HTC TyTN / 8525 / JasJam (Hermes)
Average Ratings
every prayer answered
the upgrade from the 8125 to the 8525 was so dramatic, there is no way to compare the two!
i'll start with the cons first, there are so few:
cons:
* the slider is not as firm as i _prefer_ but its definitely not a flaw, i assume i'll get used to it. not counting off for it, i'm not one of those reviewers.
* the box didn't have a holster in it, i want this baby protected when not in use, so i'll have to fork out for one of my own--without contract this phone was $600. they could have thrown one in.
*battery life could have been slightly better, but with all the wireless networking, i wasn't expecting miracles.
that's about it... personal preferences, nothing major with the phone
PROS:
*twice the speed of the 8125, 400mhz!
*HSPDA/UMTS with a tethered modem application built-in! finally!
*vibrant screen, even at 1/2 brightness
*great speakerphone / mp3 player
*heavier and more comfortable than the 8125
*keyboard just as responsive, blue backlight isn't as intense, i can read the keys easier
*WIFI as well as hspda, irda and bluetooth! they have everything!
*USB CHARGING/CONNECTION! i can use my blackberry extras, no special non-computer-friendly connections
*SYNCS WITH MY MAC WITH EASE! http://www.markspace.com
*earpiece is louder than any other phone i've used with cingular, sans the bb8700c
*2mp camera rocks in daylight! though i don't know the use of the flash other than finding keys in the dark, hah!
*vibe and ring at the same time! this has been left off every PDA phone for some odd reason!
that's about it, i can't think of much else. so many positives, hard to really steer yourself away from it! i'm just going to use my old treo holster until i get a comfy one for it.
nothing but great things ahead for this phone!
Awesome Phone
I've had this phone for a bit over a month and love the wide array of functionality; After the second week I sold my Treo 750 on ebay; Wanted to make sure it worked well and it did ! There were some things that seemed to be quirk at first but there are always fixes available on-line; I seemed to at first have an issue with the "hot" keys but with WM5 you can change absolutely everything and anything on the phone ! I was a bit shocked that it handles so much at once; I have not yet had to reset but I can tell you that the 3 g networks kill the battery quickly but this seems to be the general consensus among any 3G phone.
In love with the Tytn so far...
Pros- had lots of options for Internet Access; wifi; 3g etc.; great contacts list
great video playback; picture taking is Average but again thats not why I bought the phone; Speaker phone is exceptional and loud
2nd camera is great for video conferencing
DVD playback is awesome
Cons: Could have a bigger screen but ~ 3 inches is OK.
Camera is average
liked to see SD card slot instead of mini
* Price is high but no one has a full featured product like this that fits in your pocket comfortably; Some are trying to mimic the TYTN but I will stick with this one for now.
...........
I am happy with my purchase and would recommend the phone to someone that needs a wide range of capabilities...
8525 Lover
I used the 8125 for a long time. When the 8525 came out I was overjoyed and intrigued. So after a short time I was forced by my relentless curiosity and quest for 3G. I was very happy with my 8125 and nothing short of elated with my new purchase.
Pro's
- Touchscreen
- Excellent reception and sound quality
- Windows Mobile 5
- 2MP camera with video record
- 400mhz processor
- Easy e-mail setup
- Wifi
- PTT availability
- Full html internet
- Expandable memory with Micro SD
- UMTS data (in compatible area)
- Nice large qwerty keyboard
- And of course the standard Pda stuff. Task list, calender, converter, calculator, and such.
Con's
- Dialing pad can be tricky to use while driving
- All your friends will want to see it and use it
- Since the debut of the Iphone I've been getting asked if it's an Iphone (an insult to the wonderful piece of equipment that the 8525 is)
Give me an 8525 over a Gen 1 Iphone any day.
SmartPhone vs. Pocket PC
After owning the Cingular's HTC 8125, I expected the successor 8525 to have a lot more to offer. Both are exactly alike, except the user interface for the touch screen phone buttons where made more visually appealing & the updated camera 2.0mp software was closer to a digital camera now featuring an auto balance, clarity control, and white balance. I expected the overall interface of the 'Today' screen was more like the Windows Vista, as unveiled as the first pictures rolled out before the initial launch in the US. A week after I bought it, Microsoft reveiled that Windows Mobile 6.0 will be launching. The 8525 did offer MobiTV pre installed on the phone whereas the 8125 did not, and to obtain such software required a recurring charge to a credit card. However, I did have a Samsung Blackjack, which did not have MS Office Mobile, but included XM Satellite Radio and TrackID, which was not on the 8525. After Apple's IPhone unveiled, HTC has some known issues with its current touch screen. The screen is not flush with the phone, so cleaning the screen is very hard. Menu options on the phone require the use of a stylus, unlike the IPhone & the thickness of phone is more than today's standard. As the only Manuf. of touch screen Pocket PCs for Cellular Companies (HTC makes an HP version as well), to maintain market share after the initial launch of IPhone, small adjustments can make the competition fierce.
In closing, as one of 2 touch screen Windows Pocket PCs offered for Cingular, it is the best to be offered for now.
The vehicle to achieve peak performance
Is the partner you always wanted smart , quit , always do what you want, and fast. If I could I will be married to these machine, calling it a phone is underrating it, it is a package of productivity from the obvious to the extreme, I mean really you don't even need the stylus, you receive a text with a phone number and it is hyperlinked by default, push email, push to talk, infrared, enhanced bluetooth, really you can not only use the internet acess that you have on your phone to pass it to your laptop or desktop but you can set it up as a TV remote and more, it is incredible...
An Unbelievable Product
Had the phone for 2 months now, purchased the HTC branded one (TyTn) only because I couldn't wait til the FCC approved it. I am amazed at the functionality they've jammed into such a small piece of HW. I've had no problem with anything but the video conferencing (LOL),that the HTC version has and that CINGULAR does NOT allow on their network. That just ticks me off to no end! Everything is very smooth my HTC, I use it at work/while on the road; having the 3G (HSDPA) capabilities makes life much easier; I spend a good bit of time transfering files and this is where it has been extremely helpful. The phone has all of the bells n whistles; making use of all of them has been difficult, there is nothing that this phone cannot do; I have spent alot of time learning all of the in's and out's, AND there is so much more to learn about the TyTn's capabilities ! I am most happy with it; when I first saw it on line I thought that it was another "brick"; nothing more annoying than having a bulky phone in your pocket, not this one. Perfect, no complaints here, no RAZR, but it really is quite small when you think of what it does! Just make sure you dont damage the screen.
Pros
camera 2 mega pix - avg
video rec'd - respectable
Internet w 3G -incredible
WiFi - exceptional
Full QWERTY
DVD playback via DVDShrink -AWESOME
Speakerphone - LOUD n Clear
Reception - Perfect - better than my Nokias
Quad-band. Europe in October,no problems,worked as expected.
Installed TOMTOM 5.2 GPS-flawless w my BT GPS receiver.
400Mhz proc - overclocked - it is screaming fast, was OK before.
Video webcam - good
MS voice command installed -works well.
List goes on and on.
CONS
lousy a$$ mini SD; they really need to do something about this,SD preferably.
Anyone looking for a great phone; one that actually delivers great reception,PDA, GPS, web-access AND in a small form factor, GO FOR IT;
HTC has finally gotten their $hit together on this one.
Hopefully this review helps !
I just got it today!
I had the 8125, and was not happy with it. So I was a little skeptical about the 8525. However, the upgrade on the camera was one of the features that prompted me to take a look at the 8525. I was going to hold out for the TREO 750, but haven't heard positive comments on that phone, but heard some positive comments on the 8525 on this site. Here's my feedback so far, I'll be playing with it some more and will report more later.
Pros:
Definitely quicker than the 8125
Camera has a built in flash
2.0 megapixel
headphones were a nice addition. Used it today and was surprised how clear sounding and loud it was.
Cons:
Picture caller ID is useless. This was one feature that I liked when I had my TREO. The Picture Caller ID is soooo small, that you can barely see it! With a phone screen as big as this, I was surprised.
Also, I can't seem to change the ringer sound? I could do it on the 8125 but can't figure it out on the 8525. Can anyone help?
Overall, I like the shape of the phone, much better than the 8125. I like having a stylus AND the candy bar style wheel at the top to use. Also, they improved the keyboard so that you can also dial the numbers from the keyboard easily.
Do-It-Yourself iPhone Killer
I haven't reviewed a phone in years, and with good reason. I haven't been able to find a phone worthy of the time I wold have to invest to do a review justice. Since I last reviewed a phone on here, I have switched carriers to AT&T (who I personally recommend after having tried ALL others, especially over VERIZON), and now I have found the best fitting phone to my needs and with entertainment value, and to anyone in search of the same, read on.
Pros:
Too many so I will stick to the main ones-
*WM5 phone originally but upgradeable to WM6 for FREE
*Wifi, Bluetooth, 3G, Tether modem, you name it, it's here
*Awesome screen. Flawless in my opinion.
*Reception is excellent. I live in 3G area, so no issues there.
*Slide out keyboard with big buttons for my big fingers.
*Camera with macro mode and 2mp rez, video recording (which will be my only con below)
*IR port (I'm sorry if you don't agree, but NoviiRemote is still a fun prank to have on your phone, and IR is almost obsolete)
*PTT (Push To Talk), just nice to have the option
*Excellent call volume and external volume, including speakerphone
*Side scroll wheel. This is HUGE for me. It's like having a Blackberry without the crap OS.
*Touch Screen is nice, and stylus fits tight in phone, but with scroll wheel and dedicated buttons, you hardly ever need it.
*Sturdy design, right down to slide mechanism for keyboard.
*Mini USB port. I get sick of having to have special cables for my phone and everything else. Use the same cable to charge and sync as I do my regular camera. Also works with USB 12V cigaratte lighter adapter. So there again, cheaper and smarter.
*Never crashes. Not once.
*Flash for camera, which also doubles as lighting for camcorder. Quality is awesome on both, except...
Cons:
*When you select the largest resoultion on camcorder, audio and video are slightly out of sync.
Visit XDA Developers. This phone is customizable to no extent (search Hermes as well). You will be glad you did.
8525 A Strong Phone
I moved from an Ipaq 6320 to this phone so no real hassle learning wm6 (mine came upgraded with touchflow.Fast phone with impressive U.I. (looks/acts like a touch diamond) the software that came loaded originally I'm sure had problems, as most phones of this caliber do.All the upgrades that have been done to mine equate to a very impressive piece of hardware.Great screen quality with a wide variety of compatability makes this easily the best phone I've ever used (the Iphone 3g has been out for quite some time now, I've used it and honestly cannot stand it).
Questions
Well if you have read other reviews, you would see that I had asked if anyone had problems with a similar phone that my girlfriend has. Well after double checking, she has this one. Now my question is, has anyone had any problems with the keypad stopping working? When she is trying to text at times, the keypad will not work. When it is supposed to be lit up, it's not. There are also times that she can't even get the keypad that pops up on the screen to work. She has also had problems with the touch screen not working. I wouldn't think this was a problem, except she has only had this phone for about a month or so. It drops calls from where she started with a strong signal sitting in one spot, then the next thing the call is gone. If you have had the same kind of problems, please reply and post a message so I can let her know and see about trading it in on another phone. Are there any recommendations on what type of phone she should get? She loves to text and needs a phone with a great camera since she doesn't own a digital camera just yet. Thanks in advance.
