Should I buy the SX66?

My contract is up and I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade to the
Siemens SX66 from Cingular, or get a cheaper or free phone. I don't
talk on my cellphone a whole lot, so I have a cheap plan ($29.99 per
month) and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd like to be able to surf
the internet at wifi hotspots, and the SX66 is advertised as having
802.11b. Does this mean I can surf the internet at wifi hotspots
without having to pay Cingular anything for internet access? Or is the
802.11b "crippled" the way Bluetooth is "crippled" by some carriers on
some cellphone models?

Another issue: Siemens just split off their mobile business and is
trying to sell it. Does this mean for any reason that we should avoid
buying Siemens phones? I am aware that the SX66 is not actually
manufactured by Siemens.

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› See More: Should I buy the SX66?

Dan,

I have had the Siemens SX66 for about three months now. It is the best
PDA/phone combination device that I have owned.

The 802.11b is not crippled. I have used it at home, work, and coffee
shops.

There are however some drawbacks namely Bluetooth is not well
implemented, thus using a headset or speaker is not worthwhile. Secondly
you need an adapter to plug-in earphones that have a standard mini-plug.

It is well built, and as I charge it every night, the battery capacity is
fine.

If I had to make a purchase decision again for a PDA/phone device, with
what is currently on the market, I would do it again.

Robert


----------
"Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas."
Virgil

I've had the SX66 for about 2 months and I agree with Robert, it is a
wonderful PDA and an adequate phone. The 802.11b is fully functional and
with a firmware upgrade that is on the Siemens website, the Bluetooth has
been flawless as well. Voice Command from Microsoft is a must since dialing
from the touch-screen is difficult while driving.



I also charge the phone every night, which is a must, but it easily lasts
for an entire day - it just won't go for 2. I turn off WIFI and Bluetooth
when I'm not using them and this saves battery life. Keeping them on all
day doesn't allow a full day of usage.



It is a wonderful email client and keeps me connected everywhere. I
recently traveled to Germany and received mail seamlessly.



There are only a couple of negatives. One is that it a PDA size phone, so
it's a bit large. I just keep it in my pants pocket by itself and that
works fine. The second is that I have to reset the phone once in a while
because something goes strange with the ability to place and receive calls.
This is the most annoying thing and I'm hoping that a future firmware update
fixes this.



--Paul



"Dan Bock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My contract is up and I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade to the
> Siemens SX66 from Cingular, or get a cheaper or free phone. I don't
> talk on my cellphone a whole lot, so I have a cheap plan ($29.99 per
> month) and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd like to be able to surf
> the internet at wifi hotspots, and the SX66 is advertised as having
> 802.11b. Does this mean I can surf the internet at wifi hotspots
> without having to pay Cingular anything for internet access? Or is the
> 802.11b "crippled" the way Bluetooth is "crippled" by some carriers on
> some cellphone models?
>
> Another issue: Siemens just split off their mobile business and is
> trying to sell it. Does this mean for any reason that we should avoid
> buying Siemens phones? I am aware that the SX66 is not actually
> manufactured by Siemens.
>

On 28 Apr 2005 08:31:22 -0700, "Dan Bock" <[email protected]> wrote:

>My contract is up and I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade to the
>Siemens SX66 from Cingular, or get a cheaper or free phone. I don't
>talk on my cellphone a whole lot, so I have a cheap plan ($29.99 per
>month) and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd like to be able to surf
>the internet at wifi hotspots, and the SX66 is advertised as having
>802.11b. Does this mean I can surf the internet at wifi hotspots
>without having to pay Cingular anything for internet access?

Cingular, no. However, likely you will have to pay the HotSpot provider unless
you access a FreeSpot.

>Or is the
>802.11b "crippled" the way Bluetooth is "crippled" by some carriers on
>some cellphone models?

Nope.

>Another issue: Siemens just split off their mobile business and is
>trying to sell it. Does this mean for any reason that we should avoid
>buying Siemens phones? I am aware that the SX66 is not actually
>manufactured by Siemens.

I would not avoid it. Support is probably direct back to HTC if the carrier
can't fix it, anyway.



--
John Bartley K7AAY 503.326.2231...147
telecom syadmin, USBC-Oregon, Portland - Views are mine.
http://palmwireless.cjb.net Wireless FAQ for PalmOS(r)
Dilbert is a documentary.