Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"It seems we will soon know exactly how many screws hold together HTC's 2009 smartphones. FuzeMobility has just come across a spreadsheet listing some more details and some new code names we have not heard mentioned before...New to us are the Star, Superstar, Tachi, Chief and Captain."

This is getting better and better! Not only do we have more details of the HTC 2009 models mentioned before, we now have 5 more models to slaver over - note that two of the new ones are WM Standard devices. What strikes me most is the general move toward 128MB RAM and WVGA as standard, and the first debut of nVidia in the Windows Mobile space. Thinks are looking up in terms of hardware - any chance of capacitive screens making an appearance?

"It�s been a little over a month since I received a Qtek 8500, HTC�s first clamshell phone which runs the Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone operating system. Unlike some of the other Smartphone OS devices available, such as the Dash and the Q, which attempt to �be all and do all� without the benefit of a touch screen and the full Pocket PC operating system, this is one model that appears to be happy just being a smart phone."



You might remember us mentioning Judie's unboxing of the pink Qtek 8500 back in November. Since that time, Judie has been using the device and put together a fantastic review of the handset. If pink aluminum is your thing, be sure to check out this review. ;)

"At the time of this writing, the HTC Star Trek (that's the Qtek 8500, Dopod S300, Cingular 3135, etc) is generally accepted by most to be the sexiest Windows Mobile Smartphone on the market. With such a distinction, good protection from a case is essential to keep the device blemish-free. There are very few cases for the HTC Star Trek. One in particular from Noreve promises to provide top quality protection with top quality leather, in several color choices. Let's take a look at how it held up wrapped around a Star Trek!"



I'm not very fond of custom cut leather cases. I'm also not very fond of the fact that the 3125 doesn't include a leather carrying case as other carrier branded HTC devices have in the past. For those of you looking for a nice leather case for your brand new Cingular 3125, you might want to check out this review!

"Cingular rebate forms circulating over the past couple days are indicating the presence of three devices -- HP's hw6920 / hw6925 and HTC's Star Trek, offered here as the 3125 -- and while too much time has passed for us to get too worked up at the thought of putting our hands on any of these, they're worth noting nonetheless. Now, the popular rumor says that since these puppies have shown up with rebates, they're in the pipeline for delivery next week. While we're hoping that's true, we're not betting on it."



We aren't betting on it either. Our own Rocco Augusto thinks it will come in September. Whenever it comes it will be nice to have a new clam shell Smartphone. I am planning on getting the 3125 even in spite of the media buttons on the front. :)

"A tipster writes in that the HTC Star Trek, which was FCC Approved on Monday, will be available as the Cingular 3125 around August 8th. He says the retail price will be $299.99, but has a $100 rebate to get to $199.99. This, most likely, after you've signed over two years of your soul to Cingular. We'll see if it's true in two weeks."



If this rumor is true we can expect to see the Star Trek in less than two weeks. I can tell you first hand that it will most likely be named the Cingular 3125 as this is the name that it was given on the new mail-in-rebate sheets that were released on July 23rd. The moment I hear anything from Cingular about an official launch announcement, I'll be sure to post it here!

For all of you that managed to get your hands on HTCs latest Smartphone marvel, the Star Trek, you might be interested in this new registry tweak that allows you to easily toggle between lines.



I made the registry change on my SP5m, but I don't have multiple lines, so I can't say if it worked or not. Does anyone else want to give it a try and report back? Note: Standard registry editing warning applies. One wrong move and you could be looking at a hard reset for your device. ;)

"In addition to the VPA compact III announcement, Vodafone Germany also announced today to release the Qtek 8500 HTC Star Trek or as it is called now "STRTrk") this summer. HTC's first clamshell Windows Mobile Smartphone (see my previous review of the Qtek 8500 here) is sporting quad-band GSM, GPRS and EDGE, communicates in short-range via Bluetooth (but misses IrDA), weights only 99 grams with battery and touts a breath-taking 16mm with a build-in 1.3-megapixel camera and dedicated music control buttons. It's powered by Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile 5.0 and running with a TI OMAP CPU at 200 MHz, has 64 MB RAM and 64 MB ROM. The main 2.2" TFT LCD with LED backlight gives you crystal clear, crisp and vibrant image and colors. The secondary 1.2" TFT LCD on the front cover keeps you always informed of the time and date, identity of callers and what music is playing. Vodafone Germany plans to release it during August and with a 24 month contract it will retail for 169,50 Euro. Without a contract it will costs 599,50 Euro."



Vodafone Germany is the first carrier to announce the launch of the HTC STRTrk on its network. Let's hope that the US carriers will follow with similar announcements. ;-) Some might argue that the slim and QWERTY Smartphones, the Q and the i320, have changed the Smartphone market. I think there is still a huge potential for a slim non-QWERTY clam-shell Smartphone.

Product Category: Windows Mobile Smartphone
Manufacturer: HTC
Where to Buy:Will be sold in different markets as the I-Mate SmartFlip, the Qtek 8500, and the Dopod S300. HTC Str Trk (or "Star Trek") is the codename.
Price: n/a (pre-production hardware)
System Requirements: n/a
Specifications: Windows Mobile 5, TI 850 200 mhz OMAP CPU, Quad-band GSM, GPRS/EDGE, USB 1.1, Bluetooth 1.2, microSD memory slot, 98.5 mm x 51.4 mm x 15.8 mm in size, 99g in weight.

Pros:

• Thinnest Windows Mobile Smartphone to date;
  
• Impressive use of the outer screen;
  
• Appealing, consumer-friendly design.

Cons:

• Proprietary connector point for power and audio;
  
• Uses microSD for memory, slot is under SIM card;
  
• Uses old technologies: Bluetooth 1.2, USB 1.1.

Summary:
This phone is a significant step forward for the Windows Mobile platform. It combines a sleek design, easily the equal of other popular consumer phones such as the RAZR, with the powerful functionality of Windows Mobile. The hardware feels high quality, the build quality is impressive, and it makes excellent use of the outer screen. The phone lacks WiFi, which makes it a poor choice for some users, and HTC also made some curious decisions regarding the sync/charge port on the phone, the choice of microSD for storage, and several other issues.

Read on for the full review! Read more...

Folks, looks like the wait for the HTC Star Trek is going to end soon. Dopod has started selling the Star Trek as the Dopod S300 in Taiwan. The price tag in Taiwan dollars is $13,900, which is approximately $427 USD.



In case you want to learn more about this stylish flip phone, then check out these two links:
HTC Star-Trek Photo Shoots on the Web
More on the HTC Star Trek - Review From Geek.com

"I opened the generic white box and was immediately impressed by the extremely slim form factor; I have to say that a Windows Mobile Smartphone that is truly pocketable is almost here. The QTEK 8500 I was sent has a burgundy back and front cover combined with black, and it looks quite professional. The burgundy pieces have small ridges that seem to give you a bit better grip on this slim clamshell device. The device is very thin, and I was able to easily slide it into my pants or shirt pocket while barely even knowing I was carry a Windows Mobile Smartphone."



Palmsolo over at Geek.com has posted a mini-review of the new Qtek 8500. I think these pictures are the cleanest and best quality pictures that I have seen to date. Also, I'm thinking the burgundy coloured device looks a lot better than the plain version. Has anyone figured out the deal with the keypad? Why do some of the HTC Star Trek devices have those circles and others don't? I'll take a green or blue version without the circles. :mrgreen:

PocketInfo.nl has posted a review of the new Star Trek. This review highlights a couple key things about this hot new device. The first is the 64MB ROM. It sounds like there will be another release of this phone later this year with a 128MB that was mentioned at the devices announcement. The Star Trek is also missing the standard miniUSB that we have come to expect on HTC phones. Instead, it has a smaller, flatter connector. On the plus side, they claim this device is super fast! One of the fastest Smartphones they have worked with.

Now I'm a little torn. This phone is pretty hot, and I was really interested in getting one. However, I don't want a small 64MB ROM when I could wait a little longer and get twice that. Not to mention the lack of mini-USB connector. I've got a nice supply of mini-USB power cords spread around the house and office. :?

I'm not sure how the guys at PocketPCItalia managed to get their hands on the HTC Star Trek - again. This time, they have published a review of the device (In Italian) and the pictures clearly show the Star Trek with a couple different colours for the front and back panels of the phone. RAZR-like? yes, but I wonder if it's more of a replaceable faceplate type thing like those old Nokia's everyone used to have. Alright, who wants one? :D

"Sona Mobile has created this Star Trek Communicator Phone microsite to provide fans with a preview of the exclusive Star Trek mobile content, including the Fleet Wars game. We will also post news and product information as it becomes available. The Star Trek Communicator Phone software, based on the Sona Wireless Platform (SWP) is your link to the worldwide Star Trek community."

Here's one for all you Star Trek fans out there. Sona Mobile is working on producing a Communicator styled Smartphone running Windows Mobile 5.0. You can find some more information and screen captures of the device at the Sona Mobile Microsite. You won't find any pictures of the hardware, as they are still working to finalize the exact look of the device. It only took 40 years to bring it to reality :D

MSMobiles.com has posted this picture that is expected to be the first flip-style phone from HTC labs. It is expected to be a Quad band GSM phone with EDGE, a QVGA screen, Bluetooth, a 2 mega pixel camera with flash, and have the similar dimensions to the Motorola RAZR. HTC Star Trek is 98.5 x 51.4 x 15.8mm while the RAZR is 98 x 53 x 13.9mm. Pretty amazing specs for HTC's first attempt at a flip phone. Oh, and the expected street date is March 2006. Start saving those pennies now!

"Provided by Versaly Entertainment under license from Viacom/Paramount Pictures, Versaly offers the entire line of Star Trek ringtones, sound themes, and home screens for the smartphone. Copyright (c) Paramount Pictures."

I know there are a fair number of Star Trek fans out there, so I thought I would pass this along. There is no trial version, however you can buy the product here for only $2.50. [Affiliate] -- Picard, Out.