After using and abusing my wonderful Sony EricssonT68i for 2 years, it was time for an upgrade. I looked at quite a few different options during my search. I knew I wanted a phone with a bit more functionality than the T68i, and to do so meant looking at Smartphones. There were 3 models I considered: Sony Ericsson P910a, Palm Treo 650 and the Audiovox SMT5600.
All three of these offered advantages and disadvantages I needed to consider before dropping up to $600 for an unlocked phone. I did a fair bit of research into the features of each of these phones at HowardForums, MoDaCo.com, Engadget, TreoCentral and MyTreo.net.
In the end I wound up purchasing the Audiovox SMT5600. I’m sure some of you out there are thinking “Ugh, Audiovox!”, but this isn’t the typical POS giveaway phone Audiovox produces for Sprint or Verizon. This phone is actually made by a company called HTC and it is known as the SPV C500 over in Europe and the UK.
The main reason I went for this phone is for the portability factor. Both the Treo and the P910a seemed a little too bulky. The SMT5600 is the smallest smartphone on the market. Plus, there is an active online community for this phone which helps troubleshoot problems and mod this baby.
It’s been about 3 months since I started using my SMT5600, and I’m impressed with everything it can do. I started my own moblog, check my email on the go, look up driving directions while we’re traveling down the highway and much, much more. I have a feeling that these types of features are going to become standard on mobile phones in a few years. Most people here in the States don’t care about these types of things, but people will flock to it once this tech becomes easier to use.
Audiovox SMT5600: 9/10