There are a number of Windows Mobile 6 devices due to hit the market in the next few months so I thought I'd do a mini-roundup of the ones I'm keeping my eye on; Eten X800, Toshiba G900 and i-mate 7150 (pictured in that order from left to right).
I'm after a few key features that my next phone MUST have:
- Windows Mobile 6
- 3G (or 3.5G) / HSDPA connectivity
- VGA (640x480) or higher resolution display
- 2.5mm/3.5mm audio jack (mini-USB earphones are usually terrible quality)
- WiFi 802.11b/g (standard in most devices now)
I'm also hoping to have as many of these features as possible:
- 128MB RAM or higher
- SD 2.0 compatibility to support 4GB and larger SD/miniSD/microSD cards (the SD 2.0 spec supports up to 32GB)
- 2MP camera with auto-focus
- QWERTY keyboard
- Must be less than 18mm thick
- Built-in GPS
- USB host support (e.g. allows you to access the data on an external USB drive)
It's difficult to pick a device to go with in the Windows Mobile market because there is no such thing as the "perfect" device. Each device is lacking something that makes you think twice, and the three I've listed above are no exception.
The
Eten X800 looks like a great phone, and I think it's my current front-runner. It's specs haven't been fully confirmed, but from what I know its main pro's include:
- VGA 640x480 resolution
- Built-in SiRF Star III GPS
- 15.8mm tickness
But it does have a couple of cons as well:
- Unconfirmed whether the microSD slot supports SD 2.0
- The microSD slot means that it could be a little while before larger sized media is available. It's the smallest and therefore the hardest to pack so much capacity into. Increases incapacity trickle down from SD -> miniSD -> microSD
- Lacks a QWERTY keyboard
The
Toshiba G900 is also a very sweet looking phone and has a couple of features that position it well in the market:
- WVGA 800x480 screen resolution!
- Finger print scanner for unlocking the device, which apparently doubles as a pointing device
It does however have a couple of cons which I think may rule it out for me:
- Unconfirmed whether the miniSD slot supports SD 2.0
- 21.5mm thick and weighs 198g
- I've heard conflicting reports, but most say this device has only 64MB RAM (and 128MB ROM)
The
i-mate 7150 is an interesting device with it's clamshell, flippy, rotatey screen thing, and has a second display on the outside for when the device is closed shut. Pro's include:
- 3.5" 640x480 256K colour display
- Great looking keyboard
- 128MB RAM and 256MB ROM
There are of course a couple of cons with this device as well:
- The "Ultimate" range is i-mates first attempt at building their own WM devices - previously they were rebranding the HTC devices
- Unconfirmed whether the microSD slot supports SD 2.0, and as above with the Eten X800 the microSD sized cards are usually the last to have larger capacity storage cards become available
- It is quite a bit wider than other devices (around 15mm wider on average)
Now I just have to wait for official confirmation on the specificaitons for each of these phones. The Eten X800 looks like it will be the first to market, and if it has SD 2.0 support I think I'll be grabbing one at the first chance I get :)