What's the best PPC Phone available?

[stsanford]

Hi,
I had a T-Mobile PPC Phone Edition a year and a half ago, it locked up a lot, had limited memory, but had some features that rocked

I then got a Motorola MPX 200. It was great, more phone than PPC, but I found myself carying both PDA and Phone again. It got terrible reception however....

I'm currently on T-Mobile, and use the device for business, approximately 2500 minutes each month. I would like to have a good, reliable device that gets very good reception. Does it exist?

Thanks for your feedback!

[Carlos]

The XDA II (new version of the PPC-PE) is a fantastic device that will work perfectly on T-Mobile. I had an XDA I, then upgraded it to 64MB, which was a big help. I'm really happy I got the XDA II; its huge memory means never having to worry about it, and the Bluetooth capability is great for a headset and connecting to the laptop wirelessly.

[Ryan Joseph]

I love my i-mate (http://www.clubimate.com) (aka XDA II). It has 128MB memory, Bluetooth, Camera, etc.

It's a trade-off, however. The i-mate very similar to the h6300:

i-mate: 128MB and no WiFi
h6300: 64MB and WiFi

You'll have to decide which you'd rather have.

I use mine on T-Mobile and have very little issues with reception. It works great for me.

[Carlos]

I should have specified that similarity; I have the i-mate also. And actually I recommend it over the XDA II-branded devices as they have better support and a nicer set of value-added applications. You may have support issues with an O2-branded device in the US.

The 6315 is nowhere near "the best" but it may be a good trade-off for some users. You get less memory and a rather slow processor. Depending on your usage, those things may not matter. Most users are happy with 64MB of memory, though I do love the ability to load up anything I want without worries because of the 128MB capacity. If you're not a geek and don't load up a lot of stuff, it won't matter much. Same with the CPU; it won't slow you down much in basic apps. The XDA II is very snappy and quick with loading apps and opening menus and stuff, while the 6315 feels downright sluggish. You can help aleviate this some by turning off animated menus and such, but it'll never be as quick.

[TopDog]

Having used the Qtek 2020 (XDA II) a week now, I just love it.

Sure I've had to reset it sometimes, but that mainly because I've been fiddling with freeware and badly tested third party software :roll:

If you just want a stable PDA/phone with no fancy stuff, look at the Palm devices.

[Darren Behan]

The XDA II (iMate) is a great device. The XDA III (iMate II), will be even better and should increase the gap over the HP 63XX. By adding wireless and a slide out thumb keyboard, it should be the best of both worlds. Given that it should be out in the next week or two, I'd wait for it.

db

[Dolphin]

The XDA III (iMate II), will be even better... it should be out in the next week or two, I'd wait for it.

db

Who will be the provider & where?

[jamisonw]

After a lot of waiting and research I am desperately holding on to my old AT&T Seimens SX56 (XDA I) and hoping it will last until the QTEK 9090 (XDA III) is released. Where is the best place to monitor to see when it is released, how I can get it, what providers, etc.? I have yet to find good information on this device besides specs, which kick everyone else's butt. I almost switched to TMobile for the HP6315, but to have the much faster processor and the slide out keyboard I think the QTEK 9090 would be worth the wait. I need to do something before my contract expires with AT&T in about a month and Cingular swallows up the company. Help!

[TopDog]

Here in Norway I have a good source telling me the Qtek 9090 (XDA III) will be for sale from 1. november.

Having used it a couple of minutes at this source, it's really cool, but if you don't need the keyboard and WiFi, I don't think it's worth the upgrade from XDA II.

[jamisonw]

But since I am upgrading from the XDA I it is DEFINITELY worth the upgrade. I also really do need the keyboard and wifi. I hope it is in the states at that time and I can use it with AT&T or Cingular. My fingers are crossed.

[rocky_raher]

I have a Samsung SPH-i700, and am quite happy with it. I got it through Verizon Wireless. The reception is very good, and the screen is almost always readable outside (so long as it's not in direct sunlight).

I should mention the few negatives, all of which are minor:
1. The supplied carrying case is too bulky. I replaced it with an excellent case from vajacases.com, but it still represented an extra expense.
2. The i700 tends not to mate with the cradle very well. I often have to coerce it into the cradle and hold it for a second to get it to stay in long enough to sync.
3. The external earphone plug is 2.5 mm, not 3.5 mm, which my other accessories (noise-cancelling headphones, wireless headphones, FM transmitter). I bought a 2.5-to-3.5 converter at Radio Shack, but it doesn't work. [PPCT recently had an article about a company that makes converter cables for the i700, but I haven't gotten around to checking them out yet.]

Despite these points, I would recommend the i700.

[Janak Parekh]

I should mention the few negatives, all of which are minor:
I also carry an i700, and I largely agree about this, but two more nits:

1. The unit is slow by modern standards.
2. The stylus hole out the bottom is quite annoying. My stylus has gotten loose. :cry:

Incidentally:

2. The i700 tends not to mate with the cradle very well. I often have to coerce it into the cradle and hold it for a second to get it to stay in long enough to sync.

I don't have this problem. I've also found that WM2003 is quite a bit more reliable in syncing on the i700.

3. The external earphone plug is 2.5 mm, not 3.5 mm
I think all Pocket PC Phones have a 2.5mm jack, by design.

--janak