The Mobile Phone Thread - Queries, decisions, discussions all here

Steeroid · 2nd June 2005, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by rishi_kapoor

A friend of mine is selling an i-mate (XDA-II), he picked from abroad, it is hardly used. How much do you think I should pay for it. Also is it worth buying with XDA-IIs and mini around?

The XDA II has been discontinued, and so has the minimal, ridiculous device support from O2. However, most of us who used pocket pc phones never depended on the manufacturer's support anyway - we all went to www.xda-developers.com whenever there was a problem. imate offers slight better (still not good enough) support at www.clubimate.com

That said, I dont know if picking up an imate/XDAII is a good idea now. If you wait a while, you should be able to get cheap iMate JAMs/xda minis because there is a slew of products scheduled for launch during June/July (early summer). I've seen the excellent new Motorola A1000, as well as a demo of the MDA IV (which will definitely have versions called the XDA something and the iMate something else).

If you're not into Pocket PCs then the Palm Treo 650 is quite nice as well - it has better battery life and a much better camera than the iMate JAM. The Sony Ericson P900i is also available but its been around for a while and is looking dated. The Palm Life Drive with the 4GB HDD, WiFi, Bluetooth blah blah blah is also likely to get a phone edition soon.

We had a clearance sale of Treo 270s here for about the equivalent of Rs.7,500/-. Brand new units.

Basically, if you wait for a couple of months or more you should be able to get your hands on new models in the second hand market for a decent price. I wouldnt advice you to buy the imate/XDA II as it is now a dated design.

X-Machine · 3rd June 2005, 02:14

I use CDMA only when i travel to countries like Japan.Otherwise its purely GSM.Im very much content with my Orange and never bother to opt for a CDMA provider.Work or no work,GSM rules.

X

pankaj09 · 3rd June 2005, 04:30

i have used RIM for a year, the service is good and especially when i used it to get connected to the net. my main usage was internet connection till RIM messed by billing.
current service is GSM

satish_appasani · 3rd June 2005, 11:39

I am using Reliance CDMA for 2 years. Pretty happy with the service. Only place where I don't get proper reception is at my work. You stand facing south, no signal...turn west signal is available. And the Internet is added advantage though they started charging a rental of Rs.200 for data. With a laptop and a CDMA phone you are the king anywhere on the road. Had problems will bills but easy to handle those issues.

The only disadvantage I have is unable to use the pretty handsets that my GSM friends have...

hrag · 9th June 2005, 15:37

Nokia 8210 since August 2001. It is small, light and meets all my requirements (calls / SMS). I see no reason to change until it falls apart. The battery has been changed once (in 2004). No other issues so far.

hrag

pingme · 9th June 2005, 17:07

I just switched to CDMA from GSM using nokia for both the networks

V-16 · 12th June 2005, 19:00

i am using a reliance cdma for some time now. reception is good but the damn instrument gets really hot. gotta give it to them, places and pockets even my mobile wont catch but my relaince cell will

CaliAtenza · 13th June 2005, 10:11

Anyone heard of Innostream???...they make some pretty nice phones..but i was looking at their lineup and their phones look suspiciously like Samsungs, well some of them. Im guessing they are one of the OEM's for Samsung or they are just taking the designs from Samsung.

Rehaan · 15th June 2005, 09:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by pingme

While technically speaking CDMA is far more advanced than GSM and I think part of USA us CDMA

Hi Pingme,

What you have stated seems to be the opposite of what i believed....

Isn't GSM the newer and more advanced technology?

(and dont go by looking at what america uses... they are terribly backward when it comes to cellphones. I guess part of the reasonfor that is the fact that they aldready have such a huge network in place that to "upgrade" it to anything better as a whole would be hugely expensive...so they are taking their own sweet time.)

What makes you say CDMA is more technologically advanced?? I guess each one has its advantages, with 3G being the newest most advanced?

cya
R

tsk1979 · 15th June 2005, 10:27

To answer your question, it depends upon who is marketing better. CDMA is mostly Qualcomms baby while GSM has TI/STM/Nokia etc., pitched on the tech. As things stand currently latest CDMA provides better data rates, and GSM has better phones. But with nokia entering the foray along with LG/Kyocera phone specs will soon equalize. 3G is still 2.5G in most places. Currently CDMA seems to be winning, but you never know what the next chip from TI will do.

karthik247 · 27th June 2005, 12:11

well, right now i have the 6230i, which is really cool especially the sound quality of the mp3's. I used to have a 7610 before this, and that seemed too big compared to the 6230. This ones' got the same functions of the 7610, except that u can't install other softwares.

And cam is really amazing....1.3MP!!

Steeroid · 27th June 2005, 15:07

Hi All

The HTC Universal, which will be sold under the various badges such as XDA, Qtek, MDA, iMate etc.. has been announced. Here are some links and pics:

http://img222.echo.cx/my.php?image=htcuniversal50en.jpg

Links

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06...sal_ship_date/

http://dalecoffing.typepad.com/my_we...impressio.html

xezas · 27th June 2005, 16:06

Motorola A760i

Pretty old phone but can't get any other decent touchscreen phone.
I work in a mobile software company and have access to most of the best and the latest (unreleased) phones BUT sadly, no touchscreen phones among these.

And once u are a touchscreen chap, there's no going back....

Rtech · 27th June 2005, 16:13

Update from my original post:

Forced to shift from Siemens to a SEK750i. I say forced because Siemen's has all but disappeared from the Indian market, and there is no way to lay my hands on any of their new models.

I thought about the 6681, briefly, but decided in favour of the SE K750i. Seem's OK so far, but I need to update the FW as it has a bug in it - hangs at times when on the idle screen. Other than that, I like its small size and long feature list.

Steeroid · 27th June 2005, 23:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rtech

Update from my original post:

Forced to shift from Siemens to a SEK750i. I say forced because Siemen's has all but disappeared from the Indian market, and there is no way to lay my hands on any of their new models.

Siemens Telecom has sold their handset business to Benq, just as Alcatel sold theirs to Bird.

Better brush up on your Mandarin, gents - the chinese are here...

My bets on the mobile handset market leaders in the next 3-5 years:

1. Haier

2. TCL

3. Benq

4. Bird

5. Some western brand manufactured in China

3rd June 2005, 02:14	#347
X-Machine Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mumbai/Tokyo Posts: 1,475 Thanked: 29 Times	I use CDMA only when i travel to countries like Japan.Otherwise its purely GSM.Im very much content with my Orange and never bother to opt for a CDMA provider.Work or no work,GSM rules. X
	() Thanks

3rd June 2005, 04:30	#348
pankaj09 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: MUMBAI Posts: 31 Thanked: 8 Times	i have used RIM for a year, the service is good and especially when i used it to get connected to the net. my main usage was internet connection till RIM messed by billing. current service is GSM
	() Thanks

3rd June 2005, 11:39	#349
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,114 Thanked: 110 Times View My Garage	I am using Reliance CDMA for 2 years. Pretty happy with the service. Only place where I don't get proper reception is at my work. You stand facing south, no signal...turn west signal is available. And the Internet is added advantage though they started charging a rental of Rs.200 for data. With a laptop and a CDMA phone you are the king anywhere on the road. Had problems will bills but easy to handle those issues. The only disadvantage I have is unable to use the pretty handsets that my GSM friends have...
	() Thanks

9th June 2005, 15:37	#350
hrag BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore / Madras Posts: 1,982 Thanked: 32 Times	Nokia 8210 since August 2001. It is small, light and meets all my requirements (calls / SMS). I see no reason to change until it falls apart. The battery has been changed once (in 2004). No other issues so far. hrag
	() Thanks

9th June 2005, 17:07	#351
pingme BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 102 Thanked: 2 Times	I just switched to CDMA from GSM using nokia for both the networks
	() Thanks

12th June 2005, 19:00	#352
V-16 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 4,594 Thanked: 960 Times View My Garage	i am using a reliance cdma for some time now. reception is good but the damn instrument gets really hot. gotta give it to them, places and pockets even my mobile wont catch but my relaince cell will
	() Thanks

13th June 2005, 10:11	#353
CaliAtenza BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: LAX-SNA-BFL-BLR Posts: 321 Thanked: 20 Times	Anyone heard of Innostream???...they make some pretty nice phones..but i was looking at their lineup and their phones look suspiciously like Samsungs, well some of them. Im guessing they are one of the OEM's for Samsung or they are just taking the designs from Samsung. Last edited by CaliAtenza : 13th June 2005 at 10:12.
	() Thanks

15th June 2005, 10:27	#355
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,695 Thanked: 23,484 Times View My Garage	To answer your question, it depends upon who is marketing better. CDMA is mostly Qualcomms baby while GSM has TI/STM/Nokia etc., pitched on the tech. As things stand currently latest CDMA provides better data rates, and GSM has better phones. But with nokia entering the foray along with LG/Kyocera phone specs will soon equalize. 3G is still 2.5G in most places. Currently CDMA seems to be winning, but you never know what the next chip from TI will do.
	() Thanks

27th June 2005, 12:11	#356
karthik247 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR, HYD Posts: 2,710 Thanked: 30 Times	well, right now i have the 6230i, which is really cool especially the sound quality of the mp3's. I used to have a 7610 before this, and that seemed too big compared to the 6230. This ones' got the same functions of the 7610, except that u can't install other softwares. And cam is really amazing....1.3MP!!
	() Thanks

27th June 2005, 15:07	#357
Steeroid Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A Posts: 7,026 Thanked: 2,757 Times	Mother of all PDA Phones Hi All The HTC Universal, which will be sold under the various badges such as XDA, Qtek, MDA, iMate etc.. has been announced. Here are some links and pics: http://img222.echo.cx/my.php?image=htcuniversal50en.jpg Links http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06...sal_ship_date/ http://dalecoffing.typepad.com/my_we...impressio.html Last edited by Steeroid : 27th June 2005 at 15:15.
	() Thanks

27th June 2005, 16:06	#358
xezas BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bangalore/Chicago Posts: 39 Thanked: 0 Times	Motorola A760i Pretty old phone but can't get any other decent touchscreen phone. I work in a mobile software company and have access to most of the best and the latest (unreleased) phones BUT sadly, no touchscreen phones among these. And once u are a touchscreen chap, there's no going back....
	() Thanks

27th June 2005, 16:13	#359
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,765 Thanked: 371 Times View My Garage	Update from my original post: Forced to shift from Siemens to a SEK750i. I say forced because Siemen's has all but disappeared from the Indian market, and there is no way to lay my hands on any of their new models. I thought about the 6681, briefly, but decided in favour of the SE K750i. Seem's OK so far, but I need to update the FW as it has a bug in it - hangs at times when on the idle screen. Other than that, I like its small size and long feature list.
	() Thanks