Slashdot Mirror
Nokia 3650 Released in US Market
A Swing Dancing Dork writes "Check out the new Nokia 3650! Video and still imaging, MMS support,Bluetooth,Triband, and polyphonic bliss all wraped up in a uber-modern package." I was looking phones all morning so I'm glad this showed up. Anyone have advice on cel phones? I'd like IMAP, HTTP, and IM, as well as PDA functionality that can sync via bluetooth to a Mac. I was looking at the Sony Ericsons, but this may work as well.
I was just about to buy one yesterday but they were just too big. I really wanted a phone with speakerphone and BT, and this seems to be the only one that I can get on T-Mobile or Cingular.
Went for a T68i instead. It'll have to do for now (atleast it has BT).
OLIVER
Better VDF than VD...check it out: Data Access
how irritatating it would be to try and dial that thing, with the buttons not layed out in the traditional, muscle memory configuration. Oh sure, you can use voice recognition, or look up numbers on a list, but even with all that enabled, I still end up *dialing* my phone about 50 - 60% of the time, and trying to deal with that keypad combination would suck, especially with numbers where you can only remember it by dialing it.
Dude, I think I can see my house from here.
Why do you wacky American's call it a "cell" phone? What is "cellular" about it? I (British) call it a "mobile" phone - because sic.
Say goodbye to dialing numbers in the dark with that fscking pad... then when you finally get used to it and go and try to use your housephone it will take you roughly 4 minutes to dial 10 digits.
Wtf was Nokia thinking? What happened to ease of use and ergonomics?
the byproduct of years of oppression by the white man
For what these things cost, you could buy a cell phone, digital camera, and PDA, all of which will have better specs than the phone. If you skimp a bit on the camera and PDA, you can add an mp3 player too.
Considering that, what is the point of this combo phone? It's huge, I want my cell phone to be tiny so I can have it at the bottom of a pocket and forget about it. Another point, what happens when you want to upgrade one of the parts, with the combo-phone you lose everything and have to re-buy it all.
To top things off, the 3650 is ugly, and why do they put the buttons in a ring around the bottom of the phone? Do they think it's a dial? It will make dialing numbers much harder and typing text on that thing will be a horrible experience.
Jason
ProfQuotes
The cell is not in the phone. The cell is the radio "cells" of the phone network towers.
cpeterso
Is people who don't realize that not everyone has the same preferences as them. No matter how silly it may seem to you, some people like to send text messages and play video games from their phones.
This is like shouting "tastes great" at someone who thinks the beer is "less filling."
Or for geeks, shouting "vi" at an emacs user.
By your logic, we need a new name for "computers" because all anybody uses them for is Word Processing and Solitaire. I propose we call them "Soliputer WP."
OK, as someone that has had one of these babies for about three months now, I must caution you. The camera is handy, the video is cool (but ultimately kinda useless), and it is kind of a PDA. HOWEVER: 1. The Bluetooth is a little strange. I can't seem to get anything to bind to the device other than a headset. Nokia's other devices up until now have only supported the Headset profile in Bluetooth, so it is possible this device only has that profile and no others (connect to computer, adhoc network, etc.). 2. MMS is still an evolving standard, and the way this device does MMS is in some cases out of spec. 3. I HATE the keyboard. Say goodbye to keying things into it without looking at the keypad, at least for some time until you get really used to it. Good luck entering lots of PDA stuff, like contact information, on this keyboard. 4. The plastics are chincey. 5. The device has crashed on me about once a week. The US carriers really vet their mobile phones hard, so possibly the 3650 sold in the US will have a better software load on it than the Hong Kong 3650 I have. BTW: I agree strongly with the posters below regarding the Sidekick (made by Danger). If you are looking for a good device, go with that one. I haven't seen the color one yet (not yet out, but sometimes I get these things early), but note that the attachable camera on the B&W version takes very low res pics.
Methinks you have your head on backwards.
CDMA has poor interoperability; sure, if you only ever need a phone in the USA and your don't care about open standards, please, get a CDMA phone.
If you travel at ALL, then GSM is currently the only way to go.
The sooner CDMA and other US-centric telecom technologies buy the farm, the better for consumers.
The insane convenience of having one-phone, one-number, 6 continents and no hassels roaming FAR outweighs the slight technological advance that the CDMA air interface has.
Actually, I have a 7210 and i rather like it... that picture on the website looks kinda funky but it is a pretty sleek phone. Nice color screen, GSM & GPRS... lotsa frills, but it works pretty well. The only thing i don't like is that the quality of the sound coming out of the speaker during regular calls isn't that great... that's a pretty freaking ironic problem for a phone to have, but oh well. The handsfree is great and the speakerphone is pretty good. Nice toy, all in all.
I find it interesting that nobody mentions or is aware of the great threat Microsoft poses to Nokia and the rest of the market.
.NET will (watch out for this one). Compete on phone applications where M$ has no back-end, no market dominance, establish your own.
Through their normal underhanded business methods (Sendo would know what I'm talking about), they have developed a version of their OS that runs on mobile phones, allow you to access exchange, schedule, browse, play movies, IM, etc. Asian phone suppliers manufacture these phones cheaply and in large numbers.
M$ smartly integrates the phone with their current application and user base. Idiots like operator CEO's would make stupid decisions like exclusively using these phones. After all, there is nothing wrong with M$ monopoly on desktop, so why not the phone too...
Luckily they will learn the painful truth as the loss of freedom of choice and, in their case, control will hit them hard one of these days.
I develop both phone and backend applications at one of the worlds largest operators. We have spoken to Nokia on numerous occasions. I have seen M$ move into the market with inferiour products under Nokia's noses. We have told Nokia this, asked them to give us the same flexibility as M$ always gives you before they strangle you, but no, either they are too stubborn, set in their ways or convinced of their own immortality.
So Nokia, listen carefully in order to survive you need to at least do the following:
1) Provide the same integration with M$ backends as M$ does.
2) Provide the same ability for any consumer to easily update the phone firmware/OS.
3) Do not try and build back end platforms that M$ already has. You will fail until Linux/BSD kills M$ on the server.
4) Focus on the application space. Office will not run on the phone soon, but
5) Build back-ends for applications M$ cannot even envision at the moment. After all you still know the most about your own environment.
6) Be willing to bend over to operator requests, they are your market. They are the ones M$ are buying. First the operator and then the consumer.
7) etc...
You are still in controll of the market, you have lots and lots of money. Start fighting the war while you still can...
NOKIA WAKE UP!
I must apologize for posting as Anonymous. Lapse in keeping my account updated has caused my now forgotten account password to be mailed to a non-existent email address...
Alwyn Schoeman
jabber id: alwyn@jabber.or.id
I'd definitely ask, if there will be a MIDP 2 firmware upgrade available any time soon. Gaming without real sprites is a PITA...
It costs menothing to RECEIVE an SMS when I am roaming in other countries......
It then costs me less that a voice call to SMS back.
Not only that, what if the person you want to contact is on the phone, in a meeting, asleep, etc? Text messages are like small emails in that respect. I often email people short one liner emails when I am at work or at home, SMS gives me the same functionality wherver I am. Yes I can email from my phone but it's more expensive and unnecessary.
Troc
Troc's dubious podcast and blog: http://www.trocnet.net