Cellphone Reviews Blog

T Mobile G1 Phone with Google Black T Mobile

The long-awaited T-Mobile G1 smartphone combines full touchscreen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes many Google tools you’ve come to rely on with your PC, including Google Maps Street View Gmail, and one-touch Google search. It’s also the first phone to be powered by Google’s new open-source Android operating system, which offers an intuitive interface easily customizable home screen. You can also purchase optional software via the Android Market to personalize your G1 with a variety of software applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping.

Just tap the screen and go with access to all your favorite Google tools.

In addition to a vibrantly colorful 3.2-inch touchscreen, the G1’s hinged screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and closes to prevent accidental dialing. It runs on T-Mobile’s new and growing 3G network, and also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for surfing the web on your wireless network or at hotspots as well as Bluetooth for handsfree communication. Other features include a 3-megapixel camera for still photos, a digital audio player (and easy access to Amazon’s MP3 store), an included 1 GB MicroSD memory card, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service
The T-Mobile G1 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and is compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. T-Mobile is currently rolling out its 3G network, and it expects by year’s end that its high-speed data network will be available in those cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services. In those areas where 3G is not available, the phone will access data using T-Mobile’s EDGE network, which is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps). This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web or downloading content from the T-Mobile t-zones content portal.

Call your favorite people with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. You’ll also get free domestic long distance and no digital roaming charges anywhere across the US on all calls. (All myFaves plans require a two-year contract.) Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Android OS and Market
The T-Mobile G1 with Google is the first phone to run on the Android operating system, which provides easy access to a wide assortment of messaging tools and Google apps. Additionally, this open source OS empowers developers to to create and offer applications that add value to the G1. The G1’s Home screen (seen at right) is your starting point for using all the applications on your phone. You can customize your Home screen to display applications, shortcuts, and widgets.

Just drag and drop any of your favorite applications, photos, or folders onto your home screen for quick access to what you use all the time (see larger version).

The Android Market hosts a wide variety of unique applications, and with the G1’s one-click access to it you can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications–from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping–to personalize your phone. Some examples of applications include:

• With the comparative shopping ShopSavvy application, you can scan the UPC code of a product with your phone’s camera while shopping, and instantly compare prices from online merchants and nearby local stores.
• Ecorio was developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like. With access to tips and tricks, Ecorio allows you to record the steps you take throughout their day to help offset your impact on the environment.
• BreadCrumbz enables you to create a step-by-step visual map using photos. Create your own routes, share them with friends or with the world.

Additionally, the T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with a new application developed by Amazon.com that provides easy access to the Amazon MP3 digital music download store with more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 tracks. You’ll be able to search, sample, purchase and download music from Amazon MP3 directly to the G1 (downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection; searching, sampling and purchasing music can be done anywhere with a cellular connection).

Phone Features
The T-Mobile G1’s vibrant, high-quality screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, great for communicating with friends online or using the phone’s email, IM and mobile messaging capabilities. As another option for accessing the device, the T-Mobile G1 comes equipped with a convenient trackball for more precise, one-handed navigation. The 3.2-inch touchscreen has a 320 x 480-pixel resolution and a 65K color depth. The T-Mobile G1’s touchscreen interface is unique, providing you with a more customizable, interactive touch experience. For example, you can set a signature gesture to unlock the screen (there are 30 million possible combinations). There are also different taps for different types of commands–for example, you can use a short touch to launch an application, or a long press on any screen will give you additional options, similar to that of a right click on a mouse.

The phone has an internal 192 MB RAM/256 MB ROM memory, and it’s expandable via optional MicroSD memory cards up to 8 GB in size (a 1 GB MicroSD card comes with the phone).

The hinged screen slides open to reveal keypad and closes to prevent accidental dialing.

With one-click contextual search, you can search for relevant information in a flash with a touch of a finger. A full HTML Web browser allows users to see any Web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on the screen. Built-in support for YouTube allows you to enjoy YouTube’s originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos.

With Google Maps, Google’s groundbreaking maps service, you can instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business and get driving directions, all from the phone’s easy-to-use touch interface. The T-Mobile G1 also includes Google Maps Street View, enabling you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go. Without taking a step, you can tour a far-away place as if they were there–standing on the street corner. Even better, the Google Maps feature syncs with a built-in compass on the phone–an industry first–to allow you to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with your hand.

Use the G1’s 3G and Wi-Fi connection to attach and share pictures over email and MMS or download music from your favorite web sites, as well as upload and post pictures to your personal blog.

The G1 features a rich HTML email client, which seamlessly syncs your email, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP email services. The Gmail application provides features such as conversation view, spam filtering, search, and labels that Gmail users enjoy on their computer while offering new features such as integration with the phone’s contact list. And it multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your email in the background.

It also combines Instant Messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger in the U.S., and IM presence allows you to see whether your friends are online, offline, away. The G1 also supports advanced text messaging features, enabling you to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging. The Google Calendar app on the G1 syncs with the Web-based version, so any event that you add to your phone will show up on the Web-based Google Calendar (and vice versa).

Other features include:

• 3-megapixel camera with autofocus for still photos (no video recording)
• Digital audio player with four categories (Artists, Albums, Songs, and Playlists) and support for MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA (8), WAF, and OGG Vorbis
• Use digital audio songs as ringtone
• Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets)
• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
• Messaging: email (IMAP/POP3/SMTP), instant messaging, SMS text, MMS photo
• Voice-recognition
• USB 2.0 connectivity with USB mass storage capability

Vital Statistics
The T-Mobile G1 with Google weighs 5.6 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 130 hours (5+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the 1700/2100 MHz HSDPA 3G frequencies.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you have to have a Google account to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, customers must log into the phone using a Google account login when they first use the device. Once you do log into T-Mobile G1 using a Google account, your Gmail and Google Calendar will all sync to your phone providing secure, up-to-date access to your personal information. If you don’t already have an account, the startup process will walk you through creating one. Creating a Google account is free.

Q: Do customers need a voice and/or data plan to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, when you purchase T-Mobile G1, you must add one of two T-Mobile G1-specific data plans to their account. This is similar to other all-in-one devices we offer like the T-Mobile Sidekick or the T-Mobile Shadow. Customers must also have a voice plan.

Q: Is the G1 compatible with your HotSpot @Home service?
A: No. Unlimited HotSpot Calling (formerly named T-Mobile HotSpot @Home) is not included in the T-Mobile G1, although the device can browse the Web over high-speed wireless connections including Wi-Fi and our 3G network.

Q: Are there any advantages to using Gmail on the device versus another type of personal (POP3 or IMAP) account?
A: Yes. After first logging into their Google account, you will have all your Gmail, Google Contacts, Calendar and Talk data automatically synchronize with the phone. Anything you do on the phone with these products will seconds later become available on the computer and vice versa. If you were to ever lose their phone, their information will still be available and seamlessly synchronize with a replacement G1. You will also benefit from push email and calendar alerts (this is also available for the multi-headed email client). Finally, Gmail’s contacts are synchronized automatically with the phone’s contact list.

Q: What is the “search from everywhere” feature?
A: “Search from everywhere” provides customers the ability to do contextual searches. T-Mobile G1 has a hard key on the QWERTY keyboard that you can touch in order to start a search within any application you are in. For example, if you are in your contact list and hit the search key, the device will search your contact list. If you are in your email and you hit the search key, the device will search your email. You can also start a search within each application through a search option within the application.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Get the G1 or a Cinco Fone
I love my G1. I love my G1 even better with the Cupcake update that I received this morning. I would have to agree with some of the other reviewers that say get it for the Android operating system. However, if you can wait for the next generation of Android phones, perhaps that is just as well. Great call quality on both ends (even had complements about how clear I am), great signal most of the time. Did I mention sturdy? Sturdy like a solidly built housewife. Nice and big and heavy. Kind of embarrassing to show the guys, but still a fantastic phone with AMAZING features. Not like that damn sexy iPhone (sighhhh). Anyway it does EVERYTHING that the iPhone does and more. How does that old song go? “…If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make an ugly woman your wife…” I don’t have a wife, but I do have a very sturdy and homely (but amazing) G1. Oh, and if you get the G1, definetly get the 2600 extended life battery and a 16gig memory card. You WILL NOT regret it.

5 Stars Love the Phone
I purchased the G1 back in January, and love it.

Pros:

-Awesome features such as GPS, Wi-fi, and Internet Browsing

-The flip out display/keyboard is great. I have an iPod Touch (similar to the iPhone for keyboard), and the G1 keyboard is much better. You can actually compose emails on it instead of short blurbs, “yes,” “agreed,” etc. because the keyboard is easier for typing.

-The Android Marketplace provides lots of cool applications, games, etc. that you can download for free (some you have to purchase), and it really helps extend the usefulness of the phone.

–Applications such as ShopSavvy let you scan a barecode UPC of a product in a store and it will tell you if the product can be found for less down the street or online! The MyTracks application is cool for joggers, the SkyMap app is incredible(name the constellations in the sky based on where you point the phone), and there’s always the metal detector app.

-Integration with Google. The phone provides great integration with Google services such as GMail, Google Maps, etc., but you can also set up the email program to download work email through IMAP.

Cons:

-Just a little bulky, but it’s not that big a deal for what you get

-The battery life isn’t the greatest. Install the Batter Manager app from the Android Marketplace, and turn down the screen brightness. It’s really a small computer you’re holding, and if you use it more like a computer than a phone, the battery is going to need recharging more often.

-With the flip out design, there’s not a good case that I’ve found that will protect the phone, but also let the phone display flip out while still in the case. My phone came with a case (more like a pouch), and I still use it, and it works okay.

Overall:

Love the phone, glad I have it. I paid a little more for it back in January, but that’s the price of getting it early.

5 Stars Close to Perfection
This phone does every thing I need. The cupcake firmware update makes it even better, with the stereo blue tooth and soft keyboard (onscreen). Internet is faster than a lot of other phones thanks to 3G. Getting root access on the phone makes it even better. Only complaint is battery life.

2 Stars Go for an I-phone
Really neat phone but….the applications are limited to whatever android (the operating system) adds for you to use. The main problem is that they do not have adobe flash player on the phone and without that most of a websites additional features don’t work. You could save your money and get a less expensive phone which does about the same.

I also would like to see MLB Gameday ( live baseball) which the I-Phone has and since they (android.com) haven’t developed the application for T-Mobile g1 phone I’m at a loss.

Save you money on this one until the operating system catches up with a consumers usage.

1 Star Too many problems
Of course the phone is more amazing than your average cell phone, but really it’s not as good as other smart phones on the market. The only compliments I can give the phone is that it has a full QWERTY keyboard, which is what initially sold me. But the complaints I have bug me every time I pick up my phone, even the keyboard kind of annoys me, the keys are just small(but I expected that, what can you do). My major complaints are first of all the phone service, which was completely fine on my old phones, but now has a bit of a static sound and a strange clicking, also G3 doesn’t seem very fast. Then there’s the battery. If you want to use any of the cool features like the internet or GPS you’ll have to charge multiple times a day. You can feel it seriously heating up in your hand, they should probably try to market it as a hand warmer. The touch screen dialing gets annoying pretty often, like during the kind of calls where you have to “press 1(or whatever) to continue”, think about it that includes any time you check your messages. It’s because the screen saver turns on during calls so while you’re listening to a message or automaton(or whatever they’re called, you know the robot menu people), then when you tap it to wake it up, you now just typed the wrong number and your getting spoken to in robo-esponol. Also the way the screen slides out just feels so flimsy, the hinge is just a weak thin piece of plastic, a baby could easily break it. You really need to see a picture of it in mid swing to know what I mean. Also the dialer/call list/missed call/phone book menu just feels annoying, not very intuitive. For example lets say me and a friend are hanging out, their phone is in the other room, so they ask to use mine. They try for a second then they’ll be like, “you know, I’ll just go get mine”. If I didn’t occasionally find access to the internet,(which I often wont even have) so useful, I’d probably go back to my old phone. To top it all off the camera sucks, it cant even record video. That’s basically a step backwards in phone technology. I can’t even play video messages, but stupidly enough I can play bad quality youTube videos. That just makes no sense.

Buy/More Info

HTC Touch Diamond Phone Black Sprint

Delivering unmistakable style and meticulous craftsmanship the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint is defined by its compact size, captivating 3D touch interface, and sophisticated communication tools. You’ll be able to access to Sprint’s EV-DO 3G network–perfect for surfing the Web as well as downloading music and video from Sprint’s Music Store and TV service. And with the power of the updated Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, you’ll stay easily connected to your business and personal data on the go with support for a wide variety of email accounts as well as the ability to edit Microsoft Office documents.

The Touch Diamond’s TouchFLO 3D user interface responds perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media–all vividly displayed as photos and artwork on the 2.8-inch screen powered by the 3D graphics processor. The phone also features a 4 GB internal memory, Bluetooth connectivity for both communication headsets and stereo music streaming, Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), 3.2-megapixel camera, a built-in GPS receiver (for use with Google Maps and Sprint Navigation), multi-format digital audio player, and up to 4.2 hours of talk time.

The Touch Diamond features a sharp 2.8-inch touch screen, Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth stereo music, and GPS navigation capabilities.

Sprint Service
Supporting the EV-DO Rev. A high-speed data standard, Sprint’s Mobile Broadband Network provides blazing fast speeds on the nation’s largest mobile broadband network (based on covered square miles), covering more than 15,000 cities and 1,400 airports. With EV-DO Rev. A, peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 kbps to 1.4 mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350 to 500 kbps.

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. Use the Sprint Music Store to listen to music while sending text messages, browsing the Web, or playing a downloaded game. And get over 30 channels of music–Hip Hop, Top Hits, Latin Pop, music videos and shows from NPR, Sporting News and more–treamed to your phone.

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.

This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone–by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, “Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street.” As you approach the turn, you will hear, “Turn right on Elm Street.” Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it’s easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.

With the TouchFLO 3D interface, album artwork, calendar items and snapshots are brought to life for you to interact, play and launch at your fingertips.

Phone Features
HTC has taken a great leap forward in touch screen innovation with the introduction of its new 3D touch interface called TouchFLO 3D, which provides animated access to people, messaging, email, photos, music, weather and more with just a swipe of your finger. The home screen provides one-touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts. New text messages fly onto your screen–just swipe your finger to spin through recent messages or tap a message to reply. Your Email appears in an open envelope–just touch it to read it in full. In addition to Outlook email, you can also add personal accounts and Web-mail accounts like Google and Yahoo. The phone also includes touch-sensitive buttons at the bottom as well as a five-way navigational rocker.

The Touch Diamond is crafted with precision to fit comfortably in a user’s hand without compromising on features or functionality. Blending contrasting design elements of metal and unique geometric facets, the Touch Diamond complements a your personal style. The 2.8-inch screen has a 480 x 640-pixel resolution–providing near-print quality viewing of photographs and crisp Web browsing–and support for 65K colors.

HTC provides a new customized mobile Web browser that enables easy viewing and effortless navigation of Web sites in the way they were designed. You can zoom and pan Web sites with one-hand and automatically view optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. An integrated accelerometer senses when you change the position of the phone from portrait to landscape viewing, and it auto-rotates the screen’s orientation.

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’ll also be able to access open Wi-Fi networks in offices and hotspots via the integrated 802.11b/g wireless connectivity. And with the embedded GPS receiver, you’ll be able to easily locate your next appointment in unfamiliar cities. (Third-party software required for routing information.)

Other features include:

• 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus on the back of the phone, additional VGA camera on the front of the phone for video conferencing (requires compatible network)
• Windows Media Player compatible with MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV file formats
• Use the Sprint Music Store to listen to music while sending text messages, browsing the Web, or playing a downloaded game
• 4 GB of internal memory for storing all your contacts, important documents, and your favorite multimedia
• 256 MB of RAM, 192 MB of DDR RAM
• Support for polyphonic ringtones as well as real-music ringers
• Speaker-Independent Voice Dialing: Say the name of any entry in your phone book and the number is dialed automatically without using the keypad. This feature is speaker-independent, so there is no need to train the phone to respond to any one person’s voice. Receive an audible status report of your phone/s coverage, signal strength, and battery strength.
• Hearing Aid Compatibility: M3
• Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PAN (personal area networking), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics
The HTC Touch Diamond weighs 4.1 ounces and measures 4.0 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches. Its 1340 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.2 hours of talk time, and up to 285 hours of standby time. This international version of the Touch Diamond runs on the 900/1800/1900 GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the 900/2100 MHz HSDPA frequencies for 3G access.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1
Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1 offers 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 6.1, 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 6.1 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

1 Star BAD phone
I’m reviewing this after using the phone for approximately 2 months. My friend has the same phone, and here are the goods and the bads of HTC Touch Diamond that we both agreed on. This is the first HTC phone I’ve used, and I’m not impressed and probably not going to get an HTC ever again.

Pros:

- 3MP camera is awesome. It’s a bit slow to take pictures, but picture quality is great.

- Phone looks very nice and thin. The screen is bright and attractive.

- Virtual keyboard is usable. It’s not as good as a real keyboard, but it’s good enough. I textmessage a lot and it’s been working for me. I’m getting used to it.

- Email application is good. I added Gmail and Y!Mail with ease.

Here are some of the major flaws:

- The phone freezes very frequently. The phone cannot handle some of the applications, even the ones that came with the phone like textmessaging.

- I need to restart the phone every day because applications stop loading.

- The phone screen turns on and off on its own. So if you don’t install a third party lock application, it will probably turn on and call people by accident when it’s inside your bag or pocket.

- Voice quality is poor. The voices blur and buzz if you put it on the highest volume.

- POOR battery life. Sometimes, the phone drains the battery at night when not in used. Really strange and disappointing.

- It has 5 buttons but they’re not useful. Some buttons are quite useless.

4 Stars How and why to upgrade your Diamond software
I’ve been using the CDMA Sprint Diamond for 5 months. With the stock Sprint ROM (referring to the software preloaded on the device) you’ll be plagued by several problems which thankfully can all be overcome with some software mods and tweaks from great resources like ppcgeeks and xda. These forums host an enthusiastic community of windows mobile developers and “power users” and participating in the community can be one of the most rewarding aspects to owning this type of device. Just by lurking around the forums and reading the stickies you will learn a lot and be well on your way to customizing the device to suit your needs. That said, this tweaking process is not for everyone; if you’re not interested in learning about technology and prefer something that just works right out of the box then get an iPhone instead. Out of the box, this phone has the following severe issues:

1. Poor battery life and significant battery drain even while the phone is not in use.

2. Slow system performance and lag while TF3D is running. TF3D (Touch Flow 3D – AKA Manila) is HTC’s very slick user interface which sits on top of windows mobile looking pretty and giving you quick access to your most essential info and programs. With usage the phone will periodically become unresponsive or freeze and need to be restarted. (Think back to Windows 98)

3. The phone will wake up from an incoming call or text message or when changing cell towers. That means the screen will turn on and become active which makes the device prone to pocket dialing while it’s in your pocket. On this diamond there is no way to disable that behavior. (There is a registry edit that works on the GSM Diamond) The work around is locking the phone before tucking it away but the default lock program is not great.

4. TF3D does not include a calender or task screen. That means you have to use pocket outlook to manage appointments and tasks. Like most native windows mobile 6.1 applications, pocket outlook is not finger friendly so you’ll either need to be very accurate with your finger nails or use the stylus.

5. Some of the phones capabilities have been hidden.

As mentioned, the good news is that all of these issues can be overcome and I’ll tell you how. First, go to the HTC Diamond forum on PPCGeeks.com and read the stickies on how to unlock your phone and flash a custom Rom. If you have a basic working knowledge of windows, zip files and things of that nature – this stuff is easy to do.

MightyRom is currently the most popular custom ROM on PPCGeeks. I’m running MightyRom version 4.7. Due to the upgrades and enhancements that mighty has “cooked” into his Rom, the phone becomes much more usable. In a nutshell, battery life is doubled, performance is faster and smoother…and stability is improved but the occasional restart is still necessary. Hidden features such as Internet connection sharing are enabled. Even the built in FM radio is working thanks to an app that was ported from the European GSM diamond. While some ROMs are packed with lots of applications, mighty keeps his light and clean which means it doesn’t come with many applications pre-installed other than the essential ones. Fortunately, installing any other applications of your choice is as easy as downloading the .CAB file to the phone (or copying it to the phone) and then running it on the phone.

Beyond the ROM, there are a few applications in particular that I recommend because they address the other issues that I mentioned above.

1. S2A2 (Free) – Slide to Unlock 2 is a replacement for the default lock screen. It’s essentially a knock off of the iPhone’s lock screen. S2U2 works well with MightyRom, is easy to use, looks good and has lots of options.

2. ThumbCal ($19.95 USD) – This sits on top of Pocket Outlook providing you with a finger friendly calendar and task manager. The week view is especially well designed and very useful. 14 days free trial. There are also other free soft keyboard alternatives you can try.

3. TouchPal ($19.99 USD) – While the included software keyboards are good, touchPal is the best in breed. The compact QWERTY layout in TouchPal gets the most functionality out the small amount of space available on the Diamond’s screen and it’s actually FUN to use once you get the hang of it. Fully Free for 30 days with a nag screen after that if you don’t buy.

4. G-Alarm (Free) – This is a free finger friendly alarm program with tons of options. I use it to set up alarms using an MP3 playlist which snooze when I turn the phone upside down.

The above makes up the core of my setup which really works nicely for me. Of course, there are many other directions you could go in.

Perhaps the most exciting news on the horizon is the new version of TF3D that HTC is putting in the new Diamond 2. It’s being ported to the Diamond (see: “XBmod Rhodium Beta Manila”). This version of TF3D includes some extra tabs such as a working Calender tab which may alleviate the need to buy a separate calendar app like ThumbCal.

One final note: Sprint finally released an official ROM update which is an improvement over the originally shipped ROM but the best custom ROMs will still offer the best performance and features for your Diamond.

3 Stars Good Phone With Potential
I’ve had my HTC Touch Diamond from Sprint for two months now and so far it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. My previous Sprint phone was a Motorola Q9c and compared to that excellent phone this one has things that make it better and, sadly, quite a few that make it less than ideal.

Pros:

Beautiful looking device that is both sleek and modern

TouchFlo 3D is an excellent interface overlay for Windows Mobile 6.1

Snappy, 524Mhz CPU comes in handy when launching and switching between applications

Stunning, VGA screen

Excellent 3.2MP camera

Customized Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser

Nice selection of bundled apps

Doubles as a hand warmer after data use or voice calls lasting more than two minutes

Cons:

This phone locks up at least once or twice a day

Phone gets VERY warm after more than a few minutes of data or voice use

Battery life could be a lot better

Bluetooth connectivity is hit or miss

There are other things that I do not consider to be either pros or cons such as the onscreen keyboards which can depend on the end user or the inclusion of WiFi. As for the keyboards I feel there are enough options to appeal to most users however, having come from a full QWERTY keyboard it may be an issue for heavy texters or emailers. I have large fingers and thumbs and I can use the full onscreen keyboard with few issues after a few days of use. The WiFi inclusion is really moot for me as I live in an area with excellent EVDO Rev. A coverage and don’t spend a lot of time around hotspots.

The main issues I have with the phone which are all too frequent lock ups and poor battery life I feel can be addressed by an eventual firmware update from HTC. This has been the typical history from this manufacturer, get a new device out the door and let all the customers be their beta testers. To me this is just poor customer service and if an update is not out within a few more months I can see me replacing this with something new such as the forthcoming Palm Pre.

As for features this phone is a device that just wants to be loved. Sprint TV looks acceptable on the VGA screen and the music interface of TochFlo 3D is heads and shoulders above that offered by Windows Media Player Mobile. The included Opera Mobil web browser is light years ahead of PIE (pocket Internet Explorer) but still leaves something to be desired. It’s capable of displaying “full” web sites but all too frequently defaults to the mobile version of sites.

Overall, this phone is a mixed bag and if I had it over I would have probably opted for the Blackberry Curve 8330 instead of this phone. I want to love this phone but it’s faults are deal breakers for me.

Buy/More Info

T Mobile HTC G1 Google Android Mirror LCD Screen Protector

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Horrible product
Bargaincell is a great company to deal with, very fast shipping. I will buy from them again but this product is just a waste of money. There is a rainbow haze over the entire screen when using the mirrored screen protector.

5 Stars awesome!
These are really cool. A little hard to see your screen on a bright sunny day.. but isn’t it always? Awesome! A++ delivered fast.

3 Stars Now your G1 can deflect lasers!
Pretty much exactly as advertised. It included a little cloth for cleaning the screen before and the protector after. Watch out for air bubbles when sticking it on. I didn’t notice any problems with the touchscreen after application, although the tactile sensation was a little different.

Being a mirrored surface fingerprints are much more noticeable than before,but clean off easily. Also when the LCD is on it now has a slight rainbowy glimmer to it. It reminds me of looking through 3d glasses. It may take some getting use to.

4 Stars High quality product overall – sometimes hard to see
Very high quality screen protector. It takes a beating with my phone in a pocket full of keys and change. Easy to install and it sticks to the screen like glue, but I can take it off if I need to.

The only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is because it’s hard to see in bright sunlight. The protector doesn’t dim the display by much, but the fact that the ambient light is bouncing off of the mirrored screen at the time means that it can be challenging to read.

5 Stars Perfect fit…
I bought this screen protector for my G1 just…in case.

But I have to admit, I find MANY more uses for the mirror finish than I expected, rather than just a novelty. The screen is slightly more difficult to see in direct sunlight, but any phone has that problem. It’s worth it for the mirror finish alone, however I have to mention the screen feels smoother and flatter—it’s easier to move my finger on the screen (note for the first week or so it was a little sticky by comparison). Not a single air bubble and NO WATER required. It fits perfectly over the G1 screen—friends who hadn’t seen a G1 before are unaware the screen protector isn’t a part of the phone out-of-the-box. Absolutely works the same for touching the screen—-no lost or weird touches.

Buy/More Info

T Mobile G1 Phone with Google Bronze T Mobile

The long-awaited T-Mobile G1 smartphone combines full touchscreen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes many Google tools you’ve come to rely on with your PC, including Google Maps Street View Gmail, and one-touch Google search. It’s also the first phone to be powered by Google’s new open-source Android operating system, which offers an intuitive interface easily customizable home screen. You can also purchase optional software via the Android Market to personalize your G1 with a variety of software applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping.

Just tap the screen and go with access to all your favorite Google tools.

In addition to a vibrantly colorful 3.2-inch touchscreen, the G1’s hinged screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and closes to prevent accidental dialing. It runs on T-Mobile’s new and growing 3G network, and also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for surfing the web on your wireless network or at hotspots as well as Bluetooth for handsfree communication. Other features include a 3-megapixel camera for still photos, a digital audio player (and easy access to Amazon’s MP3 store), an included 1 GB MicroSD memory card, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service
The T-Mobile G1 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and is compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. T-Mobile is currently rolling out its 3G network, and it expects by year’s end that its high-speed data network will be available in those cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services. In those areas where 3G is not available, the phone will access data using T-Mobile’s EDGE network, which is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps). This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web or downloading content from the T-Mobile t-zones content portal.

Call your favorite people with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. You’ll also get free domestic long distance and no digital roaming charges anywhere across the US on all calls. (All myFaves plans require a two-year contract.) Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Android OS and Market
The T-Mobile G1 with Google is the first phone to run on the Android operating system, which provides easy access to a wide assortment of messaging tools and Google apps. Additionally, this open source OS empowers developers to to create and offer applications that add value to the G1. The G1’s Home screen (seen at right) is your starting point for using all the applications on your phone. You can customize your Home screen to display applications, shortcuts, and widgets.

Just drag and drop any of your favorite applications, photos, or folders onto your home screen for quick access to what you use all the time (see larger version).

The Android Market hosts a wide variety of unique applications, and with the G1’s one-click access to it you can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications–from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping–to personalize your phone. Some examples of applications include:

• With the comparative shopping ShopSavvy application, you can scan the UPC code of a product with your phone’s camera while shopping, and instantly compare prices from online merchants and nearby local stores.
• Ecorio was developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like. With access to tips and tricks, Ecorio allows you to record the steps you take throughout their day to help offset your impact on the environment.
• BreadCrumbz enables you to create a step-by-step visual map using photos. Create your own routes, share them with friends or with the world.

Additionally, the T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with a new application developed by Amazon.com that provides easy access to the Amazon MP3 digital music download store with more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 tracks. You’ll be able to search, sample, purchase and download music from Amazon MP3 directly to the G1 (downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection; searching, sampling and purchasing music can be done anywhere with a cellular connection).

Phone Features
The T-Mobile G1’s vibrant, high-quality screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, great for communicating with friends online or using the phone’s email, IM and mobile messaging capabilities. As another option for accessing the device, the T-Mobile G1 comes equipped with a convenient trackball for more precise, one-handed navigation. The 3.2-inch touchscreen has a 320 x 480-pixel resolution and a 65K color depth. The T-Mobile G1’s touchscreen interface is unique, providing you with a more customizable, interactive touch experience. For example, you can set a signature gesture to unlock the screen (there are 30 million possible combinations). There are also different taps for different types of commands–for example, you can use a short touch to launch an application, or a long press on any screen will give you additional options, similar to that of a right click on a mouse.

The phone has an internal 192 MB RAM/256 MB ROM memory, and it’s expandable via optional MicroSD memory cards up to 8 GB in size (a 1 GB MicroSD card comes with the phone).

The hinged screen slides open to reveal keypad and closes to prevent accidental dialing.

With one-click contextual search, you can search for relevant information in a flash with a touch of a finger. A full HTML Web browser allows users to see any Web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on the screen. Built-in support for YouTube allows you to enjoy YouTube’s originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos.

With Google Maps, Google’s groundbreaking maps service, you can instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business and get driving directions, all from the phone’s easy-to-use touch interface. The T-Mobile G1 also includes Google Maps Street View, enabling you to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go. Without taking a step, you can tour a far-away place as if they were there–standing on the street corner. Even better, the Google Maps feature syncs with a built-in compass on the phone–an industry first–to allow you to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with your hand.

Use the G1’s 3G and Wi-Fi connection to attach and share pictures over email and MMS or download music from your favorite web sites, as well as upload and post pictures to your personal blog.

The G1 features a rich HTML email client, which seamlessly syncs your email, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP email services. The Gmail application provides features such as conversation view, spam filtering, search, and labels that Gmail users enjoy on their computer while offering new features such as integration with the phone’s contact list. And it multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your email in the background.

It also combines Instant Messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger in the U.S., and IM presence allows you to see whether your friends are online, offline, away. The G1 also supports advanced text messaging features, enabling you to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging. The Google Calendar app on the G1 syncs with the Web-based version, so any event that you add to your phone will show up on the Web-based Google Calendar (and vice versa).

Other features include:

• 3-megapixel camera with autofocus for still photos (no video recording)
• Digital audio player with four categories (Artists, Albums, Songs, and Playlists) and support for MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA (8), WAF, and OGG Vorbis
• Use digital audio songs as ringtone
• Bluetooth version 2.0+EDR with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets)
• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
• Messaging: email (IMAP/POP3/SMTP), instant messaging, SMS text, MMS photo
• Voice-recognition
• USB 2.0 connectivity with USB mass storage capability

Vital Statistics
The T-Mobile G1 with Google weighs 5.6 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 130 hours (5+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the 1700/2100 MHz HSDPA 3G frequencies.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you have to have a Google account to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, customers must log into the phone using a Google account login when they first use the device. Once you do log into T-Mobile G1 using a Google account, your Gmail and Google Calendar will all sync to your phone providing secure, up-to-date access to your personal information. If you don’t already have an account, the startup process will walk you through creating one. Creating a Google account is free.

Q: Do customers need a voice and/or data plan to use T-Mobile G1?
A: Yes, when you purchase T-Mobile G1, you must add one of two T-Mobile G1-specific data plans to their account. This is similar to other all-in-one devices we offer like the T-Mobile Sidekick or the T-Mobile Shadow. Customers must also have a voice plan.

Q: Is the G1 compatible with your HotSpot @Home service?
A: No. Unlimited HotSpot Calling (formerly named T-Mobile HotSpot @Home) is not included in the T-Mobile G1, although the device can browse the Web over high-speed wireless connections including Wi-Fi and our 3G network.

Q: Are there any advantages to using Gmail on the device versus another type of personal (POP3 or IMAP) account?
A: Yes. After first logging into their Google account, you will have all your Gmail, Google Contacts, Calendar and Talk data automatically synchronize with the phone. Anything you do on the phone with these products will seconds later become available on the computer and vice versa. If you were to ever lose their phone, their information will still be available and seamlessly synchronize with a replacement G1. You will also benefit from push email and calendar alerts (this is also available for the multi-headed email client). Finally, Gmail’s contacts are synchronized automatically with the phone’s contact list.

Q: What is the “search from everywhere” feature?
A: “Search from everywhere” provides customers the ability to do contextual searches. T-Mobile G1 has a hard key on the QWERTY keyboard that you can touch in order to start a search within any application you are in. For example, if you are in your contact list and hit the search key, the device will search your contact list. If you are in your email and you hit the search key, the device will search your email. You can also start a search within each application through a search option within the application.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars No video!!
The phone is nice but I wasn’t told there wasn’t a video recorder until after I bought the phone. Other than that the phone is nice.

4 Stars Good first gen that will get better
I’ve owned this for about a month. It gets used fairly constantly for data (email, web browsing, etc) and fairly often for voice.

* It’s a little bulky, but not unbearably so, and unlike a lot of phones, it’s easy to hold and use when making a call. Call quality is excellent.

* Battery life is pretty good, much better than the Windows Mobile device it replaced. Assuming I remembered to plug it in before I went to bed, it’ll last the whole day, even when using it as a music player during the commute.

* Interface is exceptional, although I really wish it had a soft keyboard for quick IMs and such. Having to flip open the keyboard and rotate the phone to type a single word for a website form and so forth gets old.

* An abundance of third-party apps for almost any need, mostly for free, and an active developer community.

* Solid construction. It feels well made. Time will tell how durable it is, but based on past experience I think it’ll be almost indestructible.

I’m very pleased with the G1, and I’m confident that it’s utility will only increase over time as the software is refined and third-party developers learn the platform.

5 Stars Good phone for a great OS
I seriously considered the iPhone 3G, but decided against it based on Apple’s business practices. After 1.5mo of use, I have no regrets at all. There are a few trade-offs in favor of either phone, and the G1’s interface may not be quite as polished as the iPhone, but in all I think the G1 is a better value. If you’re a user of Google services (Gmail, calendar, contacts, Picasa, etc…) this phone is for you.

The good:

- I’ve gone through several generations of PDAs (no previous smart phones, however). With the G1, I finally feel like I have the internet in my hand, wherever I am. Google has made the transition to a mobile platform almost completely seamless.

- Range is far superior to my previous T-Mobile phones.

- Keyboard for a smartphone of this class seems essential.

- Performance under EDGE is better than I expected, and good enough to be useful.

- 3G and Wifi performance is outstanding. WEP was easy to configure.

- Service price is far more reasonable than other carriers, and T-Mobile support (what little I’ve needed) has been outstanding.

- Great UI – very intuitive, responsive, and attractive. Screen response is great, as well. Compared to the iPhone, it’s missing multi-touch, and it is far better than Windows Mobile 6. Cross-app integration is superior.

- Shop Savvy has already saved me more than the cost of the phone and monthly service.

The not-so-good:

- T-Mobile coverage service is nowhere near as broad as other carriers in the US.

- The web browser does have problems rendering some pages – craigslist, for instance.

- I’ve never run out of battery during a single day, but with heavy use it won’t go two days. Limited use, it will last me three days.

- Video recording is due out shortly (next firmware update, I’m told). Nice to have feature, but not what I want a phone for.

- Current phones are shipping with a 1/8 headphone adapter with a mic built in (for hands free calling with your headphones). Not bad, though I’d rather have a built-in 1/8 vs. the adapter.

- Need better handling of attachments – but I have no doubt it’s coming.

- While there is a 3rd party Exchange client right now (haven’t tried it), I’d like to see this as a core Android application. Weboutlook performance is similar to Weboutlook under Firefox or Chrome.

The Bad:

- The lettering on the bronze keyboard (both bronze and white phones) disappears when the backlight comes on in dimly lit conditions. I haven’t evaluated the Black keyboard, but I also haven’t seen any complaints about it.

vs. iPhone:

- Physical keyboard

- Better camera – it can read a bar code (for Shop Savvy), whereas the iPhone can’t focus closely enough

- Open platform

- Slightly thicker (keyboard) but not as wide – fits in my front pocket, even in its soft case.

- Smaller screen than iPhone – not as bright in comparison, but bright enough.

- Cut and paste between apps.

- Trackball for fine cursor control – don’t use it much, but sometimes it’s essential.

- Better Google integration.

- About half the battery life, but it is user replaceable.

- Expandable memory via microSD cards.

5 Stars Does everything I ever wanted a phone to do
Plays Doom, text messages, has a decent camera (no flash though), tons of great stuff in the marketplace. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone.

Most importantly, it has a slide out full qwerty keyboard!

2 Stars Keyboard can’t be read; get the Black G1
The Bronze (early on, this color was called “brown”) G1 has a medium light colored keyboard with dark letters. The keyboard back lighting lights up the letters. In normal, indoor lighting, the room light and the back light balance, making the keys impossible to read. The keyboard is only readable in very bright light or very little light. In bright light, such as sunlight, the sun overwhelms the back lighting and the keyboard is easy to read. In darkness, the back lighting works fine, because little room light is reflecting off the keys.

Get the G1 in Black. (I haven’t seen a white G1. I don’t know if its keyboard is legible.)

Buy/More Info

Palm 755p Phone Burgundy Sprint

Combining the software and features of the Treo 700p with the slimmer, antenna-less 680/750 form-factor, the Palm 755p from Sprint handles everything you want from a smartphone–direct push email (via Microsoft Direct Push Technology), powerful PIM organization, multimedia playback, and still photo and video capture. It operates on Sprint’s North American CDMA voice network, as well as on Sprint’s Mobile Broadband Network (EV-DO), which enables you to quickly access audio, video and data applications. The Treo 755p also features Google Maps for mobile, MiniSD memory card expansion, 1.3-megapixel camera, and Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets.

The Treo 755p features one of the best keyboards on the market, as well as easily accessible controls throughout. See it in detail.

Send and receive documents, music, pictures, and other files via email, and AutoSync it with your Outlook email.

Phone, email, messaging and more, all in one.

Listen to songs and podcasts.

Snap pictures and shoot video.

Text like crazy on the easy-type keyboard.

Be mobile. Browse mobile.

For email, the Treo 755p now offers VersaMail 3.5.4 with built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support for Microsoft Direct Push Technology, which delivers automatic updates to Outlook email. Businesses connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server get fast, automatic wireless updates of email, calendar and contact information with added IT security and remote manageability. Also new to the Treo 755p is the Google Maps service for mobile, built into the Treo’s ROM. You’ll be able to get directions, perform local searches, and view moveable/scalable maps, satellite imagery, and traffic updates while on the go.

If your laptop is Bluetooth enabled, you can connect the Treo 755p wirelessly and enjoy dial-up networking (DUN)–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server–using Sprint’s Mobile Broadband Network, which is available in more than 11,000 cities and 1,000 airports. With the power of EV-DO, you can also stream audio or video–such as from Sprint TV–or download ringtones, pictures, and video clips to your Treo smartphone or a MiniSD expansion card (sold separately). Where coverage is available, EV-DO connectivity provides average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps, with peak rates up to 2 Mbps.

Design
At 5.64 ounces (160 grams), the 755p sheds nearly 12 percent of the 700p’s weight (6.4 ounces), and it feels less bulkier in your pocket without the antenna stub. Under the hood, the Treo 680 features Palm OS 5.4.9, 64MB of non-volatile flash memory available for user storage, and an Intel PXA270 312 MHz processor. It also features a 320 x 320-pixel color touchscreen, full QWERTY backlit keypad, and application buttons (which are customizable). The expansion card slot is compatible with MiniSD cards, and supports up to 2 GB of memory (memory cards sold separately).

Other design features include an infrared port for line of sight data transfers, as well as a handy switch for turning off the phone’s ringer. A five-way navigator controls most of the phone’s menus and operating system functions, while quick application buttons on either side of the navigator get you to your favorite applications in a snap. The left side of the unit features a volume up/down toggle plus a handy user-customizable button that can be assigned to any phone or PDA function. The rear of the Treo 755p houses a loudspeaker, as well as the VGA camera unit. A touch-screen stylus can be tucked away on the right side of the phone. Meanwhile, a combined charging, data, and accessory attachment port is housed on the bottom of the unit, as is a standard 2.5 mm stereo headset jack.

Calling and PDA Features
All of the Treo 755p’s phone and PDA functions are designed to provide an integrated, seamless experience. For instance, you can type in the name or initials of a contact on the keypad to dial them. Or, use the touch-screen and stylus to copy information from an email and quickly paste it into another email or text message. You can view messages waiting in a preemptive alert window, and the favorites view is now in one vertical easy-to-see list. A large onscreen dial pad can be accessed on the color touch screen, and you don’t need to go to another application to access the contact list–calling and contacts are all completely integrated. All of the latest phone features folks expect are built-in, too, like a handsfree speakerphone, polyphonic ringtones, a vibrate mode and picture caller ID. The capacity of the unit’s address book is only limited by the amount of internal and expansion memory available.

The Treo 755p is also a fully functional Palm OS device. That means that a huge library of applications, from spreadsheets to word processors to games, can be added to the Treo 755p. Download, view, and edit Word and Excel compatible files, rehearse a PowerPoint presentation, even review PDF files, directly on the 755p’s touchscreen. It’s easy to perform multiple tasks like checking your calendar while talking on the phone or dialing calls directly from your contacts list. Familiar Palm OS software ships with the handset including calendar, calculator, clock, contacts, memo, and task management applications. Meanwhile, the unit’s memory expansion slot allows you to transfer music, photos, and video from your desktop. Or, use it to load additional games and applications.

Fun and Games
The integrated VGA digital camera included with the Treo 755p sports a 2x digital zoom, features automatic light balancing, can be used to capture video with 352 x 288 pixel resolution, and is outfitted with a handy self-portrait mirror function. If you want to take your tunes with you, the Treo 755p comes with the PocketTunes application, allowing you to load up all your favorite music on MiniSD memory cards, and enjoy MP3 music on the go. Plus, with the ever-expanding library of Palm OS compatible games and other entertainment applications, you’ll never be at a loss for something fun to do during break time.

Vital Statistics
The Treo 755p weighs 5.64 ounces and measures 2.3 x 4.4 x 0.84 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.2 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/CDMA 1900 frequencies for voice and CDMA2000 EV-DO for data. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars SPCS 755p
I purchased 2 of the 755p for myself (4/8/08) in burgundy & blue for my husband (5/5/08). I had to update the software on my phone but not my husbands. My 755p was a upgrade from my 700p and I upgraded my husband from a Sanyo flip phone. We both enjoy our toys with the exception of a few some what tolerable glitches. Both of us despise the fact that the phone gets really hot after use. So, if it weren’t for our headsets we’d be fried! We’re both mad at Palm for producing those flimsy stylus’!! For him, his phone stopped notifying him of voicemails (unless he’s on a call) & from time to time his incoming calls/texts (some texts show up much later) don’t come thru on the phone but that the network not the phone. For me, I’ve had the 650p (several swapped out) and the 700p. I was excited to get a new toy. Once I got my 755p, I simply synced over my info from my previous phone as I was told that it will transfer with no problem like with my other models. OH DA HORROR!! In doing so, I immediately noticed that all of the contact, calendar & task entries were duplicated! Also, in the contacts, there were blocks of people that had the same ringtone that was only for a particular person. It seemed that anyone listed right after that person had that ringtone, bday & anniversary until the next person that was assigned a ringtone the same thing happened & so on. Sadly, this also applied to birthdays & anniversaries (I helped a friend move from a 700p to a 755p, synced his info for him and got the same exact issues). I simply DO NOT have the patience to go in and correct each and every entry! It is SO frustrating! Lastly, the only downside for me in opting for the Palm OS over Windows is that you cannot choose to ONLY sync/access your Outlook Exchange mail ONLY like with the Windows OS. With the Palm OS you must sync everything; calendar, contact, task. I made the mistake of trying to do it and lost ALL of the info I had stored under Palm OS. I had completely erased my personal info and it was replaced with my work info! MAN, was I pissed off to the highest point of pisstivity! I had to go back and work magic to get the info back that I had from my last hot sync which sadly was like a week ago. Since that mishap, I sync daily at a specific time. I simply DO NOT care for Windows as its not as reliable to me as Palm OS. I just wish that Palm would upgrade their OS very SOON to incorporate the option of what to sync and what not to sync as Windows does. Then I’ll be much more sassified. Not really digging the Centro, it feels cheap. Well, thats my 2 cents. I hope my lengthy review was helpful to you.

4 Stars Great phone…AWESOME PDA…exceptional value (IMO)
I’ve owned a rather extensive collection of Palm OS-based products, and while I believe that the 755p really IS a great smartphone, it COULD be better. Let me explain: This is my 3rd Treo (previously I’ve owned the 650 and 700p) and while there are some significant advances over the 650, in my opinion, if you still own a 650 and it still works great for you, I’d wait before spending the extra to upgrade. Why? The differences between the 650 and the 755p, while on the surface may seem to be rather significant, after all is said and done, aren’t really that significant at all.

The MAJOR differences…let’s examine them:

#1. The body. Okay, BIG difference here, I have to admit. No antenna nub at all (A very cool advance if you ask me). The 755p is thinner (but not by a HUGE margin) and lighter (this one really IS noticeable). The skin of the 755p is a HUGE difference to be sure. The rubberized coating really DOES sit well in the hand and is incredibly easy to hold. BIG improvement.

#2. More memory…again, a significant jump up to 128mb (although you’ll only get to use 62.8 of them–something about rounding UP that tech folks apparently don’t get) but this isn’t anything that cannot be handeled without an expansion card–which is also different with the 755p–we jump from the standard SD card to the mini SD card, smaller but with the same abilities.

#3. EVDO service…again, pretty big difference…but to be fair, the 700p had it, too. This is the single BIGGEST reason to upgrade in my opinion if you still have the 650–but ONLY if your current provider has this feature in your area, if it doesn’t, your 755p won’t upload and view web pages any faster than the 650. WORTH checking out before you purchase I assure you. Once you have determined you have the service however, it really IS incredible how a tiny phone can surf the ‘net faster than my DSL home computer can.

That’s about it. Really.

The 650 may seem antiquaited by today’s standards–and that wouldn’t be entirely an untrue statement, but think about what the phone is capable of doing. You can upload Word Documents, edit, save and RE-e-mail them! Use the unit as a phone, play games, organize your life, take photos and video, text your family and friends and so much more. The only MAJOR worthwhile upgrade REALLY worth getting is EVDO, otherwise, the rest of the so-called fancy upgrades aren’t much worth bragging about.

Now that I’ve almost turned you off to the 755p, I absolutely LOVE my phone. The Sound is quite impressive, and plenty louder than the 650 (or the 700p for that matter). The speakerphone is MUCH improved and the camera, while exactly the same (as on the 700p), I have discovered a 3rd party download which even allows me to upgrade my camera–which is rather significant when you consider what the phone could do right out of the box.

The PIM software hasn’t much changed since I bought my first Palm years ago–the one without color if you can remember that far back. Sure there are a FEW new things they’ve added, but shamefully not nearly the advances that Windows Mobile has done with their system (which by most accounts really suffers by comparison as a whole). At the very least Palm could have added new color-schemes to the main page to at least allow you to sort-of make it look different. I’m not asking them to re-invent the wheel mind you–mostly because the Palm OS is so ridiculously simple to use changing it up TOO much would be simply stupid. I’m just asking for a few cosmetic upgrades…is that asking too much?

On a side note, I’ve handled the new Palm Centro, which is very nice and quite small–especially considering all it can do (as far as I am aware it doesn’t do any more than the 700p or the 755p) but to be honest, for what I use it for, I honestly think it’s actually TOO small. I realize that smaller is more cool these days, but seriously, if it is TOO small, doesn’t that make it less user-friendly rather than convenient? I suppose if you have really small hands and especially fingers, using the keyboard may be fine for you, but while I am far from a big man, and my fingers are rather skinny actually, I still found the Centro a bit too small for my tastes–your experience may differ.

Overall, I love the convenience and reliability of the Palm’s I have owned and find the 755p to be a capable smartphone that does almost everything I want with ease and simplicity. Every now and then I read or hear about someone’s unit failing and getting poor service and/or response from Palm–while this has never happened to me I cannot comment on that, my experience has been wonderful and I will probably upgrade to the newest model shortly after it comes out, too (course that’ll depend on my wife a bit…she’s already not happy I upgraded to this model without consulting her first…oh well–it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission, right?).

Let me share with you what I think SHOULD come in the next upgrade for Palm smartphones: A minimum 1 gig internal memory–honestly, it OUGHT to be 8 gig or more, but I suppose I won’t be greedy here. A faster processor, which WAS available before they manufactured the 700p, but shockingly wasn’t added, and something that will allow you to view video’s at YouTube (currently unavailable to Treo users) along with other online video sites, and MOST importantly: let’s upgrade the Operating System even to just make it LOOK reasonably new compared with my old Palm from 9 YEARS ago. Seriously, I compare the latest Palm OS with what my old m125 looked like almost a DECADE ago and initially the difference looks to be virtually non-existent. You can either buy, or get for FREE many 3rd party programs that will have your Palm OS look almost exactly like a Windows Mobile Today screen or even a fake version of an Apple IPhone, and yet Palm continues to stagnate with amazingly OUTDATED looking software. Even though its tried and true and is way more stable than almost ANY program you can get with Windows Mobile, leaving it LOOKING stale is tantamount to telling your loyal customers that you simply don’t care. I honestly believe that if you make these changes, people will FLOCK once again to the Palm platform. Also, Palm can only ignore buyer’s suggestions and complaints for so long before everyone will eventually stop buying these products altogether. I have noticed a HUGE number of loyal Palm users intentionally switch to Windows Mobile simply because they have felt betrayed and ignored by Palm. Have they truly been treated this way? I can’t say, but there are enough complaints that it cannot all be just sheer coincidence if you ask me.

5 Stars Experienced User
I’ve been a user of the Treo 755p by Sprint for over a year. This phone has never let me down. Very few signal drops, if any. I’ve taken it all over the US including Hawaii. I use the phone, email, Pocket Tunes and a couple of games. I upgraded to a 2GB mini SD memory card and I have about 300 songs with room for growth. I have Sony noise reducing headphones (about $40) and the sound is terrific and great on airplanes. I can also listen to the stored music via my car stereo using a USB patch cord.

The data transfer rate accessing the web is phenomenal – better than my broadband PC at home. I can bring up pictures, video, and other web sites in a matter of seconds. Receiving and sending email is a snap. Great for traveling. The ED VO (or whatever it’s called) for fast web access is only $15/month, so I’m not sure where some reviewers are saying $40/month – that might be the Verizon plan, but this is a Sprint phone review site!

With all the average and negative reviews, I just had to share my experience with this phone. I’m an experienced user, but not a tech weanie at all. The Sprint support was very helpful in getting all the apps and web functional.

Hope this helps!

5 Stars Sprint phone, Sprint service: If you have them, post here. Otherwise, DON’T
First off, I’d like to say that I do own this phone (well, it’s blue, not burgundy) and have the Sprint service, and so far I really love both. I upgraded from a Treo 650 (had a 600 before that) and it’s a huge difference. The Bluetooth works much better with my car, Google Maps combined with the super-fast Sprint EV-DO service (at least where I am) is amazing, and I have multiple bars in many places that T-Mobile prepaid (which I’m phasing out now) didn’t reach at all.

Now for the complaining part. Sorry, but this is bugging me no end. Three of the eight reviews for the Sprint Treo 755P here were written by Verizon customers. A fourth was written by someone who never got the phone but was complaining about Sprint’s poor treatment of him.

I’m assuming this is partly Amazon’s fault, but I’m really tired of seeing negative reviews (and 1-star ratings that pull down the average) that have nothing to do with the product I’m trying to learn more about.

5 Stars Why did I wait so long?
I had an earlier Samsung flip smartphone (sph-500) that I really liked, but declining battery life led me to research new options. The Treo 755p has exceeded my expectations on ease of use and the ability to accomodate a variety of downloaded apps. And since it is first and foremost a phone, the excellent sound quality is much appreciated.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise has been the speed of web browsing – much faster on Sprint’s network than the AT&T network for my work phone. Speaking of Sprint, I’ve actually had no trouble and the new CEO is making significant investment in upgrading the customer experience so I don’t expect any issues of the type others experienced.

I like the solid, ergonomic feel of the phone, and that it can be used conveniently one handed (with the option to flip for left handed users!). My last bit of advice would be to read the owners manual since I found several gems of infomation about features I didn’t realize existed.

Buy/More Info