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Hi Guys,
Long question, Cliffnotes below:
I've been thinking about buying a used excalibur (s621) as my main phone recently and I wanted to check in with you guys to address some fears I have over this phone.
Some background: I've used WM phones for many years now. My first windows mobile phone was when I went from plain old ipaq pocketpcs to the HTC Typhoon (audiovox smt5600). I was actually pretty happy with it except that it was slow and unresponsive at times and the OS would crash every few days. =( becuase I didn't have a dataplan, i never really used any over the air functions of the phone.
After getting fed up with the response times of the typhoon, I picked up an HTC prophet (dopod 818pro) after yearning to get a touch screen again. Unfortunately, I underestimated the processor of the prophet and I was eventually lead to frustration with the slow responsiveness of the prophet. I've since moved on to a blackberry (provided by work) with a data plan but I still wish I had a WM phone after discovering how limited the blackberry OS is in comparison to WM.
So in my search, my only cost-viable option at this point is either a s621 or the samsung BJ II. But I ruled out the BJII because it didn't have Wifi (though the faster CPU and GPS would've been nice).
I'm a veteran at flashing roms so i will no doubt be loading kavana's WM 6.1 rom if I get the s621 but I'm still truely afraid about having to deal with a laggy phone. Is the s621 like that? I know it has the same CPU as my HTC prophet and WM 6.1 professional was pretty laggy when I really needed it, so is Wm 6.1 standard any better? For those that have used both devices or similar devices, how does the s621 stack up? is it just as laggy (esp. when it was a device originally designed for WM5)?
How is the keyboard response times? Does it get laggy as well?
CN: Is WM6.1 laggy or responsive on the excalibur? How does it compare to other WM 6.1 Professional devices? How about Keyboard lag?
Thanks a ton for reading all the way down here.. =)
I've only had experience with the Dash, and I hated it until the 6.1 roms became available. I've used the stock rom, an HTC rom, Kavana's last rom, Ricky's v24 vanilla rom, and now the Rose rom. Ricky's rom was great, occasionally it would hang and require a battery pull, and the Rose rom works pretty well too. There are occasions of lag, but if you manage your memory, it runs pretty well. Sometimes there is internet lag, but usually it is a particular website or server causing the lag. If you buy, I would strongly suggest you upgrade the battery as well; get the 1550ma from Amazon.
Basically, I would recommend it as a cost effective phone.
The fact that you can get a used Dash or Excalibur for a little over 100 bucks right now, doesn't justify the effort of researching it so much. Buy it, use it.... throw it away or sell it on craigslist if you don't like it. 100 bucks is not that much money...
I personally like the Dash with the Rose rom, as it tends to do everything for me but that is my own opinion. I would actually check out the phone and try it for 100 dollars because that is not to much to spend on a phone.
You guys are ballers thinking $100 is not a lot for a phone... =) personally, I'd rather not spend $100 bucks and save up and get the iphone (yeah yeah, save the speech =))... but that's just me.
Sounds like there's really nothing different in terms of stability or lagginess of this phone compared to all the other WM phones (I guess I really shouldn't be surprised)... I was really hoping the WM6.1 standard was very responsive on the 200 Mhz omap CPU... especially reading how the 250 mhz cpu on the BJ II really flies...
But you're right that it's not a lot of money for the features you get. I will be bugging you guys more once I start flashing! =)
What other annoyances should I be looking out for when getting the phone?
I bought S621 and the same day I recieved it flashed with WM6.1 For Excalibur By Kavana 080408 - Remade By Rickywatt, of course that wm5 times are gone.
And from a month using it I found that it´s a very reliable, stable, light smartphone with 6.1!!, so my personal opinion is that for it´s price and time on the market is a good choice.
PD: I´ve got for free 2 iphoneys form my work cell plan and the same day I recieve them, i sold them, no more words about it...
Good day to all,
Well 100 bucks right now in our economy is alot of money, but i would not hesitate to buy the dash if i were you. It doesn't lag at all in my opinion. Best phone i've had yet out of about 50. I have the g1 and I'm still on my dash most of the time.
Same here agree with everyone, the Dash is an amazing smartphone, i use Rose ROM v1.6 remade by Ricky and I, the responsiveness is spott on, the customization is amazing always something to do, for 100 bucks as peeps putting it, it's a steal of a phone.
save up! this phone is like 100 years old. so yes, next to a g1 or anything new...its laggy, its outdated and lacks features that are hardware restricted. so as far as your 100$ goes...yes its a very minimal amount next to an iphone/g1/touchpro... so in short, this phone [email protected]! but like, a year or two ago.
Compared to new smartphones its laggy and old. but for 100 usd its very good choice. Personally i'm very satisfied, after flashing to ROSE ROM it's still really good device. i have mine for 3 days and i'm still really excited, because it has all i ever wanted - wifi and qwerty . of course - camera is really poor (i have switched from SE K800 which has 3mpx camera, so it's really markable difference)
Well I would not recommend the iphone either, if anything the G1 would be the best option; however, I have the G1 and I do not like it as much as I hardly ever use it and I still use my dash.
dash/excalibur
I've had mine for 5 months and I love it more now than before, upgraded to rickwatt's v24 when I first got it , and got hooked since. After getting a 4gb micro sdhc, stuffed it with, nrgz mini weather , showaco's pocket sportcenter, pocket player 3.7 , tcpmp, google maps, pocketnester plus, and a bunch of games , file changer for tweaking cprs, dll, and learned how to edit my own xml files, I've got a pretty enhanced phone. The only thing I hated was the P.IE but I got that taken care of with opera mini 4.2 web browser. I will probably keep this phone till my 22 month upgrade comes and if we're lucky, Dash2 will be around by then. BTW thanks to all the people that's helped me with my phone. The main reason for the phone to be laggy is having too many things running at the same time, every time I'm done using something I close it , free memory , etc, task manager and cele task are my friends.
stylez said:
Same here agree with everyone, the Dash is an amazing smartphone, i use Rose ROM v1.6 remade by Ricky and I, the responsiveness is spott on, the customization is amazing always something to do, for 100 bucks as peeps putting it, it's a steal of a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We know which rom your rocking stylez lol
stats555 said:
We know which rom your rocking stylez lol
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GIX 1.0b
gixxum said:
GIX 1.0b
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Click to collapse
Still can't get past the logon pancake can you please provide support? lol
Hello,
I am still having hard time deciding which one to get, being still a TyTN/Hermes user I have no problem with the small screen so the screen size is not a factor in deciding. I kinda tried the TP and I couldn't get used to the keyboard feeling (oh well I have only played with it for 20 minutes).
Are there any TP users that upgraded to TP2?
What made you upgrade and what do you think about both phones.
Axeslocked said:
Hello,
I am still having hard time deciding which one to get, being still a TyTN/Hermes user I have no problem with the small screen so the screen size is not a factor in deciding. I kinda tried the TP and I couldn't get used to the keyboard feeling (oh well I have only played with it for 20 minutes).
Are there any TP users that upgraded to TP2?
What made you upgrade and what do you think about both phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gaurantee you that the Touch Pro2 has a better keyboard than the predecessor. Besides the only downgrade from the first Touch Pro is that the Touch Pro2 lacks flash led for the camera.
...and tp2 hase 20 MB of ROM less than the TP - but bigger screen
Ugh oh the ram, are we talking about the physical ram chip?
Or are we talking about the rom that ships with hit?
if its the rom eventually better roms will be out there wont there?
I bought a TP2 one month ago. Coming from a Hermes
At the begining I prefered my hermes keyboard... Now after a month I tried back my Hermes... and definitely the TP2 keyboars is much better
Anyway I love the TP2, you wont regret it
TP2 the best phone ever.
Came from a Kaiser and very happy with it. The only problem I have is batt life, but it seems not related to the phone itself, but with the operator. I still don´t know the reason, but when I use Vivo my batt lasts 50 to 60% less (half a day sometimes). If I use another operator, batt lasts up to 2 days.
Already tested with Tim, Claro and Oi. Great batt life with all of them, except Vivo.
So the TP2 has less physical ram? which is hardware related?
Also is it true that the US units dont do EU/ASIA 3G and vice-versa?
So its not a Quadband world phone
I had (still have) a tytn/hermes. I wen't to the TP2. It's soo much better. Maybe you don't catre about the screen size, but you will care about the resolution. The agenda is much better to use for example because more text is visible.
The phone is really fast. My colluege HAD the touch pro. The problem was the short lived battery, (would make is just 24 hours), it got stuck many times, was slow, and just wasn't convinient to use. At least she sais. (she had a lot more trouble then that). So now she switched to a simple nokia phone.
The fun part is, when I told het I would buy the second version of the TP, the TP2. She laughed a bit and said I would be sorry. Now, she is jealouse :'D.
There is a big diffrence between the phones. The feel, the experience, how convinient it is.
On the hermes it's irritating to read emails, or documents that are longer then a few lines. Now I have the TP2 and I love it. Also internet has become much much faster. This is probably because of the processing power.
One thing I was afraid of was the lack of buttons. No jogwheel, of Dpad. Hermes had both.
I honestly have to say, I had to get used to it. But after one day, I was using the TP2 easier then my hermes. Also, the TP2 seems to weigh less and is nicer to hold while making a phone call.
Frankly the tilt is nice to have, but I would have bought it if it wouldn't have the tilt. Is just really good.
I'm not saying you should buy it, but for the record, if I had to choose between a TP and my hermes. I would choose my hermes. That's what I think from the TP. But only held it for an hour or so. The TP2 is actually a lot better
TP2 better keyboard layout and feel, miss the d-pad of TP thou....
My only concern is the 3G
I travel a lot between europe and USA; I have simcards for a few countries that all support 3G.
But from what I heard the phone does not do EU 3G if its a US and vice versa any comments on that?
That´s correct
I also travel a lot México-Europe and my Universal works great on Europe 3G but not in México (Same bands as in USA)
I think it will be the same with TP2 unfortunately
I´ll upgrade to European version soon!!
ugh oh that is so lame...
Like come on even the stupid Nokia phones do world 3G
So i'm thinking about getting a new phone, and i've been following the touch pro 2 for awhile since it was announced, and it's always caught my interest. Right now i'd be paying 350 since i'm under tmobile, i'm just wondering from peoples opinions is it worth it?
can someone layout the pros and the cons on the phone for me? thanks.
Welcome to forums
Of course it´s worth every cent!
Redundant if we post here pros and cons
Better read and search!!
Good luck,
I paid $688.88 for my unlocked/unbranded version a couple months back and I have no regrets.
Paid $525 and I can't put it down! Worth every cent and thank god I made the switch and left the Blackberry world. I will not lie, I did hesitate to leave my Blackberry 8900 even after tracking the TP2 for like a month. Blackberry has nothing on HTC TP2.
I guess imma just shut up and get it haha. sorry for not using the search function. just got really curious
Pros:
the lovely, lovely physical keyboard - I just can't tell you how useful this is;
large, bright, high-res screen (3.6", 800x480);
excellent support from this website;
very good call quality (so long as you don't get the T-mobile version);
some very neat business-oriented features (e.g. if you put the phone down face-down in mid conversation it automatically switches to speaker-phone);
noise-cancelling so other people can hear you clearly over traffic;
TouchFLO interface is quite nice;
running Windows Mobile means a huge range of downloadable apps;
built-in Word, Excel and Powerpoint support.
Cons:
not everyone likes Windows Mobile, and you find yourself dumped into it more often than you'd expect - this also limits you to 16-bit colour;
HTC and Qualcomm between them have somehow managed to arrange things so that 3rd party apps cannot make use of the GPU, which makes video playback decidedly iffy;
larger and much heavier than most phones (that's the price of the keyboard);
uses much the same hardware as phones released a year ago (much less powerful than an iPhone 3GS or even the latest Samsung models);
thoroughly mediocre camera with no flash;
no one version of the phone will work everywhere in the world (as far as I know);
most versions lack a 3.5mm headphone jack, so if you want to use anything other than the bundled headphones you need an adapter, and unless you have a very fancy adapter you can't listen to music on it and charge it at the same time;
unimpressive battery life;
resistive touch-screen is better than most, but less responsive than a capacitive screen and cannot ever support multi-touch (although a capacitive screen wouldn't allow you to use a stylus, so there are swings and roundabouts);
lack of on-board storage.
paid $900 for mine on ebay before official launch - been with it on safaris in Africa , paddled and plotted my course on lower Zambezi with hippos.... It's worth every cent.
AlCapone said:
paid $900 for mine on ebay before official launch - been with it on safaris in Africa , paddled and plotted my course on lower Zambezi with hippos.... It's worth every cent.
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wouldn't go that far but it is a great phone.
Saying that, like with every device I'd think seriously about what you want your phone to do.
I wanted a web browsing, business phone communicator. Its close to perfect.
If you're looking for a slim camera music player etc.? Stay well away.
Shasarak said:
resistive touch-screen is better than most, but less responsive than a capacitive screen and cannot ever support multi-touch (although a capacitive screen wouldn't allow you to use a stylus, so there are swings and roundabouts)
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Never say never
Especially the second one is a software only solution, since the Nokia 5800 also has a resistive touch screen.
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/9051_Multi-touch_on_resistive_touch.php
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2009/03/03/nokia-5800-gets-experimental-multitouch/
ryohazuki said:
So i'm thinking about getting a new phone, and i've been following the touch pro 2 for awhile since it was announced, and it's always caught my interest. Right now i'd be paying 350 since i'm under tmobile, i'm just wondering from peoples opinions is it worth it?
can someone layout the pros and the cons on the phone for me? thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved to this phone from a G1 (and an iPhone before that) on tmobile, and IMHO this is the best phone available with tmobile 3G right now. Fast, stable, and with WM you have tons of options for customizing/personalizing your handset. So far (had it about a week) i really see no cons with this device, if anything it'd be its size, but its not a complaint by me, its the same size as a G1.
Shasarak said:
Pros:
the lovely, lovely physical keyboard - I just can't tell you how useful this is;
large, bright, high-res screen (3.6", 800x480);
excellent support from this website;
very good call quality (so long as you don't get the T-mobile version);
some very neat business-oriented features (e.g. if you put the phone down face-down in mid conversation it automatically switches to speaker-phone);
noise-cancelling so other people can hear you clearly over traffic;
TouchFLO interface is quite nice;
running Windows Mobile means a huge range of downloadable apps;
built-in Word, Excel and Powerpoint support.
Cons:
not everyone likes Windows Mobile, and you find yourself dumped into it more often than you'd expect - this also limits you to 16-bit colour;
HTC and Qualcomm between them have somehow managed to arrange things so that 3rd party apps cannot make use of the GPU, which makes video playback decidedly iffy;
larger and much heavier than most phones (that's the price of the keyboard);
uses much the same hardware as phones released a year ago (much less powerful than an iPhone 3GS or even the latest Samsung models);
thoroughly mediocre camera with no flash;
no one version of the phone will work everywhere in the world (as far as I know);
most versions lack a 3.5mm headphone jack, so if you want to use anything other than the bundled headphones you need an adapter, and unless you have a very fancy adapter you can't listen to music on it and charge it at the same time;
unimpressive battery life;
resistive touch-screen is better than most, but less responsive than a capacitive screen and cannot ever support multi-touch (although a capacitive screen wouldn't allow you to use a stylus, so there are swings and roundabouts);
lack of on-board storage.
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Click to collapse
dunno if this is considered reviving a dead thread or anything thats my own but
the size isn't a problem for me, i've owned a windows mobile phone before and liked it but whats wrong with the tmobile version? and is the battery life really that bad?
I'm pleased with mine. Basically I had an MDA for almost 3 and a half years, with a short try of a Wing. Great winmobile phone, haven't had too much battery problems, phone quality seems ok, better than the MDA.
And the phone senses when it's close to your ear--no more false button pushes!
Cheers,
Tom
ryohazuki said:
but whats wrong with the tmobile version? and is the battery life really that bad?
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The t-mobile version is rather oddly configured. Most of what's wrong with it can be corrected (all in one hit if you don't mind flashing it with a different ROM) but it's a little fiddly. For example, the in-call volume seems to be lower on the t-mobile version - people complain that the sound is too quiet and "muffled". I believe this can be fixed by replacing a file with the equivalent from an unbranded phone, but it's still a fiddle if you expect things to work properly out of the box. I think the t-mobile version may also be set up to use Internet Explorer rather than Opera as the default browser. Again, it's not difficult to change this, it's just annoying.
The battery life is okay, but not great. If you're watching video clips or gaming you can completely drain a fully-charged battery in 3-4 hours.
Btw, one important draw-back that I forgot to mention is the lack of a D-pad - that's a real problem if you're a gamer.
General concensus for veteran WM users i found here is that almost all quite satisfied with TP2 out of the box, since these persons are coming from previous devices and know-well that TP2 is the 1st time HTC (almost) do it perfectly. In condition they didn't receive defect unit.
For new WM users, i see 50-50. But that's improvement, because with previous devices it can be as much as 20-80 (80% unsatisfied), with 20% are looking for ways to improve their devices. That's why now we have this great forum
i have the original EU version of this device and i must say that this is the best phone i used ever , and believe me i switch mobiles like socks ...
the most important thing for me is the stability of the OS , in my case i havnt done any soft reset since i got this device three weeks ago ( depens on your ROM version ect...)
another good thing is the speaker phone , try to compare it to the iphone 3gs and you will notice a big diffrence,
schizo said:
General concensus for veteran WM users i found here is that almost all quite satisfied with TP2 out of the box, since these persons are coming from previous devices and know-well that TP2 is the 1st time HTC (almost) do it perfectly. In condition they didn't receive defect unit.
For new WM users, i see 50-50. But that's improvement, because with previous devices it can be as much as 20-80 (80% unsatisfied), with 20% are looking for ways to improve their devices. That's why now we have this great forum
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Click to collapse
I would consider myself a wm vet, this is my 4rth wm phone and the TP2 if I purchase it will be my 5th. I can hardly run my TP at times because it is so slow. I have everything on my class 6 sd and some apps on my phone which is minimal. I am running nrg rom latest and I must say it is slow as balls.
I might even skip the tp2 because it shares the same chipset for att as the tp. Making it slow as balls but with a much larger screen. My favorite warez website just opened an Iphone section. all apps available, Gui much better, mms hacked, better graphics, shes lookin alot better these days. The tp2 just aint cuttin it as far as performance. I might just make the switch until HTC and winmo get there act together. Truely sad as I've been an iphone and apple hater for quite sometime. The truth is the tp2 lacks everything except the screen and keyboard. Winmo and htc are pushing me out with these piece of **** phones.
eh I might still get the tp2. I am seriously looking for reasons not to get the Icrap. Flame on aholes..
Well I've had the T-mobile version for about a month now and I have to say its pure Winsuace!!! Now as for the same chip set as the touch pro , that's not exactly ture. If you look around on the fourms, some one posted a link about where there was a dispute between Qulacom and another chipmaker about the cpu. So because of that the Touch Pros cpu contained some work arounds so it could be used and that made it slower. On the TP2 it contains no workarounds and its pretty snappy! Also I run a bunch of apps at once and it doesn't bog down So here's my two thumbs up!!!
i really dont see nothing wrong wit the tmo version of this phone.. besides the lack of 3.5mm jack and color change from the Euro version..
But the stock rom that comes with the phone is a bit off.. i had to flash it the first day i got it
but i wouldn't mind taking a euro version over the tmo one anyday.. one major reason that stop me from gettng the euro one is that it do not have 3G US bands on it.
Well it's too late now as I am now a proud owner of a Touch Pro 2
I love this thing already. flashed it with a new rom, whats the best radio to use? i'm not too familiar with the whole radio flashing thing like as in like whats the best one to use, so if someone could point me in the right direction? if not ill just search it.
Well it's too late now as I am now a proud owner of a Touch Pro 2
I love this thing already. flashed it with a new rom, whats the best radio to use? i'm not too familiar with the whole radio flashing thing like as in like whats the best one to use, so if someone could point me in the right direction? if not ill just search it.
ok I am thinking about getting a touch pro to to replace my recently dead wizard so I want to find out what everyone thinks about the TP2.
I notice it only has like a 500mhz cpu how does it do for multitasking?
on tmobile's 3g are you able to talk and surf at same time?
and overall how it your experiences with it in general?
sorry for the stupid question but none of the cell stores around here have a working display and I hate to pay that the tp2 runs and not be-able to stand it.
yonu said:
ok I am thinking about getting a touch pro to to replace my recently dead wizard so I want to find out what everyone thinks about the TP2.
I notice it only has like a 500mhz cpu how does it do for multitasking?
on tmobile's 3g are you able to talk and surf at same time?
and overall how it your experiences with it in general?
sorry for the stupid question but none of the cell stores around here have a working display and I hate to pay that the tp2 runs and not be-able to stand it.
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Click to collapse
It does great on multi-tasking, that also depends on your rom though
No your not able to. Only at&t's network your able to talk and use the web browser at the same time.
My experiences are great, Other than the HD2 its one of the better WinMo fones out.
well that is good on the multitasking. well that really sucks on the 3g that was one of the reasons I was considering the tp2 over a unlocked expo(love the idea of a 1ghz cpu and 5mp cam) other than price was I figured i could talk and surf even on tmobiles 3g wasn't aware it was a carrier thing.
thanks again,
yonu
tarroyo said:
It does great on multi-tasking, that also depends on your rom though
No your not able to. Only at&t's network your able to talk and use the web browser at the same time.
My experiences are great, Other than the HD2 its one of the better WinMo fones out.
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Click to collapse
yonu said:
well that is good on the multitasking. well that really sucks on the 3g that was one of the reasons I was considering the tp2 over a unlocked expo(love the idea of a 1ghz cpu and 5mp cam) other than price was I figured i could talk and surf even on tmobiles 3g wasn't aware it was a carrier thing.
thanks again,
yonu
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Click to collapse
Ooooohboy do I have some good news for the both of you!
You most certainly can talk and surf 3G at the same time on t-mobile's network. Just to make sure I hadn't lost my marbles and completely missed something somewhere, I just went and tested it. I made a call, and while it was connected I opened Opera and surfed to this very thread.
yonu, I also come from a wizard (3 years), and as much as I miss it, I still find the TP2 a worthy upgrade...and I know there's others here who have similar stories and feel the same way. The TP2 is by no means perfect, but if you loved the wizard for the same reasons we did (mostly it's durability, versatility, and that awesome keyboard!), then the TP2 is the closest thing you'll find to that experience...only much faster and much much prettier...in the current gen of smartphones.
And, not only that, but I believe (and again others will likely back me up on this) that the stock WM 6.1 ROM that ships with the t-moble version of the TP2 is the smoothest, fastest, and most stable of all the stock roms out there, mostly due the fact that it's 6.1 and not 6.5, and it's not the later versions of sense either, all of which are known to negatively affect performance overall. T-mobile has already issued a stock upgrade to 6.5 which you can do, or you can get a custom ROM here to add that and later versions of TF3D/Sense along with many other elements. However, give the stock ROM a try first, use it to get comfortable with the phone and basic upgrades/tweaks, and see how you like it...I think you'll find you experience a lot fewer of the headaches and hassles you'll see people reporting with WM 6.5 roms.* One of the things that makes this 6.1 ROM so great, in my eyes, is that it does a wonderful job of handling multitasking...most of the ROMs are at least decent at it, but this one really shines
Now as far as maybe just waiting for the HD2...I gave the screen keyboards on this phone every chance to be an adequate full-time replacement for the hardware one, and while they are indeed very good, and more than capable, nothing replaces the tactile satisfaction that hard keys give when typing out more than 140 char at a time. So, if you liked the keyboard on the wizard, you'll like the screen ones on here, but still find yourself using the slide-out quite often. I also happen to believe that t-mobile has the best keyboard layout of all the models, although it's very simple to remap any of them at your whim.
Don't give up on the TP2, esp. the t-mobile one, I still love mine as much as the day I bought it, maybe more!
*Now, this is speaking strictly about stock ROMs, that's to say nothing about the many of the other wonderful ROMs available here, most of which are a considerable improvement over the stock 6.5 offerings
thanks for the info good to know about being able to browse and talk at same time and yes i considered waiting on the HD2 but i like having a hardware keyboard.
Thanks,
yonu
I will say the one thing i don't like about the TP2 is no led flash for the camera( comes in handy as a flashlight lol)
On the mention of camera- I miss ths LED light as a camera but now use the face of the screen as a mini flashlight.
What is a pleasant surprise is that the newer ROMs must have better camera apps because my TP2 takes very nice pictures and is pretty quick about it.
(I have 2 kids and this is actually a little nice feature on the go)
I used to have a TP1 and that thing was useless at taking pictures...
I can also verify that you can talk and surf at the same time on T-Mo's network. I love my T-Mo Touch Pro2! I don't use the camera excessively, so no LED flash isn't a major inconvenience. As far as TP2 vs. HD2 goes, I would tend to pick the TP2 because I'm the person who NEEDS a physical keyboard (and if you like physical keyboards, then there's none better than the TP2 ). I text and email a lot so it's a must for me. Of course HD2's Snapdragon gives it a performance upper-hand, but the TP2's 500-some mhz is sufficient for most people's multitasking needs.
I have had a generally good experience with the Touch Pro2. It very rarely got sluggish on its stock ROM, and it runs decently with heavier flashed ROMs. I highly doubt this phone will disappoint you if you get it.
Rhodium is the best hardware keyboard device to this date!!
You won´t find anything better in the market.
Go for it!
And don´t forget to vote
So, I'm looking at getting a new smartphone through my work. Unfortunately I'm locked with Verizon, which is usually a slow adopter of new phones AND my work is a slow adopter of new Verizon phones, so I'm sorta double-whammied. My current phone is dying, so I need to upgrade now and seeing as it would likely be a year at the earliest before any Windows7 phones would be available for me I'm looking at upgrading now.
The TP2 is one device that I can get. I'm very familiar with Windows Mobile 6.1, so this has an appeal. But I have some questions.
Does anyone know if the GPS is "unlocked" out of the box? I'd like to use some GPS programs other than VZNavigator and I'm wondering if I need to install a custom ROM first.
Will a new TP2 device now be installed with 6.5 or will I need to upgrade? Can someone give me a quickie run down of 6.5 vs. 6.1?
How's the Battery life of the TP2? I'm a heavy power user so I want to make sure I can get through a day without charging.
Lastly, I _might_ be able to get a Droid. I've never used Android before, but I have to say that I'm tempted. Anyone have an opinion? Is the Droid a lot better? Is it worth trying to push for the Droid?
aGPS works out of the box, you need to make sure to use the Quick GPS tool to update the satellite though. There are some free navigation programs but I've heard they sometimes do not choose the most logical route. Garmin, Tom Tom, and other paid GPS programs should work as well.
The new VZW phone comes with 6.5 as far as I have seen lately. One ordered off their website in early April came with 6.5. Here is a post with everything you'll need to know about all windows 6 versions, 6.1 vs 6.5 will be down towards the bottom more: http://www.modaco.com/content/i9x0-...m/299717/com-branches-explained/#entry1153714
The phone can make it through a full day of usage in most scenarios. I would say unless you talk 3+ hours and run GPS, 3g/wifi, and multiple programs ALL day you should be fine. If not there are extended batteries you can purchase (although the phone is already big enough as it is).
In my opinion Android is a great OS, motorola is not my favorite phone manufacture, but beyond that it is still a nice device. It is slightly more responsive than the TP2. The keyboard is much more cramped and the top row is difficult to get use to. It doesn't quite replicate the desktop feel I get when I use WM. I can't give a real in depth break down because I've only messed with them a couple times.
Hope that helps your decision a little.
I have a coworker a few desks away from mine who has a Droid, and we often pass the time with a few heated rounds of "yeah, but can yours do this??" LOL Neither of us has done much to convince the other that our phone is better (his Droid vs my TP2)....but, the one thing he openly admits he wishes he had was the MUCH better hardware keyboard that I enjoy all day long
In fact, I suspect that once a fully-working version of android appears on the TP2, he'll be finding a way to sell his droid, and join the ranks of the HTC fans
Thank you both. I appreciate the info!
RedRamage said:
Will a new TP2 device now be installed with 6.5 or will I need to upgrade? Can someone give me a quickie run down of 6.5 vs. 6.1?
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I'm pretty satisfied with 6.1, though I use SPB Mobile Shell for my UI. Though I can't give you a run down, having not used 6.5, the only feature I've come across yet that I actually want is a reg entry for the keyboard backlight. Also, last I checked Office Mobile 2010 is 6.5 only. Once OneNote Mobile 2010 is out, I'll probably bite the bullet and upgrade.
Personally I'd avoid the Droid. If I didn't need a better hardware keyboard than that, I'd probably get a Nexus One and use the on screen keyboard. Cramping the keys that close together with minimal key differentiation... I honestly don't know what the point of that was. Another nice thing about the Nexus One is you get OS updates straight from Google. No waiting on VZW and no fragmentation concerns.
Choosing the TP2 instead means being outdated in terms of power but having marvelous levels of interface comfort. I'm already plotting trying to find a similarly sized android snapdragon that I can somehow transplant into my TP2's casing. It's probably impossible, but it is super comfortable. I'll just have to dual boot and pretend I don't mind the ancient guts.
I've never heard the battery life described as anything other than average. Although the CPU is slow, the newer faster processors also come with new power-saving tech it doesn't have, so a nice snapdragon will go longer on the same battery capacity (though most snappys come with a smaller capacity battery stock). I'm actually using my VZW TP2 as a PDA right now, typically with all radios off, so my usage couldn't inform you. If you're a heavy power user, average might not do it. You can get a 1700ish mah battery that fits in the existing casing, or up to a 3500mah battery that requires a new battery cover if that suits you. Alternatively you can get a charger that charges both your phone and a spare battery simultaneously and swap as necessary.
Since this is posted in the TP2 sections, you'll get biased results, same as if you were to post this on the Droid forums. I have a Droid and my girlfriend has a Tilt 2. My Droid is rooted with AdamZ 2.1 Android and overclocked; the thing is lightning fast. My girlfriends Tilt 2 has been custom cooked with EnergyROM Sense 2.5 and have also installed Android to test it out.
Performance wise, the Droid is faster, much faster if overclocked; it was a huge performance upgrade for me since my previous phone was a Samsung Omnia i910 with a cooked WM 6.5 rom. There is virtually no noticeable lag between scrolling screens and opening apps. Her Tilt 2 was fairly slow out of the box loaded with AT&T bloatware, she even complained to me about the phone being laggy. However, it is noticeably faster since installing the cooked rom.
I know Android is still in it's beta phases for the TP2, but it's still fairly buggy, many of the apps don't function correctly and eventually gave up on using it.
If apps are a big thing for you, I'd stick with Android, as there are many more fun apps, many of them free. With the Windows Marketplace, many apps are merely trial or lite versions, an example being Shazam, which is free on Android, but limited to 10 uses on Windows. I'm not sure if it's just Microsoft's doing or what. Also, the Droid has Google Navigation, which is arguably the best GPS for a phone, and is completely free. I've even thought about selling my Garmin 265WT since I barely use it anymore.
As for the keyboard, the Tilt 2 is clearly better, but I've never had any problems typing on the Droid, which many people complain about. I type with the tips of my thumbs, so that may make a difference. Battery life is pretty much the same, which can last about a day or two depending on usage.
All in all, I'm happy with my decision and when I asked my girlfriend which phone she preferred, she picked mine, but the for her it was between an iPhone and a Tilt 2.
ekimmik said:
Since this is posted in the TP2 sections, you'll get biased results, same as if you were to post this on the Droid forums.
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I actually disagree, especially considering the responses thus far. There's plenty of Android love in this thread, but I'd wager there'd be little WinMo love in a droid thread. I think TP2 users are dramatically more aware and more willing to admit to their device's weaknesses than users of more popular phones.