T-Mobile Launches GSM/802.11 Phone In Germany

prostoalex writes "German subscibers of T-Mobile can now get a hybrid PDA phone that supports both GSM and WiFi wireless networks. The new Mobile Digital Assistant (pretty pictures) will connect to cellular and wireless hotspots built by T-Mobile as well as any 802.11a/g Wireless LANs."

Comments

Some More Information

[Zone-MR]

The Mobile Digital Assistantpage lists two products. One is the MDAI, and the second is the MDAII. The pretty pictures link actually only shows the OLD MDAI model, which still had an external antenna. It is NOT the upcoming MDAIII. I've had the XDAII (same thing as the MDAII, but it's called XDA in the UK for three months now. It's a great product (I love being able to use MSN messenger/IRC from practically anywhere, over a GPRS link, and paying next to nothing [since I'm billed for data transfered and IM/IRC isn't bandwidth intensive]). My only gripe is that its size/weight is a bit larger than standard pocket PCs (then again hardly susprising considering the extra features). WI-FI is the only thing that is missing IMHO, so I am looking forward to the next one.

I read some more info and an original press release. It was posted on www.xda-developers.com (great resourse for MDA/XDA owners). Here are some additional links regarding the upcoming MDAIII:

http://www.t-mobile.net/CDA/tmd_mda_iii,20,,news id -3146,en.html?w=1075&h=847
http://www.mtekk.com.a u/browse/page910.html

Re:Some More Information

[AGMW]

A friend has one of the HP ones with finger print checker, bluetooth, wireless, etc all build in. He walked into my house and connected to my wireless network. Out and about, it uses bluetooth to communicate with his cell phone in his rucksack and connects that way. He has a small bluetooth GPS that it will connect to, and it will track his movement and overlay it on the maps (full Landranger set of maps for England and Wales for 150 pounds or so), including the admiralty maps offshore so he can see where he is sailing. It's amazing!

It seems to me that having the various components seperate is better than lumping them all together though. This allows parts to be upgraded or new parts added, and allowing him to choose best of breed, cheapest, etc for each component as he requires.

I suppose the downside might be that you are carrying multiple sets of batteries etc, but then you only have the bits you actually need with you, and multiple batteries perhaps equates to longer up time?

From the article:

[Senator Bozo]

The MDA III supports GSM and Wi-Fi, and includes a retractable QWERTY keyboard that slips within the device when not in use

Seeing how this thing will be sold in Germany, shouldn't it be a QWERTZ keyboard, or are they trying to irritate their customers? If it is a QWERTY, does it have Umlauts?

Re:From the article:

[Senator Bozo]

No, German keyboards are QWERTZ, French are AZERTY.

Re:From the article:

[jezreel]

Nope, Germany still uses QERTZ with seperate Umlauts. I actually type on a brand new. And a keyboard without easy Umlauts would be a major pain in the ass for all type of writers, e.g. newspapers, press agencies, etc..

Remapping the keys of a newly bought game surely is less a pain. And why would anyone need to change a photo or image just because a letter mapped different on a keyboard???

Re:Lan capability?

[Zone-MR]

Depends what you mean "access your phone". You can connect to it, copy files, synchronise contacts/emails/etc.

Another potential use would be streaming MP3's from your home computer so you can walk around the house listening to them on your XDA.

Basically anything you write software. I've written a util for my XDAII which connects to my home server over GPRS, and links in with my home automation. So regardless of where I am, I am instantly alerted when someone approaches the house, presses the doorbell, etc. One click and I can stream the video from a small driveway camera, and another click and I can open the door/turn lights on/whatever.

Re:More pictures and info here!

[Anonymous Coward]

more pictures and facts.

Wrong links

[Mr_Silver]

The links are all wrong.

The article talks about the MDA III yet the photos show an MDA I and II which have been out for ages and a reasonable amount of time respectivily. The most noticable thing about the MDA III is that it has an integrated sliding keyboard.

Photos of the MDA III can be found here.

I have one in my desk drawer and although I haven't had a proper play with it, it's rather heavy, thick and the back is made of cheap feeling black plastic. The OS is Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.

However it does come with an impressive line up of software - fonix voice apps, album, clearvue pdf, enroller, clearvue ppt, kse truefax, midlet manager, photo contacts, video mms and xBackup to name a few.

Re:Wrong links

[wfberg]

And I'd have to add to that..

The MDA2/XDA2/iMate2/Qtek2020 (HTC Himalaya) also supports wifi, but only as an SDIO card option. Which means you can't extend the memory storage beyond the present 128MB RAM (with backup battery) and approx 15MB flash.

The apps that come with the MDAs are not necessarily included with the XDA/iMate/Qtek, but you can usually upgrade your own device with any vendor's ROMs, or even customize them, thanks to the people at xda-developers. Special kudos to xda-developer Willem/itsme.

SIP VOIP apps are available for pocketpc, even skype is, and depending on how much you pay for your data traffic (e.g. an unlimited plan) it might already work out cheaper than regular calls.

The most iresome trouble with these handsets is that the OS can be very buggy. I know it might seem like Microsoft-bashing, but they've really stuck to some of the worst features of windows for their embedded windowsCE/pocketpc platform. It has a registry! Which even has a HKEY_USERS key, even though it's empty because it's a single user device (and HKCU is not backed up by syncing). Also, DLL hell exists on the platform. Apps need to be installed and will try to install files in default locations. The package management is woeful, like in it's big brother. And back-ups frequently do not work.

The best thing about it, is the extensibility and the LARGE number of applications and tools available for it. The developer community seems to be bigger than the EPOC community was, or the Palm developer community. This in spite of the fact that the platform lacks easy scripting, and you're basically stuck to either handcrafting c++ or going the VB.NET route. Rather daunting, either way.

Pocket outlook is very nice, too bad activesync will only sync with regular outlook (you get a copy, although it comes with product activation).

Webbrowsing over gprs is a joy, though it is a shame there is no opera for pocketpc, if only to give it a whirl.

Oh, and parent poster.. If you don't have time to play with it.. Send it to me please? ;-)

Now THIS is a smart move

[tarunthegreat2]

Whether you're moving to 3G or Wi-Fi/WiMax, you're ready to roll. I have to hand it to these guys, at least they're thinking ahead. Now it doesn't matter which technology wins out as The Ultimate Wireless Solution. If only other mobile phone companies thought this way...
On the other hand, at this point, I don't think 3G OR 802.11 have managed to break out on a global scale a la GSM yet... so your pretty toy will remain just that for another 3/4 years....

Re:Dvorak

[tarunthegreat2]

"Frankly, I don't know what's coming next, but we're all gonna need smaller fingers, for sure!" - Jeff Bezos, on being asked to predict future technological trends - June 2000

Will they allow VOIP?

[pubjames]

I wonder if they will allow you to make VOIP calls over the WiFi link using this handset. That would be really neat, but unfortunately VOIP is a threat the the profits of companies like T-mobile. So they will probably do something to prevent this. Unless of course they charge for the WiFi connection by usage, which of course removes the principal benefit of VOIP for the user.

WiFi on a phone - I never thought I'd see this...

[ncw]

WiFi on your phone/PDA is the obvious next step, but I never thought it would happen because WiFi threatens all the major revenue earning modes of the mobile phone companies.

The threats are VOIP and IM. It doesn't look like this phone supports VOIP natively, but there is plenty of code which does on that platform. IM threatens the insanely lucrative SMS revenue and the major users of SMS (ie teenagers) are already using IM.

I guess since T-Mobile have a big stake in WiFi access points they can afford to produce a product like this, unlike their competitors which don't and can't. We'll see!

Handy

[chrispl]

If this will let you make VoIP calls from any wifi network it would be really useful (read cheap), especially in metro areas like Berlin. On the way from home to work (a 20 minute drive) there are just over 100 wifi access points. About a dozen are cafes and T-com public APs but most are personal APs built into the DSL modems/routers that are given away for free with the internet service. Half of them wide open and on default settings. Someone *could* park their car just about anywhere and make free calls etc, if they were into that kind of thing...

Re:Handy

[Pseud0]

Agreed, however - VoIP with WiFi is not really useful in conjunction with GSM/GPRS until you solve handover of communication.

Wouldn't you say that the foremost ability of a mobile phone, apart from letting you communicate, is that is allows you to be mobile? Unless you want to stay within the same hotspot for every conversation these features are only that great.

Re:WiFi on a phone - I never thought I'd see this.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is not the only one. They will also have Wi-Fi in the new Nokia 9500 Communicator. See the Feature list on Nokia's site

It's a Shame

[XScB]

It's a shame it's a PocketPC device. I spent months last year trying to use and being frustrated by the PocketPC OS. It's crap and clever marketing (like this) can't save it.

I think a sub-notebook with a WLAN and GSM card will probably be more use.

Re:It's a Shame

[jcostantino]

Yeah, PocketPC sucks but it's "oK' for tiny devices. I actually ignored PocketPC for about two years and a coworker showed me his new HP. Very nice, interface sucks. It took him 10 minutes of fiddling with it and an extra five of mine to figure out where the MAC address for the wireless card is.

This thing first and foremost is a telephone, I could at least see holding this thing up to my head to make a phone call. I'd hate to have to pull my Libretto L5* out and hold it up to my head like a Nokia N-gage. (just kidding, had to make the joke) Seriously, you would have to get a Bluetooth headset and either a BT laptop or a USB dongle for it or get a corded headset and at that point it's just a big pain in the ass.

I have a Motorola V400 and I consider it to be a bit on the biggish side.

*I don't own one but wouldn't mind one at all.

What is the difference?

[tod_miller]

An MDA is a PDA with mobile (voice) and connectivity, a SmartPhone is a mobile phone with PDA capability.

Are these converging or diverging and trying to control the markets with double speak? I would suggest that MDAs are more powerful, but the only real SmartPhones that are around are the Sony P900s, which looks fantastic.

Do you really want to lug an MDA around just for voice? I think seperating the application of a voice unit and a computing unit is best left alone, and a standard PDA and mobile is better, but that is me, and because I haven't seen anyone talking into one.

Re:What is the difference?

[caswelmo]

I've always wanted a PDA with a detachable earpiece that acts as the phone function. I can imagine the speaker & a small mike boom detaching from the side or back of my PDA. I just insert the little guy in my ear & I'm off & talking. There would need to be some sort of wireless tech between the earpiece & the PDA, obviously.

Similarly, as small as cellphone are getting, I could see a little (1" x 0.5"??) flipphone detaching from my PDA as well. Just leave all the functionality possible in the PDA & make it a bare-bones phone. My biggest problem with the PDA phone is that it's so darn big to hold up to your head. Maybe this could solve the problem.

I obviously need to do a little more thinking on this.

ergonomics & finger finger typists

[tod_miller]

I guess this will cause similar problems with thumb wear as game pads do. Still anything is better than hunched up typing over a keyboard...

The key to good miniature keyboard design is limit the contact space between the digit (finger) and the key.

By making a meyboard out of 1mm diameter 'nipples' with the letter printed larger behing, the total distance between the pressable surface of each key becomes much greater:

The test:

Press the following five boxes with your grubby finger (will need to wipe monitor afterwards)

[ ][ ][ ][ ]. etc

Now press the following smaller dots.

. . . . . .etc
Easier huh? But takes up the same room, but each button eare is bigger, as they over lap. (almost double the size)

It is possible to fit a usable keyboard onto a creditcard in this way. Usable meaning, you can type fairly fast with thumbs, index and middle fingers without getting too cramped.

Cool huh?

Nokia's WiFi

[troezen]

WiFi will be available on the new Communicator as well. The downside with that one, I hear, is the new "improved" keyboard.. But other than that, it looks set to continue the Communicator tradition of a really successful blend of phone and PDA.

Other similar devices

[3waygeek]

include the Motorola MpX, due in Q4, and the iPAQ 6300 series, due out in the next 30-60 days. Both are GSM/GPRS phones -- my understanding is that they'll be software-upgradable to EDGE once the carriers roll it out.

Sooo, a touch screen eh? *coughclamshellcough*

[puntloos]

I always get so puzzled when people create a phone with a touchscreen (read: FRAGILE) and not make it clamshell design.

like the Motorola MPX

I walk around with a phone, not in an armoured purse, not with 4 bodyguards around me but no.. *drumroll* just in my jeans pocket.

If I, for some alcoholic reason, bump phone-first into something less soft than say a baby's bottom, Id like the screen to survive, please.

And don't come to me about protective cases, this design is flawed from the beginning, and I don't want to have to peel of 4 layers if 'skin' before I can answer the phone or use more than 2% of the device's functions. Thanks.

Re:It's a Shame (Pocket PC)

[argent]

I've used the existing T-Mobile GSM phone, and the Pocket PC software was just so unreliable it made the lousy sound quality a minor issue. I was routinely rebooting before calls and answering the phone with "Hi, I'll call you back in a minute after I've reset the phone".

Re: *coughclamshellcough*

[argent]

Especially since the normal objection to a clamshell (moving parts, bending cables that break and hinges that wear out) don't apply, since it's already got all that complexity in the sliding keyboard.

I don't understand why PDA makers seem to be averse to not only clamshells but even hard protective covers. I avoided replacing my Visor Prism for a long time because all the new handhelds... PalmOS and Pocket PC alike... seemed to be designed witt the idea that broken screens ensure a steady revenue stream.

Yes, I'm half kidding. But only half.