New Vario II on T Mob - My thoughts

[Guest Lee Clissett]

Hi guys!

Only my 2nd post but i've been reading this forum for a long time!

I've been with Three for the past 2 years and to be honest despite their good deals i found myself growing tired of having 'new' services launched which either never worked properly or caused more problems than i could handle! It always seemed they were trying to hard to have the next big tricks for their customers that they forgot that you need to have a good service to back it all up!

Long story short i've moved to T Mob (as of Friday 6th October) as i felt like a change and their combination of Flext and WnW was too good to refuse. I thought i may as well go for the 'best' device available (AKA the one with HSDPA) so i found myself with a Vario II. It took a little bit of effort but i managed to get HSDPA activated on my new account on the Saturday morning.

I've currently got a Qtek 9000 (actually its an SPV M5000 or Orange) so i'm used to the whole windows mobile 5 thing!

Anyway, i hate being tied into contracts so before my 14 days passes i thought i would see what the masses think of both the device and T Mob in general.

So, what do you think?

I've found the T Mob coverage to be average at best, even when compared to my Three mobile. Atleast with Three i get a mix between them and O2, it seems like T Mob are still doing a job catching up with Voda and O2. I get a very strong 3G signal in and around my house and also benefit from HSDPA speeds at home (even though i mainly use the WiFi). At my work i also get a good signal but that is limited to GPRS speeds but again i mainly use WiFi. Only problem i've found is patchy coverage, i hate dropped calls even though i only use about 250 minutes a month.

On to the device, there are a few bugs and niggles but im sure with time i will learn to love the Vario II. Few problems:

1. Stylus seems to get jammed in the slot and often needs a real tug to release it

2. Control 'nipple' below the screen and all the controls in that little section seem very loose and often move about when im using them.

3. Cant seem to use the 'video camera' for taking pictures (ie taking snaps of myself with the screen rather than the high tech mirror)

4. WiFi seems pathetic at the best of times. I've set the phone to use best quality signal and worse battery life but it doesnt seem to make a great deal of difference. It struggles to get even a low signal where my laptop and the M5000 gets a full or very good signal!

I suppose in general i just wanted peoples thoughts on the network and the phone. My work phone is with Orange and despite getting a decent enough signal everywhere i find their offers are poor at best. I've also considered staying with Three until early 2007 and maybe getting an N75 (i currently have an N70 and find it to be an excellent phone).

Any guidance would be appreciated folks!

[Guest richard_d]

Hi guys!

Only my 2nd post but i've been reading this forum for a long time!

I've been with Three for the past 2 years and to be honest despite their good deals i found myself growing tired of having 'new' services launched which either never worked properly or caused more problems than i could handle! It always seemed they were trying to hard to have the next big tricks for their customers that they forgot that you need to have a good service to back it all up!

Long story short i've moved to T Mob (as of Friday 6th October) as i felt like a change and their combination of Flext and WnW was too good to refuse. I thought i may as well go for the 'best' device available (AKA the one with HSDPA) so i found myself with a Vario II. It took a little bit of effort but i managed to get HSDPA activated on my new account on the Saturday morning.

I've currently got a Qtek 9000 (actually its an SPV M5000 or Orange) so i'm used to the whole windows mobile 5 thing!

Anyway, i hate being tied into contracts so before my 14 days passes i thought i would see what the masses think of both the device and T Mob in general.

So, what do you think?

I've found the T Mob coverage to be average at best, even when compared to my Three mobile. Atleast with Three i get a mix between them and O2, it seems like T Mob are still doing a job catching up with Voda and O2. I get a very strong 3G signal in and around my house and also benefit from HSDPA speeds at home (even though i mainly use the WiFi). At my work i also get a good signal but that is limited to GPRS speeds but again i mainly use WiFi. Only problem i've found is patchy coverage, i hate dropped calls even though i only use about 250 minutes a month.

On to the device, there are a few bugs and niggles but im sure with time i will learn to love the Vario II. Few problems:

1. Stylus seems to get jammed in the slot and often needs a real tug to release it

2. Control 'nipple' below the screen and all the controls in that little section seem very loose and often move about when im using them.

3. Cant seem to use the 'video camera' for taking pictures (ie taking snaps of myself with the screen rather than the high tech mirror)

4. WiFi seems pathetic at the best of times. I've set the phone to use best quality signal and worse battery life but it doesnt seem to make a great deal of difference. It struggles to get even a low signal where my laptop and the M5000 gets a full or very good signal!

I suppose in general i just wanted peoples thoughts on the network and the phone. My work phone is with Orange and despite getting a decent enough signal everywhere i find their offers are poor at best. I've also considered staying with Three until early 2007 and maybe getting an N75 (i currently have an N70 and find it to be an excellent phone).

Any guidance would be appreciated folks!

Coverage is a matter of location - where I live T-Mobile 3G is far better than O2 and 2G is better than Orange (haven't used Voda for a couple of years so can't really comment). My impression is O2 have pretty much given up on 3G whilst T-Mobile are continuing to expand rapidly, but if it's not up to your needs where you live...

As to the device. I'm vary happy - it's not faultless but it's the best phone I've had, and I much prefer WM5 to my previous Symbian experiences.

On to your notes:

1. Not had this problem (I did manage to snap the end off a stylus but mine goes in and out smoothly).

2. There's a little ovement in mine but nothing that concerns me - might be worth you checking another model incase yours does have abnormal play.

3. Yep - video calls only (although there is a beta app that makes use of it)

4. Not as good as picking up signals as my laptop, but not bad in my view (some other posts express disappointed as well though).

Personally I'm happy with the phone and network - there's a better range of apps for WM5 than Symbian and I can actually run more than one at a time without the phone falling over. Customer Service with T-Mobile has so far been excellent, and whilst I'd like even better 3G coverage, it's better than I had with previous providers so I'm not complaining.

Richard

[Guest gs_london]

Hi guys!

Only my 2nd post but i've been reading this forum for a long time!

I've been with Three for the past 2 years and to be honest despite their good deals i found myself growing tired of having 'new' services launched which either never worked properly or caused more problems than i could handle! It always seemed they were trying to hard to have the next big tricks for their customers that they forgot that you need to have a good service to back it all up!

Long story short i've moved to T Mob (as of Friday 6th October) as i felt like a change and their combination of Flext and WnW was too good to refuse. I thought i may as well go for the 'best' device available (AKA the one with HSDPA) so i found myself with a Vario II. It took a little bit of effort but i managed to get HSDPA activated on my new account on the Saturday morning.

I've currently got a Qtek 9000 (actually its an SPV M5000 or Orange) so i'm used to the whole windows mobile 5 thing!

Anyway, i hate being tied into contracts so before my 14 days passes i thought i would see what the masses think of both the device and T Mob in general.

So, what do you think?

I've found the T Mob coverage to be average at best, even when compared to my Three mobile. Atleast with Three i get a mix between them and O2, it seems like T Mob are still doing a job catching up with Voda and O2. I get a very strong 3G signal in and around my house and also benefit from HSDPA speeds at home (even though i mainly use the WiFi). At my work i also get a good signal but that is limited to GPRS speeds but again i mainly use WiFi. Only problem i've found is patchy coverage, i hate dropped calls even though i only use about 250 minutes a month.

On to the device, there are a few bugs and niggles but im sure with time i will learn to love the Vario II. Few problems:

1. Stylus seems to get jammed in the slot and often needs a real tug to release it

2. Control 'nipple' below the screen and all the controls in that little section seem very loose and often move about when im using them.

3. Cant seem to use the 'video camera' for taking pictures (ie taking snaps of myself with the screen rather than the high tech mirror)

4. WiFi seems pathetic at the best of times. I've set the phone to use best quality signal and worse battery life but it doesnt seem to make a great deal of difference. It struggles to get even a low signal where my laptop and the M5000 gets a full or very good signal!

I suppose in general i just wanted peoples thoughts on the network and the phone. My work phone is with Orange and despite getting a decent enough signal everywhere i find their offers are poor at best. I've also considered staying with Three until early 2007 and maybe getting an N75 (i currently have an N70 and find it to be an excellent phone).

Any guidance would be appreciated folks!

Hi there

Its my second post too but thought I would add my opinion to this post.

I have been with T-Mobile since 1999 and can honestly hand on heart say they are a good network to be with. Of course signal strength and coverage are all very subjective but I have a mast at 100 metres away at the top of my street so I dont ever suffer from poor signal quality. Also living in central London helps as well but I will say the signal strength isnt as strong on my Vario II as say my SE k750i.

I havent had a dropped call for over 3 year at least in fact i'm desparately trying to remember when the last time I had one.

About the device

1] My stylus does snag when withdrawing from the silo on the side but this seems to vary depending on the temperature of the phone. i.e. if its been in my pocket for a while its slightly harder to withdraw the stylus. I also noticed that with the keyboard open its very dfficult to withdraw the stylus but im getting into the habit of not using it when using the full keyboard or drawing it before sliding.

2] The controls below the screen on my device are pretty firm and are of average build quality. They dont rattle or move at all. Might be worth seeking someone else out to compare build quality and if yours is not up to par return it for an exchange. This is where T-Mobile show their class for the last two years or so they have been pretty decent about things like this.

3] The video camera is pretty useless at present as it can only be used for video calls without using software on the device to alter this situation.

4] I have found the wiFi on my device to be very good indeed. Always a strong signal at home where my access point is under the stairs behind 2 walls and at work i can use the wiFi services outside the building and we are on the first floor and the point is set back on the opposite side of the building. The wiFi point is a BE standard wireless router with no signal enhancers.

The only niggle i have with the wifi is sometimes when i need to connect pretty quickly it picks up around 40 different wireless presences in the area and tries faithfully one by one to connect to them all. This can take a few minutes and at some point I will delete all but the 2 I really need from the list.

The other niggle with wiFi is all the various configuration settings are dotted around on the device and makes setting up and monitoring the state of the wiFi a bit like a game of hunt the function. They should put all connection stuff in one place.

Other than that a great device definatley the best at what it does on the market but hey in 3 months it will be obsolete as HTC relaease a thinner more powerful device for half the cost.

[Guest threedot]

Hello, I'm also on T-Mob with Vario II and haven't had any problems so far. I find the 3G coverage fairly good on my train journey from London to South Coast...

One question, is there anything I have to do to get HSDPA? Is it using HSDPA by default or do I have to phone up and request it? There's no mention of it on the phone itself.

Cheers

[Guest richard_d]

Hello, I'm also on T-Mob with Vario II and haven't had any problems so far. I find the 3G coverage fairly good on my train journey from London to South Coast...

One question, is there anything I have to do to get HSDPA? Is it using HSDPA by default or do I have to phone up and request it? There's no mention of it on the phone itself.

Cheers

You need to phone customer services.

[Guest dskeeles]

You need to phone customer services.

Also note that if you're on standard Web'n'walk, you're specifically excluded from HSDPA. However, if you get a non-technical CS rep (in fact, specifically DON'T ask for someone from data support), and say that 'you tried getting that "HSDPA 384kbps Uplink" thing enabled on your account, but for some reason it didn't work, and could they help you add it to your account' - then they should add it for free.

I'm also a Vario 2 / WM5 / T-Mobile newbie. My impressions aren't great - although I understand that it takes time to get used to a device, I have similar gripes:

- WiFi signal is terrible, even at max performance. I can barely pick up my router from the bedroom - 10m through 1 masonery and 1 partition wall - even though my similarly palm-sized Nokia 770 gets 75% signal and has flawless video streaming in the same location

- I use Orb (www.orb.com), but ironically WMP doesn't fully support it: tracks in playlists skip abruptly, for example.

- Stability still isn't great - the backlight occasionally flicks on and off, the keyboard was suddenly completely disabled this morning; this is my second Vario2, after I sent the first back with the screen alignment problem. I have to power it on and off every 2 days at the moment.

- Battery life is poor - with moderate usage, I can barely squeeze a day out of it, which puts it on a par with my knackered 2-year-old P910i.

Anyway - I think it's early days; there's still time for a couple of firmware upgrades, and the developers of the popular apps out there need to come to terms with the scrollwheel. The P990 is suffering the same, or worse, problems, I think: both have to come to terms with new applications, and the added drain of 3G and WiFi. I'll probably buy a P990 in a few months' time, and see which device feels more complete then.

As for T-Mobile - I agree, they do answer the phone quickly, and try hard to help. The HSPDA network isn't great though - my dream of being able to stream a video to my Vario2 remains a dream, even at a 200kbps bit rate!

Damian

[Guest leeclissett]

Also note that if you're on standard Web'n'walk, you're specifically excluded from HSDPA. However, if you get a non-technical CS rep (in fact, specifically DON'T ask for someone from data support), and say that 'you tried getting that "HSDPA 384kbps Uplink" thing enabled on your account, but for some reason it didn't work, and could they help you add it to your account' - then they should add it for free.

Really? I am slightly worried about this issue as the only reason i bought the Vario 2 was due to HSDPA. What i don't want to find is that in 2 months time they cancel my HSDPA and tell me it was added by accident so i am stuck with a device and network for 16 months with no escape!

I was told when i signed up that HSDPA was available to all customers who had the coverage and an appropraite device?

Thanks for your thoughts guys, i'm going to change the Vario 2 and try another one to see if it has the same faults. If it does i'm tempted to go with a 3g device until the N95 is released.

Sorry to say on this sort of forum but i find S60 is still the best phone OS around.

[Guest dskeeles]

Really? I am slightly worried about this issue as the only reason i bought the Vario 2 was due to HSDPA. What i don't want to find is that in 2 months time they cancel my HSDPA and tell me it was added by accident so i am stuck with a device and network for 16 months with no escape!

They might do just that. However, I suspect they'll probably leave those WnW standard users who nabbed it early on as they are.

If they did cut it off, you could probably quote conversations with sales people or CSRs who told you it was included, since there's been enough confusion within TMO up to now, and you could sound angry enough for them to leave it on. However, most of the reasons you could cite for needing to have the service - Video streaming, Laptop data, etc - have always been prohibited, so you'd have to choose your arguments carefully.

Agree on S60. Not quite powerful enough for us power users, however :-)

[d]

[Guest richard_d]

Thanks for your thoughts guys, i'm going to change the Vario 2 and try another one to see if it has the same faults. If it does i'm tempted to go with a 3g device until the N95 is released.

Sorry to say on this sort of forum but i find S60 is still the best phone OS around.

S60 has come on leaps and bounds but it still falls over if you open multiple apps - I can't see me going back to Symbian. Now if the N95 ran WM5 with a touch screen, and the keyboard was dramatically better than the N73 I might be tempted :rolleyes:

[Guest dskeeles]

S60 has come on leaps and bounds but it still falls over if you open multiple apps - I can't see me going back to Symbian. Now if the N95 ran WM5 with a touch screen, and the keyboard was dramatically better than the N73 I might be tempted :rolleyes:

True from those aspects. It's nice to navigate to and perform any simple PDA task in under 10 seconds though, which is a stage I haven't got to on the Hermes (yet).

What's more interesting are the various new apps Nokia is coming up with, like SIP over WiFi/3G. Most PDAs can do it, but few do it seamlessly with other apps and the phone's OS, and Nok have the obvious advantage here...

(d)

[Guest leeclissett]

To be honest i would consider using my phone for VoIP but not until i knew a network was stable enough to provide the speed reliably. I only really use my data for email and browsing, RSS feeds, etc but being impatient means i don't want to wait for my page to load and also that i must have the newest gadget or gizmo!

To be honest i love being able to use push email with my exchange work account but i was able to do that before when i had an SPV M5000 just for emails (plus im the tech guy at the company so i tend to get whatever gadget i choose!). Depending on how it turns out i'm probably going to upgrade to an N95 anyway and relegate my vario or M5000 brick to email duty. I find the combo of 5MP camera, WiFi, HSDPA, GPS and the simple S60 interface too good to refuse. The only problem is if i had a firm release date i would wait to upgrade but knowing Nokia their Q1 2007 release is likely to become May 2007 and i cant wait that long for a new gizmo!

I have to say im fast falling in love with having a full qwerty keyboard for text and short emails on my phone. With the M5000 it was almost impossible to type comfortably without using it like a full size keyboard, i find the vario 2's keyboard is small enough to type with just thumbs.

[Guest unicron]

Hi guys!

Only my 2nd post but i've been reading this forum for a long time!

I've been with Three for the past 2 years and to be honest despite their good deals i found myself growing tired of having 'new' services launched which either never worked properly or caused more problems than i could handle! It always seemed they were trying to hard to have the next big tricks for their customers that they forgot that you need to have a good service to back it all up!

Long story short i've moved to T Mob (as of Friday 6th October) as i felt like a change and their combination of Flext and WnW was too good to refuse. I thought i may as well go for the 'best' device available (AKA the one with HSDPA) so i found myself with a Vario II. It took a little bit of effort but i managed to get HSDPA activated on my new account on the Saturday morning.

I've currently got a Qtek 9000 (actually its an SPV M5000 or Orange) so i'm used to the whole windows mobile 5 thing!

Anyway, i hate being tied into contracts so before my 14 days passes i thought i would see what the masses think of both the device and T Mob in general.

So, what do you think?

I've found the T Mob coverage to be average at best, even when compared to my Three mobile. Atleast with Three i get a mix between them and O2, it seems like T Mob are still doing a job catching up with Voda and O2. I get a very strong 3G signal in and around my house and also benefit from HSDPA speeds at home (even though i mainly use the WiFi). At my work i also get a good signal but that is limited to GPRS speeds but again i mainly use WiFi. Only problem i've found is patchy coverage, i hate dropped calls even though i only use about 250 minutes a month.

On to the device, there are a few bugs and niggles but im sure with time i will learn to love the Vario II. Few problems:

1. Stylus seems to get jammed in the slot and often needs a real tug to release it

2. Control 'nipple' below the screen and all the controls in that little section seem very loose and often move about when im using them.

3. Cant seem to use the 'video camera' for taking pictures (ie taking snaps of myself with the screen rather than the high tech mirror)

4. WiFi seems pathetic at the best of times. I've set the phone to use best quality signal and worse battery life but it doesnt seem to make a great deal of difference. It struggles to get even a low signal where my laptop and the M5000 gets a full or very good signal!

I suppose in general i just wanted peoples thoughts on the network and the phone. My work phone is with Orange and despite getting a decent enough signal everywhere i find their offers are poor at best. I've also considered staying with Three until early 2007 and maybe getting an N75 (i currently have an N70 and find it to be an excellent phone).

Any guidance would be appreciated folks!

Hello, :)

i thought i'd share my thoughts on the Vario 2 since i bought one for my wife who had a M500 before that and i have a Qtek 2020i, as a first time user of WM5 i have to say i am impressed at the software, i Know it is not perfect but i only reset her Vario once in three weeks and compared to my Qtek 2020 i (WM 2003se) thats good.

The Vario 2 works so much better as a phone and PPC together than i would have thought, lots of soft keys, a wonderful jog wheel thing and best of all a very usable key board. I like the grouping of the Com Manager as it gives you lots of flexability that you did not have before with reguards to what you want on or off. The stylis is :( ).

I am on contract with Orange right now with 3 months left and i feel that i have to leave if i want to get a Vario 2/m3100 with a good data deal and minutes, Orange do not even know when new stock of the M3100 will be in for upgrades but yet it is available to new customers. When i phoned T-Mobile they were out of stock at the time BUT they knew when stock was coming in and told me over the phone and via e-mail. I left T-mobile about 3.5 years ago because of poor service and went to Orange but it seems that of the past year or so Orange customer service has slumped heavily and i am a premiere customer ;) and in contrast T-mobile have had better reception quality in my area plus better bundles and more stock of the phones i want so now i will be going back. Vario 2 + web n walk + flex tariff vs M3100 + premiere 600 - no data package - MSN messenger (i can't be bothered to add it on or get agile messenger since i paid for a product that should come with it boxed :rolleyes: ) - poor 3g in my area <_<

[Guest timiano]

Hi

Been with the Vario II and T-Mob for just over a month now. Its just about the best thing I've ever bought. Its setup using Exchange Active Sync and Direct Push, also Communicator Mobile.

The phone is very good and clear, loudspeaker a bit rattly. Takes some getting used to touchscreen keypad, but then its easy. I like the way it scans your contacts based on number and alpha-numeric combinations. I've replace running programs for contacts also, which I find it makes easier.

I use the phone all the time in modem mode when at client's sites and in the hotel. I get 3G in most areas and HSDPA at 1.8-2.0Mb in others. Modem mode is a bit finnicky to get used to, ie what state your phone should be in for it to work, but once you get used to that, its brilliant.

Network wise, I have an O2 work mob and my wife has Voda. Network strength between all three varies, with none being better than the other in some scenarios. I'd say Voda just about wins though.

Considering the cost of data services though, T-Mob, even with its new pricing scheme is easily the best value for money, some 4 times better, so I can live with maybe slightly poorer coverage.

I can't sing the praises highly enough of this combination. Add spb pocket plus and a few other things and its just astounding. Email alerts in the middle of the night, I just turn off direct push, and turn it on in the morning. Battery life is ok too, although I was concerned at first, but its just because it was new toy syndrome. I get about 3 days light use out of it, or 1 day and need to charge to get through the 2nd if I'm battering it. Wifi is another story, but I've never ever had good experiences with mobile devices (inc laptops) and wifi in terms of power.

Its that good, my wife is now binning off voda and getting a Vario II on T-Mob also, and she's a bit of a technophobe. She loves it!

[Guest MikeWard1701]

Also note that if you're on standard Web'n'walk, you're specifically excluded from HSDPA. However, if you get a non-technical CS rep (in fact, specifically DON'T ask for someone from data support), and say that 'you tried getting that "HSDPA 384kbps Uplink" thing enabled on your account, but for some reason it didn't work, and could they help you add it to your account' - then they should add it for free.

This has got me worried, I'm getting the Vario II specifically for HSDPA, will need to blag my way into them giving it to me for free (play dumb or pull the loyalty string?).

IF it all goes pear-shaped, which WnW package allows HSDPA and how much is it?

Mike

[Guest Whitster]

IF it all goes pear-shaped, which WnW package allows HSDPA and how much is it?

Mike

WnW pro at

[Guest richard_d]

This has got me worried, I'm getting the Vario II specifically for HSDPA, will need to blag my way into them giving it to me for free (play dumb or pull the loyalty string?).

IF it all goes pear-shaped, which WnW package allows HSDPA and how much is it?

Mike

Plus 12.50 pm - but generally they were adding it to standard