Some Questions Before I Sign Up For a Vario II

[Guest cleandemon]

I'm currently seriously considering going for a T-Mobile Vario II. I've not had a Windows Mobile phone since my SPV E100 and have since strayed to an SE P910i and then a Nokia 6680, both of which have been ok, but have fallen short of the Windows Mobile experience.

Anyway, before I sign up I have a few questions:

1 - I am leaning towards the T-Mobile option particularly due to the unlimited internet access offered by Web N Walk. However, I've seen some mention of use of IM software such as Agile Messenger being prohibited. Is this the case and if so, have people been able to use IM software without suffering sanctions from T-Mobile?

2 - I have been using the 6680 with Navicore sat nav and this has worked well. I'd like to use sat nav on the Vario II as well, and I understand this can be done using something like TomTom Navigator 6 together with a bluetooth GPS receiver. I have this one: http://regmedia.co.uk/2005/06/21/navicore_4.jpg which was included with the phone. I would just like to know if anyone has any experience of using this with a Hermes.

3 - One of the main selling points of the device to me is the wifi and I anticipate using it pretty heavily, as in sitting on the sofa next to my girlfriend while she watches ER or Desperate Housewives, posting on forums etc. So, does the wifi work well? Does it drain the battery very quickly? Any other drawbacks?

4 - I have never had a T-Mobile phone before. Is their coverage and service up to scratch?

Thanks in advance.

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

I don't have a vario II but regarding battery life and wifi keep the charger handy :)

As for coverage it can be good just depends where you live, for example at the moment I am about to ditch Tmob as I get little to no reception in the room I'm renting but then again it's the same for Orange and Voda. O2 is the only reception for me atm.

Best thing to do is ask if anyone near you have a tmob account and see what they say.

Apart from that the Vario II is an excellent device.

[Guest richard_d]

Wi-fi works well enough but the device doesn't have the range of a laptop and eats batteries.

For me Tmobile signal is far better than Orange and Vodafone on a par with O2 but better 3G. Customer Service best of any operator I'Ve used.

Don't have any interest in I'M and haven't tried Sat Nav.

Best device I've used...

[Guest gs_london]

I don't think the Vario II is a device that was designed for prolonged WiFi usage. At best I can probably get about 2 hours of internet surfing. They even say in the manual somewhere that the charger should be used if the device is going to have a long session.

Saying that using it whilst attached to the charger isn't really a problem.

Cant help you with the sat nav I learned to read maps before gps came along and I make do with Map24's free application which covers all of Europe. Might be an option if you don't have to be told to turn left and right every step of the way. A very good application which synchs nicely with a web based portal for storing addresses.

In regards to messenger. It comes with a suite of MSN applications one of them being messenger. It works quite well but again is a battery hog. I found Skype for Mobiles not only works better and is more stable but is probably twice as good as msn messenger on battery drain if not better. What would be cool would be if Skype could to talk to msn messenger.

[Guest cleandemon]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm just wondering about the GPS unit now really. I appreciate that no-one may have experience of the specific Navicore unit I have, so is it the case that any bluetooth receiver can be used with TomTom on the Hermes?

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Yes, that's correct.

P

[Guest cleandemon]

So basically, there's nothing to stop me from getting one now then.

Cheers!

EDIT: Is there any particular reason that depending on how I add the phone to my basket on the T-Mobile site the price is varying between £89.99 and £119.99?

If I choose Web n Walk first and then Flext 20 and then choose the Vario II it is £89.99, but if I choose the Vario II first, then Flext 20 and then add Web n Walk it is £119.99.

Am I failing to spot something or is this just a quirk of the system?

Edited January 16, 2007 by cleandemon

[Guest gs_london]

So basically, there's nothing to stop me from getting one now then.

Cheers!

EDIT: Is there any particular reason that depending on how I add the phone to my basket on the T-Mobile site the price is varying between £89.99 and £119.99?

If I choose Web n Walk first and then Flext 20 and then choose the Vario II it is £89.99, but if I choose the Vario II first, then Flext 20 and then add Web n Walk it is £119.99.

Am I failing to spot something or is this just a quirk of the system?

Again cant help you with this but another word of advice. If you buy the web n walk bundled with the phone you will be tied to pay for the w n w package as long as your contracts duration is.

Most people including myself have purchased the w n w after buying the contract which gives us the ability to cancel w n w at a months notice. Also T mobile gave me my first month for free. Worth asking about it. £7.50 is a third of the cost of the memory card you will definately realise you need (ebay - 1 gig)

If its not too late might be helpful

[Guest cleandemon]

Hmmm. That's a good point.

Although I can't see myself not wanting the unlimited internet access at any point and the bundled WnW includes 3 months free.

[Guest cleandemon]

My Vario II has arrived. Very nice indeed.

However, it isn't connecting to the network. It just keeps searching and saying registering on the network. I've tried choosing the network manually and the T-Mobile network appears, and I select it, but it still doesn't connect.

Do I need to do something else?

[Guest StuBFrost]

My Vario II has arrived. Very nice indeed.

However, it isn't connecting to the network. It just keeps searching and saying registering on the network. I've tried choosing the network manually and the T-Mobile network appears, and I select it, but it still doesn't connect.

Do I need to do something else?

This usually means that T-Mobile haven't activated your SIM yet.

Give them a call (on a different phone of course).

Stuart

[Guest cleandemon]

I am currently on the phone to their CS. The guy doesn't even know what a Vario II is. I am having to spell it for him. He says my sim card has been cancelled! Apparently it is a pay as you go sim and after much struggling and confusion on his behalf he has decided that that someone will send me a replacement sim card in the next 3 working days.

This is an excellent start.

[Guest pd.ryder]

I got myself a VII last week. It took a good 24 hours before it would connect properly to 3G etc. Any CS is only as good as the ding-bat you talk to. My experience has been rather better.

One thing which may save you another call to CS - if you set it up to fetch your ISP's email you'll need to pop in smtp.t-email.co.uk in the outgoing server box or you won't be able to send anything :)

[Guest cleandemon]

Yes. I'm not at all convinced by what they guy I spoke to was telling me. If it wasn't his first day in the job, they need to sort out their training.

I asked him to get someone to call me back to confirm what they are going to do, so we'll see how I get on with them. If they call that is.

I don't have a clue how sim cards work, but can't they just reactivate it over the air rather than having to send a new one? And how can it be cancelled when it had clearly never been used as I popped it out of the credit card holder thing before putting it in the Vario II?

[Guest cleandemon]

Ha! I just switched my Vario II on and noticed the green LED flashing.

I knew the guy in CS I spoke to yesterday was talking out of his hole.