[Hands0n]

I am impressed with the downward pressure on SIM-free pricing these days. \

Quite apart from the fact that Acer is a budget name the point is that a fairly modern Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone can be had for so little. Whereas a short while back such a price would be unthinkable, even for a second user device.

Okay, fair enough, WinMo 6.1 is hardly the latest and greatest. But it is not exactly a prehistoric version either. The great shame is that, unlike Apple and Google Android, the user is not entitled to free updates of the firmware, even if such were available. Maybe that will change in time.

Still, with a rather impressive hardware specification coupled with what was *the* smartphone OS, for someone wanting to get in on the game on the cheap the Acer Tempo F900 would be hard to beat.



High performance style. Add freedom to your life. Acer Tempo F900 lets you browse and interact with the web as easily as you do in your office or at home.

Style meets simplicity in the Acer Tempo F900. The style of a large 3.8” WVGA touch screen, with an easy to use virtual keyboard and a widget-based home screen; the simplicity of browsing the web and interacting online anytime, anywhere as if from your office or home.


Features:

Operating System Microsoft Windows Mobile® 6.1 Pro
Network Bands GSM Quadband, HSDPA Dualband
Camera Yes, 3.0 megapixel
Memory Card MicroSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
This device is supplied network-unlocked, i.e. you can use this device with a SIM card from any UK or European GSM network (e.g. Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2, etc.).


Technical Details
• Processor: Samsung 6410, 533 Mhz
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile® 6.1 Pro
• Memory:
- ROM: 256 MB
- RAM: 128 MB
• Display: 3.8-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 800 X 480 WVGA resolution
• Network:
- HSDPA 1900/2100 MHz
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• GPS: Internal GPS antenna
• Connectivity:
- Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
- Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
• Camera: 3.0 megapixel color camera with LED flash
• Audio supported formats: WMA, WAV, MP3, AAC, AMR, SP-MIDI, MIDI, MMF, AWB, RMI
• Video supported formats: 3GP, MPEG4, WMV, H.263, H.264
• Battery:
- Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
- Capacity: 1530 mAh
- Talk time: Up to 7 hours
- Standby time: Up to 300 hours
• Expansion Slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• Dimensions: 117.5 X 63.5 X 12.8 mm
• Weight: 155 grams

Source: http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=180271&partner=uknews

[gorilla]

Don't forget that this is WinMo 6.1 Pro :D whatever that means!!
I think sim free is definitely the way forward. It's a supply and demand thing, once more people actually look at the total cost of a 'free' handset against the upfront cost of the hardware and a cheaper tariff, eventually more high end smartphones will become cheaper sim free and therefore more accessible for the masses.

[Hands0n]

I was curious and did some Googling on the differences between 6.1 and the current 6.5 versions of Windows Mobile ...

First up a little video

Want some visual guides on what exactly is different between the current Windows Mobile and the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5? Well, on paper the changes include better kinetic scrolling, new soft key menus, prettier tabs, nicer notification boxes and even a new accept and reject call screen. Well, enough of text, check out the video and see for yourself.
See here --> http://www.uberphones.com/2009/04/difference_between_61_or_winmob_65/

Then there is a "lite" look at the differences

Ever wondered whats new with 6.5 from the 6.1 version that most of us use. Brandon Miniman from PocketNow.com has done a detailed comparision between both of the OS.
Some notable changes in Interface
1) Honeycomb Interface
2) Many Finger-Friendly enhancements
3) Pretty Scroll bars and soft-key menus
4) Call screen with dual sliders – one for answer, and one for ignore

Some new Apps are also thrown in
1) Internet Explorer 6 mobile
2) Skymarket – Windows Mobile App Store
3) My Phone – cloud-based syncing solution for contacts, calendar, photos, and other data
4) Outlook Live – enhanced outlook client for Windows Phone ( what are the enhancements , not so sure )

Source: http://www.1800pocketpc.com/2009/02/13/difference-between-windows-mobile-65-and-61.html

And finally a "Your Definitive Pre-Release Windows Mobile 6.5 Guide". It is an early 2009 pre-view but covers off at length the major differences with lots of pretty screen grabs. See the full article here --> http://pocketnow.com/thought/your-definitive-pre-release-windows-mobile-65-guide-updated-02-14

Interestingly, reading through this makes me want to have a fiddle with WinMo 6.5 :D