I feel let down by Windows Mobile and Orange

[Guest moonshot]

I feel let down by Windows Mobile and Orange. There is now a large gap in the Windows smartphone market and it is being filled by Symbian and Blackberry.

Orange was the leader in introducing Windows to the mass market with the SPV range and now it is going to kill the market it created. My local Orange shop does not have any Windows Mobile phones, it has stopped selling them; apparently this is the new Orange policy; I would have to go to an Orange business centre to get a WM phones. For three years I have been loyal to both Windows and Orange, (c500, c550 and now c600). So what do I upgrade to now? How long do I have to wait for the next WM smartphone to appear?

The reason us C500, c550 and c600 owners have these phones is because of the size and weight otherwise I guess we would be going for the new m700. Orange told me that they dropped the C700 because it did not meet their high standards. I wonder!

Many of us who have taken the Orange free broadband now feel a bit tied to Orange and would change the mobile brand rather that the company. But I would change if Vodafone, o2 or t-mobile had something better then the c600 on offer but I have looked and there does not seem to be much.

Orange are now offering the Blackberry and the new Symbian 9 touch screen phones. I have had the SE m600i for two days now on a seven day trial. It does not have a camera or wifi but @ 112g it is packed with features and to buy the software that is included in the m600i for my c600 would at a rough guess cost me £60. And Sony Ericsson's tech help line is very good.

I don't think Orange see a future in Windows Mobile smartphones. You only have to read the complaints about Orange in this forum and you can put two and two together, it is not a viable option for Orange. Ok, they have the f600 on the way but hardly ground breaking stuff.

I still have a few days before I have to return (or keep) the m600i and I am still keeping a bit of an open mind, if anyone thinks I'm wrong, I would be pleased to have your comments

[Guest Confucious]

You mean there are people still with Orange? :8

Most SmartPhone users jumped to T-Mob - what's the point of a SmartPhone without unlimited data?

HTC who make SPVs seem to be concentrating on PPCs now there is very little better than the C600 in SmartPhones at the moment.

SE make very good Camera phones but they don't have a lot to offer apart from very good cameras that isn't already there on the C600 which is a fantastic little phone. O's CS has gone down the pan since FT took over and, you're right, they don't seem to be interested in the platform they once championed.