Shaine Mata

I am having a tough time deciding what kind of phone to get to replace my existing phone. My phone is 2 years old now. It is a T-Mobile Dash, aka HTC Excalibur. It’s a great little phone running Windows Mobile 6. I souped it up with a 2400 mAh battery, which gives it a really long life. Unfortunately, it’s old and has limits in how many of today’s mobile apps it can run at once on its limited memory. I realize that it’s getting close to the time I need to upgrade it. I’m having trouble choosing the proper replacement.

I’m alright with running Windows Mobile. There are some “features” which I am willing to live with because it does what I want it to do. The occasional reboot fixes most problems. At its core, my Windows Mobile phone lets me browse the web, twitter, and keep up with my email. I also enjoy sharing my phone’s Internet connection with my computer. It effectively acts as my computer when I’m away from my computer. It does these things adequately for my needs. Getting another Windows Mobile phone would simply be a continuation of my existing experience, except in a new form with better performance.

I have asked friends for suggestions on what kind of phone to get. Several have mentioned that I ought to try the Blackberry. I understand that Blackberry phones are becoming quite the social media device. It would obviously take care of web browsing, email, and twitter with ease. I think Blackberry also has Internet connection sharing. There are apps available for download that would increase my enjoyment of my smartphone. I have gone down to the T-Mobile store and see a good variety of Blackberry phones, and only 3 Windows Mobile versions. So, as far as selection, my mobile service provider has more Blackberry varieties.

Thus far, I have gone back and forth on the decision of which type of smart mobile phone to buy. I think the problem is that I do not see any clear advantage of one over the other. The decision may come down to hardware features like camera quality, memory, wifi, bluetooth, and maybe even VOIP capability. Thus far, my selection is narrowed by the number of phones that support T-Mobile’s upcoming 3G network upgrade.

The release of the T-Mobile G1, otherwise known as the Google Phone, has also contributed to my indecision. If it integrates with my Google account well, then it may very well be worthwhile. Best of all, the G1 is 3G ready. On the other hand, it’s a first generation release with likely bugs. Then there’s the issue of apps written for the G1. So, then I go back to either Windows Mobile or Blackberry. I think I’m going to have to wait.

Maybe in the end I’ll get a cheap-o phone and an iPod Touch.