01...ryZ64355QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

For the record, the only thing different about the 8525 is the lack of the front facing VGA 3G video camera. Since there is no 3G video call capabilities in the US, there's no need to have it. The 8525 is a HERM100 device. See here for an explanation.
The likely reason that they are available all over is the fact that AT&T subsidizes the cost of the phone. For instance, I can buy the phone through my business account for $300 with free activation, free shipping, etc. If I wasn't lazy, I'd pay the $300 and sell it on ebay. Also, the 8525 is the only one available from a carrier in the US. So if you're looking on ebay.com, that's just what you're going to see. Just like you'd probably see a lot of Dopods in south east Asia.
There's nothing wrong with the 8525. Other than the front camera, the only differences between the 8525 and any other Hermes is purely cosmetic. I've had mine for 6 months, and it's been rock solid.

Toleraen said:
For the record, the only thing different about the 8525 is the lack of the front facing VGA 3G video camera. Since there is no 3G video call capabilities in the US, there's no need to have it. The 8525 is a HERM100 device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*snip*
Toleraen said:
There's nothing wrong with the 8525. Other than the front camera, the only differences between the 8525 and any other Hermes is purely cosmetic. I've had mine for 6 months, and it's been rock solid.
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Click to collapse
Thank you, that's good to know. I do have to admit that the price difference is considerable enough that it is tempting.
I would just hate to get one then tomorrow T-Mo/AT&T/some new carrier named grasshopper announces that they are rolling it out in my area.
I'm sure the chances of that happening are about as much as a little man dressed in red starting a brisk trade in ice skates, but one never knows.
Is there any software that makes use of the front camera if one is not using it for video calls?
Oh, I can't seem to find an answer on this one either: Can the hermes make/take a voice call while the data (GPRS/EDGE/whatever) is active?

The 8925/"Tilt" is coming out on Monday. The price difference will likely only be $100 to $150. I'd probably go with the Tilt instead if it is within your budget.
It can take voice calls when the data is active. Most of us probably keep the data connections active all the time.

You can take a call while using data, but if you're on GPRS/EDGE the data will disconnect while you're on the call, but automatically reconnect. If you're in 3G coverage you can use both at the same time. I'm pretty sure that's true for any phone though. I don't believe T-Mobile in the US has rolled out any 3G coverage either.

OK, thanks for all the info. It's given me some things to consider and think about.

Titan VS. Raphael

Since I had to send my Titan back to my ex-employer do to a layoff, I went out and got a ATT FUZE (Raphael). Ladies and Gentlemen, run do not walk and trade your Titan in for a Raphael. The only differences that took some time to get used to is a slightly smaller screen and so far it takes a long time for the GPS to fix but seems to pull in more satellites. The battery life seems to be better and a 3 megapixel camera with a flash. The increased memory is great. I rarely need to reboot the phone. You can turn off the TouchFlo 3D if you don't like it and there are a bunch of new ROMs in the Raphael forum.
I guess I will see you all over there as I won't be needing to read the Titan forums.
Thanks again to DCD and GC14 for all their hard work and making my past Titan a usable phone.
Jim Ambrose

yeah I was looking at the samsung omnia from verizon... but their family plans are just too much money... rediculously overpriced.....
so will stick to my mogul.. but will check out what yer ravin bout

I believe the Raphael or Fuze is the touch pro for Verizon and Sprint isnt it?

vegeta77778 said:
I believe the Raphael or Fuze is the touch pro for Verizon and Sprint isnt it?
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Click to collapse
Fuze=AT&T and Verizon I think.
Touch Pro= Sprint.
dwizzy130

The Fuze is AT&T's name for the device, and it operates on GSM. It is the Touch Pro on other carriers though - Sprint, Alltel, Verizon. The CDMA model is 6850, obviously succeeding the 6800.

The guy I sit next to just got a Touch Pro on Alltel since his second 6800 died. All I can say is WOW! This is what the phone should have been all along. Lots of memory, the touch screen is great, and it's keyboard now has a dedicated number row. The buttons respond better. Be advised that the keyboard slides out to the left instead of the right now. I'm left handed so I love it. It's more like the Samsung i760 I had for a while. If it wasn't for the pricing VZW for the data plans, I'd have kept that phone.

Accordintg with a poll taking place here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=446362
Of 3500 voters on that poll
Titan has 21 votes
Raphael has 330 votes

Touch Pro 2
At this point, why not wait for the Touch Pro 2, due out in late Q2 of 2009 for both Europe and North America?
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/02/23/htc-touch-pro2-confirmed-for-north-america-eta-is-hazy/

[email protected] said:
At this point, why not wait for the Touch Pro 2, due out in late Q2 of 2009 for both Europe and North America?
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/02/23/htc-touch-pro2-confirmed-for-north-america-eta-is-hazy/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You see, I'm really old-fashioned. All recent devices out there (including the "still to be released" Pro2) look just too clean to me. Finger-friendly devices, IMHO, are just too keen to collect finger prints!
Where are all those uselful hardware buttons, to be used whenever we want our devices in portrait mode? That's the main reason why I chose the Ultimate 9502 last year, after my Uni's death. HW keys are all over the place. I have one of them remapped by PQzII and then, I'm able to access the applications and settings I mostly use without needing to take out the stylus. And I'm pretty happy with it !
Of course, sometimes, I do touch my screen. Some applications do require it. But, in general, HW keys are much, much faster.
Well, I'm getting old, and, lately, I've been finding myself heavily wrong in my assumptions...
Cheers!
Carlos

You all should check out the Touch HD. People are getting the Telstra 850 model from Down Under and getting it to work on ATT 3g. I just won one so looking forward to the "iphone killer".

How long do you plan to keep your Hermes?

i assume everyone here on XDA is a gadget freak who constantly upgrades over and over again and again.
Hermes should be fairly "old" by cellphone standards and as the current batch of cooked ROMs mature w/6.5 kernel coming into play it should be more stable and even more mature. winmo 7.0 is a maybe at this time, or it might require all new hardware.
how long do u plan to keep it. i expect most answers to be:
-until XYZ model/gadget comes out.
as for myself, i'm either;
-waiting for my contract to expire end of this summer and replcacing it w/the June iPhone
or
-waiting for NVidia's Tegra-enabled smartphone to debut. it will finally match my expectations of speed for a mobile device. hermes is really slow =( even if i use a bare/naked no app build.

Waiting till it breaks i guess. I have nothing against the phone.. Compared to my Co-Workers Phones' Mine is Pretty much a Beast.
Or if i find a good 8925 (Tilt, Kaiser) or Possibly a Sony Ericsson X1 for pretty cheap, I might consider it.

probably as long as it works, I'm saving up for a Kaiser right now but I will still be keeping my 'bankie' even if I get a Kaiser.

Suits my needs... Have a 2nd Jasjam spare for when my current one dies...

I have five 8525's that I have flashed with WWE ROM. I ll keep them till I can't canibalize them anymore, Then I'll buy somrthing with the current WMo os.

2 weeks or less if im lucky i have the white screen problem and the fix doesnt work with it.
i have a touch pro but the screen wont align due to a dead spot so i am just waiting on the new screen coming from hong kong then bye bye hermes you did me well

Still a strong contender - Like a new phone with 6.5
To be honest, none of the WinMo successors have really wowed me as anything more than small upgrades to this phone , which was an absolute milestone in terms of funtionality when it was launched (just consider that, 2.5 years after launch it still has faster data transfer speeds than the current iPhone).
I was lusting after the Raphael until the 6.5 ROMs came out for Hermes. I had no idea that the TyTn could run a 6.5 ROM so smoothly. It's basically like a new phone. At this stage, I'm no longer considering the Touch Pro and will probably wait for the Touch Pro 2 to come out or for my Hermes to break...

X1i
Though, I already have my X1i (Xperia), I will keep my hermes until ... i dunno as long as it is still working...

I too was wating on the TP2, and saving my pennies....
But, then the Amazon deal for a <$100 Dream showed up, and that went out the window!
I sold my Hermes to my brother, and got a white G1.
I will rock the G1 for a while, and keep an eye on Tegra & used TP2 prices. And watch the WM6.5/7 & Android tango to see what's working well.
-bZj

I keep my Hermes until the end of June, when my contract gets renewed and i own the Touch HD
But i will keep my Hermes further on for testing/development purpose.
And because i got so used to it and love it

for as long as it will run i dont really care if new models are out

Until it dies.
Or Someone gives me a t-mobile g1

i already keep it more than 3years, still like it

Hope this is ok to post this here...
Could anyone help me make an educated decision between the TyTn and the TyTn 2? (Or even a better phone) I've been cruzing ebay for an unlocked or att phone and i came across the TyTn in my searches. It looks like a great phone and HTC makes some of the coolest phones I've seen.
I only want to pay about $100 to $150 (maybe 200 if its worth it). I wont have a data plan but have access to wifi a lot. And I would like to make use of windows mobile. The TyTn is going for about 150 or less on ebay. I'm just worried that its too old of a phone or maybe that the new TyTn 2 is better? I'm leaning towards the old TyTn. Any thoughts would be great. As far as I can see the TyTn 2 is hardly different other than GPS and tilting screen, but you guys are the experts! Any help would be great.

tytn2 is better... but it's still basically tytn1. i, too, was also checking out tytn2 for the longest time... until touchpro 2.
personally, i've been looking at TP2 for longer and longer times and the more i look at it, the more i love it!!! if it ever debuts here in the US on TMobile i'm definitely pulling the trigger on it. my hermes is clanky compared to the thinner TP2. it looks beautiful and has more processing power. and it's time for me to renew anyways and i've wanted to transition to TMobile for the longest time now. so here's a hoping =).

Hey thanks for the reply. Yeah I'm pretty much set on the TyTn 2 now. But people keep saying i should get the Fuze. I dont really like the fuze though. I saw it in an ATT store the other day and it felt flimsy. And for me, the price to performance ratio isnt worth it. The only cool thing i see is its faster, better screen and its slimmer. I think I'll enjoy the TyTn 2 better.

¹þ¹þ£¬Óõ½²»ÄÜÓã¬Í·Ò»´ÎÀ´£¬ÒÔºóÔÙ˵ӢÎÄ

Well, I just picked up a brand new 8525 from AT&T for $100. I did extend my contract, but I'm not changing as I have been very pleased with their service. If I don't like it, I'll give it to my wife who does and get a Fuze. This thing is very fast. I just don't like the lack of internal memory or GPS. I have a GPS mouse that I've used with my Wizard for 3 years, so there's no need to spend more than that at this point. For kicks and giggles, I tethered it to my iMac this morning and there was no difference in speed between it and my cable modem connection. I'm probably going to do a direct port of the HTC Kaiser official 6.1 ROM if I can get a little spare time, so I'm sure I'll be holding on to it for a while.

Ive had mine for several years now (its been shelved since I got my Kaiser a year ago), finally gave it to my counterpart 3 weeks ago - and now its a brick. lol..
She needs a new phone - im happy with my Kaiser.

I have a Fuze now but am using my 8525 with no sim, a powered mount, i-Blue bluetooth GPS and IGuidance as my motorcycle GPS device and in a pinch could still put the sim back in.

[Q] - Tempted to purchase - UK

Hi Guys,
I'm at the end of my contract this month, so tempted to get ahold of the Venue Pro. I've seen there are some Firmware issues, so basically I have 2 questions.
1,
Does anyone know where I can get it on a contract in the UK, havent found one yet - or where I can purchase it sim free - preferably contract
2,
How much of a deal breaker is the firmware issue? And how much does it impact the phone
Basically the phone would be perfect - portrait slider is what I need, and WP7 is the dogs.
Cheers Guys
Chris

I love mine. Like you i mainly wanted it for the portrait slider, however i only use it on long emails as the on-screen keyboard is amazing.
I was lucky i guess on issues. I cheaped out and ordered the 8gb with intentions to swap it to 32gb as soon as it arrived, which i did for not only more space but to get around the lockups.
If i had to do it all over again, I "might" have gone with the samsung focus for the better camera since I'm not using the hardware keyboard as much as i thought i would on the DVP. But all in all, i love the look of the phone and it stands out. And it does everything i need it to do.

I might not have much of a voice, but I love my DVP.
I did not experience issues that are expressed on this forum as much. I have not tampered with the registry (well you really cant...) and the only thing i did to modify it was sideload apps using my MS developer license.
Maybe it is because I apparently have the updated firmware?
The people you will find on this forum who stuck around are probably the ones to talk to. I hear domineus has had his since the beginning.

Jragar said:
Hi Guys,
I'm at the end of my contract this month, so tempted to get ahold of the Venue Pro. I've seen there are some Firmware issues, so basically I have 2 questions.
1,
Does anyone know where I can get it on a contract in the UK, havent found one yet - or where I can purchase it sim free - preferably contract
2,
How much of a deal breaker is the firmware issue? And how much does it impact the phone
Basically the phone would be perfect - portrait slider is what I need, and WP7 is the dogs.
Cheers Guys
Chris
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Echo Venelar's statements. I love my Dell. Its really a choice you have to make. You've read the threads. There are people that have received a Dell that just are NOT right...period...there are other people, like myself, who have had little to no problems. Whether one side or the other is in the majority, we'll never know. So, until the fixes are in place and in production, you take that risk...good one...bad one.
Again, like Venelar said, I find myself almost never using the keyboard...almost as in once or twice in 7 months....But, I could not bring myself to get the Focus. Not a Samsung fan for design...and it appeared they had hardware issues that impacted the update ability.
One of the more attractive phones in Europe was said to be the Omnia 7. Don't know if thats available in the UK, but you may want to look it up. Also, the Trophy started out slow with staining on the display, but is turning out to be quite popular. It has a good size and feel to it, though lacks the brilliant display of the focus and VP.

Thanks for the feedback guys.
I currently have a HD7 - which I love to bits, but I do spend alot of time emailing / texting ,and I think with the upcoming addition of facebook chat / windows live and facebook messages that I'm going to use the phone alot more for chatting.
I guess I can see what you mean - the WP7 keyboard is really good - far better than my wm6.5 or android keyboards I've had, but as I trained as a touch typist for a previous job 5 years back, I end up typing really fast and I make far too many mistakes on the touch screen.
I've seen the Omnia 7 - that looks good. But, I'd probably prefer to keep my HD7 over it. But the Dell seems to be a better build quality than the HTC devices - from what I can gather.
Another frustration is that it doesnt appear to be in any of the UK stores - so I just cant get to try it out. I was hoping it would be on a network here, hidden away - I wonder if anyone has found anything out about it?
Thanks again for your input guys - I'll be researching heavily over the next couple of weeks the best way to acquire one of these I think

Hi
I'm based in the UK and have been using my DVP for over 2 months.
1) Haven't seen the phone available directly from carriers yet. I bought mine sim-free from Dell - there are also third parties (e.g. ebuyer.com) selling it significantly cheaper. One thing to be aware of is that many third parties appear to sell the 8GB version whereas Dell sells the 16GB version. You can add a higher-capacity SD card - however, as mentioned above it voids your warranty.
There also seem to be a few websites selling the DVP with a contract, presumably a deal they have put together themselves. If you google 'dell venue pro contract uk', you'll find several. I don't have experience of these sites personally.
2) For my device, the firmware issue basically means that I keep wifi switched off, except for short bursts. With wifi on, the phone becomes unstable. However, with wifi off, I have been using the phone for a couple of months without any crashes or reboots - it has been very stable. Generally, the only time I switch on wifi is to get marketplace updates. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
Personally, I use the hardware keyboard extensively, which was one of my main reasons for choosing the DVP. I find it very comfortable. It doesn't have any cursor keys but that's probably not possible in a portrait keyboard.
Overall, I am happy with my choice of the DVP - it's a very nice device. I wanted a phone with a hardware keyboard, good screen, decent storage capacity and WP7 - the DVP is a perfect fit.
From my perspective, the most positive sign recently is that Dell have finally started communicating re: DVP issues. Much more optimistic now that they are serious about resolving the issues.

Jragar said:
Another frustration is that it doesnt appear to be in any of the UK stores - so I just cant get to try it out.
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Sadly you can only get it from dell. I waited a good bit before ordering my nexus one because of the same thing. I had never purchased a phone without the chance to hold it. I bit the bullet and ordered the nexus one when they announced stock was getting low and it worked out. I couldn't have been happier with that phone. I guess having that experience go well didn't hold me back from getting the online-only DVP.
And yes, the build quality is amazing. Yeah the phone is heavy, but if you've always used phones with hardware keyboards then it's something that you are used to dealing with. The phone is stout, I love it.