2008 Smartphone Roundup

[vodacom3g]

Hehe, I was making a joke about you and vodacom, vodacom3G hence the little at the end,

I saw, but some others might not have, so thus the response.

as far as using smart phones before I were allowed to bollocks I can't see how that fact can make you a better judge on a phone than anyone else.

The only point I made was that if anyone wants to comment, it makes sense that they should highlight their OWN experience with the phone under discussion. Look at all the iPhone threads on this forum the last few months. Most of the anti-iPhone brigade never even picked one up, rather just writing it off as a 'fashion accessory'.

And this applies to many comments we see here about any device. Rather than objectivly discussion the pros and cons of each device, threads get derailed by people with no real experience of the device but very strong feelings about it. Not very scientific, you'd agree?

When I take a look at my desk drawer, I see 1X 6600, N70, HTC Touch, nokia 6210 Navigator and HTC Touch Pro. Now I didn't say that I have worked with the nokia e71 although I know people who has had the phone, nor black berry or iPhone.

I think one important point is that the topic is Smartphone roundup 2008, is it too much to ask to have one single windows mobile phone included in a "roundup"? I know the touch Pro is an awesome phone, and that is all I was hinting at, we need to include more phones in this type of article...

I can list quite a few aspects where the Touch Pro would, beat all of the phones listed, hands down!!

Obviously the author picked his top 3 phones for the year. Can't remember him saying he never tested WM phones?

If it was Roux doing the testing, Nokia would have won the top 3 spots and likewise if Toby did it, the 3G iPhone, followed by the 2G iPhone followed by any iPod.

I have been fortunate to test most of these phones and personally still concur with the author's placement.

Rather I hope that reports like this, plus the relevant sales figures of WM vs. Apple vs. BB sends a strong wakeup call to MS to give us a next-gen WM.

 

[HaltAndCatchFire]

I saw, but some others might not have, so thus the response.


The only point I made was that if anyone wants to comment, it makes sense that they should highlight their OWN experience with the phone under discussion. Look at all the iPhone threads on this forum the last few months. Most of the anti-iPhone brigade never even picked one up, rather just writing it off as a 'fashion accessory'.

And this applies to many comments we see here about any device. Rather than objectivly discussion the pros and cons of each device, threads get derailed by people with no real experience of the device but very strong feelings about it. Not very scientific, you'd agree?


Obviously the author picked his top 3 phones for the year. Can't remember him saying he never tested WM phones?

If it was Roux doing the testing, Nokia would have won the top 3 spots and likewise if Toby did it, the 3G iPhone, followed by the 2G iPhone followed by any iPod.

I have been fortunate to test most of these phones and personally still concur with the author's placement.

Rather I hope that reports like this, plus the relevant sales figures of WM vs. Apple vs. BB sends a strong wakeup call to MS to give us a next-gen WM.

I am glad we can agree this time round

I agree that the author has creative license to publish what ever he/she sees fit, nothing stops him/her from saying that the nokia 1100 is the best smartphone. I think I was venting because the article was a little misleading, if you have an article which says best smartphone 2008, don't you think for it to be scientific, the author needs to have used every single smartphone released in this year and have a scoring matrix of some sort which is also published and based on that the phones should be rated, now I can appreciate the fact that this is not very plausible. (or is it?)

Also I think that where you come from, or rather how you as the author, use the phone and your frame of reference will form part of your opinion of the phone.

I am a software developer, I have developed several internal apps for the WM platform, both managed and unmanaged. And I like the way I can re-use code I devloped for a PC enviornment just like that in my WM aps, I also love the fact that I can sync with our exchange server and the fact that I can remote desktop into our Windows 2003 server in cape town while I am in Pretoria in a conference at the csir (true story ) all by using my phone!

I will however stick to my first conclusion that as far as I am concerned the HTC touch pro, should be in there

 

[BeVonk!]

If only smart phones could make for smart conversations. Some people should let their smart phones do the talking.

 

[Rouxenator]

Justice is served. And that by using an E-series phone. In 2009 the N97 is coming and it is powerful enough to put most netbooks to shame. I see a repeat performance from the worlds leading mobile phone maker next year.

sadly all 3 of those phones listed have a carp resolution when compared to the HTC touch Pro which runs at 640 x 480 if memory serves.

It is a windows mobile phone, 'nuff said.

E71 looks ugly!

Xperia or Omnia tops in my books at the moment.

Are you buying a pornomag or a mobile phone? If you are buying a pornomag then I agree, don't buy ugly stuff. But this is a phone, not a beauty pagent contestant. Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

The Xperia and Omnia runs on n00b0s (WM).

That E71 is one ugly phone.

It is phone, not a work of art. Go to the art gallery if you want to buy something "beautiful".

really...the iPhone cant really be in the 'Smartphone' class, it's a freakin fashion statement and that's all there is to it...
X1, Omnia or HTC Touch Pro should be in the top 3... pfft, silly

The iPhone is not a smartphone because it lacks a real OS. One that can properly multitask and do basic text manipulation such as copy and paste.

The iPhone is also utterly irrelevant with the advent of Symbian 9.4 and 9.5

All that aside, I do feel that there are a few phones missing, at least one of the WM phones should be there... Omni or X1 or HTC Touch Pro. Not even a mention, nice "unbiased" article yet again...

Windows Mobile is nice and all, but it is nothing compared to the total awesomeness of Symbian. It is like comaring a really cute remote control car with the real deal.

 

[Maelly]

Overall, the Nokia E71 wins simply because there is no real fault to be found with it.

YAY!!!

 

[kevinswan007]

Overall, the Nokia E71 wins simply because there is no real fault to be found with it.

YAY!!!

except the looks!!

When you buy a car, the looks play a huge part in your decision. The same goes for, and should be, cell phones. Even 'Smart Phones'

Thats why my vote is for the X1.

 

[JK8]

except the looks!!

When you buy a car, the looks play a huge part in your decision. The same goes for, and should be, cell phones. Even 'Smart Phones'

Thats why my vote is for the X1.

I think its a bloody good looking phone... you cant seriously call it ugly...?

 

[thehebalista]

X1 is the reall winner

i also don't think the X1 is ugly and should have been on the number one spot one weakness i know about it is that the battery life is a bit of a let down, however the phone simply works, really loves to be pushed to it its limits.

the X1 Being able to do every thing (note did not use Virtually) that an iPhone, BlackBerry and a Nokia E71, can do plus 8gigs of memory space,a choice between using QWERTY keyboard or hand writing recognition, 3" touchscreen, optical mouse, an ability to select who calls me and who can't, an ability to tag my pics to Geographical location, record videos, built in FM Radio, i just can't understand why is this phone not a winner as the iPhone i know can't send MMS and Can't Record videos and a couple of other can't too. The E71 i know has a bit of a problem sending emails immediately, the sounds system isn't as good as on the P1i or P990i or even the P800, the very same video content i am able to watch on a P800 struggles playing on an E71 for some reason keeps hanging or delays the video but the sound goes ahead so i hear stuff Obama has said 20 seconds before seeing them on the screen, look i can also connect my X1 to through the auxiliary slot in my car yet the E71 can't. so with that said, why is the E71 a winner?

 

[Sapphiron]

E71 tops for me.. the bloody thing just works

I agree, All the others seem to be very good at some things, and hopeless at others.

Nokia (for a change) got the balance just right.

Blackberry the same, but its much more pricey, than the "free on most contracts"-Nokia

 

[HaltAndCatchFire]

I agree, All the others seem to be very good at some things, and hopeless at others.

Nokia (for a change) got the balance just right.

Blackberry the same, but its much more pricey, than the "free on most contracts"-Nokia

I think that is the golden bottom line, all of the mentioned phones have very strong feature sets but also some weaknesses.

Yesterday after work I stopped by the mtn shop and the guy there had a E71, and I played with it for about a half an hour, and I must say it is very good, but I missed a few things that my touch has.

I have since drawn the conclusion I will not be trading my Touch for an E71 but would recommend it to other people.

 

[vodacom3g]

I think that is the golden bottom line, all of the mentioned phones have very strong feature sets but also some weaknesses.

Yesterday after work I stopped by the mtn shop and the guy there had a E71, and I played with it for about a half an hour, and I must say it is very good, but I missed a few things that my touch has.

I have since drawn the conclusion I will not be trading my Touch for an E71 but would recommend it to other people.

If we all had exactly the same requirements, preferences and tastes we would all only need one phone. Fortunately we don't and thus the handset manufacturers can all make a living.

 

[fismail]

Always been a Nokia fan.

Had a 6110 , 6210 , 6310i , 6230 , 9300 (for 2 days , gave it back ) , E90 , E71 and all I can say about any Nokia is that they have consistency in their operation.

I currently have a MTN E90 (hacked and cracked) and a VodaCom E71 (hacked and cracked) and they both work brilliantly for me.

So much so that they identical copies w.r.t phonebooks and contacts and I just use both of them.

 

[BeVonk!]

I currently have a MTN E90 (hacked and cracked) and a VodaCom E71 (hacked and cracked) and they both work brilliantly for me.

What you mean by "hacked and cracked"?

 

[BeVonk!]

I've had my E90 for 15 months now and it's still going strong ... but I do want something smaller ... and I've been looking at options ... the E71 being one ... but that keyboard seems so damn crammed. My wife's got the E61i and I find that keyboard frustrating to use. Is the E71's keyboard better?

 

[vodacom3g]

I've had my E90 for 15 months now and it's still going strong ... but I do want something smaller ... and I've been looking at options ... the E71 being one ... but that keyboard seems so damn crammed. My wife's got the E61i and I find that keyboard frustrating to use. Is the E71's keyboard better?

I *think* the Bold's keyboard might be a tad bigger, but maybe the landscape keyboard of the HTC type bodies might work better for you. The new "iPhone killer" phone from Nokia; does it not come with such a keyboard?

 

[BeVonk!]

I *think* the Bold's keyboard might be a tad bigger, but maybe the landscape keyboard of the HTC type bodies might work better for you. The new "iPhone killer" phone from Nokia; does it not come with such a keyboard?

WinMo must improve before I'll look at HTC etc. The N97 - or a to be announced E9x - will probably be what I'm after ... provided it is much smaller. The idea of a "non mechanical" phone (nothing to open/close/slide) appeals to me ... therefore my interest in the Bold/E71. I really want the iPhone (for various reasons) but I cannot see myself living with the small on-screen typing for too long ... and then Apple (as they do with everything) will bring out a better device within a year of me getting the current iPhone.

The Blackberry Storm looked like the answer ... but reviews are not as favourable as I would like considering the financial layout required.

 

[RogueTr00per]

Omnia sucks... no, i havent flashed the ROM yet with the Singapore version.

Every 2nd day or so it hangs. It's getting more and more buggy as the weeks go by. And I've only isntalled a couple of extra apps. Coreplayer and Adobe reader which doesnt work.

 

[fismail]

trialling different software versions by flashing and reflashing the phone , doing some detailed network monitoring and so on , in short knowing just exactly what the E series phones are about and then some more.

www.my-symbian.com is a great wealth of information depending on what you're looking for.

a hard button phone is still the best , one tends to appreciate the layout of keys and other features.

i've used an iphone for a few weeks , granted its the 4gb 2G one but just to sms on it (touchscreen keypresses) , i don't see how productive one can be with it but then again it is good in its class (entertainment)

What you mean by "hacked and cracked"?

 

[Rouxenator]

the X1 Being able to do every thing (note did not use Virtually) that an iPhone, BlackBerry and a Nokia E71, can do plus 8gigs of memory space,a choice between using QWERTY keyboard or hand writing recognition, 3" touchscreen, optical mouse, an ability to select who calls me and who can't, an ability to tag my pics to Geographical location, record videos, built in FM Radio

Firstly, the X1 runs winmo, not Symbian.
Secondly, that is as good as SE gets - the 2009 roadmap for Nokia is lined up with phones that will totally overshadow the X1. To begin with the N98 is alreadly a lot better.

 

[RichardS]

I have an E71, which I use for sms, email, word documents, internet viewing. Excellent phone. Typing on the QWERTY is superb - keys are not too small and have a firm "click". The screen resolution and size is perfectly adequate. In general the feel of the phone is solid, and comfortable in the hand, and it is not ugly! However, the camera is terrible - purple hue on all photos.