VoiceStream, Verizon and Sprint PCS get Pocket PC Phones

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1033-861812.html">http://news.com.com/2100-1033-861812.html</a><br /><br />Here they come folks - Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition devices, and sooner than I thought. The <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=163&highlight=thera">Thera</a> is a new Pocket PC from Audiovox that uses the Phone Edition of Pocket PC, integrating voice and data into one slick device.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/Thera.jpg" /><br /><br />"Verizon will introduce Thera in June, and sell it exclusively for a month. Then Sprint will begin selling it in July, according to a representative for Audiovox, which helped design and build Thera. VoiceStream will also start selling and offering service to PocketPC devices, according to Microsoft."<br /><br />Thanks to Todd Ogasawara for phoning this one in.<br /><br /><b>UPDATE:</b> We've just been told that the CNET article isn't completely accurate. The Thera is not running Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition - they're using their own custom dialer software. This means that some of the features in Phone Edition, like an SMS-enabled Inbox, won't exist on the Thera.

[Foo Fighter]

$800!!! Good lord. I wonder how much it will cost after activation?

Honestly, I think this thing is going to tank. Does anyone really want to use it as a cell phone? It might make a good wireless PPC, but not a phone.

[Ed Hansberry]

$800!!! Good lord. I wonder how much it will cost after activation?

Honestly, I think this thing is going to tank. Does anyone really want to use it as a cell phone? It might make a good wireless PPC, but not a phone.

I think the raging success :wink: Palm is having with the i705 shows that a wireless data device is not what the market wants. I got to have some serious hands on time with various Pocket PC 2002 Phone devices and that integration is sweet.

On the price - pay $500-600 for a PDA and $100-200 for a decent phone and you are in this price range. I also don't know what the subsidy for long term contracts will be. It is a bit steep, but it (PPC2K2PE) offers quite a few things no other single device on the market does.

[Jason Lee]

FINALLY!!!!! Does it roam to analog? If so it is almost perfect. (i want the CF slot back.)

Honestly, I think this thing is going to tank. Does anyone really want to use it as a cell phone? It might make a good wireless PPC, but not a phone.

I have service with sprint and always use more of my minutes for web browsing than talking and that is using WAP. I would love to use this thing and have Internet Explore instead of the phone.com browser.

$800 is way to expensive though. I would not pay $800 for a PPC without a CF slot nor would I pay that much for a cell phone. So I am not sure if I could justify paying that much for them together.

Would be nice though...

[fmcpherson]

Sierra Wireless did the radio integration for Toshiba/Audiovox. If you use the Aircard 555 as an example of what this device might provide, I would expect it to support both 1xRTT and the current 14.4 digital data service from Verizon, plus voice. Since Verizon is really pushing their "express network" it is not surprising to see that they will be the first out the shoot.

But, I have to admit that of the devices, I am more interested in are HP's and mmO2's.

[peterawest]

Often a $400 phone is sold to new customers for $125 when signing up for a new phone service from AT&T or any of the others.

So, I'm guessing that it will be the same here. You may still have to pay $400 or $500 for the device, but the real money is going to be made when you sign up for one or more years of service.

[dave]

i would say that voicestream is in on the wireless pocketpc.... anyone else see this yet?

http://www.voicestream.com/pocketpc/default.asp

looks like a rebranded xda. what's up with the 32mb ram? :?

[JMountford]

I allready had a hug post wrote and when I went to post it, the post dissapeared. SO here goes.

The Thera is nice but it is a major let down.
It will only be an option for people who do not know any better or for people with no patience.

With the X Scale devices right around the corner and looking to debute on the market at roughly the same time as the Wireless PPCs why in all that's Holy would you spend mad money on the Wirelless PPC. The Thera has no Memory slots and is using the same modem that is available as a stand alone product. I am betting that the Phone Edition software will become available soo as a flash. If not there are at least apps out there that do the same thing anyway. The HP Phone Edition is just too big, bigger than a normal HP, but at least it retains expansion slots. The OX DA is very, very nice but only GPRS/GPS. It does CDMA users no good.

Most PPC users will choose to wait for X Scale devices, hopefully that have Bluetooth or WiFi or both built in and just opt to use other handsets to connect wirellessly and then sync the handheld with handset and sync the two. Handhelds as phones is a neet concept but almost every comment I have seen says that no one wants to use a handheld as a phone even though they would use the wireless ability for internet and email.

I think Wireless Carriers need to focus on gett ing more Smartphone Like devices in their line up. And I say again build in Bluetooth to these devices. There are people who will buy the handheld phone editions, but not near enough to justify making them.

[JMountford]

Hi there I just want to bring up a few points. In the US our Carriers are;
AT&T,
Cingular,
Sprint PCS,
Verizon,
Voicestream.

There may be a couple small independents but these are the main players.

AT&T is TDMA/GPRS
Cingular was TDMA/GPS they are moving away from TDMA as is AT&T and both are adopting GPRS systems.

Voicestream is strictly GPS Digital no analog they already have GPRS nationally (I know it isn't perfect).

Sprint PCS and Verizon are CDMA. Verizon apparently will have CDMA 2000 first otherwise known as 1xrtt. Now Sprint was saying that Verizon would use WCDMA instead of CDMA2000 I don't know which it is using.

Anyway handsets and Phone Edition devices Made for GPRS will not work on CDMA and CDMA devices will not work on GPRS. GPRS devices can usually work on several different carriers with simple reprogramming. CDMA devices can usually NOT be reprogrammed to work on rival networks. Phones will roam on other networks but that is about it. CDMA phones so far do not have SIM chips, at least not here in the States.

Also keep in mind that most people who would buy these expensive devices already have contracts through their carriers. I know I do. Therefore; any contract discount bonus is not an option and people will be paying full price for their devices. Now some of us can order the devices and just charge them to our bill if we are on a bussiness acount, but this is going to be the exception not the rule.

I think I will keep waiting for a smart phone.

[Brad Adrian]

There are people who will buy the handheld phone editions, but not near enough to justify making them.


I would agree that the market for a converged device is fairly small. The research data that I've seen indicates that most North Americans prefer to carry a couple of devices that do exactly what each "should" do over carrying one device that includes functionality compromises.

After all, we're all technophiles here, and just because WE think something is cool or unique, doesn't mean "normal" people do!

[JMountford]

Personnaly I would like to One Device with out ANY compromises. But reality fights me on this. :)

[disconnected]

I think I'll wait for X Scale and an aircard in CF form (Sprint CDMA 1xrtt or whatever it's called). Then I'll just have to decide whether to stay with iPAQ and Silver Slider (assuming Compaq doesn't give in and add a CF slot), or switch to a brand that does have a CF slot. I'll keep my phone separate.
I already have an aircard 510 (PC card form), which I only use with my laptop now (partly because it's slower than the supplynet cable and phone and partly because of size).
With the Sprint plan I have now, the aircard just adds 10.00 a month to my bill. I'm of course hoping that the new CF aircard can be used in the laptop with an adapter, and that it won't be too much more expensive per month than the old aircard.

[Paragon]

Canada .... who is going to have one in Canada. BTW I don't plan on holding this brick to my head. Clip it to your belt and use an earpeice like you do with any other phone.

Dave

[klinux]

Considering that the Maestro only costs $300 and a tiny cell phone cost $200 max, thi must mean that the dialler software with integration cost $300!! :wink:

[JornadaJ]

Wonder how a hands-free kit, (now mandatory while driving in NY state), would work with this?

Just curious...

[Paragon]

Wonder how a hands-free kit, (now mandatory while driving in NY state), would work with this?

Just curious...


I've heard that with some devices it may be mandatory.... All those nasty electronic mind altering waves being emitted so close to your head.

The pixs i've seen of the HP 928 in use show it being used with a hands free earpiece.

Dave

[kaiden.1]

I would like to add a few thoughts.....

I think that any PPC phone needs to be ear piece activated. I am a salesman and use my cell phone about every 5 minutes no matter where I am. 5500+ minutes per month. I found that the ear piece now stuck to my ear especially while driving has made me a better driver, in fact most people that I talk to say the same thing. It's amazing how much more alert you are while driving when both hands are on the wheel. Safety thing you know. besides many states are beginning to ban the use of a cell phone while driving if you don't have an ear piece, or they want to ban it period. For me I need to have my phone.

I also have a PPC and love it. It does nearly everything for me. I think that eventually these small units will become more of a PC than just a fancy organizer with extras like they are now. Just wait..... it is already happening. With more things being done with the PPC they will increase in RAM and power and portability (or they should). Too bad that the manufacturers don't have the forsite to see this yet, they keep treating the PPC like an organizer of sorts it seems. The PPC is not an organizer. I have a microdrive and I have everything on my PPC. I quote prices; show product photos, whrite up sales contracts; even keep track of my 10 vehicle fleet to see how much my vehicles are costing me per month to run. The PPC is perfect to carry and it works better than my laptop which has sat at home now for nearly a year since I first got my PPC. These units need more RAM, Expandability and they need more Power. The manufacturer that can do all these at once should do very well in the PPC market, just someone needs to get out of the jello mold and be different (ie: more RAM/Expandability /Power).

Back to phones..... I am always dropping my phone and scratching up the front surface no matter how careful I try to be. Just the fact that I use it so much that it is always out of the case and vulnerable to damage, something that I wouldn't want to happen to something that cost me $800+ dollars by the time I bought the needed extras! Then charging my phone in the car. I think that a PPC phone would have to have one powerful battery or you might as well leave it in the car all day long on the charger. I am already charging my phone after 1/2 the day and the PPC would drain that much more battery power. And I don't want to hold a brick up to my ear. So plugging in an ear piece would be nice. I am waiting for the new xscale processors to show up and then I will go shopping for my next unit. I don't have an Ipaq because I don't want to carry around a suitcase of sleeves. Sorry Compaq; nothing against you but you need to get with upgrading the expandability process or get left behind. Early market donimation will only get you so far, until someone jumps out far enough from the croud to get noticed.... will that be you Compaq?

Voice stream......... I checked into the price of their WEB iStream. Wow! Expensive. Didn't like that route. They always talk about how many e-mails you can send for such a little monthly price, but who is always going to just send e-mail? I don't! And brousing pages or just chatting will eat up your allotted amount of down load MEGS really quick. So I would not recommend Voice stream unless you have lots of money or can discipline yourself very well ;). Cell phone rates have dropped so low that cell phone companies are wanting things like PPC so they can find other ways of getting money out of customers. They want to higher profits, and unfortuantely the phone companies don't like modest profits, they have to gouge you! or they will try. Holding a transmitting brick up to your head... boy I can think of a lot of cancer folks that would like to jump on that one. It's already been talked about, I wonder has anyone tested that? I know that the default answer will be that the FCC has passed it. but the government doesn't always do everything safe either, not to cause waves her in a disscussion thread, but we can all find something that will make that statement true! Just a thought.

I guess the bottom line......... wow I'm writting a book here, is that I over-all would keep my PPC and my phone separate. And wait for X-scale!

[Jason Lee]

Considering that the Maestro only costs $300 and a tiny cell phone cost $200 max, thi must mean that the dialler software with integration cost $300!! :wink:


Hey that is the price you pay for innovation, man... :wink:

[Julio Meneses]

UPDATE: We've just been told that the CNET article isn't completely accurate. The Thera is not running Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition - they're using their own custom dialer software. This means that some of the features in Phone Edition, like an SMS-enabled Inbox, won't exist on the Thera.


Maybe, but maybe not :) In the Siemens Andromeda (also called SX-45) I could use some months ago, I had all wireless features like SMS from Inbox (like a different service as Phone Edition), WAP and dialer in own custom software. Remember, it is a Pocket PC 2000 GSM / GPRS, so it's *really* the first wireless enabled Pocket PC. Some pictures and impressions here:
http://www.mipcdebolsillo.com/reportajes/hardware/siemens_sx45.html

I like Phone Edition apps, but own custom software sounds also good!