47 replies to this topic

[Gonrod]

RickDawson, on Feb 17 2009, 22:00, said:

any updates to this?
anyone got one since posting on this thread?

i'm using an on-screen keyboard on my vario3 as it's so un-responsive.

need the upgrade.

Don't do it!! I've just returned my second Vario 4 and fought to get a PAC. The Touch Pro seems good, but the Vario 4 is a disaster.

Why?

Well, for one thing, it ships with the caller ID registry key set to 12. UK numbers are not 12 digits long, so it doesn't recognise anyone that calls or texts you. Not a major problem, as it's easy to fix, but indicative.

On the two I've had, they have both frozen up when reaching full charge, unhelpful when charging them overnight and using them as an alarm clock. They have also both frozen up intermittently, during calls, and especially on making or trying to terminate calls on the first. The second was slightly different and appeared to suffer from ADHD. If you turned off push email, it appeared to get bored and claimed to have no signal within 5 minutes, needing a soft reset to get it going again. It also forgot all network settings this afternoon, necessitating a refresh from a Sprite backup to get it working again - this was also coupled with an inability to stay up for longer than 5 mins.

All in all, an otherwise *fantastic* phone seriously ruined by an incompetent conversion. Seriously, it's AWFUL!!!!!

Battery life is much much better than the Vario 2 or 3, the phone is really fast, and the sound quality is really good. Screen is great as well. I'm hoping to take advantage of all these plus points when I move to Vodafone next week.

[UndeadDevil]

For gods sake, just FLASH IT!!!!!!!!!!!

We all know how bad the T-Mob UK ROM is, those with half a brain flashed within a couple of hours of getting it (I sure did because it kept crashing!)

[varioIII-lover]

please help.  upgrading this week from vario3 to something newer.  i might get the touch pro or the touch HD, i want the qwerty so maybe the PRO, does it have the HD screen?  i know it's 4x better screen than previously ..

or should i get google g1 phone .. or the vario4?  

i want microsoft exchange push email.  i like word mobile etc.  i want a fast nice fone, no slowdowns like vario3.  i want tomtom to work good on it.

thanks.

[UndeadDevil]

You want the Touch Pro then. If you get the Vario 4 though, as said above, make sure you flash it to a Custom ROM when you get it though...

G1 lacks Exchange Support, TomTom, etc.

Screen is 640x480, just slightly less than the HD's screen. A brilliant screen imho.

Edited by UndeadDevil, 24 February 2009 - 01:15 AM.

[lozzd]

UndeadDevil, on Feb 24 2009, 02:15, said:

You want the Touch Pro then. If you get the Vario 4 though, as said above, make sure you flash it to a Custom ROM when you get it though...

G1 lacks Exchange Support, TomTom, etc.

Screen is 640x480, just slightly less than the HD's screen. A brilliant screen imho.

What ROM's are you using? What are available? I've had some bad experiences with some down right crap and ugly custom ROMs so is the default HTC one available? I'm torn between this device (upgrading from my Vario III) and the G1 but as you say the lack of Exchange and TomTom puts me off.

[UndeadDevil]

The original and new Official HTC Rom are available on xda-dev. I'm using ROMeOS² at the moment and have no experience with any others so far. Although this is a customized ROM and includes app's like QuickMenu (Decent Start Menu Replacement for all WM devices)

The G1 also lacks alot of app's and support at present although I'm sure this will change with the G2, G3, etc. I was personally disappointed to find it only runs Java App's instead of Native Code.

Also did you know that Google Android runs on the HTC Touch Pro, its not perfect yet but effectively gives you a Windows Mobile/Google Phone in one.

@All (For Reference)
All Official Rom's: http://wiki.xda-deve...hael_WM6.1_ROMs
Most Custom Rom's: http://wiki.xda-deve...oked_WM6.1_ROMs

Edited by UndeadDevil, 03 March 2009 - 02:53 AM.

[EddyM]

bacus, on Feb 3 2009, 13:42, said:

I'm in a similar situation to RickDawson, in that I mainly use it for data.

I'm on Flext20 with Web&Walk Plus which comes in at just over £26pm and I never go over my included mins/texts. I'm on month 26 of an 18 month contract so can upgrade at any time. I haven't done it yet as I was waiting for this or the Touch HD to come out.

I should also say, that I haven't called upgrades yet, as I'm still researching what the best deal for me will be.

So, looking at T's page for new customers, The entry level is now Flext 30 starting at £30pm including Web&Walk standard. Based on the old pricing, I'd have to add £5pm to increase that to Web&Walk Plus. So £35pm + £200 for the handset.

If I upgrade by just renewing my contract for another 18 months, they'll give me £5 off, taking my monthly bill down to £21. Therefore I'd be saving £252 (£14pm x 18 months) rental plus £200 for handset totalling £452 which I could put towards my own handset.

These are all just estimates, but on the face of it, buying a sim-free handset does appear to be the best option.

If anybody else has been in my position - what did you do? Did you call upgrades and what were you offered? I don't think I've got much bargaining power since I don't use the calls or text allowance, but I do need over a GB of data a month and be allowed to use it as a 'modem' which is why I've got 'plus'.

All advice greatfully received. Thanks.

Lee

What did you do in the end Lee? I am in EXACTLY the same situation right now, on Flext 20 with Web'n'Walk Plus, and I hardly use the minutes or texts either. Also way past the end of my 18 month contract. I've got an MDA Vario III at the moment, and I'd like to upgrade to the Vario IV (or even the newer one, the Touch Pro 2, except none of the networks that I'd be interested in seem to be doing it yet... if at all).

Although I'd kinda like to change back to O2 at this point anyway... the deal that simonc got sounds brilliant, way better than what seems to be available on the O2 site... but I'd never use that much, so even if I could get the same deal too, I'd still be paying quite a bit more than I do now and not using the extra

I guess getting the new phone for free might balance that out anyway though... but the XDA Serra doesn't even seem to be available on the O2 site now?

But if I am gonna stay with T-Mobile... I didn't realise that I'd have to change to the new tariffs with the upgrade. If that is the case, as you mentioned, I'd be saving the same amount of money as you by just taking the extra £5 off. And I could get a SIM free HTC Touch Pro 2 for £453... pretty much exactly the amount I'd be saving anyway (considering the cost of the upgrade), and I'd be getting an even better phone. But that's only if I want to stay with T-Mobile :-\

[RickDawson]

I went with the Touch HD porting my number from t-mobile to O2

best deal was from www.mobiles.co.uk (owned by carphone warehouse, still run seperately)