Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 GADGETotW: Dopod 585 - Previewing the C550 Welcome to Gadget of the Week! With all the buzz at the moment around the forthcoming C550, I thought that i'd write a piece on my current Smartphone, a Dopod 585, which shares a number of features with the forthcoming SPV handset! What is it? The Dopod 585 is a variant on the 'HTC Amadeus', better known as the SDA Music. It's specs are very similar, a lovely white iPod-like finish, dedicated media buttons, but it has a 1.3MP camera (as opposed to the VGA camera on the SDA Music). I was going to post a link to the Dopod 585 page on the Dopod website here, but I can't find it listed... doh! Instead, click here to view a great photo gallery on Slashphone ;) Where can I get it? The Dopod 585 is a very difficult phone to get hold of! The handsets retail for 200-250 UK pounds on eBay, click here to do a search ;) So, tell me more... I'll start by telling you a bit about the phone itself, and then talk about what this tells us about the C550! The Dopod 585 comes in a smart white box, and from the moment you open it, the package oozes quality. Included in the package is the usual array of Smartphone paraphenalia (no cradle tho!), an 'interesting' carry case (pictured), a 128MB SanDisk SD, and a funky pair of white headphones. The headphones are excellent for sound, being the kind that sit right in your ear, but they are awful for conversation, you can't hear yourself speak! The phone itself has full Chinese support (and indeed boots into Chinese), but switching to English is very straightforward. The software is, of course, Windows 2003 Second Edition, with Windows Media Player 10 pre-installed! If you've ever used an SDA, SP3i or any other 'HTC Feeler / Amadeus' based handsets, you know what to expect. This handset is more 'squared off' than the SPV C500, but feels solid, features a nice joystick, and isn't going to suffer from dust ingress :P The white finish, clearly a nod to the iPod, gives the handset a very high quality feel, especially when coupled with the grey rubber side strips, and the silver panels around the media buttons. The button configuration on the Dopod 585 differs from the SPV C500 users will be used to. The top row of buttons provide the two soft keys together with the back and home keys, and below that, sit the 4 new buttons. The left most button brings up a custom menu (in Chinese, doh!), the next button skips backwards in WMP10, the next button plays / pauses WMP10, and the final button skips forwards. All of these 3 WMP buttons bring WMP to the foreground if it is not already. I have to confess, my main concern before I got the handset was that somehow the 'balance' would be wrong, with the joystick and keyboard being so low. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded, and after a short period of adjustment to the new keyboard layout, I'm finding it great! Everything is not perfect on the device however... while the handset does feature a 1.3MP camera... the quality is still very poor. So, to the C550.... So what relevance has this to the C550? Look at it this way... as far as we know so far, the SPV C550 is effectively a Dopod 585 with a QVGA display. The look is similar (albeit in what I think is a less cool Silver), the media buttons are identical, it too features a joystick and 1.3MP camera... which will likely be similarly poor. Despite initial scepticism, particularly around the use of the media buttons, I have grown to love my Dopod 585... i'm going to be very sad when I part with it... so let's hope the C550 instills the same emotions (although without the admiring glances followed by 'ooh, what iPod like thing is that?' factor...) ;) I have a question... Something else you want to know? Just reply to this post with any questions! :D P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsutton Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 I have grown to love my Dopod 585... i'm going to be very sad when I part with it... Someone sent this phone to you for testing or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 No, I bought it! P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CEO Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 It's as same as T-Mobile SDA Music. The camera is poor than C550. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 :shock: What is? :| P It's as same as T-Mobile SDA Music. The camera is poor than C550. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sSword Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Well its nice but does it have........MULTIPRESS?? (or will the C550 have multipress) if it does my C500 is going in the Solent :twisted: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaoloDeBe Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Hello i have some questions: how is the audio quality with earphones? are there any taxes to add in the total to pay or it is 16150 NT? could you post a photo you made with the phone? Thanks ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadFromWales85 Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Attached are two pictures taken with my Dopod 585, just outside my house, middle of a cloudy day ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 I didn't pay any import tax, but ladfromwales did... P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsutton Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 No, I bought it! P Ahh, okay. Was asking because of whta you said... " i'm going to be very sad when I part with it... " Selling it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Not at all, just the time will come when it is superceded, most likely by the C550, to get the QVGA res screen. I'll then be switching to a boring silver phone instead of my talking-point white one ;) P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neilfenstein Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 I think it looks like a sony ericsson (however it is spelt) I am unsure of all these devices because the c500 is so good. My contract runs out in June and it is very tempting to get a C550. However, not entirely sure it is worth getting in to a new contract until for one it has been reviewed and I have seen if it is worth using up the upgrade. specially when there are other handsets like the Samsung I300 looming just a few months down the line. Will the current programs be able to work on the QVGA screen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nickcornaglia Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Is that a quad band phone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neilfenstein Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 I think it looks like a sony ericsson (however it is spelt) I am unsure of all these devices because the c500 is so good. My contract runs out in June and it is very tempting to get a C550. However, not entirely sure it is worth getting in to a new contract until for one it has been reviewed and I have seen if it is worth using up the upgrade. specially when there are other handsets like the Samsung I300 looming just a few months down the line. Will the current programs be able to work on the QVGA screen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 No, the usual Tri-Band. P Is that a quad band phone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Yeah, I think quite a few people will hold off on the C550, waiting for the next big thing. Expect a LOT of apps to break on QVGA... P I think it looks like a sony ericsson (however it is spelt) I am unsure of all these devices because the c500 is so good. My contract runs out in June and it is very tempting to get a C550. However, not entirely sure it is worth getting in to a new contract until for one it has been reviewed and I have seen if it is worth using up the upgrade. specially when there are other handsets like the Samsung I300 looming just a few months down the line. Will the current programs be able to work on the QVGA screen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spacecowboy6982 Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 It's looking great actually ! Im impressed. Apart from the fact it still uses Windows 2003 Second Edition... spacecowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pondrew Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 I think the media buttons look better on the C550 although shame about the silver finish (that white looks excellent) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest namiran Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 quick question, if keylock is on, does the mp3 controlling buttons still work? i hope they do cuz otherwise its pretty worthless isnt it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rutje Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 how are the dimensions and weight compared to the c500??? i read somewhere that the depth is 25mm, that would be almost 1cm more then the c500. which is way too much imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PaoloDeBe Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 (edited) what about the soundbug? links of this phone from taiwan websites: Mobile01 ePrice Mobuy Dopod website Edited April 28, 2005 by PaoloDeBe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peekie Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 A certain large shop here in holland ( media martkt ) sell dopod phones and will have this version shortly , no dust yet paul ? this will be a big selling point a dust free spv ;) wheres the sweet jam gone paul ?? wifes got it again ;) :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bazzo Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 (edited) this looks like exactly like my SDAmusic, which is availiable since february (or january) in germany, and this is the device i tested for the soundbug with. so i can say it has the soundbug. its availiable for roundabout 240-270€ in germany. [edit] sry, i overread, you already mentioned the similarity to SDAmusic. but the 1,3MP are a surprise to my. I cant belive that they changed the hardware...perhaps the 1,3MP are software restricted on SDAmusic :shock: maybe comparing both devices registries may open some doors on SDAmusic;) regards bazzo Edited April 28, 2005 by bazzo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Don't have a measure to hand, but it's definitely not much bigger than the c500, nowhere near 2.5cm! Media buttons don't operate when keylock is on. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadFromWales85 Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 The box says the 585 is 17mm thick.... Paul [MVP]: Yes, £60.38 import tax!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now