Mobile Phones

[timwhit]

I have had a Touchpoint/LG TP2100 for about 2 years now. But, it is just about at the end of its life now. So I ordered a new LG 1200, it doesn't have lots of stupid features. It is just a phone that makes calls and has a phone book. Hopefully I can get 2 years of service out of this phone as well.

 

[The JoJo]

When you go out to buy a mobile phone here in Finland, most places offer you Nokia, Nokia, Nokia, Sony-Ericsson and perhaps Siemens. Some places have started to offer Samsung also as of lately. Panasonic, Motorola etc are not as widespread anymore.

Phones with built in camera are starting to spread quite much here now.

How is it with your shops and their range of products?

How about phones with camera?

 

[timwhit]

Phones with cameras are pushed very hard here. I haven't seen anyone using one yet, but I see TV commercials and hear radio ads for them all the time. I just don't know why I would ever need a sub-par camera built into my phone when I already have a digital camera that takes much better pictures.

 

[Handruin]

Same in my areas, as I'm assuming timwhit and I live in different parts of the country. I see commercials that push the camera phones all the time, mostly by Sprint I believe.

That LG 1200 looks like a nice phone.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

I just don't know why I would ever need a sub-par camera built into my phone when I already have a digital camera that takes much better pictures.

The camera might be sub-par, but wait until I buy 6220 and start sending you photos every day... Coug's gonna love me!

The trick to have the camera on the phone is that you don't forget it. You always have it with you... It would be quite handy for those rare awesome moments of our lives that we wished we had something to immortalize them! :wink:
And it's also useful for recording important things like someone hitting your car! :roll: Don't know if the pics can stand court though...

 

[Pradeep]

Currently I use an Ericsson T39, that's on the Telstra GSM network in Australia. Bluetooth, IRDA-Modem, very slim thickness wise. Exceptional RF performance. Sadly it is no longer produced, and all the new ones seem to much bulkier. Before that I had a T28, and previously my first mobile was a T18. Both of those continue to work fine for the friends I gave them to.

Also a Motorola v.60 on Verizon in the States, to avoid the insane Telstra international romaing charges to some extent. The v.60 is nice, but I find it unfortunately thick, making it uncomfortable to have in a pocket. And of course no global roaming

However, unlimited night and weekend minutes is brilliant, there is no such thing in Australia.

 

[JSF]

I use the Siemens S40 operating on 900/1800/1900 mhz, so I can use the phone worldwide. I am on a national plan, so I only use my home phone for local calls and calls to Europe and Canada. I like its USB or IrDA connectivity with my computer, allowing me to synchronize my Address Book in either the phone or computer.

Its sound quality is excellent. Roaming capability is not as good as other technologies because GSM coverage in the US is still expanding to catch up with CDMA and TDMA. GSM has now exceeded TDMA in coverage in the US. The Siemens S46 offers the best of two worlds, using either GSM or TDMA technology as needed.

Joe.

 

[Buck]

Motorolas? Buck, I respect you, but for me and my mates over here Motorolas should have been out of the cellular-phone business a long time ago. Last good product I recall was StarTAC, back in 1997(?)... Ergonomics, design, quality of materials... suck!

The V60 works well for me since my reception at home is poor and many times must revert to analog. Additionally, it was the ergonomics of the phone that sold me on it. The phone is compact enough when closed, and large enough to accommodate my fat face when open. Plus the phone is relatively inexpensive and has a very long battery life compared to my previous Nokia phone.

I had not idea that a simple cell phone would have any amount of bearing on the respect or esteem held for another.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

I meant I respected your good decisions in these matters. I still do even if IMO Motorolas are suckers as phones.

And of course I respect you unquestionably in the personal level, Buck.


A general note: In 90% of cases I know, prolonged battery life has been achieved independendly of the phone used by practising sensible rechargings at the right moments (ie. when the batter is really empty). NOKIA phone batteries stay generally on specs as long as you practice good recharging schemes.

 

[Buck]

I suppose dropping the Nokia 3360 didn't help much with the battery life expiring abnormally early.

 

[SteveC]

My sister has about 10 phones (she used to work for T-mobile), and uses the V60, exclusively. She hasn't had any complaints with it.

 

[timwhit]

My phone developed two lines through the display today. I don't know why, but it looks like the pixels have died on two perpendicular lines across the center of the display. What would cause something like this to happen? Is there anything I can do to fix it? This thing isn't even six months old.

 

[Mercutio]

Most cell phones seem to have a 1 year warranty. Take it back to the place you bought it, beg and whine and they should give you a loaner until yours gets fixed.

 

[The JoJo]

I got a new phone from work, a Nokia 5100. Besides being a phone, It's got a LED-light, a thermometer, a decibel meter, a used calories meter and a radio. What next ?

 

[i]

I got a new phone from work, a Nokia 5100. Besides being a phone, It's got a LED-light, a thermometer, a decibel meter, a used calories meter and a radio. What next ?

I can answer that. I hope, anyway.

When will %#&!@#! cell phone manufacturers incorporate basic TV/stereo remote-control functionality into their phones?

 

[blakerwry]

All it would require is an IR transmitter and a little more smarts... unfortunately the top of most cell phones is prime realstate for antennas, and headset jacks... perhaps they can squeeze a tiny IR transmitter in there somwehere.

 

[Buck]

I got a new phone from work, a Nokia 5100. Besides being a phone, It's got a LED-light, a thermometer, a decibel meter, a used calories meter and a radio.

I like, I like!

 

[Jan Kivar]

I got a new phone from work, a Nokia 5100. Besides being a phone, It's got a LED-light, a thermometer, a decibel meter, a used calories meter and a radio. What next ?

I can answer that. I hope, anyway.

When will %#&!@#! cell phone manufacturers incorporate basic TV/stereo remote-control functionality into their phones?

You can get an app to the Nokia 7650 (or other phones that use Symbian) that makes it possible to use the phone as a remote controller. I don't know how well it works though. Here's the product page.

Cheers,

Jan

 

[Fushigi]

When will %#&!@#! cell phone manufacturers incorporate basic TV/stereo remote-control functionality into their phones?

Any of the Palm-based phones like the Handspring Treos can run Palm-based IR remote apps.

 

[Mercutio]

...If you can put up with the lousy range the Palm IR has.

 

[CityK]

Nevermind the TV remote, how about the TV in the phone itself!

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/340/C2059/

Is this a first?

CK

 

[e_dawg]

I used to have an Ericsson T18z. Like Pradeep's recent model, the RF performance was amazing. I could get and retain signals in places most people couldn't. Unfortunately, it was digital only, which meant that it couldn't be used in rural areas where there are only analog cells. Beautifully compact and brilliant in its reception. Not many features except for voice-activated dialing (useful when you're in the car).

I now have a Samsung SCH-8500 like Fushigi. Average performance and clarity, but the good thing about it is that its microphone is not very sensitive, and you can thus use it in noisy areas... people usually have no idea you're outside on a busy street. Built like a tank. Dropping it on the ground inflicts more damage on the concrete than on this phone. I was comparing it against the Motorla StarTAC at the time. The StarTAC felt like it would break after a day in my backpack.

I now crave PDA features in my phone and am considering a Kyocera 7135. I find my Sony CLIE very useful, but the problem is that I don't have anywhere to put my PDA. It's already a pain to keep my cellphone on me at all times (I am not a big fan of belt clips/holsters and most phones are too big and heavy to put in my pocket comfortably). Now adding a PDA to that? I might as well carry a man-purse to hold all this crap!

The Treo is very nice as a PDA, but I find it awkward as a phone. Most of them you need to use a headset anyways.

 

[CityK]

Its not a purse, its European.

 

[e_dawg]

Oh, I felt I should mention that Samsung and Kyocera are very promising as newer entrants in the cellphone market.

 

[e_dawg]

Its not a purse, its European.

Heh, I would love to see a picture of PW holding a man-purse

Come to think of it, Jake the Dog holding a man-purse would be hillarious too...

 

[Mercutio]

My phone is a Kyocera, about 3 years old now (it's the right size and shape, so I'm not getting rid of it until it dies).

Most of the parts inside are from Ericsson.

 

[e_dawg]

Didn't you say you had an Audiovox? Or do you have 2 phones?

 

[Mercutio]

OK. That was the crack I've been smoking.

My ex's phone was the Kyocera.

Just ignore me. Really.

 

[Jake the Dog]

I've been using mobiles for about 13 years now. my 1st was a bulky NEC that was still on the analogue network and not long after I moved to the then new digital network and the 1st of the small Ericssons GH337. iirc, I paid around AU$1600. silly, silly me. since then, I've had various Ericsson and Nokia phones, generally preferring the Ericssons. I had an Ericsson T28s for about 18 months prior to my current phone which is a Samsung N181 on the Orange (Hutchison Telecoms) CDMA network. the phone itself is by far the best phone I've had and the coverage I get with it is great. reception along the fringes of Melbourne's network areas are better with the Samsung/CDMA than the GSM Ericssons and far better again than the GSM Nokia.

btw, the reason Ericssons usually get great RF perfomance in Australia is because the cell tower equipment is Ericsson as well, and you can bet Ericsson make sure their equipment works well with their own pouducts.

 

[Jake the Dog]

I'm not usually in the habit of holding man-purses for entertaiment purposes. I'm curious why it would be me that's so funny with the purse. I have a feminine side!







(she's called Kirsty and she's my wife...)

 

[e_dawg]

You're right. I think I forgot a better candidate: Coug

 

[Fushigi]

I now have a Samsung SCH-8500 like Fushigi. Average performance and clarity, but the good thing about it is that its microphone is not very sensitive, and you can thus use it in noisy areas... people usually have no idea you're outside on a busy street. Built like a tank. Dropping it on the ground inflicts more damage on the concrete than on this phone. I was comparing it against the Motorla StarTAC at the time. The StarTAC felt like it would break after a day in my backpack.

I now crave PDA features in my phone and am considering a Kyocera 7135. I find my Sony CLIE very useful, but the problem is that I don't have anywhere to put my PDA. It's already a pain to keep my cellphone on me at all times (I am not a big fan of belt clips/holsters and most phones are too big and heavy to put in my pocket comfortably). Now adding a PDA to that? I might as well carry a man-purse to hold all this crap!

The Treo is very nice as a PDA, but I find it awkward as a phone. Most of them you need to use a headset anyways.

The 8500 is a pretty good phone. With the extended LiIon battery it'd last quite a long time on a charge.

But even with it's limits I prefer the Treo 300 I've got now. The Palm-phone integration, color, etc. have been very worthwhile -- especially since work pays for it.

You might want to check out the Treo 600 that's coming out over the next few weeks. It loses the awkwardness of the earlier Treos, is multi-mode, has all the requisite gadgets like a camera and an expansion slot, etc. Over at Treo Central you can find links to reviews. Comments from the WSJ and others are quite favorable so far.

 

[e_dawg]

Hmm... I was just going to say "isn't the battery life pretty mediocre on the Treos?" Apparently they have fixed this. Looks very promising! (although the Kyocera will probably be quite a bit cheaper than the Treo by the time it comes out).

 

[Fushigi]

Yes, 4-5 hours talk with Sprint; 6-7 hours with other carriers. Much improved over the 2.5ish my Treo 300 offers.

The 600s are already appearing in Europe and are expected in the US from Sprint in mid-October. I couldn't say about Ox but I'm sure someone in the forums at Treo Central would know.

 

[CougTek]

You're right. I think I forgot a better candidate: Coug

First off : I have no idea what a man-purse is or looks like. I know what a purse is, but a purse for man??? Maybe I'll have an idea next time I have to cross the Beaudry / Ste-Catherine corner in downtown Montréal (the gay quarter).

Besides, I have no need for a purse, all my ...eh, "tools" ...fit in my leather coat.

 

[e_dawg]

When I was in Montreal, I lived in Little Burgundy (Petite Bourgogne... pretty much half-way between the Atwater Market and the Molson Centre) for a while in one of the new town houses. I think half my neighbours were gay/lesbian.

 

[LiamC]

Besides, I have no need for a purse, all my ...eh, "tools" ...fit in my leather coat.

So Coug, you're a leatherman ehh?

 

[Fushigi]

I think I had mentioned elsewhere that my Treo 300 was upgraded to a Treo 600 in October 2003. Well, today I ordered the Treo 650. Faster processor, better screen, Blue Tooth, revised keyboard, better battery, PalmOS 5.4, full Word/Excel/PowerPoint editing capabilities, new email client, etc.

The best part remains that work is paying for it.

 

[CityK]

I would be most interested if you could provide some user experiences .... once you've gotten to play with it for a while.

 

[Fushigi]

No problem. Once it comes in I'll do a mini-review. Should be 3 or so weeks.

Any aspects in particular that you're interested in? From attending a road show event, I can say already the new hi-res screen is a vast improvement for text. The tweaks to the keyboard make it easier to type on. The speed is definitely better. It now has a removeable battery that is in theory a little better than the 600. The SD slot is higher-powered so it'll support SD-based GPS once drivers are written. It's also faster so you can actually see the difference when using a high-speed card. Pics from the camera are still VGA res but are much brighter than before; way better in low-light conditions.