Now, This Is What A Smartphone Should Look Like [Archive]

Janak Parekh

03-10-2003, 03:00 PM

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mitac.com/micweb/news/pr-file/pr030227.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.mitac.com/micweb/news/pr...le/pr030227.htm</a><br /><br /></div>Mitac has quietly announced the Mio 8380 Smartphone.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/parekh/news/mitac-8380.gif" /><br /><br />It runs Smartphone 2002 on an XScale processor, has dual displays, an integrated camera, a SD slot, a 2.2" color LCD, and Java support (which I believe is a first for Smartphones, but I could be wrong), and is tri-band GSM/GPRS. Hey Mitac, I'll review one for you... :D

yschang

03-10-2003, 03:09 PM

This phone will certainly make good impact on how a smartphone can be very portable and fashionable!!! 8)

At the moment, there are several phones sporting in-built camera at the moment... IMHO, I don't know what I'll do with a DC on my phone... it probably will get crushed by me bumping into walls in the crowded street of Taipei... :?

Bob Anderson

03-10-2003, 03:10 PM

Yet another cool phone that I'll have to pass on because it's not CDMA!!

Note to Verizon: It's time to join the party... let's get some cool phones, please! (Where's the smartphone?)

rberry88

03-10-2003, 03:11 PM

Show me where the line is because I want one of these. I have the Sanyo 5300 phone with camera and love it and this one has Smartphone 2002 and an SD slot. Ohhhhh just heaven baby, just heaven.

rberry88 :D

Pony99CA

03-10-2003, 03:11 PM

Mitac has quietly announced the Mio 8380 Smartphone.

It runs Smartphone 2002 on an XScale processor, has dual displays, an integrated camera, a SD slot, a 2.2" color LCD, and Java support (which I believe is a first for Smartphones, but I could be wrong), and is tri-band
GSM/GPRS. Hey Mitac, I'll review one for you... :D
Not bad, but I prefer one that uses CDMA, like the Samsung SCH-i600 (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=186). It's got an SDIO slot, and I think the Samsung looks cooler, too. However, it doesn't have a camera and the secondary display is black-and-white, I think, plus it's running a StrongArm 2 (whatever that is).

Steve

http://www.phonescoop.com/img/phones/186_235_1.jpg

Pony99CA

03-10-2003, 03:14 PM

Yet another cool phone that I'll have to pass on because it's not CDMA!!

Note to Verizon: It's time to join the party... let's get some cool phones, please! (Where's the smartphone?)
If you look at my previous post, the Samsung SCH-i600 will supposedly be offered by Verizon. :-)

Steve

Bob Anderson

03-10-2003, 03:22 PM

GadgetGirl

03-10-2003, 03:39 PM

dlipetz

03-10-2003, 03:48 PM

If you look at my previous post, the Samsung SCH-i600 will supposedly be offered by Verizon. :-)
Steve

Ah... the Samsung SCH-i600.

While I'm still hoping for a miracle announcement at CTIA, from all appearance, the Samsung SCH-i600 Smartphone is dead in the water. I hope someone can persuade me otherwise.

It's been FCC approved since August. There have been several press releases from Microsoft and Samsung (regarding PPCPE devices and CDMA support for MS Smartphone), but none of them even mention the i600 anymore. The phone has been pictured featuring a Verizon logo, but none of the Verizon product roadmaps I've seen even mention it.

The only things I've seen about Smartphone in North America is from red-e, a company that I've never heard of.

So, either Microsoft/Samsung/Verizon Wireless are being brilliantly secretive about a US launch, or plans have changed.

Perhaps Samsung's investment in Symbian has altered their plans for MS? Why has it been so quiet about launch plans in the USA? Are there no major US wireless partners willing to partner with MS?

I really would like an MS Smartphone, and really want a clamshell form-factor. I don't need or want an integrated camera, so the new MITAC is not so exciting. The Samsung i600 looks precisely like the sort of phone I would love to own.

Hope I'm wrong, but prospects don't look so good for this phone to see the light of day.

Anyone have anything that can shed some light on this?

JMountford

03-10-2003, 03:56 PM

This is a beautiful looking phone. I Notived the article on Phonescoop Friday... Anyway. This is precisely what a Windows powered Smartphone should be in my opinion. Only it should have BT built in.

I do have a sinking feeling regarding the Smasung i600. No one knows anything about it at Verizon. ANd as said before no Samsung or Microsoft Press Release covers it so I think it is a lost cause. I am slightly annoyed at this as I will only use a CDMA phone. I am hoping MiTac will see the beneifts of CDMA and shipping to America.

I doubt it though.

Janak Parekh

03-10-2003, 04:36 PM

This phone will certainly make good impact on how a smartphone can be very portable and fashionable!!! 8)
Indeed, that's what I was thinking. It admittedly isn't CDMA and doesn't have Bluetooth, both features that I as a power user would want -- but I could see an ordinary end-user carrying a phone that looks like this comfortably in their pocket.

--janak

GregWard

03-10-2003, 04:41 PM

This is precisely what a Windows powered Smartphone should be in my opinion. Only it should have BT built in.

Glad it's not just me that puts BT high on the "must have" list. Why are both MiTac and HTC/Orange/etc missing such an obvious trick? Surely it should be so easy to add BT support?

If you did then - for me - you crack two problems immediately. First you can always use another (bigger) device for more screen reading room and better text entry.

Secondly (and to state the obvious) the "phone" bit of Smartphone is for making calls. So with a BT chip you can immediately appeal to people who want hands-free kits for their car. It cost me £300 for the car kit for my Nokia 9210 and I'm seriously annoyed that I will have to bin it as/when I get a newer phone. At least if I buy a BT handsfree kit I could swap phones without having to buy a new one!

yawanag

03-10-2003, 05:00 PM

I'd gladly give up the DC for more memory. Why are they still making these things 32MB RAM? I'm like someone posted a while back - "a software whore." I run out of space too quickly.

Perry Reed

03-10-2003, 05:24 PM

I like the flip-phone format, but is it really asking too much for a Smartphone for Sprint (CDMA 1xRTT) with Bluetooth??

rbrome

03-10-2003, 05:29 PM

I like the flip-phone format, but is it really asking too much for a Smartphone for Sprint (CDMA 1xRTT) with Bluetooth??

Well, Sprint, Samsung, and Microsoft are teaming up for some kind of announcment at CTIA next week... infer from that whatever you like.

Also, Sony Ericsson last week announced the T608 - the first Bluetooth CDMA phone for North America. I can tell you that Sprint will carry it.

In other news, Samsung recently started selling a Bluetooth CDMA phone in Korea.

Sooner or later - it will all come together...

ricksfiona

03-10-2003, 06:21 PM

Cool looking phone, but where is the Bluetooth support? Since there is a SDIO slot, I realize you could put in a Bluetooth radio, but then you lose the slot for storage. Since getting my Jabra BT200 Bluetooth headset, I can't see myself going back to a non-Bluetooth phone. That Motorola V600 that is coming about 2H03 looks promising, but Motorola enjoys putting really goofy menus in their phone, and it's not PPC2002.

I guess I'll continue waiting for the perfect phone. :)
Yup, I said it once and I'll say it again.... No bluetooth, no sale.

It's a really nice looking phone and tri-band GPRS/GSM is super cool! I'd rather see the camera sacrificed for Bluetooth.

Guess I got some more time for the perfect phone to appear. :(

Mike Wagstaff

03-10-2003, 06:32 PM

For those of us who don't mind the missing Bluetooth, this phone looks simply awesome. The specs are fantastic, and it actually looks stylish to boot. I'm stunned. :)

Ojster

03-10-2003, 06:33 PM

No bluetooth and not UMTS - my next phone will certainly be UMTS since it will be available here in the second half of year and I am still wondering whether HP might introduce the new iPAQ with UMTS option.

Sony is showing an interesting mobile phone at CeBit but not a smartphone... Z1010 at http://www.sonyericsson.com/cebit/

scrinch

03-10-2003, 06:34 PM

Mike Wagstaff

03-10-2003, 06:42 PM

This is a nice-looking smartphone, but is the screen large enough to make much use of? E-mail won't be this phone's forte because of the lack of touchscreen/keyboard. Will anyone want to browse the web/view photos/video on a 2.2" screen? How do you use the "smart" part of the phone, then?
The Smartphone OS is designed from the ground up for use on a phone, with all the limitations (small screen, no stylus input) that you would associate with a phone. As far as text entry goes, T9 offers reasonably good speeds - it's not quite as a convenient as using a stylus, but it gives it a good run for its money.

With regards to the screen size, web browsing is obviously not easy, but its doable. The trick is to find sites that are designed to be mobile-friendly, as they tend to render fairly well. In fact, I'm often surprised at just how well my SPV does.

Cortex

03-10-2003, 07:01 PM

why would people want an SD card in their phone?

are there going to be that many applications for a phone?

Bob Anderson

03-10-2003, 07:11 PM

why would people want an SD card in their phone?

are there going to be that many applications for a phone?

I'm not sure I can speak to all the reasons why... but expansion, with an industry standard format such as SD and/or SDIO, is ALWAYS a good idea. Sure you think you have enough memory now... but you almost always wish you could add more later! (I have yet to buy a computing device in my 18 year old computer habit, that I didn't want more memory for, for one reason or the other.)

brntcrsp

03-10-2003, 07:39 PM

With WMP built into the OS the majority of users are going to use the SD slot for music, and video playback before application data.

Pony99CA

03-10-2003, 08:51 PM

Sony is showing an interesting mobile phone at CeBit but not a smartphone... Z1010 at http://www.sonyericsson.com/cebit/
Why does this phone need two cameras?

Steve

Ramin

03-10-2003, 10:00 PM

Sony is showing an interesting mobile phone at CeBit but not a smartphone... Z1010 at http://www.sonyericsson.com/cebit/
Why does this phone need two cameras?

A camera facing the user for video calls, and another camera facing away for snapshots. However, with 2 cameras... won't the Sony Ericsson Z1010 cost more than the MiTAC 8380? I'd still prefer a rotating/swivelling camera design similar to the Samsung SCH-A600 series phones (see below) or the Sony CLIE NR/NX series PDAs.

http://www.phonescoop.com/img/phones/231_235_1.jpg

BTW- A major drawback of the MiTAC Smartphone is the lack of Bluetooth. I've noticed that none of the Microsoft Smartphones have integrated Bluetooth - Is this because no one has been able to develop a reliable Bluetooth stack for the Microsoft Smartphones?

MooseMaster

03-10-2003, 10:03 PM

BLUETOOTH!!! It costs manufacturers about 72 cents to install a bluetooth chip and radio in any device... why aren't they in more cellphones than the T68i? I'm flabberghasted that this quality a cellphone is missing such a simple and useful feature. Does it even have an infrared port?

krisbrown

03-10-2003, 10:50 PM

Sorry ,don't like flips, used to, but changed my mind after having one, it's almost imposible to use one-handed.
Got my SPV, unlocked it, un-dig-signed it.
It's crashed ,like 20 times, always in the silliest places, like clicking on the settings link..crash, reset.
Click on change ringer tone..crash ,reset.
But now I'm hooked, it's fantastic, 256 mmc card fitted, the speaker is VERY loud, can view low graphic sites very quickly and smoothly, have watched streaming video, taken pics, quality very good, downloaded some brilliant games, emulators work great, its as good as a PPC in a really practical package. Only problem, the keypad is just too small, I have small hands but I have to use my nails to press the buttons.

dlipetz

03-10-2003, 11:36 PM

Well, Sprint, Samsung, and Microsoft are teaming up for some kind of announcment at CTIA next week... infer from that whatever you like.

Rich "PhoneScoop" Brome,

Man, I hope it's a Smartphone, perhaps the SCH-i600 (Verizon bailed maybe?). But somehow I think it's the Samsung i700 Pocket PC Phone Edition. That unit has already been announced and will be carried by Sprint, so maybe they roll it out at CTIA.

If it is indeed an MS Smartphone, manufactured by Samsung, and carried by Sprint, then I will be quite happy.

Janak Parekh

03-11-2003, 12:24 AM

If it is indeed an MS Smartphone, manufactured by Samsung, and carried by Sprint, then I will be quite happy.
At this point, I'm just waiting to see any WinCE-powered CDMA phone excepting the 2032/Thera, which doesn't cut it as a useful device.

--janak

marlof

03-11-2003, 01:44 AM

sweetpete

03-11-2003, 03:38 AM

What I'm wondering is why no one has puked about the fact that the beautiful Z1010 from SE is going to have a MemoryStick Duo slot :evil:

Sony is finally strating to make the evil changes to their beautiful phones they've been producing in this partnership.

ThomasC22

03-11-2003, 04:51 AM

I think it's time to admit that CDMA is dying. I've always felt (as I think most people do) that CDMA is the better technology but I'm faced with two facts:

1 - Most of the lead cell. phone manufacturers are located in europe which is all GSM. Hence Nokia, Sony-Ericcson, etc... aren't even bothering with CDMA.

2 - The U.S. (the largest CDMA market) is no where near the largest cell. phone market and so is less of a draw for cell. phone manufacturers.

3 - BetaMax..'nuff said

Sad that it's the case, but I think CDMA is going down before too long. Don't get me wrong, it will be around for a long time (Verizon isn't about to switch) but I think you'll see less and less available for it.

Janak Parekh

03-11-2003, 05:11 AM

I think it's time to admit that CDMA is dying. I've always felt (as I think most people do) that CDMA is the better technology but I'm faced with two facts
No. You're absolutely wrong here. The whole world is moving to CDMA -- two different standards, but both CDMA-based technologies nevertheless. GSM is moving to UMTS/wCDMA - this is not fiction - it's in the process of happening now. Existing IS-95/1xRTT cdma2000 networks are moving to 1xEV-DV. All of these will enable richer data apps than we can imagine today.

Moreover, Sprint is scheduled to release a bevy of Pocket PC solutions, including the Samsung SPH-i700 and the Hitachi Communicator.

What you're really seeing is that both Sprint and Verizon tend to be very conservative in moving forward as companies, more than anything. The fact that Korea has all sorts of interesting CDMA-based smartphones, and that Japan's biggest success is not NTT DoCoMo but rather CDMA-based KDDI is a testament to CDMA's growing reach. It'll also hit Europe and the US; just give it time.

--janak

ThomasC22

03-11-2003, 05:42 AM

I have to ask where you got all of that since it contradicts everything I've ever heard. Especially the bit about NTT Docomo.

I've seen a lot of talk about w-cdma but never have I seen an actual announcement by any european provider. If anything, I've heard a lot about EDGE (both Nokia and Motorola are behind it)

Not disagreeing I've just never, ever heard that before.

Janak Parekh

03-11-2003, 06:07 AM

Especially the bit about NTT Docomo.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,57720,00.html

NTT is still the biggest but they've been hurting as of late. Mind you, I was being slightly inaccurate and actually touched on a different discussion when referencing this -- NTT is moving to CDMA (wCDMA) -- but they're having a tougher time than their competitors, who are deploying cdma2000 AFAIK.

I've seen a lot of talk about w-cdma but never have I seen an actual announcement by any european provider. If anything, I've heard a lot about EDGE (both Nokia and Motorola are behind it)
Weird. This is definitely not new news. Here's a set of news articles (http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=GSM+UMTS&sa=N&tab=wn). BTW, EDGE is a transitionary step on the path to UMTS/wCDMA.

Believe me, I watch this market pretty carefully. :)

--janak

Pony99CA

03-11-2003, 03:46 PM

Bwegh. Clamshell. Yuck. Clamshell. Did I ever tell anyone that I didn't like clamshell phones? No? Anybody cares? No? Well, ok then. Give me something with the looks of the Sony Ericsson T610 (http://www.sonyericsson.com/t610/) anyday. Although that's not a real "smart" phone, I love the looks. But that's just me.
Sorry, but that phone makes me want to :pukeface:. It looks like a handheld police scanner!

The main reasons I like clamshells are that they don't hang down in the way and they have built-in screen protection (which will be more important with high-resolution color screens).

If I had to pick a non-clamshell phone, I guess it would be the Nokia 3650 (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=199). I like how it has a retro, rotary-dial look without looking clunky.

Steve

http://www.phonescoop.com/img/phones/199_235_1.jpg

questionlp

03-12-2003, 03:19 AM

If I had to pick a non-clamshell phone, I guess it would be the Nokia 3650 (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=199). I like how it has a retro, rotary-dial look without looking clunky.
Gawd, that thing looks hideous!!! I'm sorry, but I loved my Nokia 6190 and I wish it didn't croak on me :( Almost all of the new phones are either too ugly, no bloated (in features that I don't need), too expensive, or too buggy.

Truthfully, I'm not a huge person into the Smartphones right now just because high-speed connections are still expensive (for me) and I don't really have much use for it. The only thing I want in my next phone is not only for it to be stable and not a POS (like my Motorola P280, what a joke), but something that I can quickly read and write messages and small e-mails, decent ring tones (polyphonic preferred), and possibly Bluetooth along with whatever high-speed connection so I could use it with a laptop or a PDA... with that... I don't really care about a colour screen.

That's my US$0.005

Ramin

03-12-2003, 01:26 PM

There's a fair bit of resistance to clamshell designs - I'm not fond of clamshell designs either. Give me an SPVx (Tanager) with integrated Bluetooth and I'll be happy. :D

What I'm wondering is why no one has puked about the fact that the beautiful Z1010 from SE is going to have a MemoryStick Duo slot :evil:

Yeah, agreed... I've never been a big fan of Memory Stick. The Memory Stick DUO is worse... since, there doesn't appear to be a DUO bigger than 64MB at the moment. Apparently, future >128MB versions will be Magic Gate DUOs which will require a new type of DUO reader.

Why can't they just stick to MMC/SDIO? :roll: *sigh* The Ericsson T68m had a MMC MP3 player module, before the phone was rebadged and sold under Sony Ericsson. The "Sony" part of Sony Ericsson sucks... :cry:

If I had to pick a non-clamshell phone, I guess it would be the Nokia 3650 (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=199). I like how it has a retro, rotary-dial look without looking clunky.

Steve, I've had a chance to try a Nokia 3650 for a day... it's big and clunky (almost the same size as the 7650). It also doesn't appear to work with other Bluetooth headsets like the Sony Ericsson HBH-30 for some reason... It appears that Nokia are doing their own proprietary thing with Bluetooth. :? And, if that's the case... then Nokia sucks too. :cry:

Wish they'd come out with a Microsoft Smartphone with Bluetooth integrated... wonder what's taking them so long? :?

JMountford

03-12-2003, 08:40 PM

Yes the MiTac will have InfraRed. They say they have no plans for Bluetooth in the near future. I am trying to get other questions answered. CDMA is certainly the future. It is just as was said before that Sprint PCS and Verizon are very slow movers. To top it off they are bith trying to make their phones limited to proprietary apps and over air downloads instead of direct link.

At this point I have seen so many samsung designs that would lend themselves so perfectly to the MS Smartphone platform I can't for the life of me figure why they went with the crappy one they did.

I am hoping that why are waiting so long to see an American CDMA Smartphone is that Samsung or maybe someone else is working on restyling.

We'll have to wait to see.

ARW

03-14-2003, 03:55 AM

Pony99CA

03-14-2003, 05:04 AM

According to msmobiles.com that the i600 is stillborn as a result of their involvement with the Symbian OS. It's what a number of people having been speculating for a while and unfortunately it's looking more and more true all the time.
That would be a shame, because it looked like a killer phone. The only things I could have asked for were Bluetooth and, maybe, a camera.

Steve