Customer Reviews

HTC Mogul PPC-6800 Phone (Sprint)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

When I recently decided that I was tired of printing my schedule out each night and toting a hardcopy with me, the obvious answer was to get a convergent device that integrated PDA functionality with cell phone functionality. After a fair bit of research, I bought an HTC Mogul for a couple reasons: WiFi connectivity to the web, Microsoft Windows Mobile for reliable synchronization with Outlook, a large touchscreen, and a slide-out keyboard to name just a few.

On paper, this device was hard to beat. The design just seemed to incorporate everything I wanted - or thought I wanted.

Unfortunately, while the concept of this device is terrific, the execution had some gaping holes. I used it for about a week, and then gave up and sold it on eBay.

Here's why:

* Phone Dialing: As I said in the title, the Mogul is a really nifty PDA that makes a really, really good electronic daytimer. But it isn't a very good phone. Sliding out the keyboard to dial a number was very cumbersome, and using the touchscreen was maddening. No matter how big the screen is, it is still too easy to press the wrong digits as you dial. So, you either reach for the stylus, which is a pain just to dial a number, or you get used to hitting the backspace key a lot as you type a wrong digit, erase it, and stumble your way through the supposed-to-be-simple process of dialing a phone number. A big drawback of a touchscreen is that there is no tactile feedback to tell you if you have pressed the key. At the end of the day, the process of dialing the phone - one of the most basic things that a cell phone should be good at - was unnecessarily cumbersome.

* Bluetooth: Many of the reviews on the Mogul comment on the poor quality of the Bluetooth. In my experience, they are right. I could hear other people just fine, but the converse was not true: they always complained about the quality of my voice. I read elsewhere that the device shares the same antenna for WiFi and Bluetooth, and this creates problems when both are in use. I don't know if it is true or not, and I don't recall whether there was any marked improvement in the Bluetooth audio quality when the WiFi was off versus when it was on. I just know that the Bluetooth quality was almost always marginal and the ability to talk handsfree is very important to me. I talk frequently on the phone from my home office for business and I like to have my hands free for other tasks. I can't tell you how many times I had to rip the earpiece out of my ear in disgust to just hold the phone up to my mouth so others could hear me. Like that particle the vacuum won't pick up, you keep running it over and over the carpet to give it "one last chance" before finally giving up and picking up the crumb by hand. That's how it was with the Bluetooth on this phone. You keep giving it "one last chance." I don't know about you, but when I call people, they want to hear more than "can you hear me now" 15 times in a conversation.

* Voice Command: This phone is advertised as having voice command. Perhaps if you get it directly from HTC this is true. But if you buy the Sprint version, this functionality has been turned off and you are limited to the older voice tag functionality where you have to use your own voice to record tags for each number or command that you want to launch with voice activation. Sounds OK - until you realize that those 200 numbers in your phone book mean recording 200 voice tags, which takes a lot of time, not to mention memory space. But then comes the real rub: when you try to actually use the voice tags to dial numbers in hands-free fashion when wearing your Bluetooth earpiece, it never - and I mean never - works. Now, imagine the anticipation of being able to use this phone when you are driving, and realizing that it just ain't gonna happen. You pull over, yank out the stylus, dial the number, merge back into traffic and...busy signal...no answer...wrong number...etc. Do that twice and it is two times too many. Ultimately, this lack of handsfree capabilities was the show stopper that caused me to sell the phone rather than keep it. As an aside, there are two kinds of voice activation capabilities in cell phones these days: voice tags and voice command. Voice command is true voice recognition software, similar to the unattended answering systems that many help desks and customer service lines use these days. You know... "press or say 1 for sales, 2 for technical support, 3 for questions about your billing, ..." It recognizes any voice. On the newer phones with voice command, you can say things like "call John Smith...mobile" or "call John Smith...home" or "call 555-1992" and it will WORK, whether directly into the handset or into the Bluetooth earpiece or when using the speakerphone. For whatever reason, the Mogul's implementation of the voice tag recognition features were just not robust. If I have to speak directly into the handset rather than an earpiece, the whole voice recognition thing is sort of a moot point.

* Integrated connector: HTC uses a connector that they call ExUSB, which basically combines audio, charging, and sync functions into a single connector. The unique connector design means that you can plug a standard mini-USB cable into the device for charging and synchronizing to a PC, or can connect headphones that use the proprietary ExUSB style format. The connector on the device is designed to accept both. They also provide a splitter that let you use conventional 2.5mm headsets while simultaneously plugged into a charger or while sync'ing. I thought it was a rather elegant solution, but I really would have preferred two independent connections on the device: a 3.5 mm headset jack and a conventional mini-USB. This was not a big dissatisfier, but rather a minor annoyance to have to carry an extra "gizmo" with me when I wanted to use standard earphones with the device (my ears don't do well with earbud-style headsets...I prefer over-the-ear).

So, as I said, the main dissatisfiers with the Mogul were aspects related to its functionality as a phone. I don't know about you, but I was hoping for something that was a rock solid phone and a pretty good PDA. What I got was a rock solid PDA and a very iffy phone.

But enough of the bashing. Let's talk about what I DID like in this device.

* Intuitive GUI: Because it was a Windows device, the user interface was very familiar. Didn't know quite what to do next? Right click. Expecting the organizer to work like Outlook? It does...because it IS Outlook. Want to open and read WORD docs or EXCEL spreadsheets or even open PDFs from websites you are accessing? No problem. It all works flawlessly. It is basically like having a pocket sized version of your most frequently used desktop tools with you. I did not have to constantly refer to the manual because it was all pretty familiar territory for those who have used Windows for any length of time on their desktop.

* Media Player: The media player was pretty much just a scaled down version of its big brother desktop version, Windows Media Player 10 or 11. And, contrary to what I was told by the HTC help desk, it does support microSD cards larger than 2GB (and Sprint? Don't even go there...their ability to answer simple technical questions like "how large of a memory card can I use?" or "will the microSD slot support the newer SDHC format?" was abysmal). Turns out the device will work with SDHC cards just fine and I corresponded with several people that were using 4GB and 8GB memory cards with no problem. Translation: you can put an awful lot of mp3s, photos, messages, and files on 8 gigs. There is little need to carry a second device like an iPod for multimedia anymore. Also, I really liked the fact that accessing the microSD card was so easy on this device. I now own a Blackberry Pearl and it is considerably more cumbersome to insert and remove the microSD card. As a result, I never remove it unless absolutely necessary. That was not the case with the Mogul and when I wanted to add files, I just took the microSD card out, inserted it into the std. SD-sized adapater, plugged it into my PC, and used it as a removable drive. Super easy.

* Touchscreen: While I did not like the touchscreen for dialing phone numbers, it really was pretty slick for most of the other PDA functionality. Frankly, I found it easier to type most of the time just using a "soft" keyboard that displayed on the screen by pressing an optional menu command than to slide out the keyboard tray and start pounding away with my thumbs.

* Widescreen: There is a nice feature that automatically changes the screen orientation from vertical to horizontal when you slide out the keyboard. But you can also select this manually even when the keyboard tray is hidden. The generous screen size was nice for "day at a glance" functionality when I wanted to see previews of all my appointments for the day, all my tasks, missed calls, e-mails, etc. on a single screen. It was also nice for surfing the web.

* WiFi: I bought this device primarily to use in my home and in my office, both of which have WiFi. Since I don't have an internet data plan with my phone service, it was nice to be able to surf the web for free wherever WiFi was available, whether my house, the plant, or the local Starbucks. This functionality also allowed me to connect to our corporate intranet easily, something that would have been tough using over-the-air internet service from Sprint. At minimum, it would have meant having to tunnel into the corporate intranet using VPN all the time.

* Flexibility: Because this thing is - at heart - a computer running Windows Mobile, there are plenty of geeks out there that have been able to make this device do amazing things that other phones just can't do. There's a whole hacker subculture out there for the HTC Mogul, and I mean hacker in a good sense. People that can make the device do nifty things so you are no longer entirely at the mercy of the manufacturer or 3rd party commercial software developer, waiting on certain functionality. You can get online and typically find what you want for free through the user community. Or, you can load what you need from the increasingly large selection of apps for Windows Mobile. But frankly, I found that the core factory load of applications installed with the operating system were everything I needed. The only things I put on the device were media files and new wallpapers.

There is quite a bit more that I could say about likes and dislikes, but I think you get the picture. To repeat the headline of this review, it really was a slick device for PDA and portable web access to not just the internet, but our corporate intranet. However, its shortcoming as a phone proved to be just too significant for me to overcome.

HTC and Sprint have announced that they are releasing a new firmware upgrade sometime in late 1Q08 that will give the device native GPS capabilities and perhaps help the Bluetooth performance (although the BT issues were supposed to have been fixed in the Nov 2007 version of the BIOS they released).

While that may be the case, it is no longer my concern. Someone else now owns my Mogul and I wish them all the best if they get around to loading the new firmware. Ultimately, however, I suspect that they will reach the same conclusion I reached: great PDA, not-so-great phone.

This is my second smart phone and I love it. My first was the Palm Treo 700wx which well served it's purpose, but I wanted more. The Mogul is of a comparable size to the Palm and if I were to consider a difference, the Mogul is actually slightly smaller. I love the fact that the screen is quite large and has the auto adjusting feature for "two-way style texting" or Sprint Network browsing/email. The design feels solid as far as the general case and buttons. I hold the phone in my left hand and am able to maneuver the scroll wheel and many of the buttons easily (tough to reach the center navigation piece for scrolling left, right and selecting a highlighted functions single-handedly).

The camera function leaves something to be desired though I've not run it fully through its paces. The few shots I took with it all lacked definite clarity when viewed on the display screen and the edges of objects and people had what looked to possess a motion haze even though they were static. The reason seems mostly related to bright light as there is a tendency toward much more defined shots in low light. The microSD card is a nice addition especially with the larger memory cards out now in micro format (just don't forcibly inhale or sneeze while handling it).

The keypad function is not as easy to operate as actual buttons. It requires patience and some amount of focus to accurately hit each number but it's not as though it's unusable...simply pull the car over if you need to make a cell call. What I do like about the keypad function is the number of options available prior to and during a call as well as the display of my last call automatically. The only additional option I would like to see is a button to turn on the Bluetooth radio during a call. Reason being, I prefer to turn off the Bluetooth radio while it's not in use because of the battery drain but if you get a call, it's tough to turn on Bluetooth while in-call.

Navigating the software is intuitive but opening and switching is slow to very slow depending on the specific application. The other thing I would have liked to see is the "real" internet on this device. I like the capabilities with Windows Live (viewing email, MSN messaging, etc.) and POP3 email connection seems to work with Gmail but I've yet to be updated on email from Yahoo.com. The Wi-Fi does make a positive difference in loading speeds and the Bluetooth radio is more compatible with my Motorola HS850 headset compared to the old Treo 700wx (clear voice and good volume both in and out-going).

All in all I'm happy with the upgrade and I think most other discerning users will be happy with the Mogul too.

I've had my eye on the sprint mogul for quite some time. I've read the reviews posted here and at other sites. Here are my thoughts:

1. Should you buy the phone, thoroughly check it out w/i the first 30 days. That way should you not like it you can return it.

2. If you are experiencing any problems with the phone go to: http://www.america.htc.com/support/mogul/software-downloads.html and see if you need to install the latest upgrade. Though I purchased my phone in January 08, I had to install the upgrade, which has been available for at least 6 months. This fixed my bluetooth isssue as well as several other issues.

3. Try this website for helpful info about the phone that's not in the user guide, I found it very useful: http://www.america.htc.com/support/mogul/tips-tricks.html

4. To save battery life, I have turned off the wi-fi and beaming. I also put the screen in "sleep" mode when I'm not using it. This has extended my battery life greatly.

5. "softboot" the phone when it's convenient for you. I have never had a problem with the phone locking up but I read a review that suggests soft rebooting several times a week to clear cache...So about twice a week I do a soft boot when it's convenient for me. I normally do it 1st thing in the morning...I know it's a temporary fix but by rebooting when it's convenient for you, you won't have to reboot when it's inconvenient.

6. Try the Sprint software store http://softwarestore.sprint.com/ for add-ons. Some of them are really good.

7. In case you don't know, when you close an application/option, it's not really closed. it's running in the background. To really close it, go to Start/Settings/System tab/Memory/Running Programs tab...from there you can truly close the application/option. The sprint store also sells applications that will truly close the application w/o you having to do the extra step.

I hope my review is helpful. The ones I read were informative to me. In the end, you have to make the best judgdment call for you.

This device replaced my iPAQ-4450 from 2003 and Motorola RAZR from AT&T/Cingular (you think you have call quality problems? I could not even - during the 2-year contract - call from my own house!). I had none - absolutely none! - of the bad experiences that the other reviewers complain and whine about.

The onscreen keyboard too small? Shell out $10.00 for a third-party utility.

It's a little thick? It's got a pull-out keyboard -- what do you expect?

It's impossible to dial the phone one-handed (when driving, etc.) -- thank God you're not anywhere near my car.

With the new ROM upgrade (which HTC/Sprint delivered on 03/12/2008) the speed has improved remarkably and -- more important -- the battery life is much better now too.

Windows Mobile 6.0 -- or the recently introduced Windows Mobile 6.1 -- makes syncing absolutely flawless and without effort with my desktop where I, yes, use Office 2007.

And the amount of third-party software (both free and for fee) make it unbelievably customizable.

I'm still blown away by it, and extremely happy with my purchase.

I am very picky when it comes to phones so I spent A LOT of time researching my next one. I finally decided on this one over a Blackberry and a Palm. Yes, it is big and bulky but in order to have the slide-out keyboard that your fingertips can actually fit on, this is a necessary evil. For those who wish for easier dialing when driving, just enable the voice dialing that works with a push of a button on the side of the phone. Simple! The battery life STINKS so I have to keep it plugged in most of the time in order not to run out of juice at an inconvenient time. Also, I agree with a previous reviewer that the touchscreen phone number input is slow and inaccurate if you're not careful. But overall, this is a super phone that beats the others hands down PLUS I've dropped it 3 times with no damage! Great for a working mom who has her hands full most of the time lol.

This is a great phone overall, with lots of power and flexibility, but with a couple of major shortcomings.

First, the main one is the battery. Battery life is limited, and just sitting on your nightstand overnight the battery can run down 60% or more. I understand there is a bigger battery for it and I suppose I'll just have to get one of those, or another one like the one it came with that I can keep in reserve. For now what I did was buy the car phone charger and I just charge it while I drive around town.

The other thing is they just tried to make it almost too convenient. There are buttons for everything, and the problem is that if you put the phone back in the case and carry it on your belt, I find that when I bend over, or fasten my seat belt, it presses the dial button on the bottom left side of the phone, which causes the phone to dial the last person you called automatically. This happened to one three times, until I figured out how to stop it, which was sort of embarrassing. The cure is to lock the screen by tapping that option on the main screen, but still, it's easy to forget, then I get into the car, or bend over to pick up the paper or something, and it calls the last person I dialed.

It's still a great phone and I like it a lot except for these few shortcomings. The Bluetooth headset is also a nice option and I picked up one of those. Also, the audio and sound quality is the best of any cell phone I've had in recent years. It seemed as if the audio was getting worse the last five years with very poor, tinny quality, worse than the cell phones I had even ten years ago, but they seemed to fix that in this phone.

One last thing, I like a good calender mini-app and most cell phones have ones that are dismal and primitive. For example, the last Samsung phone I had wouldn't allow you to schedule regularly recurring or repeating appointments; you had to enter the next one manually. This phone has a very powerful and versatile calendering/scheduling app which I need and like a lot.

Overall a great phone except for a couple of problems, that's why the four stars instead of five, but I can still recommend it and it's better than anything else I've had in the last ten years.

I have several friends who have tried out the Mogul and didn't care for it, mainly due to the fact they either like 1-handed dialing or are used to the Blackberry. Still, you can get robust email, text messaging, web surfing and a host of other add-ons if you are comfortable doing research and some trial-and-error. There are annoyances/idiosyncracies but they are easily overcome. Launching calls/apps due to the extra buttons? One tap to lock the phone (it's become a habit in just 2 days). Can't dial easily? Took just a few minutes to set up voice-dialing and I can actually dial okay using 1 hand on the touch screen.

The iPhone and Blackberry have very real advantages over the Mogul but you get to pay about $50 more a month and hope someday they are opened up for add-ons. I love the Mogul because it is somewhat of a blank slate and I can tweak it heck and back to make it do what I want. Between ppcgeeks and sprintusers dot com, there's enough savvy users to get the help you need.

Pros:
Small but solid, nice screen, WM 6, nice keyboard, portrait/landscape views, fun to surf on. Can add 2 GB memory and probably 4 GB before too long (if not more). Can add tons of programs and customize almost any part of the interface you want.
Basic camera is so-so but it has a flash (very neat) and I find that the sports mode takes good pictures and the video is above average.
Addictive -- I'm constantly playing with it and finding new things to do. It's a pleasure to use.

Cons:
Limited memory -- you need to get good at turning off programs as it will keep IE, IM running after you close the screen. No idea why. More likely a WM-6 'feature' than Mogul-specific.
Limited battery -- not horrible but not a strength. I keep a $15 car/wall combo charger with me and will probably end up keeping an extra charged battery as well.
EVDO and GPS functionality pending -- supposedly coming Jan. 28.
You need to learn the ins-and-outs of WM-6. What should take 2 screens, takes 5 and and the most useful settings are buried but it's from Microsoft so what do you expect? It's still better than Vista ;)

As far as call quality, it's been better than my M610 or my wife's LG Fusic but we are in an area with a strong sprint signal -- if you are having call quality issues, it could be the connection and not the phone.

Do you want an easy to use PDA out of the box? Get a blackberry or iPhone. Do you want a phone that within 6 months will be able to do about anything? Try out the Mogul.

I bought a Mogul thinking it would be a great replacement for my aging (very) Motorola V710 and a great way to move from Verizon to Sprint.

Now, *ALL* phones have their very own quirks which are specific to that model so we are all always getting used to the phone. In other words, there is no perfect phone.

Overall, I was impressed by the capabilities of the device. I was disappointed that WM6 still has the number of holes in it -- memory usage, yuck, speed, and the bluetooth.

I really liked the slide-out keypad and (with my big hands) I can slide it out and back single-handedly. The back-lighting on the keypad took a little to get used to regarding when it would be back-lit. The keypad itself took little to get used to, but anyone who has used reduced-size keypads / keyboards knows what they are getting into.

After some practice, dialing on the phone was relatively a non-issue, but I do make a lot of calls. In truth, it really should not take that much practice to get used to a number-pad (touch-screen or not) and this one took a bit of practice.

I found myself using the phone in either hand and generally not using the thumb wheel and its associated "OK" button. While I could get used to it, I just found it felt and acted too squishy and I would sometimes select the wrong entry as the wheel had turned while I was pressing it in to select an entry or I had applied too much pressure to the wheel while using it to scroll and accidentally selected something. So, a little difficult to use for my big hands.

The display was great when it was not used out in the bright sunshine. Not much else to say there.

I became really good at using my fingers to select entries on the touch screen instead of the included pointer -- Nice pointer, by the way. Why? Sometimes it would take just as long to select something and do what I wanted as it would to remove and use the pointer. I frequently used the pointer, so no issues with it.

The slide-out does not seem to stay tight after lots of use -- A little wobble develops between the two sections after repeated slide use. The slide-out will stay open or closed (No problem there); only that whatever keeps the section held together (Flat) seems to loosen a bit. I read this was also observed elsewhere, so it is probably one of those "Things we live with".

The camera did seem to shoot under-whelming pictures and does not have a cover (dirt, grease, grime oh my!). The color scale would flicker (whitish, yellowish) while setting up a shot and the pictures really were not that good -- Looked like they were taken from a camera phone. I have a friend who has one of these and uses the camera far more than I do and he likes it. Either way, "We" are probably spoiled by having 5MP (Mega Pixel) and 8MP cameras in our pockets.

Bluetooth is where the phone just floundered. Simply put, my business suffered and my girlfriend refused to talk to me while I was using a bluetooth headset. *Ugh!!!!*

For more than ten years, I have refused to wander around with a phone attached to the side of my head as that meant one hand was not able to do anything and my mobility was reduced.

After having several wired headsets destroyed by snagging wires, I purchased my V710 (the previous phone) as it was the first bluetooth offered by Verizon and that would allow me to continue my headset usage without worrying where the wires are and I never went back to wired-headsets.

That was the set up. If it not obvious, all of the other features on a phone can be mediocre and I would probably keep the phone if the bluetooth operated very well. Unfortunately, it did not. I went through 8 different headsets from three different manufacturers across 6 different models (Yes, I had two headsets of a couple of models). All-in-all, the newer headsets had more problems working with the phone. They were either too quiet on my end, the remote end, or both. Also, the bluetooth connection "seemed" to have more issues with EMI then the V710 or a Sanyo SCP-7050. Even at full volume, most people reported that it was not functional.

In the end, the HS850 worked the best, but this "best" was more like talking with someone who is in some remote location with spotty service and some emergency in progress -- Not across the yard, with great service, and no urgencies. Fail.

For this reason alone and no others, the phone went back. I cannot have my personal and professional activities suffering due to a phone.

For hands-free voice dialing, you have to set up voice tags for each person you want to call. This is doable, but I so miss the integrated voice and number dialing of the V710. A one-hundred percent terrific feature, but so few phones incorporate it. I figure this is a spoken language issue -- Trying to gear a phone to function with all of the various spoken languages is currently very difficult and to keep said phone in a usable size is impossible. Still, I miss the feature.

Anyway, voice tags do work, but they are one more step you must do when setting up someone's number in the contact list.

Speaking of setting up a number, do not forget that this is WM and it will want to set the display name for any entry to "Lastname, firstname" format. This does funny things to multi-word business names and is one of those "Things we get used" features.

The WiFi and EVDO wireless access is nice. Running Google-Maps "Just to look something up" during a conversation; priceless.

Web-browser capabilities are not even close to what a desktop or laptop user is used to, but that will change over time.

There is supposed to be a software update for the phone in the near-future, sometime, which will upgrade the wireless to EVDO-Rev. A and maybe update some other items, but the speculation runs wild as to what will be updated and when the update will be released.

I, myself, am sending the phone back only because of the bluetooth. I will keep an eye on the upcoming products from HTC and, maybe, in a year or two, I will go here again; if the bluetooth is willing.

Overall, I am happy witht the performance of this product. This is my third PPC, I have a Thera Audiovox, and a iPaq 1910, and it is definetly better than other ones out there. Solid casing, small size, though a little on the thick side. The screen is smaller than others, making it difficult if you've never used other PPCs before. The navigation is a bit more complex than other PPCs and the internet browsing is great, having the screen fit into one colum, or to display size if needed. Internet browsing can be trough the data plan available, or through Wi-Fi, with the connection and download speeds as fast as the connection you're on. Keyboard could be slightly bigger, you really can't type as well if your nails are even a bit big. Nice feature though is the keyboard backlight, really useful. Camera is not of the highest quality, though is is 2MP, quality is poor even on the highest setting. Camera flash though is very bright, great for a flashlight! Nice addition on the MicroSD card slot. Crappy loud speaker, and the "sluggish" on-screen keypad dialing can be fixed by simply disabling "smart dialing" improving the speed of number dialing. There are apps out there by sprint, which make the on-screen keypad bigger. If you are planning to buy this phone, one word of caution: It is meant to be used by work people, people who use the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook features, and e-mail capabilities. It's not really meant for the casual user or curious buyer. Unless you know how to use PPCs, get a Samsung Upstage or something if you plan on using it as a mp3 player and phone (not saying that the Mogul 6800 is useless as an mp3 player, because the music playback is great and the video reproduction is superior to other older versions). Otherwise, it is a good phone, despite it's few flaws. I recommend it. Read on below if you're interested on knowing a little more about it.

For the bussiness person: It has the Windows Office Mobile with Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint with sound playback capability. The Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Notes easily synchronize well with the host computer, it can also synchronize wirelessly with a Client Network, leaving your work up to date wherever you are. Currently it is 1X-EVDO, but Sprint should be releasing a patch (Rev A) bringing its browsing and downloading speeds up to 5.5 mbps (faster than ATT's home internet) E-mail isn't exactly a snap to set up, but it supports POP3 and IMAP4. It comes with several programs built in, such as Adobe Reader LE, AudibleAir (for your audiobooks), Windows Live, Voice Speed Dialing, and Zip (folder compression) capabilities. And perhaps the most important aspect, the memory card can be set up to encrypt data as it is created or put in (i believe it is 128 bit encryption)

For the tech loving "junkie": It has a full, slide to hide Qwerty keyboard with a photo sensor that automatically turns on the back light, useful when you're in the dark and need to type. And to take good advantage of the keyboard, it also comes with Pocket MSN Messenger which supports voice clips and files (pictures, videos, etc) to be sent and recieved. It comes with a calculator, GetGood, Music Store, OnDemand, and Sprint's Software Store. Easily (and free) installable programs available include Google Maps and Microsoft Reader. Besides supporting text messaging and email, it supports MP3, Polyphonic or WAV ringtones in addition to its vibrating alert. It comes with a 2.0 megapixel camera and can record video in two sizes (128x96,176x144) and records in H.263, 3GPP2, MPEG4 or Motion JPEG format. Its Mobile Windows Media Player supports MP3, MP4, WAV and WMV, I have only been able to test the video playback capabilities at 700kbps with no problem. To my delight, you can play a music file in the background while using the video camera function, and it will record the music as part of the video, so that you can create music videos straight out of it. If you decide to get the data plan, you can use your phone as a modem, to acess the internet trough it. Other features include Bluetooth wireless technology, Bluetooth PAN, integrated Wi-Fi with a on/off hardware switch, IrDA, and a Micro USB slot.

There's probably a few things I have missed, so forgive me if I have left out something, there's quiet a lot of things on this small device.

I have had my mogul for about a week now, and I like it for the most part.
as usual, i'll start with the bad things.

CONS:
1. my biggest complaint, and this is probably b/c i'm just switching from Nextel is that the speaker volume sucks.
2. Too many stinking blinking lights on the darn thing. Green, orange?? Blue??!! why do they have to blink?? it reminds me of those blinking coupon generators at the grocery store, trying to grab your attention..that, or an airplane. It'd be better just to have a green for full charge, yellow for medium and red for time to charge up.
3. short battery life. I am used to leaving my phone on overnight (i work midnight to eight) in the car, but i have to turn it off now. i've learned some tricks like making sure the accept beams is turned off, and that there are no programs running, and the wifi switch is turned off.
4. Another bad thing about the phone is that sometimes, you don't know, but it's calling someone. One night, I called in to work. Next thing i know, i look at my call history, and i called work three more times. OOps. Also, and i'm glad that there is text to voice text messaging for landlines; however, i saw that my text message that I sent to a certain phone number had been sent (twice, so two different messages). I looked up the phone number, and I apparently had text messaged the local chilis restaurant. I have them as a contact as I like ordering the curbside pickup, but it did weird me out to know that I was inadvertently texting them. I guess it dials while the phone is in my pocket, and I accidentally hit some keys or something.

Good things:
1. this is my first smart device since i made the mistake and bought the i930. it totally blows that out of the water, and you can download things to the phone, and it's upgradeable as well.
2. my phone came with the newest upgrade, so i didn't have to upgrade yet. the guy that says he needed a bluetooth gps adapter is wrong. i know that sprint navigation/telenav states that the phone does, but that must have been before the software update. it will pinpoint exactly where i am, along with displaying a map, and even saying the street names.
3. i love being able to use my own mp3 files as ringtones. too bad the speaker sucks.

all in all, i like the phone very much. I especially like the sprint navigation as I can find phone number a lot quicker than even using the internet. Like i said, i've had this phone a week, and it still does things that i haven't figured out yet. i recommend that anyone who buys this phone buy and download the photo contacts pro. it offers you so much more flexibility with the phone than the software that comes with the phone.

25 May 2008: One other thing that I would like to add, and this is for Johnny Law too. I went to Orlando, and I tried to use the resorts wifi access for my laptop, but the signal was way too weak. So, I called Sprint, asked them to change my data package to the phone as a modem to try my luck that way. I was scared b/c I had never used my phone as a modem, and I figured that it'd be extremely difficult. If you are using Vista, you just plug the phone in using the active sync usb cable that is provided with the phone, and on the phone, go to start/program/internet sharing/use usb, and at the bottom, hit connect. the laptop finished everything by adding a driver, and it connected flawlessly. My friend that I'm on vacation with, doesn't have any sprint software on her laptop, but it was just plug it in, and internet share on the phone, and she was on the internet too. I just thought that was pretty cool. I'm not trying to incite anything, and i'm not a microsoft/sprint fanboy either.

*********23 July 08...Be advised that there is a new rom update for the mogul which changes it to windows mobile professional 6.1 and also adds Sprint TV. you can find this information at the HTC mogul update homepage.