14 replies to this topic

[threedot]

My current phone is a Tytn / Vario II - and is almost on it's last legs, also I'm out of contract and desperately want a new phone.

I've been waiting for the Diamond, but also tempted by the iPhone 3G, as I currently have to walk around with a phone in one pocket, and iPod in the other.

My friends and colleagues are getting the iPhone, I would expect that you lot would say stick with the plan to get a Diamond..

but what are your main arguments for it over the iPhone?

So far, mine are:

Pro-Diamond:
- more extensible
- better camera
- I can install my TomTom software
- the new UI makes win mo usable
- probably cheaper? we will see what t-mobile charge for it with contracts

Pro-iPhone:
- can use it as my mp3 player
- very good browser

Not knowing much about either phone, that's all I've got so far... I know it's a boring and tedius topic.. but please humour me nevertheless and add some pro's and cons...

cheers

[xzces]

I wouldn't bet my life on the diamonds camera. Sure it's a bit better than the iphone's but still, you can only really use it during the day with enough lighting. I believe under low light they both will perform far below usable standards. Furthermore yes, the diamond is cheaper on the long run, but that depends on usage, if you're a busy caller you can wind up with the same price.

Some other diamond pro's:
- you can listen to radio (if you like using you're phone as an audio player)
- smaller size (1 of the reasons I preferred the diamond above the 3G iphone)
- superior VGA screen, the best I've ever seen on whatever device.

some more iphone pro's:
- indeed better browsing, but opera is really an improvement to the older pocket IE
- more responsive touchscreen, although the diamond has the best ppc touchscreen I've ever used.
- you can impress all mac/apple fanboys regardless what negative sides the iphone may have

I'm sure I didn't sum it all up, but hope this helps. I had to make the same choice to make. Don't get to many sleepless nights over this one alright?

[Confucious]

Why can't you use the diamond as your MP3 player?

[threedot]

xzces, on Jun 18 2008, 06:22, said:

I'm sure I didn't sum it all up, but hope this helps. I had to make the same choice to make. Don't get to many sleepless nights over this one alright?

lol, you're right... I will try not to agonize too much over it!

Thanks for some good points and really, there's not much in it.

In terms of mp3 players, it's just that the iphone integrates with iTunes, so would be easier...

Thanks

[WearTheFoxHat]

I love my ipod touch, it's a great simple to use media player.  The safari browser takes a lot of beating.

The downside that I see for the iphone is still no mms, although can email photo's etc.  The camera is still pants.  I'd be interested to see how well it integrates with Microsoft Exchange, since the earlier incarnations were to ensure the exchange server supported imap ... bit of a cop out there.  As, I would expect to see mail, contact, calendar and task sync.


The WM devices are more extensible, and by that nature can end up becoming a patchwork quilt of all sorts of applications.  This can at times cause instablility, but I think it's the price to pay for a Swiss Army Knife type device.

TomTom have got their application running on the new iPhone ... but are in licensing talks with Apple.



When I bought my TyTN II, I bought it to replace my phone, camera, ipod and satnav ...  but also to include email on the move.  I am more than impressed with hosted exchange and having mobile email, contacts and calendar on the go.  I gave up using my TyTN II as an ipod replacement since at the time it couldn't sync with iTunes and using the ipod was just far more convenient.  I use the sat nav on the phone frequently, but still do not know if I should go TomTom, CoPilot or standalone route when I upgrade!  Using it as a phone ... at times is fiddly ... I used to be able to walk along and type out texts etc with the keyboard of my old phone.  But with the TyTN II or any touchscreen device, you need to stop ... sent a mail or text and then continue with what you are doing.  The camera is a joke, and rather pointless.  Before I would frequently whip out my phone to take snapshots, but now I don't bother.  It takes too long to start the camera application, and then results are terrible.

I love the nirvana of having one device that does everything ... but I think at present there is no one device which does each task brilliantly.

For example:

Sony Ericsson (not including X1)- Great simple handsets, good cameras, ok music players ... poor email support and poor internet support.
Apple iPhone - Great music player, brilliant screen, good phone, good internet, poor camera, no mms, ok email.
HTC TyTN II - Battery time could be better, Sat nav is ok, email is great, internet good, camera poor, music player ok.
Blackberry - Good battery, sat nav is ok, email is great, internet is good, camera is ok.

So I suppose you need to decide whether the device you want is a business centric phone, a camera centric one, or a media centric one.

Sorry for the long reply!

[Confucious]

I'm using a Nokia E90 which is not bad....

[xerxes]

Take a look at the Nokia N95, N95 8GB, or N82 if you want a really camera focussed variant.

Either one comes with built in GPS (but really needs extra software like Copilot), arguably the best camera available, a decent size screen (though still QVGA), great media player, Safari based browser with built in Flash video, free downloadable Exchange Activesync client for push mail etc.

The N82 has slightly better battery life and a slightly smaller screen but comes with a zenon flash rather than LED.

[Confucious]

The E90 has a decent camera, Very big internal screen, built in GPS and a QWERTY keyboard.

[PaulOBrien]

It is HUGE tho, and the mail app is still crap.



P

[Confucious]

Not as big as my Ameo - and mail app is OKish for what I use

[jimbouk]

I reckon the point is the "coolness" factor.

Both the Iphone2 and the Diamond will do pretty much everything that 95% of users want, but the Iphone2 is already viewed as cool by the general population even before its launched. The Diamond will have to prove its "coolness".

[PaulOBrien]

You don't have to spend long with the Diamond to realise it IS cool!

P

[BrownSource]

For browsing and iPod-like multimedia the iPhone currently beats winmo phones. For this reason it has come from nowhere to mass market appeal in a year. But that is it - everything else is limitations compared to winmo. But due to the mass market appeal people seem to see past these limitations.

My last 2 winmo phones (MDA Compact 3 and now Orbit 2) have got better and better and although I was slightly tempted by the iphone, I can't wait for the Diamond. For 1 thing it now needs to compete on price with iPhone so it should be cheap.

Also once the iPhone goes from cool to just plain common, the diamond will become understated cool  

[siksik6]

I too was considering the touch, but the more responsive touch screen on the iphone has sold it to me pretty much.

Almost all of the videos i've seen have lag, which would irritate the crap out of me. The plethora of really great games that are coming out on the iPhone too.. (super monkey ball!!!) is too good to resist I reckon.

I stll think the Diamond is by far the best Winmo device out there, and i'm sure it'll sell truckloads.

horses for courses ennit

[Kaaeed]

Hi Guys

The show stopper for me is a decent PIM - I need more than a calendar application so once something like Pocket Informant 8 becomes available on the iphone then for me it becomes a viable option. Otherwise at the moment I am going to stick to a WM6 device.

The other interesting factor over the next few months will be what WM7 is bringing. I have invested well over $100 in software for my WM device so it is a factor.

Kaaeed