I bought my first Windows Mobile Smartphone back in 2002. It was a quite big and heavy Orange SPV. Over the past years I had more than six different Smartphones, but I still wish for features like push e-mail or the ability to edit Word documents. These days everybody is talking about Windows Mobile 5.0 and the new phones coming with this operating system. With Windows Mobile 5.0 the third generation of Microsoft Smartphones is coming, featuring great new devices—a few are listed in this article. Together with the Messaging and Security Feature Pack coming from Microsoft in the next months these phones will have all the functionality of a Blackberry and an iPod together. You can stay in touch with your office and check your mail on the go. But you also can listen to your favorite music or play a game while waiting at the airport for a flight.
The rest of this article focuses on the features that help differentiate one device from another and lists the pros and cons of each. Here are some pros and cons common to all Windows Mobile Smartphones:
Pros (common to all Smartphones)
- Combines PDA and mobile phone functionality in a mobile phone form factor.
- Most of them have Tri- or Quadband GSM Modules for worldwide use.
- Plays videos and music files with Media Player Mobile, making it a very portable multimedia-device.
- Strong support from third-party software developers, especially game/entertainment developers.
- Variety of accessories, including GPS navigation software and Bluetooth headsets.
Cons (common to all Smartphones)
- Limited text-entry capability.
- Smaller, harder to read screen than Pocket PC.
- "Nationwide" coverage, especially for high-speed data, is really limited to areas with larger population densities. Check coverage of wireless plan before committing to it.
- Does not have the same set of built-in applications found on the Pocket PC—most notably, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Mobile are missing.
The Smartphone user…
- Wants the look and feel of a mobile phone but with some Pocket PC capabilities.
- Wants to have a mobile game and entertainment machine.
- Wants to have his or her "normal" Microsoft Outlook database of contacts, appointments, tasks, etc., in his or her phone.
- Wants to be able to access e-mail anywhere, anytime.
- Wants a small, lightweight device that's easy to carry around.
Orange SPV c500
(also available as the Qtek 8010, the I-mate SP3; and the Audiovox SMT 5600)
This device was announced in early August 2004. Like previous Orange devices, it supports GSM/GPRS networks. The c500 is available in the black color shown here. The c500 (and most of the Smartphones listed here) are designed and manufactured by HTC of Taiwan. HTC does not market its devices to the consumer. Instead, wireless carriers and other vendors brand and sell the devices. Qtek and I-mate offer devices nearly identical to the c500, but in silver. The c500 screen looks bigger and brighter than the earlier SPV versions. The Mini-SD memory card is stored under the battery; if you want to change cards you have to remove the battery. This device is available in the U.K and Europe through Orange. For more information, visit the Orange Web site (http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop).
The Audiovox SMT 5600 is available in the U.S. through Cingular (http://www.cingular.com).
Orange SPV c500
Pros
- Small form factor.
- The menus are super fast.
- Faster processor and more memory than earlier HTC models.
Cons
- No built-in camera.
- New "joystick" is not so good for gaming.
- Memory card is stored under the battery—awkward to reach
- Based on Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone Second Edition. Upgrade to Windows Mobile 5.0 unlikely.
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