Best Bluetooth Phone

[KOZAK Imre Oliver]

You have to decide for what do you want to use your future phone.

You can use it for three things:
1) Address book pop-up message for incoming calls
2) Address book/calendar synchronization
3) Internet access

For 1) and 3) all bluetooth phones are OK. My sister uses a Nokia 
6310i. It has an extremly fast menu, instantenous, really. It has T9 
for many languages, not just English, and you can use different T9 and 
menu languages. It has a huge memory for addresses (and can store 
addresses, e-mails, phone numbers, etc.), has a very good calendar, 
java capabilities (can download software, huge amount of games, etc.). 
It also has a huge battery life, between 1-2 weeks, depending how much 
you use bluetooth and how much you talk. Really excellent phone.

Siemens phones are quite popular here, in fact the most popular. A 
great addition beginning from the S45 is the possibility to access the 
memory as a file structure. You can archive to the phone memory 
hundreds of sms, pictures, etc, and on the PC, you can upload any txt 
files (like trains schedules, bank office open times, etc.) for 
reference. Or you can enter it as SMS, and save, so you have a 
virtually unlimited message pad. Siemens has a bit wired menu 
structure, but one you get onto it, no problem. And there is an 
excellent feature: you can map any function to the number keys, not 
only phone numbers. Like that, you can have direct access to bluetooth 
switch on/off, calendar, notepad, etc. Siemens really likes to put all 
functionalty in, at a lower price.

If you want address book/calendar synchronization, there are two 
options. First, you can use iSync with the Ericsson R520, T39 and T68, 
T68m, T68i, and only via bluetooth. If you want to sync with Entourage, 
there is mobilesync, it can sync via cable, bluetooth, infrared, and 
supports, Ericsson R520, T39, T68, T68m, T68i, and T65. The R520 and 
T39 has a slow menu structure compared to Siemens and Nokia phones. The 
T68 is also quite slow, but it can be upgraded for free by any Ericsson 
Service point to the T68i software, which is way faster, and allows 
access to a larger amount of memory (physically the T68, T68m and T68i 
have the same electronics inside).

The fact that you can synchronize or not depends on the synchronization 
protocol your phone uses. iSync and MobileSync uses the IrMC language 
to sync, and currently only these few Ericsson phones use this 
protocol. Nokia uses a proprietary protocol, the SonyEricsson P800 uses 
SyncML, so they are not supported.

I myself bought a T68m two weeks ago, and had the software upgraded to 
the T68i software a week ago. The speed change is dramatic. Compared to 
the Nokia and Siemens phones I had, it is slow and not intuitive at 
all. The joy on the T68 is not very good, you can get used to it, but I 
don't like it. Overall the phone feels like a toy. Battery life is 
good, if you don't talk or use bluetooth and never connect via gprs. I 
talk, have bluetooth switched on all day long, set up the automatic 
e-mail access for 2 hours on the phone, and browse the net for 1 hour 
each day (bluetooth+gprs), and have to recharge each two days. There is 
no desk stand (that could both charge the phone and a second battery). 
The address book can store only phone numbers and e-mail, it cannot 
store mail addresses. I would say the 6310i rules over the T68 for me 
in every aspect, but it cannot sync with my mac, so I had to go for the 
T68. The worst in all Ericsson phones is the fact that the Yes/No and 
Pick up/Hang up is on the same keys. If you are in the middle writing 
an SMS, or brwosing your calendar, no luck... while on the Nokia, you 
can pick up/hang up independently. There is no T9 in Hungarian for the 
T68, what is very basic today, I think.
The colour screen is also ambivalent... it is easier to read black text 
on white compared to dark grey on light gray, but in strong sunlight it 
is hard to read. No unreadable, but hard to read. The backlight of the 
T68 is also very strong for the eye, Nokia and Siemens has a more ample 
setting.
So, the T68 is not a bad phone, not a good phone, it is a rather 
average phone by my standards.

So, if you don't need address book sync, you can choose any bluetooth 
phone you like. The Best bluetooth phone is the Ericsson P800 I think, 
then the Nokia 7650 is very close. If you need sync, you have to 
content with one of the R520 - T39 - T68.

If you have any question, I am happy to reply.
Imre