Background:
A lot of people may not have heard of the brand HTC and may not be aware that HTC has been producing smartphones and PDA phones for a number of years under a variety of OEM labels such as Cingular, O2, Orange, XDA, DOPOD, i-Mate etc. Just recently, HTC decided to market their own brand, offering products that bear minor or cosmetic differences from those OEM’ed to aforementioned labels. The good news is that HTC has a solid track record in the market. The bad news is that all the model names under different branding could really confuse shoppers and the market place.
The Search:
When I started to look for a phone to replace my Qtek 8500 (also an HTC product), I made a conscious decision to go for a PDA phone. I finally decided to hurdle over that great mental barrier, retire my trusty Palm Tungsten T3, combine the functionality of the phone and PDA, and switch to Windows Mobile.
I wanted to stay with the HTC family of phones but the product line was exceedingly confusing due to OEM branding. I was trying to decide between the TyTn and Cingular 8525 when I found a source for the P3600 in town. In terms of functionality and features, all three are almost identical (with the exception of the 8525 having only one camera instead of two), but the P3600 is the smallest and the lightest. So I chose the P3600.
Technical Specifications:
Processor: Samsung SC32442A 400 MHz
Platform: Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 5.0
Memory:
ROM: 128 MB
RAM: 64 MB SDRAM
Dimension: 08 mm (L) X 58.2 mm (W) X 18.4 mm (T)
Weight: 50g with battery
LCD Type: 2.8” TFT-LCD 240 X 320 dot pixels with 65,536 colours
Cellular Radio Module:
Tri-band HSPDA/UMTS: 850, 1900, 2100
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Connectivity:
Infrared IrDA SIR
Bluetooth® 2.0
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB and audio jack in one)
Camera
Main Camera: 2.1 Megapixels CMOS colour
Second Camera: CMOS VGA/CIF colour
Audio: Built-in dual (microphone and speaker)
Headphone: AMR/AAC/WAV/WMA/MP3 codec
Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery 1500 mAh
Standby time:
Up to 200 ~ 250 hrs for GSM
Up to 180 ~ 250 hrs for UMTS
Talk time:
Up to 5 hrs for GSM
Up to 4 hrs for UMTS
Expansion Slot: miniSD memory card
*NEW* Built-in GPS Receiver (activated via firmware upgrade)
P3600 the Phone:
The unit works well as a phone but it does seem to register a weaker signal as compared to other phones on the same network at the same location. The overall call quality of the phone is good, without any noticeable difference in terms of coverage, dropouts or fade.
For those like me who have been using a cell phone since the dawn of time (I had my first cell phone back in 1988….) having to dial a phantom on-screen keypad without any tactile feedback is not an easy thing to get used to. I find myself using the voice dial feature a lot more with this phone because it could otherwise get very distracting when one tries to drive and dial the keypad and the same time. A Bluetooth headset (see my review on Plantronics Discovery 645 Bluetooth Headset with DSP http://www.epinions.com/content_312016735876) also becomes indispensable with this phone, it saves me from having to fumble it out of the pouch, or to fool around with the keypad while driving. I would highly recommend MS Voice Command as an add-on application for this phone - more on that program in a different review.
Appearance, Form Factor and Construction:
I bought the black one but HTC does offer the same product in white as well. The case that comes bundled with the package is less than pleasing but it is adequate. I discovered very quickly how difficult it was to purchase a form fitting case for the unit. Even leaders such as Vaja and Krusell do not have any products that fit this unit specifically.
The screen is large, bright and clear. I compared it against a Canon digital P&S camera with an LCD of the same size and proportion, I found both equally sharp and the colours equally crisp.
As mentioned before, the unit is definitely smaller and lighter than the TyTn. The case is mostly made of plastic. Though it appears to be well constructed, this unit does not offer the owner the warm and fuzzy confidence that it could survive any form of rigorous physical abuse that a “regular “ phone normally lives through in its life time – you know, the dropping and the skidding across the parking lot, etc. It just has a look that says, “Please put me in a case and don’t leave me lying around unprotected on your dashboard or the bottom of your toolbox.”
Connectivity:
The P3600 is armed with a number of connectivity options: Bluetooth, IrDA, WiFi and, of course, 3G/UMTS/WAP. The phone allows you to set up connection preference amongst WiFi, 3G and WAP so you can take advantage of the cheapest/fastest connectivity method available at the time. For example, I have mine set to try WiFi first, 3G as second, and WAP as last resort. In Canada under Rogers Communications, 3G is available in select cities. Web surfing is fast and responsive under 3G, it makes the old WAP feel glacially slow.
The only complaint I have about connectivity is that it was very difficult to get help on this topic. The user manual provided no revelations, nor did the MS Mobile site. The service provider could only provide me with limited support since the phone was not an “authorized” device sold by the company. I spent a couple of nights trawling through user forums and eventually found the right connectivity settings.
WiFi was easy to set up. I was able to connect the unit into my own WiFi network using WEP security. The only hiccup I came across was the unit’s inability to deal with non-broadcast SSID. Otherwise, I have had no problem logging on to any WiFi network thus far. In fact, when I inadvertently leave the unit’s WiFi antenna turned on while driving, the unit keeps beeping to alert me of potential WiFi “hot zones” left completely unprotected and unsecured, beckoning me from surrounding homes and offices.
A word on Bluetooth: while it works nicely with my Bluetooth headset during phone calls, the P3600 (as well as the TyTn and Cingular 8525) has a well documented “quirk” - it is not able to route audio through the headset during Voice Call or Voice Command sessions. One of my biggest pet peeves.
PDA and Sync:
As a PDA, this unit is hard core Windows PPC. For those who are PPC fans, this phone should be really easy to switch over to. For die-hard Palm users (I had the original Palm, under the 3M/US Robotics label), I can only say that it is certainly not a Palm. The O/S is definitely bloated and even with a 400MHz processor it is still sluggish at times, particularly when compared against Palm on some of the basic functions.
However, MS Active Sync does a credible job maintaining data currency between PC and the PDA, albeit a little restrictive and cumbersome at times. Once it is set up correctly, sync up becomes a relative cinch. I have no problems syncing my calendars, contacts and email at all with Active Sync.
As a traveler’s tool, the P3600 offers a number of advantages that Palm cannot match. For example, I have a program named WorldMate Pro installed and it manages my itineraries, provides me with weather forecasts, checks for flight delays, and performs a myriad of functions (currency conversion, dress size conversion, time zones, dialing tables) that make a business traveler’s life easier. This application, like a number of other I have on the P3600, can either update via the cell network (3G, WAP) or during a sync-up. With these apps, the P3600 becomes an indispensable travel and management tool that is a little more sophisticated than the Palm.
Media Player:
The unit does a great job playing music and video. Transfer of media files must go through Active Sync/Microsoft Media Player 10. The transfer and placement of media files could be restrictive and cumbersome at times. It takes a while to convert a movie length AVI file via Windows Media Player 10 into the right format before syncing into the unit.
The unit comes with a stereo headset that fits into the 11-pin USB-like plug known as ExtUSB - an amalgamation of a mini USB port and an audio jack. The headset does not offer the best high fidelity sound but it does allow the user to answer the phone while listening to music with a button built into the unit. I found a ExtUSB to stereo converter on eBay and it allows me to connect a regular headset to the unit for media play back. Of course, you can also use a Bluetooth stereo headset with this unit.
Camera:
The main camera packs 2 megapixels but it does not have a built-in flash. Considering that it is a phone camera, it is very impressive as it offers a number of picture taking modes:
• Picture
• Movie
• Continuous Pictures
• Sports Mode
• MMS
It also offers a 2x zoom in some of the modes listed above as well as exposure control. The camera is a handy thing to have but I doubt it is posing a credible threat to Canon or Nikon yet.
There is a secondary camera for video calls. It is located at the top of the unit facing the user. It is the one feature that Cingular 8525 lacks.
Data Storage:
The P3600 has a built-in MiniSD slot with a trap door on the right side of the unit. With a 2GB MiniSD card installed, my unit can serve as an Mp3 player/video viewer in a pinch. I also use the storage card to load reference programs such as dictionary/thesaurus and databases.
Conclusion:
It is a great tool and a nice looking gadget even though it is not perfect. However, despite a few pet peeves (the leather case, audio routing, etc.) I still believe this is a great phone/PDA. As I have become accustomed to the unit, I now consider the few deficiencies as a phone almost negligible when viewed in the context of a Windows PDA smart phone – especially when the overall product is packed with so much productivity and convenience.
Update - June 24, 2007:
I checked into the HTC site in May and discovered a brand new firmware upgrade. This is no ordinary firmware upgrade, this one activates the P3600 previously dormant built-in GPS receiver! Apparently, HTC was having problems with the original firmware and the GPS receiver last year. As the 2006Q4 release date loomed close, HTC decided to market the unit without advertising the existence of the GPS unit.
With this firmware, now I can use applications such as Traffic Vizzion to pipe traffic camera feed to my phone based on the GPS fix as I travel down major highways.
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