Cingular 8525 Pocket PC Phone
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When I reviewed the Cingular 8125 in early 2006, I liked the device well enough, but couldn’t recommend it to anyone as more than a wireless data device; the 8125 was just too bulky and awkward to be used as an everyday phone. I wished the 8125 were smaller, lighter and that it had a better feel in the hand. These improvements would have made the handset a real winner.
The new Cingular 8525, the official successor to the 8125, has recently been released, and is just the winner I’ve been waiting for. Not only is the 8525 about as comfortable to hold as a Pocket PC Phone could be, it’s faster, lighter, has more features, and has even managed to expand the features carried over from the 8125. The 8525 represents a great step forward for Pocket PC Phones.
Get ready for a love-fest folks; the Cingular 8525 is the best Pocket PC Phone – and perhaps Windows Mobile device – I’ve ever used.
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Product Brief
Like the 8125 before it, the Cingular 8525 is a Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone; unlike a smartphone, a Pocket PC Phone is a device with all of the functionality of a stand-alone Pocket PC, but with fully-integrated wireless phone connectivity. The Cingular 8525, which is actually a rebranded version of the HTC Hermes, is an evolutionary leap in the slide-to-hide Pocket PC Phone market, offering the latest in PDA and wireless technologies in one handheld.
The specification list of the Cingular 8525 is extensive. It is powered by a 400MHz Samsung ARM-based mobile CPU, has 128MB of flash memory (storage) and 64MB of system memory, built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi (the first Pocket PC device to feature this high-speed protocol), Bluetooth 2.0 peer-to-peer wireless, a 2MP digital camera (another Pocket PC first), a QWERTY slide-to-hide keyboard, and compatibility with Cingular’s high-speed HSDPA 3G wireless data network. Oh, yeah: the Cingular 8525 is also the first Pocket PC Phone in the United States compatible with HSDPA.
Included with the handset is a 1350mAh Lithium Ion battery, an AC Adapter, a USB sync cable along with a Y-connector for simultaneous charging and syncing, two styli, a Getting Started Guide and a CD-ROM with PDF User Manual, ActiveSync and Outlook 2002. There is also a mini USB wired headphone/headset included; unfortunately, this is the only wired headset which can be used with the 8525 as the handset lacks a stand-alone audio jack. There is no included case or cradle. [VIEW ACCESSORIES] |
