BlackBerry Curve 8900 Phone Titanium T Mobile

Posted by Smartphone Review on March 28, 2009

BlackBerry Curve 8900 Phone Titanium T Mobile

Updating the look of the Curve with a sleekly styled titanium finish, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 for T-Mobile is the thinnest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone yet. In addition to its stunning good looks–with titanium-colored finish accented by chrome highlights–the Curve 8900 is packed with communication and location features. The built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) supports both voice and data, making it easier to stay connected to family, friends and colleagues using T-Mobile’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling service, while the built-in GPS supports location-based services including turn-by-turn navigation.

With its stunning titanium-colored finish and chrome highlights, the sleek and slender design of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone dresses it for any occasion (see larger image). Check out the Curve 8900 101 video demo.

And, of course, you’ll enjoy all the communication and connectivity features you’ve come to expect from a Blackberry phone–including email served up by the BlackBerry Internet Service and a full menu of messaging options (SMS, MMS, and IM). The handset’s advanced multimedia capabilities include a 3.2-megapixel camera with image stabilization, digital zoom, flash and the ability to record video and play video. Other features include a hot-swappable MicroSD/SDHC memory card slot (for cards up to 16 GB; 256 MB card included), Bluetooth for handsfree communication and stereo music streaming, multi-format digital audio player, unlimited any-network calling to any 5 people with a myFaves plan, and up to 5.5 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot Enabled service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot Enabled service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following Wi-Fi Alliance certifications: WPA/WPA2 Personal and Enterprise, WMM, WMM Power Save, Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.

Additionally, this mobile phone operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). As a quad-band world phone, this phone supports international roaming, extending the ability to stay connected while traveling abroad. This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Download cool new games, HiFi Ringers (real songs by today’s hottest artists), MegaTones (instrumental versions of songs), and wallpapers quickly, as well as stay connected via the Web, instant messaging, and email.

The Curve 8900 includes Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, GPS navigation capabilities, MicroSD expansion to 16 GB, and more (see larger image).

Staying Connected
With BlackBerry’s push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.

Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.

For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you’ve come to expect. It’s supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.

Phone Features
With a refined design, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone supports both your professional and personal mobile communication needs to help you enjoy a more organized, balanced life. In addition to a sleek, stylish design, the powerful new smartphone includes a large, vivid display–the highest resolution available on a BlackBerry smartphone–as well as a 512 MHz next-generation processor for fast and responsive performance.

The striking 2.4-inch, 480 x 360-pixel display (65K colors) serves up crisp images, text and maps so information is easier to read, even when you’re on the go. It also includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like other Curve models, the Curve 8900 includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy.

You can snap vivid photos as well as video clips using the 3.2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 2x digital zoom, auto focus, image stabilization, and a flash. Transfer pictures and videos between your smartphone and your desktop computer easily using the USB cable that comes with the smartphone, or via Bluetooth technology.

You can also capture video clips on the go, with two resolution choices–480 x 352 pixels for saving to your PC and 176 x 144 pixels for sending via MMS messaging. In addition to recording videos, the Curve 8900 also supports mobile video streaming as well as videos saved from your PC. It’s compatible with DivX, XviD (MPEG4 Advance Simple Profile), H.263, and WMV3 formats.

Listen to your favorite music using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve’s support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats (.3gp, WAV, MIDI, AMR-NB, G711u/A, GSM610, PCM, MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA9/10 Standard/Pro) and dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.

Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0 + EDR), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list–either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.

Capture high-resolution photos and videos with the 3.2-megapixel camera on the back.

The BlackBerry Browser on the Curve 8900 is designed to make on-the-go Internet browsing fast and fun–you can even start a search right from the home page. Navigate sites and zoom in on content using a trackball-controlled pointer, set bookmarks and view your history. Plus, the BlackBerry Browser works with a host of other applications to make things like online purchasing and tracking information on your favorite pages easier.

The easier a map is to read, the easier it is to follow. Together with BlackBerry Maps, the crisp, colorful screen of the Curve 8900 is designed to make it easier to find the location of businesses, restaurants, concert venues, parks and more by allowing you to check maps and get driving directions quickly and conveniently. When you’re connected to the network, you can even launch maps from your address book. BlackBerry Maps is also designed to help make trips easier by providing route options like fastest or shortest and displaying directions visually along with text-based turn-by-turn instructions.

Whether your instant messaging (IM) account is with Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ or Windows Live Messenger, you can bring your IM community wherever life takes you. Like the desktop versions, these programs offer features like avatars and emoticons. And, because BlackBerry applications work together, you can also start an IM chat from your address book, call or email an IM contact while chatting or even check your calendar right from a chat.

Other features include:

• Easily synch with Microsoft Outlook: Stay in synch with your Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks in Microsoft Outlook
• Edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files: Just download attachments and start typing. You’ll enjoy many of the same features you do on your computer–copy and paste, font size and color, even bullets and numbering and more.
• Remote Search: If you prefer not to carry all your email on your Curve 8900 smartphone, Remote Search can be used to find emails that are still stored on your BlackBerry Enterprise Server using name, subject and other options to narrow the field.
• BlackBerry Media Sync: Sync your desktop iTunes music files with your BlackBerry smartphone.
• Free/Busy Lookup: View your colleagues’ calendars to see who’s available at what time right from your BlackBerry smartphone.
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds support: With RSS, you don’t need to check important websites for updates, new content can be pushed to you automatically.
• Send and receive text and picture messages (SMS and MMS)
• Bluetooth version 2.0 + EDR with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8900 weighs 3.9 ounces and measures 2.4 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.5 hours of talk time, and up to 360 hours (15 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars Do not bother
The curve is a downgrade from previous models. WiFi and gps barely work. You need a very strong signal for wifi. No 3G. The most annoying part is that you will have to change all your chargers and adapters because they changed the connector. The old mini-USB cable was very handy because it is shared by many manufactures so it was very easy to find someone to help you out in case you run out of battery on the road. Not anymore. Do not waste your money.

5 Stars Definite Upgrade from the 8320
I recently got the 8900 and I love it! They improved the software greatly, especially the browser. It looks very sleek and mature at the same time. I’ve experienced no problems so far. The best thing about upgrading on the blackberries is that transferring all your personal stuff from one to the other is a breeze. I recommend.

4 Stars Not much improvement beyond cosmetic.
I got this phone when it came out a couple of weeks ago. I got it to replace my 8320 that I had with t mobile and this one has some visible improvements, I emphasize some, and not a whole lot. Mostly the changes have been cosmetic ( I have the black one). The curve is now sleeker and has a different menu face on the screen. Not much else has changed beside the addition to games,a hokey little built in clock which you can put in “bedside mode” ( utterly useless) and a hard to get used to, but nice once you get used to it internet search feature that allows you to look at and zoom into the actual webpage, a little weird to use at first, but you get used to it. I am an avid photographer and this phone has a nice 3.2 megapixel camera, it actually takes pretty good photos, my friends thought I was using a camera with a higher pixel count. The camera although does not offer many options like the priced ones by Samsung. I guess Blackberry is more about business then photography, you have to pick and choose. The phone has some new games, including a poker one which is pretty fun if you are trying to kill time somewhere. There are some drawbacks to this phone, the internet on mine has a tendency to freeze up randomly, despite it only being a few weeks old, it has issues also with the media player when playing videos from pages like [...]. I also have a Mac, so the phone does not like to sync to my computer as much as I would if I had a PC, although I do prefer this phone to an Iphone. My computer’s blue tooth does not work with this phone.

5 Stars Best Blackberry to DATE - Small - Lite - Pretty
HI All.

This review is a re-post of one I have done for the international version….but I have since acquired the T-Mobile version and all of my review stands:

Original Review:

I have used a blackberry for over 10 years now…give or take. I have always been impressed by the devices they have created in the past and the current line of devices. Since I like to be on the bleeding edge of tech, I just had to get a 8900.

Most of you know by now what the new feature sets are of blackberries that are out today. The bold, the storm, and now this one The JAVELIN.

I wont go into too much detail but I will give you my quick run down.

The Javelin is perhaps the thinnest, lightest, small footprint blackberry that I have ever used. It sports a great look and the feel to the hands is awesome. It is after all the curve II. Screen comparison to the bold is that this unit has a higher resolution then the bold but a smaller physical screen. The higher resolution definitely adds some clarity to the screen…but it should be duly noted that the BOLD’s screen is also beautiful. Yes I own both.

The Javelin is a EDGE/Wi-FI device…it does not have 3G capabilities. Technically you only need 3G if you want to be on the phone and receive/send emails at the same time when using your mobile connections…I personally have never needed that functionality. However, please note that if you are connected to WI-FI you are able to be on a telephone call and receive/send email etc over wi-fi….works perfectly.

The Javelin has a new processor which makes the device FLY. Yes the processor is slower then the one in the Bold, but one can hardly tell the difference….I have used both for weeks…and I can honestly say you will not notice the speed difference.

I have a 8gb MicroSD card installed in the device and use the software available from blackberry to synchronize all of my DRM free music from iTunes to the Blackberry. A must buy if you want to carry one device that does it all. Amazon has great prices on micro-sd cards…..

Here are what I consider to be the best features on the Javelin:

1. AUTOFOCUS 3.2mp Camera - It is AWESOME. Picture taking, due to focus, is a bit slower….however, the clarity and quality of the picture make it all worthwhile.

2. FOOTPRINT - Great looking device with a great size.

3. High Resolution screen - Awesome clarity….

4. The functionality of a blackberry has always been a pro..and this one makes it better with a faster processor and more zippy feel.

The three BAD things:

1. The speaker on this thing is so TINNY….that it hurts my ears with certain tones…..there is NO bass what so ever. That is to be expected in a device this small….so maybe some new tones need to be tested out.

2. Micro-USB - Why take something like mini-usb and replace it with something new. Now I have to get all new chargers, travel chargers, etc…. Upsetting but bareable.

3. The holster in the BOX is simply a pleather pouch of sorts…no belt clip etc… You will need to buy an aftermarket leather/plastic holster if you wish to attach to your belt. Not a deal breaker…but should be mentioned.

I am posting some images for your review also.

Overall this is a great 5 Star Device.

4 Stars My first Blackberry and I love it.
I just switched to T-Mobile and decided to purchase a Blackbery in hopes to keep myself a bit more organized, and because I’ve heard these phones are great for tech savvy individuals. Well, they were right. I love this phone. Everything that I’ve wanted in a phone is in this bad boy:

-Mini SD up to 16GB

-Use your songs as ringers (no more being forced to buy ringers or convert to proper media)

-WiFi

-Email straight to your phone

-IM

-Themes

-Apps

-Office compatibility

-My Favs (saves me lots of minutes)

-Actual webpage browsing instead of mobile website browsing

-Multimedia player

-Video and camera (3.2 megapixel)

The phone has it all. My only gripe is the trackball. It can take sometime to get used to. I’ve tried clicking on links or moving the ball to make selections only to click on the wrong item. Typing on the keyboard can be a task if you have big hands. Not to mention it can get annoying when you are texting or typing emails because you have to keeping hitting ALT before you type a number.

Other than those few gripes, I must say I can’t believe I haven’t bought a Blackberry sooner. All the previous phones I’ve owned always had some limits to what I could do. I really think this phone is a much better purchase than an iPhone; which Apple continues to nickle and dime its customers by forcing them to buy ringers, pay to convert songs to ringers, send the phone off to replace the battery, etc. I really think this is a much better buy for those who love to do it all on a phone. If you are considering a phone, do not skip on the Blackberry.

Buy/More Info

HTC Touch PRO Phone Black Sprint

Posted by Smartphone Review on

HTC Touch PRO Phone Black Sprint

Get down to business and stay close to all your most important contacts and documents while on the go with the HTC Touch Pro Smartphone for Sprint, which combines a slide-out QWERTY keyboard paired with HTC’s intuitive, graphic-rich TouchFLO 3D touchscreen user interface. The TouchFLO 3D user interface responds perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media–all vividly displayed as photos and artwork on the 2.8-inch screen powered by the 3D graphics processor. And with the power of the updated Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, you’ll stay easily connected to your business and personal data on the go with support for a wide variety of email accounts as well as the ability to edit Microsoft Office documents.

With the TouchFLO 3D interface, album artwork, calendar items and snapshots are brought to life for you to interact, play and launch at your fingertips.

The HTC Touch Pro for Sprint provides a mobile Internet experience that uses the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (EV-DO Rev. A). You’ll also enjoy GPS navigation capabilities for accessing the optional Sprint Navigation turn-by-turn direction service as well as access to Sprint TV’s video-on-demand with full-motion video and vivid sound. Other features include built-in Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), a 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, and up to 4 hours of talk time. Compatible with MicroSD memory cards for expansion up to 16 GB, this package includes a 1 GB MicroSD card to give you the room you need for larger work files, presentations, reports, documents or fun files like photos and music.

Sprint Service
Supporting the EV-DO Rev. A high-speed data standard, this phone enables you to download and stream high-quality video, straight onto your phone. Where coverage is available, EV-DO Rev. A connectivity provides peak network download data rates of up to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates of up to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds range from 600 kbps to 1.4 mbps and average uplink speeds range from 350 to 500 kbps.

With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive service allows you to access your favorite channels and networks within seconds to watch live TV or video-on-demand with full-motion video. Choose from more than 50 live television channels and watch programs such as CNN mobile, FOX sports and E! Entertainment; access NFL Network and special programming via Sprint Exclusive Entertainment.

Sprint brings you closer to this season’s NFL action with NFL Mobile Live, which enables you to listen to the live radio broadcasts of every NFL game throughout the 2008 regular season. Sprint is making it easier to follow a specific team by carrying a live radio broadcast for each game, including pregame and postgame reports in most instances. NFL Mobile Live also allows NFL.com fantasy owners to monitor the performance of every player in real time directly from their phone. Key information for individual players will be easily accessible, including real-time game and season cumulative stats, rankings, player profiles and photos. NFL Mobile Live is free of charge to Sprint data subscribers.

The slide-out, backlit QWERTY keyboard makes sending email and editing documents fast and familiar.

This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone–by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, “Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street.” As you approach the turn, you will hear, “Turn right on Elm Street.” Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it’s easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.

The Sprint Mobile Sync service enables you to store and manage up to 5,000 contacts in your Sprint Mobile Sync address book, including phone numbers, addresses, notes and other fields. After your phone is activated, every change you make to your address book will be automatically saved on the Sprint network and every change you make online will be updated on your phone. Create and manage personal Group Connect groups to instantly reach up to 20 other users, at the same time, via Nextel Direct Connect or texting. Import contact fields to your address book or synchronize them with your Microsoft Outlook contacts.

Phone Features
With the TouchFLO 3D interface, HTC has taken a great leap forward in touchscreen innovation. It’s designed for one-hand operation using simple, gesture-based navigation, allowing you to simply touch, hold and slide along the screen tabs. A quick slide on the home screen quickly activates the most used features such as e-mail, text messaging, music player and camera. This instinctive interface extends to the powerful Web browser, where a useful “zoom in, zoom out” feature makes it especially easy to access the Web via the included Opera browser, which provides for desktop-like Web page renderings and user interactions. An integrated accelerometer senses when you change the position of the phone from portrait to landscape viewing, and it auto-rotates the screen’s orientation.

The HTC Touch Pro features a sharp, 262K-color 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen (480 x 640 pixels) for touch-sensitive navigation control, complete with three-dimensional animated transitions. For email, messaging and other data input, the HTC Touch Pro also comes equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the smartphone’s side.

Business users can choose from several popular platforms to access your corporate e-mail. The Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform offers seamless integration with Microsoft Outlook information including email, contacts, calendar and to-do lists. You can access and edit email attachments using mobile versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint.

In addition, the HTC Touch Pro supports scores of industry-specific applications as well as Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (MDM), an enterprise-grade mobile device management solution that also provides security, mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) and software distribution for Windows Mobile devices enabled for Windows Mobile 6.1. For maximum flexibility, customers can choose to use either the classic Windows Mobile interface or HTC’s acclaimed TouchFLO 3D graphical interface, which makes popular applications easily available at the swipe of a finger.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity with EDR (enhanced data rate), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You’ll also be able to access open Wi-Fi networks in offices and hotspots via the integrated 802.11b/g wireless connectivity.

Other features include:

• 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus; video capture up to CIF resolution (352 x 288 pixels)
• Windows Media Player compatible with MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV file formats
• 512 MB of ROM, 288 MB of RAM
• Compatible with ActiveSync 4.5 and Windows Mobile Device Center
• Support for polyphonic ringtones as well as real-music ringers
• Voice command capable.
• MicroSD memory card expansion (up to 16 GB capacities)
• WorldCard Mobile business card reader
• USB 2.0 connectivity with mass storage capabilities
• Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PAN (personal area networking), PBA (transfer contacts)
• Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3

Vital Statistics
The HTC Touch Pro weighs 4.94 ounces and measures 4.17 x 2.04 x 0.71 inches. Its 1340 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.0 hours of talk time, and up to 350 hours (14.6 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as Sprint’s EV-DO Rev. A data network.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1
Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1 offers a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.

With Windows Mobile 6.1, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC’s Microsoft Office suite. You’ll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting–without affecting tables, images or text–as well as view PowerPoint presentations.

• Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
• With Excel Mobile, you’re not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
• PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
• After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6.1 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great smartphone
I highly recommend this phone for its very nice functionality and good call quality. In fact, all in all I am very happy with it. Although the user interface is not as good as iPhone, it is still very good. But it beats iPhone by a long-shot with the rich amount of features. Therefore, rating this phone is difficult because it depends a lot on what you are using it for. If you need great e-mail, Blackberry; great interface, iPhone; great overall business features (wide variety of programs, cut-and-paste, etc.), HTC Touch Pro is currently one of the best.

If there is any area of concern, it would have to do with the battery life. Everything depends on the level of data usage. To extend battery life per charge, I have to deactivate the data flow whenever I am not using the web or messenger services. I found out that there are several good ROM upgrades available that really improve the functionality and battery life. However, I am a little worried about tampering with the ROM at this time. And, besides, this phone is like a mini laptop or netbook. I have come to expect that it will use a lot more juice than a typical phone.

5 Stars Major improvement over the Mogul.
This phone is fast and has a high resolution screen. As a former Mogul user I had to get used to the lack of exterior buttons and the fact that the keyboard slides out in a different direction. (Its good for left handed individuals… but I am not left handed.)

The tilt sensor is fun with games and integrates smoothly with Opera Mobile. GPS is very useful if you download the Google Maps application, its free unlike the pre-installed GPS app from Sprint. The camera is quite good for a phone, and is a significant improvement over the Mogul’s.

TouchFLO is neat but not very customizable with out 3rd party applications. This is the wonderful advantage Windows Mobile phones have over the iPhone… I can change the interface and install anything I want with out jailbreaking it.

Windows Mobile phones are for adults and experienced users. You can’t just flip it open and start dialing, that’s not why you buy a Windows Mobile phone. Its a hand held computer/GPS/MP3 Player/Video player/Browser/Camera/E-mail/Scheduler/Etc. that also happens to be a decent phone.

The HTC Pro has a better battery life than the Mogul and a brighter screen. It charges with mini USB, which is ubiquitous, and you can choose to connect to your computer with Active sync or as a Hard Drive.

Finally, anyone who buy’s a Windows Mobile device and expects it to never crash or lock up is crazy. Its WINDOWS! BTW I have witnessed many iPhones lock up in the same way!

4 Stars Awesome Device
I love this device. When I take it out and use it in public people say wow thats cool. It is sharp and does everything I need it to do. It sync’s with my Exchange server for my business email, 3.2 mega pixal camera, video recording, text messaging, supports AIM, Yahoo and MSN instant messaging, bluetooth, wi-fi, Microsoft mobile s/w supports word, excel, etc, Keyboard is easy to use and the keys are big enough for me not to make a mistake (i can palm a basketball). plus so much more impossible to list everything.

I only have one negative. Once and awhile it locks up on certain applications. All I do is turn it on and off and it everything is fine.

I would recommend this device to anyone.

1 Star iPhone Wannabe… but doesn’t come close.
Contrary to all of the other glowing reviews, I think this device is absolutely horrible. Honestly, if you have never seen the interface design, ease of use, and responsiveness of the iPhone, I can see how people can think this is the greatest phone they have ever seen.

The interface of the HTC is very inconsistent. Sometimes the buttons to press are at the bottom of the screen. Somethings they are tiny buttons in the top corner of the screen. Sometimes you are to press the top outside button. Sometimes you are to press one of the side buttons… or one of the 5 hard-to-see buttons on the bottom face of the device. The Windows Mobile interface was obviously designed by programmers as an afterthought. There are no standards as to how to interact with the hodge-podge of programs spread throughout the device. It is not unusual that I have to press the on screen buttons multiple times for it to respond and, with the delayed reaction, it will register multiple touches when it finally gets around to responding.

Unfortunately, my business would only purchase the HTC Touch Pro for the employees and so we are stuck with this phone. Very few people at my work like these phones. It’s nice to get corporate email on the device but I would prefer having a small, inexpensive phone that is easier to use and purchase and iPod Touch (that has NO monthly fees) to send and receive emails using WiFi.

Compare this yourself to an iPhone and you will find a BIG difference in the usability of these devices.

5 Stars Powerful multifunction device - and it’s a cell phone too.
I’ve owned the HTC PPC-6700, Mogul and now the Touch Pro. Each revision gets better and provides the user with more raw power.

First, a short review of the the cell phone part of the package. It works just fine. The Sprint network is the only one that I have been able to use anywhere I’ve traveled in the United States. Sometimes I might have to get near a window, once in a great while I’ll have to go outside, but I never fail to get a usable signal. The 3G speed is a delight for data communications.

Speakerphone volume is adequate. Internal earpiece volume is excellent - and I am hard-of-hearing. The cellphone user interface is excellent. Well laid out and the touch sensitivity has been refined so you don’t have to be precisely on target to dial a number.

As a phone, the HTC Touch Pro will withstand comparison with any other device on the market.

Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities are trouble free and effective. The QWERTY keyboard is more usable than on the earlier PPC-6700 and Mogul.

The screen is gorgeous. Type is crisp. Still pictures pop out at you and video is quit enjoyable. (The CPU provides good video playback.)

What really gives this device its awesome power and capability is Microsoft Windows Mobile v6.1. There are thousands of applications available, including several that will handle Adobe Flash video.(Skyfire, a free browser, for example.) There is adequate internal memory to permit loading dozens of apps. You can also use MicroSDHC cards of up to 16GB.

Used in conjunction with the Redfly, a device that provides an 8.9″ screen and adequately sized keyboard, you have a 2 pound, go anywhere, do anything you might reasonably need to do package. It is unspeakably cool.

I use my Touch Pro’s GPS with Google Maps and Microsoft Live Search, streaming TV and music services. In addition to Microsoft Office Mobile, I also run a suite with more features.

Services like Jott and Evernote make the HTC Touch Pro an extraordinarily powerful productivity tool.

What don’t I like about it? The camera is slow. Takes too long for the shutter to fire and there is no dedicated button for the camera. In fact, there really aren’t any programmable buttons, which I consider to be a disadvantage. There is no standard headphone jack. You have to use mini-USB phones or get an adapter. This is just plain dumb, in my opinion. The five-way is more difficult to use than many others. Not a long list of complaints and none of them, in my eyes, very serious.

The TouchFLO interface has gotten a lot of favorable press. Personally I find it to be nothing more than eye-candy and don’t use it much. Another nice thing about Windows Mobile: you aren’t frozen into a single user interface. You can, with third party software, make it into just about anything you want it tobe.

Overall, the HTC Touch Pro is a geek’s delight. It is powerful and versatile to replace a laptop in many instances, if equipped with the Redfly or just a Bluetooth keyboard. Windows Mobile v6.1 is very,very stable. (Not perfect, but better than earlier versions.)

HTC is a company dedicated to innovation. Each of their models in this “series” has gotten more powerful and more useful. The Touch Pro is just plain potent: very powerful, very useful.

Jerry

Buy/More Info

T Mobile G1 Phone with Google Bronze T Mobile

Posted by Smartphone Review on

T Mobile G1 Phone with Google Bronze T Mobile

The long-awaited T-Mobile G1 smartphone combines full touchscreen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes many Google tools you’ve come to rely on with your PC, including Google Maps Street View Gmail, and one-touch Google search. It’s also the first phone to be powered by Google’s new open-source Android operating system, which offers an intuitive interface easily customizable home screen. You can also purchase optional software via the Android Market to personalize your G1 with a variety of software applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping.

Just tap the screen and go with access to all your favorite Google tools.

In addition to a vibrantly colorful 3.2-inch touchscreen, the G1’s hinged screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and closes to prevent accidental dialing. It runs on T-Mobile’s new and growing 3G network, and also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for surfing the web on your wireless network or at hotspots as well as Bluetooth for handsfree communication. Other features include a 3-megapixel camera for still photos, a digital audio player (and easy access to Amazon’s MP3 store), an included 1 GB MicroSD memory card, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service
The T-Mobile G1 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and is compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. T-Mobile is currently rolling out its 3G network, and it expects by year’s end that its high-speed data network will be available in those cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services. In those areas where 3G is not available, the phone will access data using T-Mobile’s EDGE network, which is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps). This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web or downloading content from the T-Mobile t-zones content portal.

Call your favorite people with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. You’ll also get free domestic long distance and no digital roaming charges anywhere across the US on all calls. (All myFaves plans require a two-year contract.) Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Android OS and Market
The T-Mobile G1 with Google is the first phone to run on the Android operating system, which provides easy access to a wide assortment of messaging tools and Google apps. Additionally, this open source OS empowers developers to to create and offer applications that add value to the G1. The G1’s Home screen (seen at right) is your starting point for using all the applications on your phone. You can customize your Home screen to display applications, shortcuts, and widgets.

Just drag and drop any of your favorite applications, photos, or folders onto your home screen for quick access to what you use all the time (see larger version).

The Android Market hosts a wide variety of unique applications, and with the G1’s one-click access to it you can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications–from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping–to personalize your phone. Some examples of applications include:

• With the comparative shopping ShopSavvy application, you can scan the UPC code of a product with your phone’s camera while shopping, and instantly compare prices from online merchants and nearby local stores.
• Ecorio was developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like. With access to tips and tricks, Ecorio allows you to record the steps you take throughout their day to help offset your impact on the environment.
• BreadCrumbz enables you to create a step-by-step visual map using photos. Create your own routes, share them with friends or with the world.

Additionally, the T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with a new application developed by Amazon.com that provides easy access to the Amazon MP3 digital music download store with more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 tracks. You’ll be able to search, sample, purchase and download music from Amazon MP3 directly to the G1 (downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection; searching, sampling and purchasing music can be done anywhere with a cellular connection).

Phone Features
The T-Mobile G1’s vibrant, high-quality screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, great for communicating with friends online or using the phone’s email, IM and mobile messaging capabilities. As another option for accessing the device, the T-Mobile G1 comes equipped with a convenient trackball for more precise, one-handed navigation. The 3.2-inch touchscreen has a 320 x 480-pixel resolution and a 65K color depth. The T-Mobile G1’s touchscreen interface is unique, providing you with a more customizable, interactive touch experience. For example, you can set a signature gesture to unlock the screen (there are 30 million possible combinations). There are also different taps for different types of commands–for example, you can use a short touch to launch an application, or a long press on any screen will give you additional options, similar to that of a right click on a mouse.

The phone has an internal 192 MB RAM/256 MB ROM memory, and it’s expandable via optional MicroSD memory cards up to 8 GB in size (a 1 GB MicroSD card comes with the phone).

The hinged screen slides open to reveal keypad and closes to prevent accidental dialing.

With one-click contextual search, you can search for relevant information in a flash with a touch of a finger. A full HTML Web browser allows users to see any Web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on the screen. Built-in support for YouTube allows you to enjoy YouTube’s originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos.

With Google Maps, Google’s groundbreaking maps service, you can instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business and get driving directions, all from the phone’s easy-to-use touch interface. The T-Mobile G1 also includes Google Maps Street View, enabling you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go. Without taking a step, you can tour a far-away place as if they were there–standing on the street corner. Even better, the Google Maps feature syncs with a built-in compass on the phone–an industry first–to allow you to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with your hand.

Use the G1’s 3G and Wi-Fi connection to attach and share pictures over email and MMS or download music from your favorite web sites, as well as upload and post pictures to your personal blog.

The G1 features a rich HTML email client, which seamlessly syncs your email, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP email services. The Gmail application provides features such as conversation view, spam filtering, search, and labels that Gmail users enjoy on their computer while offering new features such as integration with the phone’s contact list. And it multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your email in the background.

It also combines Instant Messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger in the U.S., and IM presence allows you to see whether your friends are online, offline, away. The G1 also supports advanced text messaging features, enabling you to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging. The Google Calendar app on the G1 syncs with the Web-based version, so any event that you add to your phone will show up on the Web-based Google Calendar (and vice versa).

Other features include:

• 3-megapixel camera with autofocus for still photos (no video recording)
• Digital audio player with four categories (Artists, Albums, Songs, and Playlists) and support for MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA (8), WAF, and OGG Vorbis
• Use digital audio songs as ringtone
• Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets)
• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
• Messaging: email (IMAP/POP3/SMTP), instant messaging, SMS text, MMS photo
• Voice-recognition
• USB 2.0 connectivity with USB mass storage capability

Vital Statistics
The T-Mobile G1 with Google weighs 5.6 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 130 hours (5+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the 1700/2100 MHz HSDPA 3G frequencies.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you have to have a Google account to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, customers must log into the phone using a Google account login when they first use the device. Once you do log into T-Mobile G1 using a Google account, your Gmail and Google Calendar will all sync to your phone providing secure, up-to-date access to your personal information. If you don’t already have an account, the startup process will walk you through creating one. Creating a Google account is free.

Q: Do customers need a voice and/or data plan to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, when you purchase T-Mobile G1, you must add one of two T-Mobile G1-specific data plans to their account. This is similar to other all-in-one devices we offer like the T-Mobile Sidekick or the T-Mobile Shadow. Customers must also have a voice plan.

Q: Is the G1 compatible with your HotSpot @Home service?
A: No. Unlimited HotSpot Calling (formerly named T-Mobile HotSpot @Home) is not included in the T-Mobile G1, although the device can browse the Web over high-speed wireless connections including Wi-Fi and our 3G network.

Q: Are there any advantages to using Gmail on the device versus another type of personal (POP3 or IMAP) account?
A: Yes. After first logging into their Google account, you will have all your Gmail, Google Contacts, Calendar and Talk data automatically synchronize with the phone. Anything you do on the phone with these products will seconds later become available on the computer and vice versa. If you were to ever lose their phone, their information will still be available and seamlessly synchronize with a replacement G1. You will also benefit from push email and calendar alerts (this is also available for the multi-headed email client). Finally, Gmail’s contacts are synchronized automatically with the phone’s contact list.

Q: What is the “search from everywhere” feature?
A: “Search from everywhere” provides customers the ability to do contextual searches. T-Mobile G1 has a hard key on the QWERTY keyboard that you can touch in order to start a search within any application you are in. For example, if you are in your contact list and hit the search key, the device will search your contact list. If you are in your email and you hit the search key, the device will search your email. You can also start a search within each application through a search option within the application.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Good phone for a great OS
I seriously considered the iPhone 3G, but decided against it based on Apple’s business practices. After 1.5mo of use, I have no regrets at all. There are a few trade-offs in favor of either phone, and the G1’s interface may not be quite as polished as the iPhone, but in all I think the G1 is a better value. If you’re a user of Google services (Gmail, calendar, contacts, Picasa, etc…) this phone is for you.

The good:

- I’ve gone through several generations of PDAs (no previous smart phones, however). With the G1, I finally feel like I have the internet in my hand, wherever I am. Google has made the transition to a mobile platform almost completely seamless.

- Range is far superior to my previous T-Mobile phones.

- Keyboard for a smartphone of this class seems essential.

- Performance under EDGE is better than I expected, and good enough to be useful.

- 3G and Wifi performance is outstanding. WEP was easy to configure.

- Service price is far more reasonable than other carriers, and T-Mobile support (what little I’ve needed) has been outstanding.

- Great UI - very intuitive, responsive, and attractive. Screen response is great, as well. Compared to the iPhone, it’s missing multi-touch, and it is far better than Windows Mobile 6. Cross-app integration is superior.

- Shop Savvy has already saved me more than the cost of the phone and monthly service.

The not-so-good:

- T-Mobile coverage service is nowhere near as broad as other carriers in the US.

- The web browser does have problems rendering some pages - craigslist, for instance.

- I’ve never run out of battery during a single day, but with heavy use it won’t go two days. Limited use, it will last me three days.

- Video recording is due out shortly (next firmware update, I’m told). Nice to have feature, but not what I want a phone for.

- Current phones are shipping with a 1/8 headphone adapter with a mic built in (for hands free calling with your headphones). Not bad, though I’d rather have a built-in 1/8 vs. the adapter.

- Need better handling of attachments - but I have no doubt it’s coming.

- While there is a 3rd party Exchange client right now (haven’t tried it), I’d like to see this as a core Android application. Weboutlook performance is similar to Weboutlook under Firefox or Chrome.

The Bad:

- The lettering on the bronze keyboard (both bronze and white phones) disappears when the backlight comes on in dimly lit conditions. I haven’t evaluated the Black keyboard, but I also haven’t seen any complaints about it.

vs. iPhone:

- Physical keyboard

- Better camera - it can read a bar code (for Shop Savvy), whereas the iPhone can’t focus closely enough

- Open platform

- Slightly thicker (keyboard) but not as wide - fits in my front pocket, even in its soft case.

- Smaller screen than iPhone - not as bright in comparison, but bright enough.

- Cut and paste between apps.

- Trackball for fine cursor control - don’t use it much, but sometimes it’s essential.

- Better Google integration.

- About half the battery life, but it is user replaceable.

- Expandable memory via microSD cards.

3 Stars No video!!
The phone is nice but I wasn’t told there wasn’t a video recorder until after I bought the phone. Other than that the phone is nice.

4 Stars Solid phone, good starting point for Android…
I have TMo, so when they were announced to be the first carrier to have an Android phone, I was psyched. Apple is WAY too restrictive for me to buy any of their products and Google’s Android platform represented exactly the kind of advanced mobile OS I was looking for. The phone has its ups and downs, but if you read nothing else, I’m happy to be a G1 owner. I’ll mark the PROs and CONs with G1 for the phone’s actual hardware and AND for Android points.

PROs-

>> [G1] Good touch screen, capacitive, no stylus! I hate the PDA-ish screens that companies continue to use.

>> [G1] QWERTY keyboard is nice to have, you may notice that onscreen keyboards are…squished… Easier to use if you’ll be typing.

>> [G1] Call quality is very nice. Much superior to my Sidekick III (whose quality was *much* less than stellar. Better signal reception.

>> [G1] 3G is nice to have if you’re in a covered area, makes web browsing and YouTube streaming that much better.

>> [AND] Home screen is done well, much preferable to the iPhone’s app icon list.

>> [AND] Screen automatically reorients quickly when the keyboard is opened (see cons for the caveat)

>> [AND] Marketplace for Apps is a good tool to find something if it isn’t built in. Growing selection at the moment though, all apps free at this point

>> [AND] Android interface is fairly pretty, not Apple quality, but pretty.

>> [G1] Screen sliding mechanism to reveal keyboard is functional and cool, slightly swings in an arc movement. 2 months and no problems yet…

>> [G1] If nothing else, I appreciate the 3.1MP camera quality. Much better than most cells, including the iPhone

>> [AND] Browser is great! Never had the opportunity to have such a great web experience on a phone.

>> [G1] Made by HTC, a company which I have been impressed with in the past. Although it might not be the prettiest phone available, the G1 feels sturdy and does what’s advertised.

>> [AND] And of COURSE one of the best things about this phone is that your entire life can be essentially sync’d if you use Google’s line of products. Contacts, calender, email, etc are all woven into the service in perfect tandem. Some services are left out for now (Docs), but some have been recently added (Picasa). Great for me after using GMail since 4 years ago when it started in private beta.

CONs (To be honest, most are with the evolving Android platform…)

>> [G1] This is nit picky, but after being in a household with Sidekicks and Blackberry Pearls, the trackball NOT lighting up is kind of boring and hard to see.

>> [G1] Bronze lettering on the keyboard is extremely difficult to see in some (most?) lighting conditions. Memorize the keyboard fast!!

>> [AND] Android just does not seem ready to be a mainstream product yet. It definitely works, but around most corners you’ll notice little quirks that could be fixed or improved upon. Some functionality was even cut from this release to make sure it got out the door. (Onscreen keyboard…)

>> [AND] That last point about the onscreen keyboard is a big one for me. I HATE having to open up the keyboard, I just want to quickly reply to texts with one hand and not have to swing the damn thing open. It annoys me that a touch screen phone does not have the ability to enter text through the screen… Not to mention not all Android phones will have QWERTY keyboards.

>> [G1] Phone ‘hangs’ sometimes when you push the home button while it loads your icons/whatnot. This could be an issue with memory allotment from the Android platform, may or may not be related to the G1’s processing power.

>> [G1] Camera button is mushy and you don’t always know if you pushed it because the camera app takes ~5secs to open. This is an annoyance to me.

>> [AND] Google syncs your contacts, but since I have many whom I only plan to email and not CALL, I have a dedicated “G1″ group that only gets sync’d to my phone. Sadly though, when I create a new contact I can’t choose their group! So while I add them, they’re unavailable from my phone until I go online and switch them over to my G1 category…which must be done from a PC. Can’t do it from included web browser.

>> [AND] A lot of the faith I have in my phone comes from the simple fact I see Google’s name and I know they’ll follow through with fixing Android’s tiny bugs. It’d be better if I just had faith because they delivered a first class product right away.

So, if you want to take the dive into the AndroidOS, I say go for it. If you’ve only been using a regular cellphone and just want a *phone* I’d wonder why you were even considering something with so many frills. If you’re considering the G1 I’m going to assume you have the knowledge to get around some of the shortcomings to enjoy a quality phone that can only get better. Especially now that Google has gotten tons of handset manufacturers onboard.

Hope this helped somewhat =] Like I said, the phone is worth the buy and worth the money. Not as polished as the iPhone, but has much more potential.

1 Star RELEASED TOO EARLY!
T-Mobile and HTC released this phone way too early! There are many bugs that people should know about. The bugs are related to e-mail and internet. Downloaded software updates only made the problem worse. Spent many hours on the phone with T-Mobile and T-Mobile basically told me that I have to deal with the phone not working properly. What a joke!

2 Stars Keyboard can’t be read; get the Black G1
The Bronze (early on, this color was called “brown”) G1 has a medium light colored keyboard with dark letters. The keyboard back lighting lights up the letters. In normal, indoor lighting, the room light and the back light balance, making the keys impossible to read. The keyboard is only readable in very bright light or very little light. In bright light, such as sunlight, the sun overwhelms the back lighting and the keyboard is easy to read. In darkness, the back lighting works fine, because little room light is reflecting off the keys.

Get the G1 in Black. (I haven’t seen a white G1. I don’t know if its keyboard is legible.)

Buy/More Info

BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone Sunset T Mobile

Posted by Smartphone Review on March 27, 2009

BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone Sunset T Mobile

Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion’s formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM’s long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service.

The Curve’s full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze.

The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection.

Click for larger view.

T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.

This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Staying Connected
With BlackBerry’s push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.

Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.

For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you’ve come to expect. It’s supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.

Phone Features
The Curve is fashioned with subtly curving corners and chrome highlights. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces–just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.

You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.

Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve’s support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.

With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list–either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.

Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars very please with my blaclkberry.
I to am please with my black berry. its my first and a upgrade from my regular phone and I love it I can access my email while relaxing, I love to send and recieve text it,s easy to do before with my regular phone I didn”t know how on my regular phone to complicated. it takes beautiful pictures, I’m learning how to use more technology with this blackberry. thanks t mobile.

2 Stars Do not bother
The curve is a downgrade from previous models. WiFi and gps barely work. You need a very strong signal for wifi. No 3G. The most annoying part is that you will have to change all your chargers and adapters because they changed the connector. The old mini-USB cable was very handy because it is shared by many manufactures so it was very easy to find someone to help you out in case you run out of battery on the road. Not anymore. Do not waste your money.

5 Stars Blackberry is the best smartphone!
I received this phone twice. First time I received it, it was a returned/used item. It had someone else’s emails on it. I had it returned to Amazon. I informed them that this was a used blackberry. They sent me another one and again, it was used because the battery door had a scratch. I kept it anyways, when you buy blackberry for a penny, you’re not guaranteed a brand new phone. Besides, I got a rebate, so I really shouldn’t be complaining. This phone works very well. I have the myfaves minutes, blackberry unlimited data, and the hotspot calling. It all works well. In my opinion, if you want reliable email and data service, blackberry is the best. Tmobile customer service may not be that great, but what cellular provider gives the best? Either you get a great customer service rep or you don’t. At least, their automated message service is way better than ATT and Verizon. I can get through to customer service department by pressing zero.

4 Stars A Giant Leap Forward if you are not used to Smart Phones
I resisted a Blackberry for years because I didn’t want my email following me everywhere. Finally broke down and got this Curve 3 weeks ago. It truly lives up to its name as a “smart phone.”

The Good:

1–The preloaded applications. I LOVE having mapping and search technology right on my cellphone! No more wondering where the nearest Wells Fargo or Pinkberry is. No more wasting time in the doctor’s waiting room. I can check/respond to email or better yet, play tetris or brickbreaker.

2 –Multi-Tasking. If you are in the middle of one app (e.g., entering an address) and a call comes in, when the call is finished, the screen goes back to what you were doing instead of losing all the data you just entered. Coming from regular phones, this is a HUGE time-saving improvement for me. Also, if you are on the phone with someone and you want to look up a number or an email or a calendar event on your phone, you can click a button and search for the info, all while continuing your convo with the caller. How novel that technology should actually work the way common sense dictates. I uploaded a software called Mobile Tracker that works with a GPS to track my movements (which I can later upload in a file and watch on Google Earth) and the tracking is done in the background all while I continue to make and receive calls, check email, etc. Love that!

3–The Keyboard (Characters). I love that all the letters, numbers and common symbols are on one keyboard instead of my having to scroll thru multiple screens like most other phones.

4–Phone quality. Speakerphone is crisp and clear. Phone can hold a signal even in certain dead spots.

The Bad:

1– Battery life is not great. Requires daily charging but I use it quite intensely. Easily solved with a car charger.

2– Browser is sometimes a little too slow for my taste. This may be the phone or it may be t-mobile. I haven’t tested to know whether wi-fi makes the browser go faster than being on the EDGE network. Also, could be slower when there are multiple applications working in the background.

The Ugly:

1–The keyboard (surface). Not crazy about the texture. I prefer the feel of the Bold’s keyboard but I’m not going to switch carriers for it.

2–So incompatible with Mac it’s not funny. After 3 days of trying different alternatives (the free pocketmac from blackberry froze my computer), I had to pay $40 for Missing Sync software to make the phone play nice with Mac, and even then there are issues. If you have a windows pc, you won’t have this issue. If you have a Mac, be prepared to accept less than accurate syncing.

3–The manual. It’s beyond useless. Doesn’t tell you anything about this phone which has menus within menus within menus. There are a lot of features and you really need to take it out on a date and get to know it intimately. I have started to create my own little “how-to” file to keep track of how to do everything on this phone.

If you are new to smartphones, you will really enjoy this phone, not just for the email but for the constant access to the internet which is great for having information at your fingertips when you’re away from your computer.

NOTE: A week or so after getting the phone, I also experienced the problem mentioned by the reviewer below with the phone locking up and the interminable hourglass. When I went in to each of the programs on the phone I had opened (maps, browser, weather channel, missing sync, brickbreaker, etc) and selected Close or Quit from the menu, this problem went away. I guess what makes this a smart phone is that hitting the back button on the phone just takes you to the previous screen but it doesn’t automatically close out the application you are working in. You have to do that manually.

1 Star Dont buy Blackberry
Blackberry does not honor their warranty. If you must get one, buy insurance. The USB connection breaks because of poor design. I have had two fail. One had insurance, the other did not. Blackberry claims that this does not happen and WILL charge you $180. There is no escalation. I got the device back with a broke screen and no battery (new one too). Poor design, poor software, and the worst customer support. You have been warned.

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T Mobile G1 Phone with Google White T Mobile

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T Mobile G1 Phone with Google White T Mobile

The long-awaited T-Mobile G1 smartphone combines full touchscreen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes many Google tools you’ve come to rely on with your PC, including Google Maps Street View Gmail, and one-touch Google search. It’s also the first phone to be powered by Google’s new open-source Android operating system, which offers an intuitive interface easily customizable home screen. You can also purchase optional software via the Android Market to personalize your G1 with a variety of software applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping.

Just tap the screen and go with access to all your favorite Google tools.

In addition to a vibrantly colorful 3.2-inch touchscreen, the G1’s hinged screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and closes to prevent accidental dialing. It runs on T-Mobile’s new and growing 3G network, and also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for surfing the web on your wireless network or at hotspots as well as Bluetooth for handsfree communication. Other features include a 3-megapixel camera for still photos, a digital audio player (and easy access to Amazon’s MP3 store), an included 1 GB MicroSD memory card, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service
The T-Mobile G1 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and is compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. T-Mobile is currently rolling out its 3G network, and it expects by year’s end that its high-speed data network will be available in those cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services. In those areas where 3G is not available, the phone will access data using T-Mobile’s EDGE network, which is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps). This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web or downloading content from the T-Mobile t-zones content portal.

Call your favorite people with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. You’ll also get free domestic long distance and no digital roaming charges anywhere across the US on all calls. (All myFaves plans require a two-year contract.) Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Android OS and Market
The T-Mobile G1 with Google is the first phone to run on the Android operating system, which provides easy access to a wide assortment of messaging tools and Google apps. Additionally, this open source OS empowers developers to to create and offer applications that add value to the G1. The G1’s Home screen (seen at right) is your starting point for using all the applications on your phone. You can customize your Home screen to display applications, shortcuts, and widgets.

Just drag and drop any of your favorite applications, photos, or folders onto your home screen for quick access to what you use all the time (see larger version).

The Android Market hosts a wide variety of unique applications, and with the G1’s one-click access to it you can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications–from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping–to personalize your phone. Some examples of applications include:

• With the comparative shopping ShopSavvy application, you can scan the UPC code of a product with your phone’s camera while shopping, and instantly compare prices from online merchants and nearby local stores.
• Ecorio was developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like. With access to tips and tricks, Ecorio allows you to record the steps you take throughout their day to help offset your impact on the environment.
• BreadCrumbz enables you to create a step-by-step visual map using photos. Create your own routes, share them with friends or with the world.

Additionally, the T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with a new application developed by Amazon.com that provides easy access to the Amazon MP3 digital music download store with more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 tracks. You’ll be able to search, sample, purchase and download music from Amazon MP3 directly to the G1 (downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection; searching, sampling and purchasing music can be done anywhere with a cellular connection).

Phone Features
The T-Mobile G1’s vibrant, high-quality screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, great for communicating with friends online or using the phone’s email, IM and mobile messaging capabilities. As another option for accessing the device, the T-Mobile G1 comes equipped with a convenient trackball for more precise, one-handed navigation. The 3.2-inch touchscreen has a 320 x 480-pixel resolution and a 65K color depth. The T-Mobile G1’s touchscreen interface is unique, providing you with a more customizable, interactive touch experience. For example, you can set a signature gesture to unlock the screen (there are 30 million possible combinations). There are also different taps for different types of commands–for example, you can use a short touch to launch an application, or a long press on any screen will give you additional options, similar to that of a right click on a mouse.

The phone has an internal 192 MB RAM/256 MB ROM memory, and it’s expandable via optional MicroSD memory cards up to 8 GB in size (a 1 GB MicroSD card comes with the phone).

The hinged screen slides open to reveal keypad and closes to prevent accidental dialing.

With one-click contextual search, you can search for relevant information in a flash with a touch of a finger. A full HTML Web browser allows users to see any Web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on the screen. Built-in support for YouTube allows you to enjoy YouTube’s originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos.

With Google Maps, Google’s groundbreaking maps service, you can instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business and get driving directions, all from the phone’s easy-to-use touch interface. The T-Mobile G1 also includes Google Maps Street View, enabling you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go. Without taking a step, you can tour a far-away place as if they were there–standing on the street corner. Even better, the Google Maps feature syncs with a built-in compass on the phone–an industry first–to allow you to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with your hand.

Use the G1’s 3G and Wi-Fi connection to attach and share pictures over email and MMS or download music from your favorite web sites, as well as upload and post pictures to your personal blog.

The G1 features a rich HTML email client, which seamlessly syncs your email, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP email services. The Gmail application provides features such as conversation view, spam filtering, search, and labels that Gmail users enjoy on their computer while offering new features such as integration with the phone’s contact list. And it multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your email in the background.

It also combines Instant Messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger in the U.S., and IM presence allows you to see whether your friends are online, offline, away. The G1 also supports advanced text messaging features, enabling you to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging. The Google Calendar app on the G1 syncs with the Web-based version, so any event that you add to your phone will show up on the Web-based Google Calendar (and vice versa).

Other features include:

• 3-megapixel camera with autofocus for still photos (no video recording)
• Digital audio player with four categories (Artists, Albums, Songs, and Playlists) and support for MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA (8), WAF, and OGG Vorbis
• Use digital audio songs as ringtone
• Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets)
• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
• Messaging: email (IMAP/POP3/SMTP), instant messaging, SMS text, MMS photo
• Voice-recognition
• USB 2.0 connectivity with USB mass storage capability

Vital Statistics
The T-Mobile G1 with Google weighs 5.6 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 130 hours (5+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the 1700/2100 MHz HSDPA 3G frequencies.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you have to have a Google account to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, customers must log into the phone using a Google account login when they first use the device. Once you do log into T-Mobile G1 using a Google account, your Gmail and Google Calendar will all sync to your phone providing secure, up-to-date access to your personal information. If you don’t already have an account, the startup process will walk you through creating one. Creating a Google account is free.

Q: Do customers need a voice and/or data plan to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, when you purchase T-Mobile G1, you must add one of two T-Mobile G1-specific data plans to their account. This is similar to other all-in-one devices we offer like the T-Mobile Sidekick or the T-Mobile Shadow. Customers must also have a voice plan.

Q: Is the G1 compatible with your HotSpot @Home service?
A: No. Unlimited HotSpot Calling (formerly named T-Mobile HotSpot @Home) is not included in the T-Mobile G1, although the device can browse the Web over high-speed wireless connections including Wi-Fi and our 3G network.

Q: Are there any advantages to using Gmail on the device versus another type of personal (POP3 or IMAP) account?
A: Yes. After first logging into their Google account, you will have all your Gmail, Google Contacts, Calendar and Talk data automatically synchronize with the phone. Anything you do on the phone with these products will seconds later become available on the computer and vice versa. If you were to ever lose their phone, their information will still be available and seamlessly synchronize with a replacement G1. You will also benefit from push email and calendar alerts (this is also available for the multi-headed email client). Finally, Gmail’s contacts are synchronized automatically with the phone’s contact list.

Q: What is the “search from everywhere” feature?
A: “Search from everywhere” provides customers the ability to do contextual searches. T-Mobile G1 has a hard key on the QWERTY keyboard that you can touch in order to start a search within any application you are in. For example, if you are in your contact list and hit the search key, the device will search your contact list. If you are in your email and you hit the search key, the device will search your email. You can also start a search within each application through a search option within the application.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars AWESOME!
I’m not sure why the average review for this phone is 3.5 stars.

I would give it 5!! I used to be a Blackberry user and I won’t go back unless T-Mobile eliminates the full, slide out qwerty keyboard on the next version of this phone, which I have heard they are going to do.

Pros:

BROWSER! Awesome, quick, faster than my friends’ blackberry 8900 when performing the same search.

Touchscreen. I had a Samsung Behold for two days before I returned it and went for the G1. The G1 screen is SO much more responsive and so easy to use.

Scroll Ball. SOOOO much better than my Curve’s scroll bar. And it doesn’t get dirty so easily.

Notification bar. I love this feature–it’s a great place for consolidated information on what you missed while in a meeting, etc.

Speakerphone. This is great, compared to other phones I’ve had.

Android Market. Super easy.

Gmail. This makes keeping my calendar, email and address book together SO easy.

Cons: It’s a little large, but I guess that’s needed as it’s the first model of this phone and is pretty much a small computer.

The camera sucks, but I only need it for basic picture taking. I have a digital camera for taking quality pictures, so this doesn’t bother me.

Battery life–a LOT of people have complained about this, but I regularly get two whole days out of it before it needs to charge. I just keep the 3g turned off unless I know I’m in a 3g area (I don’t live in one) and this seems to keep the battery life up.

I definitely recommend this phone! It’s made on the go searches and emails SO easy.

4 Stars Great OS, Good Hardware
The Android platform is the selling point of this phone. Any bugs I had when I initially got this device were resolved with a speed that I’ve never seen before. Getting involved with the developer/android community is really what makes this device shine. Amateurs and novices in tech really shouldn’t be buying this phone. The Hardware is Good, not great. And rumor has it that HTC has already created it’s second Andriod device and is currently working on it’s third. It’s the right buy for early adopters, but unless you need a new device NOW, you might want to wait until Q1 of 2009 for a worth second gen Andriod phone.

1 Star T-Mobile Released this phone too early!
T-Mobile and HTC released this phone way too early! There are many bugs that people should know about. The bugs are related to e-mail and internet. Downloaded software updates only made the problem worse. Spent many hours on the phone with T-Mobile and T-Mobile basically told me that I have to deal with the phone not working properly. What a joke!

5 Stars Always connected, with lots of applications
This phone combines multi-media features, a touch screen, and constant internet connection with a phone that actually works really well! My other smart phones had poor reception, and poor to really bad voice quality. I also love the openness of the platform, and while it is just the first of the Android family of devices, a lot of cool free applications are available already. The maps integration is really nice and the GPS seems to be much faster to fix your location than other devices I have had (including dedicated GPS devices).

The built in MP3 store is good for Amazon users, and doesn’t tie your purchases to the device with DRM like iTunes does. My only warning is that like most HTC phones, using headphones requires an tiny adapter.

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