“Which smartphone would be best for me” asked Stephanie

Stephanie: “Based on your experiment, can you provide an overall analysis of the rating for each device? I’m considering purchasing a smartphone within the next couple of months and would like your thoughts on the best model out there. Note: I do have Cingular phone service, so I’d need a smartphone that is compatible with Cingular service. Also, I very much want to use the Windows mobile operating system, so that I can sync my calendar, contacts, and appointments with my computer at work. I don’t need any fluff (MP3, camera, other special applications) – I just need the nuts and bolts. Thank you!”

Recommendations to Stepanie:

  a) If you are planning on sticking to Cingular, and your main interest is the calendar, contacts, and appointments, I would say the Cingular 3125 or BlackJack would do the job well. They use Windows Mobile and they are small phones that you can easily carry with you everywhere.

b) The Cingular 3125 doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard (it is a flip-phone). The BlackJack does have a full QWERTY keyboard. But from your description, it doesn't seem that you are going to be doing lots of typing, so this may not be an issue for you.

c) Both of these smartphones offer full multi-media capabilities that you don’t need. But these are not in the way, and you can just ignore them (one day though, when you unexpectedly need to capture the moment, and the camera may come in handy, and then one thing leads to another and you find yourself watching TV on the little screen, who knows!).

  d) If you are not in a hurry to make a selection (you said a couple of months), there is another device that you might want to consider when it becomes available. That is the BlackBerry Pearl from Cingular (no official date has been announced but rumor has it that it is coming soon). Currently it is only available from T-Mobile. It is not a Windows Mobile device, but it is fully compatible with Windows, and can sync extremely well with Outlook.

e) Finally, in terms of ranking the devices, this is what I will be doing over the next few weeks, so stay tuned and please visit the 81-day-experiment blog often to see more details (http://81dayexperiment.typepad.com/)

f) By the way, we also offer a PDF that provides a methodology for comparing devices if you are interested in more details. You can order it online at https://www.people-onthego.com/Online_Trn_OD_Handheld_TestDrive.html This will also be updated in the next few weeks to cover all the devices I used in the 81-day-experiment.

Good luck!

Comments

[Don Kelly]

The T-mobile Dash - seems to be getting lots of positive reviews (blompo.com lists most of them). I was all set to buy it but then I went to the store to try it and decided not to get it. Why?

1) Keyboard - not too bad, but still like the Treo - all squished together. My old blackberry 7230 is much better in this (and only this) regard. As you said - sometimes a quick email needs to be quick and not messed up and retyped because of the keyboard.

2) Slow - it seemed to take too long to switch from one program to another. Perhaps my Dell Axim X50v has ruined me on 200mhz devices. The Axim is snappy and can do a number of things at once. (Of course it doesn't have a phone). I might go for one of the new HTC devices to come out next year with upgraded horsepower.

3) Small screen - I am at that stage where I can still get around with out glasses - but I need them for small print (like classified ads in the newspaper and small print on maps and medicine bottles). The Dash screen just seems too small. Again the Axim X50v has spoiled me I guess. Maybe it isn't an eyesight thing but rather my desire for a bigger screen to view websites more easily (like the VGA screen on the Axim).

4) My Blackberry 7230 still gets me to most of the websites I need to see on the run. Granted it is slow and you have to be able to decipher mangled html usually - but it still works for most sites and costs NOTHING since I already have it. In fact, the service for the DASH with T-mobile will run me $10 more each week - for a two year contract that is $240 plus the $100 to get the dash - too much extra to pay for not that much more.

I am interested in any feddback you have. Thanks for the site.

Answer: Thanks for your observations, and coming from the BlackBerry 7230, the above is quite understandable. All things considered, and if the multi-media features (such as camera & music) are not of primary interest to you, then the BlackBerry 8700 might be the better device for you. Good luck and thank again for your note.
- Pierre.

[Alex T.]

Thank you for an excellent series on Cingular 3125. Had I read it sooner, it would have made my purchase decision that much easier. I am glad I ended up getting this phone and am looking forward to retracing your steps in getting acquainted with it.