My contract with Alltel is up for renewal next month, and I need a new phone. My needs (roughly in order of importance):

Phone reception (must be a phone first), ease of typing, e-mail functionality (one gmail account and one work account through Novell), web browsing, text/AIM/MSN access, ability to view AND edit Office documents, device size.

I really like the look of some of the new Blackberry phones, but I don't think they currently support editing of Word docs (could be wrong?). I've been back and forth between Blackberry and Palm for a couple of weeks, but lately I've been really intrigued by the two HTC phones in the title. I like their touch screens (I'm a sucker for shiny toys and that can be a bad thing) and smaller size.

I've read a ton of reviews online, but after being on TWW for a while, I have a better feeling for whose opinions I can readily ignore and whose are worth listening to. So, giving extra consideration to the two HTC devices, what are your thoughts?

1. Touch
2. PPC6800
3. Blackberry
4. Treo
5. Wait till something cooler comes out.
6. Switch carriers and go a totally different route.

Why?

1/16/2008 10:17:02 AM

I have the touch on Sprint and love it. Battery life is good, reception and call quality are great. There are hundreds of different keyboards that you can d/l and put on the phone so the built in ones are of no consequence, but I still use them. It's got office on there and can handle several e-mail accounts easily. Also, AIM, yahoo!, and MSN messenger software is all pre-loaded on the phone.

1/16/2008 10:23:55 AM

How's typing on it? Do you have to use the stylus? Ever wish you had an actual keyboard?

What about placing calls? Easy to do?

1/16/2008 10:40:14 AM

If you go windows mobile, you might want to see if it will run WM7 when it comes out.

As for Blackberries, the devices are shit, the os is shit, the software is shit. Unless you're using a BES server on domino or groupwise or something, theres no reason to have one.

1/16/2008 10:40:53 AM

I personally have a PPC-6700 and really like it. It has some flaws, but in general I am a fan. I considered switching up to the PPC-6800, but I really am hoping that Alltel will get the HTC TyTn II, aka the AT&T Tilt, which is a 6800 on steroids, and the screen flips up. My state business plan is with Alltel however, and we will not be switching around, so I'm kinda stuck waiting on Alltel to get its ass in gear.

And after seeing WM7, I really want to go to that and just skip 6 altogether (using 5 now).

1/16/2008 10:54:44 AM

^^^some things require a stylus, but typing isn't an issue at all for me.

1/16/2008 12:21:35 PM

the htc touch has a few issues. one being the screen that sometimes shorts out.

1/16/2008 4:24:07 PM

I'll weigh in as a 6800 user. I've had the phone for about 6 months now, and while I haven't exactly pushed the boundaries of what it can do, I've been generally happy with it. Phone reception/call quality is pretty good, other than at my house (which is in kind of a no-man's-land for cell reception) I can't recall any dropped calls. It's good for web browsing too; I wish the screen was higher resolution, but from what I've seen, short of an iPhone you're not going to get much better. Great for email, and once you get used the keyboard, I much prefer a hardware keyboard to an onscreen/touch one. Texting is about like it is on any other phone but the full keyboard is convenient, haven't tried IM. Can view and edit word, excel, and powerpoint, though it does not seem to be able to handle the Office 07 format natively.

Only real downside, IMO, is that the battery life can be less than stellar if you're using it heavily or have an email client that "phones in" frequently to check your mail (I have intellisync mobile installed to interface with Groupwise). Other than that, I'm happy with my choice.

1/16/2008 4:38:26 PM

After reading this thread today I got a wild hair up my ass and did some tinkering on my phone. On PPCGeeks, they have cooked up a pretty stable run of Windows Mobile 6 that lets you customize the shit out of it, so I downloaded that. I have been very happy with this, as it actually runs more stable than the out of the box Alltel WM5, and it has a tool on it that allows you to overclock your phone. I did that and it ran like a brand new phone. I LOVE WM6 and the tweaks this thing did to it. Really digging shit like Remote Desktop Mobile, the HTC Kaiser desktop, the ability to use my phone like a WiFiRouter, etc. So fucking cool. I would probably do the 6800 if I were you, as it seems to have far less complaints and is basically what I'm running at this point with a bit sleaker chassis.

1/16/2008 8:40:54 PM

I have the 6800 for work. I use it, and I like it.
I've dropped it a few times...lol

I use it to access activesync with a windows server for work, and use the E button for checking my gmail.

I can't use the gmail program...which sucks...but whatever.
text,browsing is cool on it.
I use Excel Mobile on it, and it's fine for simple stuff.

1/19/2008 12:17:58 AM

I use a 6800 for work. I really like it, but the battery life leaves a lot to be desired. I doubt this would be so much of a problem if I didn't have the device set to check email every 10 minutes, but then again that's why I have the thing in the first place.

1/21/2008 2:41:27 PM

Save yourself the headaches and get a BlackBerry

1/21/2008 4:36:44 PM

Why do you say that?

(not being critical or skeptical of your response, just want as much info as possible)

1/21/2008 5:09:03 PM

if you want to use word and/or excel, stick with an HTC. the touchscreen and stylus work very well, yet you still have the scroll wheel on the side and directional pad to navigate the menu with if you want to.

1/21/2008 8:42:25 PM

just a head's up, a blackberry will come with a blackberry plan, which will costs you at least $30 more.

1/21/2008 11:45:43 PM