i am actually most excited about checking out the libra... i have gotten used to the smartphone platform and kinda like it. but if the i760 is spec'd out the right way and doesnt have that funky key layout like in that photo then i am in especially since it looks like mrailing's leading candidate!
i am actually most excited about checking out the libra... i have gotten used to the smartphone platform and kinda like it. but if the i760 is spec'd out the right way and doesnt have that funky key layout like in that photo then i am in especially since it looks like mrailing's leading candidate!
I dont see the need for SmartPhone anymore (I use to have the i600) now that WM5 and soon crossbow lets you do everything one handed or without a stilys. You get the best of both worlds.
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VZW, It's 2009! Time to embrace technology, not suppress it. - oops too late I've moved on over to the iPhone w/ AT$T!
I personally can't consider a Smartphone based device. I have some database applications that I have written that require a touchscreen display to operate, so until the smartphone has a touchscreen, it's out. I know I could convert my database applications, but they are working great, and why re-invent the wheel...
Now it's a tossup between the i760 and the 6800. The 6800 "should" be available in the next couple of months, and the i760 is sometime in 2007, most likely a mid/late summer launch. Some of the specs on the 6800 seem to be better (2 MP camera, more internal RAM), but I have always been turned off by the build quality of HTC devices, like the 6600 and 6700. Samsung just made a better feeling, higher quality product. I also prefer the portrait keyboard to the landscape design, as it's easier for me to continue talking on the phone while typing some notes, instead of having to continually rotate the phone.
Another factor for me is size. I don't mind the size of the i730, but something thiner, and without the antenna post would be ideal, and if both offer no antenna post, and a thinner design, then that's a plus.
I also like the idea of Crossbow, but if many of you remember the i730's rumor/release threads said it "should" come with WM5 pre-installed, and because of some delays, it was released with WM2003SE on it. It seems the i760 might be in the same boat, depending on release dates, and how well they get Crossbow to work. But if the i760 at least had WM5 AKU3.X on it, then I would be happy.
Now the benefit to the 6800 is the support and development over at XDA-forums. They development so many amazing things, and cook some great roms, that it might be worth some loss in build quality to hack a little more.
So really until I get my hands on a 6800 and see more pictures of the i760 (or get my hands on one), I can't make a full decision, but I am HEAVILY still leaning on the i760. I wish they would have stuck with the full SD card in them, but at long as I can use at least a 2 GB card, then I will be happy, which currently looks like I can.
So time will tell, but I don't see myself jumping on the 6800 at it's release unless something happens to my i730, or unless the pictures or updated information of the i760 just don't pan out. Now if the i760 ends up looking more like the photos on Giz, then I like it even more, as it's a similar design to the i730, BUT I am kind of liking the idea of a number pad right on the front of the phone, as I dial number all the time, either directly to the person, or for extensions.
It should be interesting over the next 6 months to see what happens in the Verizon PDA area. I sure do wish I was a tester for Verizon and could get my hands on each of them, if just for a week. Hear me now Verizon, get those good people that contribute in the top forums to test and give you feedback on your devices, then you will have a better, more stable product for your customers, and you WILL stick it to your competitors... All we ask in return is an occasions "keeper" device... There are lots of users in this forum, 6700 forum, 700w, forum that would be good for such a job....
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-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
I sure do wish I was a tester for Verizon and could get my hands on each of them, if just for a week. Hear me now Verizon, get those good people that contribute in the top forums to test and give you feedback on your devices, then you will have a better, more stable product for your customers, and you WILL stick it to your competitors... All we ask in return is an occasions "keeper" device... There are lots of users in this forum, 6700 forum, 700w, forum that would be good for such a job....
Amen! I agree totally. VZQ needs to allow some of the hard-core users here to test their new devices and OSes.
Happy holidays.
Jay
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-Jay The Fine Print:Nothing in this post (or any of my other posts) is intended to constitute legal advice or the establishment of an attorney-client relationship. For purposes of this forum, I'm just another nerd like you. :-)
In response to MRailing's message:
The three different phones listed (two from HTC and one from Samsung), in addition to different amounts of memory also have different processors. Is the speed of the processors different in the three devices and does it make any difference in the performance of the phone?
In response to MRailing's message:
The three different phones listed (two from HTC and one from Samsung), in addition to different amounts of memory also have different Processors. Is the speed of the Processors different in the three devices and does it make any difference in the performance of the phone?
Processor speed does make a difference, but that information isn't available. I am sure the Smartphone HTC will have a slower Processor than the two Pocket PC devices (6800 & i760). Hopefully those two PPC devices will have at least a 520 MHz Processor.
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-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links
Since we're posting our opinions on the upcoming WM phones, I'm going to jump in as well.
Mostly, I agree w/ mrailing. Even if I don't need to use a touchscreen most of the time, it's nice to have. That and the fact that I have a couple of apps (ie, Garmin Que) that only run on a touchscreen device means I'll most likely stay with a Phone Ed. device.
I've had a xv6600 and an i730, and quite honestly, I don't think there was much difference in build quality, so I wouldn't factor that into a 6800/i760 decision. Support for the device, however, does. It's been a sore point for me recently on VZW's complete lack of understaning of these devices. After getting routed to three different departments, the best they can do is offer to tell you how to do a hard reset. I would continue to expect minimal support from VZW on either of these devices, but the fact that a search on 'i730' on Samsung's support site returns 0 hits makes me nervous. At least UTStarcom/HTC can provide an alternate support channel for thier devices, even if it is minimal. There are great forums like this one, but more often than not, what people come up with are work-arounds rather than fixes (ie, some additional app that I need to keep running to address a problem, like AutoStep). With HTC, the guys over at XDA-Developers seem more readily able to make changes to the core of the OS that need to be re-distributed as new ROMS to address the core of the issues. However, the availablity of new or 'cooked' ROMS seems to be more limited with CDMA devices. I don't know if this is because the more limited market (and therefore developer base) of CDMA, or if CDMA ROMs are tougher to crack and/or put together. This may be one reason that I may still consider a GSM-based device as my next device, especially if VZW starts playing games like disabling features of the device (ie, WiFi, BT Profiles, etc...). If the xv6800 actually has the 256/96MB memory configuration leaked the other day, this will be a really tough decision.
As for the i760/xv6800, I'm not sure from the intitial pics I like the looks of the i760. That being said, I think the Cingular 8525 looks much cleaner than the initial pics of the xv6800 as well. I, too, don't mind the size of the i730, though I wish I didn't have to use the extended battery to get through the day. The WM5/AKU3 vs. Crossbow isn't much of an issue for me, either. The only thing that looks intruiging (besides the UI refresh) in Crossbow is the new Live client, along w/ Marketplace. This will be a bigger consideration if any XBox Marketplace integration is included (yeah, I'm a gamer too...), but I also think there may be a d/l'able client for WM5 to update the current MSN Mobile app, so this may be moot too.
Just my $.02. (...or is that $.0002? .02¢? Ah, whatever...)
There's really no question that the vast global GSM user community, along with device flexibility/portabilty afforded by SIMs, is the basis for large and aggressive developer and hobbyist activity for GSM products.
In the US, however (227mm subscribers as of Q3, according to CTIA), CDMA appears to lead GSM by as much as 20 points of market share.
In any case, there's no question that HTC designs consistently suffer from second-tier build quality vs. Samsung. It's likely the Sammy i760 will continue to highlight this distinction.
--BAM
P.S. The "VerizonMath" controversy (http://verizonmath.blogspot.com), along with "Unlimited" data and your points above, reminds us that 'empowerment' is not the province of carriers but rather, of user vigilance and inspiration.
I was looking at the specs on Blackberry Pearl and upcoming BB 8800 and they include " Great phone experience w/ Advanced noise and echo cancellation". The reason it got my attention is that I was given (for business use only) a Blackberry Pearl from work. Unexpectedly, one thing that got my attention immediately was the quality of the sound, both directly at the ear as well as through my car bluetooth connection. The difference in quality between the BB Pearl and the i730 is striking. I have not had any of the complaints that I have seen related to i730 by other members of this forum, but I did have difficulty most of the time in getting all the words clear and feel the tone of the voice, from people that I speak daily and I know well. I ascribed it all to just generic issues with cell phones. However, it seems that that there are ways of getting around these issues and that BB is successfully doing something about it. Does anybody know if the new HTC and Samsung devices have any new technology introduced in voice quality? After all, these devices are primarily phones, with the other features added on top of it. Any thoughts or insights?
Do we call our cable/DSL service providers for PC support..........NO!
Do we call our land line service provider for support of our land line phones.......NO! (we use to but not anymore)
So why do we have to call our cell service provider? They dont have the man power or the knowledge to suport these many different devices.
When will this all cahge?
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VZW, It's 2009! Time to embrace technology, not suppress it. - oops too late I've moved on over to the iPhone w/ AT$T!
I'd never go for a smart flip phone. Doing my typing on a numeric keypad would be a nightmare for me given all of the text input that I do. Until someone comes up with a smaller and easier way to type than the good old QUERTY keyboard, I will stick with smart phones equipped with QUERTY keyboards.
I'd never go for a smart flip phone. Doing my typing on a numeric keypad would be a nightmare for me given all of the text input that I do. Until someone comes up with a smaller and easier way to type than the good old QUERTY keyboard, I will stick with smart phones equipped with QUERTY keyboards.
I had a tech working for me years ago who used to say the ultimate computer input ... "Do what I'm thinking"
I'll bet we get there someday too. Sort of scary when you think about it!
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Don't mess with old futs...age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill! B. S. and brilliance only come with age and experience!
Do we call our cable/DSL service providers for PC support..........NO!
Do we call our land line service provider for support of our land line phones.......NO! (we use to but not anymore)
So why do we have to call our cell service provider? They dont have the man power or the knowledge to suport these many different devices.
When will this all cahge?
When the carriers (and moreso the CDMA carriers than the GSM carriers) realize that they should be in the business of providing connectivity services first and foremost, and not devices and content. (Though many dsl/cable ISPs, many times in conjuntion with Yahoo, MSN or other 'portals', do offer some content, there are very few that try and sell you the PC hardware.)
VZW, for instance, has been offering thier vCast service (which, IMO, is a total waste of time and money), and it requires phones and devices that are especially configured to use it (via software and sometimes even custom hardware). Basically, not only did they invest in the R&D of vCast itself, which they now have to push to get people to use & pay for this extra content, but got themselves more firmly in the business of supporting the hardware. Most everywhere I go, VZW has decent coverage, but there are a few places, including my living room, where it's still flakey. I wish they would've taken all that money they invested in setting up vCast and enhanced thier network with it instead. The current VZW is kind of like the old Compuserve and early AOL services, where subscribing limited you to the proprietary content of that provider. Look where they are now... I think that internet capable phones are becoming more and more popular, and as they do become more popular, more people will want to access thier particular content of interest, not what the carrier is forcing on them or limiting them to, so eventually, they may wise up...
On the subject of cooking ROMs with HTC devices. Currently new HTC devices are implemented with some encryption involving individualized keys and certs. So you cannot cook your own ROMs as before in the older devices. However, because of the ubiquitousness of GSM, ROM upgrades are an international carrier/distributor/manufacturer away for all those that use the same type of device. So you are not locked in to just Verizon's ROM. Which is the case with most CDMA devices from Samsung. There is a lot of programmers that work over at xda-developers that fix annoyances and shortcomings. Here we had SuperDave but now he has made the switch as well. There they have dozens of SDs from around the world.
The more I look at the picture, the more I wonder what the hell they were thinking putting the d pad on the bottom left side of the device. I imagine the ergonomics/weighting will be all messed up.
If your right-handed, it will be easier to use the D-Pad if it its on the bottom left. Samsung figures people will probably use the D-Pad more often (in any application) then the numbered keypad.
As these phones become smaller and my big hands stay the same size, its difficult to hit any buttons on the right-hand side anymore.
I can't wait to see this baby. I'll try to make a trip to the Samsung Experience (NYC) store in January.
If your right-handed, it will be easier to use the D-Pad if it its on the bottom left. Samsung figures people will probably use the D-Pad more often (in any application) then the numbered keypad.
As these phones become smaller and my big hands stay the same size, its difficult to hit any buttons on the right-hand side anymore.
I can't wait to see this baby. I'll try to make a trip to the Samsung Experience (NYC) store in January.
I live about 5 minutes away from the Samsung Experience store, so I'll be making frequent trips there over the next few weeks. I was there last weekend, and of course, the guys working there had no clue what I was talking about when I inquired about the i760. It was almost like talking to a Verizon employee.
I don't have a problem with the D pad being on the left side of the phone. I just don't like that it's at the very bottom of the phone. I think it may make the phone top heavy when you hold it.
Can anyone tell from that picture if the dpad and number pad are always out on the i760 pictured or are they part of a slide out board like the i730? I'm concerned either way: If its a slide out, where's the QWERTY board? A landscape 2nd slider perhaps? If its not a slide out, and the numeric pad is always out like that, its going to be a tall (long?) device.
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Thanks - Andrew - PDAPhoneHome.com
I got the impression that the d-pad & number pad were fixed, and that there's a slide out qwerty keyboard underneath, though no indication if the qwerty was a slide out from the bottom a la i730 or from the side in landscape mode.
Amen! I agree totally. VZQ needs to allow some of the hard-core users here to test their new devices and OSes.
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