Windows Mobile PDA phones

This is the state of top-of-the-line Windows Mobile PDA phones as of 2009-May. It will not be updated. Please consider using an Android PDA phone.

Acer C1, E1, L1

• budget phones

Acer DX900

• dual SIM
• Windows Mobile

Acer F1

• awesome specs
• Windows Mobile
• no compass

Acer F900

• Russian review
• + 480x800 display, 49.91 x 83.18mm
• 63.5 x 117.5 x 12.85, 150g
• 533MHz, 128MiB RAM, 256MiB ROM
• - not officially available yet, only 2 froogle vendors
• - GPS: SiRF starIII, geotagging, QuickGPS; no A-GPS (?)
• 3.15MP camera with flash
  • - 320x240 video recording
• FM radio
• microSDHC up to 32GB
• mini-USB
• + GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100, CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
• + Windows Mobile 6.1

Acer Tempo M900

• - slide-out keyboard, bulky

Asus P550

• - outdated

Asus P565

• - camera has no flash
• + 800MHz CPU

Asus P835

• - WARNING: touch screen tends to die
• - 115 x 59 x 13.8 mm, 148g
• + 480x800, resistive
• 528MHz CPU, a step back from the P565, makes the home screen slow
• 4GB storage, 288MB RAM, 256MB ROM, microSD up to 16GB (or 32GB)
• GPS most likely Qualcomm gpeOne
• no FM radio
• 5MP camera with flash, photo-confirmed, also by manufacturer's photos despite pdadb
  • - crap QVGA video recording at 24fps, capped by the CPU used
  • - camera reportedly bad
• has stylus
• - no headphone jack, need adapter from the miniUSB connector
• + miniUSB
• + GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE / GPRS, UMTS / HSDPA 2100; Bluetooth A2DP, WiFi access point (!)
• solid metal build
• - "coming soon in 2009 Q2" but already on [froogle](Asus P835), albeit from dubious resellers (another one
• available in Malaysia and Hong Kong
• firmware and other official downloads
• ASUS P835 VIP forum
• XDA developers ROM thread
• comparison with Diamond 2
• some usability issues

Garmin-Asus nüvifone

• no camera flash, no compass listed among specs

GIGA-BYTE GSmart MW700

• - screen too small

Gigabyte g-Smart s1200

• + 480x800 display, resistive
• 3.15MP camera with flash
• - only 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM
• 105.5 x 52 x 11.4 mm
• - HSDPA 900 / 2100 won't allow 3G in the US
• only 1 froogle vendor, $1000

HP iPAQ 600

• - screen too small

HTC Iolite

• - no North American version: http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=14772
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• + 103g, 102 mm x 53.5 mm x 14.5 mm

HTC Max 4G

• apparently for Russia only
• - no camera flash

HTC Mogul

• locked to Sprint

HTC Touch HD

• + http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/review/htc-touch-hd-en.shtml
  • - poor sunlight legibility
  • - glossy but comes with a matte cover
• + 800x480, 83x50mm screen
• 115 mm x 62.8 mm x 12 mm
• 320MB storage, 288MB RAM, 512MB ROM
• + 5MP camera
  • - 352x288 (CIF) video @ 30fps
  • - no flash
  • + focus wherever you point on the screen
• + ExtUSB connector backward-compatible with mini-USB
• - careful about 3G data in the US. Check UMTS frequencies vs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UMTS_networks#America
• patches: http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=6560

HTC Touch Diamond

• http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/review/htc-touch-diamond-full-part1-en.shtml
• - fingerprint magnet, no memory card slot; only Verizon version includes card slot - this means you can't run GPS programs locked to a SIM card.

HTC Touch Diamond2 (aka Warhawk?)

• + 480x800
• - "the screen is glossy and makes for a nice mirror, but this comes in annoying if you need to use the device in intense light – it´s almost impossible to read whatever pops up on the display, because it gets way too gray"
• + card slot
• + Windows Mobile 6.1
• - UMTS / HSDPA 900/2100 won't work for 3G in the US, confirmed
• - no standard headphone jack
• - 5MP camera has no flash
  • - video recording: VGA or lower, but fixed @ 15fps due to idiot patent restrictions. Get the 30fps version
  • + "subjectively, the camera on the Diamond2 fares even a notch above the one on the LG KM900 Arena"
• - fingerprint nightmare: "It takes so little for the handset to get all greasy and miserably looking"
• + "awesome in-call quality", 2009-05-05
• - "call quality was mediocre" with AT&T in San Francisco, 2009-05-22
• + excellent audio quality
• + 107.9 x 53.1 x 13.7 mm , 117.5g
• 288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, 300 MB storage
• + standard mini-USB
• + WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, FM radio, 3G, quad-band GSM
• + A-GPS: Qualcomm gpsOne chipset, which comes along with the Qualcomm 7200A platform
• + "When connected to a computer, the Diamond2 prompts you to select among ActiveSync, Mass Storage or Modem modes"
• + excellent XviD video but skips on DivX. Convert beforehand.

HTC Warhawk

• - no camera flash; 5PM
• no compass
• very cool specs otherwise
• 52.7 x 106.6 x 13.6, 110g, 528 MHz, 288 RAM, 3.2" 480x800 screen
• GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, A-GPS
• Windows Mobile 6.5

HTC Touch Viva

• - too small

HTC Twin (Dopod Tachi)

• - camera has no flash
• no compass
• dual GSM/CDMA, EVDO

Mitac MIO Explora K70

• - only 128MB RAM
• + 240x400 display

Motorola MOTOSURF A3100

• - screen too small

Pharos Traveler 137 - discontinued

• no phonearena or gsmarena specs; only pdadb
• no camera flash

Samsung i740

• - no WiFi

Samsung Omnia (WiTu in Russia) (Samsung i900)

• + Windows Mobile
• + better camera than the HTC HD, with flash, which can work as torch
• - 240x400 display
• 112 x 56.9 x 12.5 mm, 122g
• + FM radio, 3-band UMTS, 8G or 16G internal memory - specs
• - "It is almost impossible to use it in direct sunlight, which is a big drawback", BUT "The i900 Omnia performed admirably as an in-car navigation unit. While its display is not legible enough in bright sunlight, we had no problem with it on the dashboard."; "very difficult to read under direct sunlight"
• - proprietary USB connector
• external stylus

Samsung Omnia II (Samsung GT-i8000)

• + runs Windows Mobile 6.5
• conflicting 3G specs: UMTS900, UMTS1900, UMTS2100 - pdadb.net, gsmarena vs. 900/2100
• - released in Austria in late September
• no compass? GSM Arena, phonearena, pdadb.net. yes compass
• - low sunlight legibility
• - no stylus slot
• ++ 5MP camera with LED flash
  • 720x480@30fps video recording
  • image stabilization, wide dynamic range, geo-tagging
• + 3.7" OLED display, 480x800,
• resistive screen because of the Windows OS limitation, so no multi-touch
• + task switcher key
• + "7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 HSUPA"
• FM radio, 800MhZ CPU, Wi-Fi, A-GPS
• 16GB internal storage
• 32GB microSD card support, hot-swappable, but under the rear cover
• 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB

Samsung Omnia Pro

• + camera flash
• - slide-out keyboard
• ? compass

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

• - built-in keyboard
• Windows Mobile 6.1

Toshiba TG01

• "available in 2009 Q2" but already on froogle
• + Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro
• + 1GHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, microSD slot up to 16GB
• + 129 x 70 x 9.9 mm, 129g
• + 480 x 800, TFT resistive, zoom bar
• 3.15MP camera, most likely no flash
• + great battery life (review)
• glossy
• ? no compass
• microUSB
• too big?
• no reviews?

 Privacy policy