The PPC-6800 (XV-6800 when Verizon gets it out the door), or otherwise known as the HTC Mogul, is the much anticipated follow-on to the PPC-6700. Over the last several months, its launch date has moved all over the place, along with whether it would be a Windows Mobile 6 or Windows Mobile 5 device....

The problem with the stylus position on the 6700 was that when the thumb-board was slid out I had to reach over between my left hand index and middle finger to retrieve and replace the stylus. This was slightly awkward but doable.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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When I saw in photos that they had moved it to the bottom right I was pleased that they solved that minor problem. BUT, now that I have received the phone I have found that they switched the side the thumb-board slides out from! This means the stylus is back on my left hand's side and this time hidden behind the Palm of my hand so I can sneak it out between my fingers! OMHO, this sucks!<o:p></o:p>
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Another thing changing the side the thumb-board slides out from screws up is the ability to use the D-pad and phone buttons with my right thumb when it's slid out. Am I the only one that found that convenient enough on the 6700 to grow dependant on it?<o:p></o:p>
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So <SARCASM><SARCASM>unless there is a right and left handed version of this phone and I got the left handed version by mistake, </SARCASM>I'm not very pleased with the decision to move the thumb-board to the other side. I feel like this is an example of design by committee where in one group fixed the stylus position only to have another group change the thumb-board side with lack of communication between the two.<o:p></o:p>
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Am I alone on this??? - tX<o:p></o:p>
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Texorcis, On my previous phone the PPC6601 when I rotated the display to landscape I always rotated it so that I used the nav. pad with my left thumb. I am right handed so that gave my right hand freedom to use the sylus while holding the device by the nav. pad.

I wish they would have skipped the sliding leyboard for a fixed one like the Hitachi G1000 I had, then I would give up my Treo 700Wx.

OK, what is the accessory number -- i got a bunch of calls last night and didn't even notice until today that at some point the back cover actually fell off!! Double stick tape between it and the battery next time. Or should I just return the phone already?

ddwire -

My main point is that the stylus is in a horrible place when using the thumb-board. Do you not agree?

- TxrcsT

Any comments about the in-call volume issue (when NOT using BT)? That would be the only deal-maker for me. The rest of the features don't seem significant enough to win me over from a 6700 with a newer (unofficial) ROM.

The volume is just fine IMHO, although I do think I've read one or two people say they think the speakerphone is a bit too quiet.

LOL. That's exactly the way my 6700 was with the original 1.0 rom. It was the upgrade to the 2.whatever version that screwed up the in-call normal volume. But it was a trade off because the speakerphone and my Plantronics 640 both got louder!

The Vision plan I had on my PPC6700 won't work on the Mogul. You have to upgrade to a Phone as Modem plan for $39.99/Mo. I've had trouble finding USB modem drivers(Sprint tech support hasn't had a clue), but BlueTooth works fine.

WHOAH! Hold on. A SERO plan on this phone that includes 500 anytime minutes, unlimited data and unlimited text is still only $30/month! If it's that you want to use the phone as a modem, then buy PDANet. Unless you're going to be downloading movies over it you shouldn't have any problems