Best of 2005: Smartphone of the Year

[Kris Kumar]

Folks, 2005 is soon going to be history. Before we say <i>bye-bye,</i> let us vote on the best and the worst Smartphones of 2005. <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-dec05-bestsp.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> I think i-mate SP5/Qtek 8310 with its awesome black and silver styling, and features like Wi-Fi, EDGE, QVGA and Windows Mobile 5.0, is undoubtedly the Best Smartphone of 2005. When it comes to the Worst Smartphone of 2005, I don't think there is a clear loser. But we do have two Smartphones that launched this year with Windows Mobile 2003 SE. :? Samsung i300 and Nextel i930 are not necessarily the worst Smartphones, but lack of key features moves them closer to the worst side of the list. And I am sure some of you might want to add the recently launched Cingular 2125 on the worst list as well. ;-) So please share your thoughts and comments on the best and the worst Smartphone of the year. And remember we would like to consider only the Smartphones that are available in the market. <!> Here is the list of Smartphones that launched this year:• <a href="http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9837">Cingular 2125</a> • <a href="http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9346">i-mate SP5 / Qtek 8310</a> • <a href="http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9346">i-mate SPm / Qtek 8300</a>• <a href="http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9532">Orange C600</a> • <a href="http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8146">Orange C550</a>• <a href="http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9798">Nextel i930</a> • <a href="http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9537">Samsung i300</a>

[dbob]

It was launched in very late 2004 and was certainly a major player in the market place up to very recently. It still is, isn't it?

My being a smartphone neophyte didn't help me, but this forum did.

Any of you care to comment on this phone versus the ones listed in the main article?

Happy New Year to You All!

:) :)

[Kris Kumar]

I was waiting for someone to mention the Audiovox SMT5600 or the i-mate SP3/SP3i. :) I am glad you did. 8)

SMT5600/SP3i/SP3 is still going strong. For the major part of the year people could only buy the SMT5600/clones. The new models started coming out only during the middle of the year.

I think SMT5600 is the handset that popularized the Windows Mobile Smartphone platform. And should be awarded the All Time Favorites award. :-)

[Jerry Raia]

No question the 2125 is the best. That's why I have one. :mrgreen:

[Kris Kumar]

I am amazed that the Cingular 2125 is doing pretty well in the polls. :?

I would have expected it to be a clean sweep for the i-mate SP5 and the second place to be i-mate SP5m. Surprised that the 2125 is at the second spot. :? Suprised that there are that many HumpPhone (TM owned by Rebecca) supporters.

Jerry, I hope you have not rigged the polls. :wink:

[Jerry Raia]

Jerry, I hope you have not rigged the polls. :wink:

Of course not! The HumpPhone (TM Rebecca) is simply a thing of beauty. Now if you'll exuse me my mouse button seems to be stuck. :flasingsmile:

[Mike Temporale]

There's something wrong with the voting for this poll. There is no way that the 2125 could be so popular considering so many of our readers hate it and it's hump.

People, get out and vote. Don't be shy!

The 5600 series of devices was great, but without an OS upgrade it just can't keep up with the rest of the pack. I think the iMates devices hold the top spots for best phone. 8)

[Jerry Raia]

Mike. Face up to it. The HumpPhone (TM Rebecca) is the phone of the 2000's.

[ARW]

Well, I screwed up and voted for the i300. Was thinking Worst when I selected. So, deduct one vote for the i300 and add it to the SP5m please.

[encece]

I thing SMT, unlike PPCT, has a membership of newbies. The cutting edge crew is in the minority here.
The 2125 is a great device and comparable to the SP5/SP5m....but newbies are more likely to purchase directly from a carrier than from european vendors. Newbies are also less likely to pay higher prices than the super enthusiasts.

By no means am I implying that the 2125 is for newbies only. It's a cutting edge device. But more likely to be picked up by the US masses than the others.

In retrospect, if I didnt need to have new devices ASAP and had more faith in timely release of devices from carriers, I'd probably have the 2125 now.

The days of NEEDING to buy european phones is gone. North American devices are being released quickly behind Orange, imate and Qtek. And in the case of MPx200, MPx220 and some PPC Phones, before the rest of the world.

[Mike Temporale]

Excelent point encece. I think the landscape has definitly changed over 2004.

In regards to the differences in members, I think it falls back to peoples habits with there phones. Most people get the phone and are done, while most PDA users, get one and then look to install and expand it. For the most part, people aren't thinking of expanding their phone - I would wager, that most don't even know they can.

[Kris Kumar]

Thanks to the awesome sales of the HTC devices, HTC is awarding its employees with an additional three-month achievement bonus. (http://www.htc.com.tw/news/press051227.html) :D

[maxnix]

Yep, htese were all so exciting that I was driven back to a PPC phone, the SCH-i730, to be specific.

Wonder if the SCH-i64x would have kept me on the Smartphone side? We'll never know.

[thefunkunfaked]

no o2 xda exec? :?

conspiracy? :cry:

[Mike Temporale]

Wow! Looks like the Cingular 2125 is more liked than my phone (SP5m) :(

I find it odd that the hump is so hated, yet people really like the phone. :? I think I'll start making little plastic humps that can be attached to the top of a regular Smartphone. Then the rest of us won't feel so left out. :lol: :wink:

[Jerry Raia]

I find it odd that the hump is so hated

The hump is hated??? :cry:

[Kris Kumar]

I think I'll start making little plastic humps that can be attached to the top of a regular Smartphone. Then the rest of us won't feel so left out. :lol: :wink:

Cool idea..patent it. Because I am sure someone if not you is going to come out with customizable skins for the 2125's hump. Anyone for a pink hump? What about an iPodish white hump? :lol:

[Jerry Raia]

Why is it that every thread now ends up with hump bashing? I bet if a start a thread on dirty socks within a couple of posts someone will tie it to the hump.

[Kris Kumar]

Who is bashing the hump? Who? :)

[Jerry Raia]

Who is bashing the hump? Who? :)

Everyone. It's a conspiracy I tell you! :worried:

[annyksa]

i vote for the sp5m since there isn;t that much to choose from! they can improve the battery life, they also should make a way to turn off the gprs when u are not using it to save battery which runs down soo fast if the gprs is on which is always. they should include a way to track how many kb and mb you have used. I'd also appreciate it if the speaker on the speaker phone was louder, i didn;t find the music buttons particularly easy to figure out or use either.