Top 5 handhelds for June
Both the HTC Touch Diamond and Samsung Omnia went on sale in June. The hype and anticipation for these PDA-phones meant they benefited from brisk sales the moment they hit retail. Coupled with the fact that most of us in Asia still have no access to the iPhone 3G (not without paying through the nose anyway), these touchscreen handhelds have the right combination of functionality and looks so they make worthy alternatives for those upgrading from older models.
Things are shaping up nicely in this space with HTC now having some healthy competition. We expect the Omnia and Diamond to do a bit of back and forth, jostling for the top spot in the coming months.
Note: Results are based on readership as well as data collected from retail outlets (Mobile Square and WhyMobile) and the major mobile operators in Singapore including:
Previous month's rankings
Click here for a feature comparison table.
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1. |
HTC Touch Diamond
CNET Asia rating: 8.2 out of 10
The good: Opera browser; YouTube application; TouchFLO 3D interface; sharp VGA display; compact and attractive design; 4GB internal storage.
The bad: No microSD card slot; poor battery life; no dedicated audio mini-jack; occasional slowdowns in interface.
The bottom line: The Diamond brings much innovation to the Windows Mobile platform and is a great handheld for both business and entertainment.
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2. |
Samsung SGH-i780
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Attractive price; good QWERTY keyboard; convenient shortcuts; slim design; extra battery included.
The bad: Square screen may not work well with third-party programs; optical joystick not as fast as regular directional pad; bundled GPS app not optimized.
The bottom line: Though not perfect, the i780 is an excellent choice for those who want the most features in a sub-S$1,000 PDA-phone.
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3. |
HTC Touch (2nd generation)
CNET Asia rating: 7 out of 10
The good: Very compact design; Windows Mobile 6 Professional; TouchFLO interface; attractive modified Home screen; 128MB RAM makes interface snappy.
The bad: Lacks 3G; poor SIM card and microSD slot design.
The bottom line: With more color choices and much better performance due to the increased RAM, the enhanced Touch is what the original should have been to begin with.
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4. |
Samsung Omnia SGH-i900 (16GB)
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Full range of wireless features; haptic feedback; improved text input methods; navigation software included; attractive design; excellent battery life; Opera 9.5 browser included.
The bad: Some apps may not work properly; finger scrolling not consistently implemented; use of microSD slot requires battery removal; no stylus slot.
The bottom line: The Omnia is a good alternative to the HTC Touch Diamond with a competitive price and a truckload of features, though Samsung does need to work on the interface to improve its consistency and usefulness.
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5. |
HTC TyTN II
CNET Asia rating: 7.9 out of 10
The good: A host of data connectivity options including HSDPA; GPS with bundled maps; good battery life; 3-megapixel autofocus camera.
The bad: Heavy and bulky; still QVGA display; no camera light; no audio mini-jack.
The bottom line: It may not be a quantum leap compared with the 838 Pro, but the TyTN II maintains what power users loved in the previous iteration--with a few extras.
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