HTC HD2 Windows Phone T Mobile

Posted by Smartphone Review on August 28, 2010

Offering the largest touchscreen on a smartphone in the U.S., the Windows Mobile-powered HTC HD2 for T-Mobile is also built for speed. It features a blazing-fast 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and runs on T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network–delivering an enhanced Web-browsing experience that you’ll appreciate on the high-resolution 4.3-inch capacitive touch display. In addition to the HD2’s array of multimedia applications, you’ll also have access to a complete entertainment package with special pre-installed apps and two full movies–Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Enjoy the full Web and brilliant multimedia on the extra-large, high-resolution 4.3-inch multitouch display.

With pre-loaded apps from BLOCKBUSTER, Barnes & Noble, and MobiTV, you’ll have access to millions of eBooks, movies, television programs on the HTC HD2.

The Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system includes Internet Explorer Mobile Web browser for full HTML viewing of the Internet and a customizable Today screen that enables you to access the features and apps you use the most. You’ll stay easily connected to your business and personal data on the go with support for a wide variety of e-mail accounts as well as the ability to edit Microsoft Office documents. And with the new Microsoft My Phone and Windows Marketplace for Mobile services, you can easily back up your data to the web and download great apps respectively.

It also includes HTC Sense, a user interface overlay from HTC that makes it easy for you to create an individualized mobile experience tailored specifically to your needs.

In addition to 3G connectivity, the HTC HD2 offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. It also offers integrated GPS with access to turn-by-turn navigation from TeleNav GPS Navigator (trial version included). Other features include a pre-installed 16 GB microSD card, 5-megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash and video capture capabilities, and up to 6 hours of talk time.

Entertainment On The Go

The HTC HD2 includes the following pre-installed applications and content:

Paramount Pictures’ films Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen come pre-loaded on the included 16 GB memory card, and they’re optimized for viewing on the HD2’s high-resolution screen.
Barnes & Noble eReader puts the world’s largest eBookstore in your hand with access to more than a million eBooks, newspapers, magazines and your Barnes & Noble digital library everywhere you go. Enjoy reading on the largest screen available for eReader smartphone software.
BLOCKBUSTER On Demand enables you to discover and download the latest movie rentals on the go. Blockbuster’s first-ever video download application on a smartphone allows you to buy a movie on one device and watch on another connected device through Blockbuster’s library.
MobiTV mobile offers access to live and on-demand TV on your phone, including favorite channels such as MTV, NBC, COMEDY CENTRAL, ESPN and more are available. Plus, when you subscribe to MobiTV, your first 30 days of service are free.
Gogo Inflight Internet service offers an added bonus: up to six months of free in-flight Wi-Fi access on their device, with Internet access on 2,500 daily flights in the continental U.S. and growing.

Key Features

4.3-inch multitouch screen with bright, lifelike 480 x 800 resolution. Zoom in and out of documents, web pages, pictures or emails with just a simple pinch. Type up responses faster and more accurately on the large onscreen keyboard. The display also automatically adjusts to the light level in your surroundings and turns off to prevent false screen touches during a call.
1 GHz Snapdragon processor speeds up everything–from playing games to watching shows to opening files from work.
Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system provides enhancements such as a touch-friendly user interface and improved browser with Flash support. Content and applications are just a fingertip away on the redesigned Start Menu and Internet Explorer Mobile supports the rich experiences you find on Web pages viewed on your PC. (Learn more)
Customizable home screen with your apps and interests right on top.
Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile’s HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile’s 3G service below)
Quad-band GSM phone for good global voice connectivity. (850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands)
Built-in GPS for location-based services and navigation with a trial version of TeleNav GPS Navigator, which provides real-time location on maps, turn-by-turn driving directions, and more (monthly subscription required after trial expires).
5-megapixel autofocus camera/camcorder with dual LED flash and digital zoom
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (16 GB card included).
Windows Media Player for multi-format audio and video playback
Full messaging capabilities including SMS text, MMS picture and IM instant messaging (via popular services including AOL, Yahoo!, and MSN).
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
3.5mm headset jack

Vital Statistics
The HTC HD2 weighs 5.54 ounces and measures 4.74 x 2.64 x 0.43 inches. Its 1230 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6 hours of talk time, and up to 480 hours (20 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile’s 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).

What’s in the Box
HTC HD2 handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 16 GB microSD card, wired stereo hands-free headset, USB cable, quick start guide, user manual

T-Mobile Services

High-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile’s 3G network: In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. 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.
In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). 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 e-mail on the go.

While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:
- E-mail, instant messaging, and texting
- Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
- Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging
Activities that work best on a 3G network:
- Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
- Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
- Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
- Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website
T-Mobile’s 3G network is currently available in more than 220 cities nationwide and covers more than 160 million people.

Learn More

Top Features in Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional

Windows Mobile 6.5 combines a variety of enhancements to help you stay connected and manage your busy life. From a more intuitive gesture-driven interface (you can tap, drag, click, and pan) to a revamped Start screen, access and navigation are fast and easy. And with the new Microsoft My Phone and Windows Marketplace for Mobile services you can easily back up your data to the web and download great apps. With Windows Mobile 6.5, you can see alerts even if you’re on a call or have password-protected your phone. You’ll see new e-mail and text messages, missed calls and voice-mail notifications, and the date, time, and next calendar appointment. Other enhancements include:

The lock screen displays new messages and appointments without requiring that you enter a PIN when the phone is locked.
You can easily customize your Today screen to display and access new e-mails, text messages, and other high-level information with a simple tap.
The Start screen provides ultimate access and control: quickly browse and open programs; easily customize program order (move the most used apps to the top) and add your favorite web sites.
Internet Explorer Mobile provides a full, rich web viewing experience similar to the experience on your PC.
The improved Windows Media Player Mobile lets you view full-screen video and provides audio and video playback enhancements, like pausing a song or video when you receive a call.
Use the My Phone Service to sync your phone and data to the web so it’s backed up and accessible.
Express your sense of style with designer-theme-based phones (like the new Halo design) or create your own custom themes.
MSN Widgets provide real-time information on weather and stocks.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Love the phone but not the OS
The only bad thing about this phone is that its a crappy ass windows phone. I recently hacked it to put android on it and i hafta say i am quietly impressed XD. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PHONE FOR ANY 1.

3 Stars nice hardware bad os
this phone looks great. it has great features and the screen size is great. as far as windows mobile 6.5 goes. it isnt for me. htc tried with their sense ui by adding cool effects and their htc widgets but it isnt enough. the wm apps are pricey and useless and the phone itself gets boring after awhile. if ur new to smart phones i recommend but if your coming from an iphone or an android device dont get this. but there is a way to flash android on this phone and running android on this phone is amazing.

1 Star no bad but not great
download anything you can to make this phone better after you buy it out the box it sucks i feel like this was the evo prototype evo is 100 times better but i hate sprint windows mobile is the worse software ever the harsware on this phone is great and could do so much better with something other then windows mobile no dont even think windows mobile 7 will be better never buy a windows phone i want to break my phone over the the heads of the people who made it

5 Stars Love my HD2.
PROS:

I actually got this phone when it first came out. I put a little work into it and wow. I can now play my old Playstation games on my phone. There is a Playstation emulator, FPSCE, that after a bit of work, runs some games perfectly, and some well. I usually play Diablo and Gran Tourismo 2, a couple of my favorite games.

The camera is 5mp. That’s not as much as the 8mp that will be on the new EVO (I believe) but I think it takes great pictures. The flash/ led lights are nice.

Ah, music, I like Nitrogen. It works great. Love the button that turns the screen off. Also, I can play my mp3’s and switch over to playing playstation.

I love the standard headphone jack. Great sound with my headphones. Usually need to turn the volume down a bit.

Ah, love watching mp4’s. Great screen.

Basically there is software there you can find where you can turn your playstation games, dvd’s, cd’s, etc. into enjoyable media for your phone. This is what Iphone can’t touch. I had an HTC Touch, the one from Eagle Eye, and used to play Gameboy games and SNES games but it was a bit slow.

My wife got an I Touch for Christmas… Spent like 60 bucks on games and got bored with it after a couple of weeks. App stores are nice but the money racks up quickly. I’d much prefer to play my old games and such.

Cons:

I was having trouble getting signal, but Tmobile reset my connection and it’s working fine again. They suggest turning the phone off once a day for about 5 seconds. They also went over how to manually select a network.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head… oh, good battery life, and an external battery is a great add on.

2 Stars I really wanted to love this phone, but Windows ruined it for me!
I switched from Blackberry pearl to HD2 which I was really excited about, but Windows ruined it in many ways.

P.S: I am not a mac fan-boy, in fact I hate apple products. All I own is a PC and a laptop running Windows 7, so this review is FAR FROM BIASED.

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Con’s:

1> This phone has so much potential but windows seems to have locked lot of things like the home screen tabs, Registry settings, no Mp3 ringtones, videos on Opera browser, Task Manager options and so on. The problem is its not impossible, you can just play with registry and problem solved. But you have to download some applications to edit registry, and know what you are doing. Why not just give it to us, rather than making us all figure out?

2> You upgrade the device and you lose all the data and settings, I mean ALL. That’s lame Microsoft, can’t you just add a backup feature to your ActiveSync junk?

3> Its not available for Win mobile 7 upgrade, which could have been amazing because I have heard really good reviews about it. But HD2 doesn’t meet the “hardware requirements” for Win mobile 7.

4> You have to use both the hands for using this phone efficiently. Or have a large hand. Ex. The browser has address bar way on the top but navigation is way on the bottom, makes it difficult to use it with one hand.

5> I have to click so many different places just to get my address book up. Which unfortunately I cant even add in my home screen tabs.

6> THERE IS NO EXIT BUTTON FOR ANYTHING. If I click back or “X” on the top right corner it doesn’t mean quit in Windows mobile 6.5. It mean minimize. I have to go to Task Manager every time to quit applications. Which drains my battery in case I forgot.

7> The hardware is so powerful but Windows media player will not play most of the videos by default. I had to download some other freeware program, which got unistalled when I did an upgrade.

8> When your battery is almost dead, it will shutdown the phone all together, so no access to contacts no access to time, alarm, message or directions. It doesn’t let you run on really bare minimum required resources.

9> I can’t see the timing of a call placed or missed or received. I can’t even see the clock when I am setting an alarm, I have to go back to main screen to check the time again.

10> The sound quality is OK, maybe its just me because my pearl(8200) has a speaker and a WOOFER, which is way better than HD2’s speaker.

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Pro’s:

Its really COOL. It looks very smart.

The camera is super awesome. I have not owned a cellphone with this great of a camera.

I like the feel of it, not heavy.

After you get over the coolness part it all comes down to usability, where it severely lacks(at least compared to a blackberry).

In conclusion, it could have been really better if they would have TESTED the OS before just shipping it out with this amazing phone. I am really dissapointed in HTC’s decision to go with Windows mobile 6.5. When windows 7 was just around the corner( they could have struck a deal with Microsoft to support HD2 on the contract).

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Filed Under: Wireless

Tags: Barnes Noble, Blockbuster, Business Networks, Complete Entertainment, Customizable Today, E Mail, Fast 1, Gps Navigator, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office Documents, Mobile Experience, Mobile Services, Mobile Web, Multimedia Applications, Qualcomm, Stereo Music, T Mobile, Television Programs, Windows Marketplace, Windows Phone

T Mobile Garminfone Android Phone T Mobile

Posted by Smartphone Review on

T Mobile Garminfone Android Phone T Mobile

The first Android-powered smartphone fully-integrated with Garmin’s premium GPS software, the 3G-enabled Garminfone smartphone for T-Mobile gives you the same navigation experience found on Garmin’s standalone GPS devices–including voice-guided and on-screen directions, real-time traffic, weather, and gas prices. The mobile Web browser includes enhanced functions, including pinch and zoom capability and embedded location awareness that links information found on the Web to navigation and mapping functions–enabling you to navigate directly to a location from a Web page.

The sleek Garminfone offers full-touch 3G smartphone capabilities with a large 3.5-inch screen and Garmin’s robust navigation.

In addition to the comprehensive navigational features, the Garminfone is built on the Android operating system (version 1.6, Donut), offering integrated Google mobile services that millions use every day. With one simple sign-in to your Google account, you’ll be connected to Google Calendar, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk, and more. And through Android Market, you’ll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.

Easily customizable to fit your needs, the Garminfone also give you access to Garmin’s Connected Services, which include flight status information, weather forecasts, real-time traffic, gas prices, and more.

The Garminfone is ready to go with the included car kit–simply plug it in and snap it in the car mount and you’ll be on your way in no time. Garminfone also features a bright 3.5-inch display, and a 3.0-megapixel camera with geotagging capabilities so you can share location details about the places around you.

The Garminfone provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Other features include 4 GB of internal memory, microSD memory expansion (with 2 GB card included), Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, multi-format digital media player, and up to 4 hours of talk time.

With fully integrated Garmin navigation, you’ll get both on-screen and voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names.

Garmin Navigation

With the Garminfone, you’ll enjoy driving, walking and public transportation navigation with voice and on-screen directions and automatic re-routing. The on-board North American maps offer fast and reliable directions–whether in or out of cell phone coverage–and multiple overlapping positioning technologies ensure you have one of the best location and navigation experiences a smartphone can offer.

The Garminfone also supports junction view with lane assist in many metro areas–so you can know the right lane to be in at the right time. In addition, it comes preloaded with millions of points of interest so you can look up restaurants, fuel stations, hotels, ATMs and more, get phone numbers and addresses, and navigate right to your chosen location.

The Garminfone utilizes text-to-speech technology to speak street names, and it’s tightly integrated with Google Voice Search. Simply speak to move through the point of interest information from within Google Voice Search, make your choice and the Garminfone will guide you there.

Designed with location-aware functionality at its core., the Garminfone’s navigation features are fully integrated with frequently used applications such as calendar, contacts, email, Internet browser, and messaging.

Garmin Connected Services

Garmin’s Connected Services deliver useful localized content, such as traffic data, flight information and weather forecasts, directly to you. It’s where you’ll find a range of applications and services to keep you informed while you’re on the move.

Included car mount.

Real-Time Traffic alerts help you avoid traffic delays and road construction on your route. The Garminfone examines the current traffic data and automatically optimizes a route for the shortest time. You just drive.
Gas Prices finds the best prices for fuel near your location. You can even choose the grade of fuel, regular, mid-grade, premium or diesel. Easily navigate to your chosen station in one click.
Google Local Search allows you to search for businesses in your area then navigate to them using Garmin navigation with voice-prompted directions that announce street names.
Ciao! integrates location-centric social network applications such as GyPSii, with more networks to be added in the future.
Flight Status gives you quick access to flight departure/arrival times and gate information from airports around the world with the closest major airports displayed first.
Panoramio enables you to navigate to geotagged photos that are sorted by distance from current location.
Weather provides current and five-day forecasts tailored for the location where you are. Or where you’re going. You can search for weather information for cities around the world.

Key Features

Powered by the Android operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
On-screen and voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names, know your arrival time, and automatically reroute if you have to detour
Pre-loaded with North American maps for navigation even without cellular coverage
Millions of points of interest so you can look up restaurants, fuel stations, hotels, ATMs and more
Included car kit with dash mount

Text messages appear in a conversational view, and it’s easy to dial numbers with the onscreen numeric keypad.
Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile’s HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile’s 3G service below)
Quad-band GSM phone for good global voice connectivity. (850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands)
3.5-inch capacitive touch display (320 x 480 pixels) with auto-rotation.
Onscreen keyboard
3-megapixel auto-focus camera with 4x digital zoom, white balance adjustment, and multiple shooting modes.
Video capture capabilities (MPEG4 and H.263 with audio via AMR-NB)
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (2 GB card included).
4 GB internal memory

The 3-megapixel auto-focus camera
also features video capture and geotagging support.
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads.
Access to personal and work e-mail (support for Exchange Server)
Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone.
Visual Voicemail allows you to listen to your voice-mail messages in any order, respond in one click and easily manage your inbox without ever dialing in to the network.
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off

Vital Statistics
The Garminfone weighs 4.9 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 144 hours (6 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile’s 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).

What’s in the Box
Garminfone handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, microSD memory card, wired stereo hands-free headset, stereo headphone adapter, premium dash mount, quick start guide, user manual

T-Mobile Services

High-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile’s 3G network: In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. 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.
In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). 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 e-mail on the go.

While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:
- E-mail, instant messaging, and texting
- Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
- Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging
Activities that work best on a 3G network:
- Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
- Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
- Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
- Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website
T-Mobile’s 3G network is currently available in more than 220 cities nationwide and covers more than 160 million people.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Favorite Phone
Pros:

1. Satellite base GPS, no data required if you buy it used or without contract.

2. Android OS, a lot of free apps.

3. Loud and clear speaker phone.

4. Just the right size for a to go GPS and comfortable to hold.

5. Wifi is very fast.

6. The email program is easy to set up.

7. The GPS works just as well as the NUVI series.

Con:

1. Alarm does not work if the phone is off. I learned the hard way.

2. 3 MP camera only.

3. No flash for camera.

4. Only 4 GB of internal memory and only 1.6GB available prevent it from being a do it all device.

5. GPS for some reasons have no sound a sometimes. Probably due to glitches.

6. Unlimited menu customization.

7. Battery life.

5 Stars Fantastic phone for those in need of a GPS
I’ve had this phone for about a week now and quite honestly, I love it. It’s not as advanced as some of the other Android OS phones on the market, but it definitely gets the job done. It has it’s own user interface that is pretty easy to navigate and runs off of the old Android OS 1.6. The main reason for my purchase of this phone was I needed a stand alone GPS to navigate around the Baltimore/DC area and was getting tired of my Blackberry 8900. The other big thing that got me on-board was the fact that if I ever felt the need to upgrade my phone again this unit works as a stand alone GPS without the need for a sim card! The prospect of always having a GPS after a $450 purchase made it an easy buy for me. I read quite a few reviews on this phone and everyone seemed to be impressed with how well the GPS worked, so I figured I’d give it a try. So far I’ve used it three times and I can tell you, it’s pretty darn good. The phone also comes with separate home AND car chargers, I mention this because the T-Mobile site is a bit vague as far as what is packaged (Although the home chargers cord is very short). As far as the multitasking options and networking, Facebook isn’t as streamlined as it is on blackberry, but there are pro’s and con’s to both I suppose. Those are easily remedied by updates that have nothing to do with which operating system you have on this phone though. As far as syncing e-mails, wi-fi, and bluetooth; all of that is pretty easy. The only real downer is that it’s 3.0 megapixel camera doesn’t have a flash and doesn’t take the best of pictures, but my need for a gps outweighs my need for a camera. I rarely used the 3.2 MP on my blackberry and it took pretty decent pictures. My only concern thus far with this phone is that I am an Electrician and work with my hands in pretty dirty locations so I imagine sooner or later I’ll scratch it or drop it, but such is the case with any phone I buy. If you’re in the need of a GPS with a few nice networking capabilites, and you aren’t too concerned with running several Android programs or taking pictures, this phone is definitely for you.

5 Stars Garminfone does it all.
The garminfone does it all and many of it’s best features are true gems. Most importantly, there is NO comparison in terms of navigation and location based services with the built in maps. That means that even without coverage, navigation works perfectly. Other navigation software like google’s android based system don’t even compare. I also love the fact that the phone comes with a dashboard mount, so the phone is always charging so you probably won’t have to charge it at home if you spend significant time in your car. The phone has a reliable and rugged form that seems break resistant compared to other smart phones. The sound quality is the best and speakerphone while in the cradle is excellent. By comparison, the Samsung might look better, but it’s just bells and whistles. The Garminfone get’s the job done and that’s what’s important to me with a reliable custom android interface.

3 Stars A good 2nd gen device in a sea of 3rd gens.
After my G1 bricked a 2nd time, I went on a small journey to review some T-Mobile phone replacements. The Garminfone and MyTouch Slide 3G are the two I’ve chosen, and this is what I’ve found about the Garminfone after two weeks.

First, it’s light, much lighter than a G1 by feel and likely due to the absence of a physical keyboard. Asus and Garmin have done a splendid job designing a pretty phone, and it looks terrific.

The second thing I’d notice is that the Garmin-designed interface is targeting casual or non-technical users, so it didn’t resonate with me. It’s just a point to consider: you can download ADW Launcher and ditch the Garmin home screen and UI for the most part, and gain a pretty powerful launcher in the process.

Third, Android 1.6 with 2.1 features is nice but not a sustainable solution for the phone long-term. I know why Garmin went the way they did: they were challenged to integrate their own legacy GPS software and mapping into an Android container, and had access to the 2.1 SDK and so rolled their own 1.6 version. However, it will be quite some time, if ever, that this phone received a true 2.1 base. Whether you notice it or not is largely irrelevant; understand that you won’t be moving to Froyo or beyond.

Fourth, the hardware is fairly fast, faster than I expected with an average CPU (600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7227, the same used in the MyTouch Slide 3G). It’s not a 1Ghz Snapdragon, but I was surprised at how quickly it would return UI changes for me. The memory is 256Mb of RAM and 4Gb of internal storage, 458Mb of it dedicated to apps. If you were missing Apps2SD, this makes up for it somewhat. It also supports microSD, of course.

Fifth, the device is a PND replacement, by design. The included car dock snaps on and provides a landscape orientation and charging port, with the standard bulb swivel and a stick-on base if your dash doesn’t have a smooth surface for the suction cup. You might need a longer USB cable but in practice with a 2002 Neon ACR I didn’t need anything longer. The Garmin maps are offline, which is a huge advantage over Google navigation as you can use this device in the wild — all you need is a charged battery and some sky. Navigation is just fine, accurate and precise, with some nice features like local speed limits and traffic. In truth traffic didn’t really work, but traffic is a hard problem for anyone to solve. As a personal navigation device I’d wholly recommend this.

Overall, I liked it but missed the physical keyboard. Swipe and Graffiti work terrific on this, and the device ran all of my own apps without incident. The included Garmin widgets and its version of a home screen are not worth keeping, and should be easier to ditch in favor of a generic home screen. The widgets, when working, were nice but unremarkable. The battery life was decent, not spectacular, and there is no way to disable 3G to conserve power (another shortcoming of rolling your own OS version). It also seems as if the device is languishing in the market, so I’d wait to see if Garmin-Asus update this to 2.1 before committing myself to a contract for one.

–#

5 Stars Great for what it was intended for
This is a great GPS phone! People who do not like this phone don’t understand the function of this phone. I got my to use with a T-mobile prepaid plan. Most Android phones require a data plan to use Google’s navigation programs. The Garminfone has maps of the North America preloaded with points of interest on the phone. This means no data plan required for the GPS function. It also means if you travel to areas here there is spotty cell coverage, such as forests, campgrounds mountains…etc. the GPS continue to work.

I recently used this phone for a week in south Florida and it found all my destinations and got me to some good restaurants, super markets and banks with no problem. Due to the fast processor on the phone (as compared to stand alone GPS units), course recalculation is lighting fast! Usually within one block!

One last thing that rarely gets mentioned is that this is a great Phone! The sound quality is excellent! The speaker phone is loud! And I have not experienced a single dropped call in 2 months.

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Tags: Android, Car Kit, E Mail, Flight Status, Gas Prices, Google, Google Talk, Gps Devices, Information Weather, Internal Memory, Location Awareness, Location Details, Mapping Functions, Mobile Web, Navigation Experience, Screen Directions, T Mobile, Time Traffic, Traffic Weather, Weather Forecasts

Why Smartphone Adoption May Not Be as Big as You Think

Posted by Yahoo! News Search Results for intitle:smartphone on August 26, 2010

The mobile trends series is supported by Samsung. Read more about the Samsung Galaxy here . For years now, forecasts have pointed towards a portable, mobile future. And now, hand-held mobile web and geo-location are being…

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Tags: Adoption, Galaxy, Mobile Web, Samsung

The Best Mobile Websites: No Smartphone Required

Posted by Digg RSS Search for smartphone on August 20, 2010

What? No Iphone! No Android! No Blackberry! You can still enjoy the mobile web with a non-smartphone. This hub points to some of my favorite mobile websites.The website...

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Tags: Blackberry, Hub, Iphone, Mobile Web, Smartphone

T Mobile Garminfone Android Phone T Mobile

Posted by Smartphone Review on August 19, 2010

T Mobile Garminfone Android Phone T Mobile

The first Android-powered smartphone fully-integrated with Garmin’s premium GPS software, the 3G-enabled Garminfone smartphone for T-Mobile gives you the same navigation experience found on Garmin’s standalone GPS devices–including voice-guided and on-screen directions, real-time traffic, weather, and gas prices. The mobile Web browser includes enhanced functions, including pinch and zoom capability and embedded location awareness that links information found on the Web to navigation and mapping functions–enabling you to navigate directly to a location from a Web page.

The sleek Garminfone offers full-touch 3G smartphone capabilities with a large 3.5-inch screen and Garmin’s robust navigation.

In addition to the comprehensive navigational features, the Garminfone is built on the Android operating system (version 1.6, Donut), offering integrated Google mobile services that millions use every day. With one simple sign-in to your Google account, you’ll be connected to Google Calendar, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk, and more. And through Android Market, you’ll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.

Easily customizable to fit your needs, the Garminfone also give you access to Garmin’s Connected Services, which include flight status information, weather forecasts, real-time traffic, gas prices, and more.

The Garminfone is ready to go with the included car kit–simply plug it in and snap it in the car mount and you’ll be on your way in no time. Garminfone also features a bright 3.5-inch display, and a 3.0-megapixel camera with geotagging capabilities so you can share location details about the places around you.

The Garminfone provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. Other features include 4 GB of internal memory, microSD memory expansion (with 2 GB card included), Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, multi-format digital media player, and up to 4 hours of talk time.

With fully integrated Garmin navigation, you’ll get both on-screen and voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names.

Garmin Navigation

With the Garminfone, you’ll enjoy driving, walking and public transportation navigation with voice and on-screen directions and automatic re-routing. The on-board North American maps offer fast and reliable directions–whether in or out of cell phone coverage–and multiple overlapping positioning technologies ensure you have one of the best location and navigation experiences a smartphone can offer.

The Garminfone also supports junction view with lane assist in many metro areas–so you can know the right lane to be in at the right time. In addition, it comes preloaded with millions of points of interest so you can look up restaurants, fuel stations, hotels, ATMs and more, get phone numbers and addresses, and navigate right to your chosen location.

The Garminfone utilizes text-to-speech technology to speak street names, and it’s tightly integrated with Google Voice Search. Simply speak to move through the point of interest information from within Google Voice Search, make your choice and the Garminfone will guide you there.

Designed with location-aware functionality at its core., the Garminfone’s navigation features are fully integrated with frequently used applications such as calendar, contacts, email, Internet browser, and messaging.

Garmin Connected Services

Garmin’s Connected Services deliver useful localized content, such as traffic data, flight information and weather forecasts, directly to you. It’s where you’ll find a range of applications and services to keep you informed while you’re on the move.

Included car mount.

Real-Time Traffic alerts help you avoid traffic delays and road construction on your route. The Garminfone examines the current traffic data and automatically optimizes a route for the shortest time. You just drive.
Gas Prices finds the best prices for fuel near your location. You can even choose the grade of fuel, regular, mid-grade, premium or diesel. Easily navigate to your chosen station in one click.
Google Local Search allows you to search for businesses in your area then navigate to them using Garmin navigation with voice-prompted directions that announce street names.
Ciao! integrates location-centric social network applications such as GyPSii, with more networks to be added in the future.
Flight Status gives you quick access to flight departure/arrival times and gate information from airports around the world with the closest major airports displayed first.
Panoramio enables you to navigate to geotagged photos that are sorted by distance from current location.
Weather provides current and five-day forecasts tailored for the location where you are. Or where you’re going. You can search for weather information for cities around the world.

Key Features

Powered by the Android operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
On-screen and voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names, know your arrival time, and automatically reroute if you have to detour
Pre-loaded with North American maps for navigation even without cellular coverage
Millions of points of interest so you can look up restaurants, fuel stations, hotels, ATMs and more
Included car kit with dash mount

Text messages appear in a conversational view, and it’s easy to dial numbers with the onscreen numeric keypad.
Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile’s HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile’s 3G service below)
Quad-band GSM phone for good global voice connectivity. (850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands)
3.5-inch capacitive touch display (320 x 480 pixels) with auto-rotation.
Onscreen keyboard
3-megapixel auto-focus camera with 4x digital zoom, white balance adjustment, and multiple shooting modes.
Video capture capabilities (MPEG4 and H.263 with audio via AMR-NB)
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (2 GB card included).
4 GB internal memory

The 3-megapixel auto-focus camera
also features video capture and geotagging support.
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
Multi-format digital audio player with dedicated Amazon MP3 Store app for over-the-air downloads.
Access to personal and work e-mail (support for Exchange Server)
Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone.
Visual Voicemail allows you to listen to your voice-mail messages in any order, respond in one click and easily manage your inbox without ever dialing in to the network.
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off

Vital Statistics
The Garminfone weighs 4.9 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 144 hours (6 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile’s 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).

What’s in the Box
Garminfone handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, microSD memory card, wired stereo hands-free headset, stereo headphone adapter, premium dash mount, quick start guide, user manual

T-Mobile Services

High-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile’s 3G network: In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. 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.
In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). 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 e-mail on the go.

While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:
- E-mail, instant messaging, and texting
- Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
- Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging
Activities that work best on a 3G network:
- Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
- Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
- Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
- Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website
T-Mobile’s 3G network is currently available in more than 220 cities nationwide and covers more than 160 million people.