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craigthomas · Sep 3, 2003, 07:50 PM

I've had the T616 for about a week now, and this is quite a phone. Solid, unlike the t68i. Small, unlike the P800. UI is a fantastic improvement - very functional. Love the screen. Not as bad in the sun as I expected. Bluetooth w/headset is faster. Works seamlessly with iSync. Even works with SallingClicker's 2.0 (just released and free to 1.0 owners). Camera is really cool. I could go on and on.

Immortal K-Mart Employee · Sep 3, 2003, 07:52 PM

How is the battery? As good as the t68? What about the UI response?

maxintosh · Sep 3, 2003, 07:54 PM

The T616 is the dual-band version of the T610 right? If that's true, then it won't work on European networks.

realmeatychunks · Sep 3, 2003, 09:04 PM

The t616 uses the 850/1800/1900 mhz networks, whereas the t610 uses the 900/1800/1900 mhz networks.

That's the only difference.

greg, proud t610 owner (I just got mine for here in Montreal and when I go back to the states I'll use t-mobile with it).

maxintosh · Sep 3, 2003, 09:21 PM

Originally posted by realmeatychunks:
The t616 uses the 850/1800/1900 mhz networks, whereas the t610 uses the 900/1800/1900 mhz networks.

That's the only difference.

greg, proud t610 owner (I just got mine for here in Montreal and when I go back to the states I'll use t-mobile with it).

Ooh, you're right. Oops

Some T616 owner told me it was dual-band. Weird.

Edit: Did you see the new Bluetooth car SonyEricsson released? You can control it with your phone's keypad! Weird, but also pretty durn cool

PeterKG · Sep 3, 2003, 10:07 PM

I agree that it's a great phone. I replaced my t68is and the RF is fantastic for me. I upgraded the firmware and can make calls from home now which I could not do before. It's the best phone I have ever owned.

Kissargi · Sep 4, 2003, 01:21 PM

the screens arnt reflective tho are they? can you see the screen ok out in sunlight?

Socially Awkward Solo · Sep 4, 2003, 02:44 PM

You see there 2 new babies?

I actually like the low end better then the high end:

craigthomas · Sep 4, 2003, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by PeterKG:
I agree that it's a great phone. I replaced my t68is and the RF is fantastic for me. I upgraded the firmware and can make calls from home now which I could not do before. It's the best phone I have ever owned.

How did you upgrade the firmware?

craigthomas · Sep 4, 2003, 04:38 PM

Originally posted by Immortal K-Mart Employee:
How is the battery? As good as the t68? What about the UI response?

The battery life is much longer and the UI is very responsive now. This phone is 1000 times better than the t68. I missed the Nokia UI when I got the t68i, but now I am sold on this T616 UI. Oh, and I can't get over how solid it is, yet light. no creaks when you dial anymore.

My one wish is when scrolling a contact, i wish there was an option to email or text message besides just the calling feature. That's where Nokia has the edge.

Kissargi · Sep 4, 2003, 06:44 PM

wow, is that clamshell phone coming out in the uk??

bilingual · Sep 4, 2003, 09:27 PM

Can you transfer your address pics from your Mac address book onto your new phone? I know that some Nokia phones let you do that. Thanks!

k2director · Sep 4, 2003, 09:36 PM

I read a review that said the T610/616 didn't have an address field in its AddressBook, nor a field for birthdays. Is that true? If so, you guys don't mind that?

craigthomas · Sep 4, 2003, 11:04 PM

Originally posted by bilingual:
Can you transfer your address pics from your Mac address book onto your new phone? I know that some Nokia phones let you do that. Thanks!

You can transfer photos using Mac OS X's Bluetooth File Exchange application. It's soooo easy as long as you have bluetooth. It's as simple as "Get" and "Put". You can see the directory of the phone from you Mac while putting and getting photos.

bilingual · Sep 4, 2003, 11:10 PM

My question was whether you can have a nice syncing of the pics that I have in the address book on my Mac in the address books fields of the phone.

craigthomas · 11:49 PM

Originally posted by k2director:
I read a review that said the T610/616 didn't have an address field in its AddressBook, nor a field for birthdays. Is that true? If so, you guys don't mind that?

No address fields on the T616. The P800 has a full on PDA interface though if you don't mind the larger size.

I personally don't mind the missing address book. I use my phone for calling, getting email, occasional sports scores and texting. My powerbook has my addresses. Oh, and my Palm is covered with dust. Don't get me wrong, if it had the address feature, i would like it, just not a need.

craigthomas · Sep 4, 2003, 11:54 PM

Originally posted by bilingual:
My question was whether you can have a nice syncing of the pics that I have in the address book on my Mac in the address books fields of the phone.

Sorry, I don't use pics in my address book. it would be the wrong pixel size for the phone, so I doubt it.

But when you have a picture attached to a contact on the phone, and that persion calls, their picture shows up during the ring. It's cool.

bilingual · Sep 5, 2003, 12:00 AM

New Nokia 3650 syncs pics from your Mac's Address Book with the phone's address book so you don't have to attach those pics manually.

craigthomas · Sep 5, 2003, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by bilingual:
New Nokia 3650 syncs pics from your Mac's Address Book with the phone's address book so you don't have to attach those pics manually.

OK, now you have me curious. I'll try a photo with my address book and see if it transfers on my next sync.

shrink · Sep 5, 2003, 01:29 PM

Where did you guys buy the t616 and how much was it? I just dropped my t68i and although still sorta functional, the internal mic is broken. I can hear people and all other functions seem to work just fine, but the only way I can talk to people is through the hands-free headset :-(

And no, I don't have insurance, so do you think an upgrade would be cheaper than a repair?

craigthomas · Sep 5, 2003, 04:10 PM

Originally posted by shrink:
Where did you guys buy the t616 and how much was it? I just dropped my t68i and although still sorta functional, the internal mic is broken. I can hear people and all other functions seem to work just fine, but the only way I can talk to people is through the hands-free headset :-(

And no, I don't have insurance, so do you think an upgrade would be cheaper than a repair?

With ATT, I got mine for $220 by signing up for a year. A little costly, but a great gadget. After seeing it and touching it at it, I had to have it.

SciFrog · Sep 6, 2003, 09:00 AM

Is the 850Mhz instead of 900 a big deal in Europe?

I currently have a 900 phone and got service everywhere in Europe so I am a bit worried about getting a phone with only 1800...

Powaqqatsi · Sep 6, 2003, 01:00 PM

Originally posted by SciFrog:
Is the 850Mhz instead of 900 a big deal in Europe?

I currently have a 900 phone and got service everywhere in Europe so I am a bit worried about getting a phone with only 1800...

Yes, a 850 phone is useless in Europe. And a lot of networks here are dualband 900/1800 but there are still networks who are 900-only.

malemutekid · Sep 6, 2003, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by craigthomas:
With ATT, I got mine for $220 by signing up for a year. A little costly, but a great gadget. After seeing it and touching it at it, I had to have it.

I got mine last night for $70! I bought it at a kiosk in the mall and the guy matched the online price. I got it with a one year contract and no activation fee b/c it was a student deal. I love it so far.

I've got an iBook and need a bluetooth adapter. I want to get the belkin one for price. On ebay, there is one that boast a 328 feet range. Is that for real?

craigthomas · Sep 8, 2003, 01:18 AM

Originally posted by malemutekid:
I got mine last night for $70! I bought it at a kiosk in the mall and the guy matched the online price. I got it with a one year contract and no activation fee b/c it was a student deal. I love it so far.

I've got an iBook and need a bluetooth adapter. I want to get the belkin one for price. On ebay, there is one that boast a 328 feet range. Is that for real?

Good deal! It's $120 for new service at ATT. Sucks that it a penilty to be a previous subscrber.

ErsatzTom · Sep 8, 2003, 01:42 AM

I don't suppose you can use a bluetooth headset and connect with Address Book at the same time, can you? That is what drives me crazy with my t68i...

benb · Sep 8, 2003, 12:01 PM

Aight. If I may ask a few questions.

How is the signal strength? My t68i comes and goes. But it never gets a full signal.

And the 610/616 thing. Does that matter in the states?

I'd love to replace my 68i because sometimes I can't get a signal in my house.

Thanks.

craigthomas · Sep 8, 2003, 12:50 PM

I'm finding that the signal is better than the t68i. Every post I've read says the same. If you are are interested in the phone, get one, bring it home, and see. If you aren't happy, return it. I know ATT has a 30 return policy if you aren't happy. I'm sure most providers have the same.

Also, I find when i have only one bar, the sound is just as good as all bars.

benb · Sep 8, 2003, 01:53 PM

Originally posted by craigthomas:
I'm finding that the signal is better than the t68i. Every post I've read says the same. If you are are interested in the phone, get one, bring it home, and see. If you aren't happy, return it. I know ATT has a 30 return policy if you aren't happy. I'm sure most providers have the same.

Also, I find when i have only one bar, the sound is just as good as all bars.

Thanks for the reply. I think I'll priceshop around. Maybe I'll call T-Mobile if I have the time, see what their policy is. Although I was thinking about just buying it and dropping in my SIM card.

as2 · Sep 8, 2003, 06:37 PM

I have to agree, the phone is awesome.. the perfect sucessor to my T68i.

If you live in the UK, the T610 is only �50 from the O2 website, or free from their retail stores. Well worth upgrading too, especially if you have bluetooth!

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Sep 8, 2003, 11:19 PM

Damn, so any place to get this sucker in Canada cheap?

im_noahselby · Nov 1, 2003, 12:39 AM

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Damn, so any place to get this sucker in Canada cheap?

Fido just released the T616 here recently for $400 Cdn

For awhile now, if you wanted a bluetooth phone your only options were the P800 ($950) or the crappy Siemens S55. Thankfully, the wait for a decent phone is now over.

Fido

Noah

Zoom · Nov 10, 2003, 04:06 PM

I, too, am interested in this phone. Right now, Amazon has it for FREE with a FREE BlueTooth headset. Now, I don't know if this is only for new subs or not. I know it requires a two-year agreement, though.

I've got a dual-mode Nokia now (analog and digital) and I'm afraid that it will be a major service downgrade to go with an all-digital phone. That's really my one concern. I'm in the Raleigh, NC, area. Can anyone speak to this?

That's dumb that it won't save addresses, BTW.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Nov 10, 2003, 06:17 PM

Originally posted by im_noahselby:
Fido just released the T616 here recently for $400 Cdn For awhile now, if you wanted a bluetooth phone your only options were the P800 ($950) or the crappy Siemens S55. Thankfully, the wait for a decent phone is now over.

Ya right, I got the t68i from Rogers over a year ago. Rogers also has the t616 with a 2 year contract for under $300.

I think I am going to skip the phone all together and get an unlocked t630 off ebay for even less.

maxintosh · Nov 10, 2003, 11:26 PM

Just bought a T610

$200USD on eBay.

I like it a lot. I posted about this in another thread, re: signal strength.

The T610 does have perfectly strong RF, on par with my old 3650. The problem doesn't lie so much in the radio as the signal meter, which is very jumpy and pessimistic (it needs some Prozac, methinks). It gets the same service and voice quality as my Nokia, except that the meter always shows a lower rating, and jitters up and down like an angry flea.

HOWEVER, the T610 seems to perform very well even with one bar, and even sometimes zero. By contrast, when the Nokia showed 1 or 2 bars, it would often fail to connect or drop the call. If the Sony shows service, it has service. I've received SMS messages in the basement of our gym where no cell phone has ever been able to grab a signal (my Nokia NEVER showed an op-logo). I've also listened to a somewhat static-y voicemail in the NYC subway. The T610 idles to a low-strength signal that jumps back up once you start using it. My Nokia did the same, except it would sometimes idle to no signal at all in weak areas.

The T610 has 3 modes of signal: (Your Network) -> SOS ONLY (when other networks are available for 911 calls) -> NO NETWORK (you're SOL).

So, overall, the T610 holds on to weak signals when it can find them better than the 3650, but the 3650 can find a weak signal more often than the T610. In practical usage, both phones are good RF performers (MUCH better than the old T68i). Battery life isn't anywhere near what Sony claimed; it's a moderate improvement over the 3650, though, and should improve when I stop playing with it so much

My only complaints about the T610 are the message notifications (too short and too non-persistent), and the low non-expandable memory, and the beautiful design (which smudges and scratches too easily). Regarding the memory, it means you have to limit your CID pictures to the people that actually call you and the games to the ones you actually play

It was nice not to worry about it on the 3650, but I'm tired to replacing my phone. The T610 is here to stay... until I get bored with it

im_noahselby · Nov 11, 2003, 09:49 AM

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Ya right, I got the t68i from Rogers over a year ago. Rogers also has the t616 with a 2 year contract for under $300.

I think I am going to skip the phone all together and get an unlocked t630 off ebay for even less.

Well, here in B.C. Vancouver area, anyways, I have yet to see a Rogers that carries this model. But with Fido, who could arrgue with unlimited local calling for $40 a month

Noah