Gizmodo
You knew it was coming, you knew what it could do, and now the T-Mobile Dash is finally here. Considered as a GSM alternative to the popular Motorola Q, the phone marries a QWERTY keyboard with the Windows Mobile Smartphone edition that previously only adorned candybar-style phones.
Does this Q-killer really kill the Q? Does HTC's line of excellent Windows Mobile phones continue on with this one? Do we stop asking questions we already know the answer to? Jump on to find out.
To start, the major differences to the average user between this Windows Mobile Smartphone Edition and Windows Mobile Pocket PC Edition phones (T-Mobile MDA, HTC TyTN) are the lack of touchscreen, lack of Mobile Office apps, and less apps programmed for it. Think of this phone as the lovechild of a T-Mobile SDA and MDA.
For important stuff like call quality, this phone holds up just fine. It's got HTC's great noise filtering, but holding the phone up to your ear feels like holding a a large clam shell—an actual clam shell—because it's wide, thin and light. The good news is the phone didn't get very warm after talking, which was a nice from the MDA.
But voice is just one part of this package, since you want a smartphone for the data. Browsing is just fine even without the touch-screen we're used to. PocketIE works to get you on most web pages so you can check movie times or log onto Myspace. Emailing is great as well, since you just have to enter in your email address and password, and if it's one of the larger email services—like Gmail—T-Mobile's servers will figure out the ports and protocols to use automatically. If not, they're easy enough to enter.
Most importantly, the keyboard isn't too bad to use. The keys are a bit shrunken because they had to cram a QWERTY onto the face of the phone, but unless you've got Fat Albert's fingers, you can get used to it. It's not as convenient as the slide-out QWERTY keyboards, but that's to be expected.
Other features of note are the 1.3-megapixel camera, speakerphone, Bluetooth, and WiFi. The Dash is also myFaves enabled, which means there's five myFaves icons on your Today page. T-Mobile's targeting this towards regular consumers and families who want to balance work and life, and want a phone that can access email on the go but still give them good voice quality. You can tether this phone to use as a modem to get your laptop on T-Mobile's EDGE service, but it's not "officially sanctioned." They got kinda nervous when we asked about it on a conference call, actually. They'd prefer you to use one of their many T-Mobile WiFi hotspots instead.
So is it a Q-killer? Definitely. If you're looking for a smartphone in a thin package and are willing to give up Pocket PC features like touch-screen and Office Mobile, you won't go wrong with the Dash. It's going to be $199 with a two-year contract, $249 with a one-year contract, and $349 if you want to buy it without a contract.
The phone will be available in stores October 25, but if you want to "pre-register" you can hit up this site.
Comments
Those keys look like they came straight off an 80's vintage Texas Instruments calculator.
No word on how well the touch strip works?
I still can't get over it's uh...homely appearance. I mean the MDA isn't winning any design awards, but this is just a bit too ugly for me. Otherwise, looks like a great phone.
I think the design will just take you time to get used to, I hated it at first, now I think it loioks better than the new Blackberries.
The Nokia E61 definitely walks all over this thing.
Nokia has a 1500mah, WIFI, 3G and most importantly not a MSFT OS.
Yeah, and it's the same price too.
I wish this post would contrast it with the Q a bit more and describe how it exactly "kills" the Q. I didn't pick up on (m)any differences , except for form factor and touch sensor vs wheel (though that wasn't even mentioned!).
Yeah relly, we need some comments on the touch strip, I love the wheel on my BB 8700g.
Agreed. This is a design that has definitely grown on me. At first I considered it a bit silly-looking, like some sort of Playskool "my first smartphone." But now I really dig that playful aspect of it. These things are, after all, just toys for grown-ups. Some designer at HTC has realized that and incorporated it very well -- a sly, winking twist on what's really quite a businesslike device. It has a fun, fresh look... sort of like a Sidekick, but obviously sleeker and far more functional.
Again, can we see some comparisons in the size department?
Did they have to write "SPACE" on the spacebar? Isn't that kinda obvious?
It comes out October 16th, not the 25th!
They've got 'space' on all the blackberries too... so maybe not as obvious as you think..
Actually guys, It'll be available in my market October 16th. Markets may vary tho..
I am using the Blackberry 7105t from T-mobile. This is about the same size - just a little wider but thinner. Since I have a Exchange Server I wanted to try syncing with the over the air capability instead of using a cable. I liked the camera and voice dial options as well. The only way to see if you like it is to try it.
How can you compare an Edge device to an EVDO device and act like the difference is no big deal....
The TMO love here is over the top. Take your edge, I have my q today blazing fast....
Not even comparable to the LG 9800...
http://conviviagroup.blogspot.com/
HTC Dash Review - use with MacBookPro
OS/X 10.4.8
Shortcomings that disqualify the phone.
The main disqualifier: TMobile has broken the ability to transfer data via WiFi using typical apps such as Internet Explorer and email. One must use GPRS/Edge.
Since each time I have traveled abroad for the past five years, I have not been able to use my T-Mobile account abroad despite having gone thru the tech support fire drill prior to each departure. The walk you through unlocking the phone and enabling international roaming privileges. Yet, on arrival, nothing works at all. Yes, I know how to switch GSM carrier networks manually. Since the past is often a reasonable indicator of future performance, I have no confidence that even if was inclined to spend an additional $30/month for antiquated and slow GPRS/Edge data connections, I would not be able to use the device abroad for data access. In the past, the only way I could use my phones was to buy a local chip and put the TMobile SIM in my wallet for the duration of the trip. Even if TMobile was present, for example in England, it was still unable to roam, even after an entirely wasted day at the mall in Manchester with inept TMobile people who wanted me to call the USA office on my own dime on a phone that would not work. You get the idea, a typical SNAFU.
Other nagging problems that made me want to hurl the phone to the floor and smash it to bits: ;-)
2. No notepad or text editor. Must set up an email account to edit any text. Even then, there is not a cut and paste feature. You cant even select text. Brilliant! I had to manually type in WEP bin hex key despite having transferred a text file to the phone to copy the key from on the phone. The text file was NOT able to read by ANY app on the phone. It is a standard Unicode text file readable by any platform anywhere except of course for Microsoft.
3. You can't set up email without paying TMobile even if you use your own WiFi access point at home. USB email sync does not work on Mac, at least with Mail or Thunderbird. Did not try with Entourage, but I do not wish to use Entourage, a terrible program in terms of standards based messaging services.
5. Infrared on phone does not exist. A myth. A nasty myth.
6. Direct Push and Data Connection both require TMobile based services and preclude WiFi based Access. This issue prevents using any email service without TMobile provisioned datacoms. You can use Push with Outlook, of course that only exists on Windoze, and requires that you connect to your computer. Checking email while mobile is not practical as a result.
7. WiFi reception is poor. And the questions remains of what you can actually use WiFi for anyway given the main shortcoming above!
9. Volume touch pad just stinks. Unintuitive, unresponsive, and if you don't read the manual, you will wonder what that is for, and why the volume randomly changes.
10. File system browsing (Start Menu etc) is incredibly slow.
11. Browser is just plain useless. Can't connect except via Tmobile services.
4. Mac issue - Bluetooth connection malfunctions. Cannot pair with Mac either direction. Pairing from phone does not illicit pass code response on Mac. Pairing from Mac finds the phone, succeeds in pass code response handshake then finds no usable services (like OBEX or other BT protocol apps). You can "beam" a file to the phone via BT, but that is all.
1. Using Missing Sync App for data sync -
a. Only able to sync via USB cable. Bluetooth sync attempts time out halfway thru the connection.
b. It took nearly 45 minutes to put 1200 contacts onto the phone, first sync. Second sync hung and was not able to be recovered.
c. USB cable not recognized without reinserting each time. App does not detect the presence of the cable-connected phone unless cable re-inserted.
So temptingly close to something useful, but so very faw away. Thanks for your review. However, you may wish to check out the long list of dysfunctions with this device.
I posted them to a blog at http://conviviagroup.blogspot.com.
Best wishes Bryan Grant
quick question if anyone knows. i am a bit confussed about something. if i buy a t-mobile dash as opposed to an unlocked phone. will i be able to connect to my wifi at home and unsecured networks or will i be locked into t mobile hot spot acess only? this is whats stopping me from ordering it now.
its tight shut up freaks
this phone is tight dont listen 2 these people with no life
it looks good am travelling right now.. when i get back to the us then for sure im gonna get this babay... or amybe something even more advanced...
tech........
I have one, I can't stand the volume strip! The thing is not as great as it is made up to be. The web is nice the look is great. Not very comfortable to talk on. I don't understand why I can not download songs and games from T-Mobile onto my phone! I have to go to other sites just to do this and pay on the spot! I am planing on returning this phone next week. The phone has way more pros than cons, but the cons just clearly outweigh the rest. I will just try the blackberry perl. Hope that works out better!
I have one, I can't stand the volume strip! The thing is not as great as it is made up to be. The web is nice the look is great. Not very comfortable to talk on. I don't understand why I can not download songs and games from T-Mobile onto my phone! I have to go to other sites just to do this and pay on the spot! I am planing on returning this phone next week. The phone has way more pros than cons, but the cons just clearly outweigh the rest. I will just try the blackberry perl. Hope that works out better! If anyone knows a easy to use easy downloads and all around a reliable phone let me know!
I have a dash, and at first hated a couple of things. 1. the volume strip was too sensitive. 2. could not download any ringtones. Then I figured out that you can change the sensitivity of the volume strip and have it not activated anymore. I also found a site that you can download free ringtones to the phone. I absolutely love this phone now.
took me about a day to get used to it, but I LOVE it now! The only problem I had was finding the MAC address so that I could connect to my network that uses a MAC filer. Well you can't find it on the phone, but if you disable the MAC filter, then connect to the network, you can see that last MAC address that connected, which will be the MAC address for the Dash.
TAKE A LOOK AT IT IN STORE!! It looks like a large crappy phone in all the web postings, but in real life in your hand it is a great phone. Tmobile will unlock it for you after 3months of service so you can use it overseas with a prepaid sim. Tmobile doesn;t ever pull any remove feature crap from phones. So you will be able to use this with any blutooth device and use it as a modem for your laptop. If you don't get the data service, it will work with any free Wifi, coffee shop Wifi, or your home wifi conncetion! This is a really amazing phone all in all. Just don't plan on using skype with it, cause people will think your dieing. Much like my mother did when I called her with skype "Are you OK, Speak to me correctly, I am going to call an Ambulance, What is wrong....". The dash would be perfect in every way except it only has the smartphone edition not the full WM5 edition. Also Tmob will offer a free upgrade to WM6 in june yippie! I am really happy with it's MP3, Video, Phone Call, and Battery Performance.
It took me a good 3 weeks to get used to it and I was ready to change it for another phone. I now love it and wouldn't change it. As to the touch strip..........I disabled it and kept it in loud. It's a confusing phone but once you get to know it.....it's SUPER!!!! I love the look, the feel what it does. Great ear piece, sounds great to listen to music. I love the fact that you can use ANY song you want as a ringtone. I LOVE THIS PHONE........YEE HAW!!!!
I would have agreed that this phone was great when I first got it but after using it for a while my opinion has changed.
- the O/S is slow and unresponsive. Its like running XP on 128MB of RAM and a 5GB hard disk. key responses are slow, screen updates are slow
- battery life is horrible. I can drain the battery from a full charge to completely dead (won't even turn on) in 55 minutes via a conference call or surfing the web
- the alarm app crashes or duplicates alarms. Setting an alarm for 5am one day then 7am the next will cause the alarm to go off at 5am AND 7am everyday. There is a third party app that you have to install to clear the queue. The alarm app occasionally crashes so you don't get any notifications.
- the phone app crashes occasionally so you can't end the call or receive calls. Sometimes you won't even notice the battery is dead or the phone app has crashed until you've missed several important calls.
- pressing the camera button will return this error a fair amount of the time forcing you to pull the battery (which takes close to a minute and your subject has probably moved on by then)
"Unable to start camera. Not enough memory. To free up memory close Unused application using the Task Manager in the Start Menu".
- the Tasks section is cheesy and 3rd party aps are expensive.
- the time zones for the phone changes on its own for no apparent reason (its actually buried in the menus so you can't change it unintentionally) so you have to guess weather or not the appointment time is accurate. If you check Outlook then it will report the correct time even if the phone doesn't. Syncing the phone doesn't always correct this problem.
- the predictive text is buggy. Turning it off only disables it for that particular function and resetting the phone (usually because of low memory errors) will reset the predictive text configuration to its defaults. I can't use it to write emails anymore because I can't trust the phone and its too slow to use.
- the NOTES section is missing completely from this O/S. I'm not sure I understand why considering both Outlook, Exchange and even Evolution can display my notes.
- the wifi only works if you're sitting right next to the access point. In some instances a laptop reporting a "strong signal" will report "poor signal" on the phone. I've configured the phone to simply use GPRS 100% of the time and disabled the wifi adapter because its not very useful. Changing the configuration to performance will drain the battery from full within minutes.
Please note that 99% of these complains are directed towards Windows Mobile so they apply to any phone running Windows Mobile that meet these specs. Unfortunately I also have to give some blame to HTC for under powering the phone (considering their choice of O/S) and providing far too little RAM to make the phone functional. Now.. If you only use the phone for making phone calls, and you are okay with the phone app crashing occasionally (which prevents you from making and receiving calls) then this is a fine phone otherwise find an alternative.
I gave this a "terrible" rating because no matter how attractive WiFi is, or the call quality is, it doesn't matter if you can't actually use these function because they aren't stable enough.
I absolutely endorse dogatemycomputer's comments above. It is a very cute looking phone indeed, but the UI is horrid! That is a Windows issue of course, not a hardware issue. The hierarchical menus? Ugh. There is a perfectly good delete key on the keyboard, but you can't delete pictures with it. You seem to have to go through the menu -that's an issue because of the next problem.
When the device is placed in the pouch, random keys get pressed. Sometimes it invokes the camera, sometimes it dials random people. Most annoying. It does mean that I have a fine collection (a couple of hundred of them) of pictures of the inside of the pouch. Maybe I should auction them. Deleting them is a pain...
The damned thing locks up sometimes - unpredictably of course.
The navigation is awful. From the same point the back key takes you to different places - fine behavior if you are always in the same session, but for example, when I have looked at text messages and then leave the phone overnight, go into messages in the morning. When I hit back, it takes me to the home screen. However if I go through the menus to get there, then the back key takes me to the menu. So I have to remember the session state over a long period.
I am very disappointed in the device - from a useability point of view.
I would like to be able to dim the screen sometimes - not just automatically. Clearly the screen has the capability, there is a setting for the automatic dim. However there is no obvious way I can do it.
A real UI, not a "green screen" disguised as a UI would be nice!
I do like the call quality, the battery life seems fine - as long as you don't have the wifi enabled and searching, the bluetooth was seamless. It's just the damned OS!
I had a Blackberry before. I hated it with a passion. Now it seems positively delightful in comparison!
And, oh yes, I have had this horror for 3 months now, so you would think I had worked out the bugs.
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