Toshiba 2032SP/Audiovox Thera 2032 - Looks Smart... Acts Smart Too
Written: Apr 11 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Pocket PC, Clean-cut, Performance generally good
Cons: Outdated OS, Size, BATTERY LIFE
The Bottom Line: The 2032 is a pretty good device that is devasted by horrible battery life.
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| soupcraze's Full Review: Toshiba 2032SP Smartphone |
The Toshiba 2032SP and Audiovox Thera 2032 are both identical phones. The Toshiba is used on the Sprint PCS Vision network, while the Audiovox is used on Verizon's network. One thing that the 2032 device has in common is that it's a Pocket PC that has a built-in CDMA phone. I used this on the Sprint PCS network, and not on the Verizon network. But since these are both virtually the same, the Audiovox Thera 2032 most likely performs just about the same.
-Price-
*The 2032 is about $399 with Sprint PCS without activation. I've seen the Audiovox phones going for around $200 on eBay for Verizon. This is a fairly well priced Pocket PC Smartphone. As for Sprint PCS, it's considerably cheaper than the Hitachi G1000 which is the only other Microsoft option on the network. But on the contrary, the Hitachi G1000 offers a built-in QWERTY keyboard which allows for easier data entry. Also, the Hitachi offers a built-in camera which allows for easy picture-mail with Sprint's network. The Hitachi G1000 also sports a much faster Intel XScale processor clocking in at about 400MhZ. But looking at the difference in price, the 2032 is about $250 or so cheaper. For what you get with the 2032, it's a pretty good price to pay.
Apples & Oranges...
I know it's inappropriate to compare the 2032 to a Palm OS based Smartphone, but I'll do it anyway. The 2032 costs the same as the out-dated Handspring Treo 300. The Treo 300 offers a built-in keyboard but lacks an SD/MMC expansion slot. If you need more software and multimedia capabilities, the 2032 will give you better options while the Treo 300 might otherwise prove lacking. The 2032 also offers 32MB of memory while the Treo 300 provides only 16MB. So if you're indifferent between the two operating systems, I would take the 2032 over the Handspring Treo 300.
-Performance-
*The 2032 proves itself to be a very efficient Pocket PC as well as a mobile phone. Here's what I found after using the 2032.
PROCESSOR
*The 2032 runs on an Intel StrongARM 206MhZ processor. This is considerably slower than the 400MhZ Intel XScale processor you find on the higher-end Hitachi G1000, but still sufficient enough to run Pocket PC applications. This is quite better than the measely 33MhZ you'd find on the Treo 300. Even though this isn't the most powerful Pocket PC processor placed inside this phone, it's still sufficient to do everything you need it to do.
OPERATING SYSTEM
*The 2032 runs on Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition. It's a very beautiful and powerful operating system. This allows you to have all the power of Pocket PC combined with your cellular phone. But, what's the drawback? Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 Phone Edition is already available in some newer Smartphones. But as for Sprint PCS currently, you won't find 2003 in any of the Microsoft powered PDA's. The Hitachi G1000 also runs on Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition. I know some people might say that this is "outdated". But hey, it all still works. PPC2002 still allows you to run all of the hottest programs out there, so don't sweat!
MEMORY
*The 2032 has an adequate supply of memory. It has 32MB of internal memory alongside an SD/MMC slot for flash memory upgrades. The funny thing is that this phone provides the same amount of memory as the considerably more expensive Hitachi G1000. The 32MB should be sufficient to provide you room for lots of applications and other data files. Also, if you need more room, the 2032 offers an upgrade slot for flash memory cards.
SCREEN
*The 2032 has a large TFT screen. It's filled with beautiful vibrant colors and a very attractive operating system. Unlike the Hitachi G1000, the 2032 doesn't have a built-in hardware keyboard. Instead, you can use the on-screen keyboard by tapping the characters with your stylus. This is better for data input and text messaging than using a traditional numeric keypad found on a cell phone, but still not quite as nice as a built-in QWERTY keyboard. But overall, for media purposes, the screen allows you to view picture files that look pretty vivid on the device. It's also nice for typing up word documents or using an excel spreadsheet.
BATTERY LIFE
*The battery life on the 2032 is absolutely horrendous. If you're using this device, you'd better make sure you have a charger handy with you! When having phone conversations with it, I managed to get only around an hour of talk-time with this phone before I started getting critical battery warnings. When you're using it for PDA functions, you can expect the longevity of the device to be even poorer. If you're on the go a lot and might not have a charger handy, then you might want to look into a different device. The Hitachi G1000 offers a better battery life. But all in all, the Palm-powered units offer better battery lives. You might want to look into a PalmOne Treo 600 if you need a lot of talk-time and don't have a charger handy too often. If you can work without a back-light (Oh the misery!), then you might be able to conserve a consider amount of battery. But overall, the 2032 proves to be extremely lacking when it comes to battery.
MULTIMEDIA
*The 2032 uses Pocket Explorer to view images and other programs to view other types of formats such as Adobe PDF files. Also, Windows Media player can be used to play short video clips. Overall, the 2032 doesn't really have any problems playing media files. Microsoft adds in enough programs into the software to make your Pocket PC somewhat of a multimedia center... Just somewhat.
INTERNET
*One of the greatest services offered I think is Sprint PCS Vision. You receive unlimited internet access and data transfer for only $15/mo. The 2032 allows you to take advantage of this by having Pocket Explorer which allows you to view real websites on the internet. This might be annoying sometimes since you have a lot of distance to cover over the page since they aren't always compressed if you're not using a PDA-Orientated website. But using Pocket Explorer sure beats out using a WAP browser that you'd find on a cell phone. If you need to have internet access anywhere (Other than using a Wi-Fi LAN card), then the 2032 will be pretty efficient.
PHONE PERFORMANCE
*The phone integration has been done fairly well on the 2032. When I used it, people heard me loud and clear. No problems. It's always more annoying to use a PDA device compared to a much smaller cell phone, but people who buy these devices know what they are getting into and therefore aware of the size issue. The phone program included is easy to use. You can access your speed-dial, call log, and the talk/end buttons through the screen. You can also use two dedicated hardware buttons on the PDA to send or end a call. The 2032 offers speaker-phone which can be a great relief if you don't want to hold such a large phone, but this proves to be inappropriate in a lot of settings. I found the speaker phone volume to be pretty good. No problems there. The calls I made were clear and it didn't drop any. Good job there. The only thing that will really put an end to your calls is the horrid battery. But overall, if you've got a charger nearby, you shouldn't have any problems chatting away on this device.
*Overall, the 2032 proves itself to be a pretty worthy phone. The battery life sucks though, and this may serve as a major drawback for some (Many) users.
-Ease of Use-
*The 2032 is a cleaner looking phone compared to the Hitachi G1000 since it lacks the hardware keyboard. Pocket PC is considered to be more difficult to use compared to Palm OS by many users, but the people who use Pocket PC with other devices will find it to be inviting.
NAVIGATION
*The 2032 has a very clean interface. Since it lacks a hardware keyboard, there are many less buttons on the front of the device. Some people might like this, while some others may not. It's your own personal preference. I think that this makes the 2032 pretty attractive. As for the phone, there's the talk and end buttons. There are also a few shortcut keys. These allow for easy access to applications and the home screen. The 2032 is pretty easy to navigate with.
SYNC
*The 2032 is synchronized to the computer via Microsoft ActiveSync. The latest version can be downloaded free from the Microsoft website. The most wonderful thing about the phone book with this phone is that it syncs with all the contacts in Microsoft Outlook. So you can quickly type up and organize your contacts in Outlook, and then seamlessly have it sent to your phone whenever you synchronize the PDA with your PC.
*The 2032 is fairly easy to use if you're familiar with Pocket PC. It also synchronizes to the computer seamlessly by using either the included or downloaded software.
-So What's NOT Hot-
*Some things about this phone suck, here's what they are.
BATTERY LIFE
*Only around an hour of talk-time and an overall poor battery life don't let you do much with this phone. If you're getting out a lot and might not have a charger handy with you, then you might want to look elsewhere. The Hitachi G1000 offers a better battery life than the 2032.
NO CAMERA
*Sprint prides itself upon having picture messaging. Believe me, it's great when it comes to PCS Picture Messaging. The 2032 unfortunately lacks a camera so you can't take and share pictures with other users. But for many people, they wouldn't need this feature.
*Other than these two factors, there isn't much else to dislike about the 2032.
-Looks & Styling-
*The 2032 is a very sleek and attractive device. Even though it's a bit on the larger side, it looks very hot with its silver finish and large vibrant screen. This is one of the more attractive PDA's that I've seen on the market.
-The Verdict-
*The 2032 proves itself to be an excellent convergence of a CDMA cell phone alongside a Pocket PC powered PDA. The battery life really hurts this otherwise excellent unit. So if you need a Pocket PC and phone combined on a fairly small budget (Well at least compared to the far more expensive PDA's), then the 2032 is a good choice. Pocket PC is a great operating system, it allows you to do much, though Palm OS seems to have the upper-hand when it comes to ease of use and overall convergence with a cell phone. But if you've got a charger by your side, then you're all set to use a pretty good device!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399
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Epinions.com ID:
soupcraze
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Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Reviews written: 488
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About Me:
I enjoy many of life's passions... Music, medicine, people, and life itself.
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