The 81-day experiment

Apple iPhone Unlocked? 17-year-old George Hotz and the iPhoneSimFree group seem to be doing it!

Soon after my friend Elliott and I spent some time going over the iPhone features last week (including demonstrating to Elliott the Web browsing and pinching-in and out to zoom on webpages that are otherwise unreadable), Elliott mentioned that he just heard about a young man who unlocked the Apple iPhone!

Well the next day, Elliott followed up on this newsworthy development, by sending me this article from the New York Times. As you can see 17-year-old George Hotz and the iPhoneSimFree group seem to be have unlocked the Apple iPhone:

With Software and Soldering, a Non-AT&T iPhone

It remains to be seen  what the legal consequences are if any, but for now, if you are really interested in a non-AT&T Apple iPhone, and as the above article mentioned, you may be able to get one from George or from the iPhoneSimFree group on e-Bay, but it will cost you $$$.

Case STudy: Cingular 8525--now AT&T 8525

In this case study, Sean from Chicago shares his experience with the AT&T 8525 (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Sean has to say about the AT&T 8525:

----- Case Study -----

I wanted to let you know I had to get my boss up and running with the 8525 on the ATT network. I have to say that I was really pleased with the phone.

Our company is currently a Verizon customer and we are pretty much standardized on the 6700 with a few 820's (a sweet little flip phone if you don't mind missing a keyboard) and are waiting for the 6700's replacement running Windows Mobile 6)

So I had recently ordered a 8525 and the treo 750 for the company President's ATT phone. He goes international a lot (unlike most of us) and needed a non-cdma phone.

I have to say the 8525 is a big improvement. There's more memory and I just seems a little snappier then the 6700. Slightly newer build of windows mobile 5 and the phone even feels a little better. Huge bonus is the wheel.

(idea stolen from the crack-berry for sure) Missing one button I liked with the 6700 but not really missed.

Phone seems pretty fast on the internet with in a 3g environment.

Loaded our default apps:

Microsoft Voice command. (needed newer version; 1.5 will not work on newer os build) PDAnet (the best way to get your laptop on the net with the phone) TomTom Navigator 6. (tomtom nav 6 is not really compatable with phone however. Also will not be compatible with WM6 either. Nav6 could not communicate with phones tcip stack so traffic updates did not work.

I've read a lot about users complaining there wm phone needs to be soft-reset. I've found the source of this issue is two things. Memory and applications.

All applications are not created equal. Tomtom navigator 6 can cause some WM phones to seem to go crazy for some reason for example.

Other applications seem to make the phone freeze up for periods of time and not seem responsive. Be carefull what 3rd party apps you put on the phone.

You just might need to reset it to clear up the phone. Plus don't just install everything back on a phone all at once. Install apps one at a time.

Patience is required to setup a replacement phone.

Memory, if you use IE a lot and surf graphic pages your phone will get slower. The more apps and memory you absorb with email and web pages will cause the phone to do tricky things. I have 3 IMAP email accounts plus hotmail setup on the phone with attachments stored on the external memory.

If you keep to many days worth of email the headers alone can take up all the memory. So delete your cache and keep as few days of email as you can on the phone.

In closing, the 8525 seems to be a great device with a nice pullout keyboard.

Runs better then all the other WM5 phones I've tried. Have not needed to soft-reset the phone once. Blue-Tooth and the new Microsoft Voice Command works great. (now your outlook appointments are announced in your ear rather then everyone hearing them)

Can't wait to see some WM6 phones like this one hit the streets. (Verizon needs it bad) while ATT not as much with this phone being available. This phone is considerably better then the 8125 that it replaced.

Sean~

Case Study: BlackBerry 8703e

In this case study, Andrew from Columbia shares his experience with the BlackBerry 8703e (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Andrew has to say about the BlackBerry 8703e.

The Information about the device you are using now:

Manufacturer/Brand?  BlackBerry

Model?  8703e

Carrier?  Verizon

Desktop Operating System?  Windows XP

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 5 

Features? 5

Usability? 5

Compatibility with your desktop? 4

Technical support?  5

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Yes - definitely

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?   

Banking / 500 employees / Data Architect

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

Ability to keep all contacts in one place, and be able to sync with desktop.  I no longer need to carry a phone and a palm pilot.  There are great 3rd party apps like berry411 and the google mobile suite that are fantastic. Also, Blackberry distributes their own maps in "Blackberry maps".  The BB interface is intuitive, and makes finding phone numbers, addresses, etc. easy.  The BB can be operated with one hand; until you start to use a smart device you don't realize how much you'll love this feature.  Having access to your email whenever you need it is invaluable. Using gmail you have access to 2.8 gigs worth of your mail anywhere in the country (or world depending on your carrier)!  The push email for the BB is fantastic.

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

Verizon should allow their users to use the GPS function.  I already paid for a GPS in the device, why do I need to buy and carry a 3rd party GPS also?   Wi-fi capability would be nice especially for getting your email internationally (great for a CDMA device).  I think that there should be more medical software written for the device.

 

Which devices have you used in the past?

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? Palm / Tungsten C / wi-fi

How long did you use the device? 3-4 years

Why did you switch? I needed an "all in one" PDA with the phone built in.  The Treo was the logical choice since I was used to, and like the Palm OS.   I was a little worried when I decided to "take the plunge" on the BB OS.   I am happy I made the switch from Palm to Blackberry.  The Blackberry is a much more robust device.  I never have to reboot it (as others have complained about the Palm powered devices). 

In this case study, Andrew from Columbia shares his experience with the BlackBerry 8703e (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Andrew has to say about the BlackBerry 8703e.

The Information about the device you are using now:

Manufacturer/Brand?  BlackBerry

Model?  8703e

Carrier?  Verizon

Desktop Operating System?  Windows XP

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 5 

Features? 5

Usability? 5

Compatibility with your desktop? 4

Technical support?  5

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Yes - definitely

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?   

Banking / 500 employees / Data Architect

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

Ability to keep all contacts in one place, and be able to sync with desktop.  I no longer need to carry a phone and a palm pilot.  There are great 3rd party apps like berry411 and the google mobile suite that are fantastic. Also, Blackberry distributes their own maps in "Blackberry maps".  The BB interface is intuitive, and makes finding phone numbers, addresses, etc. easy.  The BB can be operated with one hand; until you start to use a smart device you don't realize how much you'll love this feature.  Having access to your email whenever you need it is invaluable. Using gmail you have access to 2.8 gigs worth of your mail anywhere in the country (or world depending on your carrier)!  The push email for the BB is fantastic.

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

Verizon should allow their users to use the GPS function.  I already paid for a GPS in the device, why do I need to buy and carry a 3rd party GPS also?   Wi-fi capability would be nice especially for getting your email internationally (great for a CDMA device).  I think that there should be more medical software written for the device.

 

Which devices have you used in the past?

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? Palm / Tungsten C / wi-fi

How long did you use the device? 3-4 years

Why did you switch? I needed an "all in one" PDA with the phone built in.  The Treo was the logical choice since I was used to, and like the Palm OS.   I was a little worried when I decided to "take the plunge" on the BB OS.   I am happy I made the switch from Palm to Blackberry.  The Blackberry is a much more robust device.  I never have to reboot it (as others have complained about the Palm powered devices). 

Case Study: Verizon XV6700

In this case study, Dean shares his experience with the Verizon XV6700 (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Dean has to say about the Verizon XV6700.

The Information about the device you are using now:

Manufacturer/Brand?  Verizon/HTC

Model?  XV6700

Carrier?  Verizon

Desktop Operating System?  Windows/Outlook

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 3 

Features? 5

Usability? 4

Compatibility with your desktop? 1

Technical support?  1

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Only if phone reliability requirement is not high.

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?   

n/a

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

The set of features is just amazing!  EVDO, WiFi, Bluetooth, IRDA, IMAP/SSL support, MS Exchange support, nice keyboard.  I got 851kb/s download speed.

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

The reliability of the phone part is TERRIBLE.  About once a day I have to soft-reset the phone in order to make a call or to access the Internet, or to connect to my PC using Active Sync.

Verizon replaced the phone but that didn't help.  I'm looking for an alternative phone.

Which devices have you used in the past?

LG 4600 (a simple phone).

In this case study, Dean shares his experience with the Verizon XV6700 (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Dean has to say about the Verizon XV6700.

The Information about the device you are using now:

Manufacturer/Brand?  Verizon/HTC

Model?  XV6700

Carrier?  Verizon

Desktop Operating System?  Windows/Outlook

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 3 

Features? 5

Usability? 4

Compatibility with your desktop? 1

Technical support?  1

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Only if phone reliability requirement is not high.

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?   

n/a

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

The set of features is just amazing!  EVDO, WiFi, Bluetooth, IRDA, IMAP/SSL support, MS Exchange support, nice keyboard.  I got 851kb/s download speed.

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

The reliability of the phone part is TERRIBLE.  About once a day I have to soft-reset the phone in order to make a call or to access the Internet, or to connect to my PC using Active Sync.

Verizon replaced the phone but that didn't help.  I'm looking for an alternative phone.

Which devices have you used in the past?

LG 4600 (a simple phone).

Case Study: BlackBerry Pearl

In this case study, Oliver from the U.K. shares his experience with the BlackBerry Pearl. (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Oliver has to say about the BlackBerry Pearl.

The Information about the device you are using now:

Manufacturer/Brand?  BlackBerry

Model?  Pearl (8100)

Carrier?  T-Mobile

Desktop Operating System?  Mac OS X

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 4 

Features? 3

Usability? 4

Compatibility with your desktop? 3

Technical support?  not needed so far

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Yes, definitely!

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?   

n/a

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

The pearl is a dream phone for me. I previously had an 02 xda 11s and this is a big step up worth every penny. I personnally like the push email feature. This saves me from carrying my laptop. I just use my mobile.

Other features i like are the voice-activated dialing with voice recognition (ie it doesn't need "tags" or need to be "trained" which is a huge plus). No feature is more useful than this, when you need to make an emergency call on the road, want to use a bluetooth headset, or just don't want to bother with searching your address book.

The media player and being able to play videos has been surprisingly fun!

Also the pricing has been suprisingly good.

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

n/a

Which devices have you used in the past? Please list them starting with the most recent device and then going backward and answer the following questions about each of these devices:

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? 02 xda 11s

How long did you use the device?  6 months

Why did you switch?  because I wanted to take advantage of the famous push email on the blackberry.

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? 02 xda mini s

How long did you use the device? 3 months

Why did you switch? my network at the time offered me an update at the same price I was paying before the switch so I took advantage of the offer.

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? samsung e720

how long did you use the device? 18 months

Why did you switch? wanted a smartphone/pda instead of just the standard mobile

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? sony erikkson k700i

How long did you use the device? 1 year

Why did you switch? I lost the phone and my insurance had just run out

In this case study, Oliver from the U.K. shares his experience with the BlackBerry Pearl. (If you would like to contribute your case study, please e-mail it in the same format as shown below to [email protected] with Case Study in the subject line). Here is what Oliver has to say about the BlackBerry Pearl.

The Information about the device you are using now:

Manufacturer/Brand?  BlackBerry

Model?  Pearl (8100)

Carrier?  T-Mobile

Desktop Operating System?  Mac OS X

How do you rank the device and the related services in the following areas (rankings are 1 to 5, where 5 is the best)

Overall satisfaction? 4 

Features? 3

Usability? 4

Compatibility with your desktop? 3

Technical support?  not needed so far

Would you recommend this device to others who have similar needs to yours?

Yes, definitely!

Your industry, size of your company, and role within your company?   

n/a

What specific things do you like about the device and related services?

The pearl is a dream phone for me. I previously had an 02 xda 11s and this is a big step up worth every penny. I personnally like the push email feature. This saves me from carrying my laptop. I just use my mobile.

Other features i like are the voice-activated dialing with voice recognition (ie it doesn't need "tags" or need to be "trained" which is a huge plus). No feature is more useful than this, when you need to make an emergency call on the road, want to use a bluetooth headset, or just don't want to bother with searching your address book.

The media player and being able to play videos has been surprisingly fun!

Also the pricing has been suprisingly good.

What things don't you like or that can be improved and related services?

n/a

Which devices have you used in the past? Please list them starting with the most recent device and then going backward and answer the following questions about each of these devices:

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? 02 xda 11s

How long did you use the device?  6 months

Why did you switch?  because I wanted to take advantage of the famous push email on the blackberry.

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? 02 xda mini s

How long did you use the device? 3 months

Why did you switch? my network at the time offered me an update at the same price I was paying before the switch so I took advantage of the offer.

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? samsung e720

how long did you use the device? 18 months

Why did you switch? wanted a smartphone/pda instead of just the standard mobile

Device Manufacturer/Model/Carrier? sony erikkson k700i

How long did you use the device? 1 year

Why did you switch? I lost the phone and my insurance had just run out