T-Mobile Germany Announces "MDA Compact"

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.xscale.de/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=563&mode=&order=0&thold=0' target='_blank'>http://www.xscale.de/modules.php?na...order=0&thold=0</a><br /><br /></div>We've been talking about the upcoming <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=31884">super-tiny HTC device</a>, codenamed "Magician" -- a quadband GSM/GPRS Pocket PC Phone close to the size of the iPAQ 19xx units, and with Bluetooth. T-Mobile (Germany, for now) has just announced that they will carry the unit as the "MDA Compact". I believe this is the second branding after the <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32110">i-Mate version</a> we reported on last week.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040914-MDACompact.jpg" /><br /><br />The above-linked XScale.de article (English translation <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?sourceid=mozclient&u=http%3A//www.xscale.de/modules.php%3Fname%3DNews%26file%3Darticle%26sid%3D563%26mode%3D%26order%3D0%26thold%3D0">here</a>) has some great comparison shots of this compared to the MDA III and regular phones. The dimensions of the T-Mobile version work out to 4.9"x2.8"x0.73" and the unit weighs 5.2oz. This is slightly larger than what we reported on before -- could it be that it has a larger battery or something? Still, the photos show it to be quite compact, and as such it may fill a useful niche. :D

[MarcTGFG]

I submitted news to you an hour ago that T-online has already corrected the specs of the MDA compact. They are 108 x 58 x 18,2 mm. The processor is also incorrect and should be 400 Mhz+. I confirmed this with a T-Mobile spokewoman who regretted the mistake.

[possmann]

VERY interesting - November release date in Germany... so when do you think something like this will be on the US shores?

[ikesler]

my attenion is surely grabbed!

[Janak Parekh]

I submitted news to you an hour ago that T-online has already corrected the specs of the MDA compact. They are 108 x 58 x 18,2 mm. The processor is also incorrect and should be 400 Mhz+. I confirmed this with a T-Mobile spokewoman who regretted the mistake.
Ah - but - those are almost exactly the dimensions I posted...? I'll leave it for now.

--janak

[whydidnt]

VERY interesting - November release date in Germany... so when do you think something like this will be on the US shores?

Unfortunately, I'm guessing this will meet the fate of nearly every other recently announced PocketPC phone (excluding the Ipaq) and may never be officially released in the US. I haven't heard of any N.A. carriers announcing this yet, so more boo hoos for us I guess. :mecry:

We'll probably be able to buy from an importer, but at a steep premium.

[alexm]

VERY interesting - November release date in Germany... so when do you think something like this will be on the US shores?

Unfortunately, I'm guessing this will meet the fate of nearly every other recently announced PocketPC phone (excluding the Ipaq) and may never be officially released in the US. I haven't heard of any N.A. carriers announcing this yet, so more boo hoos for us I guess. :mecry:

We'll probably be able to buy from an importer, but at a steep premium.

That's it, i'm packin up and moving to Europe :)

[possmann]

:lol: wait up for me! I'll start packing my bags too - geesh... Why do you folks over the the EU always get the cool new stuff to play with? :?

[dacs29]

:lol: wait up for me! I'll start packing my bags too - geesh... Why do you folks over the the EU always get the cool new stuff to play with? :?
I guess that's why it's good to live about half of the year in Europe and the other half in the United States. :)

David

[Fishie]

Looks niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice
Tiny yet decent battery and 2.8 inch screen.

[bnycastro]

:lol: wait up for me! I'll start packing my bags too - geesh... Why do you folks over the the EU always get the cool new stuff to play with? :?
I guess that's why it's good to live about half of the year in Europe and the other half in the United States. :)

David Ah yes, that would be nice but the food is better here in asia. why not buy the gadgets in the US/Europe and then hang out in Asia for the food hehehe
seriously though I doubt that the local telco's here would be racing to HTC with orders for devices like the compact and mda3 as we are well... sadly a nokia dominated country.

[Kai920]

WOW, so small compared to the MDA III! :shocked!:

It has a SDIO slot, that means we'll be able to pair it with a SD Wifi card, right? If so I would SERIOUSLY consider getting this instead of the MDA III...

[DREAMWEAVER]

Doesnt it seem strange that there were no leaked reviews on this small device. The 3615 has had tons of reviews.

Marry this up with BT keyboard and we are cooking. Small note taking on the screen using calligrapher and longer seminar notes on BT Key board.

Small form factor, just what I was loking for.

[MarcTGFG]

T-Mobile has corrected the dimensions in a new PDF file

at

http://www.t-mobile.de/presse/handyhighlights

its 108 x 58 x 18,2 mm.

[possmann]

hmmm - this has me seriously considering which one I want to get - the MDA compact or the SDA music...

What am I worried about? It will be months before we even get the option of seeing them over here in the US - like May/June of 2005 I'm gonna guess. I'm basing this on the past performance of how T-Mo introduced the XDA to the EU and then US markets...

BTW - Both are class 10 GPRS - is that what we use over here in the US (T-Mo)?

[rbrome]

I'm surprised no one has commented yet on the 1.3 megapixel camera... :D

[bnycastro]

I'm surprised no one has commented yet on the 1.3 megapixel camera... :D

1.3MP is better than VGA!