Got a new phone and I’m ready to blog again.
The first time, the keyboard stopped working. The second time, I damaged the battery connectors by accidentally putting the battery in backwards (it could happen to anyone). In both cases, the phone would crash overnight while charging, or it would crash as I got an incoming call. Also, the phone is backlight-happy: it turns on and turns off with amazing ease and independence, such that my phone pocket dials people at will, and also turns on when I am talking, such that my cheek ends ups hanging up on current calls. Even with the new phone now, the calls are so slow to come in, that callers may hear the phone ring 3 times before I am even able to accept the call. Also on the new phone, I’ve noticed that the 2 and 8 keys on the keyboard are abnormally bright.
The actual phone is a marvel of design (great keyboard, great screen, great usability), but I’m sorry to say that it is just a piece of junk quality-wise. I wish it was fast, reliable and didn’t break as easily. If all these wishes came true, I probably stick with this phone forever. If only, right?
So here are some tips for people who do have this phone already, and are stuck with the 2 year contract:
- GET THE INSURANCE AND EXTENDED WARRANTY. You will thank me later.
- Lock your screen, such that if your phone decides to turn on, it won’t be able to dial numbers
- Get yourself an alarm clock. This phone should not be trusted to be up and functioning overnight.
- When you call someone, wait for the call to go from "Dialing" to "Connecting" before turning off the display and holding the phone to your ear. If you turn off the display while it’s "Dialing," it will turn back on when it switches to "Connecting," and your cheek might press the "End Call" button.
- Alert your friends and family that if their call didn’t go through the first time, they should try once more. This is a practice that has helped my family get in touch with me despite the unreliability of my phone.
- Get yourself an additional extended battery. I’m lucky to get through a whole day without the battery running out on me. On the same issue: keep a charger at home, at work, and in your car. Keep your phone plugged in as much as you can.
- Use Microsoft’s MyPhone application to back up your stuff. I could not figure out how to use the Verizon backup system, but even if I did, it would not back up certain things that are specific to Windows Mobile. MyPhone is really easy to use, and it backs up your stuff overnight. If you’re planning on switching out of Windows Mobile, then you should figure out the Verizon backup instead.
- Make the most out of your phone by using the STAR key on the keyboard to open Remote Desktop. Simply leave your computer at home on, and you’ll be able to access it through your phone. THIS is the main reason why I purchased a Windows Mobile phone in the first place. When I switch to Blackberry, I’ll be mozying over to rdmplus.com and installing Remote Desktop on my phone. Booyah.
- Use your phone camera. It’s a 3.2 mega pixel, and the size and quality of the pictures (on a clear day) is quite something.
- Remember that your phone has an Airplane mode, so you can use it in-flight.
Man, I can’t stay mad at this phone for long. I love my phone. It’s perfect for blogging, and it gives me what I need. It’s still a piece of junk, but it gives you so much that it will be hard to let it go… hard, but not impossible.
Good luck out there.
ina