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#252941 - 30/03/2005 09:07 New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one?
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
My contract is up with o2, so I am in the market for a snazzy new phone.

The PDA is also starting to creek under the pressure, so I was thinking of upgrading that too. Both the mobile, a Nokia 6230, and the PDA, iPaq 2210, are in good enough condition to off set the cost of an o2 XDA IIi if I were to sell them on eBay.

But, I have never used an XDA and none of the stores around here seem to stock them. Has anyone ever used/owned one, I think they are sold under several different trade names around the globe by other SP's. If you have, I would love to hear what you think about it.

Also, does anyone know if it will be possible to use the XDA IIi with both a Bluetooth GPS reciever and Bluetooth Handsfree kit at the same time ??? If not I will have to look at other solutions.

Cheers

Cris.

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#252942 - 30/03/2005 10:38 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: Cris]
sn00p
addict

Registered: 24/07/2002
Posts: 618
Loc: South London
Can't comment specifically on that phone, but I recently bought a SPV C500 (orange pay as you go) which I unlocked immediately, flashed on the i-mate firmware and then used happily with my O2 SIM!

Apparently on the SPV you can use both bluetooth GPS and headsets at the same time, I know lots of other windows mobile devices don't support this.

You best bet would be to check the pocket gps forums as they'll be able to tell you what you need to know.

I have to say, I wasn't altogether convinced about a phone based on windows mobile, but I'm pretty impressed. The dialing is the best I've ever had on a phone, and I like the small form factor of the SPV - plus it's got real buttons! I know people experience lockups with it when using it a lot, I've yet to have a single one, but I only ever use it as a phone or as a sat nav device and don't tend to play with all the options.

Another place to check is the modaco forums, they have lots of information over there.

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#252943 - 30/03/2005 12:32 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: Cris]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Friend of mine has got a C500 too, he really likes it. I also know someone who had an original xda and hated it. He couldn't carry it like a phone for fear of scratching or breaking the touchscreen and couldn't find a suitable case for it without looking like a total spazz every time he tried to use it. Luckily his employer bought it for him to he didn't have the additional shame of having actually spent his own money on it. He now has a separate phone and pda.

I've had my 7650 for two years now, I'll replace it when I find something better that doesn't cost over 100 quid to buy, so far I haven't found one. I can't see the point of blowing 100's of pounds on a phone when most only seem to last a year. The only phone I could see myself having is the C500, but then I would have to let Microsoft back in the house....
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252944 - 30/03/2005 15:17 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Just noticed the 3230 will be available from Orange soon, could the 7650 finally have a sucessor?
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252945 - 30/03/2005 15:54 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
BartDG
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/05/2001
Posts: 2616
Loc: Bruges, Belgium
My 7650 became due for replacement after 3 years of use also, so I bought a 6260 last week. So far I'm very happy with it. It seems that all the shortcomings of the 7650 have been remedied with this phone, and then some.

I really like this phone. It's hands down the best Nokia I've ever owned. Only word of comment is that it hasn't got a screen on the outside of the clamshell to notify you of the time or calls/messages that you've missed. But this is no biggie. And to think I've bought this phone for less than half the price that I paid for my 7650...
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Riocar 80gig S/N : 010101580 red
Riocar 80gig (010102106) - backup

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#252946 - 02/04/2005 15:02 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: BartDG]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Oh well, i ended up getting the 3230, I rang orange to enquire on the price for the upgrade and was told if I got it there and then it was going to be a tenner. So it should be here on Wednesday, it was £60 in the orange shop so I think I've got a bit of a bargain. If however if it's crap then it'll go on ebay and i'll press the 7650 back into service.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252947 - 02/04/2005 20:20 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
BartDG
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/05/2001
Posts: 2616
Loc: Bruges, Belgium
If the 3230 is anything like the 6260, then it should be really good. Could you post here about it? If it's any good, I might give one to my GF as a birthday present.

Man, I wish we could have those combined sales over here too where you only have to pay some ridiculously low amount to get a new phone. Over here this is a forbidden practice, so we ALWAYS have to pay the full price for the phone. Bah!
_________________________
Riocar 80gig S/N : 010101580 red
Riocar 80gig (010102106) - backup

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#252948 - 02/04/2005 21:45 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
g_attrill
old hand

Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
I've just bought a 3220 from the Orange Shop (online) it was £50 on PAYG which I think is a good deal - it's £100 from other PAYG networks at the moment. Also I only got a 3510i from them £25 a few weeks ago - I unlocked that and gave it to my dad for use with his O2 PAYG SIM.

The main reason is battery life - I don't use them that much and my old 7110 lasted under a week, the 3510i and 3220 last much much longer.

The phone itself is excellent - it's basically the 6230 without the radio, bluetooth, IR and card reader but with niftly flashing/pulsing/colour changing lights and a customisable cover. The screen is very clear and bright, the camera mediocre but welcome. The ringtones have a special MIDI track which controls the flashing lights - not the sort of thing I would use to pick up chicks but really neat.

Gareth


Attachments
252709-IMG_1294s.jpg (137 downloads)


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#252949 - 03/04/2005 07:14 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: g_attrill]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
One of the guys at work has that phone, he got it when Siemens banned private calls on company mobile phones, you're allowed to make calls home when you're away from home but that's it.

He bought it online from some random site on Orange PAYG and he's really happy with it although he's been trying to find replacement covers for it without much success.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252950 - 07/04/2005 15:38 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
The 3230 arrived whilst I was in London so I've only just got round to playing with it. First impressions are good. Nicely laid out, big, bright screen, maybe the buttons could be a touch bigger but I've got fairly chunky fingers anyway. The UI is fairly quick although it takes a while to start from cold. The camera is okay but there's a bit of a delay in taking pictures. They've improved the browser so it'll actually display HTML pages, perfect for using MythWeb on it.

The downsides are one crash since using it, although it's the usual go try everything thing that you do when you first get a new phone. There's no software included or available to download from the Nokia site, although the site does still say it isn't released yet... go figure. There's no iSync profiles for the phone so I can't sync my contacts and calendar with my iBook yet. But Dialup over Bluetooth works well.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252951 - 08/04/2005 16:04 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Well my new O2 XDA IIi turned up today. Not had much of a chance to play with it yet.

First impression is, it's gunna be bloody useless as an everyday mobile, it looks the old Nokia is staying for in the pocket use (on another SIM of course!). It's got some pretty cool features, most of which work straight out of the box, most impressive is the camera. Using the net is a joy as you have so much more room than on the mobile, but the added landscape view has limited use.

Overall I am impressed, and it will be staying as part of my comms, but only for when I am away from home or at work, there is no way I am puting a thing that big in my pocket, you can get locked up for that sort of thing here in Leeds

Cheers

Cris.

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#252952 - 08/04/2005 16:17 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: Cris]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Quote:
First impression is, it's gunna be bloody useless as an everyday mobile, it looks the old Nokia is staying for in the pocket use.


Hate to say I told you so. (Good song btw)

I think I've struck just the right balance with my 3230 and PDA. I get all the features of a large screen phone, I can still browse the web (good for train times and news browsing when I'm bored) and check my IMAP4 mailbox at home and then if I need it anything more just use the Axim.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252953 - 09/04/2005 06:03 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: Cris]
JaBZ
addict

Registered: 08/08/2001
Posts: 452
Loc: NZ
I got the PDA2k CDMA EV-DO version here in NZ, nice to have fast internet access while on the road. Although I don't use it as a phone, too big and clunky, however I must try it with a bluetooth headset and see how that goes..

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#252954 - 09/04/2005 12:35 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: JaBZ]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Quote:
...I must try it with a bluetooth headset and see how that goes..


It works great with my in car Nokia Bluetooth Car Kit. A bit strange when it connects, it seems to take much longer than my Nokia phone, but sounds as good. All I need to do is replace the mount and I will have an all in one GPS/Phone/Internet combo in the bag Sould be good with TomTom's live traffic updates.

Cheers

Cris.

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#252955 - 09/04/2005 15:27 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: Cris]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
So is it TomTom you've got? I thought you had NavMan.

How much data will TomTom traffic will shift over GPRS then it's connected? If you're paying by the MB a long journey could wind up being quite expensive. What happens if the phone rings whilst you're navigating? Will it take over the whole screen or will TomTom fight to be at the top of the z order? I've found the GPS screen pops up with annoying regularity if my GPS isn't connected.

EDIT: So has the XDA got a GPS receiver as well?
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252956 - 09/04/2005 15:41 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Just noticed the TomTom are releasing V5 of the Navigator software. Anyone know what new features this includes? The website is a little vague.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252957 - 09/04/2005 19:09 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
BartDG
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/05/2001
Posts: 2616
Loc: Bruges, Belgium
Quote:
Just noticed the TomTom are releasing V5 of the Navigator software. Anyone know what new features this includes? The website is a little vague.


Short (p)review of V5.0.
_________________________
Riocar 80gig S/N : 010101580 red
Riocar 80gig (010102106) - backup

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#252958 - 09/04/2005 19:34 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: BartDG]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Interesting read. Might have to splurge on a copy now, my 'evaluation' copy is rather out of date. Last time I drove to my folks I made a short detour through a field, at least that's what TomTom thought.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252959 - 10/04/2005 06:21 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: andym]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Quote:
So is it TomTom you've got? I thought you had NavMan.
....
EDIT: So has the XDA got a GPS receiver as well?


It's TomTom I'm getting. Navman is going on eBay with the iPaq. I will be waiting for V5 I think. I don't have a need for navigation just yet so I can wait a couple of months or so.

More importantly I need to source a moulded car mount for the XDA (There are a couple on eBay) and then work out of you can use a bluetooth Serial connection at the same time as use a bluetooth hand free setup, if not the GPS will have to go hard wired.

The XDA doesn't have GPS built in, and if you want CF you have to buy a jacket for £90!!! so hardwired serial or bluetooth are the only workable options.

GPRS wise, I have 5Mb traffic included with my current tariff, this ould be more than enough to cover any long trips I would make and checking e-mails while in Bolton

As a mini update, I am impressed with the XDA so far. No lock ups to report so far and seems much more stable then my iPaq. It is a little clunky in places, I am putting this down to the huge amount of software running in the background. Although initially impressed by the camera, it is no so imprerssive when you upload the pictures to the PC.

I have loaded on most of the software I use, CCTV and DVDLobby etc... and it seems to work fine. The extra memory it has is very useful as I haven't even had to load an SD card in it yet. WiFi is a jay compared to the Asus CF thing in the iPaq. Overall I continue to be impressed.

Cheers

Cris.

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#252960 - 10/04/2005 08:04 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: Cris]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
If it's not too rude, how much did you pay for it? O2 say it's £179 but they don't say what kind of tariff is required to get it for that price. I did look at getting the SPV M2000 for a while but Orange wanted £300 unless I paid over £50 a month in line rental in which case it came down to £250. It didn't seem worth it when the Axim was available for such a good price at the time and much more in terms of memory, cpu, connectivity and expansion.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#252961 - 11/04/2005 17:07 Re: New Mobile Phone and PDA. o2 XDA IIi, anyone tried one? [Re: Cris]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Quote:
Also, does anyone know if it will be possible to use the XDA IIi with both a Bluetooth GPS reciever and Bluetooth Handsfree kit at the same time ???


To answer my own question....

Yes you can use both a bluetooth GPS and bluetooth hands free car kit at the same time.

There are some problems. The major one is that the audio output from the Navigation is not output over the bluetooth hands free, only phone related functions. On the hardwired options all audio is output over the ear piece/kit. I would like the option to mute the music at relevent points.

Second is that the hands free kit doesn't seem to auto connect if you already have a bluetooth connection, you have to go into bluetooth manger and set the connection by hand. This is a long winded operation.

On a side note, I thought the extra 120MHz would go mostly un-noticed. But I have to say now it is set to turbo mode it really nios along. Navman seem much happier although I am having problems with loading on large maps, it seems to hang on startup. I will upgrade to TomTom 5 as soon as it come out I think.

Cheers

Cris.

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