Customer Reviews

BlackBerry Curve 8330 Phone, Titanium (Sprint)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

** UPDATE ** 09/30
Going on 9 months with the phone. Still enjoying it and happy with my decision. There is word of the Lotus 2 (2nd generation) phone coming out sometime in 2010. It's too early to tell how much will have changed from the Lotus 1, but so far word has it that the micro SDHC memory limit has been expanded to 32Gb and the outer screen will be touch sensitive. The touch screen functionality suggests that the inner screen will have this too, but that was not mentioned. In any case, expect the phone to debut sometime in the summer. If you really need a phone right now, you can't go wrong with the Lotus given the extremely attractive discounts going on.

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REVIEW
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The LG Lotus was introduced in the fall of 2008, to reasonable fanfare and press. But do you hear anything about the Lotus now? Not much, which I find strange because the LG Lotus is such an amazing phone. Maybe the surging popularity of touch screen phones overshadows it?

I bucked the touch screen trend and instead went with an LG Lotus. I had to switch from Verizon to Sprint in order to get it, because US based cellular carriers still impose a carrier lock on most phones and have significant pricing discounts when buying a phone with a plan. At first, I was worried about leaving "American's most reliable network" and sacrificing the "in network" minutes with a few of the people I know... but then I came to realize that Sprint has an excellent network as well. So far in my first few weeks of being on the Sprint network, I've noticed no performance loss.

But back to the phone. This is what attracted me to the Lotus:

1) EXCELLENT QWERTY KEYPAD. I don't like the lack of feedback from a touch screen phone; but you've no choice with it, because that's the main interface you're given (unless you do everything by voice command). On the other hand, the tactile sensation of the Lotus keypad is excellent. I have XL sized hands and have no trouble rapidly "double thumb" typing on the Lotus. I tried the Blackberry Curve and Treo--the Lotus keypad works with fewer typos.

2) SMALL FORM FACTOR. The iPhone, Storm, and Omnia touch screen style phones are all quite large and a bit weighty. They don't fit comfortably in your pocket, especially if you've got it in a case to avoid screen scratches. But the Lotus disappears in your pocket. Even in a shirt pocket, it is unobtrusive. When folded, the inner screen and keyboard are fully protected. Yet, when you open it up, the size is doubled and it is easy to hold. THIS is what cellular communications should be all about. I've tried out the Motorola RAZR and I'd say the Lotus is about the same thickness but easier to hold. Overall, the design of the Lotus is very unusual. When opened, it almost looks like a miniature laptop! :-)

3) SEMI-SMART PHONE. What does it take for a cellular phone to be called a Smart Phone? "There is no agreement in the industry about what a smartphone actually is and definitions have changed over time." The Lotus supports Java applications, can browse the web, download files, exchange e-mail (when connected, e-mail is pushed to the phone), and work as a GPS device. This certainly sounds smart to me. Aside from the default browser, you can download others (like the Opera Mini) and even use a GMail application instead of going through the HTML interface. I'm sure as time goes on, the list of compatible Java apps for the Lotus will increase.

4) PLAN VERSATILITY. With smart phones like the iPhone, Storm, and Omnia, you MUST have a data plan. With the Lotus, you can choose whether or not you want a data plan. Plus, on Sprint, you can do this change mid-stream on your contract without incurring costs or contract change penalties (the countdown to expiration remains unchanged). I find this an attractive advantage over the competition.

5) SCREEN RESOLUTION. The inner screen of the Lotus is 2.5" diagonal. It is a beautiful wide screen that looks like one you'd see on a quality digital camera. The resolution is SUPERB. Pictures appear razor sharp and in full accurate color. Even the external screen looks great, and you can choose not only a few different clock layouts but a different wallpaper from the internal screen.

6) MENU SYSTEM. The default "Carousel" style menu system is actually very nice. It is customizable and provides very easy access to popular functions of the phone. It is great for novices but a little annoying for the technically adept. However, you can dispense with it and go with the LG menu system. With the help of a Sprint store rep, you can get the default LG menu activated (or if you know your MSL number, you can do it yourself). I prefer the LG menu as it removes the Carousel clutter (if the menu would auto-hide, I'd like it more) so you can see your wallpaper image in all its glory. Plus, you go from 5 to 12 favorites (shortcuts), something I really appreciate. Not only that, but the left menu button becomes a quick access link to the Calendar/Scheduler, instead of it being hidden behind a carousel tile you have to hunt for. Supposedly, going with the LG menu saves you some battery life, too.

7) NO THEFT MAGNET. Large and glamorous PDA phones are a theft magnet, especially the coveted iPhone. Personally, I find the idea of constantly whipping out an expensive device increases the chance for damage (who here hasn't dropped a phone at least once on a hard surface?) and involuntary loss due to theft. The Lotus is nicely inconspicuous (especially the black version).

8) MUSIC PLAYBACK QUALITY. The built in music player is a little cumbersome at first, in that upon initial insertion of the SD card, it scans all of your music and creates an internal index. But once that index is created, it is quick and easy to play music selections by "All Songs", "Artists", "Genres", and "Albums". Plus you can create your own playlists, as well as use random or sequential play by Genre, Artist, and All Songs. A very nice attribute for the way the SD card is used is that you can subdivide your music by whatever folders you want--the Lotus scans the card and finds them, rather than requiring all songs to be in one folder. Sound quality is impressive, although for this small size the bass is lacking. But mids and highs are clear and accurate. I couldn't believe what I was able to hear... better than the iPod earbuds, that's for certain. Plus, it has a 2.5mm jack so you can plug in earbuds if you wish to listen privately. Bluetooth headsets are also supported.

9) EXCELLENT GPS SOFTWARE. I was about to buy a Garmin Nuvi 255w. But now, I don't have to. The Sprint GPS Navigator is excellent! It really works. Plus, it's full featured. You get horizon view and bird's eye view, turn-by-turn voice navigation with street names, easily stored favorites, and interfacing with Google maps. It also audibly informs you about traffic conditions. What more could you want?

10) DECENT CAMERA. A 2.0 megapixel camera sounds passe, when 3.2 and 5.0 cellphone cameras are available. Well, I don't know what firmware LG put in this phone, but this is the best 2.0 megapixel camera I've ever seen. I'd swear it was 3.0 megapixel. Photos are of very high quality. It works OK in low light if the subject remains still. There is NO flash, unfortunately. I wouldn't use this over a full fledged digital camera, but it makes for an excellent backup.

11) OBVIOUS CHARGING INDICATOR. On many phones, you need to look at the LCD screen to see a message that charging is complete or that the battery indicator is now on full. With the Lotus, the external music controls are lit up red when charging is taking place, but change to white once charging is finished--quite obvious to notice from a distance, which is very convenient.

12) MINI USB CONNECTOR. The mini USB connector works very well with this phone, sliding into place securely. And now there are vendors supplying car chargers with retractable cords that work with the Lotus. It's an excellent solution for convenient charging on the go with no cords to hassle with.

OTHERS - the phone has 5 alarm settings, one "quick alarm" and 4 main ones that you can set for whatever period you need (once, daily, weekly, monthly) and with whatever sound you want (default or downloaded). There is even a feature that allows you to record a phone call--not bad.


So, those are the things I really like about the Lotus. But alas, no phone is perfect. Here is what I see needing improvement:

1) VOICE QUALITY. During calls, voices are projected through an internal speaker on the lid. Depending on the party reached, some calls sound a little flat and tinny on high volume. This is in contrast to the excellent voice quality I had on a Motorola E815. Now, it's not so bad that it is a deal breaker, but I wish it was a little better. If you're in a noisy room and crank up the volume, you'll be a bit disappointed. I tend to keep the volume set to about the mid-point. Using an ear set works well, as an alternative. In fact, at home I plug in a wired ear set and it works beautifully. I tuck the phone in my pocket and walk around hands free. The speakerphone quality is excellent, though.

2) BATTERY LIFE. If you leave your phone connected to the Internet most of the time, you'll probably need to recharge your phone daily. But if you shut off the Internet connection when not in use, battery life should be about average for standby and talk time. The Lotus is rated at 5.5 hours, but I'd say it's just about 3 hours. Most phone manufacturers exaggerate their talk time anyway. My last phone was supposed to be 3 hours but it was more like 2. The Lotus is incredibly thin, so the battery constraint is a bit much. The default battery is 900mAh. Aftermarket batteries usually become available later on with a higher milliamp rating than the OEM supplied battery. I'd get one at 1200mAh or higher and from a reputable source/brand.

3) EVENT SCHEDULER. The event scheduler lets you set alert rings in increments of 5 mins, 10 mins, 1 hour, 2 hours, 1 day, and 2 days. There is no custom setting, which I find annoying (I like to allow for travel time, so I might set it for 2 hours--can't do it here). Also, I can't copy an event to another date (such as an irregularly occurring event). You are forced to move the event to the new target date, losing the history. My Motorola E815 allowed custom alert time setting and event copying... why Lotus couldn't make this available is beyond me.

4) AVAILABLE SOFTWARE. At this time, aside from basic drivers that let you access the Lotus via USB to interface with the SD card, the only backup software available is Susteen DataPoint. But the Lotus support is so limited it's not worth getting (read only, and backup of just contacts, images, and videos). Hopefully more support will be forthcoming.

5) RINGTONE SUPPORT. The Sprint Digital Lounge (on-line) makes available custom ringtones for easy download to your phone. Some are free but most require a fee. However, there are several free websites that will accept your uploaded MP3 file and send you a text message link. When you access it you can then download the ringtone. So, it's not a big hassle, but it would be nice to have the freedom to directly load MP3 files for use as ringtones.

6) COLOR SCHEME. You have 3 choices: Dark purple, light purple, and black. The purple schemes have a cool raised vines pattern. The black is perfectly smooth. It would be nice if LG gave customers more choices. I'm likely going to purchase a skin for the phone, as an added protection. I have no doubt that if the Lotus is successful, you'll see plenty of aftermarket casings available.

7) NO CAMERA FLASH. Without a flash, forget about taking pictures in low light if there is movement.

**NOTE**: I had a problem with the speakerphone function and had to return my Lotus for an exchange. When activated, the speakerphone caused a feedback loop for person on the other end. They would hear their own voice rather prominently. My replacement phone resolved the problem almost completely. One test caller noticed a little echo when on the periphery of a weak signal. Otherwise, no feedback with a strong signal.

So, that's my take on the LG Lotus. I've had it for several months now and I'm very happy with it. I consider it the "sleeper" phone--far more capable than most people think.

I bought this phone two weeks ago from Sprint for the Sprint/Best Buy price of $49.00 with a new plan. I was nervous about upgrading to a smart phone after using a simple phone for years. The transition was smooth and Sprint did a great job of anwering all of my questions about the phone and the service. The rep spent about an hour and a half helping me choose a phone and getting me set up. I chose this phone over the Palm Pilot because of its larger screen, GPS, and the voice dial feature. The track ball took a little getting used to, but I was navigating around menus fairly swiftly within a few hours.

Pros:
*Large, bright high resolution screen
*Good video quality
*Voice Dial Command
*Track Ball for easy navigation
*Clear phone calls
*Push Email - It's very simple to check email
*Doubles as an MP3 player with exceptional sound quality
*GPS works well, voice directions are generally easy to understand
*Sprint network fairly quickly loads web pages
*Streaming radio from Sprint is clear and has a good variety of music
*Value for the money: Box includes stereo headphones that double as a hands-free, case, 1G MircoSD card, USB cable, charger

Cons/The reason for 4 stars over 5:
*Voice Dial does not consistently recognize the name from the address book, but does get it on the second or third try
*Manual does not include all the information new users should know - for example, my new phone was making a tone every time I got an email-annoying in the middle of the night. I also had some trouble figuring out how to download MP3s from my computer directly to the SD card.

I have been able to solve all both of the technology questions above by going to the help forums at www.blackberry.com within a few minute of searching for answers. The support from users on this site is extremely helpful.

I highly recommend this phone and can't imagine living without my Blackberry now!

This phone is excellent!! It isn't a smartphone so for those of you coming from a Centro, or Touch Diamond, Iphone etc... you may be disappointed!! This is a great phone for texting, e-mails, voice calls etc...The calls are clear, the speakers are very nice and loud, no distortion what so ever, texting is a breeze on the keyboard. Although it is square it is very comfortable to hold, and even in your pocket. It isn't the thinnest phone around but a nice size. I did however have to disable the One Click UI in order to stop the slight lagging problem so now it works like a charm. It even gave me longer battery life when I did this!! For a basic phone user this phone is excellent, the browser could be better so Opera Mini was installed and now it is everything I could ever want in a phone. Of course everyone has their on opinion so there will be some that may hate this phone but if you want a small stylish phone that is great for texting, email and voice calls then this is the phone for you. I would like to warn you though, Sprint has disabled the feature to load your own custom ringtones vis USB or bluetooth, so you'll have to send them to your phone via WAP or via text. You also won't be able to use songs or mp3's from your SD card as ringtones either. You can however use video ringtones instead in 3g2 format. Aside from that I like this phone and those little problems aren't much to me because I have internet & texting on my plan!! Get this phone, you won't be sorry!!

This is my first time purchasing a smart phone and after much searching (I read and watched hundreds of reviews on various smart phones) I decided on the Blackberry Curve 8330 from sprint. After using it for the past month or so here are some of my thoughts.

FIRST THE GOOD:
I am quite happy with my purchase. The Curve does a splendid job of nearly everything it promises to do. Setting up email was a piece of cake and they show up in my phone in real time. Call audio was crystal clear (probably the best I've ever heard). It syncs easily with my Lotus notes which is a huge plus for me since I can never remember what meetings I am supposed to be at and when when I am out of the office. It also syncs very quickly with my Bluetooth and my headset can go probably 30+ feet from my phone without hearing a lot of crackling. The battery lasts for a long time, even when using Bluetooth. I find that with my use, (about 90 minutes a day of talk time and another 20 minutes using the internet and maps functions) I can get about two days, possibly more on one charge. The OS works pretty quickly, I never feel like I am waiting on programs to open or anything. The camera is stellar. It is so nice to have a flash but don't count on it lighting anything beyond 5 feet when it is dark out. The video is pretty cool too. GPS is functional, though it refreshes rather slowly compared to a Garmin (I'd say once every few seconds or so) and of course the voice commands cost extra from sprint. The QWERTY keyboard is sufficiently sized and I have no problem using it with my somewhat large fingers (my thumb is a little wider than a nickel).

NOW THE BAD:
I have to say that the user interface for Blackberry is not the most intuitive. I consider myself a pretty techy guy but customizing a lot of the options was a pain and took a while. I find the track ball skips at times when moving side to side which can be annoying when it happens but not too annoying. The curve that comes from sprint does not come with the handy dandy holster like the other curves (shame on you sprint). I also don't like the reminder functions on the blackberry. It reminds you one time for each calendar entry. ONE TIME! I need something that will keep reminding me and reminding me until I say it's done. I have heard there is an application out there for this, but haven't bought one yet. Sigh. Lastly, the phone automatically turns off when you drop it (which is good) but sometimes it is too sensitive. For example: if I place the phone down on the desk to hard while I am on my headset it thinks it has been dropped and shuts off. This is annoying but I am slowly getting used to being more gently with it.

NOW THE UGLY:
I can't stand the voice activated dialing from Blackberry. It is the WORST thing about the phone. The phone has the hardest time determing which person I want to call and gets it wrong about 70- 90% of the time depending on the name of the person. My old sprint Katana was ten times better. I tried adjusting everything from my voice tones and vowel sounds to setting different levels of sensitivity on the phone (nothing worked). FYI I have a very normal voice. I spent hours on the web looking for help, all to no avail. Blackberry would have done better by their customers had they stuck with the old voice software which allows you to program in your own voice for peoples names. This was a deal breaker for me and I nearly returned the phone had it not been for finding an awesome and free application (see next).

Applications worth getting:
1.OperaMini (free internet browser that replaces blackberry's crappy one)
2.GoogleMaps (its free and does a better job of finding businesses then
the blackberry maps app.)
3.VLINGO (this voice recognition software is absolutely incredible, it recognized any command I could give it without a problem and gets better over time. It will even convert your audio into text messages or emails and is completely free and improves the curve experience drastically. This app made me truly love my blackberry. Even if it guesses incorrectly which word you used once you correct it, it almost never gets it wrong again. I have tried sending progressively more and more complicated texts and emails to friends and it gets the words right about 90% of the time)

OVERALL:
I give the phone 4 ½ stars. The cool apps you can get for it mitigate most of it's short comings and probably make it a five star phone. Definitely worth the money.

I have been using this phone for several weeks now. I will refrain from repeating much of what others say and focus instead on a few more obscure but very important issues I have noticed. If you rely heavily on any of the features mentioned below, you might want to consider these points...

1. Audio quality:

This phone's audio is not as good as the last few phones I've owned (Rumor, Razr, others). Callers sound muddled, and if you're talking to someone who is mumbly at all, or is not talking directly into their mouthpiece, it is difficult to understand their words.

On the plus side, this phone has an earpiece that is very easy to position properly over your ear, and you can feel it when it's not positioned right. With the Rumor I was constantly moving it around trying to mate the speaker with my ear.

Speakerphone on this phone is a significant improvement over the Rumor which sounded distorted at any volume loud or soft.

One other auditory note... there doesn't seem to be a way to turn off the power-up and power-down songs it plays (ostensibly to congratulate itself for taking a long time to follow your instructions). This is extremely annoying in situations when you remember to turn off the phone after the class or meeting starts... there's no way to turn it off silently (even if you turn the volume all they way to silent, it still plays a song). I've never had a phone before that didn't let you silence those permanently.


2. User Interface:

It is frustrating for several reasons, mostly it's lack of customizability. The carousel system might please you if you like icon menus, but I prefer text-style menus and that's not an option on this phone. They say you can add custom items to the carousel, but that's sort of a misnomer. You can add a limited selection of 'features' to the carousel--mostly data-gathering web features like weather reports and stock tickers--it's a very limited list of pre-chosen items, you can't make up your own, and you can't add menu items. If you want quick access to a menu item (such as the calculator, note pad, or alarm clock) you can add it to the 'shortcuts' carousel item which puts it in sort of a quick-menu, but and it's limited to five items. Older LG phones allowed you to program one-touch buttons (usualy the 4-way arrow keys) but this phone has no one-touch buttons you can customize. Everything's done through the carousel which isn't any easier than finding stuff in menus so I'm not sure what the point is. And its very confusing to figure out how to customize it. It's not intuitive at all.

By the way, this carousel menu system is Sprint's proprietary user interface which they have forced all their non-smart phones to use, regardless of manufacturer. It's their attempt to brand all the phones with universal Sprint interface. So it appears that the old days of variety are over. It used to be that the different manufacturers did their software differently so if you didn't like one brand's interface, another brand might work better for you. Now they all have the same interface so you're stuck with it unless you want to switch carriers. There is a way around this if you're comfortable doing a little hacking. A program called "CDMA" can help you revert back to the phone's native user interface (very similar to what it comes with only the carousel one-click system will be gone). Browse the sprint user forums for more info, I did it and I like it much better without the carousel.


3. Charger/USB interface:

As unforgivable as this has always been, this phone uses YET ANOTHER new kind of charger/usb connector, so you have to go out and buy new chargers AGAIN. The B Micro-usb connector is gaining popularity though, so perhaps it will be somewhat standardized, but I'm not hopeful. I think there's just too much money to be made on needlessly (and wastefully) replacing all those components with every new phone--especially at $35 each in the Sprint store. Be sure you buy those items ANYWHERE else for at least 75% savings.

On the plus side, the charger that comes with this phone is simply a usb cord with a power supply that has a usb connector on it. So you can disconnect the cord from the charger and connect it to a computer for charging. I love this. I bought an 18" usb cord so I can use this charger on the kitchen counter without an annoying coil of wire to contend with.


4. Keyboard & Buttons:

The keyboard on this phone is great. Nice sized buttons and they're nicely rounded such that it's very easy to type on. I can type one-handed quite easily on this phone which was nearly possible on the Rumor. I still wish it had dedicated number buttons but apparently that's too much to ask. The dedicated 'text' button is a nice feature, it brings you right to the 'send a text message' screen. It's pretty much the only one-touch feature button on the phone aside from the camera button which seems to always get pressed by accident. I am not a fan of putting buttons on the sides of the phone where you're supposed to be holding on to it.


5. Screens/Backgrounds/Pictures.

Screen visibility in most features is very poor outdoors. Aside from the text message screen and note pad (which are black-on-white) nearly every screen is white(or another color)-on-black making it very hard to see in sunlight.

There is no option to have a blank background on the phone's screen. You're forced to use an image, and the pre-installed pics are crap. It's quite comical actually, the background pictures for the external screen are all so detailed that they obscure the clock from being readable. I ended up using the built-in camera to take a picture of a blank surface and I use that as the background picture.

Another oddity... similar to the Rumor, if you assign a picture to a phone number so it can show you a picture of who is calling, it overlays a text box on top of the picture so you can't see it anyway except for what's visible around the edge. (WTF, does anybody at the factory actually USE these things before they send them out to market?)


6. Alarm Clock:

While a standard feature on most phones nowadays, this one is quite crippled. The completely unforgivable oversight (which was also a problem on the Rumor) is that if you miss an alarm it does not show up on the missed alerts list. This is especially bad for me because I use it as a medication reminder, and if I leave the phone in the other room and I don't hear it ringing before it turns off on its own after a few minutes, I have no idea that i've missed it.

Also, if you press snooze to silence it temporarily, there is absolutely no way to deactivate it until it rings again (aside from going to the alarm clock menu and deleting the alarm).

A nice touch would be to have the default time for the alarm be the last time used, but instead it always defaults to 9:30 am. Extra hassle.


7. Text Messaging:

Here's a really nice feature of this phone (really the sprint interface, one of the few benefits)... text messages are organized into threads by recipient/sender, so if you're having a conversation with someone, it shows all the messages (both sent and received) in a single list in chronological order. So you can see the full conversation without having to switch between the inbox and sent folders. Great improvement. It takes some getting used to, but I like it.


8. Speed-dial/Contacts list:

Nobody does this better, but it's worth mentioning... why limit the one-touch press-and-hold speed dial buttons to just the number keys? With all those letter buttons, it seems you ought to be able to assign a speed dial number to any of them. I would love to program 'mom' to the M button for example, but you can't on this user interface. I suspect this is just a paradigm shift that phone makers haven't caught up to yet. They're still thinking as though there are only 12 buttons on the phone.

Another speed dial issue with this sprint interface (although my old Rumor had the same shortcoming)... when you press the speed dial button the only option is to call the default number for that person. My sanyo and samsung phones in the past have allowed you to press the button briefly to bring up the person's contacts entry, then use the L/R arrow buttons to scroll through that persons various numbers to choose the one you want to call. That feature is missing on this phone so if I want quick access to my wife's cell number and work number, I have to assign each to its own speed dial number (further reinforcing the need to allow speed dial programming of the letter keys).


9. Phone body:

Sadly this phone has fallen prey to our modern addiction to rubberized grippy surfaces. The exterior surface is coated with sticky junk so it clings to your pocket and does not slide in or out easily. Luckily it's only mildly grippy so it's not as bad as some other phones, but I find this stuff completely unnecessary and it actually makes the phone harder to use. Ugh.

10. Web browser:

Now this is the killer issue that truly ruins this phone. The browser offers absolutely no capability to scroll sideways or zoom out, which makes it completely useless. When looking at a web page that isn't specifically designed for use on mobile phones (so pretty much everything except facebook), you can only see a small strip of the left side of the page... everything to the right just disappears off the screen and there's no way to go look at it. The up/down arrow buttons scroll the screen vertically, so you would think the left/right arrow buttons would allow you to scroll horizontally, but no. Seriously? Who in their right mind thought that was an acceptable design?

If not for this serious problem, I might be happy enough with this phone to keep it. But having just subscribed to web features I am seriously tempted to return it for a smart phone, which has WAY more features than I need, but what good is a so-called web-capable phone that only lets you see the left hand 200 pixels of the page? Somebody should get fired for that one.

UPDATE: Based on the suggestion from another reviewer, I installed OperaMini on this phone and it's a far superior browser which allows you to scroll horizontally and automatically reformats web pages so they're visible on the small screen. This has saved the phone from the trash can for me! Now if I could just assign the opera application to a carousel tile then I'd truly be impressed.


11. GPS:

This feature offers both driging directions and map navigation where it places your phone on a map of the area. It also lets you search for nearby businesses by name or category. It will give you a lame estimate of your current street address, but annoyingly, this phone will not provide you with your current GPS coordinates or allow you to mark waypoints. That sorta defeats the purpose of a built in GPS IMO.


So that's my summary of the issues I find exceptional or troublesome with this phone. In short, it has a lot of interesting features, but it's definitely the least customizable phone I've had in years--which is surprising since technological advances usually expand customization options. It's a pretty subjective issue, picking a phone, but I wanted to share my joys and frustrations in case they help you understand it better. Good luck.


SIX-MONTH UPDATE:

Now that I've been using this phone for six months, I must say that it's quite adequate in most aspects, except for the sound quality. I am so frustrated with how muddled the caller sounds that I am starting to look for other options. I am constantly asking people to repeat themselves. It is extremely hard to hear clearly and it's crippling my ability to do business on the phone. This is unacceptable because, after all, it's a PHONE, so at least that part should work well. Unfortunately they're putting so much effort into making these things everything from a computer to video camera to game console that they're neglecting the basic function it's supposed to perform. PHONE CALLS! Ugh.

Windows Mobile phones require a little more dedication and knowledge to use but with a small amount of googling you will discover enormous potential. HTC has been a savior for the Windows Mobile platform and their products keep getting better. This phone is a mobile computer.

I am a self-employed home theater and automation installer. I love pushing technology to it's limits. This phone continues to wow me each time that I find the time to explore it's power.

Here are the reasons why I own the HTC Touch Pro:
- VGA Screen
- Slide out keyboard
- Fast Internet
- Microsoft Office Mobile (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote)
- Exchange Server Support
- GPS Mapping / Tracking / Trip Logging / Geotagging Applications
- Google Maps Navigation
- WiFi Connection Testing
- Bluetooth Internet Connection Sharing
- Bluetooth mouse and keyboard input
- AV output cable to TV
- Remote Office Desktop viewing with gotomypc
- Opera Browser capable of using most websites
- Replaceable Battery
- Home Automation Control
- Bluetooth Printer Support
- Threaded Text Messages
- Contacts and Calendar Integration
- PIM contacts file export and duplication
- TouchFlo Interface
- MicroSD expansion
- 3.2 MP Camera
- Panoramic Photo Stitching Application
- Sitewalk videos
- Voice Recorder
- Mobile Media Player
- Plays the XM radio site.
- Drag and Drop media files
- TiVo Desktop Support
- SlingBox Support
- Tilt Sensor
- Charging Cable is mini-USB
- Video Conferencing Ability (not tested)
- Nice Speaker Phone
- Dedicated number keys on the keyboard.
- Windows Mobile 6.1 allows applications to easily close without opening the task manager in the control panel.
- The look on an iPhone user's face when they realize there's something better.

Here's what it needs:
- Hard keys to close windows, open contacts, launch applications.
- A standard Headphone Jack on the top of the phone.
- Louder Speaker
- Better Scratch Protection
- TouchFlo interface input, it's mainly for viewing only
- Visual Voicemail
- Stronger Vibrate Ring
- OK button on keyboard
- Ability to launch selected applications at Start Up
- A real flash for the camera, it's the flashlight type.
- A stronger magnet or more friction to hold in the stylus.
- Phone shouldn't unlock itself if the keyboard slides out a little bit, only if fully extended.
- More responsive landscape/portrait video switching

Dream Features:
- Desktops and Phones use an OS where applications will install on either machine
- Mini DisplayPort external monitor support
- Dedicated Number and Programmable hardkeys with small display screen on the back side.
- IR emitter on top
- Universal remote control programming support

The LG LX600 "Lotus" is as close as a phone can get to being a 'smart phone' without actually being a smart phone. I have tested and owned quite a few phones this decade, and the Lotus is one of the best (along with the iPhone, the Palm Centro, and a couple of models by HTC).

But I need to get this out of the way - the name 'Lotus' and the launch of the product featuring Christian 'Fierce' Sirano should be forgotten. Put it out of your mind, as it was an ill-advised marketing campaign. This phone, in each of its colors, has two distinct personalities. The purple model is clearly a feminine design, resembling a makeup compact. But the black model is in no way feminine. It somewhat resembles the Motorola V200 QWERTY phone from 1999. So if there are any guys out there worried that the phone might not be gender-neutral or 'masculine' enough (as I was), fear not. The black model won't be confused for anything other than a very sleek and advanced mobile phone.

So what is great about the LX600? So many things. The extra-wide design allows for large interior and exterior LCD color displays. The interior display is about the same size as the first color Blackberry some 5 years ago, and only slightly shorter than the one on the Palm Centro. It's great for watching videos, viewing pictures, or for full-width web page browsing (for the mobile versions of sites). The battery life is dependable and more than adequate to keep the phone in standby over three days. The device is more ergonomic than most other flip phones, with a well designed QWERTY keyboard, symmetrical rocker buttons on both sides, and a fingerprint-proof rubberized back panel. Even the hinge that keeps the clamshell closed is an attractive design and just looks cool.

But the phone's greatness is its software. So many consumer phones have poor software, poor menus, poor speed, and poor web connectivity. But the LX600 impresses with its smart features. The 'one click' main menu is similar to the Apple Macintosh 'dock,' which displays applications, tools, and options most commonly used. In the LX600, each icon in the 'carousel' reveals its contents when highlighted. Some tiles, like the Google tile and the e-mail tile, instantly connect to the internet to show previews of content, such as new e-mails. The 'messaging' tile instantly displays the number of new text messages and voicemails when highlighted. The phone is designed for fast access to the features you use most (except the calendar - more on that below).

I was most impressed by the Java-based e-mail application. It the latest version of Sprint Mobile Email (a free download, with new a new version every quarter or so). It is fast, secure, and lets me instantly check mail on Yahoo, MSN, or Gmail. It may not be a Blackberry, but it emulates the speed and responsiveness of an 'always-on' blackberry device. It takes less than a minute for the e-mail app to connect to third-party inboxes when the phone is turned on. Once connected, checking one's inboxes is just a couple of clicks away (with the same cursor button, no less). Having used the Sanyo Katana II before this phone, I was getting-by with using mobile Gmail with a WAP browser. I had to read and then delete or file one message at a time. But with Sprint Mobile Email, I can delete multiple messages in seconds, and read new messages with just one click. It's just like a smartphone, even though it's not.

The LX600 has a full list of standard features that every consumer phone has today. Voice memo recording, a calculator, a camera (this one is 2MP, and while not nearly as good as the iPhone, it is far better than any other Motorola or Sanyo phone I have used), bluetooth connectivity, a good selection of traditional and musical ringers, and a wide range of customization and appearance options. No complaints there.

My only gripe is that the Calendar application is hidden in a tools folder, behind the 'home' tile. Perhaps the Calendar can one day get its own carousel tile. A good looking calendar deserves a more visible location in this phone.

Sprint's GPS feature has improved somewhat since it was first introduced in Nextel phones. The location cursor is much more accurate (to within 50 feet, I estimate). The refresh rate is good. And while it is not meant to be a replacement for a car NAVI device, it can help you find a location in a pinch, especially while on foot.

In a somewhat cute move, the phone features a dog walk alarm, with different barking sound effects for a scheduled morning, afternoon, and evening walk, all fully programmable as part of the alarm clock.

In a more practical move, the calculator has a dedicated restaurant tip calculator screen, which calculates the tip based on your desired percentage, and the total cost to each member of your party. I know the iPhone has a very similar application. But I have never seen a dedicated tip calculator included in a flip phone.

The phone is compatible with the OperaMini 4.2 browser (which is a free download). OperaMini allows ultra-fast browsing of full-size web pages (although not all web pages are compatible), as well as instant access to weather and sports at broadband speeds. But the phone's default browser is no lighweight, either. The default browser is Infraware Polaris version 6.x, which has a navigation bar, compatibility with CSS and some Web 2.0 technologies (such as YouTube videos - a big plus), and much improved speed over previous generation WAP and Windows Mobile browsers. With the default browser, you can access mobile sites such as Google (calendar, mail, You Tube, maps), Reuters, BBC News, Facebook, and NOAA weather forecasts to name a few. And the phone features dedicated 'tiles' in the carousel for Fox News, CNN, ESPN, Facebook, and Google. Again, this is very close to what a Blackberry can do, and much much more than what a Motorola RAZR or similar flip phone can do.

In the post iPhone era, only a few phones have stood out from the pack. The Palm Centro is a winner. HTC has a few great devices. Several Samsung phones have won awards and have proven that Motorola is no longer the best in the industry. The next Google phone should be a contender. And then this other Korean phone, by LG, has arrived to become one of the very best. Very highly recommended.

This phone is fast and has a high resolution screen. As a former Mogul user I had to get used to the lack of exterior buttons and the fact that the keyboard slides out in a different direction. (Its good for left handed individuals... but I am not left handed.)

The tilt sensor is fun with games and integrates smoothly with Opera Mobile. GPS is very useful if you download the Google Maps application, its free unlike the pre-installed GPS app from Sprint. The camera is quite good for a phone, and is a significant improvement over the Mogul's.

TouchFLO is neat but not very customizable with out 3rd party applications. This is the wonderful advantage Windows Mobile phones have over the iPhone... I can change the interface and install anything I want with out jailbreaking it.

Windows Mobile phones are for adults and experienced users. You can't just flip it open and start dialing, that's not why you buy a Windows Mobile phone. Its a hand held computer/GPS/MP3 Player/Video player/Browser/Camera/E-mail/Scheduler/Etc. that also happens to be a decent phone.

The HTC Pro has a better battery life than the Mogul and a brighter screen. It charges with mini USB, which is ubiquitous, and you can choose to connect to your computer with Active sync or as a Hard Drive.

Finally, anyone who buy's a Windows Mobile device and expects it to never crash or lock up is crazy. Its WINDOWS! BTW I have witnessed many iPhones lock up in the same way!

I got this phone about a week ago, the first one I had to take back the next day as the keyboard kept typing two letters at a time.
The new one works, but since I have found several things I don't like, including the ringtone thing. It doesn't keep beeping or flashing to let you know you have a missed call or message. It only does this once. I have found that closing the cover when hanging up doesn't turn off speaker phone. The one touch screen is to big, and has features that I don't use that I can't remove because the screen needs 7 icons at all times. I don't have internet on my phone, so email, google and the rest I don't want to see.
The GPS worked very nice, but I haven't found out if you can close the phone and just listen to the voice directions or not. The map screen is easy to read.
Texting is easy, although I still don't have that keys figured out. I can find how to change the functions, but the manual doesn't say how to stop the function change once you are finished. It does change back but I don't know how I got it to do that.
Lastly, if you are going to buy this phone, buy here as Sprint charged me $200 and gave me a $50 dollar coupon to send off, but they didn't tell you the original price of this phone was $149.00.

I've purchased this phone and I'd have to say, its the best phone I've ever owned. It is packed with many features that you would expect from a PDA phone plus more. The only thing that I don't like is the stock battery that it comes with, it only last for about 12 hrs with low to moderate use (30 mins talk time and about 1hr to 2hrs of playing with the device such as playing MP3's and surfing the net). I thought it was a defected battery or device so Amazon rushed out a new one and even that was doing the same. Battery gets drained too quick. Other than that, the phone is great and I would buy it again if I have to, despite the battery issue.

Yes!!!! This phone, in my opinion, better than the Fuze for AT&T. First, the design and material of the phone is far more sturdy than the Fuze. The sides of the Touch Pro has that chrome look and is not as flimsy as the Fuze (which I throughly inspected at a local ATT store). Second, the keyboard on the Fuze has those akward numerical arrangements on the far right side (like a laptop keyboard using the function key) which I dont like much. The Touch Pro has its own dedicated numerical keys on the top row. And last, the back of the Touch Pro is not a finger print storage place for your local CSI's to inspect like the Fuze. A slight touch of the back of the Fuze would store every smudge and grime, even after washing your hands. Other than that, both phones are identical (besides the differences in service). Hope this was helpful.