AnexTek Pocket PC Phone At CES

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobileburn.com/gallery.jsp?Id=582' target='_blank'>http://www.mobileburn.com/gallery.jsp?Id=582</a><br /><br /></div>For those of you who want a Pocket PC Phone with flip, another solution may be coming your way. We actually posted on this hardware before -- <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11570">Legend is selling it in the Chinese market</a> -- but it looks it will soon be available for North American and European carriers as well.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040112-Anextek-PPCPhone.jpg" /><br /><br />It's triband GSM, weighs about 5.5oz, has a 3.5" display and 64MB of RAM along with an SDIO slot. No Bluetooth, however. Here's more info from the <a href="http://www.anextek.com/09IA/layer2/IA_main.htm">company's product page</a>.

[mmidgley]

Why is it that all the smartphones or PPCPE devices are GSM?! :evil: Is it because the European carriers are a better market, and then the few and geographically challenged GSM carriers in the US also happen to benefit from that?

Is there licensing involved in CDMA that makes it less attractive? Is it more expensive/complicated to engineer? Sprint and Verizon used to be my friends--that has changed until they can ship bluetooth and multiple smartphones to choose from.

m.

[Mike Wagstaff]

Looks nice enough, but...

1. That top half of the screen is just asking for damage. Case required, methinks.

2. What happened to the letters on the keypad? No T9?! Here in Europe, we have this thing called text messaging, you know... ;)

[Janak Parekh]

Why is it that all the smart phones are GSM?! :evil: Is it because the European carriers are a better market, and then the few and geographically challenged GSM carriers in the US also happen to benefit from that?
Not sure about "better", but it's certainly "bigger".

Is there licensing involved in CDMA that makes it less attractive?
Well, there's Qualcomm licensing. But that's not really the problem. The problem is that Sprint and Verizon refuse to sell phones that don't pass their stringent requirements. Most phone vendors throw up their hands in the air and skip it entirely, instead. In Korea, amazing CDMA 1xEV-DO devices are coming out all the time.

--janak

[ricksfiona]

Looks nice enough, but...

1. That top half of the screen is just asking for damage. Case required, methinks.

2. What happened to the letters on the keypad? No T9?! Here in Europe, we have this thing called text messaging, you know... ;)

Yeah, no letters on the keypad can be a problem but the bigger issue for me no Bluetooth. It was pretty much a done deal until I saw that last part.

[mmidgley]

MW> What happened to the letters on the keypad? No T9?!

A: PocketPC SIP. T9 not needed. I'd much rather use Calligrapher than T9 anytime.

JP> The problem is that Sprint and Verizon refuse to sell phones that don't pass their stringent requirements.

The basic idea there is to protect the network right? Keep it stable. It seems to have gotten out of hand to the point that it is HURTING the consumer, not helping. Is that due to generally poor product quality, corporate greed concerning earnings (meaning little/no expenses), or just bad luck?

m.

[Janak Parekh]

Is that due to generally poor product quality, corporate greed concerning earnings (meaning little/no expenses), or just bad luck?
AFAICT, it's more of their desire to control their networks. They don't have Bluetooth phones (T608 excepting) because they've actively avoided Bluetooth technology -- some think they fear it will mess up their pricing structures.

Compare this to GSM, where SIMs make it easier to get "non-carrier-approved" phones on a network. Phones on GSM networks are more like telephone appliances, i.e., you "plug them in" regardless of manufacturer or product.

--janak

[quidproquo]

Does that flip keypad go all the way back and rest against the back side of the PDA or is it removable where one could use either the hardward dialer and/or the screen keypad?

Or is that two different styles of phone? The lower section with the phone answer/end buttons looks a little wider/longer with the one on the left vs. the one on the right.

It would be cool either way.... but screen protection seems like a must.

I think this phone looks great!

[whydidnt]

Oh Man, if this had bluetooth...It is what I've been looking for. Of course you have to be a little nervous about a company that has a typo in the first line of their product page, and hasn't figured out how to do the trademark symbol yet. :|

We'll have to see if this ever really becomes available. It supposedly has SDIO, so you could add a bluetooth card if you wanted I guess.

As far as the lack of phone choice on CDMA in the US. Both Sprint and Verizon have closed networks and feel that by limiting phone choice there is some benefit. In Verizon's case, who can argue with their success? But I would think adding leading edge phones with every possible option including bluetooth could be some way for them to gain much needed marketshare. They can always adjust their data plans if a the use of bluetooth on unlimited plans became a drain on the network. The lack of a bluetooth or reasonabley sized PPCPE device has kept Sprint from aquiring me as a customer for some time now. I ready to change today if they would just give me a little of what I want.

whydidnt

[OSUKid7]

FYI: Problem with the RSS feed of this post. I get the following error when I double click on the post in SharpReader:

phpBB : Critical Error

Could not connect to the database

[gorkon280]

I love this phone and if T-Mobile has it next August, it's MINE! :)

Anyway, since when is the T608 on Verizon or Sprint? It may be on sprint, but it' NOT on T-Mobile.

For some STRANGE reason Verizon NEVER got into BT at all. Thanks to reasons such as this, most non techie types think all BT is good for is wirelessly connecting your headset to your phone. In any case, Verizon is on notice with me. I don't give a rat's ass if you decide that you don't want any BT phones. I know your network is better. I would like to ue a BT enabled phone on it. It seems all you care about is making money off of expensive cables and tying me toa contract for 2 years. If you don't have one of the following when my contract is up, your gone:

A PPCPE (running WM 2003(or btter) at least)
A BT enable handset.

If you get the PPCPE, I can forgive you, slightly and I may stay. But not having BT is a liability with me. I have lived with CRAPPY, non BT phones and other crappy Motorola phones that you have continued to carry. Verizon, you also charge TOO much for data access as well. As good as your network is, I don't care. A majority of places I go is covered just fine by T-mobile. I would select you Verizion, but your short sightedness will cost you a customer.

[xbee]

The phone is actually the WANDA design concept created by Texas Instruments to feature WAN/PAN/WLAN capability. As I remember it, the WANDA concept included Bluetooth.

Also, the reason why most foreign phone makers make GSM phones is because it is the worldwide standard. Go anywhere outside the US and you will be in a GSM supported counrty. I guess the US is no longer the center of the universe.

[Janak Parekh]

Anyway, since when is the T608 on Verizon or Sprint? It may be on sprint, but it' NOT on T-Mobile.
It's been on Sprint for a few weeks. This (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22306) was my post on the subject.

--janak

[fletch]

I guess the US is no longer the center of the universe.

Careful what you say... the CIA are watching! :)

No camera on this phone either... I think over all the Acer A8100 is a better choice... including bluetooth and a camera

Unfortunately even here in GSM country I can't get hold of a flip PPCPE

[murph]

sweet. this is my 2nd favorite new form factor.

Bring THIS
http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=580

to the USA, and you can have my credit card. no really, keep it for a while. i just want that PPC Flip Phone

[cyba888]

I was at the pda store today here in Taiwan and I saw one on display. First thing that came to my mind was that it was kind of too wide and thick for a ppc but it was a bit shorter though in length. Played with it and tried out the flip thingy. Sorry but this thing is not built well at all. The device feels very cheap and has a plastic feel to it. Not a solid ppc at all. The buttons on the side were very cheap as well and didnt feel solid. It looks like the flip part is aluminum but its actually plastic if I remember. When you flip the dial pad it feels very flimsy and has some play as well. Maybe the device was used but it still shouldnt be that bad. The pen was very huge and was placed in a weird slit next to the phone like the XDA II. The dial pad feels alright but if you want to delete a number you would have to use the cancel button on the screen instead of the pad. Took out the pen, "wow" I never seen a pen that big before, maybe because it goes well with the pda size. My friend works there and the second I asked to check it out he told me dont bother with it, you cant compare it with your XDA II. In Taiwan there is alot of pda/phones on the market made by Taiwanese companies so its kind of interesting to see what type of devices would pop up next. I asked if people actually would buy this thing he said there is quite of few people who have purchased it. The price is NT 19000 which is US$ 560
If you guys are really interested in this device I can take pictures if you want. If you ask me what I think of this ppc, its pretty bad compared to other ppc's out there when it comes to build quality. My 2 cents.

[dMores]

tryin' to imitate the sonyericsson p900.

i'd like to see a size comparison. because if this thing is the size of an MDA, it'll be way too big and those buttons would be huge.

but if it were the size of a p900, it would definately be able to compete in the tiny-smartphone arena.

[torgamm]

i'd like to see a size comparison. because if this thing is the size of an MDA, it'll be way too big and those buttons would be huge.

Not an actual comparison...
But it may help. Have a look at this post: http://forum.sorobangeeks.com/viewtopic.php?p=37811#37811
I found a photograph on a web site and I made another photograph of MY hand with MY HP2210. I don't know the size of the hand which holds the Anextek, but I can say my hand is small (I'm only 1.68m tall ;) ).

[cyba888]

I have seen both phones. Havent touched the P900 but saw it on display. The P900 is not as wide and is taller but not as thick. The ppc one is definately thicker, wider but its shorter. Ill say its more comparable to a Palm Treo in size and thickness.

[lsbeller]

Size comparisons:

SP230
109mm x 68.5mm x 21.6mm, 158g

p800
117mm x 59.0mm x 27.0mm, 158g

p900
115mm x 57.0mm x 24.0mm, 150g

[Mike Wagstaff]

MW> What happened to the letters on the keypad? No T9?!

A: PocketPC SIP. T9 not needed. I'd much rather use Calligrapher than T9 anytime.
Maybe... but not on the tube! I'd rather be able to use the phone functionality (indeed, as much functionality as possible) one-handed. As the saying will soon go, the thumb is mightier than the stylus. ;)