TamsPPC - the PocketPC Blog » Hardware Reviews

HTC Touch 3G review – size

Tam Hanna — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:30:08 +0000

A big thank-you goes to Hutchison Austria for doing what HTC could not: they provided us with a loaner of their version HTC Touch 3G at their own expense!
HTC’s Touch 3G is considered the spiritual successor to the original Touch – which is an iconic Windows Mobile product which has imho shaped the mobile market in a fashion similar to Compaq’s first iPaq. But how big is the 3G?

Our first size comparison candidate is the Palm Treo 680:

The device can in fact be considered similar to the extremely small hp ipaq rx4240:

Nokia’s N96 is a bit smaller, but a lot thicker:

The E75 is larger, but thinner:

Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 is a bit bigger:

Apple’s first-generation iPod touch is a completely different cattle of fish:

RIM’s BlackBerries tend to have similar sizes:

Finally, a comparison shot against another classic handset:

In the end, I have to openly admit that I am in love with the form factor of the Touch 3G. It fits snugly into the user’s hands and is a total pleasure to use; and furthermore appears much smaller than it is.

Can build quality stack up? Tune in soon for further info…

HP ipaq 910 business manager review – size After havi
Samsung i780 review – size Experience
HP iPaq Data Messenger review – size HP’s iPaq

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HTC Touch 3G review – unboxing

Tam Hanna — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:25:58 +0000

A big thank-you goes to Hutchison Austria for providing us with a loaner of their version HTC Touch 3G!

HTC’s Touch 3G can be considered the successor to the original (and insanely successful) HTC Touch: while devices like the Touch Diamond used the Touch brand, they had very little in common with the original model. But can the 3G stack up?

Hutchison has traditionally been very discreet when it came to branding their high-end smartphones. This rule has also been observed with the very small box of the Touch 3G – it is free of any visible branding:

Opening the box unveils a single crate containing all the stuff:

The device itself comes packed up in a small plastic bag, and can not be accessed from the top:

Charging is accomplished via a wallwart, which has a standard USB port. The data cable then is plugged into the wallwart:

Some versions seem to ship with a headset:

Finally, a few shots of the accompanying paperwork:

In the end, there is nothing to dislike about the Touch 3G’s packaging (except maybe for the lack of wallwarts – but what do you expect for this amount of $$$).

Stay tuned for further info – this review continues soon!

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Proporta Advanced Screen Protector for XPERIA X1

Tam Hanna — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:18:09 +0000

Proporta’s screen protectors have become a staple food of the mobile industry over the last years, protecting thousands of screens (including the one of my trusty Treo 680). The recent rebranding also hit the screen protectors…are they still cool?

Large white envelopes have signaled the arrival of Proporta-branded goods in the past (shipping via UK)…these can be delivered to letter boxes and generally work well.

The blister saw a minor redesign, putting the installation instructions on the flip side instead of onto an extra piece of paper:

Its contents are the same as always – but they were completely rebadged with sentences stating their purpose in a tongue-in-cheek fashion:

Applying the screen protector is as easy or difficult as ever. Fortunately, the foils can be removed a few times…which makes putting them in place easier.

Writing on the screen has a paper-like touch…

In the end, the Advanced Screen Protector remain at their high level they had over the last 5 years – they are sturdy and minimize reflections. Unfortunately for them, screen technology and screen protectors have evolved in this time. The X1’s pixel pitch is so small that the display is very close to your eyes…and this is where the slight grain gets annoying (especially with small fonts).

Most PocketPC’s will work perfectly well with Proporta’s current screen protectors. People who want to get the absolute most of their XPERIAs screen must make a judgment call between protection and low reflectivity(which can be had here) and low grain(which must be sought elsewhere)….

Proporta Aluminum-Leather case for XPERIA X1 – the review Proporta’s
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HTC Touch Pro 2 could get EVDO and GSM

Tam Hanna — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:45:48 +0000

HTC’s CEO was extremely untalkative when it came to carrier partners and network configurations for the upcoming Touch Pro 2 – which is understandable, as the Touch Pro still has a few US markets to satisfy.

Nevertheless, the folks at the Boy Genius Report have uncovered very interesting screenshots from the inventory system of a Canadian carrier – the most interesting quote is below:

…
While nothing is confirmed, we have to think we’re looking at EV-DO Rev. A for both handsets along with dual-band GSM as the World Edition moniker implies
…

As of now, no further information is available – stay tuned!

HTC Touch Pro 2 – simultaneous release all over the world I honestly
Touch Pro and Touch Pro 2 get US carrier partners HTC’
HTC Touch Dual gets Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade Jason Lang

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HP iPaq Data Messenger review – screen

Tam Hanna — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:45:45 +0000

Compaq led the screen technology front: its color devices always had very good screens, the 3600 saw the debut of so-called reflective displays which worked well indoors and outdoors. Unfortunately, the company stopped innovating after the hx4700 flopped…which is why the Data Messenger is one of the very few PocketPC devices which still have a QVGA screen. But can it stack up?

Our first competitor is Palm’s Treo 680. The iPaq manages to take the lead with a comfortable margin:

HP’s baby iPaq was one of the very few recent devices from HP which had an excellent screen – it ties with the Data Messenger:

Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 has a screen with an insane resolution…and manages to get out in front of the Data Messenger when it comes to color saturation:

Nokia’s N96 is next. As Nokia seems to use a different color temperature, comparing its screen against non-Nokia devices is somewhat difficult:

Finally, a little shootout against the Voice Messenger. The data messenger comes out in front:

Cutting a long story short: I feel that TFT development has now reached a point where large screen quality differences like the one seen in the Treo 680 review are history. All devices in this test have an excellent screen; the minimal differences seen in screen chromatographies are irrelevant for everyday users…

HP iPaq Data Messenger review – size HP’s iPaq
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HP iPaq Data Messenger review – physical

Tam Hanna — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:26:49 +0000

HP can be credited with bringing keyboards to the PocketPC: many (if not most) of their smartphone devices either had integrated keyboards or could be expanded with clip-on ones. The Data Messenger marks HP’s entry into slide-out keyboard devices…but can it stack up?

The device’s front is dominated by the large touchscreen and a variety of buttons: while the calling buttons are physical, all others are “capacitive” and don’t handle particularly well. The five-way is optical except for the center button…and isn’t too responsive either:

Sliding the device open reveals the keyboard, which is decently lit. Unfortunately, the layout is horrible – no Start button, keys in weird places, etc:

The speaker is at the back of the box:

SIM card, MicroSD slot and battery (1140mAH) can be accessed by removing the back cover:

Typing on the Data Messenger is extremely uncomfortable. Keys can not be distinguished haptically, have poor pressure points, are flat and way to close to one another. I found myself frequently hitting wrong buttons even after a nice bit of practice…even though the XPERIA X1’s keyboard is far from perfect, it is significantly better:

The top of the box contains a Treoesque silencer switch:

The stylus silo is at the bottom of the device:

I haven’t seen a good stylus for quite some time – the Data Messenger’s double-telescopic one is not too good either (next to the toothpick found on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1):

Camera button, MicroUSB port and 2.5” headphone jack are on the right side of the device. Don’t ask me what HP’s designers were drinking when thez decided to put the headphone jack under a flap lid though:

HP has shown an annoying tendency to play around with the keyboards of their handsets – while many of their concepts turn out to be revolutionary, HP’s incarnation usually suffers from usability problems. This time, however, HPs decision is nothing short of bone-headed…the Data Messenger’s keyboard is among the worst on the market. As such a box gets bought for data input, the horrible keyboard eliminates the device’s reason-d-etre…

Tune in soon for a look at the device’s display, camera and software package!

HP iPaq Data Messenger review – size HP’s iPaq
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HP iPaq Data Messenger review – size

Tam Hanna — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:41:48 +0000

HP’s iPaq Data Messenger is a device with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard…this traditionally leads to largish devices. Is the Data Messenger fat? Read on to find out!

Our first contender is Palm’s rather fat Treo 680. The iPaq is about as large:

Nokia’s N96 is a slider device too, but is smaller:

Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 can be considered a marvel of technology due to its slimness – it beats the Data Messenger by a margin:

The XPressMusic 5800 is very long, but also very slim:

Compared to Compaqs famous ipaq 37xx-series, the Data Messenger looks small:

HP’s baby iPaq is smaller though:

..as is Apple’s 1G iPod touch:

Finally, a few shots next to its closest sibling (the HP Voice Messenger):

Cutting a long story short: the Data Messenger is definitely not a small device. However, it also isn’t excessively large…people currently using a device like HTCs classic slide-out devices should have no issues with its size…

HP iPaq Data Messenger review – screen Compaq led
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HP iPaq Data Messenger review – unboxing

Tam Hanna — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:45:40 +0000

Landscape-QWERTY devices were initially one of HPs biggest sellers: the Jornada 720 still sees quite some use today. Unfortunately, Microsoft abandoned the handheld PC platform…which led to HP giving up on the form factor. Fortunately, HTC released a few very successful PocketPCs with slide-out keyboard…which has motivated HP to release the Data Messenger.

Long-term HP customers will note that the boxen have been redesigned yet again – they now come in a blue, more “peaceful” color scheme:

Opening the box unveils a paper stating “Welcome”:

Unfortunately, removing this paper and the flip lid below still doesn’t allow you to grab your device: it is covered in a PVC bag:

The rest of the box consists of a MicroUSB cable, wall-wart (now with separate cable) and headset:

HP furthermore stuffed loads of printed paper into the box:

In the end, HP’s latest-generation box definitely isn’t state of the art anymore when it comes to unboxing. But: all necessary things are on board (except for a memory card) – if this is the device’s only problem, it could become a top seller.

But can it? Tune in soon to figure out more…

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Samsung i780 review – final verdict

Tam Hanna — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:56:05 +0000

Samsung’s i780 has been in our labs for some time, and was tortured in every possible fashion – in case you missed one of the parts, feel free to catch up via the links below:
Samsung i780 review – unboxing
Samsung i780 review – size
Samsung i780 review – physical
Samsung i780 review – screen
Samsung i780 review – software

But: can the device make a person used to a Treo or similar QWERTY device happy? In short, the answer is no. The keys are too small, the screen is too small, the stylus is too weird and the OS is too sluggish and badly configured. Even though Samsung has implemented many sweet gimmicks and furthermore has accelerated the device quite a bit with recent firmware updates, the glaring hardware issues and the 312MhZ processor remain.

I have talked with a few i780 users who have had the device since day 1, and are dissatisfied – slowness, short battery life and tiny keys are complains I have heard over and over again.

In a market where QWERTY devices are available in droves, the i780 unfortunately can not stack up any more. Samsung’s list price of 400 Euros is laughable at best, the device woulg IMHO be fairly priced around 250 Euros at the most.

Nevertheless: these boys have potential. If Samsung takes the feedback provided by analysts and keeps it in mind when designing the i780’s successor, a true Treo killer could be born. But as it stands now, the device has no chance and can not be recommended under any circumstances…

Samsung i780 review – size Experience
Samsung i780 review – physical Samsung’s
Samsung i780 review – screen Samsung

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Samsung i780 review – software

Tam Hanna — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:14:21 +0000

The Samsung i780 contains quite a few interesting programs which are custom to it and other Samsung Mobile devices. The video below gives you the full scoop (7 minutes, work safe):

Note: it was made with a Samsung i780 running the stock ROM. Recent ROM updates have made the device a bit faster – the box I handled at the ITnT was a good 50% faster…

Samsung i780 review – final verdict Samsung
Samsung i780 review – unboxing Palm
Samsung i780 review – screen Samsung

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