Orange SPV E650 & O2 XDA Orbit advice pls!

Timmne

Evening all, wonder if you could help please? :beer:

I am in the process of getting two new phones - one through my job and the other privately.

My boss is looking at getting us Orange SPV E650s (I think that's what they're called), which have a slidey-outey QWERTY keyboard and a big-ish screen. They don't seem to have wi-fi or built-in GPS hardware so one can use satnav with it, but they do have Windows mobile version 6.

On the other hand I could get an O2 XDA orbit privately - I think I prefer this one but I haven't had any proper use of it yet. This does have wi-fi and GPS and even comes with satnav software but is on windows mobile version 5 and I would have to pay for all of this myself (argh!).

It's quite important that one of my phones is a PDA type one as I need to have access to emails & internet throughout the day as I'm often out of the office. I would have email from my gmail account and my work email set up on this new phone if possible.

I would get a simple phone myself if I got the Orange one as I need two phones whatever-the-weather which would save me money but I'm worried I wouldn't be choosing the right one because I based my decision on cost alone....

Does anyone have any advice on which one's better pls?

Another :beer: for your trouble

Timmne

Shameless bump

researcher

Any opinions?

I do know that the SPV has wireless capability - but how does it compare with either the orbit, or anything else that could do the job

keithwales

In a similar position myself, although I have a v3 on Orange at the mo. I'm looking for a deal with inclusive call time.
A PDA type phone would be useful - not essential, I've been looking at the Nokia N95. This would probably be an option for you too Tim.
Don't know how they all compare though!

Timmne

Shame really as I ended up getting an offer I couldn't refuse (on my personal contract) which was 18month contract with a £360 credit (making the first 12 months FREE) and £28 a month after that - phone is a K800i.

AND boss has decided we'll stick with our current phones (rubbish and basic) for now - typical!

N95 looks sweet though - really want one!

researcher

Orange have offered me the SPV free on an 18 month contract. 400 mins + 100 texts for £15 x 9 months and £20 x 9 months.
I know I could get more mins elsewhere on other phones - but still waiting for someone to advise about phones?????
(It's unlikely I'd ever need 400 mins per month)

tryingtosave_3

I know this question has been resolved, but just to flag for future ponderers, it's worth checking with your work IT department as to what they'll allow to access the network; if you're buying the phone yourself, but want to sync it with a pc or want to set up "push email" via a networked server, they might be quite specific about what they'll allow (if they do allow anything private!).

The SPVs, and the o2 XDA are all Windows Mobile based (I'm pretty sure), whereas the Nokias are symbian and the blackberrys are, well, blackberrys (Palms can be either palm or some are now windows mobile). Whilst this might not matter hugely if you're talking about web access or syncing with your home pc, it might not be as simple for your office!

It's also worth keeping in mind that many of the PDA phones branded by the operators, i.e. XDAs, SPVs, Varios etc. all made by the same company - HTC (although another, Asus are making inroads). The Orange E650 is apparently based on the HTC’s S710. To me the Vodafone v1415 looks like it's the same as the Orange E650 as well. This does mean you can shop around!

In terms of which is the best, the N95 does look nice but a lot of people are saying it's not quite there yet. It boils down to deciding exactly what features you want ... I think I'd miss the lack of a touch screen on the N95, although there doesn't seem much else out there with a similar spec (the XDA Orbit comes close but it's not 3G).

Also the OP mentions Windows Mobile 5 vs Windows Mobile 6. Are you sure there is enough difference between the two? I've no idea personally, but
here is a handy pdf guide http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/windows-mobile-5-vs-6-compared-table-style-245389.php