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Hands0n
15th September 2007, 07:26 PM
My 18-month contract expired yesterday, unknown to me as I thought it was October. Anyway, I was in Bluewater today and wandered into the brand new T-Mobile store to have a look around. As some will have read in my other posts I am utterly bored with the selection of handsets around and in the pipeline. Nothing spins my wheels, floats my boat, gets my gander. You get my drift.

What I am after is an exciting HSDPA handset - not much prospect of one of those, I have decided. So my mind started to wander - always a dangerous thing - and of late I have been sampling a Prada 2G handset with a view to possibly going for the Prada 2 when it comes out later this year. It has the right spec, HSDPA and a bit different. But then I have not really been getting on THAT well with the thing - I really don't like LG, really!! So I am finding it a bit of a struggle to get to actually like the Prada 1, even though I thought I wanted something touchscreen seeing as it is flavour of the month :)

Anyway, bored, disillusioned, in Bluewater, credit card in pocket - a volatile mix for me.

I wandered around the T-Mobile store, looking at all of their handsets. Only one kept catching my eye, but I already have that one on Vodafone. Do I really want another one on T-Mobile? Well, it ended up that I really do, despite my open criticism of the handset, it does fit my requirements - modern, HSDPA, highly functional. But not touchscreen, well I suppose one can't have everything (as the Apple iPhone buyers will find out soon enough).

I talked to the manager, a very nice bloke all round, I looked at the handset, I deliberated and being of true managerial stock myself I made a decision. And have walked out of the store with a renewed 18-month Flext35 + Web 'n Walk Plus, 25% discount for life (they don't do that deal anymore), and .... a Nokia N95 that has not had its SIP client crippled like Vodafone do. So I'll be playing with Truphone again in due course.

Why? It really is the HSDPA that has done it for me - I get it as standard with Web 'n Walk Plus but have not been able to make use of it which is galling. The N95, despite my criticisms of it, is a very capable handset and - used as I intend to - will survive a day in the wilds with me.

So, in 18 months time I will be back in the market - lissen up manufacturers, you'd better stir my juices the next time or I'll be going back to something else ..

Meanwhile, if anything truly astounding arrives on the scene ... there is always the SIM-free route. But it will have to be a bit good to entice me to do that!

Hands0n
15th September 2007, 09:36 PM
I got it working pronto-like with the Macbook Pro - the HSDPA kicked in immediately (although I am using it via Bluetooth, so that will be a limiter to the full speed results between PC and Speedtest.net).

I got the following results
Download = 1116Kbps
Upload = 280Kbps
Ping = 173ms

Test Results here --> http://www.speedtest.net/result/184821185.png

Quite reasonable and respectable HSDPA figures really, and the nippiness of the faster network is unmistakable.

I'm happy :)

3GScottishUser
16th September 2007, 09:04 AM
I am now quite jealous....an N95 with full web access - hmmmmm:)

Good luck with it, I think it'll be a fabulous device and should keep you interested for the duration of the contract.

My contract comes up for renewal in december and i'll be looking at the Nokia N95 8GB as a first option. I bet it'll demand a heavy premium but might still be worth the extra to get all those tasty facilities.

Hands0n
16th September 2007, 10:55 AM
The HSDPA really does show itself on the handset and when using it as a modem, particlarly the latter. Coupled with the Web 'n Walk Plus it is a mobile data user's dream.

I'd like theN95 8GB mainly because of Nokia addressing my biggest criticism of all S60 handsets, that being a miserly amount of system RAM which is an anethema for a multi-tasking operating system. Plain barmy. The N95 8GB is supposed to have a load more, in addition to a large flash ram storage, but it seems to not have any expansion memory slots (I read this somewhere but hardly believe it!!!). If true then WTF is that all about Nokia?

Anything that helps resolve S60's shortcomings has to be a good thing - hopefully not too little too late because OS X in handsets with huge multi-Gigabyte memories are now here and the rival manufacturers have to choose to either step up to the plate or consider becoming also-rans.