tonyballinger.com

My T68i is starting to act up a little bit (the buttons stick sometimes) so I’m looking at options to replace it sometime this year. I’m a Mac user, so it’s a necessity that I be able to use the new phone seamlessly with my Macintosh. When I bought the SonyEricsson T68i, it was one of the first phones I knew of to use Bluetooth and work with iSync. So picking it was a no-brainer. But now the options are a lot more diverse, so selecting a replacement will be trickier. Here’s what I’m looking for from my new phone.

Data Syncing via Bluetooth

This is two requirements in one, but I’m flexible on them. I use iCal and Address Book on my mac, and I want to be able to sync that data with my phone. I see a lot of concerts, and I need to be able to make certain I don’t have scheduling conflicts. Without a simple syncing solution, this makes coordinating with people difficult. Full iSync support is strongly preferred, but if there’s another option, I’m open to it.

Web

Ok, I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do on the Internet with my phone. But I want the option. Maybe I can hit Ticketmaster with it or close an eBay auction.

Multimedia Options

Phones are capable of a lot more than they were when I bought the T68i. I’d like the ability to take decent pictures, send SMS messages, maybe use instant messenger, and even listen to mp3s.

Key Applications

I don’t use my Palm 505 much any more, but when I do it’s only for two applications: Vindigo and Avantgo. I would like to be able to run those two apps on my new phone, but I’m open to alternatives that get the same tasks done.

With those criteria in mind, here are some phone options I’m considering.

Nokia 3660

Earlier versions of this phone had a funky layout to the number keys that really turned me off. But this newer version has a standard number layout, and a lot of cool features. It works with iSync via Bluetooth, has a camera, runs Realplayer, and can run Avantgo and Vindigo (plus other Java/Symbian apps). It also has a WAP/XHTML web browser built-in. So far, this one’s my favorite contender.

Treo 650

This one’s an obvious contender, but I’m not wild about the idea. From what little I’ve seen of it of it in action, it feels like a PDA you can make calls with, instead of feeling like a phone. Also, with all the functionality of a Palm and a phone, I can’t help but think that it’s probably a little less seamless than I would like. But it’s got Bluetooth, can access the web, runs Palm apps, has a camera, and it can run Realplayer.

Sidekick II (aka Hiptop 2)

I like what I hear about the ease-of-use of the Sidekick, but not what I hear about the syncing abilities. Apparently PC users can use Intellisync, but Mac users are left to manage their data via a web interface or various kludgy solutions for data management. I could use iCal to Sidekick to export my calendars, and I know there’s an Applescript out there somewhere to do the same for my Address Book. But that’s still a suck solution.

SonyEricsson S710, W800i & Others

I like my T68i a lot, so the idea of just getting a newer SonyEricsson phone is appealing. Also, their phones typically have good iSync support. The S710 is an interesting option in that it is a clamshell phone with a 1.3 megapixel camera, bluetooth, and the ability to play mp3s. The W800i is a solid option also, boasting a 2 megapixel camera and an mp3 player. The W800i can also take Memory Stick memory media to increase it’s music storage abilty to a respectable size.

Motorola RAZR V3

Really the only reason I would get this phone is because it’s slim as hell. I like clamshell phones, and this one has bluetooth, a camera, and IM abilities. But I would have to switch providers for this phone, so it’s an unlikely choice.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 3rd, 2005 at 6:53 pm and is filed under Gadgets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.