Cellphone Reviews Blog

Sony Ericsson Z750a Phone Gray ATandT

The Sony Ericsson Z750a clamshell phone is ready to access your favorite streaming music and video thanks to its tri-band 3G connectivity, which makes it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music, stream tunes from Napster and eMusic, and watch video streamed from CNN and Comedy Central via AT&T’s Cellular Video. This phone also offers quad-band GSM connectivity for easy globetrotting. Stylishly accented with curved corners and a mirror-finish, the Z750a also has a hidden external display that only lights up when your phone is in use (such as when a call comes in). Other features include an internal 320 x 240-pixel screen, Memory Stick Micro expansion, full HTML browsing with RSS feeds, and Exchange ActiveSync for push email, calendar and contact synchronization.

The Z750a has an external display, but you only see it when your phone is in use.

AT&T Service
Compatible with AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas, this phone offers tri-band HSDPA/UMTS connectivity (850/1900/2100 MHz). You’ll get average download speeds of around 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) and speed bursts up to 3.6 Mbps, as well as simultaneous voice and data services. Multi-task while you are on a call–search for movies times, look up directions, or send messages. You’ll also get more done with faster access to email, and enjoy speedy Internet connectivity with richer graphics and easy-to-use personalization options.

In areas where 3G network access is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it’s fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including high-speed color Internet access and email on the go. You’ll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.

With 3G connectivity, you’ll be able to access AT&T’s Cellular Video (CV) service and the Internet while on the go. Cellular Video features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. It also features AT&T Mobile Music, which provides access to Napster and eMusic subscription services as well as Music ID song-recognition software, music videos and The Buzz music news portal. The handset is XM Radio Mobile-capable, so you can enjoy streaming live digital radio as well. (An AT&T MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T’s Internet, video, and music services.)

The Z750a 3G phone is compatible with AT&T Music, Cellular Video, and XM Radio services.

Phone Features
The Z750a has an internal 2.2-inch LCD that provides 262K colors for excellent depth and a 240 x 320-pixel resolution. The external monochrome OLED display has a resolution of 36 x 128 pixels, and it displays current time as well as battery level. It also offers four-way toggle navigation surrounded by a backlit ring, a backlit numeric keypad with tactile feedback, two soft keys, and a Web browser shortcut key. The phone has a slot on the left spine for using Memory Stick Micro (M2) media and a dedicated music player button on the right side. This phone can store up to 1000 contact entries, each with fields for five phone numbers as well as the ability to save callers to groups and pair contacts with a ringtone.

While this isn’t one of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman digital audio player-equipped phones, the Z750a does offer multiformat music playback that includes MP3, WMA (unprotected), and AAC, as well as such features as shuffle and loop modes, stereo widening, and an equalizer. Additionally, you’ll be able to purchase and download real-music ringtones (72-chord polyphonic) in a variety of formats (MP3, MP4, AAC, AAC+, eAAc+, WMA, WAV). You also get a built-in FM radio with RDS, which displays the name of the currently playing song (when tuned to compatible radio stations). With the TrackID service, you can identify any song that you can hear by just recording a snippet of sound using the microphone. It also includes a flight mode that lets you keep listening to tunes with the phone’s network connectivity turned off.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity with EDR (enhanced data rate), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

The built-in 2.0-megapixel camera captures stills in three resolution modes (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480 pixels), and it includes a number of options to help you create great shots, including a 2.5x digital zoom, two quality settings, three color effects, night mode, and white balance and brightness adjustments. You can also shoot video to your heart’s delight (as long as you have space on your memory card), or limit it to 25 seconds for sending to friends and family via MMS. It provides support for PictBridge technology so you can print your photos without the need of a PC (either using USB or Bluetooth), and this phone makes it easy to send snapped photos directly to a blog or an online photo, complete with text.

The phone also ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3 and IMAP4 protocols (with easy setup for receiving AOL, MSN and Yahoo! mobile mail), while the included Access NetFront Web Browser allows you to surf full HTML web sites. It also supports RSS feeds, allowing you to use your phone to view up-to-the-minute news and other content from selected Web sites and blogs. Just subscribe to the feed and let it come to you. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, video, graphics and sound via messaging, and you can also chat via instant messaging with built-in support for AIM, Yahoo! and MSN chat services.

The Z750a is one of Sony Ericsson’s first mobile phones based on Java Platform 8 (JP-8), which supports a range of new Java programming features including instant messaging/chat and presence based functionality, banking and payment transactions, user identification and authentication through secure encryption technology, mapping, and other location-aware applications.

Other features include:

• USB 2.0 wired connectivity with mass storage capability
• PIM functions including calendar, tasks, notes, alarm, calculator, stopwatch, and timer
• T9 text entry technology
• Vibrating alert
• Speakerphone
• Voice recorder
• SMS (text) and MMS (multimedia) messaging
• Hearing aid compatibility: M3, T3
• Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards or calendar items), PAN (personal area networking), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics
The Z750a weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.83 x 1.93 x 0.79 inches. Its 950 mAh lithium-polymer battery is rated at up to 9 hours of talk time, and up to 400 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the HSDPA/UMTS 850/1900/2100 network.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star We thought AT&T has raised the bars on the quality & service not just on the fees…..
We purchased from Amazon.com one Motorola RAZR2 V9 Phone and two Sony Ericsson Z750 Phones along with a mandatory 2-year contract AT&T FamilyTalk Nation 550 Rollover Minutes.

Pros: $0.03 for all three phones, Rollover minutes.

Cons: just to mention few…

- The worst talk and standby time on all three phones particularly the Sony Ericsson, despite the fact all three of us use our cell phones only for very necessary or in emergency situations.

- More dropped calls than the competition.

- The quality of voice (connection) is a lot to be desired.

- You cannot program the phone on speaker ahead of time. You can activate it only after dialing or receiving a call – A SAFETY ISSUE while driving.

- The buttons on all three phones are arranged in such a way so that one can easily get connected to internet inadvertently. Despite disconnecting it immediately, you get charged by AT&T. The AT&T advice was to either purchase a new plan (for additional high monthly fee) or have the option of internet connection totally disconnected (without reduction in monthly charge despite reduced service). We end up to having to choose the latter.

- The ring tone of RAZR2 V9 when on speaker phone is laryngitic.

- The choices for the ring tones are severely anemic, unless you purchase more tones from AT&T.

- The voice command, as I understand it, can be activated only with additional monthly fee. The competition gave that for free on the less equipped phones.

WHY DID WE NOT CANCEL THE AT&T PLAN during the first ONE month of grace period?

This one goes to Amazon.com and its new stifling way of business: If you cancel or reduce the plan within the first SIX months, you have to pay $250 for each phone!!!

Perhaps I was too generous to include “$0.03 for all three phones” as a Pro for this, seemingly, deal; or more seemingly, ordeal.

4 Stars Ericson z750a Phone battery life fix!
I had the same problem until I turned off the G network on the phone itself. I called ATT and they told me: “There’s no way to disable the G network” then I called Sony and they told me that the phone was built like that per ATT’s request. Since it was using ATT software on the phone’s operating system it was not able to disable the G network.

In summary this is the fix and i have tested on several phones and it worked:

Step 1: Replace your ATT Sim card with a different provider’s SIM card. This SIM card doesn’t even need to be activated. I used T-Mobile’s SIM.

Step 2: Once you use a differen SIM card your phone’s programming options will change. You will have a new option that will let you disable your G network as default. You can even turn it off. That’s what I have. Your phone will last at least 4 days or more.

Step 3: Reinsert your ATT SIM card and enjoy life. You won’t see the “G” on your screen anymore. You don’t need it.

4 Stars Great when de-branded takes 8G cards
This is my review which was on a different color version of this phone. Update: I picked up a 8G card for this, works fine in both branded and de-branded versions of the phone. Also, there are 900mAmp and 950mAmp versions of the battery, I have the 950.

I picked up this phone (2 actually) for $50 each after rebates. Call quality if excellent. Has Walkman-like media player for music and video and podcasts, audio books. Megabass for headsets, but no stereo speakers on unit (there are lots of external speakers available though). When on 3G you can surf and talk at the same time.

First, make sure you get a unlimited data plan. There is one for $15/mo. (at this time) since ATT doesn’t consider this a smart phone. You can tether with this phone on that plan. Download the PC software from SE’s website to sync the phone to your Outlook or other contact list. Can sync with bluetooth or data usb cable (proprietary but only about $5 at many websites).

Then decide if you really want TV or XM radio on the phone. The TV is clips few of which are updated daily unless you subscribe, a few music videos etc. XM is a $9.95 subscription. MLB Game Day is also an subscription. If you don’t want these things (and will never buy anything from the ATT Media Mall), then spend $16 or so, and debrand the phone and uncover a gem.

Here’s a partial list of what you can gain:

1. GPS – I get accuracy to 10 meters, works best in car with charger attached, can drain battery in 2 hours or less. Must use 2007 NavTec Google Map app in firmware, newer Google won’t work as well. Locator Services can be left active and minimized so that Google will immediately know where you are. But do it connected to a charger! Also AmAze navigator (the version for the C702, I think) will work on the phone giving you turn by turn navigation for free. (don’t look at the phone while driving it’s too small)

2. TrackId is now free rather than a subscription. I don’t know why anyone would actually pay for this monthly. While I am sometimes curious as to what I’m hearing, I’m not paying $5/mo to find out one or two songs. TrackId works fine on music from classical to country to rap/hiphop, the most abstract techno/disco strangeness you can come up with, and on generic firmware it’s free.

3. Blogging from camera as a ’send to blog’ (Blogspot.com) uses email account and data plan.

4. RSS Desktop – has as many features as an iPhone’s. Auto scroll, configurable updates. easy to add RSS, when browsing the RSS symbol will pop up and using the left soft key, you can add it to the listing. Updates anywhere from every hour to once a week.

5. Podcasts (video and audio) I believe that it may be configurable by the rss feeds rather than the PC Suite sync method, at least my phone seems to update them. PC Suite method will load podcasts daily, and sync with your phone. Media Suite needs data cable (about $6 from other Amazon sellers).

6. Exchange ActiveSync without any shortcomings (as have been reported elsewhere), specific Exchange sync.

7. SyncML for everything else. There are reports of it working with MyLife/iLife.

8. Email push client – works with ANY pop or imap server, and can filter out unwanted domains, etc from the ‘push’– you can select domains to accept from. No applications to view attachments, but you could bluetooth or use cable to transfer to a PC/laptop.

9. Network Sharing function, phone can be part of office network via USB or Bluetooth

10. Choice between ‘GSM & 3G’ vs ‘GSM’ only is now unblocked, fixing the battery life issues. Even in combined mode, if the phone isn’t updating it will drop down to GSM/Edge when not actually using the web. You can also search networks and simply not chose the 3G ATT network too. You’ll need SE’s webite and tools to reconfigure internet, picture and SMS services if you debrand. Recent updates may not show the z750a, use the z750i. You can also configure ANY ISP’s email from their site (including Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, any so called ‘residential’ carrier like Comcast or Cablevision, etc (but not MSN/Hotmail), and multiple ones on the phone.

11. You won’t accidentally open a Internet browser when pressing the central button, it’s a Message Center button now. Other buttons and shortcuts are also rearranged in a more logical fashion, camera button changes to MediaNet browser and all the softkeys are configurable including the ring around the central button.

There’s OperaMini for this phone, Yahoo Go!, AmAze, etc.

FM radio needs antennae phone jack to work, but if you want to use your standard stereo headsets you’ll need it too, to connect with since ATT didn’t include the part. FWIW, ALL SE phones use the came cables and chargers, so if you have a prior SE phone that came with cables use those. The are a ton of profiles built into the phone including the latest Stereo Bluetooth profiles, Bluetooth remote controls, etc. I bought a HBH-DS980 the Bluetooth Stereo wireless to use with this phone. You can’t use it with FM radio, however.

Voice command controls only for/with handsfree units, allows multiple commands per contact, multiple phone numbers per contacts, multiple addresses per contact. Just like Outlook or any other full blown contact manager. Contacts can have own ringtone and photo. Naturally if you are using your SIM card to store you can only have ONE phone number per contact. Download SE’s software to get the sync software to put all your Outlook contacts into the phone.

I don’t like that it’s hard to find appointments and you have to view each day to see a list, rather than a consolidated list of the appointments in order. Tasks as nice, multiple alarm timers.

Generally its a very nice phone, battery issues aside. Better, IMHO, unbranded. (Oh, and it’s SE Java8 platform, so no MS Mobile here.)

3 Stars Not a great phone
Overall, I really don’t like this phone much. Besides the short battery life mentioned in the other reviews, I have other problems with the phone. Flipping the phone is very stiff and I find myself sometimes sending calls to voice mail because I pushed one of the buttons on the side of the phone trying to get it open. The cursor control in the center of the phone is very inaccurate. I find myself constantly pushing the wrong part of the cursor control and misfiring, for example creating voice messages when I’m trying to create text messages. Also, the text messaging is not easy. There’s no easy way to type the same letter twice without waiting the second or two until the key resets. Other phones use the single space to trigger the end of the wait without a space but this phone doesn’t. The display on the outside of the phone is cute but mostly it’s a gimmick to make the advertising pictures look nicer. When the phone is sitting on my desk, nothing is displayed and it’s easier to look at my watch then it is to find the tiny button on the side of the phone to make the time display. (Yes, the tiny button that I seem to always press when I’m trying to open the phone to answer a call.) It’s true that the display shows the incoming call but usually by the time I look at it, the scrolling is only showing the end of the number so I miss who is calling anyway. It would be better if the phone let you put in a short version for your contacts (like “Jack” or “Mom”) and only displayed that.

The camera does take decent pictures and the voice quality is good but if I could get a new phone it wouldn’t be this one.

4 Stars Mid level phone user’s phone
The Sony Ericsson has all the bells and whistles that a super cell phone user may have but it may not be the most convenient for them. I for one don’t use internet hardly ever. I know it has it but too be honest I would just get frustrated being on it. It’s the normal flip phone and if you basically just text and use it as a phone then it’s probably the perfect one for you. I do like the fm radio feature but its required you get their earphones (sold separately) to use it and its not so convenient to carry them around also.

The one complaint everyone has is the battery life. Don’t believe the description it gives. The main thing about battery life is the capacity measured in mAh. The more of those = the more battery life. I think it has 950 mAh so it’s basically the same as any other phone. I usually charge it every night. I usually can go 2 nights without a charge but if you use the phone a lot you’d probably only get 1.5 days of life. Other than that its a decent mid-range phone. No problems and no big complaints.

Buy/More Info

Motorola w755 Phone Purple Verizon Wireless

Svelte and stylish, the Motorola W755 clamshell phone for Verizon is compatible with the V Cast Music Service, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon’s fast EV-DO data network. Other Verizon service options include V Cast Video with clips from major networks and GPS turn-by-turn directions via VZ Navigator. The W755 is loaded with features, including Bluetooth stereo music streaming, a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture, MicroSD memory expansion up to 4 GB, and up to 3.7 hours of talk time.

The stylish W755 has touch-sensitive controls for Bluetooth, vibrate/mute, and music playback on the front.

Verizon Service Options
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you’ll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon’s multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you’ll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.

The V Cast Video service enables you to stream or download video clips to your phone from a variety of news, entertainment, sports, and weather channels, including CNN, ABC News, E!, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, and VH1.

Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon’s Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon’s Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.

With this GPS-enabled phone, you’ll be able to access Verizon’s VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps.

Perfectly pocketable, it weighs just 3.6 ounces.

Phone Features
The Moto W755 clamshell phone offers dual displays as well as dedicated music controls surrounding the external screen. It has a standard numeric keypad with send/end keys, 4-way navigation toggle, and soft keys. The internal LCD has a 176 x 220-pixel resolution, while the external display measures 96 x 80 pixels; both screens support up to 65K colors. The internal 21 MB memory can store up to 1000 contacts, with each entry able to store up to 5 numbers and a picture ID. You can expand the phone’s memory using optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB in size).

It’s embedded with Bluetooth version 1.2 technology and it has a unique external touch sensitive control for pairing the phone with devices. It includes profiles for communication handsets, dial-up networking, and sending contacts and calendar entries to other devices. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones.

The 1.3-megapixel camera can capture still images up to 1280 x 1040 pixels, perfect for printing snapshots. It also includes a 4x digital zoom and video capture/playback capabilities. The digital audio player is compatible with MP3, WMA, and unprotected AAC/AAC+ formats, and you can create and manage playlists right inside the phone.

Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. And to make messaging even easier on the E590, the phone comes stock with built-in iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets.

Other features include:

• Bluetooth version 1.2 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)
• Voice activated dialing
• Bilingual interface: English and Spanish
• Speakerphone
• Mobile IM and chat
• Embedded ringtones (72-chord polyphonic), vibrating alerts, and silent mode
• Organizer tools: Calendar, alarm, calculator, to-do list
• 2.5mm headset adapter
• Mini-USB port
• Hearing aid compatibility: M4/T4

Vital Statistics
The Motorola W755 weighs 3.6 ounces and measures 4 x 1.7 x 0.7 inches. Its ___ mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.7 hours (220 minutes) of talk time, and up to 390 hours (16+ days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 CDMA/EV-DO frequencies.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Sharp looking expandable options phone – works in dead zones!
I live in what Verizon calls a dead zone. If you do too, you need to be sure to get the phone with the best signal – a non-low-end Motorola or Nokia. This one works! It is sharp-looking in purple, but unlike the new “shine” phones, is not always covered in fingerprints. One tip – with this phone the speed dial numbers you just press and hold the number. Others I’ve had, you had to press the connect afterward, and it does not work that way on this phone.

Combined with Verizon plans, it can be as little or as much as you want. If you just want a basic phone it’s great, but if you need the extras like camera, Internet and text messaging you don’t have to get a plan including it. Instead it’s there already, and you can pay as you go only when you need text or Internet.

3 Stars Acceptable
I did a lot of research before I got this phone (directly from VWireless). I still don’t understand why the black W755 has much higher user ratings on Amazon, so I averaged them and decided it must be basically a 4-star phone. Wrong. I’ve had it for five months now and Verizon has replaced the battery once and the phone once and it still has terrible battery life.

I’m a light user and it’s almost all for regular phone use. I rarely text and never use the internet. I wanted good reception, good sound quality, reliability, Bluetooth, and buttons made for phone dialing — not texting. It’s hard to find phones that don’t have tiny little buttons these days. I basically got this one for free. I didn’t have much choice in my “price range” but you get what you pay for.

Pros:

- Good reception. I get a strong signal almost everywhere. Dead zones on my old phone are greatly reduced.

- Nice inside display for the price range but the outside one is pretty tiny. (Guess that’s a pro and a con.)

- It’s purple:)

Cons:

- Battery life is beyond terrible. Be prepared to purchase an extended-life battery. I have to charge it at least every 48 hours even if it doesn’t get used at all. I’ve had the battery go from just charged down to one bar with just a 45-minute voice, not speaker or Bluetooth, call. Forget about using the music player or you’ll drain it totally.

- Incoming voice quality is poor. So far nobody’s complained about how I sound but I’m not impressed with how calls sound on my end.

- Scratches easily.

- Even though the keys are big and well-lit, they’re flat and have no space in between keys which means you still have to look to dial.

The rest of the complaints I have are probably true of most phones in this price range (like the camera is pretty bad) or specific to Verizon’s intentionally messed-up software and sometimes abysmal customer service. The jury is still out on the phone reliability issue. It started garbling the sound on some calls and had to be replaced after four months. If it happens again I’ll demand a different model.

If Verizon didn’t have superior coverage I’d never stay with them. Next time I’ll pay more up front and go with a no-contract plan. Getting locked into this phone and an overpriced contract for two years was a disappointment.

3 Stars Why wouldn’t this thing have a flash for the camera?
I didn’t even think to look when comparing phones whether this one had a flash or not. I didn’t think in this day and age any camera phone would not have a flash. I made a stupid move when I re-upped my 2 year plan thinking I was getting a better phone than I already had. Otherwise the phone is just okay. Nothing special. I’m just stuck with it for another year and a half unless I fork out some real cash for a touch phone.

4 Stars Motorola Razr – The Next Generation
Though it’s called the W755, this phone could easily have been marketed as the next-gen Razr, for that’s basically what it is. This is a simple, cheap phone that gets the job done well, while looking pretty snazzy to boot.

Pros

- Cute aesthetics. With bright purple soft-paint and shiny silver accents, this phone is really quite pretty. It’s more substantial than the v3 line of Razrs, with a slightly heavier feel. The flip part of the clamshell phone is sturdier than the original Razrs and doesn’t feel as if it’ll snap apart on you.

– Call quality. Despite the negative reviews on this phone, I feel that the call quality is very good. There are some problems with the echo effect, but I find that happens when you speak louder than normal. The volume tends to be a little low on the scale, but I’m hard of hearing and so just turning the volume all the way up rectifies this problem for me. I have had no dropped calls so far, or trouble with calls going through.

– Interface/text messaging – Again, despite reviews saying there is a lag between pressing a menu button and having that item come up, I’ve not seen this problem with my phone. Text messaging goes smoothly and hasn’t frozen the phone once. The screen is large and clear, and there are a few display themes to choose from, which are nice.

– Music player. I don’t use the music player, but this is a nice addition. You have to get a smaller headset or headset adapter, as normal-sized headphones won’t work with this phone unless you have the adapter. Contrary to what people have said, you DO NOT have to buy songs from Verizon to use on this phone, or buy their high-priced music package. Buy a microSD card, and an SDcard reader (about 10 to 15 dollars), pop it into your Mac or PC, drag and drop your files, pop the card into your phone (inconveniently located behind the battery), and you’re good to go. There are also dedicated touch keys on the front of the phone for the music player; this gives it a nice “faux iPod” flair.

Cons

- Speakerphone. The speakerphone is not very good in this at all. The person to whom I was talking said there was quite a bit of echo and feedback on her end when she was talking to me. I don’t use speakerphone so this isn’t a problem, but it might for those who like to go handsfree in the car.

– Camera. The picture quality is horrible, but it can be made a little better by tweaking settings before you take a picture. Still, this is annoying for those of us who like to have our camera on hand for a quick snap here and there.

– Bluetooth. This is not the phone’s fault, this is Verizon’s. Verizon makes it so that you cannot share files via Bluetooth on your phone. So if you’re wanting a phone that lets you port pictures or sounds to your phone or from your phone… this one isn’t it.

All in all, this is a nice phone for folks who just want to talk and text, and who may like to listen to a little music every now and then without dragging out another mp3 player.

2 Stars It works.
OK, maybe I liked my Motorola KRZR a little too much. I really LOVED that phone. And then I lost it. Yep, could have killed myself. But, I had to get a new phone and I got this one.

The first thing it did was pinch me when I opened it. You have to be careful of that. The volume buttons on the side of the phone are in a bad place. I keep screwing up the volume when I talk. The same buttons adjust the ring volume, so I have set my phone to vibrate on more than one occasion, missing calls. The screen is also smaller, and I found the KRZR a little easier to navigate. I also liked the size of the KRZR. This phone seems clunky.

This phone does get the job done, but I expected more from it since it was made by Motorola. Somehow, it just feels cheap.

I am looking for another KRZR, but Verizon doesn’t seem to have those anymore.

Buy/More Info

Motorola RAZR V3xx Gray Phone ATandT

Featuring the perfect blend of broadband-like speed, dynamic multimedia capabilities, and cutting-edge design, the MOTO RAZR V3xx offers the same iconic all-metal construction. But the V3xx is boosted with enhanced media capabilities as well as access to AT&T’s dual-band HSDPA/UMTS high-speed 3G network, which makes it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music’s partners Napster and eMusic and watch video streamed from CNN and Comedy Central via AT&T’s Cellular Video. The phone also features a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity for both communication headsets and stereo headphones, a hot-swappable MicroSD memory card slot (up to 4 GB), and access to your favorite instant messaging networks.

Enjoy fast Internet browsing, AT&T Music downloads, and streaming Cellular Video thanks to AT&T’s 3G network.

AT&T Service
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the UMTS 850/1900 network (also known as UMTS/HSDPA), making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services with speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it’s fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

You get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the go, access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what’s playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what’s hot with The Buzz music news portal.

This phone is also enabled with mSpot’s Make-UR-Tones application (subscription required), which allows you to easily create a ringtone from your favorite part of a song directly on your phone. To use the application, use the application’s search engine to select a song and then cut the part of the song you want to customize as their ringtone–up to 30 seconds–by using the easy-to-use waveform editor. Make-UR-Tones subscribers can enjoy exclusive access to more than 250,000 titles from music labels EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, INgrooves and IRIS.

The phone is also packed with multimedia streaming and download capabilities. AT&T’s Cellular Video (CV) service features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And it has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T’s MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Note that if you want to enjoy the full audio and video capabilities of your UMTS phone, be sure to select a MEdia Max service plan option during checkout. If you do not sign up for a MEdia Max service plan option, you will be paying per KB when you use the over-the-air UMTS audio and video features on your phone (upwards of $10 per minute).

Ultra-compact at just 0.58 inches thin.

Phone Features
At 0.58 inches thick, the RAZR V3xx is virtually the same thickness as the original RAZR. And like the original RAZR, the phone’s design takes the standard clamshell form factor to the next level with an impressive, fully-anodized aluminum construction, and 60 MB of internal memory. A large 240 x 320 color display with over 262,000 colors dominates the inside of the top cover, while the outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary 96 x 80 full-color display that can display caller ID pictures, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The integrated VGA and 1.30-megapixel digital camera is housed above this display. Use the VGA camera for live two-way video calls at up to 15 frames per second. Up/down buttons are placed on the left side for volume control, as well as the camera button and mini-USB port.

Most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s backlit control pad, which is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. A mini-USB port is provided, which, while useful for fast data transfer, can also be used with compatible USB stereo headsets. Note that the phone does not have a standard 2.5mm headset jack. Lastly, a charging port is placed on the bottom of the phone, and an unobtrusive internal antenna is safely tucked away, keeping the phone’s design compact and portable.

The RAZR V3xx’s internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts while the phone’s picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. The phone also supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. For times when you want to be discreet, there’s a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear while voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names. Speaker-independent technology allows any speaker to dial numbers with the voice dialing system. And because the RAZR V3xx is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets for calling, and even wireless stereo headsets for music can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation.

The RAZR V3xx is a messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse. With the 3G HSDPA technology, the RAZR V3xx delivers broadband-like speeds for downloading, Web browsing, and data exchange. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit–a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

There’s also a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. Getting on the Internet is easy with the V3xx. When used with a AT&T data plan and the phone’s Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

The RAZR V3xx’s integrated 1.3-megapixel camera includes an 8x digital zoom and offers a choice of capturing digital stills in four resolution settings. Other features include settings for six lighting conditions, seven color effects, self timer, and multiple shutter sounds (including silent option). You can also record video up to VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels). Clips for sending via MMS are capped at 16 seconds, while you can let the video record as long as you have space available on your optional MicroSD memory card for saving to your PC.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the V3xx including a calculator with currency converter, a calendar and an alarm clock. The phone can also be used with Motorola’s Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC. The phone also sports an airplane mode feature, which allows the user to safely use the non-wireless functions of a phone (such as music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight.

Other features include:

• Memory expansion: MicroSD (up to 4 GB)
• Instant messaging via AIM, MSN Live Messenger, and Yahoo!
• Flight mode: allows you to safely use the non-wireless functions of a phone (such as music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight.
• Music formats: AAC, AAC+, AMR, MP3, WAV, WMA-DRM
• Ringtone formats: AAC, AAC+, AMR NB, WAV, MP3
• PIM tools: Calendar, calculator, currency converter, alarm clock
• Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Vital Statistics
The Motorola RAZR V3xx weighs 3.83 ounces and measures 4.05 x 2.08 x 0.58 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 330 hours of digital standby time. It features UMTS with HSDPA capability, and runs on the 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 850/1900 UMTS/HSDPA frequencies.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Better than what these others are saying!!
I’m only writing this to disagree with the other reviewers. I have had my V3xx for about 7 months and happen to like it very much. Hi res internal display. LOUD ring and earpiece volume. It is a 3G phone so calls are good and data speeds are very fast. The battery life is NOT as good as my other Nokias and Samsungs BUT it is MUCH better than previous versions of the Razr phones.

I rarely get dropped calls and no one has EVER complained about sound quality on the phone.

Quality is no problem. My 17 year old son has the same phone. He has dropped it a few times with no problems, and he text messages about 2000 times monthly. He has had no keyboard problems at all.

Don’t get me wrong, this phone is not the best out there, but it is a very good phone that I would get again.

5 Stars Good slim phone!
I must say, this phone has been pretty good to me. The phone is not as fragile as the supposedly breakable older versions of the razr. It does scratch up pretty bad, but for a slim phone, it does the job. I would not recommend surfing the internet or texting as this phone is NOT designed for it, but I don’t text and I don’t like to wait 30 seconds to load web pages. If you need a phone for talking and don’t plan on doing much else, this is the phone to get. It has bluetooth, so you can get a wireless headset to use with it. I like the phone, but now I am looking into an iphone.

Good starter phone at least! Battery life is fine as well, just charge twice per week if you have it on all the time and talk 30-60 minutes a day.

4 Stars Better than most are are saying!!
Unlike some reviewers, I feel the V3xx is a much improved phone from Motorola. Having owned several phones in the 20 years I’ve used cell phones. I’ve had most all the brands at some point including the original V3.I find vast improvements in all aspects of the V3xx, from enhanced intuitive & learning predictive text to better battery life to the bigger, clearer display to the improved more durable keypad to the micro SD slot[up to 2gb's for storage]. In my mind it’s a better phone than the V9 Razr2, being smaller but having the same size main display and feaures.[it would've been $100 more b/c I wasn't a new AT&T customer also]Even the streaming video is steady and clear like a BlackJackII or Blackberry, just a bit small for regular constant use.

Averaging over 2000 text msg’s, about 45 mins of web browsing, a few hundred phone minutes plus use the PDA like features regularly every month. But, seldom do I need to charge my battery more than once every other day. The big problem people have with shorter battery life is their failure to fully charge the batter before use, recharging it before it’s nearly discharged and using cheap chargers that overcharge and/or heat the battery causing poor performance and shorter life. Also, batteries will have gradually faster discharges over time and generally should be replaced after a year or so if used constantly. I’ve already bought a spare OEM battery through Amazon for under $6.00. As far as durability, I’m harder on stuff including phones than most folks, and have found that hard plastic or metal snap on covers work wonders at protecting a phone for less than $10.00 as well.

Don’t discount the V3xx when looking at phones. It may not be the best, but is at the top of the list of dependable full featured phones out there with easily obtained and reasonably priced accessories, regardless of the carrier you use.

4 Stars whos kiddin who?
I have had my V3xx for over a year and have had great service with it. I live in a rural area so occasionally the bars go down in my house so I just go somewhere else in the house. I have no problems talking on it for an hour at a time when it isn’t fully charged. No battery problems here, only charge it once or twice a week and it is always ON!! My only complaint is that the instruction manual doesn’t cover a lot of the features.

2 Stars Buyer beware…
Sadly, the phone does not live up to its expectations. Battery charge-life is VERY short, so be near a recharging source if you actually decide to talk to someone on this phone. However, you might find that talking on the phone is not all that great–the person you’re speaking to won’t hear you very well! I’ve had several people comment that I sound very far away when I talk to them. Half the time the phone doesn’t ring when someone is calling. I have had AT&T service for years (even for the period when they were Cingular) and did not have this problem with my other phone (Nokia). Pass this one up…

Buy/More Info

Samsung A737 Red Phone ATandT

Joining its clamshell A717 and candybar A727 cell phone brethren, Samsung and AT&T introduce the A737 in a compact slider format. Like its predecessors, the A737 can access AT&T’s dual-band HSDPA/UMTS high-speed 3G network, which makes it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music, stream tunes from Napster and eMusic, and watch video streamed from CNN and Comedy Central via AT&T’s Cellular Video. It also supports AT&T’s Video Share service, which offers a one-way video stream during a mobile-to-mobile phone call. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities, Bluetooth connectivity with stereo music streaming, compatibility with popular instant messaging services, and MicroSD memory card expansion.

Enjoy fast 3G multimedia streaming capabilities on the slim slider Samsung A737.

AT&T Service
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the UMTS 850/1900 network (also known as WCDMA), making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services with speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it’s fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

With 3G connectivity, you’ll be able to access AT&T’s Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company’s 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.)

It’s also packed with multimedia streaming and download capabilities. AT&T’s Cellular Video (CV) service features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster subscription music service, stream music video, discover what’s playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what’s hot with The Buzz music news portal. (A MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T’s Internet, video, and music services.)

The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T’s MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Phone Features
The A737 has a bright color TFT display that offers a 176 x 220-pixel resolution (with 262K colors). It has a 50 MB internal flash memory, and is expandable via MicroSD memory cards. The 1.3-megapixel camera can capture images up to 1280 x 1024 pixels, and it also offers a 2.6x digital zoom, multi-shot capability, and self-timer. You can also capture video clips up to 1 hour in length at 15 fps (frames per second). The integrated digital audio player is compatible with MP3, WMA, AAC and AAC+ formats.

Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 1.2), which includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and object push (OPP) for sending images and virtual business cards to other Bluetooth-enabled devices. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

In addition to voice calls, text messaging, and MMS capability, the phone also ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, SMTP and IMAP4 protocols (as well as the ability to view attachments such as PDFs and Word documents). You can also connect via instant messaging (IM) services such as Windows Live, Yahoo!, and AOL. T9 predictive text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit–a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. The A737 also comes stock with a built-in WAP 2.0 web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing via MEdia Net. Other features include:

• 50 MB internal flash memory, with MicroSD expansion
• Up to 1000 phonebook contacts, each with up to 5 numbers and 2 email addresses per contact
• USB 2.0 wired connectivity with mass storage capability
• 64-chord polyphonic ringtones and MP3 ringtones (with support for WMA and AAC)
• Voice memo recording up to 1 hour in length
• Hearing aid compatibility: T4/M4 rating
• TTY compatibility
• Java support for applications and games
• Personal organizer (calendar, calculator, alarm)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung A737 weighs 3.16 ounces and measures 3.9 x 1.9 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 850/1900 WCDMA (3G) frequencies.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star This phone is horrible
Do not buy this phone. I have only had this phone for 4 months and the LCD screen is damaged. I carry my phone in a case so I believe the phone itself is defected. I can not see any numbers or text messages. I have used cell phones for years. This is the first time this has ever happened.

5 Stars Better than expected -
I had really good luck with my Razr so was a little skeptical about making a change; however, I’m really glad I did. We live out of town and I’ve not had any problem with reception or losing calls. I love the feel of this phone – I like a substantial feeling phone and this one works great for me without being bulky. The battery has been fine, although, I’m not a big texter nor do I use it for email or the internet, so I can’t comment on how long it would last if those areas were utilized. I may have to charge it every 3-4 days and that’s only if I keep it turned on. I also haven’t had any problem with fingerprints. All in all, I’m loving this phone.

2 Stars Lost Mind
Poor phone. Why I bought this phone, I do not know. I must have been out of my mind. Was dis-satified from the word go. I gave it to my son-in-law; he kept it for about three weeks and gave it back. It was so bad it’s now lying in the box. Buyer beware.

5 Stars Best “non-smartphone” out there..
I have had this phone for over a year. So believe me when I say this is the best “non-smartphone” out there. If you’re looking for a phone that is easy to use and looks good, then this is the phone you need. The slider is also a plus. I have dropped this phone countless times, and would have expected it to tear up by now. (My phones usually don’t last more than one year). But this one has stood the test of time! My husband also has this same phone in orange, and he is rougher with his phones than me. His also has never given him any trouble and is still working great. Love this phone!

2 Stars Satisfactory phone, poor mp3 player
I chose this phone hoping to carry one less device, by installing a 4GB Micro SD chip and using it as an mp3 player.

OVERALL RATING 2 stars (average of my phone and mp3 ratings)

A737 AS A PHONE: 3 stars.

As phones go, it is good enough. Other reviews complain about durability and battery life. So far mine is not broken, and I agree that the battery life is short. That will put me in the habit of leaving it connected to the computer overnight to recharge (using a USB cable). It’s nice to be able to charge it from USB rather than carry an AC charger when traveling. Indoor use is better than my previous phone (Sony Ericsson T610), which did not work well in my home.

A useful feature that is not listed in the manual is “AIRPLANE” mode: it disables connection to the network, so that you can use the device on an airplane, for example to play mp3s or backup the phone’s address book to your laptop.

I don’t have the data plan. If you’re going to pay the exhorbitant monthly fee for data, you should get a smart phone that makes better use of it.

Many features that require a data plan clog up the interface even when you don’t have a data plan. For example, if you press the AT&T logo (select button), it pauses, says the connection failed. You then have to press OK, then Back, then confirm that you want to exit from the browser, 3 different button presses just to cancel the unavailable feature. This button is prominent on the phone and I had to learn NOT to press it from the main screen. I wish that the phone knew or learned it had no data plan, and kept data-dependent features from getting in the way.

On the other hand, there is a convenient configurable menu on another button from which you can select the features you actually use. That does soften my complaints in the previous paragraph – except for the AT&T logo button starting the browser.

A737 AS AN MP3 PLAYER: 1 star

As mp3 players go, it’s nearly unusable.

I have a nice pair of standard earbuds (Koss “Plug”) plugged in through an adapter, and they sound decent when the music is playing, but not as good as on my inexpensive but old Creative Zen Nano Plus mp3 player.

There is a LOUD *POP* at the beginning and end of each songs – that means two loud pops between tracks. It usually cuts off the first half-second of the song. Every time I push buttons to navigate the menus on the phone, there is the same LOUD *POP*. Between songs, there is a pause – sometimes short, sometimes long, and sometimes it is stuck until I push some buttons.

The volume control has only 5 steps over a wide range from too quiet to too loud. I have to use step 4 even though it is louder than I prefer, because step 3 is much too quiet.

I would like to play songs in a Music folder in the order they appear when sorted (my songs include a track number), as I can do with my Zen, so I can play an album in its intended order, or arbitrary mp3s in an order I have chosen. The only way to do that is to create a playlist for each folder. Without a playlist, you can play by Album and by Artist only.

I was hopeful when I saw that I could rate each song as it was playing, but this feature is useless. I played two hours worth of songs and rated each of them. The ratings are available on the phone, but I can’t transfer the ratings back to my mp3 library with any of the three mp3 transfer mechanisms – Windows Media Player, the included Multimedia Manager (which has a column for displaying the rating but apparently no way to set it), or the mass storage USB setting using File Manager copy.

The battery life for playing music is poor: perhaps 3 hours, about the same as talking on the phone. If you play a lot of music on a flight, you won’t be able to use the phone when you land.

MISC COMMENTS

The phone came with a charger and nothing else. I had to buy adapters to connect to USB (to charge, and to transfer data), and to use standard 2.5mm (1/8″) stereo headphones. You will probably want to buy a lot of accessories to make the phone practical. They would be cheap except there is high postage, and no one seller has them all.

Contrary to some reviews on Amazon, I CAN use 4GB Micro SD chip in this phone; the Kingston chip works fine.

The 1 megapixel camera will sometimes come in handy when I don’t have my real camera with me. The quality is on par for mobile phones, but not comparable to using a dedicated camera.

The AT&T plan I have includes SMS text messages. People can message me by emailing 10-digit-phone-number@txt.att.net, which is convenient, but I cannot reply to them without a data plan, except using SMS to their phone.

The alarm clock and address book applications are fine. The included PC software works, albeit with a non-intuitive interface and text and help file written by someone who does not know English very well. The Multimedia Manager takes much too long (average 2 minutes each) to transfer mp3 files to or from the phone.

The three included USB modes support the Samsung PC software, Windows Media Player protocol, and accessing the MicroSD (if present) like a USB memory stick. There is a choice to “ask me when connecting” – but it greys out all but the Samsung PC software, so this setting is useless.

SUMMARY

The phone is ok for basic phone features. With the exhorbitant price of data plans, if you’re going to pay that much monthly, you should invest in a phone that can make better use of the data features. The crippling problems in the MP3 player render it nearly unusable for that purpose.

Buy/More Info

HTC Touch Phone Sprint

Melding the power of Windows Mobile 6 with an innovative touchscreen navigation interface, HTC’s Touch is a deceptively small and stylish mobile phone that brings together email and other essential business applications with Sprint’s exclusive multimedia content including over-the-air music downloads, live TV and more. Leveraging the broad functionality of Windows Mobile 6 Professional (for touchscreens), the HTC Touch includes Outlook Mobile, Office Mobile and the capabilities to run thousands of third-party applications. It also allows you to surf the web with Internet Explorer, send and receive emails, chat on Messenger, and send files to your own web space through Windows Live. Nicely compact at just 0.6 inches thin and 4 ounces, the HTC Touch also features a 2.0-megapixel camera/camcorder, fast Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR with stereo music streaming profile, MicroSD expansion, digital audio and video player, and speedy downloads via Sprint’s EV-DO network.

The stylish HTC Touch brings together email and other essential business applications with Sprint’s exclusive multimedia content including over-the-air music downloads, live TV and more.

Sprint Service
Supporting the EV-DO high-speed data standard, this phone is fully compatible with Sprint’s Power Vision service (additional charges applicable). With Power Vision, you can download and stream high-quality video, straight onto your phone. Enjoy full-color video clips or live TV of the latest news, sports, and entertainment from brands you know, like CNN, Fox, The Weather Channel, NFL Mobile, and more. Power Vision also serves as a portal for enhanced games. Where coverage is available, EV-DO connectivity provides average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps, with peak rates up to 2 Mbps.

The Sprint Music Store enables you to buy, download, and then jam out wherever you are with new songs or old favorites. Offering a growing selection of more than 1.6 million songs, the store provides you two copies of each song–one for the phone and another for the PC, as well as the ability to burn songs to a CD using Windows Media Player. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that’s right for you.

With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including the NFL Network, ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.

The Sprint Software Store, powered by Handmark, offers a wide selection of software, games, ringtones, graphics and other Windows Mobile applications to purchase and download right to your phone.

With an upward swipe of your finger, use the TouchFLO 3D cube navigation to access entertainment, communication tools, and a “top 9 dial-by-picture” screen.

Phone Features
With a nearly 3-inch display, the HTC Touch’s navigation is powered by TouchFLO technology–new underlying touch screen technology developed by HTC–which provides smooth navigation through menus with a finger swipe. Simply sweep your finger up the display to launch an animated, three-dimensional interface comprising three screens: Contacts, Media and Applications. In addition, the innovative TouchFLO cube brings a 3D cube interface allowing quick access to entertainment, communication tools and a “dial-by-picture” photo caller ID screen. It is intelligent enough to distinguish between finger and input via the included stylus and then respond accordingly. The new HTC-designed home screen provides one-touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts, as well as current weather conditions and forecasts for hundreds of cities around the world. Since you’ll be accessing most functions via the touchscreen, it includes only buttons for a cursor pad, send and end, camera, and volume rocker.

In addition to real-time synchronization with Microsoft Exchange via Windows Mobile’s Direct Push Technology, the HTC Touch also supports Sprint Mobile Email for access to up to three email accounts. It’s also loaded with instant messaging capabilities for AIM, Yahoo, and Windows Live. The Touch also enables sending of SMS and MMS messages, and it includes XT9 predictive text entry (the new version of the T9), with Key features including a word prediction list and spelling correction which spots transposed letters and missed keys, as well as instant integration into all applications on the device. The phone’s contact list is limited only by available memory, and you can store up to 12 numbers per entry as well as home/work addresses, email, IM name, birthday, and more.

You can load up your MP3 files on optional MicroSD cards (up to 4 GB in size) via a USB connection from your PC, or download music from the Sprint Music Store. The integrated Windows Media Player Mobile allows you to play your favorite music, videos and more while you’re on the go, and it synchs music seamlessly with Windows Media Player on a Windows-based computer.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 + EDR (enhanced data rate) wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, object push, file transfer, audio/video remote control, and basic printing. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server. Send contacts, calendar events, and pictures/videos/voice memos wirelessly.

The 2.0-megapixel camera on the back of the HTC Touch has a 5x digital zoom and includes a choice of five resolutions and four quality settings. Other imaging features include white balance controls, night mode, image effects, and self-timer. You can also capture video clips in either MPEG4 or H.263 format, and record video for as long as you have available memory. Other features include:

• E911 Emergency Location Enabled: This phone features an embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) chip, necessary for utilizing the E911 emergency location services, where available.
• Sprint’s On-Demand service with up-to-date information on sports, weather, news, money and more customized by zip code
• Voice activated dialing
• Voice memo recorder
• Streaming music access to Sprint Radio, Pandora, SIRIUS, VH1, and MTV

Vital Statistics
The HTC Touch weighs 4 ounces and measures 4 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its 1100 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 CDMA frequencies and is compatible with the EV-DO data network.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6

Windows Mobile 6 adds power to your mobile office with up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars.

Edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets on your phone, just as you would on your desktop/laptop PC.

Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6 updates the Windows Mobile 5 platform with a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.

With Windows Mobile 6, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC’s Microsoft Office suite. You’ll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting–without affecting tables, images or text–as well as view PowerPoint presentations.

• Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
• With Excel Mobile, you’re not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
• PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
• After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars good, but something ….
I had one, everything is good. but the timer was frozen everyday. once you tried to update your timer/alarm, it stops working, and I have to reset. I called sprint for a replacement, but the new one has the same issue.

5 Stars Dont regret the purchase
I am often seeking new toys, electronics that is. And my recent purchase of the touch is something I definably will not be regretting three to six months later when something newer comes out. After doing some research on specs and capabilities on this phone, the I-Phone, Tilt, and some other smart phones that were cheaper but offered similar capabilities, I must say this is the one I would recommend everyone. I’ve been a long subscriber of Sprint, and was never impressed on how their phones ranked with other service providers, specially since sprint tends to be slightly more expensive than others.

However, after one week of owning this phone I must say that this phone is hands down better than the iphone. I can do much more with this device, and I am able to purchase anything else I might need for whatever I may want to do or need to do. The software is somewhat complex for those who may lack the technical knowledge (no offense), but if you sit down and read the instructions throughly you will find out that it is not that bad, and once you get the hang of it you can actually function around the phone without any restraints.

The camera is adequate, and I say this because I have a digital camera and I did not purchase a phone simply to take picture. But overall, it performs well, and the fact that I can take panoramic pictures and stitch them together is really something I did not expect from this phone. The sports setting which takes 5 shots in a row is extremely useful if you’re dealing with kids. The browser is nothing fancy to brag, but I acquired a software to search and view videos on the web (mostly youtube), and I am able to save, bookmark, etc. Most popular websites are now joining the mobile web requirements, enough said on that.

The phone is bluetooth, and the media player actually plays the music much louder than my previous phone through my bluetooth Motorola HT820 stereo headset. The sync function is extremely easy to set up. The touch screen feature is really nice, specially since you can write on the screen with the stylus and the software will type the words for you; this alone speeds up your typing speed if in IM or perhaps typing a memo on the mobile Microsoft word software.

Email accounts are easily set up (yahoo, hotmail, gmail, work email, school, etc) I have them all, and they are sync periodically as I set them.. again this is soo easy once you get the hang of it. Google maps is quite nice, if you’re upgrading from a regular phone to a smart phone. The built in memory on the device is adequate, but you can expand it with a micro SD card (up to 4GB), and I recommend you do this and set up the phone to use only that memory (install all the software that did not come with the phone on the memory card instead of the device).

Feb 2009 update:

After using this phone for over a year, I was starting to find it out of style and lacking some functionality in comparison to the newer phones that are going on sale. And just as I was getting to upgrade again, I found a way to flash the operating system and upgrade everything on the phone to the point that I was amazed by the capabilities of the device. GPS locked so much faster, I installed a different browser to compete with the safari of the IPHONE, and added so many other applications that are extremely useful, not to mention that I also changed the interface so that it looks just like the newer model from HTC (Diamond). Believe me when I say this, this phone can have soo much potential for those of us who like to tweak electronics and find out what else can we do with it. The fact that is a windows mobile device allows you to do all this stuff, so keep that in mind. But I still want to point out that this device is by far not meant for somebody that is not savvy with electronics.

5 Stars Sleek, do-it-all-fast-as-hell gadget!!!!
Ok, so this is my first review of any product anywhere but I’m a bit ‘inspired’ by this gadget. This is my first smartphone, almost my first cell phone and my first tv in about 5 years lol So I jumped right in and honestly have NO regrets…(and i can’t stop looking at this gadget lol)

I tried out for a few days the tilt but found the signal strength in my area unacceptable (i couldn’t get a signal all day at work)…I also didn’t like the ‘bugs’ on it which seemed to be some ‘hangtime’ with applications loading/closing and the overall speed of the device for me was lacking (ie tv was choppy, etc)…so a few days later i got lucky on amazon and got the touch and am SOOOOO happy I did. I have NONE of the issues I had with the tilt and the speed is AMAZINGLY fast, tv runs smoothly, get a signal everywhere, etc…

Some PROS as I see them are:

1) Absolutely SLEEK-looking gadget, nice to hold/use

2) Unbelievably fast, tons of great tv channels

3) Customizable as all WM6 phones are, but THIS one has a sweet interface, very user-friendly, seems ‘bug-free’ to me

4) NO keyboard–to me this is a PRO though i’m sure some will disagree; after using the tilt’s keyboard I’m glad it’s missing here..don’t wanna mess with extra hinges and more parts when I can just type on my choice of 5 or 6 keyboards onscreen!!!

5) Crystal clear calls

6) Comes with a TON of stuff/accessories, beautifully packaged

7) Believe it has GPS built in too…

Digital camera is quite good; Video camera takes moving video WITHOUT much blurriness, UNLIKE some other phone cams…

Did I mention it’s pretty? You won’t want to put it down.

CONS:

1) No wifi; the phone is so fast though i doubt you’ll notice.

2) Does NOT receive Sprints’ Universal movie channel.

Bottom line, if you want a gadget that can do just about anything FAST in a GORGEOUS streamlined package, this is the phone for you.

5 Stars Great Device
I replaced a Samsung flip phone and a Dell Axim pocket PC with this device. I’ve had it about 2 weeks now and am still finding new features on it. I now have instant access to my two personal email accounts, work email, & text messaging all on on device.

Windows Mobile 6 is extremely flexible. Out of the box it works fine but if you want to customize it, you have many, many options.

Compared to a straight cell phone, the phone on this device is not as streamlined, but you quickly get used to it. The other features more than make up for it.

I highly recommend this device for anyone looking to condense devices.

5 Stars make the upgrade
Pros:

with the new system of navigation, has improved, You can download it from www.htc.com….free

if you have the plan. simply everything with sprint, you do not have to pay anything for using the system for navigation. is included in the plan. comes a new keyboard

you should make the upgrade

have many programs with which you can make you rhtc a laptop

Cons:

The keyboard is a bit small for the phone. you can not use your fingers to handle

The internal memory is very little for the phone features

Comments:

Everything you need to be a day, find it in this PDA. so far never gave me any technical problems.I say that this better than the iphone

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