Last was a very good year for PDA and smartphones, and it's still not over yet! This Fall we've seen the introduction of two of my favorite phones, the Cingular 8525 and the T-Mobile Dash.T-Mobile USA, Inc. has the upcoming availability of the new T-Mobile Dash, a smartphone device delivering voice calling, personal and business e-mail, and Wi-Fi capabilities in a small, sleek package.The T-Mobile Dash provides quick and convenient access to personal and business e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging, as well a speakerphone and Bluetooth connectivity for reliable hands-free use.
As with the Cingular 8525 and HTC TyTN, the differences between the T-Mobile Dash and HTC S620 are modest. The Dash has T-Mobile's MyFaves support, adds OZ' instant messaging client that supports AIM, ICQ and Y! Messenger (the app uses text messages), T-Mobile's My E-mail application, a WAP browser and it has a different JOGGR strip (more on that later). As expected, the Dash plays T-Mobile's rather loud startup tune at boot while displaying the T-Mobile logo. The HTC S620 boots up silently while showing the HTC logo. The T-Mobile version has a big T in the dialer screen while the s620 has the HTC logo.
It also includes a 1.3-megapixel camera and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile for music and video on-the-go. Extra memory to store these media files can be added through the use of MicroSD memory cards.
The Dash has a matte black finish and a rubberized coating that feels good (folks seem to want to stroke it-- don't blame us) and helps keep the phone firmly in hand. We found we could use the Dash one-handed fairly easily, though the somewhat narrower and scroll-wheel enabled Samsung BlackJack beat it. The keys are 4mm wide with no space between. What does this mean? The keys are fairly large for a device this small (though it can't compete with the T-Mobile MDA PPC phone and and its huge keyboard) and large is a plus. But that lack of key separation means you need to look at the phone and take more care when typing. In contrast, the Samsung BlackJack's keys are only 3mm wide but have a good deal of separation making typing one handed typing, easier. But for two-handed typing we prefer the Dash, whose keyboard is very usable for even extended bouts of typing, despite its small size. If you're migrating from a Treo you'll probably adjust easily. Those coming from the MDA or one of its relatives will take longer to adjust. The keys are backlit in blue and keypad backlight timing is in sync with display backlight timeout (which is adjustable). They keys are fairly easy to see in dim and dark locations, and the front buttons also light up (in white for app buttons and soft keys, red for call end and green for call send).
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