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Best Bluetooth Capable Cell Phone?
masonbrown asks: "I find myself confronted with a profound decision that could significantly affect the next couple of years of my life. As an excited owner of a new Aluminum Powerbook 15-inch, I'm shopping for a Bluetooth enabled cell phone. I've checked Apple's Bluetooth Compatible Device List as a reference, and had some great initial impressions of the Sony-Ericsson T-616/T-610 phone (direct link unavailable), until I read the Amazon reviews that said the display fades in sunlight and the buttons are impossible to maneuver with human fingers. Can Slashdot readers give some feedback on what Bluetooth phones you have, how well they work with iSync, and how happy you are with your phone?"
I've got a Sony-Ericsson T-616 and I'm happy with it. Yes, the screen is not very visible in direct sunlight, but it hasn't really bugged me too much at all. I guess I don't use my phone outside too much.
:-)
I've got a Mac and a $30 bluetooth usb nub thing and the bluetooth stuff just works. I use iSync to synchronize my iCal and AddressBook with the phone and don't have any problems. I've been impressed with the how well everything seems to work together. It's pretty easy to get the pictures off with Apple's USB file browser. The camera is gimicky but it is fun to play with.
As for the buttons, they seem like every other phone to me, no smaller or unusable than my old nokia. I wouldn't consider them unusable at all really...
The menus aren't quite as fast as my old nokia, but they are zippy enough to not slow me down, or annoy me. My friend has a 68i and its menus are the slowest thing on the planet. It takes a good 5 seconds to get into the address book. The T616 fixes all of that. It also has a sane way of locking the screen that doesn't erase your address book entry if you are in the wrong screen (like the 68i--which causes my friend to scream curses about once a week when he does this).
I definitely recommend it.
-David
There. Now go play some cool javascript games!
Amazon reviews that said the display fades in sunlight
This is actually a common problem with most of the new colour display mobile phones. I own the Nokia 6610 (no bluetooth) and do experience this problem when the phone is used outdoors. I have yet to see a colour screen mobile phone that does not have problems being used in full sun.
One thing you need to look out for is there are some phones that are shipping with data-only bluetooth. So if you are planning to use a headset be careful of that. I was looking at the Nokia 7650 at one point but decided not to get it for that reason. The specs list contains bluetooth but I found out later it was data-only.
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*This is the cute bunny virus, please copy this into your sig so it can spread
I'm happy with my Sony Ericsson T68i. I use it with iSync on OS X 10.3 without problems. It's a basic phone without useless extras like a built-in camera (though you can buy an add-on camera for it, IIRC). I only use bluetooth for syncing, I don't know if you can also use a bluetooth headphone with it.
JP
I can't recommend this thing highly enough.
It's got:
-Tri-band GSM
-bluetooth, GPRS/WAP (big deal)
-good sound quality
-great reception
-well-organized display and menu functions
-really well-designed keypad (not soft & mushy)
-good shape (fits into your hand well, very slim, easily slides into and out of your pocket, and is comfortable to talk on
-robust power connector
-no fiddly moving parts to break
In short, it's a phone. It does phone stuff, and does it well. The thing's built like a Russian tank; I have dropped it on concrete at numerous angles, gotten it wet, smacked it around and generally abused it, and like all my Nokia phones, it keeps on chugging.
Don't buy this if you want a toy (MMS, photo, cute polyphonic ringtones, fashionable shape, whatever.) But as a tool, it rocks. In fact, this phone is the best piece of industrial design I've had the pleasure of using this year.
Cole's Law: Thinly sliced cabbage
I've got the t610 and it is a great phone. I use it wiht my 12" PB G4 and the combination is fantastic.
The amount of integration is amazing and the whole process is _very_ easy.
I haven't had any problems with the key sizo or the screen brightness (at least no more than other screens)
Also, you can do some really cool stuff with Salling Clicker which is a great (and inexpensive) piece of software
The buttons I actually find nicer than many units on the market - though it is an irritation that some of the buttons' functions can't be changed from their (never-used) default.
For those Windows users who have this phone, I find floAt's Mobile Agent a most useful piece of software (though occasionally buggy). A useful feature at work is the option to automatically lock and mute your machine as you leave the room (with phone). Useful for forgetful souls (like me ;)
Why would a /. reader possibly care if the display fades in sunlight?
First of all... getting married or moving to a different country significantly affects your life. Getting a phone does not.
:-) I also think the screen on the s55 is better than the one on the SE610, especially outdoors.
I'm quite happy with my siemens s55. iSync finds it without any problems, and I can sync contacts, address-book and tasks to and from iCal. Haven't been able to get my iBook connected to my ISP via bluetooth, though. Of course, just because I'm not able to do it doesn't mean it's not possible
The O'Reilly Network has a review of the T610.
How about the Sony Ericsson P800 (or better still P900)? It is a PDA and camera too, that way you get some more meaningfull reasons for using bluetooth than only syncing phone numbers...
The Clamshell edition of the T610 is actually a lot better imho. It is a bit bulkier than the T610, but makes up for it with a better and bigger keypad, a much prettier exterior. Louder ringtones if needed, better screen (which supposedly is better in sunlight). Overall an excellent phone, and using it with bluetooth is a joy :)
:
As for the direct links to these phones, very simple
T610
Z600
life+universe+everything=42
The new Nokia 6600 could be a good choice, too...
And here's another link: Product page
Can anyone recommend good software to use with Linux and this phone? Something like Gnokii would be great, I used it with my old Nokia 6210 and found it very useful.
I've been wondering for some time (without putting out much effort searching) which phones out there play nicely with Bluetooth enabled Palm Pilots. i'd like to be able to use the Palm Pilot to access the web and email (SSH would also be handy, but is a secondary to the others). Anyone do this currently?
Funny, I've just been looking for a replacement for my T39m... let's see what this discussion can bring up. Here's some highlights of my "research" to date.
If you're on a budget, look at the T68i and the Nokia N-Gage. I think they are listed at around EUR 250.
If money isn't an issue, the T630, the Z600 or the Nokia 6600 will fit your requirements. These are listed at around EUR 600.
Current mobile phones are built for a three-year life span. They are not supposed to last much longer than that. Regardless of what you buy today, it's 50-50 that you're going Christmas shopping for a new phone again in 2006.
It could be a good idea to stick with your current brand, unless you're deeply unsatisfied with the menu layout or the physical quality or something. I've been using Ericssons for a while and have difficulties adapting to Nokia's Symbian UI: the N-Gage is compelling but the UI kind of rules it out.
--Bud
I use it, works great with my 12" PowerBook. osx 10.3 It has phone, video, etc. I use the bluetooth mainly to transfer photos or to sync address book data. you can even sync todo list and calender. Odd keypad though. Doesn't matter to me, I never use it(phone numbers in my address books)
> profound decision that could significantly affect the next couple of years of my life
Dude, if you think selecting a Bluetooth cell phone is profound, just wait until you graduate high school or get laid for the first time.
Anyway, if you don't want a color phone or want something cheap with lots of features (without bothering with pesky rebates), check out the Sony Ericsson R520m. A couple of years behind the curve, but it's got every major new feature and a nice legible b/w display. Plus they usually come unlocked, so you can hop carriers at any moment.
This link here, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/maccellphone
, is a yahoo group for people attempting to hookup a cell phone to their Mac laptop.
Good luck!
Jon
Voice Clarity: Excellent
Display: Bright, Clear, Readable
Camera: You won't be taking any family photos with it.
Battery Life: Excellent
Weight: Very Light
The keys ARE small, but they are spaced apart nicely, so unless you are andre the giant, I think one can get used to it.
As far as cellphone UI's go - this will be my seventh cellphone and it is the best I've used to date. The graphics, sounds and layout are very good and easy to navigate.
One of the things I like best is an IMAP/POP compatible e-mail reader/writer. While writing an e-mail is damn near impossible, reading is quite easy. You can configure multiple e-mail accounts, and can even use your own server for sending your picture messages and such (via e-mail). I have ATT and found that it was taking them a half hour to deliver a 20KB e-mail.
It also supports Java applications such as games and other things. The load time for Java based applications leaves something to be desired, but once it's running, it's good.
One thing of note is the speed, or lack thereof of the GPRS network it's simply slow.
The phone also supports, Bluetooth, and IR as a primary means of connecting to other devices. Turning it on, and off is very easy. As is connecting to compatible devices.
For further reviews on the S56:
Howard Forums
Mobile Media
ZDNet
I got my phone from amazon, which is offering the phone and a bluetooth headset for -100.00 (you make 100$ after rebates) for a year long contract. It supports GSM 900,1800 and 1900 networks which makes it a great plus when travelling over the world. Plus t-mobile (Its also available with ATT) plays nice about unlocking the phone for use in other countries , which is a big plus for me. Camera is fun and addictive and the reception has been decent. An attractive form factor and the nice joystick for navigation.For the price I'd say its perfect. Oh! And it syncs with iSync sooo well.
Yuck! I own one, and its the poorest phone of the seven I've owned. Most people complain about the menus being slow, but ironically that hasn't annoyed me too much. What does annoy me is the dirt-poor reception the phone gets. My girlfriend has a Motorola phone on the same network I use (AT&T's Next Generation network in the US), and she consistently gets better reception than I do. And, I'm not talking about the number of meaningless bars of signal strength the phone shows, either. I'm talking about her ability to place and receive calls when I can't. And its not just my particular phone, either; a friend got a T68i, too, and we get the same level of reception.
Another common complaint about the T68i is the joystick. It can be tricky to push straight down on it to "click" or select a menu item. The joystick will tend to push to the side instead of going down, and you'll end up having to try to select the menu item a couple of times. It gets better with practice, though, and I'm at the point where I probably only make that mistake about once a week.
Lastly, some folks have problems with their phones crashing. Mine seems to go through phases where it'll crash about once a day, but a good power on, power off, and power back on cycle seems to clear it up for a while. This doesn't work for most folks, but I've found it effective for whatever reason.
That depends on whether you're in 3G coverage or not... if not, why the hell hasn't anybody mentioned the Siemens S55 yet? it's all phone (no camera or crap) with a good bluetooth implementation. It seemed awfully sturdy to me, too. You'll probably have to order one from someplace crazy, though; I haven't seen them for sale at retail in the US. If you like clamshells and/or toys, the Motorola V600 is going to be out RSN, and that's a pretty rockin' phone. They finally updated the V.60 -- it's a metal-shell color cameraphone with lots of goodies.
Now, if you *can* get 3G coverage, the only reasonable option is the Motorola A835. It's the only GSM/GPRS/UMTS phone on the market right now (except it's predecessor the A830, which is awfully clunky) and it has great data capabilities. Also has IRDA in addition to bluetooth for those with older laptops. it's a little bit, but it's good and sturdy with a *surprisingly* long battery life. It also has crazy-huge multimedia support.
I've had the Nokia 3650 for about two months now. It's an amazing device and if you go to a place thats willing to wheel and deal (like I did) you can end up with the phone for $25 after rebate (yes, twenty five.) There is currently a $150 rebate through T-Mobile on the phone and I was able to talk the places down to $175 from the T-Mobile price of $300 (and T-Mobile is a great service provider as well, I've been using them for over two years now and I've yet to have a problem (with the exception of my first phone with them, the T68m but that wasn't their fault and they were still quick to make things better for me)
:) I put all my numbers into the phone book anyways so I rarely dial numbers.
Ok, so now I'll run down on the phone itself...
104Mhz StrongARM processor with 4MB of RAM. (Cause every geek loves those stats...)
A very large fairly high resolution screen that fares VERY well in sunlight and any light situation. It's backlit, but only a slight lowering of contrast occurs in sunlight.
The camera that is built in is of amazing quality for a camera and one of the best I've seen. It also records video but it's not as usefull, as the resolution is only 320x240 and the quality is horrible. Good for BS clips but nothing fancy. The camera has actually gotten me rave reviews on my photography skills (more than a regular camera). The two following links are directories full of pictures and videos I've taken with my phone, feel free to browse them at your leisure.
Pictures of the beach by my house
Pictures of the recent snow storm at Rutgers Uni.
Being a Symbian OS based device there's TONS of programs for it, ranging from MP3 players (I used it once, not bad, but I prefer my iPod) to Game Boy Emulators (nothing like playing Mario Bros 1 in class) to usefull applications like file browsers, to Doom! (doom links: here and here) Plus its easy to get files onto the phone be it through bluetooth, infared or taking out the phones 16MB MMC card and putting it on there via flash card reader.
Ringtones for the phone are MIDI files so it's easy to find your favorite song or write your own and place it on the phone.
iSync is supported with the phone, as well as other nifty Mac bluetooth programs such as Salings Clicker which lets you controll your mac from your cellphone. Good for controlling iTunes (I have it set so it plays my music when it sees my phone so I come home to my favorite music) and can be used to control DVD Player or Quicktime, and can be set to perform AppleScripts...
Yes. the circular keypad is odd. It took me about a week to get used to it. After a month and a half with the phone, I'm back up to my previous typing speed on the T68i (I can go faster tho, as Nokia's predictive text is much faster than SE's...) and the only time it's a slight problem is when I'm inebriated, but even then all skillsets go to zero, so it's no so much the phone's fault.
Battery life and size: The phone is slightly larger than other phones, yes. But after all the times I spent digging in the tinest little crevaces of car seats, classrooms, and dorm rooms looking for the phone, a larger phone is appreciated. Plus it leaves room for a larger battery and antenna (and that's another thing. The 3650 has fantastic reception abilities and some have claimed it has the best of any Nokia phone to date.) and it just feels like less of a toy than other phones. I take pictures all the time and have many 5-10 minutes phone calls a day. I have to charge the phone every 3-4 days, but I just keep it on a car charger when I drive and when I sleep its in the charger, but you can get away with forgetting to once in a while with no worries (plus the batteries are the same as the N-G
Viva La Revolucion! Buy a Mac!
The sunlight problems aren't really a problem. It has to be direct sunlight before there's a problem seeing the screen. Ie, it'll rarely happen unless you're TRYING to see how bad it is. How often are you trying to make a call outdoors in direct sunlight? Besides, you ARE planning on using voice dialing with your Bluetooth headset right?
"What about receiving calls?" you say? Any phone that doesn't have personalized ringtones isn't worth getting anyway. Even if you WERE in direct sunlight you'd still know who it was.
Also, some themes are easier to see than others (yes, the T61* is themeable.)
I have nothing to say about the buttons except that they're fine and I never have a problem with them. I'm not a button masher though so YMMV.
This is a VERY cool phone. You did right by checking Apple's list. Did you also notice Apple's endorsement of a program called Salling Clicker that works via Bluetooth with S-E phones and Palm devices to remote control your Mac using AppleScripts? There's other Bluetooth remote control apps out there but none as good.
The only thing I wish it had was an IM client. Did I mention it was a sexy phone?
--
My comments and opinions completely reflect those of anyone and anything I am remotely associated with.
I think Verizon users are similarly limited in their (lack of) choices.
Nothing like choice.
What about the simplest, cheapest, less feature-filled, and preferably smallest bluetooth phone? I want something about the size of a couple matchboxes stacked that has no speaker or mic, LCD, no buttons (other than power), nothing else other than a couple of LEDs showing network availability. I just want it to be a GRPS/cell network -> bluetooth bridge to be used with my PDA. I want it to sit in my pocket or bag, out of the way and out sof sight. I just want to be able to turn on my PDA and get net access through it, without having to invest in an expensive phone. Most phones with bluetooth are high-end ones- $200-$300 for the lot of them!
:) But I do want net access anytime, anywhere.
Buying a cell-equipped PDA is out of the question. I will not take a downgrade to some small-screened jobbie. Not for me. My PDA has an 800x480 screen and I will never go back to 240x320.
Recently, a CF card that allows me to use T-mobile's $30/mo unlim data service has come out. But it's $250 and still pretty new. That might be what I'll use, but the opton I mentioned above would be good too.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
Nokia 6310i.
:)
It's a fairly basic phone, but it's triband (works in Europe and US), has bluetooth, runs java games. No camera and no colour screen, but it works, and lasts over a week of real usage on one charge.
It's a good reliable phone, and it works properly, which is what I'm looking for in a phone
I can just get in the car with the phone in my pocket. If a call comes in, it show up on the car's touchscreen and I touch an icon to pick it up. It mutes the stereo and the call audio comes through the stereo speakers. The microphone is in the mirror. Sound quality is great.
For outbound, I can transfer my phone's contacts into the car's contacts by bluetooth, then one-touch dial from the car's touchscreen.
In general I have been very happy with the phone. It is small, but aesthetically pleasing to both eye and touch. Controls are big enough and the joystick thingy is a pretty effective device for quick navigation.
My reception in the SF bay area (with AT&T) has been very good--I have not seen a dropped call yet (at least none that I think came from my end of the conversation). That is way better than my previous Verizon service.
I also got a very good deal on the phone. I bought two (one for me and one for my wife) at the Good Guys and, after the rebates, they ended up giving ME $50 per phone with service activation.
I would recommend the phone to anyone.
Scared of the N-Gage? The Sendo X appears to be the top-of-the-line Series 60 phone, with the works, but if you want a Nokia device, the ultimate appears to be the 6600 -- you'll pay for it though.
My requirements for a phone are (1) FM Radio (2) Speakerphone (3) Bluetooth. So far, I always had to choose 2 out of 3. But that will change once the 6230 hits the stores (sometime in Q1 2004). It's also chock-full of all the semi-useless gadgetry (still/video camera, mp3 player). It's also not a Symbian-based phone. And it will probably cost an arm and a leg, at least initially. And I won't predict how it will sync with iSync. But still, it promises to be a pretty fun phone!
I bet the guys and gals who made that were not models who just hover around in designer clothes drawing up Powerpoint shows explaining how their fucking vision made everything reality.
If you can spare the money. It's overall more nicer.
Just pop onto eBay and they are all over the place at about $60 for one that can be used on any network. The phone was released officially only in Europe but it works like a charm here in the US. I'm using mine on T-Mobile, which is the geekiest Mobile Phone company on the planet. All You Can Eat 802.11b HotSpot usage (Borders, Starbucks) or AYCE GPRS connectivity only costs $20 more a month.
.WAV ringtones, no built-in camera, a couple of games (a Pong and a Quix clone) and a few black-and-white background images. It's also a bit on the bulky side compared to modern phones. However, it's light, it's cheap, it does Bluetooth, and it is compatible with just about all of the Ericsson gadgets, including the camera if you must. I have a serial cable and chatboard keyboard I got from eBay and I can grab a FM tuner/headset (wired) anytime I want, should I want one.
This is a no-BS phone. No color screen, no polyphonic or
The battery lasts and lasts and lasts. Even the skinny one you get with the phone. And I have a second battery (also an eBay find) that I got for $3 that has even more standby/talk time. Yes, it's an Ericsson OEM battery.
I love my r520m and I actually will probably get a spare in case this one breaks.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
the amazon review is lame...the buttons are just fine...well lit...the jog stick has been improved over the T68...so it's easier to use. i have no trouble using this with my bluetooth enabled HP iPaq 5555. in addition, it's super tiny and has a built-in cam...you should definitely get it! btw, make sure u get a cool case...i picked one up from vajacases.com...a case is a definite must b/c it prevents this expensive beauty from being scratched.
-asciilogic
I've had the T610 for about a week and a half (T-Mobile, North America). It's a neat phone, and GPRS over Bluetooth with my 12" Powerbook is pretty swell (still much slower than a 56K modem though). The criticisms you'll read in the online reviews are pretty spot-on.
The screen is difficult to see in sunlight. You can actually get around this fairly easily, by picking a higher-contrast theme than the default one. Once I did that, I have no problem using the phone outdoors.
The reception is this phone's biggest flaw. It's flat-out lousy. I've stood directly under an antenna and gotten only three out of five bars. The major thing that seems to screw up the phone is being inside buildings -- sometimes I find myself having to sit by windows to use my phone. I've read that the T616 (the model offered by Cingular) has much better reception in the US, as it's calibrated for North American GSM.
The camera is also pretty terrible. I regularly see weird RGB "sprinkles" in my photographs. Also, forget about photos in darkened bars or nightclubs -- you'll only get decent pictures outdoors in good daylight. Don't get this if a camphone is high on your priority list.
When I got my Sony-Ericsson 610 I thought it was great apart from the unneccessary camera (I'm a unix boy - one tool for one job - and have a perfectly good digital camera already) and the annoying menus and phonebook and lack of basic usability compared with my old Nokia 7110 but nice all the same. Then I realised I could hardly read the display in sunlight. Then the display packed in. After I had been through 3 different handsets, all of which developed faults within a week I gave up and went back to Nokia with a (non bluetooth) 6110.
~ Better a freak than a sheep. ~
It sounds neat!
I've had a nightmare with bluetooth for a good couple of months now -
I have numerous bluetooth devices, PDA, powerbook, windows laptop, handsfree kit and needed connectivity amongst them all.
I started with a Siemens S55 which I found excellent with my handsfree (jabra freespeak) poor under windows and marginal with powerbook / windows laptop and my PDA.
I then went to a Nokia 6310 which is a fantastic phone, the best I've ever used, however, the bluetooth capabilites are poor, no passive mode for the handsfree so you have to have the handsfree as the active device all the time.
I've now got an old R520M Ericsson (before they became sony/ericsson) and it works great.
I can use it surf the web from my windows laptop or powerbook via GPRS, I can sync with iSync and the sony ericsson software you get for Windows. I can pair it with my PDA and use it for dialling, it can then pass the call to my headset. I can sync my phone book with pocket outlook or with desktop outlook, in short it's fantastic.
The only drawback is the battery life is poor and it's quite an ugly looking phone, as a phone it's nowhere near as good as the 6310i for ease of use or comforth but for use with bluetooth it's the best by far.
Solution ?
R520m for business use.
6310i for personal use.
The bonus is you can pick up a R520 in the Uk from expansys for 60.
I got my T616 about a month and a half ago through the AT&T Wireless website. They offered a two-day free T616 promo and I was quick to capitalize it.
:0
.
:)
1. The Bluetooth works great. I don't have Bluetooth on my PC but I tried it out on my parent's eMac when visiting and it worked like a champ transmitting the photos. Just don't try to buy a Bluetooth adapter at Best Buy. They don't carry the Apple recommended D-Link USB adapter, and they'll charge you $50 for the off-brand adapter. Unfortunately, this was an impulse buy for me.
2. My head doesn't hurt after using the phone. My two prior mobile phones had been Nokias (first through Sprint, then Cingular). I had headaches after only a few minutes of use. Probably had to do with Nokia's great track record of being the cell phones emitting the most radiation. My doctor at Kaiser signed me up for a CAT scan that some unnamed research group paid for (this was early 2002), and thankfully, no tumors!
3. I like the joystick, although it sucks for playing Q-Bert. The standard golf game sucks too. Sony Ericsson and AT&T Wireless should offer the classic Atari coin-op ports IMHO.
3. The phone is damn-sexy. Although I am in the market for a screen cover because I don't like scratching it up. I'm sure they sell them.
4. Battery life is awesome.
Now for the not-so-good.
1. I wish the phone was in a clamshell. Yes, Sony is bringing out one in Europe but it isn't shown on their U.S. website.
2. I can't use the phone in my apartment which is in metropolitan SacTown, home of the Kings. Granted, I think this has to do with GSM in general because my Nokia phone using Cingular also had reception problems in the complex. Funny enough, my former roommate's Korean (Samsung or something) through Sprint always received calls. I gather its the *Sprint Principle*, the one area where your GSM phone won't work, that will be the ONE place a Sprint phone will actually work in. Yep, CDMA is definitely superior
3. I've had issues with text messaging, but again, I think this has to do with the GSM service in my area. AIM worked well through mMode.
4. The operating system has crashed twice. On my girlfriend's T616, the screen locked up and wouldn't respond to any of the buttons being pushed. We had to take the battery out to *kill* it and cause a reboot. The phone worked after that.
So in all, that's really only 2 problems I've encountered outside of my own personal preferences. Despite that, I strongly recommend this phone. Down with Nokia's superiority complex and their radiation levels.
"Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*